The Texas Rangers are looking for a bounceback 2025 season. Their championship defense last year was the worst-case scenario, with injuries tumbling them down the standings. But now, their aspirations are high partly because of their stellar rotation. The Rangers have announced Nathan Eovaldi as their Opening Day starter, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. That sets a franchise mark not seen since 2009.
“The Rangers have not had one pitcher make two Opening Day starts in a row since Kevin Millwood in 2006-09,” Landry wrote. “Entering this year, only six pitchers in club history (since 1972) have made consecutive Opening Day starts for Texas. This year, Nathan Eovaldi will become the seventh.”
The Rangers will face Eovaldi’s former team, the Boston Red Sox, on Opening Day in Arlington. After another solid season last year, Eovaldi returned to Texas on a three-year deal in free agency this winter. He told Landry that he was told he would be the Opening Day starter shortly after signing that deal.
Manager Bruce Bochy announced that Jacob deGrom will start the season at the back of the rotation. The Rangers ace is coming back from Tommy John surgery and they want to ensure he makes a full recovery.
The Rangers have a unique rotation for 2025
The Rangers lost Jon Gray with a fractured wrist late in spring training, That puts prospects Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter firmly in the rotation to start the season. Those two youngsters behind the two veterans, Eovaldi and deGrom, create a unique rotation with a high ceiling. But the floor could drop out due to injury concerns.
deGrom and Rocker both have significant injury concerns, just ask Mets fans. The Amazins got a few excellent seasons from deGrom before injuries caught up with him and he hit free agency. He has not been as available as the Rangers were hoping when they signed him before the 2023 season. Rocker was drafted by the Mets before medical issues arose and he went back into the draft pool and was taken by the Rangers the next season.
Leiter struggled in his first MLB stint last year, with an 8.83 ERA in nine appearances. But his spring training numbers should have Rangers fans excited. In four appearances, he has a solid 2.53 ERA. An Eovaldi is nearing the end of his career, which always leads to injury concerns. But for however long Gray is out, all four have to be excellent for Texas to be back in the playoffs.
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