What We’re Actually Learning from Rangers Pitchers and Catchers

The Texas Rangers have learned plenty from their pitchers and catchers after more than a week at spring training.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Now that the exhibition game schedule has started, the Texas Rangers are going to get much more feedback on their pitching staff and catchers in live action.

In a sense, it’s a moment that Rangers manager Skip Schumaker has waited for with anticipation. It’s one thing to see teams do things in a live batting practice situation. It’s another to see them to do in situations where there are stakes.

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“Yeah, that’s why there are six weeks of spring training,” Schumaker said on Friday. “I mean that’s the truth.”

The pitchers and the catchers have been here longer than the position players. Here are three things we’re learning about them as Texas heads into the exhibition slate, which continues Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

A Quartet of Aces?

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter are holdovers from last season. Former Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore is the fourth starter.

This is a rotation filled with pitchers that have been considered aces on their staffs. deGrom filled that role in New York and in Texas. Eovaldi has ace-level stuff and was the staff’s No. 1 starter when deGrom was hurt. Gore was Washington’s opening-day starter last season. Leiter has ace-level stuff and could emerge as the Rangers’ opening day starter one day.

Schumaker is in a comfortable position. He has quality starters that he can lean on while he and the coaching staff try to determine who the fifth starter will be.

“I’d put our rotation up against any other rotation in baseball,” Schumaker said early in camp.  

Bullpen Roles Are Emerging

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Cole Winn. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Rangers have long placed an emphasis on a bullpen with versatility. Under Bruce Bochy Texas wanted to have several relievers that could go more than three outs in a game.

The versatility is still valued, but under Schumaker he’s hinting at who might fill certain roles and that those allocations might look like — with the caveat that spring training could change much of that.

Early in camp, he said that Robert Garcia and Chris Martin would probably get the majority of the save situations early in the regular season. Martin is on a slower ramp-up this spring and won’t pitch in exhibition games right away. Texas is also banking on Alexis Díaz to be an option there.

On Friday, Schumaker was asked how many relievers he needed that could go two innings early in the regular season and he said at least two and indicated that Cole Winn is one of those pitchers that could be in that role. The reason? Pitch counts for starters tend to be lower early in the campaign and there is a need for relievers that could go two innings to get a game to higher-leverage options.

Catchers Already Have Team’s Trust

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong (43) and catcher Kyle Higashioka. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Kyle Higashioka was the Rangers’ best catcher last year and started the spring training opener on Friday. Danny Jansen is a veteran that Texas president of baseball operations Chris Young said the team has tried to acquire in the past but fell short. Now, he’s in camp and the two give the Rangers a solid tandem.

Jansen is quickly learning about the staff. Higashioka is mentoring him on the staff. But because Jansen has played for four teams in two years — and been traded twice — he is used to learning staffs quickly. He expressed no issues with how camp has gone so far and has shown himself to be a capable receiver during drills.

Don’t be surprised if the pair are leaned on the most for ABS challenges this year. While Schumaker hasn’t given anyone green lights to challenge in the regular season, he made it clear earlier this week that the pair already have his “trust” to make those calls behind the plate — at least in spring training.

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