A Lawrence, Kan. native, home of the University of Kansas, he is a life-long fan of the Jayhawks… he has witnessed the men’s basketball program win two national championships and qualify for the Final Four seven times since he began following the team during his childhood…he played basketball through high school before shifting his focus to baseball...Garrett and teammate Drew Rasmussen are offseason training partners…the two grew close while rehabbing injuries at their Arizona homes following the 2023 season…they worked out on the same days, ran and lifted weights on the same schedule, and went to physical therapy at the same office…at Drew’s suggestion, Garrett worked to round out his arsenal by adding a sweeper, which has since become his most effective secondary offering...His favorite visiting ballpark is Fenway Park…he appreciates the stadium’s history and it was the site of his first appearance as a Ray...His uncle, Matt McWilliams, pitched one season in the Braves organization in 1995 with the Eugene Emeralds…the team is located in the same city where Garrett attended college at the University of Oregon...Garrett and his wife, Helen, were married on March 3, 2020…the couple has a cat, Ellie, and two dogs: Mowgli, a golden retriever, and Rio, a bernedoodle…he enjoys spending free time with his family and being outdoors…one of his favorite outdoor activities is fishing...He was selected to pitch for Team USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Selected by the Orioles in the third round (102nd overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Oregon…named first team all-conference as a junior...Pitched for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League in 2014…went 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA (13.0 IP, six ER) and 29 SO in 12 outings...Led Lawrence (Kan.) High School to a state championship in 2009.
2025
Set career bests in ERA (2.35), innings (61.1) and strikeouts (82) in his sixth Major League campaign, fourth with the Rays…his career-high 21 holds tied Edwin Uceta for the club lead...Was one of three Rays relievers to remain active all season along with Pete Fairbanks and Edwin Uceta…marked his second consecutive season without a stint on the injured list since suffering his second ACL tear in 2023...Min. 200 AB, his .184 (40-for-217) opp. average ranked fourth among AL left-handers behind BOS Aroldis Chapman (.132), BAL Trevor Rogers (.180) and HOU Steven Okert (.181)…opponents went 8-for-44 (.182) with RISP and 11-for-135 (.081) in two-strike counts…held batters to 10-for-105 (.095) when he was ahead in the count compared to 12-for-38 (.316) when behind...Produced a team-leading and career-best 36.0 pct. whiff rate, 10th among AL relievers (min. 400 swings)…under the same parameter, it was the second-best mark by a Rays reliever in the pitch tracking era (since 2008) behind Jason Adam in 2022 (38.8%)...His 82 SO marked the fourth-highest total by a Rays left-handed reliever behind Ryan Yarbrough (106) in 2018, J.P. Howell (92) in 2008 and Jake McGee (90) in 2014…his 33.7 percent strikeout rate was second highest of his career behind 2022 (36.8%) and tied for seventh among AL relievers (min. 50.0 IP)…recorded 20 SO or more on three separate pitches: his slider (26), sweeper (23) and four-seam fastball (22)...Threw 54.2 percent of his pitches in the strike zone, the highest rate of his career…his career-best 68.3 percent first-pitch strike percentage ranked seventh among AL relievers (min. 200 BF). Saw his WHIP drop from a career-high 1.38 in 2024 to 0.95, seventh among AL relievers (min. 200BF)…did not permit a baserunner in a career-high 25 of his 67 outings, most by a Rays lefthander since Adam Kolarek (25) in 2019...Held opponents to a career-low 5.9 percent barrel rate…from July 22–Sept. 18, went 24 straight appearances without yielding a barreled ball...Of his 67 appearances, entered with the Rays leading in 36 of them, tied in 12 and trailing in 19…53 of his outings were scoreless, and 36 were hitless, most by a Ray since Jason Adam (42) and Brooks Raley (37) in 2022...Held opponents to a .150 (17-for-113) average on breaking