Inside The Rangers

Intriguing Texas Rangers Bullpen Option Flashes Potential in Spring Outing

The Texas Rangers have been seeing encouraging results throughout spring training from some of their bullpen depth options, and one tantalizing option shined on Tuesday.

Kyle Morton

Jul 13, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; American League Future pitcher Emiliano Teodo (15) throws during the first inning against the National League Future team during the Major league All-Star Futures game at Globe Life Field.
Jul 13, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; American League Future pitcher Emiliano Teodo (15) throws during the first inning against the National League Future team during the Major league All-Star Futures game at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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The Texas Rangers went to great lengths this offseason to shore up their bullpen, as they desperately need to improve upon the performance that earned them the 26th spot in MLB in reliever ERA in 2024.

To do this, they signed veteran reliever Chris Martin, fresh off of an effective season as a member of the Boston Red Sox. They also dealt first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to the Washington Nationals to acquire the talented southpaw Robert Garcia.

That duo alone should do a lot to fortify the bullpen, but internal reinforcements are on their way as well. Texas has seen relief prospect Emiliano Teodo show flashes of his impressive ceiling this spring training, and he continued to build with a strong showing Tuesday.

Teodo worked a clean eighth inning during the Rangers' 13-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels, earning a strikeout against Rio Foster while inducing groundouts against Juan Flores and veteran Scott Kingery.

The righty got Foster swinging on a nasty 3-2 sinker that ran down and in below the zone at 97.8 mph. In the next at-bat, Teodo got that sinker up to 100. on the pitch Flores grounded out on.

The 24-year-old pairs that nasty sinker with a hard slider, and he has utilized that combo to put up five scoreless appearances in the spring, fanning six opposing hitters in 4.1 innings pitched.

Teodo forced his way onto the radar as a serious prospect with a phenomenal 2024 campaign as a member of the Double-A FriscoRoughriders, for whom he put up a 1.89 ERA over 19 starts with 110 strikeouts in 86.1 innings.

As the No. 6 prospect in the Rangers' system according to MLB Pipeline, Teodo projects as a starter over the long run, but Texas' surplus of options at that position has forced the team to consider the possibility of him contributing out of the bullpen sometime this season.

His penchant for missing bats and electric stuff certainly make it easy to dream on his upside as a reliever, especially on a team that struggled so mightily in that regard a year ago.

According to the team's Fangraphs depth chart, the bullpen is currently projected to include Martin and Garcia at the top along with Marc Church, Luke Jackson, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner, Shawn Armstrong and former starter Dane Dunning.

The two new acquisitions are the only members of that group that Fangraphs projects to fare better than a 3.92 ERA over the course of the season, a factor that could make Teodo's upside all the more enticing for manager Bruce Bochy and president of team operations Chris Young.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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