Young Starting Pitcher Is Key for Rays To Be Surprise Contender This Season
The Tampa Bay Rays are off to a surprisingly hot start in 2025, and the team is hoping to keep this momentum going.
As a small market team, the Rays went through waves of being able to contend and having to rebuild. However, despite this year not having very high expectations, the team is off to a great start.
With two series wins already under their belt to begin the year, Tampa Bay is seeking to be in the mix in a tough American League East. While there are some exciting young players in the lineup this campaign, the Rays will likely be carried by the starting rotation in 2025.
So far, the rotation has been good, which is why the team is off to a nice start.
Now, while Tampa Bay might not quite be ready to contend in 2025, seeing how good their rotation can be will be exciting to monitor.
Early on, there was one player who has been a standout performer for them thus far.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently spoke about the best-kept secret for the Rays being one of their exciting young starting pitchers.
“If the Rays are going to build upon their hot start and bounce back into playoff contention this year, bet on Pepiot being a huge part of that.”
Pepiot was one of the key pieces brought back by Tampa Bay in the deal that sent Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers. So far, the Rays have to be excited about what they have seen from the young right-hander.
In 2025, Pepiot has totaled an impressive 2.45 ERA in two starts, spanning 11 innings pitched.
The 27-year-old burst on to the scene in Tampa Bay in 2024, making a strong impression and earning a clear spot in the rotation to begin the 2025 campaign.
Last year, he totaled a 8-8 record and 3.60 ERA, in what was an impressive year for the right-hander.
Even though the team wasn’t expected to do much in 2025, especially considering how challenging the division is shaping up to be, there has to be some optimism that they can compete.
The starting rotation might be on the younger and inexperienced side, but there is clearly a good amount of talent there.
For Pepiot, he seems to be hitting his stride to begin the year, and proving why he was a significant part of the trade package for Glasnow.
If the rotation and Pepiot can stay hot throughout the year, the Rays might end up being a surprise contender in the AL East.
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Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20. He can also be reached at via email at NickZiegler26@gmail.com