First 3 Things To Watch As Texas Rangers Open Spring Training Camp In Arizona

Who will fill out the Texas Rangers bullpen? Who will form the starting rotation with Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom not due back from injury until July?

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Time flies when you're a world champion.

The Texas Rangers are back in Surprise, Ariz., for spring training after winning their first World Series title only 106 days earlier.

Technically, only pitchers and catchers are due to report at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Position players report by Monday.

For the next five days, Rangers pitchers and catchers will attempt to knock off the rust, stretch out their arms and legs, and — for most of the pitchers — fight like hell to make the team.

By the time the position players roll in on Monday, at least 69 players will cram into the major league clubhouse at the Rangers' spring training complex, which is connected to Surprise Stadium. That includes 40 players on the major league roster and 29 with major league camp invitations. Of those 29 non-roster invitees, 15 are pitchers.

Coupled with the 24 pitchers on the Rangers' 40-man roster, that's 39 pitchers in camp.

In case you've missed it over the past three-plus months, the Rangers are still trying to shore up their starting rotation and bullpen. Quick refresher: Starting pitchers Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle are all still recovering from surgery and aren't expected back before July, so the Rangers must settle on a rotation to fill the void. The bullpen remains a work in progress, and a majority of the aforementioned 39 pitchers in camp will attempt to raise some eyebrows and radar guns to earn a spot in a 13-man bullpen. 

First 3 Things To Watch As Texas Rangers Pitchers And Catchers Report

Texas Rangers pitchers and catchers report five days before their teammates. Here are three early things to watch:

Which Starting Pitchers Will Earn Rotation Spots?

Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney and Dan Dunning seem to be the easy calls for who will fill out the Rangers rotation when Opening Day arrives on March 28. But what about a fifth starter? Will right-hander Owen White, 24, be ready to take that step? 

Which Relievers Will Step Up To Claim Bullpen Spots?

Here's what we know. Barring injury, Jose Leclerc, Josh Sborz, David Robertson, Kirby Yates, Cody Bradford, Brock Burke, Grant Anderson and Jonathan Hernández have, to some degree, spots in the bullpen locked up. That leaves five open spots in the bullpen. It'll be a dogfight between more than 20 pitchers.

Does Jack Leiter Make A Leap This Spring?

The Rangers selected right-hander Jack Leiter with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft. Leiter, who turns 24 in April, has plenty of opportunity in big league camp to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. He flashed brilliance at times with Double-A Frisco in 2023, but also struggled with his control and the home run ball.

 

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You can follow Stefan Stevenson on X @StefanVersusTex.

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