February 17, 2025

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen has always pitched well in the majors and did so again in 2024. However, he also holds a less fortuitous distinction. Aside from being one of just a few pitchers to return successfully from two Tommy John surgeries, Rasmussen also had an internal brace procedure in mid-2023, which wiped out most of that season and much of 2024. So, there is a clear injury risk here. There is almost no risk, however, regarding Rasmussen's skills. He boasts a 2.95 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and nearly a strikeout per inning over his career. Although he's been used as both a starter and reliever by the Rays, Rasmussen is being built up to start in 2025. He is the rare player with better career numbers as a starter (2.67 ERA) than a reliever, though his 3.93 ERA in relief is belied by a 2.99 FIP. Rasmussen's strikeouts have diminished when starting (22% versus 30%) and the strikeout minus walk rate (17% versus 20%). Those are still really solid numbers. However, on a pitch level, he commands five effective pitches as a starter, including three pitches that induce at least a 50% ground ball rate. To get a sense of Rasmussen's skills relative to MLB, over the last three seasons, he ranks eighth in ERA and FIP (2.79, 2.86) and 18th in WHIP (1.05) (min. 200 IP). Overall, Rasmussen is sure to provide good production when he plays, but he is a health risk, and the Rays appear to have six available starters. He could even be used as a quasi-opener for shorter stints or moved back to the bullpen to limit his workload. Even with those potential limitations, Rasmussen is so skilled, and his draft cost so reasonable that he makes a great late-round pick to round out a fantasy staff.--Michael Cecchini - RotoBaller