Jackson Baumeister

When it comes to trading for pitching prospects, the Rays are more like sharks, and Baumeister is one of several examples from last year's trade deadline, along with Ty Johnson and Brody Hopkins. Baumeister was part of the return from Baltimore in the Zach Eflin deal, and his stock immediately took off as he more than halved his walk rate from 14 percent with Baltimore's High-A affiliate to 4.8 percent with High-A Bowling Green after the trade. Per Baseball America, the reason for the massive improvement was that he threw his slider, which he can land for strikes, much more and de-emphasized his curveball, which he struggles to command. The 6-foot-4 righty logged a 1.24 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 29 innings after the trade, building up to 99.2 innings on the year, but his repertoire isn't quite as dominant as that finish suggests. His fastball settles in the 93-94 mph range, but with ideal characteristics that allow it to play as a plus pitch. The rest of his arsenal is a work in progress, but his fastball combined with his size and improved strike throwing are several key factors that have Baumeister trending way up. Read Past Outlooks