'Inside the Rays: The Prospects' premieres May 12 on FOX Sports Sun
TAMPA, Fla. (May 10, 2018) – Tune in Saturday, May 12 at 10 p.m., on FOX Sports Sun, the statewide television home of the Tampa Bay Rays, as we premiere an all-new episode of “Inside the Rays” upon conclusion of Tampa Bay’s second game against the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays minor league system enjoyed a lot of success in 2017, highlighted by the Triple-A affiliate Durham Bulls capturing their fifth Governor’s Cup crown in 20 seasons in the International League. Beyond the Bulls, MLB.com ranks Tampa Bay as the number four overall farm system in all of baseball and number one based just on position players.
Titled “The Prospects,” this must-watch episode examines the development of these talented young men by the organization, focusing specifically on four of the most highly touted every day players in the minor league system: infielder Willy Adames, first baseman and outfielder Jake Bauers, outfielder Justin Williams and infielder Christian Arroyo.
Adames has earned rave reviews from his minor league managers at every level since his arrival in July of 2014. The third-youngest player on an opening day roster in the International League last season, Adames was named MVP for Durham in 2017 by the Rays Baseball Operations Department. Bauers is one month younger than Adames, and possesses a swing from the left side of the plate that helped him win the Al Lopez Award as the Rays most outstanding rookie in the spring of 2017. The California native’s tape-measure homeruns the past two Grapefruit League seasons have given fans a glimpse of what may come in the very near future.
The next 22-year old talent is Williams, who was named MVP for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits last season. He ranked second in homeruns and third in RBI among all Rays minor leaguers. Called up to Durham for the playoffs, Williams hit .333 and earned a roster position to begin this season with the Bulls. The final prospect born in 1995 is Arroyo. A Tampa Bay native, Arroyo experienced life as a Major Leaguer in 2017 with the Giants, playing in 34 games and earning the number one ranking as the top prospect in the San Francisco system. The importance of Christian’s relationship with his mother Kim cannot be overstated, from the drills she worked with him on the field to the emphasis in the classroom, where he earned a GPA well above 4.0 and was salutatorian at Hernando High School in Brooksville, Fla.
The future is indeed bright for the Rays and their fans with this core four, as well as many others throughout the minor league farm system. Rays Manager Kevin Cash, Hitting Coach Chad Mottola, Director of Minor League Operations Mitch Lukevics, Durham Bulls Manager Jared Sandberg, Montgomery Biscuits Manager Brady Williams, and Kim Drummond, Christian Arroyo’s mother, were also interviewed for the show.
Join host Michelle Margaux on FOX Sports Sun and FOX Sports GO as we debut “Inside the Rays: The Prospects,” and be sure to follow @FOXSportsRays on Twitter for exclusive Rays content.
Replay Schedule:
Sun. 5/13/18, 12 PM
Sun. 5/13/18, 4:30 PM
Mon. 5/14/18, 6 PM
Mon. 5/14/18, 10:30 PM
Tue. 5/15/18, 6:30 PM
Tue. 5/15/18, 11:30 PM
Wed. 5/16/18, 7:30 PM
Thu. 5/17/18, 9 PM
Fri. 5/18/18, 9 PM
Fri. 5/18/18, 1:30 AM
Sat. 5/19/18, 5 PM
Sat. 5/19/18, 8 PM
Sun. 5/20/18, 3 PM
Wed. 5/23/18, 10:30 PM
Fri. 5/25/18, 10:30 PM
Sat. 5/26/18, 3 PM
Sun. 5/27/18, 4:30 PM
Mon. 5/28/18, 2:30 PM
Mon. 5/28/18, 7:30 PM
Tue. 5/29/18, 1:30 AM
Wed. 5/30/18, 9 PM
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