AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS RAYS

October 19, 2026

Bryan Baker

Tropicana Field

Tampa Bay Rays

Pregame 6 Press Conference

Q. Can you please talk about Kyle Snyder and how he's impacted your career since you arrived 15 months ago?

BRYAN BAKER: Yeah, I think coming over here midseason last year, just kind of hectic with getting traded mid-year and then trying to get acclimated to a new spot. It's something that's not easy to do, for sure.

He, along with everybody else here, made it as easy as possible. I'm super grateful for that. And since that time, just being able to work with him for a little bit over a year now, it's been awesome to get to work with such a good baseball mind and somebody who has got a lot of feel for the game, especially pitching side, that you don't see too often. So I've enjoyed every second of it.

Q. It's been a minute since we've seen you go three consecutive games. What's your mentality going into tonight, if that situation arises with you guys?

BRYAN BAKER: Same as always really. Just make sure the body is as loose as possible. And if my name is called, just go out there and throw strikes. If it's more efficient, that's probably better on a third day. You don't want to throw too many pitches.

But I think having a little bit of exposure to it, going three times in a row a couple times in my career, is definitely really helpful. Just at least having done it before a couple times and kind of knowing what to expect. I think we're in a good spot.

Q. If the opportunity presents itself, what would it mean to you to be on the mound to throw the pitch that sends this team to the World Series, and have you ever thought about that?

BRYAN BAKER: Man, that would be an honor. It's been an honor all year. I don't take it for granted. I think any time you're given the opportunity to close out a big league game at any capacity, I think it's a big deal.

So I clearly get pretty fired up about it. And I think it would be no different in this scenario.

Q. Kevin was up here a minute ago just saying compared to when you were with Baltimore, you were a good pitcher back then, he goes, he's just better. I'm curious, in your mind, how are you a better pitcher than when you were with the Orioles?

BRYAN BAKER: I think consistency is everything at this level. I think just about everybody who gets an opportunity to be a big leaguer and play in this league has got the talent, obviously, and I think just being able to do it night in, night out and be consistent.

And on the pitching side of things, that really comes down to, I mean, number one, staying healthy, but, number two, filling up the zone.

I think my whole career, I had flashes of being a good pitcher. I don't think I really was until the last couple of years, where I've kind of reached that point of feeling a lot more consistent night in, night out.

And a lot of that has to do with the change-up, obviously, and being able to throw the change-up in the zone is probably the biggest factor that has led to that.

I think obviously getting traded to this organization, you're going to have a lot of opportunity to improve, especially on the pitching side with all the great minds we have here. And, like, we were talking about Kyle Snyder, and I could go down a list of everybody over there that's helped me out.

So just using everybody around me and trying to be as consistent as possible, I think has allowed me to take that step.

Q. Obviously the weather through this ALCS into a little bit of chaos. You guys were on a diamond in Cleveland less than 24 hours ago. There's no rest day now. So with this being a clinching scenario or a possible clinching scenario, just what are the nerves like? What's the anticipation like for a Game 6 back here?

BRYAN BAKER: I think we're all really excited to be in a climate-controlled environment again, for sure and get to play in front of these fans again.

Obviously we put ourselves into a really good spot after those last two games. To be able to go there and persevere and put ourselves in a good spot coming back here and hopefully finishing out this series, I think we're really excited to get back in front of these fans and not have to worry about getting too chilly or windy. It will be fun.

Q. We know how much you've appreciated the larger crowds here in the postseason. How much can the extra adrenaline be provided from a crowd if you're asked to pitch three days in a row?

BRYAN BAKER: A lot. Probably more so for myself than other people sometimes, I think I draw off that energy. Honestly, Cleveland was nice, getting yelled at and all sort of stuff in the bullpen. That kind of fires me up too.

I'm always looking to take advantage of any opportunity that's presented. I think it will be a little bit friendlier, but it will also be really loud in here tonight.

I think we love that electricity in this building, and I think we feed off of it. So hopefully we treat the home fans to a good game tonight.

Q. Touch on Cam Booser and what he's meant to this group and why you think he's evolved so well during the course of this year?

BRYAN BAKER: Thanks for asking about him. I think he deserves a little more recognition. Just an incredible story, incredible human being. He's worked really hard. He's been such a massive part of this bullpen since he got called up here this year.

We even saw it in Spring Training. I didn't know who he was, I'd never played with him or anything. Even in Spring Training, I was, like, how is this guy not making the team? This guy is unbelievable.

We had to wait a little bit before we got him during the season. And he picked right back up where it looked like he belonged the whole time. He's been one of the more consistent arms that we have.

And the way he attacks hitters. You look at the numbers, he's not giving out too many free passes. And as a lefty throwing mid to upper 90s with a good slider, it's been incredible to watch. He's been a huge part of this team, and he deserves a lot of credit.

