Texas Rangers Ace Has ‘Even More in Tank’ After Tremendous First Start

The Texas Rangers got exactly what they needed from their ace right-hander in his first start of the season on Sunday.

Matthew Postins | Mar 30, 2025

Mar 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) throws during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy wanted three things from starter Jacob deGrom on Sunday — five innings, 75 pitches and no injuries.

deGrom granted him all three wishes in his season debut and just his 10th start with the Rangers since he signed a five-year deal before the 2023 season.

He gave up no runs and two hits in those five innings, walking two and striking out six. He threw 73 pitches, 49 of which were strikes. He was in line for the win before the Boston Red Sox took the lead in the sixth inning, 2-1. It was the first time deGrom went five innings in a game since April of 2023.

Home runs by Wyatt Langford and Adolis Garcia helped the Rangers claim a 3-2 win.

Among the strikeout victims were Rafael Devers (twice), Jarren Duran and Alex Bregman. He even sent potential AL rookie of the year candidate Kristian Campbell packing.

Jacob deGrom's day in an image. Done after five. In line for the win. Armstrong on in relief. #Rangers pic.twitter.com/Q64zog9vgf
— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) March 30, 2025

Bochy said he could have gone another inning. So did deGrom. Sunday’s catcher, Kyle Higashioka knows there is more where that came from.

“I think there’s even more in the tank,” Higashioka said. “There’s more sharpness there.”

The two hits were, frankly, weak. In fact, Bochy called them “cheap.” Campbell hit a double down the right field line in the second inning. While it had an exit velocity of 94 mph, it dribbled down the line and Garcia had a chance to throw him out.

Ceddanne Rafaela’s single in the third, up the middle of the field, had an exit velocity of 74.2 mph.

He issues his two walks to the same batter — Wilyer Abreu, who just killed Rangers pitching all weekend. deGrom admitted he worked around the slugger because “… he was the one hitter I didn’t want to beat us.”

It just underscored how good deGrom’s stuff was on Sunday. Hard contact was hard to come by. Red Sox hitters didn’t have a single barrel in 20 at-bats. Batters swing and missed at 16 pitches.

He leaned slightly more on his slider than his fastball, though combined he threw the two pitches more than 70% of the time.

His fastest pitch of the day was a 98.1 mph fastball to Bregman, which led to a groundout.

But his change-up turned out to be a game-changer — or at least it can be when it gets more refined, said the two-time Cy Young winner.

“I think guys are probably going to think I’m mainly a fastball-slider guy, but to mix it up a little more, it’s just going to be a plus for me,” he said.

He didn’t get the victory, but he was every bit the pitcher the Rangers signed before he injured his elbow in April of 2023, which led to Tommy John surgery and to him watching the franchise’s first World Series title as a spectator.

He needed most of last year to finish his recovery but made three starts. He looked good, but the expectations weren’t high, in part because the Rangers were out of the playoff race by then.

Now? The expectation is that deGrom, along with Nathan Eovaldi, can operate as co-aces on this staff.

The expectation is that deGrom will be able to pitch longer in his next outing, which will likely be when the Rangers return home to host the Tampa Bay Rays next weekend.

After Sunday, it felt like the training wheels came off.

“Next game he could go six innings, maybe seven, really,” Bochy said.

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