New Rangers Star’s Past, Present Collide in Nationals Series Opener

Patrick Corbin’s last-minute spring training signing has paid off handsomely for the Texas Rangers.

Corbin and the Rangers signed a one-year deal on March 18, just after it became clear they would be without both Jon Gray and Cody Bradford for the start of the season. It also wasn’t clear if rookie Kumar Rocker was rotation ready, either.

But Corbin wasn’t quite ready. No one paid him much attention in the offseason, but he kept throwing bullpens at his Florida home. Texas sent him to the minor leagues to build up, only to have Jack Leiter’s blister force them to bring the 35-year-old left-hander up a starter or two before it wanted.

Corbin struggled in his first start with the Rangers. But he hasn’t struggled since.

And on Friday, he’ll get to show off for his former team, the Washington Nationals, when they start a three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Friday at Nationals Park.

Patrick Corbin Leads Rangers into Nationals Series

Corbin spent six years with Washington from 2019-24. He was one of the final pieces the Nationals needed to win the 2019 World Series. Corbin won Game 7 of that series after he went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA in the regular season.

After that? He became forgotten. He took the ball every fifth day and lost far more than he won. The six-year, $140 million deal, combined with his win-loss record, made him practically untradeable. In his final five seasons with the Nats he went 33-70 with a 5.62 ERA.

He looks resurrected with the Rangers — or, at least like his 2019 self. He is 3-4 with a 3.71 ERA, and if he finishes the season with that ERA, it would be his best since that World Series season. He has 41 strikeouts and 18 walks in 53.1 innings. Since he joined the Texas rotation, he hasn’t missed a turn.

He’ll face Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka (2-3, 5.91) in Friday’s game. He’s trying to prove to teams that he can be a starter again after missing the 2021 and 2022 seasons with an Achilles injury. He missed most of the first month of this season due to injury and has struck out 28 and walked six in 31 innings.

Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (5-2, 2.34) will face Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker (4-5, 4.71) in Saturday’s showdown.

deGrom has one of the best ERAs in the American League and is 5-1 in his last seven starts with a 1.70 ERA. In 12 starts he has 66 strikeouts and 17 walks in 69.1 innings.

Parker is struggling. He is 1-4 in his last seven starts with a 7.99 ERA. In 12 starts this season he has 42 strikeouts and 28 walks in 65 innings.

In Sunday’s finale, the Rangers will start Tyler Mahle against the Nationals’ Trevor Williams in a battle of right-handers.

Mahle (5-3, 2.02), like deGrom, is among the AL’s ERA leaders. He has 53 strikeouts and 26 walks in 71.1 innings and 13 starts.

Williams (3-6, 6.03) is 2-4 in his last seven starts with a 6.99 ERA. He has 47 strikeouts and 16 walks in 59.2 innings in 12 starts.