Rangers Ace Nathan Eovaldi Having One of Best Starts to a Season in MLB History

Nathan Eovaldi has been truly dominant for the Texas Rangers.

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One of the biggest moves that the Texas Rangers made during the MLB offseason was retaining starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.

The two sides agreed to a three-year, $75 million deal to bring the ace back into the fold. There was hope that he could anchor the rotation along with Jacob deGrom, giving them the kind of starting pitching it would need to compete with the other top teams in the American League.

To this point, those hopes and dreams have become a reality because Eovaldi and deGrom have been one of the best starting pitcher duos in baseball throughout the 2025 regular season.

deGrom has reinvited himself, still dominating opponents despite a calculated drop in velocity to help keep him healthy. Everything has clicked for him, making the AL All-Star Team and taking the ball every time through the rotation when it is his turn.

The only hiccup that Eovaldi has faced was an injury that was suffered near the end of May that kept him off the mound for a month. Outside of that, he has been as dominant as any pitcher in baseball this year.

Just how good has the veteran righty been?

Nathan Eovaldi has been pitching historically well this season

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As shared by nugget chef on X, he is having one of the best starts to a season for a starting pitcher since integration. He enters his 20th start tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 1.38 ERA.

Amongst pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings over their first 20 starts of a season, Eovaldi has a chance to have the second-lowest mark ever if he can throw another gem against the National League West opponent.

The lowest ERA with those thresholds is owned by Bob Gibson, who had 1.01 in 1968. Not far behind him that year Luis Tiant, who had a 1.36 ERA that same year through his first 20 starts.

There is a tie for the third lowest with Zack Grienke and Don Drysdale, who had 1.37 ERAs in 2015 an 1968, respectively. Gaylord Perry in 1974 and Roger Clemens in 2005 round out the list with ERAs of 1.40.

Nathan Eovaldi enters his 20th start tonight with a 1.38 ERA.

Lowest ERAs, first 20 starts since integration (min. 100 IP):

Bob Gibson (1968): 1.01
Luis Tiant (1968): 1.36
Zack Greinke (2015): 1.37
Don Drysdale (1968): 1.37
Gaylord Perry (1974): 1.40
Roger Clemens (2005): 1.40

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) August 11, 2025

Texas’s ace has a chance to land as high as No. 2 on that list depending on how things go against the Diamondbacks. He has been excellent since returning from the injured list, surrendering only six runs, five earned, over 41.2 innings of work.

Half of those runs came in his first game back against the Seattle Mariners, when he was charged with three runs in three innings. In his most recent start, Eovaldi threw eight shutout innings against the New York Yankees to pull closer in the wild card race.

Each time he has taken the mound, he has put the Rangers in a position to win the game, doing everything in his power to keep their playoff hopes alive.