Rangers Shouldn’t Judge Cal Quantrill’s Value by Mariners Loss

Texas Rangers pitcher Cal Quantrill. Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Rangers Shouldn’t Judge Cal Quantrill’s Value by Mariners Loss

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Apr 19, 2026 5:00 PM ET

The Texas Rangers were lucky they were able to stash pitcher Cal Quantrill in Triple-A to start the season.

The 31-year-old former first-round pick was on a minor league deal in Texas. When he failed to make the Rangers’ opening day roster after spring training, he could have asked for his release and Texas might have granted it. Or, the Rangers could have traded him for something. Instead, Texas kept him — and it’s already paid off.

Texas called up him up earlier this week, along with rookie Gavin Collyer, after the Rangers placed relievers Luis Curvelo and Chris Martin on the 15-day injured list. Quantrill was originally envisioned as rotation depth. Now, he’s worked through two turns in the bullpen, both of which were valuable in their own way.

Cal Quantrill’s Two Rangers Outings

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

His first appearance was against the Athletics on Thursday. Quantrill isn’t used to throwing in the ninth inning of a leverage situation, but that’s where he found himself after the Rangers used four other relievers ahead of him. Texas lost the lead after the A’s scored four runs in the eighth inning. Texas handed Quantrill a three-run lead with a four-run ninth inning.

He was near-perfect. He gave up just one hit and got through the inning with no other damage. Quantrill claimed his first win of the season. The Rangers re-claimed the AL West lead.

Then, on Saturday night, Quantrill entered the game in the sixth inning and the Rangers down 3-1. Nathan Eovaldi started the sixth but gave up a Luke Raley home run. Texas still had a chance to get back in the game, but it also had an exhausted bullpen. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker used five relievers on Friday to preserve a Texas win. Quantrill hadn’t pitched since Thursday, so he got the call.

Texas clearly made a choice. Quantrill was going to go the distance. He ended up throwing 65 pitches, piggybacking on Eovaldi’s five innings. He allowed three hits, three earned runs and two walks while he struck out five. The Mariners got him for three more runs in the eighth inning.

Had this been September and the heat of a pennant race, it’s likely that Schumaker would have approached things differently. But Saturday was game 21 of 162. Sometimes pitchers like Quantrill must eat innings to help the rest of the bullpen.

So, Quantrill shouldn’t be judged by Saturday night. The Monday before he was promoted, he was named the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week. In two starts with Round Rock he struck out 10 hitters in 12 innings without a walk.

The Rangers knew they would need him at some point. That’s why they optioned him instead of releasing him or trading him. Three weeks into the season he’s proven his value.

This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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