Rays Share Official Season-Opening Starting Pitching Rotation
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The Tampa Bay Rays are going to look a little bit different on the mound this season with some new faces on the pitching staff.
All-Star Drew Rasmussen is back, as is Ryan Pepiot. But, those are the only two holdovers from the starting rotation who ended the 2025 campaign with the Rays, but not all the newcomers are players that the fan base is unfamiliar with.
Making his much-anticipated return to the mound is Shane McClanahan. He has not pitched in a Major League game since August of 2023, dealing with several injuries, and people kept a close eye on him this spring. Veteran free agent signings Nick Martinez and Steven Matz will round out the rotation to start the season.
As shared by Adam Berry of MLB.com in his newsletter, that is the five-man rotation that Kevin Cash will be going with to begin the season. Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour could be ticketed for spots in the bullpen as potential bulk-inning pitchers.
Rays share season-opening starting rotation order
That duo could still operate on some sort of a schedule because, as Berry shared, Cash has set his rotation in a way to separate the players who might have potential innings limits. That is a smart decision to avoid taxing the bullpen more than necessary.
As previously announced, Rasmussen will be taking the ball on Opening Day against the St. Louis Cardinals on March 26. Following him in the rotation will be Martinez and Matz.
When Tampa Bay continues its road trip with a visit to the Milwaukee Brewers, it will be Pepiot taking the ball first, followed by McClanahan. Nothing is set in stone beyond that, but Rays sideline reporter Ryan Bass did share an interesting tidbit.
Should everyone stay healthy, and when accounting for the off days in the schedule, it should be McClanahan taking the ball during the home opener at Tropicana Field.
ICYMI, the #Rays rotation is set to open the season:
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 17, 2026
Drew Rasmussen (Opening Day in St. Louis)
Nick Martinez (at STL)
Steven Matz (at STL)
Ryan Pepiot (at MIL)
Shane McClanahan (at MIL)
As Rays beat reporter Adam Berry wrote in his newsletter, the staff was laid out to separate…
It would be fitting for him to be the first player to take the mound for a home game this year. A former All-Star, it would be his first home start in nearly three years and would be the first person to pitch at Tropicana Field in more than a year.
After Hurricane Milton tore apart the dome on Oct. 9-10, Tampa Bay had to play its home games elsewhere last season. They ended up playing at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, for the duration of the 2025 campaign.
Set to return to The Trop for 2026, it would be fitting for McClanahan to be the first Rays pitcher to toe the rubber in the re-opening of the stadium.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.