Why Ryan Pepiot has embraced stepping in for Tyler Glasnow with Rays
PORT CHARLOTTE — Probably the least fair thing to do to Ryan Pepiot is compare him to Tyler Glasnow.
Pepiot is not as tall. His flowing brown hair, which once touched his jersey numbers, is not quite as long. He isn’t as adventurous, free-spirited or California cool as Glasnow.
But there are some notable comps between the two starters who were the principals in the December Rays-Dodgers trade.
“A little bit,” said Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger, who has teamed with both. “If you wouldn’t have put those guys next to each other, you probably wouldn’t notice it too much. But the fact that they were traded for each other, it’s hard not to notice that there’s some similarities there. It’s pretty funny.”
Both are affable, good-natured and willing to partake in just about any conversation. They are curious and interested in exploring the world. Pepiot (PEP-ee-oh) has taken trips with his wife, Lilia, the last three offseasons to Dubai, Paris and Barcelona, and Portugal; Japan or Australia is on deck.
They use similarly colorful language on the mound, a recent Pepiot bullpen session prompting manager Kevin Cash to note, “He’s going to fit just right in.”
And they’re both pretty good pitchers.
Whatever the Rays lost in trading Glasnow, the oft-injured 30-year-old who had one year (at $25 million) left on his contract, they feel they can recoup in adding Pepiot. They have Pepiot under team control for five full seasons — and cheap for the first two — before reaching arbitration. (The Rays also got speedy outfielder Jonny DeLuca in the deal and gave up veteran Manuel Margot, who Monday was traded by the Dodgers to the Twins.)
“Really impressive stuff,” Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder said of Pepiot. “I don’t know there’s a ton of things we can necessarily help him with. He came in pretty much as advertised, three really solid, above-average offerings (94 mph fastball, hard slider, elite changeup, and is experimenting with a curve).
“He seems to fit in really well with the group, too. He’s grounded, wants to compete, wants to improve, wants to prove himself, especially coming off what he accomplished last year in the last half of the season.”
After an up-and-down 2022 debut (six callups from Triple A), Pepiot was set to open 2023 in the Dodgers rotation until straining an oblique in late spring. He was sidelined into July and finally joined the Dodgers in August, going 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA over eight appearances and made their playoffs roster.
Pepiot, 26, is an Indiana kid who played baseball, football and — joking that it’s mandatory for all Hoosiers — basketball in high school. He then switched to just baseball, and only pitching, in going to Butler rather than Indiana or Purdue. He surpassed Pat Neshek as the highest-drafted Bulldog when the Dodgers took him in the third round in 2019.
His path to the majors was similar to LA traffic, with starts, stops and a stall with the 2020 season lost to the pandemic. He struggled reaching Triple A for the first time in 2021, but talks with a sports psychologist from agent Scott Boras’ staff helped him navigate and shaped his perspective.
“I don’t think I would be where I’m at if I didn’t go through some of that, like the trials, but then also having someone to talk to about it,” Pepiot said.
This spring is something of a learning process for Pepiot and the Rays, and the early reviews from all sides have all been good.
Cash has praised the quality and consistency of Pepiot’s work so far — he will make his exhibition debut Wednesday in Dunedin — and noted how impressive he looked in throwing batting practice to veterans such as Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe and Harold Ramirez.
“Maybe the trade made a little more sense to them after watching that,” Cash said.
Cleavinger said he figured it would be a good fit.
“He was one of my favorite teammates when I was (with the Dodgers in 2021-22), and i spent a lot of time with him,” Cleavinger said. “From the first time that I met him, you see that he’s a kid that has some really, really good stuff. And he’s also a really good person off the field, too. So, it kind of marries perfectly for him to be here, which is awesome.”
Pepiot said he has greatly enjoyed the atmosphere, vibe and experience of Rays camp.
And he can handle the comparisons to Glasnow.
He laughed about a meme he saw shortly after the December trade dubbing him Baby Glas. And when he realized Jason Adam had his No. 47, he was smart enough to not request No. 20, though he’d worn it in high school and Triple A, since it was Glasnow’s number.
“I know Glas was a great guy,” Pepiot said. “Everyone loved him. He’s a fan favorite, so it’s tough shoes to fill. But just the opportunity to be here with the team, everyone’s been great so far — the staff, the guys all reaching out a few days after the trade went through, just trying to make me feel comfortable.
“Everyone’s like, whatever you need, whatever help, come hang out with us, do everything, just to get me and my wife acclimated to the area and the team. It’s just been a great transition. Couldn’t ask for anything more.”
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