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Rays Have Another Burgeoning Star Ready To Burst Onto Scene in Starting Rotation

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays are going to evaluate everything on their roster this winter in an effort to help get the team back into the postseason. One under-the-radar need for the franchise is adding some depth to the starting rotation.

In 2025, the team was incredibly fortunate when it came to injury luck. Shane Baz, Ryan Pepiot and Drew Rasmussen all started 31 games. Had Taj Bradley and Zach Littell not been traded, they would have had the same five-man rotation all year.

The only other pitchers who started for the Rays were Adrian Houser, Ian Seymour, Joe Boyle and relief pitcher Griffin Jax as an opener. With Houser set to hit free agency, there would still be a need in the rotation.

Ace Shane McClanahan is expected to be healthy for spring training. He hasn’t pitched since the 2023 campaign, so it is anyone’s guess how much he will be able to contribute even if he is ready to go.

One player to certainly keep an eye on as an under-the-radar option is Boyle. His raw numbers with Tampa Bay don’t look too promising, with a 4.67 ERA and 4.19 FIP in 52 innings of work.

Joe Boyle made impressive strides in 2025

Alas, there is more than meets the eye with his performance. As detailed by Ben Whitelaw of RBLR Rays, there was a lot to like about the progress Boyle made during his time with the franchise in 2025.

For a pitcher to have success, they need to consistently find the strike zone. Getting to two strike counts and then expanding the zone is a recipe for success, but one Boyle didn’t have the ingredients to pull off early on.

In March 2025, he produced a significant jump in strike percentage compared to what he did in September/October 2024. Work was put in during the offseason to tweak a few things, and they paid dividends right away.

For the entire year, Boyle’s lowest month for strike rate was 58.9%. Only three months between August 2023, when he reached Triple-A for the first time, through September/October 2024 did he reach that percentage.

Already possessing solid whiff and strikeout rates, the talent has always been there. Now, he is putting it together, ending 2025 on a high note when it comes to zone percentage as well.

Finding the zone more points to improved numbers for Joe Boyle

The MLB average in that metric is about 49-50%. From July through the end of the 2025 campaign, Boyle was at 50.8%, 54.2% and 50.9%.

Ending on that high note provides him with plenty of positive momentum going into the winter. With a spot in the Major League rotation potentially up for grabs, he is someone to keep an eye on in the competition throughout the offseason and spring training.

There is a lot to like about what he brings to the table. His arsenal is strong, he is proving durable and his performance is on an upswing.

Tampa Bay certainly looks to have done it again when it comes to developing young, unheralded pitchers into valuable Major League assets.