Ryan Pepiot’s Love Affair with St. Petersburg and the Rays
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays are excited to be back at Tropicana Field after a season playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field. But no one in the clubhouse might be more thrilled about returning to the Trop than pitcher Ryan Pepiot. After a year of sweltering early-afternoon starts, he’s eager to get back under the air-conditioned roof, where the temperature is a consistent 72 degrees.
“I’ll tell you what, I cannot wait for air conditioning and my mound – not my mound, but the mound,” Pepiot said with a smile. “I love the Trop. I know some people don’t like it. I love it. It’s fantastic.”
Embracing the Sunshine City
Pepiot’s genuine appreciation for the Rays’ home dome is just one example of how the 28-year-old right-hander has embraced the Tampa Bay area, the city of St. Petersburg, and its fans as he enters his third season with the team. He arrived in December 2023 in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, alongside Jonny DeLuca, for Tyler Glasnow.
While he’d visited St. Petersburg during a high school spring break trip, Pepiot was originally from Indiana, attended Butler University, and spent his winters in Arizona near the Dodgers’ Spring Training complex. The trade presented a decision: relocate or maintain multiple residences. After just two days in St. Petersburg, his wife, Lilia, was convinced.
“Two days later, my wife’s like, ‘All right, we can move here,’” Pepiot recalled. They soon purchased a condo near the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg, making it their year-round home with a view of Tropicana Field.
“I love St. Pete. I feel like I wake up on vacation every single day, and I get to work in the vacation spot,” Pepiot said. “There’s something therapeutic about the water every day. Being able to walk downtown and hit all my coffee shops, lunch spots, and dinner spots. I have my places where people know who I am, and they say hi. The people are just nice. And there’s so many good causes around the area to support.”
More Than Just a Player
Pepiot has quickly become a prominent representative of the team, both on and off the field. He’s a reliable starting pitcher and actively involved in the community. He participated in the Capital One MLB Open alongside David Price, co-hosted a four-hour sports talk radio show on WDAE, and attended the NHL Stadium Series game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins with teammates Junior Caminero and Ian Seymour.
He’s also dedicated to charitable work, supporting organizations like Feeding Tampa Bay, the Ronald McDonald House, and GiGi’s Playhouse Tampa. At the Rays’ annual Fan Fest, Pepiot spent the entire day engaging with fans alongside DeLuca and Brett Phillips.
“The Rays took a big chance on me, put a lot of faith in me to come in and do what I have been able to do the last two years,” Pepiot said. “The belief they have and the personability the whole staff has in just embracing me and letting me be myself, I want to give back to that. Not just the team, but the city of St. Pete, the people of St. Pete.”
He concluded, “It’s a really good place to live, and the Trop is a great place to pitch.”
