Watch: Texas Rangers Ace Throws First Bullpen Session of Spring Training

The Texas Rangers are counting on this veteran starter to be their ace after being sidelined for much of the past two seasons.

Sep 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the second inning at Globe Life Field. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers seen great depth in their starting rotation entering the 2025 season. But, for everything to work, they know the top of the rotation must perform.

That means it's Jacob deGrom time.

The veteran starter, who signed a five-year deal with the Rangers before the 2023 season, has made just nine starts since joining the team. An elbow injury in late April of 2023 required Tommy John surgery, the second of his career.

The 36-year-old spent the rest of 2023 and most of 2024 rehabbing the injury. He returned at the end of last season to make three starts, an encouraging sign that he would be ready for 2025.

Another encouraging sign came on Saturday when he threw his first bullpen session in Surprise, Ariz. Local media covering workouts, including The Dallas Morning News and MLB.com, captured it from multiple angles.

From my work session with Jacob DeGrom pic.twitter.com/iFOVbDauMk

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) February 15, 2025

Jacob deGrom throwing his first bullpen since the start of camp pic.twitter.com/kjd6NhAVq6

— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) February 15, 2025

During Rangers FanFest in January, he told reporters that he had a normal offseason for the first time since the winter where he signed the $185 million contract with Texas. He was eager to get to Surprise and continue his build-up to the regular season.

While the Rangers have as many as eight candidates for the starting rotation, deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, who signed a three-year, $75 million deal this winter, are the only true locks for a job.

Even with the injury, deGrom showed before and after what he could do.

Before the injury and surgery, he went 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA in six starts. He struck out 45 and walked four. Even though he was hurt, he won his first World Series ring when the Rangers won their first title in 2023.

After he returned last season, he made three starts. He didn’t factor in a decision, but he had a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings, striking out 14 and walking one.

When healthy, deGrom is one of the game’s most dominant pitchers.

After breaking in with the New York Mets in 2014, he has a career record of 84-57 with a 2.52 ERA. He has 1,666 career strikeouts, giving him a rate of 11 strikeouts per nine innings.

He won the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year award, won back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 and has been to the All-Star Game four times.

But he hasn’t pitched a full season since 2019.

Texas intends to be cautious with him, but the goal is for deGrom to make at least 25 starts in 2025.

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