Ahead of his participation in the inaugural Capital One MLB Open, Ryan Pepiot discussed a range of topics that included the pitching staff and the team's unprecedented season.
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot sat down with Harold Reynolds and Matt Vasgersian of Hot Stove on MLB Network Tuesday to discuss topics ranging from the Capital One MLB Open to topics surrounding the Rays.
The inagural golf tournament is taking place from Nov. 11-14 at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, and Pepiot will take the green with former Rays pitchers David Price and Scott Kazmir.
“That’s going to be a good group,” Pepiot said. “I didn’t know who we were playing with, but I know Kaz pretty well, and he’s a good dude and a good golfer.”
Pepiot also credited the Rays organization for the success he and his fellow pitchers have enjoyed, especially from having pitching coach Kyle Snyder involved.
“I think it’s just the belief they have in us,” he said. Kyle is phenomenal, and I think he just did a phenomenal job with me and everyone else getting to know us on a personal level before even getting into baseball.”
“When I got traded, we talked for two weeks about what I like to do, my family and all that stuff rather than any baseball. Then we get into the baseball stuff, and it’s just all about understanding what we do well and then going out and executing that.”
In his second season with the Rays, Pepiot logged career highs in starts (31), innings pitched (167.2) and strikeouts (167) while posting an 11-12 record and a 3.86 ERA. Pepiot’s season, like the rest of the club, was unprecedented after the Rays were forced to play all their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa following the extreme damage Tropicana Field suffered from Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
“It was an interesting experience,” Pepiot said. “It wasn’t our home ballpark. The staff did a phenomenal job of making it try to feel like it was our home.”
After playing in the climate controlled indoor space of Tropicana Field, Pepiot faced the harsh realities of the summer Florida weather.
“You’re playing games when it’s 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity and it felt like I had every single day game,” Pepiot joked. “Going through five jerseys, and I’m laying down in the locker room after starts, full body cramping and guys are throwing pickle juice shots at me.”
“It was different, you know, you play in the Trop and you’re very happy to have A/C, and then you go to where you actually have to have the wind factor and understand how it affects pitches.”
Despite the difficulties, Pepiot and his teammates maintained a level head.
“We knew what we had going into it during the season, and we didn’t make any excuses for it. We made the most of it.”
Throughout the season, Pepiot was thankful to be able to play in the region after the destruction Milton caused.
“The hurricane decimated our stadium, but it was the whole area that got affected more than us. So just to be in the Tampa Bay region and have something exciting for the fans, it was awesome.”
