5 Texas Rangers pitchers with the most to gain as spring training begins

SURPRISE, Ariz. — When Rangers pitchers and catchers take the field Tuesday on what is supposed to be a bright, 65-degree morning in the desert, all eyes will be on Skip Schumaker’s first steps as manager. Then they will dart to Jacob deGrom, because, well, he’s deGrom. Then to Nathan Eovaldi to make sure he’s healthy and good to go. And then to MacKenzie Gore because he’s new and shiny.

But there is nothing for them to show this spring other than a clear voice, in the case of Schumaker, and good health for the others.

The guys who have the most to gain, though, that’s a different group. There are still some spots, or at least roles, that need to be filled. Guys vying for those need to stand out in some way from Day 1. And that’s the group management will be watching more closely. So you too can feel like part of the process, here are the five pitchers in camp with the most to gain as camp starts:

Kumar Rocker

Rangers

If we are being honest here (and we always are), the Rangers have a vested interest in Rocker nailing down the last spot in the rotation. That is not a knock on Jacob Latz’s ability or value (more on that in a minute). But this is a real competition. And Rocker’s got to earn the role. Key for him is showing more confidence in something offspeed and an ability to keep hitters from looking in just one spot (usually up). Rocker finished last season in a pitching development program that took him out of games, but was intentionally geared toward working on these two aspects to make him a real contender for the rotation for 2026. Now’s his chance to show the work paid off. But he’s in a sort of win-or-go-home (er, to the minors) situation. He probably doesn’t have a role in the bullpen to start the season. It’s the rotation or bust. One other thing: Unfair or not, his couple of game-awareness mistakes last year are hopefully in the past, but he can’t afford to make those this spring and not have them be a factor in his role.

Jacob Latz

Latz wants to start; that is clear. Based on his audition last year and his desire, he deserves the opportunity to win the job. But he won’t win based on seniority. If the Rangers have championship aspirations (and they do), the opening day roster seems strongest if Rocker can start and Latz can pitch twice in every turn of the rotation early as a lefty piggy-back option behind Eovaldi or deGrom (as both vets are liable to be monitored early) and perhaps Rocker. Or he would have as good a shot as anybody at the highest-leverage role in the bullpen. To win the rotation job, he’s got to clearly outpitch Rocker in the starter competition and maintain the aggressive approach that really marked his breakout 2025 season.

Texas Rangers pitcher Marc Church delivers during the eighth inning of a spring training...

Texas Rangers pitcher Marc Church delivers during the eighth inning of a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on Monday, March 3, 2025, in Surprise, Ariz.

Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer

Marc Church

The right-hander won a spot on last year’s opening day roster by allowing two earned runs with 11 strikeouts and one walk over his final seven outings last spring, but struggled with command early in the year, was sent down in mid-April and then battled a pair of injuries to then throw just 7 1/3 innings in the minors with only a single outing over the final three months of the season. He’s got a lot to prove this spring, starting with commanding the strike zone. But he’s also got to stay healthy. He’s got above-average velocity, which is something in short supply in this bullpen.

Carter Baumler

The Rangers thought enough of Baumler’s arm to trade for the Rule 5 pick and place him on the 40-man roster. To keep the 24-year-old right-hander long-term, he’ll have to stay on the big league roster all year. Otherwise the Rangers will have to offer him back to the Orioles. It’s an incentive to keep him. It’s also a challenge for a guy who has exactly six innings above Class A to contribute in an overhauled bullpen that can’t really afford “projects.” But Baumler averaged 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings at advanced Class A and Double-A with Baltimore last year and his walk rate (3.64 per nine innings) was manageable for a reliever. He experienced a big jump in fastball velocity last year, going up 4 mph to 95.3 mph.

Gavin Collyer

As mentioned with Church, there is enormous opportunity for a high-velocity reliever to stake a claim in the bullpen. Collyer, a right-hander, has a fastball that runs from 95-99 mph, and he supplements it with a sweeping slider that can be a true swing-and-miss pitch. It added up to 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings last year in a season that began at Double-A Frisco and finished with 14 outings at Triple-A Round Rock. Now, here’s the bad news: Lack of command led to 6.2 walks per nine innings, wholly unmanageable in the major leagues. If he shows he can attack the strike zone early in camp while facing other teams’ minor leaguers, he’ll earn more later outings against big leaguers and momentum. If not, he’ll be among the first players sent to the minor league camp. Right-hander Emiliano Teodo could just as easily fit here with the same attributes, but even bigger questions about command. He averaged more than a walk per inning last year in a season that saw him move more backwards than anything else.

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