Q. You've obviously pitched a lot this year, and you've pitched in extremely high leverage most of the times you've pitched. How have you kind of handled the mental and physical challenges of that, especially with the extended several weeks of play?

BRYAN BAKER: Yeah, it's a long year. We play a lot of baseball games. As a relief pitcher, a lot of that is survival mode. You know what you're up against before the season starts. We do all we can to prepare our bodies in the offseason to withstand that workload.

I feel like I've done a pretty good job of that. Once you get to this point of the year, it's whatever you've got. So a lot of that energy and adrenaline from the crowd and the situation of these big games definitely helps give you a little boost of energy whenever you might be a little bit tired.

So I've loved getting to throw in these big spots and get a little bit of extra energy where you might be a little bit run down at the end of seven months of throwing constantly. It's been awesome.

I think the crowd is obviously a big part of it, but also the defense behind me is a big part of it. When you've got Taylor Walls behind you making plays, and I could go down the list -- Mesa out there, Mullins -- it also makes it easier just to know you can fill up the zone and most likely somebody's going to make a play behind you.

Whatever you've got going on, right, it's a long year, and I don't think anybody's feeling 100 percent right now. It's just the way it is.

But the energy and the atmosphere really helps. And hopefully it will be a good one tonight.

Q. How important do you think the bullpen has been in getting to this point?

BRYAN BAKER: Man, it's been one of the most fun groups to be a part of. I've been in a lot of different bullpens in my career at this point. It makes me feel pretty old. But it's been a really fun group.

We've obviously had some injuries and had to call up guys, and guys filling in different roles at different times. And to be able to win almost 100 games during the regular season and win the DS and get us to this point, obviously our starting pitching has been fantastic. It's probably the backbone of this team, I would say. But I think the bullpen is a huge part of that, too.

The starters usually get us through six or seven and put us in a really good spot to win almost every game. And it can be overlooked sometimes whenever one or two innings gets completed and we win the game.

But it's a huge role, it can get overlooked, for sure. But I think this bullpen has done just a fantastic job all year.

We've got Kevin Kelly, another guy who probably doesn't get enough love for an incredible season he's had. And Booser and Wells after the deadline. And you've got Brody Hopkins, who's got the best stuff I've ever seen in my life as well. And he's barely pitched for us.

So just kind of speaks to the depth we have and the trust in so many different options down there to come in and get outs in big spots. And that even goes with starters that are down there for some of these playoff games in a different role.

We've welcomed them with open arms. And when you've got Freddy coming out of the bullpen, I think we'll always take that as well, with that electric stuff. Just really proud of the group as a whole for this whole year.

Q. Just to go back, way back, when you got traded from Colorado to the Blue Jays, I believe you were the player to be named in that deal. Wonder what do you remember of that period? Did you know you were the player to be named and the limbo as you're switching organizations?

BRYAN BAKER: No. I was in High A in Lancaster as a Rocky at that point. The trade deadline had passed. It seemed like it had passed a long time before. And I hadn't even considered being the player to be named later.

So it was a total shock to me at that point with, like, there was only like four or five weeks left in the minor league season at that point. So, yeah, that was pretty crazy being kind of blind-sided.

But ultimately being a really good opportunity to switch organizations and get new scenery and a new avenue to succeed. I think I picked up on a lot of different things as soon as I got traded over to the Blue Jays. And they helped develop me even further.

Looking back now, I'm very thankful to be traded in that spot and at least be able to debut with the Blue Jays.

You never know -- I think I've been on three or four different organizations now -- you never know how it's going to go. But being the player to be named later was definitely kind of a shock. And it's just part of the lifestyle, really. Being a baseball player, you never know where you're going to be.

Q. (Indiscernible) in the Blue Jays system or did you pick that up once you got to the Orioles?

BRYAN BAKER: I did, yeah. I think it's always been my best off-speed pitch. The consistency of it, I think, is what has taken the biggest step in the last year. And that is predominantly from a grip change that I found going into last Spring Training, where -- I think the pitch itself improved, the stuff. But more importantly, the ability to throw it over the plate in counts that before I wouldn't have been comfortable.

Early in my career, I think if I was behind in the count and I had to throw a strike, the change-up wouldn't even enter my mind because I was like, man, this is a coin flip if I can even get it over the zone.

And I think that's been the biggest change going into last year, finding that grip change. And it's been a lot more comfortable since then.

I definitely have always had it. I always give my dad credit. He was always on top of my case as a youngster, watching pitch counts and trying to keep me away from throwing too many breaking balls. That's why I've always had a feel for a change-up.

But like I said, the grip change kind of took it to another level. And then obviously getting to work with this organization and this pitching staff has probably taken it to another level as well.