Rangers Spring Training Preview: Glenn Otto
InsidetheRangers.com previews every player on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster heading into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.
P Glenn Otto
In 2022: Glenn Otto wasn’t quite ready to be in the starting rotation when Spring Training broke last year, but it didn’t take long for the Rangers to recall him from Triple-A Round Rock on April 22. From that point, aside from a 16-day stint on the injured list, Otto took the ball every five days for the Rangers.
By season’s end, one of the prizes from the Joey Gallo trade was tied for the second-most wins on the Rangers, as Otto went 7-10 with a 4.64 ERA. (Jon Gray also had seven.) He had issues with giving up walks throughout the 135 2/3 innings he pitched, but in the final month, with some coaxing from interim manager Tony Beasley, Otto started to reduce his free passes. He closed out his final seven starts by walking two or fewer in every start. In fact, he struck out 33 and walked eight in that span.
For the season he gave up 74 runs (70 earned), 21 home runs, 62 walks and struck out 107 while finishing with a 1.33 WHIP. Otto did have a solid opponent batting average of .236. That was a 100-point drop from what he allowed in six starts in 2021.
Otto’s Career at a Glance: The New York Yankees selected Otto in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB Draft and signed him for a $320,000 signing bonus, as he bypassed a scholarship offer from Rice. Otto came to Texas with Josh Smith, Ezequiel Durán, and Trevor Hauver in the Joey Gallo trade in late July 2021. In six games last season with Texas, he went 0-3 with a 9.26 ERA and 28 strikeouts
Contract Status: Otto was a rookie in 2022 and remains under team control.
In Surprise: He’s never going to have overpowering stuff. But with a little more command on his off-speed pitches and a bit more efficiency when it comes to giving up walks and home runs, he can become an innings eater for the Rangers or another team. That’s the next step for Otto, who doesn’t have a guaranteed rotation spot entering Spring Training, as the Rangers now have six veteran starters signed for 2023. Otto heads to Surprise looking to carve out a role for himself in the bullpen or as a stand-by starter at Triple-A Round Rock. If Jacob deGrom was serious about being a mentor to younger pitchers, Otto would be wise to absorb what he can from the former Cy Young winner.
2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:
Joe Barlow | John King | Dane Dunning | Brett Martin | Jake Odorizzi | Yerry Rodriguez | Owen White | Cole Ragans | Andrew Heaney |
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