Texas Rangers Starter Begins to Prove Spring Training is Overrated

Making his second start after not pitching in Spring Training, this veteran Texas Rangers starting pitcher found his groove.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Who needs Spring Training?

At least one Texas Rangers starting pitcher did not.

Left-hander Patrick Corbin turned in a solid performance in Wednesday night’s 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field. It was just his second start of the season, but the veteran came up big for the American League West leaders.

“It was just a great job of pitching,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He used the fastball well, the cutter. He just did a good job of keeping them off balance. He kept them honest there by using the fastball in, and he got some strikeouts by freezing them there with the changeup and the slower breaking ball. He just mixed it up. It really worked.”

And the Texas skipper added, “For a guy that missed Spring Training, that’s pretty impressive.”

Yes, Corbin didn’t throw a Cactus League pitch in Arizona before the season. The 35-year-old veteran was signed the last week of Spring Training to help bolster the rotation after injuries to Jon Gray and Cody Bradford.

He wasn’t just an afterthought. Corbin made 32 starts for the Washington Nationals last season, racking up 174 2/3 innings. From 2019-24, his 170 starts rank third overall in MLB. His record from 2020-24 left a lot to be desired. In his last five seasons with the Washington Nationals, he went 33-70 with a 5.62 ERA.

That’s quite a find for Rangers staff that needed quality depth. Corbin turned in the kind of showing Wednesday that has become commonplace for Texas this season, allowing just one run in 5 1/3 innings, while striking out six and walking one on 85 pitches.

He didn’t record a strikeout in his only previous outing on April 8 against the Chicago Cubs. Corbin felt more comfortable the second time out.

“Some different pitch usage there, especially when we got the two strikes, it was a little bit different today, and that was something that we talked about,” Corbin said after recording his first win with the Rangers. “Game to game, it definitely changes. But like I said, it was good to get that one out of the way in Chicago and be able to come here and get better. I just hope to continue to improve.”

Corbin's showing is even more impressive considering he nearly missed the start after being bitten by a spider on the foot before the game. He was considered a 50/50 proposition to take the hill, but improved enough to take the ball and handcuff the Angels.