pitches, including 15-for-77 (.195) in at-bats ending with his slider and 2-for-36 (.056) on his sweeper…the latter mark was third lowest on any MLB pitcher’s sweeper (min. 30AB) to CIN Connor Phillips (.053) and SF Justin Verlander (.053)…led the majors with a 60.9 percent whiff rate and 44.2 pct. putaway percentage on sweepers (percent of two-strike pitches resulting in a strikeout)…from June 1 on, opponents went 0-for-24 against the pitch with 18 SO...Min. 40 swings, the only pitches in MLB that produced better whiff rates than Cleavinger’s sweeper (60.9%) were SF Erik Miller’s slider (62.5%) and BAL Yaramil Hiraldo’s changeup (61.6%)...His 1.38 ERA (39.0 IP, six ER) and 0.67 WHIP in his 41 nighttime appearances both ranked second in the AL (min. 35.0 IP) to BOS Aroldis Chapman (0.89/0.59)…posted a 4.03 ERA (22.1IP, 10ER) and 1.43 WHIP in 26 day games...Held opponents scoreless in the eighth inning (14.0IP) and had a 1.84 ERA (14.2 IP, three ER) in the sixth…pitched to a 3.55 ERA (33.0 IP, 13 ER) in all other frames...Registered a 0.96 ERA (18.2 IP, two ER) over 22 games vs. NL opponents, tied for 10th best among AL pitchers (min. 15.0 IP)…the only earned runs came in his first (March 29 vs. COL) and last (Sept. 13 at CHC) Interleague appearances...Pitched on back-to-back days 14 times, recording a 4.91 ERA (11.0 IP, six ER) in those outings…in his 53 appearances with at least one day of rest, had a 1.79 ERA (50.1 IP, 10 ER)...Of his 17 runs allowed, 12 came on the career-high nine HR against him…five of the nine HR gave opponents a lead...Made his fourth straight Opening Day roster, third with the Rays (LAD, 2022)...On April 25 at SD, picked up his first save of the year in a 1-0 win while filling the closer role for Pete Fairbanks, who pitched each of the previous two days…struck out his first two batters, the latter of which reached via passed ball, and concluded the outing with a replay-confirmed double play on a 73.0-mph flare to right field...On June 18 at BAL, threw a season-high 28 pitches over 2.0 scoreless innings, retiring six of seven BF…his only other multi-inning outing of the year came four days later in a 9-3 loss on June 22 vs. DET (2.0 IP). From July 9–Sept. 6, recorded a career-best 20.0 scoreless inning streak, the longest by a Rays reliever in 2025…went 22 straight appearances without yielding a run, tying Pete Fairbanks (2022) for the second-longest single-season streak in Rays history to J.P. Howell (24) in 2012...Spun 11.0 scoreless frames across 11 appearances in August, holding opponents to a 4-for-35 (.114) clip with one XBH (2B)…min. 10.0 IP, was the first scoreless month by a Rays reliever since Kevin Kelly (12.1 IP) in September 2024...On Aug. 6 at LAA, earned his first win of the year with a scoreless sixth inning in a 5-4 win…marked the start of a season-high-tying four consecutive hitless outings from Aug. 6-15, matching his streak from June 25–July 4. On Sept. 2 vs. SEA, recorded his second save of the campaign, holding the Mariners to a sacrifice fly after inheriting a bases-loaded, no-out jam to nail down a 6-5 win…retired Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh in succession to end the game… joined Adam Kolarek on Aug. 16, 2018 at NYY and Jason Hammel on Sept. 10, 2008 at BOS as the only Rays to earn a save after inheriting a bases-loaded, no-out situation with a lead of two runs or fewer in the ninth or later...On Sept. 6 vs. CLE, tossed a scoreless sixth inning, with seven of his 12 pitches resulting in swings-and-misses, second most of his career behind Sept. 22, 2022 vs. TOR (8)…four of the seven whiffs came on his slider...Entered play Sept. 7 with a 1.69 ERA (53.1 IP, 10 ER), tied with SEA Andrés Muñoz for third in the majors (min. 50.0 IP) to BOS Aroldis Chapman (1.00) and BAL Trevor Rogers (1.51)… recorded a 6.75 ERA (8.0 IP, six ER) in his final nine appearances from that point on, raising his season-long mark to 2.35, still the lowest in any year of his career...Completed the year ranked among the Rays all-time left-handed relief leaders in appearances (fifth, 163), holds (fifth, 36), strikeouts (sixth, 192) and wins (tied-sixth, 11).
