If the Rays are known for anything it may be the development of the “bulk guy” — the pitcher who can get 1 to 2 times through an order.
This year, they brought in Chris Devenski on a 1-year deal, and they also signed Tyler Alexander who last pitched with the Tigers. Both of these guys will be responsible for filling in the roles that Josh Fleming and Yonny Chirinos played last year. The Alexander move was a head-scratcher for some people, but the Rays are following a formula that has helped them in the past. When the Rays have converted relievers to bulk guys or even starters — think Jeffry Springs, Drew Rasmussen, and Zach Littell — they have tended to be pitchers with great pitch location talents. Tyler Alexander fits this mold.
According to FanGraphs, among pitchers who pitched a minimum of 30 innings in 2023, Tyler Alexander ranks 2nd in location+ with 110. Teammate Drew Rasmussen ranks 4th with 109, Zach Eflin ranks 7th with 108, Shawn Armstrong 9th with 108, and Zack Littell ranks 42 with 105. The Rays have figured out that if your goal is to stretch someone out, location is a focal point. That is exactly why Alexander could excel as a bulk guy in the near future. In fact, Tyler Alexander is one of the few pitchers with 5 different pitches with over 100 location+ in each individual pitch.
Among all pitchers mentioned above none of them besides Rasmussen and Armstrong have a stuff+ over 100. Alexander might not have the greatest stuff on earth, however, if we conclude from this experiment we can all agree that location can lift your arsenal to a higher level.
Tyler Alexander did not have a great 2023, with a 4.5 ERA in 44 innings of work. Nevertheless, there are some interesting numbers when you look under the hood, and that is probably what caught the attention of the Rays front office. His 2.8 BB% last year was outstanding. He also had the highest K% of his career with 24.3. His ability to create a tough matchup for left-handed batters is going to be a huge factor in his role.
And of course his pitch location skills stand out.
We don’t yet know if Alexander will make the Opening Day roster, let alone what role he will play once the season starts. But keep an eye on him because he could become the next “who the heck is this guy?” to exceed expectations on the Tropicana Field pitching mound.
