Rediscovery Joy In Baseball Leads Alex Speas Back To Texas Rangers

The 25-year-old reliever's clutch performance Wednesday came in his MLB debut for the Texas Rangers.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas – So much for easing Alex Speas into the big leagues.

The 25-year-old right-handed reliever made his Major League debut for the Texas Rangers in Wednesday’s sweep-clinching win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

And the club needed every bit of his outstanding performance.

Speas, who was called up from Triple-A Round Rock before the game, struck out three in 1 ⅔ scoreless innings.

It’s s far cry from where Speas was a year ago. He was out of baseball after retiring in 2021. He was a second-round pick in 2016 but struggles in the minors, including a 2018 Tommy John surgery had helped suck the joy from the game.

During his time away from pro ball, however, Speas rediscovered his joy with the game while coaching kids.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW ALEX SPEAS 🌊
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/rkaYn9AVI3

— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) July 19, 2023

“Every day they came out to the field they had a smile on their face no matter how the game was going or if they were winning or losing they always had a smile and played their heart out,” Speas said of the 9-to-11-year olds he coaches in North and South Carolina. “That’s the joy we have to have every day we play this game. It’s hard enough as it is, but having that joy comes first.”

That joy helped Speas view the game differently. And helped improve his mental health in the process. So much so that he decided to return to the game this past winter.

“There are some long nights, there are long days and it's a hard fight to get through it all, but I’m glad we made it here,” he said. “I thank the organization for having trusted me and giving me the opportunity to come back and do this.”

Speas is the fourth Rangers player to make his MLB debut this season. The others are right-handers Grant Anderson and Owen White, and lefty Cody Bradford.

“I can’t say enough about what he did,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “That kid really showed great poise. [He] really handled the situation so well. I know he's worked hard to get back here and took some time off. He went out there and looked like he was in a good place. You saw what he did and we needed it.”

Speas (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) was lighting up radar guns and putting up great numbers in the minors before getting the call. He had a 1.00 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 36 innings between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock.

“It's a blessing at the end of the day. I’m thankful for every opportunity, and I’m glad to be here at this point. But the work continues,” he said.

“I missed the game a lot. But I'm to the point now that I understand that mental health is stronger than anything,” he said. “Having that mental health helps you compete out here on the field each and every day.”

Speas got his first batter, Wander Franco, swinging on a nasty breaking ball, and catcher Jonah Heim threw out a baserunner to end the top of the seventh. Speas returned for a 1-2-3 eighth.

“After the first couple of pitches, I was able to hone in and realize it’s the same game, it’s just in a different stadium, and just be myself,” said Speas, who had family members on hand at Globe Life Field to see his debut.

“It means everything.”

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You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.

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