The Rays were excited to acquire Aidan Smith from the Mariners as part of the return for postseason hero Randy Arozarena at last year’s Trade Deadline, and at the time, many in the organization saw the outfielder, with his intriguing power-speed combination, as the main piece coming back. But they wanted something to get across quickly to the Texas native.
“With the Rays right away, immediately, it was OK, we want you to play defense at a high level as well,” Smith said. “Not just hit. Not just run. I think that adding that tool has really helped me improve as an overall player.”
Now 21 years old, the Rays’ No. 6 prospect is set to put all of those tools on display as he leads Tampa Bay’s contingent in the 2025 Arizona Fall League.
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Perhaps the most telling stat about how much the Rays have come to trust Smith’s fielding abilities is that he made 86 of his 94 defensive starts with High-A Bowling Green in center field. Before the trade, the 2023 fourth-rounder had moved all around the outfield with extended stints in left and right. Given their long-established love for versatility, the Rays would have seemingly continued down that path of multiple positions. Instead, the organization chose to park Smith in center with the Hot Rods, believing his plus speed and arm strength would prove valuable at a premium position.
Throw in the fact that, by recording 14 homers and 41 steals with the Hot Rods, he was one of only 13 Minor Leaguers with at least 14 and 40 in those respective categories, and there are ways to believe that Smith’s first full season as a Tampa Bay prospect was a success. But Smith’s power, speed and glovework can only get him so far. He’ll need the overall bat to come around if he’s going to meet his considerable ceiling down the line.
The right-handed batter hit .237/.331/.388 in his 102 games with Bowling Green, resulting in an above-average 113 wRC+. However, his 31.2 percent strikeout rate was 11th-highest among High-A qualifiers as he struggled especially against fastballs up in the zone and sliders down and away. It’s undoubtedly going to be a point of interest during Smith’s time in the desert.
“I’ve implemented a two-strike approach now to help cut some of that down,” he said. “That's something that I sat down with with the Rays, and we discussed it together. When I added it in August, it helped improve me.”
To his point, he did hit .309/.397/.527 in his final 14 games with Bowling Green (including a pair of postseason appearances), and his K rate in that stretch was down to a more manageable 25.4. But 14 games does not a season turnaround make, and more plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League offers the chance to prove that the changes are real and sustainable. If it’s also an opportunity to show off that defense, that’s great too.
“You're not going to see the same guys over and over,” Smith said. “You just have to have something that you're comfortable with going into the box regardless of who's on the mound and be able to execute that.”
Rays hitters in the Fall League
Brailer Guerrero, OF (No. 9): Only 19 years old, Guerrero is the youngest Fall Leaguer in this year’s crop. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has played only 86 games across three seasons since signing for $3.7 million in January 2023 due to shoulder (and most recently) knee injuries. The Rays are enthused by his power potential, and he’ll get much needed at-bats in the desert to build on his .251/.341/.403 line and six homers in 50 games with Single-A Charleston from this summer.
Brayden Taylor, INF (No. 25): Ranked as a Top 100 prospect entering the season, the 2023 19th overall pick was considered a potential jack-of-all trades infielder. However, he truly struggled in his return to Montgomery with a .173 average that ranked lowest among 144 Double-A qualifiers and a .575 OPS that placed 141st. Taylor’s swing is geared to lift the ball consistently – he had a fly-ball rate of 53.8 percent in 2025 – but he could stand to provide more thump behind those balls in the Arizona air.
Rays pitchers in the Fall League
Jackson Baumeister, RHP (No. 21): The excitement about Baumeister’s arrival from the Orioles in a trade last year for Zach Eflin was heightened by his 1.24 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 29 innings for Bowling Green to end 2024. It was then dampened a bit in 2025 when the 23-year-old right-hander dealt with shoulder issues and finished with a 4.62 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 62 1/3 frames with Montgomery. He did seem to find his footing late with a 0.74 ERA in his six appearances (24 1/3 innings, including in the postseason) after a nearly three-month-long IL stint, and his mid-90s fastball and promising breakers could make him a standout arm in the desert.
Mason Auer, RHP: This will be Auer’s second Fall League stint after he first appeared as a Mesa outfielder in 2022. After serious struggles with contact at the upper levels, the 24-year-old has moved to the mound, where his plus-plus arm strength is even more of an asset. He’s still very much a work in progress, having walked 10 in 5 2/3 innings with Single-A Charleston, but the raw materials are there, including a slider that can generate whiffs with impressive vertical action.
Jadon Bercovich, RHP: Signed by the Rays as a nondrafted free agent out of San Diego State in July 2024, Bercovich opened this season on the 60-day IL but certainly impressed after joining Single-A Charleston in late June, posting a 2.91 ERA with 30 strikeouts and only six walks in 21 2/3 innings as a reliever with the RiverDogs. His low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup both posted whiff rates above 60 percent in pitches recorded by Synergy, and their dominance could be nicely under display in the microscope of the AFL.
Andrew Lindsey: RHP: A fifth-round pick by the Marlins in 2023 out of Tennessee, Lindsey was traded to the Rays only four months later. He underwent Tommy John surgery early in the 2024 season and returned to game action with 11 appearances across the Florida Complex League, Charleston and even one appearance with Triple-A Durham. He topped out with a 95.8 mph sinker in that lone outing at the Minors’ top level and also worked in an upper-80s cutter.
Jonathan Russell, RHP: The Cuba native signed with the Rays for $79,900 as an 18-year-old in May 2023 and methodically climbed up the ladder ever since. He pitched primarily for Charleston in 2025, finishing with six saves, a 2.17 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings. Russell relies heavily on his 93-95 mph fastball, throwing it roughly 70 percent of the time with the RiverDogs, and he’ll occasionally fold in an 85-88 mph slider.