Rating the prospects acquired in the Rays Holiday Haul

Key Highlights

• He’s a plus defender thanks to his well above average jumps and solid foot speed.
• His arm is fringy, but that isn’t as important in CF as it is for corner OF spots. The most intriguing thing about Melton is how much his offensive game improved from 2024 to 2025.
• His hardhit rate jumped from a below-average 39.2% to a near elite 56.1%, and his average exit velocity on hardhit balls jumped from 102.4 MPH to 104.1 MPH – suggesting meaningful power gains from Melton.
• He’s always had a big frame with plus bat speed, but Melton is now showing near 70 grade power.
• It looks like he may have been able to tap into his strength more by adjusting the path of his hands. Despite the grainy AAA footage, we can see that Melton starts with his hands a bit higher than last season and that allows him to fully extend his arms throughout his swing resulting in greater power output.