ST. PETERSBURG -- There are many ways to describe Rays ace Drew Rasmussen.
He is tremendously talented. He is metronomically consistent. He is remarkably motivated. He is doggedly dedicated to his craft. He is still, somehow, even as a two-time All-Star, incredibly underrated.
More weighty compliments don’t come so lightly from other corners of Tampa Bay’s clubhouse.
Manager Kevin Cash recently noted the similarities between Rasmussen and Hall of Famer Roy Halladay. Cash had a front-row seat to witness what made Halladay such a legendary figure, as he played with Halladay with the Blue Jays in the early 2000s, so he recognized the significance of that comparison and noted it was “the highest compliment.”
Veteran starter Nick Martinez called Rasmussen “the perfect pitcher you want to build a team around.” President of baseball operations Erik Neander thought about the significance of Rasmussen starting both the Rays’ playoff-clinching victory on Sept. 11 and their division-clinching win on Sept. 22 and said, “He’s everything that we want to be about -- and more.”
Pitching coach Kyle Snyder put it even more simply.
“He’s the standard,” Snyder said. “He brings it all to the table, and I mean that. For me, he is the standard. If somebody wants to know what success looks like, you don't have to look too far.”
Rasmussen has become the standard for Tampa Bay in terms of both the consistency of his performance in a Rays uniform -- including a franchise-best 2.71 ERA and 15.8 bWAR, fourth most by a pitcher in team history -- and the consistency of his preparation between outings.
After coming back from a third major elbow surgery in 2024 and proving himself again as a full-time starter in ‘25, Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, an AL-leading 0.91 WHIP and a league-best 5.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 172 innings over 30 starts this season. He was the Rays’ Opening Day starter, and now he’ll pitch Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
“I wish I could say it's just baseball, but obviously there's just a little bit more to it -- a little bit more excitement, a little bit more adrenaline,” Rasmussen said last week in an interview with MLB.com at Citizens Bank Park. “But, in all honesty, the preparation doesn't change. There's still a job to do, and then at the end of the day, all you're trying to do is give your team a chance to win.
“If you can control the things that you can control, that gives you the best opportunity for success.”
Those words might best explain how the 31-year-old right-hander finds comfort in his routine and confidence through his preparation.
Asked about the origins of his work ethic, Rasmussen was quick to point to his father, Mark, a longtime teacher and “one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever seen.” Mark still maintains the same daily routine -- wake up early, hit the gym, straight to school to get his work done before the day begins -- that allowed him to never miss one of his son’s games or practices.
Rasmussen, too, has always been this way.
“Pitching every fifth day is not a whole lot different than taking a test, and to me, when I was younger and I had to take a test in school, I felt really uneasy when I knew I could have studied more,” Rasmussen said. “And uneasy is not the place I want to be.”
Broadly speaking, Rasmussen joked that it might be simplest to say his routine consists of doing “everything every day.” And he’s not so rigid as to ignore the need to evolve as he’s dealt with injuries, aging and new challenges from hitters.
From a physical standpoint, Rasmussen makes sure his body is properly warmed up before throwing. His time in the weight room now involves more mobility work and less heavy lifting, although he still works up a sweat. His between-starts bullpen sessions vary in pitch count, but each one comes with full intent.
As far as game-planning, he watches at least six games from the previous two weeks of his upcoming opponent, searching specifically for their at-bats against pitchers with arsenals similar to his. When the Rays provide their deeper, analytically-driven advance scouting report, he finds it usually aligns with his own preparation.
Rasmussen will go through the same process before Saturday’s start. For all he’s accomplished, it will only be his fourth postseason appearance, his second playoff start and his first at the front of Tampa Bay’s rotation. But there’s nobody else the Rays would rather send to the mound.
He’s the No. 1 starter on the AL’s No. 1 team. The ace. The standard.
“Just the type of guy you want at the front end of your rotation,” Martinez said.