Rays Prospect Weekly: Isaac's Monster Week, Gillen Keeps Scorching AA
By Grace Turner ·
The Wrecking Ball: Xavier Isaac Shows Off
There are big weeks, and then there is what Xavier Isaac (AA, 1B, Rank: 8) did from August 2 through August 8. In just 24 plate appearances, he went 8-for-15 with four home runs, 12 RBI, five walks, and two hit-by-pitches. That is a performance that pushes the "is this guy ready?" conversation to a completely different level. The power-to-patience combination on display aligns with his profile: a plus raw power bat who draws walks rather than chase pitches, and who can punish mistakes to all parts of the big part of the park. Over his last 30 days, Isaac is slashing .415/.568/.887 with seven home runs and 20 RBI across 74 plate appearances, numbers that would look absurd at any level, let alone Double-A at age 22.
For the season, Isaac is at .259/.405/.515 with 21 home runs in 368 plate appearances, a significant leap from the .201/.366/.446 line he posted in a partial 2025 campaign at the same level. The strikeout rate still sits elevated at 106 punch-outs on the year, and the hit tool grades at 45, so the ceiling conversations come with real caveats. He remains tethered to first base with a 40 speed grade, meaning the bat has to carry him, and right now it is doing just that. The question is whether the swing stays this locked in as pitchers adjust, but for an eight-game stretch in the middle of a pennant race at the Double-A level, Isaac looked like a middle-of-the-order fixture waiting for a phone call.
Through the Roof: Theo Gillen Won't Stop Hitting
If Isaac had the loudest week in the system, Theo Gillen (AA, OF, Rank: 2) had the most meaningful one in terms of prospect trajectory. The 20-year-old went 7-for-24 at Montgomery with two home runs, two RBI, and three walks, adding to a last-30-day line that now reads .375/.489/.806 with eight home runs across 88 plate appearances. Combined across both levels this season, Gillen is at .324/.431/.576 with 20 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and 74 RBI in 418 plate appearances. He arrived at Double-A following a dominant A+ run that featured a .342/.449/.589 line and 12 home runs in 265 plate appearances, and he has not skipped a beat. The speed is a genuine 60 tool and the walk rate has been exceptional throughout, with 60 free passes in 418 combined plate appearances this year.
What makes Gillen's current tear so compelling is that it is happening at Double-A at age 20, a level where even well-regarded prospects often need an adjustment period measured in months. His power has developed well beyond the five-home-run total he posted across 73 games at Low-A in 2025, and there are now real questions about whether the 50 power grade is underselling what he is doing. A 60 runner who can post this kind of OBP, take pitchers deep, and steal bases at a 39-steal clip on the season is a genuinely exciting offensive package. The arm limits him to a corner role long-term given the sub-average grade, but between center-field athleticism and elite on-base production, Gillen is making the case that his 2028-2029 MLB window estimate might be too conservative.
Quick Hits
Homer Bush Jr. (AAA, CF, Rank: 14) · posted 6 hits, a homer, and 3 RBI across 21 plate appearances, his strongest week in some time. Over the last 30 days he is slashing .296/.367/.493 with three home runs in 81 plate appearances, a welcome uptick for a profile whose value depends on the bat being at least functional. The __-grade speed and plus center-field actions are the carrying tools, but a .232 season average in Durham had made things look dicey. The recent form is a reason to breathe easier.
Andreimi Antunez (A, SS, Rank: 21) · had himself a week at Charleston: 6 hits in 21 plate appearances with a double, a triple, a homer, and 3 RBI. The 19-year-old has been excellent since his full-season promotion, slashing .315/.375/.603 with five home runs over his last 30 days, output that far exceeds what his 30 power grade might suggest. He profiles as a potential second baseman long-term, but right now he is doing damage wherever they put him.
T.J. Nichols (AA, RHP, Rank: 24) · had his best outing of the month, going 7 innings, allowing just 1 earned run on 3 hits with no walks and 7 strikeouts. The fastball-slider combination with a 55 command grade is the profile, and when those elements sync he looks like the back-end starter he projects to be. The full-season ERA sits at 5.55, so the seasonal context remains rough, but seven innings of one-run, zero-walk ball is the kind of performance he needs to string together consistently.
Brendan Summerhill (A+, OF, Rank: 9) · had a whirlwind week. Promoted from Charleston to Bowling Green on August 4, he went 4-for-10 with a homer and 4 RBI in his first action at the A+ level, then landed on the 7-day IL on August 8. The promotion was earned; he has a 60 hit tool and was hitting .290/.410/.362 over his last 30 days in A ball with a strong walk-to-strikeout ratio. The IL news stings, but his quick success at the new level before the setback is worth noting.
Dean Moss (A, OF, Rank: 28) · drove in 5 on 9 hits across 25 plate appearances, one of his better weeks of the summer. He is batting .237 at Charleston on the season, so the pop in production is welcome, though his last-30-day walk rate has been thin. The hit tool is the carrying grade and it still needs to prove itself over a longer run at this level before the profile fully takes shape.
Maykel Coret (RK, OF, Rank: 39) · went 6-for-21 with two home runs and 4 RBI, and he is now slashing .296/.372/.531 with six long balls over his last 30 days at the complex level. At 18, with a 60 raw power grade and a 60 arm to match, the tools are obvious. The strikeout rate remains something to watch, but the exit-velocity type contact he generates makes the development arc worth tracking closely.
Taitn Gray (A, C, Rank: 18) · hit 7-for-20 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI in low-A action. The 18-year-old switch-hitting catcher is hitting .280/.387/.451 for the season with six home runs at Charleston, a season that has been more encouraging than most expected from a player whose defensive polish still lags his offensive upside. The plus raw power is already flashing in game action; the catching development will determine whether he stays behind the plate long-term.
Trevor Harrison (A+, RHP, Rank: 30) · threw five scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits with 7 strikeouts against 2 walks. The 55-grade fastball (94-96 mph) and developing slider combination drove the performance. He carries a 4.84 ERA through 18 starts this season, a step back from the 2.61 he posted at the A level in 2025, but outings like this one are a reminder of why he still draws a #4 starter projection.
Alexander Alberto (AAA, RHP, Rank: 37) · worked 4 clean innings on 2 hits, no runs, and 3 strikeouts out of the Durham bullpen. The mid-90s fastball paired with a usable slider is the pitch-to-pitch identity, and his ERA sits at 3.00 at the Triple-A level this year. At 24 with a reliever ceiling, every clean outing in Triple-A is another step toward being a useful up-down option.
Aidan Smith, OF, Mets (A+, Brooklyn) · #211 Overall · arrived via trade from the Mets organization and immediately made noise, going 8-for-17 with three home runs across his first five games with Bowling Green. The 21-PA sample at the new level is tiny, but the power-speed combo is real. Worth watching as he settles in.
Aidan Cremarosa (A, RHP, Rank: 23) · was activated from the 7-day IL on August 8 after missing nearly six weeks. He posted a 2.68 ERA with 70 strikeouts against 10 walks across 57 innings before the injury, a line that made him one of the system's more interesting arms. No game logs yet since returning, but getting him back healthy is a meaningful development for Charleston's rotation.
Jacob Melton (AAA, LF, Rank: 5) · was placed on the 7-day IL on August 4. He was slashing .285/.381/.520 with 5 home runs and 23 stolen bases at Durham before the setback, a productive season for one of the system's better all-around outfield prospects. The timing is unfortunate with the stretch run underway, but the underlying 2026 numbers remain strong.