Cole Winn's Early Start Gives Rangers Potential Option

Texas' No. 3 overall prospect enters his third start at Round Rock tracking like a player that could earn a call-up this season

As Cole Winn prepares for his third start at Round Rock on Wednesday, his work so far is indicative of a top prospect tracking toward a call-up to Arlington sooner rather than later.

Winn should pitch against Albuquerque, and it’s likely he’ll pitch the same amount of innings that he pitched in the first two outings.

So far, Winn’s work has been sterling. He’s started two games, including eight innings pitched (four innings in each), with six hits allowed, one run allowed and six strikeouts.

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Cole Winn

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Cole Winn

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Chris Young

The former first-round pick in 2018 didn’t pitch long enough to get the decision in either of his first two starts. But judging Winn and his progress is more about what he does on the hill and not whether it results in a win or loss.

Entering the season, Winn was considered the organization’s No. 3 prospect, behind 2021 first-round pick Jack Leiter, who is at Double A Frisco, and third baseman Josh Jung, who had surgery in February for a torn labrum. MLB.com tracks Winn as a potential call-up this season.

But does that mean the Rangers will call him up? Winn is on his third minor-league season, starting with a 2019 season at Class A Hickory where he went 4-4 with a 4.46 ERA with 68 innings pitched and 65 strikeouts.

After no season in 2020, Winn spent most of last season at Frisco, while making one start at Round Rock. He went 4-3 and improved on his ERA (2.41) and struck out 107 hitters in 86 innings. His WHIP (walks and hits allowed per nine innings) was a staggering 0.86.

The Rangers are certainly operating at a pitching deficit. As Inside the Rangers’ Chris Halicke pointed out on Monday, the Rangers were last in the American League with a 6.19 ERA and had given up 18 home runs, most in the AL, entering their road trip.

Like every other MLB team, Rangers pitching is operating on a short spring training, brought on by the lockout. The Rangers, like every other MLB team, also has an expanded pitching staff for the time being.

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Taylor Hearn

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Dane Dunning

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Martin Perez

There are also pitchers that may take priority over Winn. As Halicke pointed out in his Rangers Mailbag on Monday, both Glenn Otto and A.J. Alexy are likely to get chances with the Rangers this season. Both are currently at Triple A with Winn, but have the advantage of Major League experience.

The Rangers took a rigid approach to their starting pitching in their first nine games. Just one starter—Dane Dunning—pitched at least five innings. No starter won a game, and just two starters figured in a decision — Taylor Hearn and Martín Pérez. The latter is the only starter to figure in the decision for both of his starts.

Would adding Winn help now? Maybe. The Rangers don’t have a timeline for calling him up. But if he continues to perform at Round Rock over the coming months, it may put them in the mood to make a move sooner rather than later.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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