The Rangers rotation is taking on water. (The defense has sprung a leak as well.) In the just completed series loss to Atlanta, the Braves outscored the Rangers 29-13, with 15 of those runs gifted from the Rangers three starters: Cal Quantrill, MacKenzie Gore, and Nathan Eovaldi. 

Quantrill came down to earth since being pressed into starting duty because of injuries to deGrom and Leiter. Eovaldi is simply having a challenging year after such a glorious 2025season. MacKenzie Gore is who the Rangers overpaid for.

According to mlb.com, the Rangers have given up eight or more hits now in 10 consecutive games.

Last season, the Rangers had a historically brilliant rotation, with Eovaldi posting a 1.73 ERA, deGrom at 2.97, and Tyler Mahle at 2.18. Trouble with historical numbers is they always find their water level. This year, they seem to have shifted the other way. 

The best ERA among Rangers starters belongs to deGrom, and his is at a respectable but not remarkable 3.49. Everyone else’s is over 4.00: Eovaldi, with his four earned runs today, at 4.21; Kumar Rocker at 4.40; and Gore at 4.80. Jack Leiter was over 5.00—5.29 to be exact—before he went down.

The Rangers have the pitching to win the American League West simply because there are no good teams in the division. That doesn’t mean they will.

But one thing is certain. Should they back into the playoffs, they will back out quickly. 

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