Rangers Bullpen Report: Hits, Misses and Concern Index After One Month

The Texas Rangers head into May with a bullpen that, for the most part, has been firing the way they had hoped.

Texas Rangers pitcher Cole Winn and catcher Danny Jansen celebrate a win. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers head to Detroit one game under .500 and 1.5 games back in the AL West. But one good run puts them back into the lead.

That run could be fueled by a bullpen that has been one of the best in baseball after a month. The bullpen has pitched at last three innings of scoreless baseball in 14 games, the most in the Majors. The bullpen’s ERA is under 3.00 and is the second-best in baseball. Texas has converted 7-of-10 saves chances, a season after failing to convert nearly half of their save chances. Opponents are batting under .225 against the bullpen, the best in the American League.

Here’s a look at the Rangers’ bullpen after a month, the hits, the misses and the concern index.

Hit: The Rookies

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Three rookie relievers have pitched for Texas this season. All gave given the Rangers solid work:

Carter Baumler: four games, 3.18 ERA, six strikeouts, six walks, 5.2 innings.

Gavin Collyer: seven games, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, four strikeouts, three walks, 5.1 innings.

Peyton Gray: three games, 0.00 ERA, three strikeouts and four walks in four innings.

Baumler is on the IL and could return this weekend. It’s possible that either Collyer or Gray could go back to the minors to make room. But that’s more about managing Baumler’s Rule 5 draft status than their performance.

Miss: The Co-Closers

Texas Rangers pitcher Robert Garcia. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Before the season, Schumaker said that Chris Martin and Robert Garcia would start as the team’s co-closers. Both are on the injured list. But, even before that, both lost their hold on the job.

Martin was 1-1 with a 7.11 ERA in eight games. He blew one save opportunity and lost another tied game in the ninth inning. Garcia’s numbers look better — he was 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in nine games before his injury. But, he also blew a save and lost a tie game in the ninth inning.

Four Rangers relievers have recorded saves but none of them have come from the two pitchers they thought would take the job. It’s turned into a clear miss for the team’s front office, which traded for Garcia and re-signed Martin at age 39.

Hits: The Lefties

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jacob Latz and catcher Kyle Higashioka celebrate a win. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Outside of Garcia, left-handers in the bullpen have had a great start. Jacob Latz, who started the season’s second game in an emergency, is 0-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 13 games with two saves in three chances. He’s struck out 14 and walked three.

Tyler Alexander, who was signed in December to a one-year deal, recorded the first two saves of the season for the Rangers. He hasn’t been involved in a decision, but he has a 0.63 ERA in 13 games with 12 strikeouts and three walks. Jalen Beeks was the reliever Texas signed during spring training. He is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 14 games with 13 strikeouts and three walks in 13 innings.

Texas has cultivated a terrific 1-2-3 punch from the left-hand side that has given the Rangers a bridge through the late innings.

Hit: Jacob Junis

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Rangers signed Junis to a Major League deal during the offseason. The idea was that he would be a high-leverage reliever that could be the bridge to Martin and Garcia. Now, the rest of the bullpen has become the bridge to Junis. He’s not “the closer,” but no Rangers reliever has more saves than he does. He’s converted all three save chances.

The right-hander only had two career saves coming into the season, along with just nine holds. Along with the three saves, he’s recorded four holds. Even though he doesn’t have a decision, he has a 1.88 ERA, and batters are hitting .143 against him. He only has six strikeouts and four walks in 14.1 innings, but he’s getting hitters out. That’s what matters.

Concern Index: Low

Using Martin and Garcia in the late innings hasn’t worked out. But, give Texas credit for assembling a bullpen that can fill in the gaps. Along with Junis, Latz and Alexander, Cole Winn has a save. He and Cal Quantrill have been able to eat up multiple innings per appearances. Texas has guessed right on the inexperienced relievers so far with Baumler, Collyer and Gray.

The concern is whether the “closer-by-committee” can work long term. Can the Rangers ride the match-up all season, or at least long enough to get to the trade deadline and deal for an experienced closer? That may be the plan. Aside from the closer situation, the Rangers did a good job this offseason of putting together a bullpen that can keep Texas in games the first month of the season.