Texas Rangers 2025 Spring Training Thread

[fanman8825]

That's good enough for me. Let's have Church in one of the long man spots.

Same here. I want a young pitcher with upside on the roster.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

That's good enough for me. Let's have Church in one of the long man spots.

He is too good to keep off the opening day roster.

 

[saddles]

Do you really see him going more than 2 innings. I don't want to overwork a young reliever who we hope could be a setup man or closer someday.

Remember when Ragans was one of our long guys. He pitched more than 2 innings a total of 2 times. I don't think Church would be required to go more than 1 inning more than that before he moves into a later inning role. It would just be to start the season.

It is only because the Rangers made sure they signed so many short guys that Church doesn't have a place in a short role for now. Eventually one of those guys will fail and Church will move into their role.

It is either this way or have Church go to the minors.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I like having a lineup that includes Semien, Seager, Pederson, Garcia, Langford, Burger and Jung. Any of those guys are very capable of taking a pitcher deep so the opposing pitcher can't let up.

 

[DTLUNA]

Jackson very impressive

 

[Kelleyman]

Garcia,Martin and Jackson look like they are Bochys guys for 7th,8th and 9th

 

[Kelleyman]

Wondering if Evan just kept his bags packed.
Bet he gets there and finds his A game

 

[Kelleyman]

Lots of HRs. Maybe a good sign for things ahead

 

[saddles]

Wondering if Evan just kept his bags packed.
Bet he gets there and finds his A game

I just hope they don't get so down on him that they trade him.

 

[saddles]

I think Langford, Burger and Seager all hit over 30 HR this season.

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

Josh Jung has some neck stiffness, which is why he took only two at-bats tonight. Bruce Bochy said Jung wanted to continue playing and will play tomorrow afternoon.

 

[gregrey972]

When is the Opening Day roster going to be released?

 

[saddles]

When is the Opening Day roster going to be released?

Something tells me about three hours before game time if I know Bochy.

 

[Kelleyman]

When is the Opening Day roster going to be released?

Bochy said he pretty much knew but WB was making the roster but wanted to break news first to the players. Really shkuld be end of day today but Bennie of course says he will wait until the last possible moment allowed by MLB. lol

 

[saddles]

Jim Bowden's predictions:

7. The Rangers lead the American League in home runs at the All-Star break with eight of nine hitters in their lineup, except at catcher, already having hit at least 10.

14. The American League division winners will be the Red Sox (East), Royals (Central) and Rangers (West). The Yankees, Orioles and Astros will make the playoffs as wild-card teams. The Mariners miss out on the postseason by a single game as offensive issues, including too many strikeouts, plague them once again.

15. The Dodgers and Rangers will meet in the World Series with the Dodgers prevailing as back-to-back champions.

 

[saddles]

Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs has the Rangers fi inching the year with the 12th best bullpen in the big leagues.

Here is his analysis:

Last year’s Rangers bullpen struggled with walks (10.7%, fourth-worst in baseball), so adding Chris Martin, who has the lowest walk rate among all relievers (minimum 300 innings) since he debuted in 2014, including a 1.7% rate (seriously) last year, makes sense. He lacks overt closer stuff, but he’ll be a stabilizing force at the back of this bullpen.

Robert Garcia had a breakout 2024 with Washington and was traded to Texas for Nathaniel Lowe during the offseason. He K’d 11/9 IP last year and had a 2.38 FIP. Again, Garcia doesn’t have dominant, closer-quality stuff, but each of his pitches has gotten a little better each year as he’s entered his late 20s, and he throws a ton of strikes.

Marc Church has more prototypical late-inning stuff, and I have a setup man grade on the rookie, who briefly debuted last year. Church will bump 101 (though his heater plays down due to its plane and lack of movement), and he has a late-moving, upper-80s slider. He showed a good changeup during last year’s Arizona Fall League, too, but that pitch has tended to be less present in his repertoire. Church and Emiliano Teodo (who has been up to 102 in the past, was more sitting 96 during Texas’ Spring Breakout game) are two youngsters with the talent to end the season at the back of the bullpen.

