Two Young Pitchers Who Could Help Strengthen Rangers’ Bullpen Depth

Already on the 40-man roster for the Texas Rangers, these two young arms could help the bullpen depth in 2026 should they not want to add another veteran pitcher to the mix.

Sep 2, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Luis Curvelo (57) pitches in the sixth inning of the game between Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers at Chase Field. | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers aimed to enhance their pitching staff for the 2026 season. Recently, they signed veteran reliever Jakob Junis and also acquired Alexis Diaz earlier in the offseason. Diaz hopes to rebound from a challenging 2025 season as Junis looks to pick up right where he left off.

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The starting rotation depth looks to be in good hands, so long as ace Jacob deGrom and backup ace Nathan Eovaldi stay healthy. But for a Rangers bullpen that ranked fifth in the MLB in ERA, according to Covers.com, these two Top 10 prospects could show why they can strengthen the depth.

Luis Curvelo

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The Rangers called up Luis Curvelo to make his MLB debut on July 31 last season against the Seattle Mariners, in which he pitched in two innings and struck out three, using 20 pitches, 14 being strikes.

While he finished his first season in the MLB with a 5.68 ERA, he pitched better than the earned run average may suggest. For starters, he only threw 19 innings and was roughed up in two games: once against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing five runs, and against the New York Mets, allowing three.

He walked 10 and struck out 20 in the 17 games he appeared in, which can improve with the more experience he gains. His slider was the pitch he used the most, which resulted in a .345 AVG against, compared to his fastball, which was his putaway pitch 20.5% of the time and generated a .167 AVG against.

Newly 25, Curvelo could be a strong piece of the bullpen if given the chance for more innings in 2026.

José Corniell

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The Rangers' third-ranked prospect for 2025, José Corniell, made his MLB debut last season for Texas, though things didn't go according to plan. In the one game he pitched in, Corniell allowed four runs, three earned, in 1.2 innings of work, recording a singular strikeout against the Cleveland Guardians.

Corniell has propelled himself through the farm system with his outstanding performances at Double-A and Triple-A. While the young player has areas to improve, it remains to be seen if he can make those improvements in Texas. However, given his potential, he could find himself fluctuating between Triple-A and the MLB.

Before making his debut, Corniell held a 1.89 ERA in Double-A, Triple-A and rookie ball last season with the Rangers, along with 41 strikeouts to nine walks in 38 innings. It wouldn't be shocking to see Corniell have an impressive spring training and make the opening day roster for the Rangers.

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