Rangers Rotation Check—Which Starters Have Boom or Bust Potential

The Texas Rangers redeemed themselves after their Opening Day loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. They ended up clinching a 5-4 victory in Game 2, followed by a significant 8-3 victory in Game 3. Now, the Rangers are gearing up to face the Baltimore Orioles in their second set of the regular season. Texas is starting to impress early on this season, which should leave fans feeling reassured.

During the offseason, the Rangers made substantial waves, intending to bolster their roster. Depth was added across the board, but one of the most shocking moves involved their starting rotation. Last year, their pitching staff was far from their biggest concern, but that didn't stop the ballclub from wanting to make adjustments.

Solely looking at their starting rotation, things aren't looking too shabby; Nathan Eovaldi is up top, followed by Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. But of these five starters, which ones bring the most boom or bust potential?

Projecting Rangers Boom or Bust Candidates

Texas Rangers MacKenzie Gore pitching — Texas Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Acquiring southpaw MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals in the offseason, his addition should pay off for the franchise. He looked quite solid during spring training, having gone 2-0 with a 5.52 ERA and nine strikeouts through 14.2 innings pitched, but now, he must carry that momentum into the regular season.

He is an investment for the ballclub, but it's safe to say that he brings the most boom potential out of the starters. Although he's only made one regular-season start so far, his stat sheet is impressive—he registered a 3.38 ERA and seven strikeouts across 5.1 innings pitched on Sunday.

But despite the upside that comes with Gore, there is always some level of uncertainty looming over starting rotations early on in the year. There haven't been any glaring issues as of yet, but one arm, in particular, stands out as the biggest bust candidate right now: Kumar Rocker.

Rocker, 26, has quite a bit of proving to do, and he only brings two years of Major League Baseball experience with him. Of those two years, both of which were with Texas, he threw in only 17 games. He is running with a career 5.45 ERA.

Overall, consistency on the mound has been a struggle for him, which could plague his season if he doesn't step up. Not to mention, improving his command is still a major point of emphasis.

Rocker is certainly capable of surprising everyone, and the ballclub clearly has some level of confidence in his ability to thrive, but don't be shocked if he shows signs of bust potential.