Veterans Jacob Webb (fastball, slider, changeup) and Shawn Armstrong (four-seamer, cutter, sinker) are reliable strike-throwers with average stuff, while Hoby Milner is a classic low-slot lefty journeyman.

 

[saddles]

More from the Fangraphs article about the Rangers 2025 bullpen:

12. Rangers

Name	IP	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP	WAR
Chris Martin	58	9.0	1.6	0.9	.300	73.3%	3.37	3.17	1.2
Robert Garcia	64	10.5	3.2	0.9	.291	73.6%	3.46	3.36	1.1
Marc Church	60	9.0	3.7	1.2	.291	70.9%	4.42	4.34	-0.0
Jacob Webb	61	9.2	4.0	1.1	.286	71.0%	4.26	4.17	0.2
Shawn Armstrong	58	8.7	2.9	1.2	.297	71.1%	4.19	4.03	0.2
Hoby Milner	54	8.2	2.4	1.0	.295	70.8%	3.92	3.78	0.2
Luke Jackson	58	9.6	4.0	1.1	.299	73.8%	3.96	4.06	0.1
Patrick Murphy	60	8.5	3.7	1.0	.300	72.8%	4.02	4.14	0.1
Jacob Latz	48	9.1	4.5	1.2	.289	72.8%	4.41	4.53	-0.0
Cody Bradford	42	8.2	1.9	1.3	.285	70.3%	4.11	3.99	0.1
Josh Sborz	38	9.8	3.5	1.0	.295	73.4%	3.79	3.60	0.1
Walter Pennington	37	8.2	3.8	1.0	.296	71.4%	4.12	4.13	0.0
Daniel Robert	33	8.9	3.8	1.2	.290	69.6%	4.46	4.36	0.0
Emiliano Teodo	28	9.1	4.7	1.2	.288	70.8%	4.55	4.58	-0.0
Gerson Garabito	26	8.1	3.2	1.2	.290	69.5%	4.50	4.48	-0.0
Jack Leiter	24	9.1	4.0	1.4	.286	69.4%	4.79	4.69	-0.0
Luis Curvelo	22	8.0	3.4	1.4	.287	70.1%	4.70	4.73	-0.0
Hunter Strickland	21	7.6	3.8	1.4	.288	71.4%	4.75	4.95	-0.0
Dane Dunning	18	8.1	3.0	1.2	.296	70.1%	4.34	4.23	0.0
JT Chargois	13	8.2	3.6	1.2	.287	72.3%	4.10	4.38	0.0
Jon Gray	12	8.2	2.7	1.2	.292	69.2%	4.35	4.10	0.0
Matt Festa	10	8.5	3.5	1.2	.288	70.8%	4.33	4.32	0.0
Adrian Houser	8	6.4	3.4	1.1	.295	68.3%	4.69	4.57	-0.0
Kumar Rocker	6	9.2	2.6	1.2	.292	72.7%	3.84	3.74	0.0
Total	595	8.9	3.4	1.1	.293	71.6%	4.13	4.08	3.1

 

[fanman8825]

I think Langford, Burger and Seager all hit over 30 HR this season.

I am going to go Jung as well as long as he stays relatively healthy and does not miss significant time.
We both know thats a big if

 

[saddles]

Jeff Wilson's roster prediction:

Starting rotation (5)​

On the roster: RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Jack Leiter, RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP Jacob deGrom, RHP Kumar Rocker

Bullpen (8)​

On the roster: RHP Chris Martin, RHP Luke Jackson, RHP Brandon Webb, RHP Shawn Armstrong, RHP Marc Church, LHP Robert Garcia, LHP Hoby Milner

Catcher (2)​

On the roster: Jonah Heim, Kyle Higashioka

Infield (6)​

On the roster: 1B Jake Burger, 2B Marcus Semien, 3B Josh Jung, SS Corey Seager, UT Josh Smith, UT Ezequiel Duran

Outfield/DH (5)​

On the roster: LF Wyatt Langford, RF Adolis Garcia, CF Leody Taveras, OF Kevin Pillar, DH Joc Pederson

 

[saddles]

Wilson's roster prediction list seems to leave out a relief pitcher, as he only lists 7 names. He failed to list Patrick Murphy, but he mentions in the article that Murphy will be on the roster.