Trevor Williams Make Rangers’ Faith in Him Worth it Against Blue Jays

Trevor Williams had gone so long without pitching that it made his performance on Friday against Toronto look like an ambush.

Texas Rangers pitcher Trevor Williams. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trevor Williams is still on the Texas Rangers’ roster. He just reminded everyone of that fact on Friday night.

The veteran starter and reliever hadn't pitched in nearly 10 days when he took the mound for the sixth inning of what became the Rangers 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays. That win propelled Texas (77-77) back into a tie for the lead in the American League West with the Houston Astros and cut the Chicago White Sox’s lead in the AL wild card race to one game.

It was also a reintroduction for Rangers fans to the 34-year-old right-hander who hadn't pitched since Sept. 9 against Seattle. After a bumpy start in Texas, he’s become super-useful.

Trevor Williams’ September in Texas

Skip talks to the media after the 7-1 win over the Blue Jays:
⭐️ Alexander and Williams eating up innings
⭐️ All around great game for Lopez pic.twitter.com/hZecrOCJMS

— Rangers Sports Network (@RangersSNtv) September 19, 2026

When he debuted with the Rangers on Sept. 1, he gave up four hits and three runs in 1.1 innings. Since then, he hasn’t allowed a run in his last eight innings. On Friday, he pitched the final four innings of the contest, giving up one hit, no runs and striking out four. It was his second win as a Rangers pitcher.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said he had five relievers “down” on Friday, meaning they weren’t going to pitch based on the need for rest. Williams picked up the game from left-hander Tyler Alexander, who stranded inherited runners in the fifth. The idea was mix-and-match from there.

Thanks to the Rangers’ continued offensive explosion, Texas could ride Williams as far as they could. Schumaker admitted that Williams was “gassed” after the eighth inning.

“He said, ‘I can give you one more,’” Schumaker said to Rangers Sports Network. “That shows you what kind of guy he is. He knew we were limited in the bullpen, and we couldn’t burn the remaining leverage guys that we potentially had. For him to provide that inning the last inning was gigantic.”

The Rangers signed him to a veteran deal when rosters expanded on Sept. 1. He agreed in part due to the recommendation of his former Washington Nationals teammates, MacKenzie Gore, who now with Texas.

Midway through the 2025 season he suffered a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow that required an internal brace procedure. He returned for Washington earlier this season as he had a 2.65 ERA with 22 strikeouts and six walks in 17 innings. But the Nationals designated Williams for assignment in late August.

With that one outing, Williams made himself worth the contract.