Rays' Pitcher Continues Dominant Start to the Season

Which pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays has been off to a great start to the season?

Mar 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; A detailed view of the Tampa Bay Rays hat at American Family Field. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays came into Tuesday seeking to win their sixth straight game and also the series against the Cleveland Guardians. Fortunately, they were able to accomplish that with a great outing from their starter. 

It has been a really strong start to the season for the Rays, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. This is a team that came into the year with some mixed expectations, but they have proven to be a contender so far. 

As expected, coming into the year, it has been the starting rotation that has been the strength of the team. This was an area that they invested in during the offseason, and despite injuries to a couple of starters, they haven’t missed a beat. 

On Tuesday, they received another fantastic performance from their starter, and the team remains hot. 

Nick Martinez Delivers Another Gem

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Coming into the game, Martinez just had his best start of the season against the Cincinnati Reds. On Tuesday night against the Guardians, he may have one-upped that performance. In his second win of the year, he went seven innings and allowed zero runs and just four base-runners. 

It was the second straight fantastic performance after going eight innings last week. Now, in his last two starts, he has been a winner in each and has allowed just one run in 15 innings of work. With a 1.70 ERA following the start on Tuesday, the right-hander continues to be an excellent addition for the team. 

While it might have been a great start by Martinez, things did get a little nerve-racking after he left. Following a leadoff walk in the eighth inning, Kevin Cash pulled Martinez in favor of Ian Seymour. He came in and walked a batter right away, and a sac-bunt resulted in runners being on second and third with just one out. Seymour would intentionally walk the bases loaded and then get a key strikeout. 

With him laboring a bit, Cash turned to Kevin Kelly to get the final out of the inning, and he was able to do just that. In the ninth inning, Cole Sulser came on and recorded his first save of the season, but he did allow two base runners to make things interesting. 

Overall, Tampa Bay has to be extremely encouraged by another significant winning streak and another great start by Martinez. The veteran right-hander has been a massive bright spot, and the Rays continue to win.