Former Angels Pitcher Signs With AL West Rival

Jul 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jacob Webb (71) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Jul 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jacob Webb (71) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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The Texas Rangers have announced that they’ve reached an agreement with right-handed pitcher and former Los Angeles Angel Jacob Webb on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.

Webb spent part of the 2023 season with the Angels, going 1-1 in 29 relief appearances. He allowed 14 earned runs on 23 hits across 31.2 innings.

The reliever was acquired off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles from the Angels in August 2023 and delivered a strong performance during his year-and-a-half with the American League East team. Over 22 innings, he recorded a 3.27 ERA and struck out 23 batters after joining the club.

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In 2024, Webb delivered the second-best season of his career, posting a 3.02 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, a .192 opponent batting average, and 58 strikeouts over 56.2 innings.

Webb, in his second year of arbitration eligibility, was non-tendered by Baltimore in November after earning $1 million in 2024.

Webb struck out 9.2 batters per nine innings in 60 games with the Orioles last year. His changeup was especially dominant against left-handed hitters which is why the Rangers signed him.

Texas relievers struggled against left-handed batters last year ranking 28th in OPS allowed at .773.

In 2024, lefties posted a .146/.238/.202/.440 slash line against him, and his changeup made them even more ineffective. Over 144 changeups, left-handed batters hit just .108 with only one extra-base hit, a double. Webb used the pitch 37 percent of the time against lefties, and according to Baseball Savant, his offspeed run value ranked in the top 10 percentile among all offspeed pitches.

Webb was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, a small town known for its charm. After several years in the minors, Webb made his major league debut in 2019. Over the next few seasons, he spent parts of 2019, 2020, and 2021 in the Braves' bullpen.

In 2022, Webb spent the entire season in the minors. In April, he was waived by the Braves and claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, in June of that same year, the D-Backs sent him back to the Braves. After being outrighted, Webb became a free agent following the 2022 season.

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