Take what he did last season on Aug. 20 against the Astros, a night that saw the right-hander play the role of No. 1 to near perfection, crossing off all the items on a staff ace's wish list in the Rays' 1-0 road win.
Archer pitched a complete-game shutout, earning his team a split against a tough opponent. Not only did he save the bullpen, but he also rebounded from a tough outing. Archer's line read like a pitcher's dream: No runs on one hit with a walk and 11 strikeouts. All on just 98 pitches.
"Those types of [performances] are motivation," Archer said.