Texas Rangers Will Go As Far as Former Cy Young Award Winner Takes Them

A former Cy Young Award winner will have a major impact on the Texas Rangers success this season.

Mar 25, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers a pitch to the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Globe Life Field. | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025 regular season, the Texas Rangers already have some major question marks with their starting rotation.

Veterans Max Scherzer and Andrew Heaney departed in free agency, putting a dent in the depth right off the bat. They are going to be tested right away in that regard with several projected contributors getting injured during camp.

Jon Gray was hit by a comebacker and fractured his wrist. Cody Bradford, who was a standout in 2024 when injuries ravaged the pitching staff, is sidelined to begin the year with elbow soreness.

To help offset those losses, the team signed veteran Patrick Corbin. He has struggled mightily over the last few years with the Washington Nationals and will need time to ramp up after agreeing to a deal late in camp. The Rangers expect him to be ready in mid-April.

But, he is a durable and reliable innings eater, always taking the ball when it is his turn through the rotation.

Two of their top prospects, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are going to be on the Opening Day roster as well. They will be counted on to play prominent roles on the mound.

But, the player who will have arguably the biggest role in determining the team’s success is veteran Jacob deGrom.

Signed to a massive five-year, $185 million deal ahead of the 2023 campaign, the former New York Mets star has made only nine starts in two years with the franchise because of Tommy John surgery.

A two-time Cy Young Award winner, the Rangers are counting on deGrom to show that form more consistently in 2025. 

There is no doubt about the talent, as he is as dominant as ever when taking the mound. The problem has been his inability to stay on the field since he hasn’t made more than 15 starts in a season since 2019.

With so much riding on his performance, a flop by deGrom is the worst case scenario facing Texas this summer.

“There's thus that much more pressure on deGrom to hold together in his first full season back from his second Tommy John surgery. He has a good plan in this regard, as he wants to sit around 96 mph in lieu of redlining around 100,” wrote Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report.

Whatever helps keep deGrom fresh and available as much as possible is something the Rangers will be all for. If a few ticks being removed from his fastball results in giving up a hit or two more but he makes 25-plus starts, it is a worthwhile tradeoff for the franchise.