Three Durham Bulls Players Who Could be in Tampa Bay By the End of the Year
DURHAM NC – The Durham Bulls are about to enter the third month of the 2021 season, and it is getting to that point when the Tampa Bay Rays will be looking for ammunition in the heart of the summer. With the Bulls being an impressive 32-16, there are plenty of options to pick from. Here are three potential Bulls players that could very well find their way to the MLB in the future.
SP Luis Patino: The 21-year-old right-hander Luis Patino is the favorite out of the bunch to get the call up to Tampa Bay, considering he started on the Opening Day roster. After going 1-1 with a 3.60 in three starts and five appearances, Kevin Cash decided to send him down and stretch him out as a starter since he was limited to 4 innings each start. He has been as good as advertised in Durham and is showing why he was once the 16th ranked prospect in baseball. He supports a record of 3-1 with a 2.21 ERA and 29 strikeouts to just five walks in 20 1/3 frames pitched in five starts. He is currently on a 17 inning scoreless streak and is getting stronger and stronger each outing. With the Rays losing both Tyler Glasnow and Josh Fleming to injury, it is only a matter of time until they give the youngster a real shot to remain in the rotation for the long haul.
OF Vidal Brujan: Brujan is another obvious choice to advance to the next level due to his tremendous versatility playing both shortstop and second base as well as every spot in the outfield. The Rays number two overall prospect is slashing .254 with nine home runs, 26 RBI, 35 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases, leading all active Triple-A players. Even with Brujan slumping as of late, his .290 career average in 1,727 at-bats in the minors suggests that he will get back to his old form in no time. The switch hitter has all the intangibles to become a future star and could play a vital role late in the season for the Rays as a utility man. Brujan also received the news that he will be one of two representatives from the Bulls to compete in the 2021 Futures All-Star game on July 11th. It should not be long until we see the dynamic duo of Brujan and Wander Franco cross paths once again as they are the future stars of the young core that the Rays are creating.
SP Shane Baz: The hidden gem that the Rays received in the Pittsburgh Pirates deal for Chris Archer years ago in Shane Baz has climbed up the rankings being the organization’s fifth-ranked prospect. Baz has a legitimate chance of sneaking his way into the big leagues as early as this year, whether it is as a starter or a reliever. The 22-year-old will join his teammate Vidal Brujan in the Futures All-Star game as well. After dominating at the Double-A level, he earned the promotion to Durham and has not missed a beat posting a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA in three starts. For someone who clocks in at the upper 90’s his command is as good as it gets. In 46 2/3 minor league frames in 2021, he has walked just five batters to go with 69 punchouts. It is typically a trend with young pitching prospects to struggle throwing strikes, but Baz proves that he is a rare breed. After firing 5 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in his last time out against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the former 12th overall pick should only continue to catch the baseball world’s eyes.
Honorable Mentions: INF/OF Josh Lowe & RP David Hess