Former Chicago Cubs Pitcher Becomes AL Contender's Most Dominant Reliever

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Jason Adam has quietly become the most dominate reliever on the Tampa Bay Rays' pitching staff after buying into a new philosophy.

Kade Kistner | Jul 4, 2023

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

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The Tampa Bays have a good one in right-hander Jason Adam, a former bullpen piece for the Chicago Cubs.

Adam has been turning heads since his arrival in Tampa Bay, so much so that it prompted USA Today's Bob Nightengale to dig a little deeper into Adam's recent success since joining the American League contenders.

During his time with the Cubs, Adam put together a 4.44 ERA with a 1.356 WHIP in 24.1 innings over two MLB seasons. He was far from dominate during his time in Chicago.

But ever since he joined the Rays. Adam has compiled a 2.10 ERA, a miniscule 0.892 WHIP in 98.2 innings pitched across two seasons, including this year.

So, how did he go from an expendable depth piece to a trusted and dominate late-inning relief option? Nightengale got to the bottom of it.

""They simplify it from a pitching standpoint," Adam says, "and they give you numbers to back why they believe in you. They say they’re all about the process, and they really are.

"It’s such a relaxed coaching staff in general. They practice what they preach. They don’t ride the highs and lows of the game. We lose two in a row, they don’t change, and all of a sudden start panicking, making us wear suits on the plane or something. They’re just good people, that’s the easiest way to put it."

At the end of the day, the Rays seem to instill trust of the pitchers in themselves. They have the talent and repertoire, it's just about trusting yourself and simplifying the approach.

It seems so easy that any team can identify pitchers like this and turn them into All-Stars or high-leverage guys. Except, it appears that only the Rays have truly mastered the ability to pull off this stunt.

And it's for that reason that Tampa Bay can have a bottom-three payroll and continue to be perennial World Series contenders.

Perhaps the Cubs can take some notes of the process.

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Published Jul 4, 2023

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.