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Why Rays' bullpen could be one issue that sinks their World Series hopes
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- Why Rays' bullpen could be one issue that sinks their World Series hopes
Why Rays' bullpen could be one issue that sinks their World Series hopes originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Tampa Bay Rays are facing off against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 MLB World Series, and with the Rays being the underdog, they're going to need a few things going their way this series to win it all.
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Finding success against the Brewers' starting rotation will be key, as will limiting their own mistakes and continuing to capitalize on the mistakes their opponent makes, whether it's an error in the field or some other blunder.
But ESPN's Jesse Rogers revealed one key area of the Rays' team that could end up sinking their World Series hopes. That part of the team? Somewhat unexpectedly, it is the bullpen. There is good reason why this could be their biggest vulnerability.
Why Rays' biggest vulnerability might be their bullpen
"The only potential weakness on the Rays comes in the middle of their bullpen," Rogers writes. "Subtract closer Bryan Baker's seven scoreless innings and the rest of Tampa's bullpen has a 4.70 ERA this postseason."
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Bryan Baker has been great for the Rays this October, and he's a huge reason why the team is in the World Series. But when it comes to the rest of the bullpen, there is some serious concern about how good this group can actually be.
Tyler Wells, Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Kelly, Cameron Booser, Cole Sulser, and Steven Matz make up the team's bullpen options, with Griffin Jax, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta, Drew Rasmussen, and Ian Seymour rounding out the pitching staff.
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This postseason, Jax has a 6.00 ERA, Seymour has a 3.68 ERA, Wells has a 10.80 ERA, Kelly has a 3.86 ERA, Booser has a 0.00 ERA, Sulser has a 40.50 ERA, and Matz has a 0.00 ERA. Cleavinger has yet to pitch in the postseason, but he's on the World Series roster.
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It's a mix of some good, some okay, and some terrible for the Rays' pitching staff outside of the normal starters. In a potential seven-game series, the Rays are going to need a lot of these pitchers to take on meaningful innings.
But with how the Rays' bullpen has struggled for the most part outside of Baker, who has a 0.00 ERA in seven outings, avoiding an over-reliance on this bullpen will be key.
The Rays' starters either need to go deep into games, or a few of these relievers need to step up in a big way this October if Tampa Bay wants to win it all.
If the Rays lose this World Series matchup, it might be due to the bullpen. The middle innings will be key, as how these reliever options fare could be the deciding factor in this series.
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