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2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Ryan Pepiot cemented his status as a reliable mid-rotation starter for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025, taking another step forward in his development. Pepiot set a career-high with 167.2 innings pitched across 31 starts, proving his durability over a full season. He posted a respectable 3.86 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, while striking out 167 batters (8.96 K/9). Although his walk rate ticked up slightly to 3.27 BB/9, his ability to limit hard contact remained a strength. He finished the season with an 11-12 record, often the victim of limited run support, but his underlying metrics (3.92 xERA) suggest his performance was sustainable. He avoided arbitration in the offseason, signing a one-year, $3.025 million contract to remain a key piece of the Rays' rotation.

Entering 2026, Pepiot is a solid, albeit unspectacular, fantasy option who provides volume and strikeouts. While he may lack the elite ceiling of a true ace, his consistency and role in a typically pitching-savvy Rays organization make him a safe target in the middle rounds of drafts. Projections foresee a slight regression in ERA to the low-4.00s, but with another 160+ inning workload expected, he should contribute around 170 strikeouts and double-digit wins. Fantasy managers should view him as a dependable SP3/SP4 who can stabilize ratios and accumulate counting stats, with the potential for more if he can further refine his command.