Rays' Former All-Star Wisely Deemed X-Factor for Team This Season

Which player is going to be the x-factor for the Tampa Bay Rays this season?

Dec 8, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash speaks with the media during the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings at Signia by Hilton Hotel. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

With pitchers and catchers set to report soon for the Tampa Bay Rays, the start of the season is right around the corner. For the Rays, they will be hoping a key player can stay healthy and succeed. 

As expected for Tampa Bay this winter, there were no shortage of moves made by the team to try and improve. While that improvement might be geared more toward the future, the Rays will also be trying to contend in 2026. With new ownership, there were some early hopes that the team might make a splash in free agency, but that has come and gone. 

While a big splash might not have come, the team did add some veterans that should be able to help out. However, they will be relying on some of their existing talent to step up and help them snap their playoff drought. One player in particular could really be key for the franchise to try and make a run in the American League East. 

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently predicted what the starting rotation would look like for the Rays on Opening Day. Furthermore, he wrote about former All-Star Shane McClanahan being the x-factor for the team in 2026

McClanahan Can Dictate the Success of the Season 

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Easily one of the top players who is going to be an x-factor for Tampa Bay this year will be their former star left-hander. For the last two seasons, he was injured and unable to pitch. However, the Rays are optimistic that he is going to be healthy and ready to go for 2026. If that is the case, their rotation could be seeing a significant boost. 

In three seasons with Tampa Bay, he has been able to total a 33-16 record and 3.02 ERA in 74 starts. The southpaw was selected to the All-Star team both in 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, he can be one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy. 

While he is undoubtedly a talented pitcher, what he will be able to provide in 2026 is a bit of an unknown. After missing the last two campaigns because of injury, it’s hard to imagine that he will have a massive workload and the Rays will want to be careful with him. 

However, if he can stay healthy and returns to All-Star form, Tampa Bay all of a sudden could have one of the best pitchers in baseball at the top of their rotation. With a lot of unknowns, McClanahan is undoubtedly the top choice to be an x-factor for the team.