1 reliever that the Rays' front office is certainly glad they didn't give up on

Disaster is the only word that fits for this young reliever's performance on Opening Day. Five runs on five hits without recording an out... Enough said. The worst part of the results was that it erased a 7-1 Rays' lead. We've all forgiven him, but it was difficult to see this particular pitcher ascend the mound four days later. The front office proved that they have a plan and they don't give up on their players after one bad outing.

The Rays called up Ian Seymour for his rookie season last year and he responded pretty well. Despite an unfavorable -0.1 WAR, the left-handed relief pitcher produced a 3.63 ERA over 57 innings. He also collected 64 punchouts in those frames which was a pleasant surprise considering his lack of velocity. Most of Seymour's 2025 innings were part of his five starts as the 27-year-old was viewed as a 4th or 5th starter for the Rays.

However, after sneaking onto the roster out of spring training this year, Seymour was sent to the bullpen as one of two lefties alongside Team USA hurler Garrett Cleavinger. The front office was aware of their southpaw's versatility, and he embraced this opportunity with open arms. Nobody could've expected an outing of this magnitude for his first time out of the pen.

Seymour replaced Rays' ace Drew Rasmussen in the sixth inning of their opening game against the Cardinals. Three singles and two doubles later, St. Louis was now knocking on the door of a deficit they had no business recovering from. Regardless, Ian Seymour had given up five consecutive runs without recording an out and the Cardinals were now within two runs. That scrappy NL Central team would go on to complete their comeback with a 9-7 win. Was that the unfortunate end of Ian Seymour's 2026 season with the big-league club?

For some teams, maybe. A short leash can be beneficial at times, but the Rays' front office took the strategy of trusting in their players. One bad game or one bad outing does not form the athlete. Seymour stepped back and used it as a learning moment. He's been elite ever since.

In 6.2 innings since Opening Day, the lefty has been lights out. He has allowed only one run on three hits against notorious offenses like the Brewers, Cubs, and Yankees. After beginning the year with a 67.50 ERA, Seymour has dropped it to a more moderate 8.10. It will be exciting to see how he continues this season as a key lefty in the Rays' bullpen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow