CHARLESTON, S.C. — Tampa Bay Rays prospect Taitn Gray has been on a tear since returning from elbow surgery, batting .337 with 17 RBIs since rejoining the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs lineup on July 29 — and the organization’s No. 2 overall draft pick, Grady Emerson, is starting to match his intensity.
“You could take out all the results and I’d still be pretty happy,” Gray said. “I’ve really honed in on my plan every single day and on every single pitch.”
Gray, a switch-hitting first baseman selected in the third round in 2025, underwent elbow surgery in late May and missed nearly two months. He completed five rehab games in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League before returning to Charleston. Since then, he has compiled 47 RBIs with the RiverDogs and 52 for the season, slashing .361/.448/.518 with runners in scoring position across his first full professional campaign.
“Since I have been back from the injured list, I’ve really bought into the mental side of things,” Gray said. “Just having confidence in my preparation and what I do in the cages. Since I am just DH-ing for the rest of the season, I’m learning how to move on from every at-bat and do it the right way.”
Gray’s latest multi-hit performance — his sixth Single-A game with three or more hits — included a two-run single on a 2-2 fastball in the second inning and a seven-pitch battle against Royals left-hander Justin LeGuernic in the seventh that ended with a ground single into left field. Gray sports 60-grade power from both sides of the plate and ran exit velocities up to 115 mph during his time in the bridge league last season. During a high school batting practice, he launched a 500-foot home run that cratered a friend’s car window. “That’s a funny story,” he laughed. “I’m not gonna say the wind wasn’t blowing out a little bit that day, but I hit it good. As for the window, he never held me to [paying for] it.”
While most of Gray’s second-half at-bats have come from the left side, he takes pride in his versatility. “Up until I got to pro ball, I swung from both sides evenly, but as you play every day you realize that isn’t super sustainable,” he said. “Now I swing a lot based on matchups.”
Emerson (TB No. 1/MLB No. 10), the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, posted his best professional game Wednesday with three hits — including his first extra-base knock, a triple — a walk and a run scored. “Grady is awesome,” Gray said. “Everyone on the team is rooting for him, and he’s really stepped up and made the most of every opportunity. Everyone loves him, he’s a great kid.”
Both prospects figure to remain with the RiverDogs through the end of the Single-A season as the Rays evaluate their development paths heading into the offseason.