My Two Cents: As Expected — At Least By Some — Rays' Rotation Off to Dominant Start

Through four games, Tampa Bay Rays starters have 26 strikeouts and just one walk. Drew Rasmussen was the latest arm to shine, pitching five scoreless innings Monday in a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitching is really good.

Tom Brew | Apr 1, 2025

Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday in Tampa. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In this story:

Tampa Bay Rays

TAMPA, Fla. — For nearly two decades now, the Tampa Bay Rays have won with pitching. So far in 2025, it's more of the same.

Or maybe even better.

The Rays are off to a 3-1 start — and they really should be unbeaten. Granted, the competition hasn't been fierce after taking two of three against the Colorado Rockies and winning 6-1 Monday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But it's how they're doing it that is impressive. All four starting pitchers have been lights out — and that's with ace Shane McClanahan watching from the dugout with a triceps injury.

The latest bright spot came Monday night, when Drew Rasmussen, ramping back up to a starting role after a May 2023 elbow injury, shut down the Pirates in fine fashion. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts — and no walks.

And. that was more of the same.

During the Rays' hot start in their make-shift outdoor home in Tampa, Rays starters have been throwing strikes. The first three games, starters Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell and Taj Bradley all pitched six innings and combined for 22 strikeouts and one walk. (Pepiot was the culprit in the opener, walking Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon in the third inning. How dare he?)

Throw strikes, and take it from there. That's been pitching coach Kyle Snyder's mantra since his joined the Rays in 2018. Rasmussen, who is an impressive 19-9 as a starter since joinng the Rays in 2021, firmly embraces that philosophy.

“As much as anybody, he is committed to the strike zone,”Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Rasmussen. “I think he knows that he can get outs with the best of them in the zone. He doesn’t have to expand. And once he does establish it, like he did (Monday), you’ll start seeing guys go out of the zone and chase when he needs it. But he was outstanding.”

The Rays starters have a combined 1.57 ERA, and the bullpen has been pretty good, too, allowing just four runs in 13 innings. Everyone seems to be comfortable playing outside at George M. Steinbrenner Stadium, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays are playing their this season after last September's hurricane did severe damage to Tropicana Field.

There were a lot of unknowns about how all of this was going to work, but so far, so good. It's good to get off to a hot start here, because the schedule is set up for the Rays to make some noise early. After some schedule swapping with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels to avoid rainy summertime games outdoors in Tampa, the Rays play 19 of their first 22 games in Tampa.

So stacking wins would be a good thing.

This strong start by the Rays rotation isn't a surprise to me. I picked them to win the American League East year and return to the playoffs after missing out in 2024 for the first time in six years. I got scoffed at for that, blaming my geographic bias, but I think this pitching staff is for real. And it will be even better when McClanahan comes back.

I was stunned that the over/under win projection on the Rays was just 80.5. A losing record? Come on. Fourth in the AL East? I just don't see that happening. I know it's early, so don't go there with me, but I think this team is legitimately good.

I love that they're attacked the zone, and challenging hitters. That's an amazing stat, 26 strikeouts and just one walk from the starters. And I'm expecting more of the same from Shane Baz on Tuesday night against the Pirates.

"To have success (against the Pirates), you were going to have to get ahead early,'' Rasmussen said. "I think just the ability to fill it up early and often was huge for us. I pride myself on efficiency and getting quick outs.

"We talked about it all spring, right. Our starting staff has really good stuff and we've been really efficient in filling up the strike zone early and it gives us the opprtunity to punch out people late.''

Tom Brew is a national baseball columnist for ''Fastball on SI,'' You can follow him on Twitter (X) @tombrewsports.

Related Rays stories