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Tampa Bay Rays Top 10 Prospects For 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Apr 6, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays bag, rosin and baseballs lay in the bullpen prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays bag, rosin and baseballs lay in the bullpen prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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9. Lucius Fox, SS

Birthdate: 7/2/97 (19 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: low A
Stats in 2016: .207/.305/.277, 2 HR, 25 SB

Fox was a guy who was signed for a big $6M bonus after moving from Florida to the Bahamas to circumvent the draft, a la Alex Reyes. He made his pro debut in 2016 at low-A, which is a pretty aggressive first assignment for a young player.

A very raw athlete, Fox showed his elite speed and impressive fielding ability in low A this season. He had moments where he was able to go from first to home on a routine double, and one particular triple I saw was on a play that many guys not busting it out of the box with Fox’s level of speed would have ended up with a long single.

A very raw athlete, Fox showed his elite speed and impressive fielding ability in low A this season

Fox was rough in his defensive actions at short, which is why some believe he may make a transition to center field eventually, but his speed allowed him to have impressive range, and he has an above-average arm that allowed him to make plenty of plays that the average shortstop could not have made.

Fox’s season was cut short by a bone bruise suffered just before he was traded, so he hasn’t made a debut for a Rays affiliate just yet. It’s impressive to consider that his 25 stolen bases were accomplished in just 285 at bats.

Fox will be an interesting guy to see how the Rays handle him next season. While he showed well in low-A, he had plenty to still work on, and he could repeat at the level to open 2017.

Next: #8

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