Veteran Pitching Leading Texas Rangers Higher in Latest Power Rankings

The Texas Rangers have been out for vengeance after missing the postseason with a 78-84 record in 2024, just one year removed from winning the franchise's first World Series Championship.

Entering play Monday with a 25-23 record, their recent run of seven wins in their last 10 games has closed the gap on the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners in the American League West Standings. The Rangers are now tied with the Astros for second, just 2 1/2 games behind the Mariners.

While the offense has failed to get rolling as many expected it to entering the year, the starting rotation has more than picked up the slack. Led by three veterans, Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle, the unit has been one of the best in MLB this year and has led Texas to 14th in the latest weekly power rankings from Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report after placing 18th last week.

Veteran Starters Lead Texas Rangers to 14th in Weekly Power Rankings

"The Rangers are 7-2 in their last nine games, and in the process have gone from three games below .500 and in fourth place in the AL West to two games above .500 and in second place," writes Reuter. "The veteran trio of Tyler Mahle (10 GS, 1.47 ERA, 55.0 IP), Nathan Eovaldi (10 GS, 1.61 ERA, 61.1 IP) and Jacob deGrom (9 GS, 2.29 ERA, 51.0 IP) could be a real problem if this team makes the postseason."

While deGrom is no stranger to success on the mound, topping 50 innings in a single season is rarefied air for the ace over the last few years. Injuries have kept him off the mound, and 2025 marks the first time he has topped 50 innings since 2022, totalling just 41 between 2023 and 2024 combined.

Eovaldi has aged like fine wine, but even this performance from the veteran was not expected. 2025 is his 14th year in MLB, and if he can keep up his current pace, it would be the first time in his career he has gone a full season with an ERA sub-3.00.

Regardless of how unlikely it seems, Mahle has been the best of the bunch, and he does it in a completely different way. While deGrom and Eovaldi each have K/9 ratios above 9.0, Mahle's sits at 6.5 and his success comes from having batters put the ball in play; he just limits the hard contact in the process.

It has been one of the best trios in MLB this year, and if they keep this up, with the every-other-year magic from manager Bruce Bochy, the sky is the limit for this Rangers team.