Joe Boyle (what happened?)
Boyle was seemingly going to be the next big thing in the Rays rotation last year when we acquired him. It seemed like a great trade too at the time. Since then, the wheels have completely fallen off for Boyle.
He's pitching to a 10+ ERA in AAA Durham and pitched to 5+ ERA in 2026. His location has been getting worse and his fastball, supposed to be a highlight pitch, became a meatball. He's going to turn 27 in August, which makes me think that this version of Boyle isn't likely to make drastic improvements.
With all the veteran reclamation projects this year and in the past, I have been saddened by the regression across the entire farm system, particularly among pitchers. It really does seem like vets will be the best option for the Rays going forward, especially lacking signs of life from pitchers like Boyle and prospects like Hopkins.
Let's discuss this though because I'm not the biggest watcher of Durham. I follow stats, but I have no frame of reference for an eyetest for Boyle.