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Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Degrom delivers during the first inning during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on Monday, April 6, 2026, in Arlington.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
After a wide gulf in results during their first\u00a0homestand, being swept and then sweeping, we should probably take a moment to take stock of the Rangers<\/a> team.<\/p>\n As they head out on a 10-game West Coast road trip, what can we make of the first dozen games, particularly the homestand? Here\u2019s our weekly stock report on who and what is paying big returns and who is underperforming:<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Blue chips<\/p>\n Jakes, Inc.: To borrow from the Rangers script regarding their new City Connects, whether you spell it with a \u201cC\u201d or a \u201cK,\u201d it means the same thing – dominant pitching. On the homestand, Jacob deGrom<\/a>, Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis combined to allow one run in 12 innings and held batters to just an .071 (3 for 42) average. Latz, who has not allowed a hit this season, and Junis have taken the helm in the back of the bullpen and stabilized things. They hold the top leverage spots for the foreseeable future. Can Junis transition to a long-term closer at age 33 without a dominant fastball? We\u2019ll see, but for now he\u2019s paying big dividends.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jack Leiter Growth Fund: Leiter <\/a>is off to a strong start, with 17 strikeouts to two walks and three runs in his first two starts. But pan out a little further back to his rookie season finish. Over his last 11 games, dating\u00a0 \u00a0to last August, he\u2019s got a 3.30 ERA over 51 \u2154 innings and a strikeout-to-walk rate of 4.23-to-1. His ERA puts him in the top 30% in what amounts to a two-month stretch over two seasons. It suggests that Leiter, who continued to improve as his rookie season stretched on, has picked up right where he left off.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brandon Nimmo Commodities: Nimmo has been the catalyst atop the lineup that makes the Rangers more dangerous, even if they aren\u2019t producing runs in bulk. His discipline at the plate has led to a .415 OBP. His hustle on the bases perhaps forced an errant throw home that allowed two runs to score, breaking a scoreless tie Wednesday. Simply compare the leadoff position year over year. In 2025, through 12 games, Marcus Semien had a .167 OBP and would eventually be dropped from the spot before the end of the month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Luis Curvelo Trust Fund: If this bullpen is to truly excel, the Rangers need a \u201csurprise\u201d to emerge as a trustworthy middle- or late-inning guy. Curvelo has continued to gain trust since the early stages of spring training. He was the last cut from the roster because the Rangers rolled the dice on keeping Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler. But with Baumler battling an intercostal muscle strain<\/a>, Curvelo was the Rangers\u2019 first callup of the year. Pitched two perfect innings on Wednesday, and since Feb. 28 he\u2019s got a 0.686 WHIP with 15 strikeouts to two walks between spring training, Triple-A Round Rock and the Rangers. He\u2019s got the best fastball in the bullpen, and now he\u2019s got some opportunity.<\/p>\n Kyle Higashioka Industries: Hard to find an offensive star in the Rangers\u2019 week-long homestand, but Higashioka reached four times in seven plate appearances in his two starts. His two-run homer gave the Rangers the lead against George Kirby, whom they had never beaten. And his deadpan, wry postgame quips have been emblematic of how much different this team is than the last iteration.\u00a0<\/p>\n MacKenzie Gore Trades: Any questions? He pitched five shutout, one-hit innings against Seattle on Wednesday and has 25 strikeouts in 16 innings thus far this season. His start against the Mariners certainly left the impression that the Rangers\u2019 rotation stacks up very well against what is considered to be the best group in the AL.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Underperformers<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Josh Jung Futures: Just a dozen games in and Jung has already lost his grip on an everyday spot. Ezequiel Duran started three of the final four games on the homestand. If Jung<\/a> doesn\u2019t stop chasing pitches so freely, playing time is liable to continue slipping away. Through the first 12 games, his chase rate of 44.9% was the 11th worst in baseball (minimum 30 plate appearances). It would be one thing if he was slugging balls when he made contact; that would offset some of the chase. But he\u2019s not. His six hits are all singles. \u00a0He is one of just three players with at least 30 plate appearances, no extra-base hits and one or zero walks. He\u2019s got to do something better offensively to be able to contribute.<\/p>\n AL West franchises: The Rangers early-season schedule is so trying that simply surviving may be considered thriving. But it may be even more than that. The Rangers emerged from the first 12 games as the only team above .500 in the division. It doesn\u2019t mean a ton in the standings at the moment, but given the dichotomy of their schedule, it may make an even bigger difference in the second half of the season when the Rangers have a distinct home-road advantage. One disclaimer: As of Thursday, though Seattle was 4-9 and Houston 6-7, it wasn\u2019t far off from where they were at the start of the 2025 season. On this date last year, Houston was 5-6, Seattle 4-8. So, maybe it means something, maybe nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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