2024
Set career highs in appearances (68), innings (60.0) and strikeouts (71)…his 71 SO paced Rays relievers while his 68 appearances tied Kevin Kelly for the club lead…his seven wins tied for fourth most among AL relievers...Was the only Rays pitcher on the Opening Day roster to remain active the entire season… marked his third career Opening Day roster and second with the Rays...Limited opponents to an .089 (4-for-45) average on his four-seam fastball…min. 45 AB ending with four-seamers, the .089 average was third lowest among all MLB pitchers behind DET Bryan Sammons (.059/3-for-51) and MIL Hoby Milner (.059/3-for-51)...His 13.6 inherited runners scored pct. (3-of-25) ranked second in the AL (min. 20IR) behind CLE Cade Smith (5.6%)...Went a career-best 18 consecutive appearances (15.2IP) without allowing an earned run from April 6–May 21...Tallied a strikeout in a career-best 11 straight games from April 7–May 10...Recorded nine straight hitless appearances from April 18–May 11, tied for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history and the longest since Jason Adam (9G) from April 10–May 2, 2022...Went 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA (12.2IP, 1ER), 0.79 WHIP, .122 opp. average (5-for-41) and 18 SO in May (14G), the lowest ERA in any calendar month of his career (min. 10 IP)...Did not allow an earned run in 15 straight appearances following the All-Star break, producing a 0.77 WHIP (July 19–Aug. 24) with 12 strikeouts and four walks…lowered his season-long ERA from 3.52 to 2.63…went 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA (8.2IP, 10ER) over his final 11 outings from Aug. 27 on.
2023
Limited to 15 appearances after suffering a torn right ACL following a collision with NYY Aaron Hicks during a 10th-inning rundown on May 7…Placed on the 15-day injured list on May 8 before being transferred to the 60-day IL on May 12...Underwent surgery to repair the torn ligament on May 17...Opposing hitters went 3-for-22 (.136) with nine strikeouts against his slider…From the beginning of the season through his final appearance on May 7, it marked the sixth-lowest opponent average on any AL pitcher’s slider (min. 20AB)...Entered with the Rays ahead or tied in 14 of his 15 appearances…The Rays went 14-1 when he pitched...Made his second career Opening Day roster, including his first with the Rays...Recorded a 0.84 ERA (10.2IP, 1ER) in his first 12 outings, posting a 0.84 WHIP while allowing only three hits in 34 at-bats (.088)…Yielded three ER in 1.1 IP (20.25 ERA) over his final three games...On April 22 vs. CWS, earned his lone win of the season with a scoreless 10th inning, retiring the side in order to maintain a 3-3 tie and set the stage for Randy Arozarena’s walk-off single...From April 30–May 5, was charged with blown saves in back-to-back appearances after allowing a go-ahead HR to CWS Andrew Vaughn and a game-tying HR to NYY Harrison Bader.
