{"id":573014,"date":"2026-02-14T23:35:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T23:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/573014\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T23:35:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T23:35:47","slug":"carter-baumler-has-a-chance-to-provide-rangers-bullpen-with-something-it-doesnt-have-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/573014\/","title":{"rendered":"Carter Baumler has a chance to provide Rangers bullpen with something it doesn\u2019t have yet"},"content":{"rendered":"

SURPRISE, Ariz. \u2014 The first group of Texas Rangers<\/a> pitchers that threw a bullpen session Saturday afternoon included two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom<\/a>. The second included breakout youngster Jack Leiter and a pair of top prospect arms. The third included a pitcher who was left up for grabs this winter<\/a> by the team that drafted him with an opportunity he\u2019s yet to come close to. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly the position that Carter Baumler wanted to be in. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of something I\u2019ve been hoping for, honestly, for the last couple of years,\u201d Baumler said Saturday afternoon. \u201cI\u2019m honestly thankful that the Rule 5 draft is a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the type of thing that can place an inexperienced minor leaguer who hasn\u2019t pitched above Double-A on the doorstep of a major league breakthrough. The Rangers acquired Baumler, a 24-year-old right-hander, after he was left unprotected by the Baltimore Orioles before December\u2019s Rule 5 draft<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Baumler in the first round of the draft and immediately traded him to the Rangers in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Jaiker Garcia and cash considerations. He must remain on the major league roster for the entirety of the season, and if he doesn\u2019t, he must pass through outright waivers before he is offered back to his original team. <\/p>\n

The Rangers expressed interest in Baumler, a fifth-round pick out of Dowling Catholic (De Moines, Iowa), prior to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 draft. He was committed to TCU before he signed with the Orioles and his younger brother, Trever, pitches for the Horned Frogs now. That\u2019s one reason why he \u201cloves the Rangers\u201d and said that he would\u2019ve chosen to play for them over any other team in the league.<\/p>\n

The other?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely opportunity here,\u201d Baumler said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to take advantage of.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s one of several candidates<\/a> who will compete for the two-to-three available spots in the restructured big league bullpen over the next five weeks. The quintet of right-hander Chris Martin<\/a>, right-hander Cole Winn, right-hander Jakob Junis<\/a>, left-hander Tyler Alexander<\/a> and left-hander Robert Garcia are effectively locks so long as they remain healthy. The potential inclusions of right-hander Alexis D\u00edaz (a former All-Star closer who still retains minor league options) and left-hander Jacob Latz (who will compete for the fifth starter job<\/a>) could erase opportunities for others. <\/p>\n

Baumler, whose fastball velocity ticked up to 95-98 mph last season and pairs well with a power curveball, has \u201cstuff that we don\u2019t really have in the mix of the potential bullpen construction,\u201d according to Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. Winn\u2019s fastball, which averaged 96.3 mph last season, is the only one guaranteed to exist in the bullpen this season that can match it. <\/p>\n

The Texas bullpen threw the third-slowest average fastball in baseball last season but remained effective because of its elite ability to throw strikes and limit walks. The Rangers will prioritize the same philosophy this season. That\u2019s why Baumler\u2019s pure stuff will only get him as far as his ability to command it against big league hitters. He threw an acceptable 65% of his pitches for strikes last season in the minors and will need to show that he can do the same against a higher level of competition with a traditional reliever\u2019s workload. <\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker shakes hands with pitcher Carter Baumler (68) during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz.<\/p>\n

Smiley N. Pool \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to probably try to throw 100 mph his first game out there,\u201d Schumaker said. \u201cCalm down, take it all in, believe that he can do it. We got him for a reason. We believe that he can get outs at the major league level.\u201d<\/p>\n

That Baumler hasn\u2019t yet is partly a byproduct of injuries. He\u2019s pitched only 88 2\/3 professional innings in four seasons because Tommy John surgery and a shoulder procedure slowed him down. Last season was his longest yet, and in 39 2\/3 innings, he zoomed through three levels of the minor leagues and yielded a 2.04 ERA in 28 games. He didn\u2019t allow a run and held hitters to a .115 average in six games at Double-A Aberdeen before the year ended. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s more so pretty cool than anything,\u201d Baumler said of his relative dearth of professional experience. \u201cI don\u2019t need the 300 innings that a lot of high schoolers get. I think it\u2019s a cool thing rather than something that\u2019s negative.\u201d<\/p>\n

He could say the same thing about the route he took to get here. <\/p>\n

\u201cI know where I\u2019m at,\u201d Baumler said. \u201cI know what I\u2019m capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n

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