Nathan Eovaldi has become one of the most important Texas Rangers in franchise history despite the fact he didn’t pitch for the Rangers until he was 12 years into his career.
Ever since joining the Rangers in 2023, the veteran has quickly turned into a fan favorite due to his reliability and, more importantly, his World Series heroics.
Here are 10 things to know about Eovaldi.
1. The basics
Rangers
Name: Nathan Edward Eovaldi
Born: February 13, 1990
Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 217 lb
Hometown: Alvin, Texas
Draft: 11th round, 2008 (Dodgers)
2. World Series hero
Eovaldi was a World Series hero for the Red Sox in 2018 and became a World Series hero for the Rangers in 2023.
He was instrumental throughout the 2023 season, but truly rose to the occasion in Game 5 of the 2023 World Series when the Rangers closed out the Diamondbacks to clinch the first championship in franchise history.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi douses teammates in the clubhouse as Rangers players celebrate in the after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 to win the World Series, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in Phoenix.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
That night, Eovaldi was the winning pitcher after six shutout innings in which he allowed four hits, walked five and struck out five. Arizona threatened Eovaldi all night, but he constantly found his way out of jams, holding the Diamondbacks to 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Related:How Nathan Eovaldi Houdini’d his way to Game 5 magic, helped Rangers win World Series3. Unique injury history
Like any player, and especially like any pitcher, Eovaldi has had his share of injuries in his career.
But not many pitchers have gone on to have successful careers after having two Tommy John surgeries like Eovaldi has. He had the surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament during his junior year of high school, and then had it again in 2016 with the Yankees, which caused him to miss the whole 2017 season.
Eovaldi and his Rangers teammate Jacob deGrom are both on the short list of pitchers to return from a second Tommy John surgery and still be effective.
4. Shares a hometown with Rangers legend
Eovaldi graduated from Alvin High School in Alvin, Texas. But Eovaldi isn’t the first pitcher in Rangers history to graduate from Alvin: that was Nolan Ryan.
Ryan and Eovaldi are the only MLB players from their high school, located just outside of Houston.
5. A part of All-Star history
Eovaldi has been an All-Star twice in his career, first in 2021 with the Red Sox and then in 2023 with the Rangers. He made the American League All-Star team in his first season with Texas after entering the All-Star break with a 10-3 record and 2.83 ERA in 18 starts, including two complete games.
Eovaldi was part of All-Star Game history when six Rangers were on the field at the same time. He was on the mound while fellow Texas All-Stars Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jonah Heim, Josh Jung and Adolis García were out in the field.
It was the third time in All-Star Game history that one team had six players on the field at the same time, as the 2023 Rangers joined the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1939 Yankees.
6. Playoff workhorse (and another record)
Eovaldi has a tremendous reputation as a big-game pitcher. In 17 career playoff games, he has a 3.05 ERA across 79 2/3 innings and his team has won 14 of his 17 games.
In the Rangers’ World Series run, he had a 5-0 record in six starts with a 2.95 ERA in 36 2/3 innings. He becme the fourth pitcher in MLB history with five wins in a single postseason, tying a record held by Randy Johnson, Francisco Rodriguez and Stephen Strasburg.
Nathan Eovaldi just had one of the greatest Postseasons we’ve ever seen by a pitcher.
5-0 (In 6 starts)
2.95 ERA
36.2 IP
41 Ks
Won clinching game of the World Series
He is also the first pitcher to win 5 games in a single Postseason. pic.twitter.com/RbWIJWGLrl
— Thomas Carrieri (@Thomas_Carrieri) November 2, 2023
7. Big escape room fan
During 2025 spring training, his love of escape rooms was revealed in a story by The Dallas Morning News. Eovaldi and his wife, Bekah, have a passion for escape rooms and it has become their favorite hobby.
That love for escape rooms leaked into the Rangers’ clubhouse when Eovaldi and Josh Jung led a group of Rangers to an escape room facility a mile from Texas’ spring training complex in Surprise, Ariz.
“You see the competitor come out in all of us,” Eovaldi said. “We’re all running around and working together. I gave guys a hard time because we couldn’t get the five digit code for one. I was like ‘We’re wasting time. Come on. Let’s go.’
“But I think they all had a really fun time. It’s gonna be one of those fun things, right? Like if we have an off day on the road, there are a whole bunch of these and they just take like an hour. Or, for us, like 30 or 40 minutes. It’s a good way to hang out with the guys.”
From left to right, Texas Rangers players Nathan Eovaldi, Jake Burger, Josh Jung, Walter Pennington and Wyatt Langford pose together after completing an escape room.(Courtesy / Josh Jung)8. Re-signed with the Rangers
Eovaldi initially signed a two-year deal with the Rangers in 2023. After he followed his 2023 World Series heroics with another strong season to the tune of a 12-8 record and 3.80 ERA in 2024, he hit free agency and was due for a raise.
With the Rangers trying to stay under the $241 million competitive balance tax threshold, it didn’t seem incredibly likely they’d be able to retain Eovaldi.
But Chris Young was able to keep Eovaldi in Texas with a three-year, back-loaded $75 million deal. He received a $12 million signing bonus in the deal.
9. Broke Rangers’ odd opening day streak
The Rangers had a very odd streak going before Eovaldi broke that streak in 2025.
He started on opening day for the Rangers in both 2024 and 2025. When he was named the 2025 opening day starter, he became the first Ranger to start consecutive openers since Kevin Millwood did it from 2006-09.
For a fun walk down Rangers Memory Lane, here is Texas’ list of opening day starters from Millwood’s 2009 start through Eovaldi’s two consecutive starts:
YearStarter2009Kevin Millwood2010Scott Feldman2011C.J. Wilson2012Colby Lewis2013Matt Harrison2014Tanner Scheppers2015Yovani Gallardo2016Cole Hamels2017Yu Darvish2018Cole Hamels2019Mike Minor2020Lance Lynn2021Kyle Gibson2022Jon Gray2023Jacob deGrom2024Nathan Eovaldi2025Nathan Eovaldi10. More playoff heroics
Eovaldi put together an emotional performance in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series against the Dodgers. The starting pitcher was needed in relief in a game that went 18 innings. Eovaldi survived countless lineup changes and was only on two days of rest. He retired 18 hitters before his 97th pitch of the evening was sent out of Dodger Stadium by Max Muncy.
It’s officially been 5 years since Nate Eovaldi’s heroic performance in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series.
Rick Porcello was brought to tears, calling it “the most incredible pitching performance I’ve ever seen.”
Even in a loss, the Red Sox still won.pic.twitter.com/04DSjHXlxP
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) October 26, 2023
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