When Ryan Pepiot first joined the Rays last spring, after being acquired from the Dodgers in a December 2023 deal for headliner Tyler Glasnow, his new bosses had a straightforward message for him on stepping into the rotation:
“They’re all like, ‘Hey, we want you to be Ryan. We don’t want you to be Glas. You don’t have to go be that guy.’ “
With ace starter Shane McClanahan sidelined last weekend by a nerve issue in his triceps, Pepiot is now being thrust into another spotlighted role: taking the mound for Friday’s opening day start.
And he said taking a similar approach to last year will serve him well.
“I’m not going to try to put any pressure on myself; I’m just going to go out there and pitch the way I pitch,” Pepiot said. “If I try to pitch like Shane — obviously I don’t throw left-handed, so it wouldn’t go very well. For me to go out there and try to pitch like him, it wouldn’t be successful. It’s kind of a similar boat I was in last year when the whole trade happened. …
“Shane goes down, all the rest of us are going to step up and fill that void. But none of us are going to go out there and be Shane. We all still have to be ourselves, and just go pitch the way we pitch.”
That is not to say Pepiot, 27, isn’t thrilled about the unexpected opportunity. He has had enough setbacks, injuries and odd things happen to him — remember last year’s spider bite that cost him a month? — to know how many ups and downs are out of a player’s control during a season.
“It’s exciting on my end,” Pepiot said. “You dream about as a kid watching baseball, opening day is a special day. To be able to toe the rubber on that day obviously is very exciting, and happy about it. But at the same time, it’s a little somber — one of my good friends is going down hurt.”
The balance is in convincing himself it’s just another game — which it obviously isn’t. And not just because of the schedule, as it also is somewhat historic as the Rays are playing the season outdoors at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field given extensive hurricane damage to Tropicana Field.
“I’ll prepare the same, it’s still the same baseball game,” Pepiot said. “Obviously a little bit brighter lights, because it’s the first one. I’m hoping to sleep pretty good the night before. Obviously a little bit of nerves go into it since it’s the first one. But it’s also exciting.”
Because Pepiot was already slated to pitch Saturday’s second game of the season, moving him up a day was the easiest option for the Rays, then sliding in Zack Littell to pitch Game 2 and keeping the rest of the rotation intact.
But Pepiot — in a somewhat low-key way — was worthy on his own based on his performance last season in his first extended big-league opportunity.
His eight wins and 3.60 ERA, around two injured list stints, were among the best for Rays starters. He ranked among American League leaders (minimum 125 innings) with a 29.9% whiff rate (percentage of pitches swung at and missed) and a .212 opponents’ average. He allowed three or fewer earned runs over his final 14 starts and 22 overall.
“We couldn’t have asked for more,” manager Kevin Cash said. “You marvel at Ryan Pepiot. The guy that we saw early on in spring training (last year), I would not have guessed that he was going to be as good as what he showed. He was a really solid major-league starting pitcher … and for doing it with not that many innings under his belt was really impressive.”
McClanahan said Monday, somewhat emotionally, that he wanted to make sure Pepiot knew he deserved the opportunity.
“I texted Pep (Sunday) congratulating him on (starting) opening day,” McClanahan said. “I wanted to make sure that he understood that he earned this, that it’s not because I got hurt. He was deserving, even if I was healthy.”
What the platform of pitching opening day may do — if Pepiot pitches well, anyway — is elevate his reputation around the game as he grows into that 30- to 32-start guy.
He made only eight appearances (for 42 innings) with the Dodgers in 2023, and the two IL stints last year (the other as a result of being hit by a comebacker) limited him to 26 starts and 130 innings.
“He is better than he’s been given credit for,” said David Cone, an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst, and former Cy Young winner. “I’m really expecting him to be a frontline starter this year. I really think he has that kind of stuff, that kind of presence on the mound, that he can really be a frontline starter.
“All he needs is durability. He just needs to stay out there for 30 starts this year. I’d love to see what he can do with a full season pitching with the Rays, and the way they handle pitching and their pitch design and the way they game plan. He’s going to continue to get better there under that umbrella.”
Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder concurs that Pepiot is unheralded — “100%” — and confident Pepiot can do that, raving about his approach and arsenal.
That includes what Snyder said is one of the best fastballs of any righty starter, a plus changeup with so much movement it can look like a left-hander’s slider, a cutter that keeps hitters from getting comfortable and an improving curveball that will be thrown more this year.
Also, Snyder said, competitiveness, work ethic, athleticism — and a strong drive to be great.
“That’s been clear to me since we’ve acquired him, and it’s been fun to watch him go about his business,” he said.
Snyder admittedly is biased toward his pitchers, but also quite adamant that Pepiot is headed toward bigger things.
“You’re talking about as elite a fastball that any right-handed starting pitcher has in the game, and the complement of three above-average secondary pitches that continue to get better, both in shape and execution,” Snyder said.
“He’s ready to take on a full starter workload. And maybe that’s what it’s going to require for people to take notice.”
Starting on opening day.
Times sports columnist John Romano contributed to this report.
Up next
SEASON OPENER
vs. Rockies, 4:10 Friday, Steinbrenner Field, Tampa TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3-FM, 620-AM
• • •
Conclusion
Opening day is a special occasion for any baseball player, and for Ryan Pepiot, it represents an unexpected but thrilling opportunity to shine on the mound. With his unique approach and unwavering dedication, Pepiot is poised to make a significant impact as he steps into the spotlight on Friday.
FAQs
Q: How did Ryan Pepiot end up starting opening day for the Rays?
A: Due to ace starter Shane McClanahan’s injury, Pepiot was chosen to take the mound for the season opener.
Q: What are some of Pepiot’s strengths as a pitcher?
A: Pepiot is known for his impressive fastball, changeup, cutter, and curveball, as well as his competitiveness and work ethic.
