Rays have 'most underrated' All-Star starting pitcher in MLB according to ESPN originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Tampa Bay Rays were underrated before the Major League Baseball season began. Many media outlets picked them to finish last in the AL East. Now, they have the best odds to win the division title. A few of Tampa Bay's players are also underrated. The pitching staff is one of the best in the game, with Nick Martinez and trade deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta piggybacking the ace of the staff. ESPN's David Schoenfield believes that the Rays' No. 1 starter is very underrated. Could he be the most underrated starting pitcher in the Majors? "The most underrated pitcher in the majors is flying under the radar again. [Drew] Rasmussen is 11-5 with a 2.75 ERA in 22 starts as he closes in on a sixth consecutive season with an ERA under 3.00," Schoenfield wrote. Rasmussen earned his second All-Star selection earlier this season, quietly becoming a top starter in the sport. He would easily be Tampa Bay's Game 1 starter if the postseason started today. MORE: Dodgers prospect Kendall George to undergo knee surgery months after viral bat dog incident Injuries are a concern for Rasmussen, who threw just 73.1 innings in 2023-24 due to a right elbow flexor strain that he later underwent an internal brace procedure for. "The Rays have pushed Rasmussen pretty hard this season, with all but three of his starts coming on four or five days of rest," Schoenfield added. "They can't really afford to let up since they want to win the division and avoid the wild-card series, but keeping him healthy for October is certainly a huge priority." The Rays will surely monitor Rasmussen's workload as the final few months of the regular season wind down. He is too valuable to lose for an extended period. More MLB news:
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