Manuel Rodriguez's season has been another Tampa Bay Rays pitching success

There is a very long list of pitching success the Tampa Bay Rays have had over the last handful of seasons. They've added to that legacy this season as well, and that includes the development of Manuel Rodriguez. He has been a part of this 2024 bullpen that has consistently kept Tampa Bay in games, just the way they have for many seasons prior.

Tampa Bay's bullpen has been especially stellar since the All-Star break. They rank among the top five in ERA over that time and have clearly taken a step forward from their efforts prior to the break. Rodriguez has been a big cause of this turnaround that has kept Tampa Bay playing competitively.

Manuel Rodriguez has been an anchor in the Rays bullpen

His full season numbers show a 2.45 ERA in 25.2 innings of work across 27 games. His WHIP also sits at a strong mark of 1.09 this season. The strikeout number is not overbearing at 24, but it's how he limits barreled contact and any hard hits that keep teams from explosive offensive plays. He also has been effective in forcing tons of ground balls that can be nabbed by the Rays' infielders for quick outs. In fact, quick outs are the name of his game, as he averages less than four pitches per plate appearance.

Perhaps it was time this season in Triple-A that helped Rodriguez. His 1.09 ERA in 24.2 innings of work in Durham was indicative of what he could do at the major league level, and he is doing it.

Tampa Bay's backbone for good baseball has always been from its pitching staff, and the current iteration of their bullpen has shown its potential in the second half. It is what has kept them making postseason trips year after year. Although there is a chance they may not do that this season, players like Rodriguez show that the core of what Tampa Bay is about is still around, proving that they need to connect just a few more dots to get back to their full potential.