Road to The Show™: Rays’ Xavier Isaac

Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at third-ranked Rays prospect Xavier Isaac. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here.

The Rays recently unseated the Orioles atop the latest farm system rankings thanks to the emergence of players like Xavier Isaac.

Isaac ranks 20th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, behind organization mates Junior Caminero (No. 1) and Carson Williams (No. 5). He opened the season with High-A Bowling Green before being elevated to Double-A Montgomery on Aug. 2. Across both levels, he’s batting .266 with an .852 OPS, 17 homers, 21 doubles and 72 RBIs.

The 20-year-old’s tremendous raw power has been his calling card since his days as a prep prospect. MLB Pipeline ranked Isaac as the fifth-best power-hitting prospect in the Minors at the beginning of the season. So far, he’s two homers and four extra-base hits shy of his output from his first full season in 2023.

Although Isaac possesses great raw power, he’s never been one to overswing or chase extra-base hits. His strikeout rate has spiked a bit this season. But he’s one of only 14 qualifiers to hit at least 36 homers while maintaining a walk rate of at least 13.8 percent since the start of last year. He makes consistent contact and has the strength to regularly produce high exit velocities.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound slugger has also proven to be fleet of foot on the bases. He’s 26-for-29 on stolen-base attempts in his career.

Defensively, he’s been more sure-handed this season, reducing his total errors from 17 last year to four in nearly as many games. Isaac will see time as a designated hitter in his career, but he should be able to stay at first base for a long time.

“Super excited about Xavier,” Rays senior director of player development Blake Butera told MLB.com in March. “Kid’s really special. The talent is unbelievable. His future’s going to be fun to watch.”

The native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, suffered a foot injury that kept him out for most of his junior season at East Forsyth High School and the summer showcases in 2021. He didn’t have much of a track record against high quality pitching as a prep prospect. But he possessed eye-catching size and power.

MLB Pipeline ranked Isaac as the No. 113 prospect in the 2022 Draft class. The Rays, impressed with his bat speed and ability to use the whole field, selected him with the No. 29 overall pick.

The surprising selection wasn’t part of any creative financial maneuvering with the club’s Draft bonus pool. Isaac signed for the full slot value of $2,548,900 to forgo his commitment to the University of Florida.

He reported to the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and played in just five games to start his pro career. In 19 at-bats, he collected four hits, including three doubles, and drove in five runs.

Isaac opened the 2023 season with Single-A Charleston and was a Carolina League All-Star by season’s end. Over 90 games with the RiverDogs, he batted .266/.380/.462 with 13 homers, 16 doubles and 56 RBIs.

He was scorching hot for a 12-game stint with High-A Bowling Green following a promotion in August. Isaac batted .408 with a 1.389 OPS, 11 extra-base hits -- including six homers -- and 16 RBIs to finish the regular season.

He returned to Charleston for the Carolina League playoffs and was able to help the RiverDogs capture their third consecutive championship, recording his first career four-hit game in the semifinal clincher against Myrtle Beach.

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Isaac played in his first Grapefruit League games this spring, going hitless with a pair of walks in six at-bats. But he was the star of the Rays’ Spring Breakout game against the Twins, crushing a pair of homers and plating four during a 3-for-3 performance.

He stumbled out of the gate in the regular season with Bowling Green but got hot by midseason. In 50 games heading into the All-Star break, he batted .316 with a 1.013 OPS, 26 extra-base hits and 41 RBIs. He started at first base for the American League in the All-Star Futures Game and went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

Isaac played six more games with the Hot Rods before getting the bump to Montgomery in August. He’s struggled a bit in his first Double-A action, batting .200 with a .634 OPS and a 41.6 percent strikeout rate in 23 games.

Isaac is clearly in a good environment for his development. Not only do the Rays have a tremendous track record for developing prospects, but Montgomery’s roster is stacked. Isaac shares a lineup with Williams, No. 49 overall prospect Brayden Taylor, and the two front runners for the MiLB batting title, Chandler Simpson (TB 5) and Tre’ Morgan (TB 11). The Biscuits already booked a spot in the Southern League playoffs as the first half champs, putting Isaac in a good position to win his second league title in as many years.