The Rays led baseball in bullpen xFIP final season (3.75), and naturally the fielding unbiased stats are usually extra predictive than ERA, a stat during which Rays relievers have been extra center of the pack (3.81) whereas they performed in an odd hitting atmosphere.
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Edwin Uceta is presently on his approach again from a shoulder damage and hasn’t thrown in a spring coaching recreation as of this writing, however he’s an instance of the Rays’ participant identification and growth bonafides, as he went from an early-career journeyman who was on 4 massive league rosters in his first 4 seasons to a top-flight low-slot reliever. Uceta ties hitters in knots working up together with his fastball after which down together with his wonderful changeup, and ranks eleventh in Ok/9 since 2024.
Griffin Jax, acquired eventually 12 months’s commerce deadline, is as sturdy and dependable as just about any reliever in baseball. He ranks third amongst relievers in WAR the final two seasons mixed and is third in reduction innings pitched since 2022. His arsenal is deep sufficient that, once they acquired him, I assumed Tampa Bay may think about stretching him out as a starter, however he’s labored solely as a reliever for the Rays and Group USA this spring.
Many different items of this reduction corps have been acquired by way of commerce pretty just lately. Former Rangers prospect and Tigers Rule 5 draftee Mason Englert has had a velo spike since becoming a member of Tampa Bay, and his different pitches have thrived since he shelved his slider. Hunter Bigge, who studied physics at Harvard, had a velo spike underneath the Cubs’ tutelage, then got here to the Rays as a part of the Isaac Paredes deal. Forward of final 12 months’s draft, Bryan Baker (most likely the third banana on this bullpen) was acquired in alternate for the thirty seventh general decide that the Orioles then used on prep outfielder Slater de Brun, who they then traded to the Rays as a part of the Shane Baz deal. Cole Sulser had his finest strike-throwing season within the bigs final 12 months as a 35-year-old; the Rays acquired him from the Mets in 2024.
The long-time stalwart right here is lefty Garrett Cleavinger, who has been a Ray since mid-2022. He and funky lefty Ian Seymour, who had success as a minor league starter however moved to the bullpen final 12 months, will likely be a formidable southpaw tandem. Cleavinger depends on a reasonably conventional fastball-slider combine, whereas Seymour has a deep repertoire headlined by a screwball-style changeup.