May 18, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers hat in honor of the military in the dugout during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Rangers Veteran Starter Shocking Unsung Hero of Stellar Rotation

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 5:10 PM ET

As the Texas Rangers continue to try to keep pace in what has become a crowded American League Wild Card race, they didn’t get off to a great start in their weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Despite a strong stretch leading into the trade deadline, the Rangers have slipped up a bit with a 4-6 record in their last 10 games after a loss to the Phillies on Friday night.

With the Seattle Mariners playing extremely well, it has become a bit of a two-horse race in the AL West with them and the Houston Astros.

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However, the AL Wild Card spots are still very much up for grabs. If Texas is going to make the playoffs, it is going to be because of their excellent starting rotation.

This was a unit that has been strong throughout the campaign and recently got even better with the addition of Merrill Kelly. However, while there is a lot of star power at the top of the unit, one veteran has been a shockingly good signing for the team.

Brian Murphy of MLB.com recently wrote about the surprising production that the Rangers have received from veteran southpaw Patrick Corbin this season.

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“Signed just before the regular season began, Corbin has a 3.91 ERA over 112 2/3 innings for Texas, good enough for a 94 ERA+ (100 is league average). So, he has been slightly below league average this season -- and that is a gigantic win for the Rangers," he wrote.

When Texas elected to sign Corbin, it figured to just be an addition to provide some depth and perhaps he would be able to start a game for them here or there.

However, with some injuries to the rotation, the left-hander got a chance to impress and hasn’t looked back.

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After struggling a lot with the Washington Nationals since being a World Series hero for the team, the southpaw figured to be done for his career. Corbin has now revitalized his career with the Rangers and has been a significant contributor to their success in 2025.

Will Rangers Keep Corbin in Rotation?

So far this year, he has totaled a 6-7 record and 3.91 ERA. If other teams knew he would have been capable of producing those types of numbers, he would have had a plethora of suitors this past winter.

While he has pitched extremely well for the team, they do have another returning starter, hopefully soon in Tyler Mahle. This could result in him departing from the lineup and potentially going to the bullpen.

However, no matter what happens to his role, Corbin has played a significant part in the success of Texas this campaign.

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

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