With All Eyes On Bigger Names, Unheralded Rangers Starter Has Shined Brightest

He is not the most well known pitcher in the Texas Rangers rotation, but to this point in 2025, he has been the best of the bunch.

May 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle (51) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are now out of their rough patch and firmly back above .500. Entering Sunday with a 25-22 record, they sit just 1 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the American League West lead.

While many looked toward the offense as what would be the driving force behind the team's success this year, it has, without a doubt, been the starting pitching. The rotation is full of names that are well-known across the MLB landscape, and as the 50-game mark approaches, they have more than delivered.

One pitcher in the rotation has not been as big of a name as Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, or even Patrick Corbin (for all the wrong reasons before this year). But, to this point in 2025, Tyler Mahle has been better than all of them.

Texas Rangers' Best Starter This Year Is Unheralded Tyler Mahle

Mahle, 30, is a nine-year veteran of the MLB level. Before 2025, it really had not been great for the veteran. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued him throughout his career, and he has only qualified for the ERA title once, in 2021, while still with the Cincinnati Reds, the team that drafted him.

Entering 2025, Mahle carried a 4.32 ERA across 648 1/3 innings in 126 games with 687 strikeouts and a 104 ERA+. In 2025 alone, he has posted a 1.47 ERA across 55 innings in 10 starts with 40 strikeouts and a 261 ERA+. The righty ranks seventh in MLB in bWAR (2.0), third in ERA, 10th in WHIP (0.982) and third in ERA+.

Mahle's success does not come from striking batters out at a high clip. Instead, it comes from limiting hard contact and making batters drive the ball into the ground. The veteran's average exit velocity allowed this year comes in at a career-best 88 MPH, while his ground ball rate is also a career-best at 45.8%. Both marks are much better than league average.

It is a contract year for Mahle, whose two-year, $22 million deal expires at the end of the season. With the career renaissance that the pitcher has found with the Rangers and pitching coach Mike Maddux, an extension for the veteran may be necessary sooner rather than later.

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