Every October, somebody comes out of nowhere and turns a playoff run into a coming-out party. The Rays are built to produce that kind of moment again, and this group has plenty of candidates beyond the obvious names.
Junior Caminero and Drew Rasmussen are the headliners on offense and on the mound, but Tampa Bay’s rise to the AL East came from more than just its stars. The depth carried this team.
The Rays leaned on a cast that helped them post MLB’s lowest collective WHIP and showed off a brand of small-ball that made the whole league take notice. Now that same supporting group gets a bigger stage.
Victor Mesa Jr. is one of the clearest breakout bets. He arrived in February as a low-key trade addition meant to give the outfield some extra cover, then forced his way into the conversation when Jake Fraley got hurt early in the year.
Mesa’s adjustments in April at Triple-A Durham - where he put up an .866 OPS - carried over once he reached the majors. By the end of the season, he was hitting .355 with a 184 wRC+ in September, and his left-handed swing was doing real damage, especially to the pull side.
He also brought a ton of value with the glove. His 94th percentile arm strength made base coaches think twice, and his instincts helped him lock down right field.
The league got a fuller look at him during the September playoff push, when he earned AL Player of the Week honors.
Ian Seymour brings a very different kind of weaponry. His delivery is unusual and deceptive, the sort of motion that can mess with hitters whether he’s working out of the bullpen or stretched out like a starter.
Tampa Bay used him 58% of the time in the rotation, mostly late in the year, with his relief work coming earlier. That flexibility is what makes him so dangerous in October.
He proved he could handle a starter’s load with a dominant six-inning, 10-strikeout outing against Houston in September. He also showed he can survive the tense stuff, allowing just a .227 wOBA with runners in scoring position.
However the Rays need to deploy him, Seymour gives them options.
Then there’s Manuel Rodriguez, who fits the hidden-gem label almost perfectly. Tampa Bay got him from the Cubs at the 2023 trade deadline, and when he’s right, the formula is simple: fastball, slider, trouble.
Rodriguez missed time in 2026 because Tommy John surgery shut down what had been a promising 2025 breakout. Before that injury, he logged 37.2 innings with a 2.17 ERA and used a sharp slider to frustrate right-handed hitters.
That pitch also helped drive a 60.2% groundball rate, which ranked ninth among pitchers with at least 30 innings. Fully healthy again and active for October, Rodriguez could find himself in some of the biggest spots of the postseason.
In Other News...
Dodgers Staff Suddenly Tied To A Mariners Search Fans Should Watch
The Mariners are moving quickly after parting ways with Dan Wilson following a disappointing 2026 season, and the search has already started to draw in a familiar name from the Rays orbit. Team president Jerry Dipoto wants a manager with major league experience, and the list of possibilities has begun to take shape with several established voices already under consideration.
Among the candidates being discussed are Dodgers special assistant Rocco Baldelli, Dodgers first base coach Chris Woodward and Rays senior advisor Brandon Hyde, with Seattle also looking at Torey Lovullo and Stephen Vogt. The process is still in its early stages, but the Mariners are actively making calls around the league as they try to find a fit that can steady the dugout and reset the direction of the club. [Read more 🡒]
Griffin Jax Could Become A Rays October Weapon If Hes Ready
Griffin Jax took a scary shot when a line drive struck him, but the early read on the injury is encouraging, with the Rays reliever diagnosed with a lower back contusion and expecting to be fine. That matters because Tampa Bay is already sorting through its postseason pitching plans, and Jax has worked his way into the conversation as one of the more reliable arms on the roster after a strong stretch of recent outings.
The Rays are weighing a three-man starting rotation for the American League Division Series, a setup that could push Jax back into a bullpen role if all goes according to plan. For a team that values every leverage inning in October, having a pitcher in form and available can make a real difference, which is why Jax remains a name to watch as Tampa Bay finalizes how it wants to attack the postseason. [Read more 🡒]
Rays May Get The Yankees Matchup Fans Were Dreading Most
The Rays now sit in the familiar October posture of waiting on the next domino to fall, with their American League Division Series opponent still to be decided by the Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card Series. For Tampa Bay, the matchup matters just as much as the timing, because the path could shift quickly depending on who survives the opener and how the bracket settles before the Division Series begins.
If the Yankees get through, the Rays could be staring at a rotation headlined by Cam Schlittler, Max Fried and Gerrit Cole, a group that would make for a demanding early test. Aaron Judges injury status is another part of the equation to watch during the Wild Card round, since his availability could shape both the Yankees ceiling and the challenge Tampa Bay ultimately draws. [Read more 🡒]