2022
Made 17 appearances spanning five stints in the Majors between the Dodgers and Rays…acquired on Aug. 1 and reported to Triple-A Durham… recalled on Aug. 27 and remained with the Rays through the end of the season...Struck out 36.8 pct. (25 of 68) of batters faced with the Rays, totaling 25 SO in 18.2 IP…recorded multiple strikeouts in eight of 13 apps with the Rays and three SO (or more) four times...Held opponents to a .125 avg. (8-for-64) after joining the Rays…lefties hit .105 (2-for-19) with 0 HR and righties hit .133 (6-for-45) with one HR...Recorded four outs (or more) in eight of 13 apps with the Rays, compared to four of the first 27 apps of his career…went at least one IP in 12 of 13 apps with the Rays, compared to 13 of 27 to start his career...Made his first career Opening Day roster…was with the Dodgers from Opening Day–April 16, April 21-30, May 13-14 and July 26...On Aug. 27 at BOS, pitched the seventh and eighth innings in his Rays debut and retired all six BF, including strikeouts of Bobby Dalbec, Tommy Pham and J.D. Martinez…became the third pitcher in franchise history with at least two perfect innings in his Rays debut, joining Brent Honeywell Jr. (2 IP) on April 11, 2021 vs. NYY and John Curtiss (2 IP) on Aug. 9, 2020 vs. NYY...On Sept. 6 vs. BOS, recorded his third career win and first since June 20, 2021 at ARI (with LAD)… allowed a leadoff single in the third inning and one-out walk in the fourth in relief of JT Chargois...Went 0-0 with a 1.00 ERA (9-IP, 1-ER) and 17 SO in nine apps for the Bulls…made 22 apps (one start) with Triple-A Oklahoma City and went a combined 0-2 with a 2.37 ERA (38-IP, 10-ER) in 31 apps (one start) at the Triple-A level...Pitched in both games of the AL Wild Card Series at CLE, both scoreless apps spanning 2.1 IP…struck out six of eight BF.
2021
Spent time with both Triple-A Oklahoma City and the Dodgers…pitching in 11 games and 22 games, respectively... Garnered a 2-4 record with a 3.00 ERA (6 ER/18.0 IP) and 21 strikeouts…kept the opposition to a .290 average... Earned his first Major League win May 11 against Seattle, striking out two over a scoreless frame... Pitched a career-high 2.0 innings June 24 against the Cubs, not giving up a hit as he struck out one and walked two... While with Oklahoma City, the southpaw posted a 1-0 record over 11 games for a 1.54 ERA (2 ER/11.2 IP) with 25 punchouts against just five walks in 47 batters faced... Produced a 1.20 WHIP in those 11 games, limiting the opposition to a .220 average Had two IL stints during the season, from May 18 to June 17 with left elbow inflammation and Aug. 8 to Sept. 18 with right oblique strain...struck out two batters in five of his 22 appearances…struck out four batters over 2.0 scoreless innings July 26 with Triple-A Oklahoma City, earning the win…allowed just two earned runs over 11.2 innings…kept hitters to a .176 average with one out…in his four outings in June, limited the opposition to a .188 average, giving up just three hits in 5.0 scoreless innings.
2020
Saw his first big league action and appeared in one game during three stints with Philadelphia…spent the majority of the season at the Phillies’ alternate site...Made his Major League debut on Sept. 17 vs. the Mets, allowing one run on two hits in 0.2 innings…closed the outing by striking out Andrés Giménez for his first big league strikeout Acquired by Los Angeles on Dec. 29 as part of a three-team trade, where the Rays received minor league infielder Dillon Paulson (from the Dodgers) and a player to be named later or cash considerations and the Phillies acquired left-handed pitcher José Alvarado (from the Rays).
2019
Spent entire season with Reading (AA)...Began season on the IL recovering from right ACL surgery; was reinstated on 4/25...No pitcher in the minor leagues had more strikeouts (83) in as few innings (51.2)...Averaged 14.46 SO/9.0 IP...In his final 18 games, posted a 1.21 ERA (4 ER, 29.2 IP) with 50 strikeouts...Limited LHH to a .155 AVG (11-71) and 5 2B and held opponents to a .191 AVG (17-89) with runners on base.
2018
Began season with Reading...Transferred to Clearwater (A) on 5/30...Was on the IL from 6/14-end of season with a right ACL injury.
