Jose Corniell Among Three Players Promoted by Rangers for Final Series

The Texas Rangers top pitching prospect is with the team.

Feb 19, 2025; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jose Corniell (87) poses for a photo during Media Day at Surprise Stadium | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are officially out of any postseason contention, so the rest of the campaign is about seeing what their players have.

President of baseball operations Chris Young said he wanted to see the team finish as strong as possible heading into next season because it's the sign of a winner. This final series gives some other players a chance to showcase their talents heading into the winter, as well, which could give them a head start entering spring training.

And while top prospect Sebastian Walcott won't be in the final set against the Cleveland Guardians, another top prospect is now in the mix as the team announced a slew of roster moves that featured top pitching prospect Jose Corniell being called up to the big league roster.

Rangers transactions for Friday:

-INF/OF Josh Smith placed on MLB Paternity Leave List
-RHP Chris Martin placed on 15-day IL
-RHP Cole Winn placed on 15-day ILt, retro to 9/24
-RHP Jose Corniell (#59) recalled from Round Rock
-RHP Luis Curvelo (#57) recalled from Round Rock…

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) September 26, 2025

Along with Corniell's promotion, Luis Curvelo was also recalled from Triple-A Round Rock. Veteran infielder Donovan Solano had his contract selected, as Josh Smith was moved to the paternity list and both right-handed pitcher Chris Martin and Cole Winn were placed on the 15-day injured list.

But the headliner is Corniell, who is ranked No. 3 in the team's pipeline. He has proven he deserves a shot at the big leagues. He's coming off of Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of the 2024 campaign and half of this season, but he's been impressive in his return.

In 13 starts across three levels, the 22-year-old has a 1.89 ERA, 0.842 WHIP and a 9.7 K/9 in 38 innings. He moved quickly and, in a way, forced the Rangers' hand to see what he can do in a lost season. Prior to the injury, he pitched in Single-A and High-A in 2023, appearing in 23 games and making 17 starts. It was there that he cemented himself at the upper echelon of the system, posting a 2.92 ERA and a 10.5 K/9 in 101.2 innings.

Could Corniell See Some Action This Weekend?

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

There's a pretty easy path to the right-hander making his debut. Texas has both Saturday and Sunday's starters listed "TBD" as of pregame on Friday. Because of that, it wouldn't be surprising to see him fill one of the openings.

Corniell features four pitches, an above average fastball and slider and a cutter and changeup he is still fine tuning. The slider is his best pitch, according to his scouting report on MLB Pipeline. If he can improve his cutter and changeup, they'll be his best weapons against left-handed hitters and will make him a more rounded starting pitcher with more than just two offerings.

Keep an eye on Corniell if and when he does make his MLB debut. Because not only will that be a huge moment for him and the franchise, it could also be the start of him becoming a regular in this rotation going forward.