ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Drew Rasmussen of the Tampa Bay Rays delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field on September 11, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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Drew Rasmussen was not on the active roster when the Rays last made the postseason in 2023. It was a season that came to an end for the righthander that May and he did not return to the mound again until the latter stages of the 2024 campaign.
Move ahead to October 2026 and the 31-year-old has the honor of starting Game 1 of the Tampa Bay’s American League Division Series against the Yankees. The best-of-five series opens at Tropicana Field on Saturday evening.
“It’s an honor, that’s for sure,” Rasmussen said Friday afternoon in the bowels of the Trop. “There are a lot of really good arms in (the Rays’ clubhouse.) So, it is cool. I think they could have gone a number of different routes.”
Manager Kevin Cash had that luxury. After all, Nick Martinez had a fantastic season and trade deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta was the American League’s pitcher of the month for September. Rasmussen, though, has been a horse since the curtain rose on 2026 and scintillating since the all-star break, which was not a break for him because he was part of the AL squad in Philly.
“He was an all-star because of what he did in the first half and it’s like he went out and doubled down and got even better,” said Cash.
How much better? After a solid pre-break showing that included a 7-5 mark with a 3.26 ERA and impressive 0.95 WHIP, Rasmussen won all nine of his post-break decisions with a 1.86 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. The Rays won all 12 of his starts. His numbers for the season included 30 starts, an AL-best 0.91 WHIP, 16 wins (five losses) to place second in the AL, and a 2.67 ERA that was good for fourth in the junior circuit.
Among qualified pitchers, Martinez (1.30 BB/9) and Rasmussen (1.67 BB/9) were the stingiest in the majors when it came to free passes. All the while, Rasmussen largely maintained 94-96 mph on his fastball and 88-90 on his change. The latter was particularly effective.
“Generally, it is not unusual to see guys drop some in velocity from their 20th to 30th starts,” said Cash. “I don’t think ‘Ras’ has done that. The changeup is a pitch that really kind of developed for him on the fly. He’s always had it, but the confidence to use it against certain hitters kind of grew in the (season’s) second half from my vantage point.”
Rasmussen made four starts against the AL East rival Yankees this season, going 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA while limiting Aaron Boone’s lineup to a .182 average.
Healthy thanks to the work of many
The 2025 season was one in which Rasmussen also partook of all-star festivities. He completed the season throwing 150 innings while his workload was closely monitored to help prevent anything resembling a setback in his first full season following the latest elbow procedure. Though Rasmussen did his part, he is immensely appreciative of those who helped get him back on the mound.
“A lot of people poured time, effort, and sweat into helping me get here,” he said September 16, one day before his final regular season home start. “Just thinking about the rehab staff a couple of years ago, our strength staff, the people I worked with privately, there’s been a lot of hours poured into this. In this game, individuals get to take a lot of credit for something that takes a village. I am happy to be on the field, and most of the time, positively impact our performance.”
More like majority of the time. Rasmussen has allowed more than two runs, earned or otherwise, in only three of his last 19 starts. It is such consistency that stood out in a regular season that saw him pitch a career high 172 innings, and such consistency that impresses his teammates.
Yandy Diaz is one of only three players – also, Shane McClanahan and Taylor Walls — on the 2026 Rays who were with the club when Rasmussen was acquired from Milwaukee in May 2021. The veteran appreciates what the pitcher went through to get to this point.
“There are not enough words to describe Drew Rasmussen,” he said Friday via interpreter, Kevin Vera. “He’s been great for us the entire year and he’s someone who is dedicated to his work every single day. He does his job every single time he goes on the mound and pitches for us.”
The next time will be Saturday evening.
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