Major League Baseball

Tampa Bay Rays' Ryan Yarbrough joins Ben Verlander on 'Flippin' Bats'

Updated Jun. 15, 2021 7:56 p.m. ET

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The Tampa Bay Rays are once again one of MLB's best teams, and they boast one of the best pitching rotations in the American League.

One of the key members of that rotation is Ryan Yarbrough, who has been a model of consistency for the club since his arrival in 2018.

So far this season, Yarbrough has a 4-3 record for the Rays, with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts, including a complete-game win over the New York Yankees on June 3.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, Yarbrough was traded to the Rays in 2017 and made their Opening Day roster in 2018.

He made an immediate impact in his rookie season with Tampa Bay, winning 16 games and posting a 3.91 ERA. Those 16 wins were the most by a rookie in Rays franchise history. 

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While stopping by "Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander," Yarbrough reflected on the immediate success he had as a rookie and on the Rays' ability to develop pitchers.

"I remember talking to my agent at the time, and he was like, ‘This is the best thing that could have happened to you. They're so great at developing pitchers,'" he said. "They have such a great eye for talent and how to develop guys. It's just impressive the amount of great arms we have here."

Ryan Yarbrough explains what about Rays organization led to his success | Flippin’ Bats

Ryan Yarbrough explains to Ben Verlander how the Rays helped him become the pitcher he is today.

But even after a historic rookie season, Yarbrough experienced some adversity the next year, as he was sent down to Triple-A after crafting an 8.10 ERA in his first five starts. He bounced back with a 4.13 ERA after returning to the bigs to end the season.

"I just had to go down for a little bit and really fine-tune some things," he said. "I was lucky enough the pitching coach down there, Rick Knapp, was great for me and kind of helped me get back in sync and get back to who I am. And when I got back to the big leagues, I ran with it."

Yarbrough has had to find success in the majors without overpowering 100 mph pitches, figuring out how to be crafty but effective.

"It's one of those things where talking with Kyle Snyder, the pitching coach and being with him over these years, ‘How can you go about being successful by not having this big fastball?’ he said.

"For me, it's the cutter up and in on guys. It's keeping guys off balance and making them get uncomfortable at the plate and getting ahead of guys so that they are going to have to make decisions later in counts where maybe they would take balls if they were ahead in the count."

Ryan Yarbrough relives starting, experiencing 2020 World Series Game 4 craziness | Flippin’ Bats

Ryan Yarbrough gives the inside story on 2020 World Series Game 4, one of the wildest finishes in Fall Classic history.

Yarbrough carried that improvement into 2020, when he played a major role in the Rays' reaching their second World Series and earned the start in Game 4.

"When I found out I was starting, I was super ecstatic, I was happy, but I was also trying to tell myself it was just another game," he said. "I threw, like, three or four innings, gave up a couple of home runs, which, you're aggravated, you're down. But that game was just incredible."

To hear more from Yarbrough, check out the full episode below.

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.

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Tampa Bay Rays

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Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander