1 Rays reliever on the verge of a breakout season

The Rays bullpen has been a sight to see over the last decade. From the consistent dominance of Jake McGee to the sudden rise of closer Nick Anderson, Tampa Bay has put an emphasis on their ability to close out the back end of ballgames. It's an essential element of the game that can't be taken lightly. While the 2026 bullpen isn't quite as talented as they've been in the past, there is one reliever that is on the verge of breaking out.

The Rays acquired Manuel Rodriguez from the Cubs in a mid-season trade during the 2023 season. The hard throwing righty struggled in his 31.1 innings of work for the NL Central club. The Mexican reliever finished with a 4.88 ERA and 21 free passes in his short stint.

Somehow, the Rays' coaching staff completely altered Rodriguez's production. Possessing an upper 90's fastball, his main issue in need of resolve was his faulty command. It's amazing how Manuel Rodriguez has changed in this part of his game since he joined the Rays organization. In 68 innings with the Rays, the 29-year-old hurler allowed only 17 walks. This stark difference in accuracy has given Rodriguez the success that he deserves.

In his two seasons as a member of the Rays' bullpen, Rodriguez has posted a sub-3.00 ERA each year and he's shown no signs of slowing down. For one, the former Cub has never pitched more than 40 innings in a season as he suffered a forearm injury a season ago. The injury unfortunately forced Rodriguez to be sidelined from July through the remainder of the season. This loss was quietly devastating for the Tampa Bay bullpen.

After back-to-back successful seasons for Manuel Rodriguez, it's easy to expect another promising year. One reason to be even higher on the righty in 2026 is the prospect of a full, healthy campaign. The small sample sizes up to this point for Rodriguez have left him with much to be anticipated. Therefore, he may be able to take advantage of the extra innings to ascend into an All-Star level. Secondly, due to the loss of Pete Fairbanks, there will be more available innings for each reliever including one of Kevin Cash's favorites, Manuel Rodriguez.