Phenomenal Pitching Should Give Texas Rangers Fans Hope for Successful Season

With a 15-12 record positioning them atop the American League West division with a narrow lead, the Texas Rangers look poised to make good on the expectations that they would return to the playoffs after an abysmal 2024 season.

There was a strong consensus among analysts that the Rangers would bounce back after falling way short in defending the 2023 World Series championship, but it is not happening how most saw it unfolding.

The expectation was that a resurgent lineup supplemented by key additions would be one of the best in the AL, but the Rangers are 25th in MLB with a .656 team OPS.

Many of the hitters who struggled in 2024, like Marcus Semien, continue to do so, and free agent signing Joc Pederson just snapped a 41-at-bat hitless streak.

Instead, it's a pitching staff that began the season with lots of potential but its fair share of question marks that has the team positioned so well.

Texas general manager Chris Young overhauled nearly the entire bullpen over the winter, and young starters Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter have injected crucial depth into the starting rotation despite some tough injuries.

Writing in The Athletic (subscription required), former MLB executive Jim Bowden explained why this pitching staff is the top reason for optimism that Rangers fans have moving forward.

"Texas’ pitching staff ranks sixth in MLB in team ERA and seventh in batting average against," he wrote. "The starting rotation, led by Nathan Eovaldi (2.64 ERA in five starts), has been brilliant... Their bullpen has been better than expected with closer Luke Jackson converting all seven of his save opportunities and Robert Garcia and Chris Martin posting ERAs under 3.00."

Young took something of a risk by moving a productive everyday bat in Nathaniel Lowe to the Washington Nationals in order to add Garcia to the relief mix, but the decision has paid off.

The decision to re-sign Eovaldi to a lucrative deal looks like a slam dunk as well, and Jacob deGrom has held up well to this point, making five starts and putting up a 3.33 ERA, even if he's not the entirely dominant force he once was.

The real possible ceiling raiser is Leiter, who flashed increased velocity in spring training and seems to have gotten his career back on track.

The Vanderbilt alum makes his return from the injured list on Sunday, a start that will be a solid indicator of whether Ranger fans can expect him to continue on the path that saw him start with a 0.90 ERA in his first two starts.