The Tampa Bay Rays are a team of unknowns. They trade away star players at the most unexpected times; yet it almost always seems to work out in their favor.

If there is one thing that can be certain about the Rays, it’s that they can pitch. For a team that relies on their bullpen more than anyone else in baseball, their starting rotation for the 2023 season has a chance to be pretty special.

Just how special, you may ask? It’s not unreasonable to claim that next year’s rotation has a chance to be the best in their franchise’s history. It’s also not out of pocket to say that the 2023 Rays may very well have five frontline starters, and you’re about to find out why.

Shane McClanahan

Something the Rays do better than just about anyone in baseball is find guys that do one thing extremely well but maybe haven’t found success elsewhere and turn them into stars by exploiting that one unique talent. Shane McClanahan is not an example of that.

Drafted by the Rays with the 31st pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, McClanahan accelerated through the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in the 2020 postseason.

After becoming Tampa Bay’s default best starter in 2021 due to Tyler Glasnow undergoing Tommy John Surgery, McClanahan embraced the spotlight in 2022, as he was the American League Cy Young frontrunner through the first half and deservedly started the All-Star Game.

Due to a short series of underwhelming starts and a shoulder injury in the second half, McClanahan dropped out of the Cy Young race, but still finished the season with a 2.54 ERA and 10.5 K/9 in 166.1 innings pitched.

Furthermore, McClanahan posted a WHIP below 1.00, which credits his ability to command the strike zone extremely well. When McClanahan is right, he is as dominant as any starting pitcher in baseball.

Tyler Glasnow

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Austin Meadows and Shane Baz in a transaction for Chris Archer at the 2018 trade deadline in what might be one of the most lopsided trades in recent history, Glasnow has ascended himself to one of the nastiest pitchers in baseball with the Rays.

Spending most of the 2022 season on the sidelines recovering from Tommy John Surgery, Glasnow reminded baseball fans across the country that he hasn’t missed a beat, when he tossed five shutout innings in a losing effort to the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Wildcard Series.

In late August, Glasnow earned himself a contract extension that locks him up through 2024, which likely shuts down any possibilities of Tampa Bay trading him for at least another season. With that being said, Glasnow’s devastating fastball/curveball combo will be must-see television heading into the 2023 season.

Jeffrey Springs

Springs quietly put together one of the better seasons in the American League in 2022, as he posted a 2.46 ERA in 135.1 innings pitched after being converted into a starter in May.

Springs’ changeup is what makes him such an effective pitcher on the mound, as it induced an impressive 38.1% whiff rate and an average exit velocity of just 83.4 mph in 2022. Because of the changeup, Springs landed himself in the 95th percentile of chase rate in all of baseball last season.

Along with the changeup, Springs likes to mix in a four-seam fastball and a slider, which induces a lot of soft contact and leads to efficient outings more times than not.

Because the Rays like to sell high, Springs is a guy that may be shopped this offseason depending on what potential suitors are willing to offer for him; but if he remains in Tampa Bay next season, look out for more of the same success he found with heavy reliance on the changeup last year.

Drew Rasmussen

Another guy that came out of nowhere to many fans around the league but put up an excellent 2022 campaign, Rasmussen relied on lethal movement from his cutter and slider to land him in the 90th percentile in chase rate last season.

Acquired from the Brewers in the Willy Adames trade in 2021, Rasmussen shined getting the ball every fifth day, as he posted a 2.84 ERA and a 1.041 WHIP in 146 innings pitched last season.

Although Rasmussen’s fastball velocity won’t blow any hitter away in today’s era of baseball, the spin rate he generates on the heater puts it in the 95th percentile, which gives it an “invisiball” feel and is the reason it generates so much success.

Taj Bradley

Since they are the Rays, of course they’re going to have at least one new toy to play with. Next season, that toy will happen to be named Taj Bradley, who is Tampa Bay’s top prospect and 20th overall according to mlb.com.

The 21-year-old right-hander started the 2022 season with Double-A Montgomery and completely embarrassed his competition, as he posted a 1.70 ERA in 16 starts before being promoted to Triple-A Durham.

Bradley struggled at first with the Durham Bulls, but returned to form by the end of the season, as he posted a 2.48 ERA and an eye-catching 0.86 WHIP in September.

Because of his strong finish to the 2022 season, one would assume that Bradley will head into spring training with a chance to land a spot on the opening day roster. If he does not crack the starting rotation to begin the season, don’t expect Bradley’s stint in Triple-A to last long; as he has proved that he is ready to compete at the highest level.

Depth Options & Final Outlook

Being the Rays, having depth that spans across all levels is a given. Heading into 2023, Yonny Chirinos, Luis Patiño and Josh Fleming seem to be the first tier of guys that Tampa Bay will tap into if any injuries occur to the current five starting pitchers.

With Corey Kluber being a free agent and viewed as unlikely to return to the Rays, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Tampa Bay sign a veteran starter since this rotation still is fairly young.

Regardless of what moves they make this offseason, the Rays having one of the best pitching staffs in baseball seems like a lock. If McClanahan, Glasnow, Springs, Rasmussen and Bradley all wind up in the same starting rotation in 2023, opposing lineups could be in for some deep trouble come this spring.