Rangers Set MacKenzie Gore’s First Spring Training Start vs. Rockies

The Texas Rangers will start their biggest offseason pitching acquisition in Sunday’s spring training game against the Colorado Rockies in Surprise, Ariz.

MacKenzie Gore, who joined the Rangers via trade in January will make the start, per The Dallas Morning News on X (formerly Twitter).

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The Rangers were in Mesa, Ariz., to take on the Chicago Cubs in their second spring training game of the season. Kumar Rocker, who is trying to lock down the fifth spot in the rotation, started Saturday’s game.

Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi started the spring training opener against the Kansas City Royals on Friday, a 7-3 loss.

MacKenzie Gore to Make Rangers Debut

The Texas Rangers logo painted behind home plate at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Texas acquired Gore in a trade that sent five prospects to the Washington Nationals — third baseman Gavin Fien, first baseman Abimelec Ortiz, shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald, pitcher Alejandro Rosario and center fielder Yeremy Cabrera. It was a bold move by president of baseball operations Chris Young to acquire a young starter with two years of team control who is coming off his first All-Star berth in 2025.

Manager Skip Schumaker still sees the 26-year-old left-hander as a young player, even though he made his Major League debut in 2022. Playing for the Nationals has left with a career record of 26-41, but his arm talent is what the Rangers believe in entering the season.

That’s why his 2025 looks so curious on paper. He went 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA in 30 starts. He went to the All-Star Game for the first time based on his ability to strike out hitters. He fanned 185. Had he not gone on the injured list on Sept. 11 with a right ankle injury, he might have crossed 200 strikeouts. He was among the Top 25 in baseball in strikeouts.

He uses five different pitches and is most reliant on a four-seam fastball, which he threw 49% of the time in 2025. He averaged 95.3 mph on that pitch. He also throws a curveball, a slider, change-up and cutter. His curveball runs 81.6 mph, above the left-handed league average of 79.1 mph.

Texas sees him as a third or a fourth starter, depending upon how they want to arrange the rotation to start the season. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter are back from last season, and each won at least 10 games. Along with Rocker, Jacob Latz is competing for the fifth rotation spot. Non-roster invitee Cal Quantrill is the most likely player to compete for that spot if Rocker and Latz can’t lock it down.