Here are five things to know about Texas\u2019 new starter.<\/p>\n
1. The basics<\/p>\n
Rangers<\/p>\n
By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n Name: MacKenzie Evan Gore<\/p>\n Born: February 24, 1999<\/p>\n Hometown: Wilmington, N.C.<\/p>\n Height: 6-2 Weight: 193 pounds<\/p>\n Position: Starting pitcher<\/p>\n Throws: Left Bats: Left<\/p>\n Draft: Selected by Padres with third overall pick of 2017 MLB draft<\/p>\n 2. How he got to Texas<\/p>\n Gore landed in Texas as a part of a blockbuster deal between the Rangers and Nationals on Jan. 22, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Rangers certainly didn\u2019t acquire him for free, as Texas sent five prospects to Washington in the deal. Shortstop Gavin Fien, the Rangers\u2019 2025 first-round pick, infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald, infielder-outfielder Abimelec Ortiz, RHP Alejandro Rosario and outfielder Yeremy Cabrera all were traded to the Nationals for Gore.<\/p>\n With the acquisition of Gore, the Rangers add him to a starting rotation that already included the likes of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter. Adding Gore to that mix gives Texas what figures to be one of the best starting rotations in baseball.<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t Gore\u2019s first time doing the song and dance of being traded. In fact, he got to Washington by way of an infamous trade.<\/p>\n In August 2022, Gore was a part of a monstrous package the San Diego Padres sent to the Nationals in exchange for superstar slugger Juan Soto<\/a>. In the deal, San Diego sent Gore, CJ Abrams, Luke Voit, Robert Hassell III, James Wood and Jarlin Susana to Washington.<\/p>\n Gore wasn\u2019t the headliner in the deal, either. Abrams entered the season as San Diego\u2019s top prospect and No. 9 overall prospect in baseball and Gore entered the season as San Diego\u2019s No. 4 prospect, but both of them graduated from prospect status prior to the deal. At the time of the deal, Hassell was the Padres\u2019 top prospect and No. 21 prospect in baseball, Wood was San Diego\u2019s No. 3 prospect and No. 88 prospect in baseball and Susana was San Diego\u2019s No. 4 prospect.<\/p>\n 4. Swing-and-miss stuff<\/p>\n In Gore, the Rangers are getting one of the best young pitchers in baseball. According to FanGraphs, he is one of just six pitchers under the age of 27 to record 6-plus fWAR over the last two seasons. The other pitchers on that list: Paul Skenes, Garrett Crochet, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Hunter Brown and Hunter Greene.<\/p>\n Gore is coming off a 2025 campaign that included his first All-Star selection after he posted a 3.02 ERA with 138 strikeouts across 110\u2153 innings in the first half before struggling in the second half with a 6.75 ERA in his final 11 starts.<\/p>\n His best attribute is his impressive swing-and-miss stuff. In 2025, he became the second-youngest active pitcher with at least 500 career punchouts.<\/p>\n Gore posted a career-best 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2025 and has totaled 366 strikeouts over the last two seasons. Baseball Savant has Gore\u2019s chase rate in the 70th percentile, whiff rate in the 80th percentile and his strikeout rate in the 80th percentile.<\/p>\n 5. He\u2019s got a super agent<\/p>\n You guessed it: His agent is Scott Boras. This is notable for multiple reasons.<\/p>\n First, Gore has two more seasons of club control. If the Rangers want to keep Gore in Texas long-term, that negotiation goes through the biggest agent in baseball.<\/p>\n Second, while this may seem like a negative for most clubs, this could be a positive for the Rangers. Chris Young has done plenty of business for Boras since joining the Rangers, including the contracts of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager<\/a> that totaled a combined $500 million.<\/p>\n Rangers\u2019 deal for MacKenzie Gore is declarative statement on Texas\u2019 intentions for 2026<\/a>Texas Rangers acquire MacKenzie Gore in trade with Nationals<\/a><\/p>\n Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Washington](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769137813_139_BHU3Z2KGP6JBELNPYV2D4JK7JI.jpg\")
3. Not his first blockbuster deal<\/p>\n