Player of the Series: Joe Boyle

Five no-hit innings from a spot-starter is a nice surprise

Joe Boyle might just have the nastiest arsenal in all of baseball. A ridiculous fastball that ranks among the league’s best with secondary pitches that are among the top of the charts in movement and velocity. Command has been the issue for Boyle and has held him back from joining the upper echelon of pitchers in the game and instead has relegated him to a possible bullpen role.

However, the Rays called upon Boyle to make a surprising start on Sunday against the Braves to allow Shane Baz an extra day of rest. This was Boyle’s debut with the team and he made it count.

Boyle retired the first 13 hitters he faced, before walking Ozzie Albiez in the 5th inning. Boyle would come out for the 6th inning, but allowed the first two hitters to reach base (one was hit by a pitch, the second was walked). Topping out at 99.5mph, Boyle generated 12 whiffs during the game and threw 46 of his 74 pitches for strikes (62.1%).

Overall, Boyle allowed two runs (both unearned and surrendered by the bullpen) while he walked two and struck out seven, yielding zero hits over 5+ IP. He became just the second player in franchise history to allow 0 hits over 5+ innings while making their team debut, the other being Nathan Eovaldi in 2018.

DRAYSBAY PLAYER OF THE SERIES

• 1st: Kameron Misner
• 2nd: Jake Mangum
• 3rd: Brandon Lowe
• 4th: Jose Caballero
• 5th: Joe Boyle

The 6’8” 25-year old Boyle was originally selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 5th round of the 2020 draft. Throughout the minor leagues, Boyle showcased an electric arsenal with erratic command.

However, the command issues weren’t enough to delay his progres or to deter other teams from being interesting, evident by the Athletics acquiring Boyle at the 2023 trade deadline; Boyle made his big league debut shortly after. Boyle showed glimpses of brilliance with the Athletics but the poor command negated his positive contributions. The Rays are the next team to try and harness Boyle’s talent, as they acquired him this past December and thus far, the results are solid.

The Rays will begin their next series, a three-game set, against the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

Who do you think will be our next Player of the Series?