Ken Waldichuk Lands with the Rays: A Familiar Story with a New Twist
Ken Waldichuk’s journey through Major League Baseball has been anything but linear. Once a rising arm in the Yankees’ farm system, the 28-year-old lefty is now on his fourth organization in just a few years, having landed with the Tampa Bay Rays after a brief stop in Atlanta. And while the road has been rocky, the destination could be intriguing - especially considering Tampa Bay’s track record with pitchers who’ve lost their way.
Let’s rewind for a moment. Waldichuk was a fifth-round pick by the Yankees in 2019, a selection that didn’t make major headlines at the time.
He didn’t pitch much that year, and then, like so many minor leaguers, his development was stalled by the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the pandemic. But in 2021, he started to make some noise, climbing from the back end of New York’s top-30 prospects list to a more prominent position.
By 2022, Waldichuk had become a legitimate trade chip - ranked as the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect - and was sent to Oakland in the Frankie Montas deal, a move that was supposed to help both clubs in the short and long term. For the A’s, Waldichuk represented a potential rotation piece with upside, thanks in large part to his fastball, which sat in the mid-to-high 90s with some late life.
That potential even earned him a spot on MLB’s Top 100 prospects list, coming in at No. 76.
But promise doesn’t always translate into production.
Waldichuk’s first taste of big-league action in 2022 was a mixed bag. Across 34.2 innings with the A’s, he posted a 4.93 ERA.
The strikeout and walk numbers weren’t bad - a 22.6% K rate and a 6.8% walk rate - but the overall results didn’t quite match the underlying metrics. Still, there was reason to believe that with some refinement, he could stick.
Then came 2023, and with it, a full opportunity to prove himself. The A’s gave him 22 starts and 35 total appearances, but the results went the wrong direction.
Waldichuk struggled with command, walking over 11% of the batters he faced, and his strikeout rate dipped slightly to 20.7%. Home runs were a problem too - he allowed 1.53 per nine innings - and all of it added up to a 5.36 ERA.
Not the breakout campaign Oakland had hoped for.
Things went from bad to worse in 2024. Waldichuk missed the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and his return in 2025 was far from encouraging.
He spent almost the entire year in Triple-A Las Vegas, where he posted an 8.17 ERA over 54 innings, with 51 of those frames coming at the hitter-friendly affiliate. His biggest issue?
Walks. He issued a staggering 7.00 BB/9, a number that makes it tough to stay on any major league radar.
Eventually, the A’s designated him for assignment to make room for Jeff McNeil, and that’s when the carousel started spinning again. The Braves claimed him off waivers shortly after the new year, but before he could even unpack, the Rays swooped in, sending cash to Atlanta to acquire both Waldichuk and infielder Brett Wisely.
Now, here’s where things get interesting.
If there’s one organization that’s built a reputation for salvaging pitching careers, it’s the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ve turned overlooked arms into effective contributors time and again, often by tweaking pitch usage, refining mechanics, or simply putting pitchers in better spots to succeed. For Waldichuk, this could be the lifeline he needs.
Let’s be clear: this is no slam dunk. Waldichuk’s recent numbers are rough, and the command issues are real.
But the raw tools - the velocity, the deception, the left-handed profile - still offer something to work with. And if there’s a team that can tap back into the potential that once made him a Top 100 prospect, it’s Tampa Bay.
What makes this move even more compelling is the full-circle element. Waldichuk was once part of the Yankees’ future rotation picture.
Now, if he finds his footing in Tampa, he could be facing his old team in high-leverage AL East matchups. Baseball has a way of writing these kinds of stories.
For now, it’s a long shot. But in Tampa Bay, long shots have a funny way of turning into contributors. Keep an eye on Waldichuk - the next chapter of his career just might surprise us.