Jun 26, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers first baseman Tre' Morgan (18) hits a single RBI against the Florida Gators in the second inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Rays' farm system is held up as one of the best in baseball, and their treasure trove of elite position players has a lot to do with it.
In the leadup to their fully-updated rankings across the league, MLB.com is revealing their top 10 prospects at each position. MLB Pipeline reporter Sam Dykstra tackled first basemen on Thursday, and Tampa Bay took up a healthy amount of real estate on his list.
Xavier Isaac, who the Rays took in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, is ranked No. 4. Tre' Morgan, who was the club's third round selection in 2023, came in at No. 5.
The Rays are the only organization with multiple top-five first basemen. The Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone, the San Francisco Giants' Bryce Eldridge and the Athletics' Nick Kurtz took up the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots, respectively.
Josue Briceño of the Detroit Tigers was ranked No. 6. He and the five first basemen who came in above him will be a part of the 2025 preseason Top 100 Prospects list, which is more representation than that position has had since 2009.
Isaac finished 2024 as the No. 36 overall prospect, good for third-highest among first basemen. He got leapfrogged by Kurtz, though, so it is unlikely that Isaac shot up much higher on the overall list.
The 21-year-old has appeared in 209 games since turning pro, batting .273 with an .877 OPS while racking up 37 home runs, 44 doubles, 155 RBI and 27 stolen bases. MLB Pipeline has his power tool graded at 65, his hit tool at 55, his arm and field tools at 50 and his run tool at 40.
Isaac reached Double-A for the first time in 2024, and he is expected to start 2025 at the same level.
Morgan, also topped out in Double-A last season before joining Isaac in the Arizona Fall League. The highly-touted LSU product has hit .333 with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, 74 RBI, 24 stolen bases and a .906 OPS across 114 career minor league contests.
MLB Pipeline has Morgan's field tool graded at 65, followed by his hit tool at 60, his run tool at 50 and his power and arm tools at 45. He was not in the Top 100 at the end of 2024, and he ranked No. 10 in the Rays' farm system as of the last update.
Morgan is viewed as a future Gold Glove candidate at first, while Isaac is the more traditional power hitter. They could both reach the big leagues in 2026, when aging All-Star first baseman Yandy DÃaz could be on the books for $12 million if Tampa Bay picks up their club option.
Regardless of whether or not DÃaz is in the lineup come 2026, Isaac and Morgan are likely to have taken over at first and designated hitter by the time 2027 rolls around. It may take a while to get there, but the wait could very well be worth it for Rays fans.