Texas Rangers Have World Series Upside with Two Aces in Starting Rotation

The Texas Rangers have two pitchers that bring ace-like qualities to their starting rotation, and both are off to fine starts.

Nick Ziegler | Apr 5, 2025

Apr 1, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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Texas Rangers

With the regular season a bit over a week in, the Texas Rangers are off to an excellent start.

After last year, the team was certainly excited to get back on the field with a healthy squad. Injuries really derailed the Rangers from trying to repeat as World Series champions, and the team didn’t even finish over the .500 mark in 2024.

However, with a good offseason, there is an expectation that Texas could once again be a contender in the American League.

Even though they came into the campaign once again down two starters, the team was much better equipped to handle injuries in terms of the quality depth that they had.

While the rotation might have been a weakness last year, the unit is shaping up to be one of the best in the league this season. With a nice mix of veterans and youngsters, the sky is the limit for the Rangers’ rotation.

Kennedi Landry of MLB.com wrote about the biggest takeaway for the Rangers to start the season being that there is a new ace in town.

“(Jacob) deGrom, when healthy, is the greatest pitcher in the world. But (Nathan) Eovaldi has been and will continue to be the most important pitcher on the staff, both on and off the field," she wrote.

Due to deGrom barely pitching the past two years for Texas, it is actually fair to say that Eovaldi has been the ace of this staff.

The veteran right-hander has been excellent for the Rangers, and re-signing him this winter was a top priority.

Eovaldi has pitched really well to begin the season with a 1-0 record and 1.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched.

However, deGrom also looked sharp in his first start. Even though the former National League Cy Young has missed a ton of time over the last several years, he has always been effective when on the mound. He is expected to make his second start on Saturday.

After getting some starts at the end of the season, deGrom was able to go through a full winter healthy. This is something that has eluded him of late, and could be a reason why he turns things around finally.

If a debate is sparked about who the ace of Texas is, the team is going to be in good shape this campaign.

The big X-factor, of course, is the health of deGrom. It would be great to see one of the best in the game be able to make 25-30 starts this year.

Even though it’s early, the Rangers have to feel optimistic about the outlook for the team in 2025.

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