One of the best things about baseball is it’s filled with stories about unsung heroes. Guys who have failed, persevered, and came out on the other side.

Cal Quantrill is one of those guys. This is his eighth major league season, and sixth team. Which means, he has been DFAed a lot. 

In 2025 with Atlanta, Quantrill posted a whopping 13.50 ERA, after posting a more sane 5.50 ERA with Miami early in the season. 

Teams weren’t exactly beating down the door to sign him. But the Rangers have never seen a dead arm they wouldn’t toss very little money at. And this year, it was Quantrill, a 31-year-old right-handed pitcher who had a few flashes of brilliance in his career.

He stepped into the starting role when Jack Leiter went down. Last night, he pitched six innings, giving up only one run. He was dominating. The fact that it was against the Astros only made it better.

You have to root for guys like Quantrill because they’ve been kicked around time and time again. But he hung in there. And now, he’s in the Rangers regular rotation and is pitching well. 

*****