Rangers Rookie Cole Ragans Seeks First MLB Win
Cole Ragans takes to the hill on Monday as the Texas Rangers shoot for a series victory over the Minnesota Twins at 6:10 p.m. on Monday at Target Field.
The Rangers (55-66) are now 2-1 in this four-game series with the Twins. The Rangers lost 2-1 to the Twins on Friday. On Saturday, the Rangers beat the Twins 4-3 in 10 innings. On Sunday, the Rangers blew out the Twins 7-0.
Ragans (0-2) is looking for his first career Major League win in his fourth start. He’s also hoping to turn around his walks and strikeouts. In his first three starts, Ragans has walked eight and struck out seven.
In his last start on Tuesday against Oakland, Ragans threw five innings, giving up four hits, three earned runs and one walk, along with three strikeouts. He tossed 83 pitches and the Rangers went on to lose 7-2.
All three runs Ragans gave up came on two home runs by the Athletics’ Sean Murphy. Ragans did bounce back after the second Murphy home run to retire six of the final eight batters he faced.
The Rangers called up Ragans to start for the first time on Aug. 4, a game that ended with a 3-2 Texas win but a no-decision for Ragans. He threw five innings and gave up three hits, one run (unearned) and four walks while striking out three.
In the process, Ragans became the 10th pitcher (and second left-hander) in Rangers history to pitch at least five innings without giving up an earned run in his MLB debut.
Ragans’ journey to the Majors was a long one. The first-round pick in 2016 missed two full seasons due to two Tommy John surgeries, and then lost the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 shutdown of minor league baseball.
But he found a groove in 2022, which started in Double-A Frisco and resulted in a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock in July. He went a combined 8-5 with a 3.04 ERA while striking out 113 and walking 31 in 18 starts. Opponents slashed .216/.288/.342/.630 against Ragans, including a .203 BA (49-241) by right-handed batters.
Along the way he was named the Rangers April Minor League Pitcher of the Month after posting a 2.13 ERA and 17 strikeouts in three starts at Frisco.
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