Rangers Make Official Decision on Fifth Starter in Rotation to Begin 2026 Season

When the Texas Rangers pulled off a massive trade with the Washington Nationals to acquire MacKenzie Gore, they quickly possessed one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Gore joined a staff that already featured Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, while pairing up with young star Jack Leiter.

The only missing piece of the puzzle was the final spot in the rotation. While Cody Bradford is still recovering from an elbow injury, it left Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker as the likely candidates to fill that spot.

After a competitve battle throughout spring training, Texas finally has its answer.

Rangers Name Kumar Rocker as Fifth Starter

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws to the plate. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Per Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports, the Rangers decided Rocker will be the fifth starter in the rotation, and Latz will head to the bullpen. Austin Gomber and Cal Quantrill were also in the mix, but neither player will make the Opening Day roster according to Wilson.

Rocker made four appearances this spring and posted a 4.26 ERA across 12.2 innings. He looked sharp in his final outing against the Kansas City Royals, where he allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts.

Rocker has had an up-and-down pro career, but in camp, he focused on his mechanical issues and improved with each outing. His fastball is electric, but some of his biggest setbacks are the effectiveness of his secondary pitches and holding runners on.

In an article from Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, manager Skip Schumaker said, "The changeup still hasn't been thrown a ton; there's probably some more opportunities where he should have thrown it. That pitch still needs to develop." If Rocker can improve his arsenal and prevent more stolen bases, the ceiling is high for the 26-year-old.

Defining Jacob Latz's Role

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Latz throws. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Latz had a terrific 2025 season for Texas, posting a 2.84 ERA in 33 appearances. It seemed likely he would assume the fifth starter spot at the beginning of camp, but the results on the field didn't back up that notion.

After his first outing of the spring, Latz never found a consistent rhythm on the mound. In his final start, he went three innings and surrendered seven earned runs on eight hits. He also walked eight batters in March, which is a bit uncharacteristic.

Per Landry, Latz talked about his spring performance and said, "I mean, I definitely wish I had better results...The stuff still plays, so that gives me enough confidence to keep attacking. It's not what I expected coming into camp, but again, the season's right there and I feel really good about where I am."

He'll be an incredibly important arm out of the bullpen, likely serving in long or middle relief. His shaky outings didn't seem to faze the lefty too much, and he'll aim to have a substantial role on this pitching staff.

Pitcher's numbers in spring training can be taken with a grain of salt. As mentioned earlier, guys are tweaking mechanical issues or improving their secondary pitches. Latz and Rocker may have hoped to put a better foot forward in camp, but the process is more important, and they've proven capable of helping the Rangers win games.