Rays Season Hinges on Performance of This Starting Pitcher
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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan is gearing up to toe the slab of a Big League mound for the first time since August 2023 during the 2026 season.
McClanahan pitched to a 3.02 ERA across 74 starts from 2021 to 2023 with the Rays. He earned two All-Star selections during that span, establishing himself as one of the game’s most dominant starters.
Since then, he has battled a pair of significant injuries, including a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery, as well as a nerve injury in his left triceps that also required him to go under the knife.
He has spent this spring in Port Charlotte as he continues to progress and inch closer to a return to Tampa Bay’s rotation.
Shane McClanahan rounding into shape for Rays
Most recently, he tossed three and two-thirds scoreless and hitless innings while issuing a pair of walks and featuring seven strikeouts in a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. His fastball averaged 94.8 mph and he topped out at 97.5 mph in what was an encouraging second spring start.
Jeff Passan of ESPN recently revealed that he believes the Rays’ season hinges on McClanahan, as the team expects him to return to the mound in 2026.
During his recovery so far, McClanahan’s velocity has been down 2-3 mph from the typical 97 mph fastball he displayed prior to his injuries.
Returning from two major surgeries, whether McClanahan can return to the form he showed three years ago remains uncertain. If he does showcase stuff similar to his 2021-2023 self, that could be a true game-changer for Tampa Bay. The Rays have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, finishing fourth in the American League East both times.
Shane McClanahan settled in nicely today!
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) March 15, 2026
He struck out seven over 3.2 scoreless innings and touched 97.5 mph. The fastball shape is still not fully back yet, but the secondaries carried the outing and helped him rack up 10 swings and misses! pic.twitter.com/Cof8pZZWZ1
A healthy and effective McClanahan could be the piece the rotation needs to give them a legitimate chance to compete with the rest of the division, which features powerhouse teams in the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, all of whom finished above Tampa Bay in the standings in 2025.
McClanahan would anchor a rotation that also features Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Steven Matz and Nick Martinez.
If he can return to somewhere near his previous form from his first three Big League seasons, the Rays could feature one of the best rotations in all of baseball.
In many ways, their season may hinge on how close McClanahan can get to that form. If he can’t, Tampa Bay’s path back to contention becomes far more difficult.
