Surprising Rangers Pitching X-Factors As Opening Day Prediction Surfaces

The x-factors for Texas in the starting rotation are surprising according to one MLB writer.

Texas Rangers hat | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Going into the offseason, a lot of the discussion surrounding the Texas Rangers was about their struggling offense and just how first-year manager Skip Schumaker and president of baseball operations Chris Young were going to address it.

They made a move at the beginning of the offseason, trading Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for Brandon Nimmo. Is that going to solve their offensive woes? No, but some players having a bounce-back season would help.

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As far as the starting rotation goes, the Rangers are bringing back their top two starters, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. After that, there were a lot of questions until Texas came out of nowhere to acquire left-hander MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals.

As far as the rest of the rotation goes, the Rangers are going to bank on two of their homegrown arms, but the x-factor of their rotation is two players that not many people think they might be.

Rangers Starting Rotation X-Factors Are Surprising for 2026

Austin Gomber | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When you think of potential x-factors for the Rangers rotation this year, you might think of Gore as a newcomer or either Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter. No, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed two newcomers, Austin Gomber and Cal Quantrill, who are not even projected to be starters, as the x-factors for Texas entering spring training.

"The decision to bring aboard Austin Gomber and Cal Quantrill on minor league deals shows the front office is not ready to fully entrust Kumar Rocker or Jacob Latz to hold down a spot at the back of the rotation. The lack of bullpen depth also means one or both of those veterans could fill a relief role, with a chance for their stuff to play up in shorter stints,'' wrote Reuter.

One look at the projected starting rotation from Reuter and it is one that, if healthy, can be a good one for Schumaker. The addition of Gore really came out of nowhere for the Rangers, but it puts the top of their rotation up there with the rest of the starting rotations in the American League West.

Gomber and Quantrill are projected depth pieces that will be pitchers that could be spot starters for the Rangers or can fill the backend if an injury occurs. Bringing both of them in are low-risk, high-reward moves, but forcing either one of them pitch every fifth day should an injury occur is certainly going to cause some concern for the Rangers in 2026.

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