How Rangers Top Starting Pitchers Compare to MLB's Best Dynamic Duos

There are plenty of formidable pitching duos in the league, but where do the Texas Rangers' top arms stand?

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws a pitch. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2026 season, the Texas Rangers have one of the best starting rotations in baseball at full strength. It got even better a couple of weeks ago, when the Rangers traded a big haul for left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals.

President of baseball operations Chris Young is taking a massive swing with this trade, but this isn't unfamiliar territory. At the 2025 trade deadline, Young traded multiple prospects in pursuit of pitching. It's clear that with a depleted farm system, the window for Texas to win is right now.

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At the top of this elite rotation is Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. The veteran pitchers are some of the best in baseball, but where do they stack up with the rest of the league's dynamic duos?

Rangers Duo Shockingly Ranked Low

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom pitches. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jared Greenspan of mlb.com compiled a list of the best 1-2 punches in baseball and ranked them by projected WAR according to Fan Graphs. They ranked deGrom and Eovaldi at No. 9 with a combined WAR of 6.6.

Greenspan writes, "Behind deGrom, FanGraphs sees Eovaldi and Gore each tallying 2.9 WAR in '26, though they're bound to reach that point in different ways." The ranking is a bit of a surprise, given the year the pairing had.

The 37-year-old deGrom made 30 starts last season, the most since 2019. He posted a 2.97 ERA with 185 strikeouts and a return to the All-Star game. It was exactly the season Rangers fans envisioned when deGrom signed with Texas in winter of 2022.

Eovaldi was on pace for one of the best seasons of his career before injuries derailed his year. He only made one start in June, before going on a tear in July. Over 30.2 innings, he allowed two earned runs. He struck out 30 hitters and only walked eight.

It was an incredible run for Eovaldi, but he went back on the injured list in August with a right rotator cuff strain. Hopefully, the veteran can stay healthy next year and make a significant contribution.

The Gore Trade Will Elevate the Rotation

\Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore pitches. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The health inconsistencies between Eovaldi and deGrom make the trade for Gore more valuable. It's hard to see a reality where both guys make all of their starts next season. On the other hand, Gore has made 30 or more starts the last two years.

Of the eight pitching duos ahead of deGrom and Eovaldi, five of them are in the American League, including the newest pairing of Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez. Pitching and defense are common themes in the A.L., and Texas happens to have both.

If the offense can return to form, big things could be in store for the Rangers. The starting pitching can certainly carry its weight, and with deGrom and Eovaldi at the top, they can hang with anyone.

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