The Tampa Bay Rays have long been blessed with a deep pitching staff. Think about some of the great hurlers to wear a Rays uniform over the years. David Price. James Shields. Blake Snell.
The Rays sport a solid rotation, even if that hasn’t resulted in a postseason appearance for the last two years. The key ingredient in any pitching staff is depth, and the Rays have plenty of options in the rotation and bullpen. The Rays possess one interesting name who could find himself in both conversations, or possibly make a serious push to claim the last rotation spot(s) in spring training: 26-year-old Joe Boyle.
The Rays May Have Their Man in Joe Boyle
We already know that the Rays have their core group of Shane Baz, Ryan Pepiot and Drew Rasmussen. Those three are locks barring unforeseen circumstances. Boyle is a name that fans became exposed to last season, and the results weren’t that bad.
Boyle was acquired in a trade with the Athletics and made his first appearance in a Rays uniform on April 13. That appearance in the big leagues was temporary, and before long, Boyle was back in the minor leagues. His scintillating performances in the minors only increased the pressure on the organization to call him back up. Before long, Boyle found himself back in the big leagues, pitching out of the bullpen, before eventually transitioning into a starting role after the trade deadline.
He tallied a 1-4 record with a 4.67 ERA in 52 innings pitched. As a starter, he posted a grisly 5.68 ERA and a 47:24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 38 innings. Boyle pitched four games out of the bullpen with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings pitched.
Looking Under the Hood
Boyle’s front-line numbers don’t sound all that impressive. If you dig deeper, you’ll see a pitcher that developed into a positive story as the season wore on. The question with the native of Missouri will always come down to the free passes. Can he limit them enough? He walked 12.4% of batters this season, good for the 4th percentile in baseball.
He made back-to-back starts in September against the playoff-bound Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays and pitched 10 1/3 innings of one-run baseball with 14 strikeouts. In the start against Boston, he worked around spotty command by striking out batters in big situations. A bases-loaded situation in the first inning was extinguished when he got the free-swinging Nathaniel Lowe to strike out swinging. It’s a dangerous way to live, but improved command will strengthen his argument for a starting gig.
Joe Boyle throwing 3 triple digit fastballs by Rafael Devers pic.twitter.com/ZqLrGdhOjW
— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) August 16, 2025
His Stuff Is Certainly Nasty In The Pen
Overall, Boyle cut down on the free passes in September compared to August. He still possesses nasty stuff in the bullpen. Boyle was called back to the Rays on July 6th against the Minnesota Twins, pitching five innings in relief. He was saddled with an unearned run after his defense booted a potential inning-ending grounder in the sixth inning. Boyle’s relief outing was such a relief because the Rays’ bullpen had been collapsing in early July. Ultimately, he made three more relief outings until his services were needed in the rotation after the trade deadline. The swing and miss is perfect for short stints out of the bullpen.
The Last Word
The guts of the Rays’ pitching staff are in place. Now come the fine tweaks. Adrian Houser is set to become a free agent, and the Rays will need to decide if he showed enough to warrant a reunion. Ian Seymour and maybe Griffin Jax exist as peripheral options. At this point, no Rays fan is expecting Shane McClanahan to provide much of anything from a health or performance standpoint. Boyle is capable of winning that rotation spot as long as he cuts down on walks and pitches deeper into games.
Main Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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