It’s Joe Barlow’s mental make-up that impresses the Texas Rangers’ coaching staff the most these days.
That’s an asset when it comes to handing the ball confidently to your closer in the ninth inning.
The Rangers were able to lean on Barlow on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, a game where the Rangers handed him a four-run lead in the 10th inning and, despite giving up two runs, held on the clinch the win.
Whether it’s a close game, or one where Barlow has a little room to breathe, the Rangers are learning he can get the job done.
“He’s got a great perspective, wise beyond his years,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said last week. “Especially from a couple of years ago when I first got a good opportunity to meet him and be around him.”
Barlow enters Sunday’s game with 11 saves, one of the top totals in the American League. He’s already matched last year’s total of 11 saves.
It’s a long way from Salt Lake Community College, where Barlow played for two years before the Rangers drafted him. Barlow wasn’t even a full-time pitcher, as he played catcher as well. He had a light bat (just a .205 average in two seasons). But he had a solid arm and the Rangers selected Barlow in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He signed for a $85,000 signing bonus.
Barlow methodically worked his way through the organization, from the Arizona League Rangers to Class A Spokane, Class A Hickory, Double A Frisco and Triple A Nashville before COVID-19 erased the 2020 minor league season.
When the 2021 season started, the Rangers had a new Triple A affiliate in Round Rock, but Barlow still had a place on the roster and he went 0–1 with a 2.57 earned run average and 29 strikeouts over 21 innings.
The Rangers called Barlow up on June 23 of last season, and he hasn’t looked back. He set a franchise record for most consecutive strikeouts with eight, took over the closer role in September and finished with 11 saves for the season with a 1.55 ERA. His performance was good enough to earn him Rangers September/October Pitcher of the Month.
Barlow carried that over to 2022. Barlow had a streak of 17 straight saves, dating back to the 2021 season, before June 3 against Seattle, when he blew a save. It was just the second save he failed to convert in his big-league career.
That’s where the mental make-up came in. The next day, the Rangers were locked in a tight game with the Mariners, one in which starter Glenn Otto’s control wasn’t great. The Rangers had to dip into the bullpen for the final four innings, and with a 3-2 lead Woodward didn’t hesitate to give Barlow the ball again.
And he got the job done.
“To be a closer in this league, it’s tough — it’s not easy,” Woodward said. “Rarely do you get the opportunity that fast. Sometimes you have to wait four or five days to get back in there. That was as quick a turnaround as you can get. I had zero thoughts of not playing him. It was the easiest thing in the world to put him back out there.”
Barlow closed the second game of the Rangers’ doubleheader with the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, his second straight successful save.
And there are more to come.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
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