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Rays Relief Pitcher Had Season for the Ages Coming out of the Bullpen

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 7:10 AM ET

The 2025 MLB regular season was a disappointing one for the Tampa Bay Rays overall. They went 77-85, failing to reach the 80-win plateau for the first time since 2016 in a 162-game campaign.

However, there are a lot of reasons for Rays fans to be excited about what is to come. There are young players littering the lineup, such as third baseman Junior Caminero, first baseman Jonathan Aranda and center fielder Chandler Simpson.

On the mound, Ryan Pepiot, Drew Rasmussen, Ian Seymour and Shane Baz provide a lot of optimism in the rotation. In the bullpen, the team is hoping their big trade deadline acquisition, Griffin Jax, can get on track and anchor the relief staff.

Should he struggle reaching the same level of production he did with the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay can at least rest a little easier knowing they have another emerging star on their relief staff: Edwin Uceta.

Edwin Uceta dominated for Rays in 2025

Things began clicking for Uceta during the 2024 campaign. He made 30 appearances, throwing 41.2 innings with 57 strikeouts and a 1.51 ERA. A 1.9 bWAR was recorded, and he looked like a building block for the bullpen.

However, that success wasn’t carried over into 2025, at least not right away. Through his first 40 games, he had a 5.77 ERA with a strikeout rate of 28.1%. Luckily for Tampa Bay, those struggles did not continue.

Over his final 30 appearances, Uceta returned to the dominant levels he showcased in 2024. He registered a 1.70 ERA with a 36.7% strikeout rate. That helped him reach impressive statistical plateaus rarely achieved in MLB history.

He finished the season with a 10-3 record, 3.70 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 76 innings. 21 holds and one save were recorded, too.

Edwin Uceta accomplished unique Rays, MLB history

As shared by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Uceta became only the third relief pitcher with at least 10 wins, 100 strikeouts and 20 holds in a single season. The others were Andrew Miller in 2016 with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, and Tyler Clipper in 2010 with the Washington Nationals.

Only two other relief pitchers in Rays history have reached double-digit wins: Ryan Yarbrough in 2018 and Colin Poche in 2023. Yarbrough and Brad Boxberger are the only relief pitchers in franchise history to reach triple-digit strikeouts. However, Yarbrough’s stats are a little skewed because he was a bulk-inning pitcher behind an opener, throwing 118.2 innings.

Edwin Uceta, since June 23rd, has been the most valuable reliever in baseball with 1.4 fWAR.

Over that span he has thrown 31.2 innings while striking out 55 batters (the most in that span) and posting a 2.56 ERA with a league-best 1.29 FIP and 1.99 xFIP.

Dominant.#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/4d0wonlJ9B
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) September 1, 2025

If anything, that just proves how impressive a 2025 campaign Uceta put together. Finishing on such a high note after struggling through the first half has created a ton of positive momentum heading into the offseason.