The Texas Rangers’ bullpen has already been shaken up since the start of the season. Yet, the unit is third in the league with a 3.09 ERA. There have been guys who have overperformed by playing themselves into bigger roles, and other guys who have struggled to find their rhythm, losing responsibilities.
Unknowns/Struggling:
These are guys who you don’t know what to feel about coming in, either due to the struggles they have had, or there hasn’t been enough seen from them.
Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia came into the year named co-closers with Chris Martin. He no longer gets the chance to close games. After struggling to be the guy in the ninth inning with a few blown saves, Garcia finds himself as a guy pitching in low-leverage situations. This is likely an attempt to get his confidence back and use him to the best of his abilities. Garcia still has nasty stuff and a good pitch mix, but it seems like the moment can get too big for him and lead to him losing control of his pitches.
Cal Quantrill
Cal Quantrill is the only one on the active roster due to an injury to Martin, who has struggled. He has only made two appearances and has a 6.75 ERA to show for it, while also having a save. He got the save against the Athletics during a stretch where the Rangers were pretty much out of pitchers. The other appearance was against the Seattle Mariners when he surrendered three runs in three innings. So there is not much to make of him yet, if I were to guess what his role would be. I would say he is someone who will eat innings or come in when the bullpen is taxed.
Gavin Collyer
This is the pitcher that I am the most excited for. Gavin Collyer has yet to allow a run in three innings. However, there have been some struggles with his control as he has issued two walks against three strikeouts. Collyer has touched 97 miles per hour on his pitches, which is the fastest in the bullpen. His stuff has great movement and is nasty; it seems like there are times when he doesn’t know where the ball is going. If Collyer can get more innings under his belt at the big league level and be able to control his stuff better, then he will be a weapon for the Rangers.
Solid options:
These are guys who are usually out of the bullpen first to start a clean inning. They are reliable, but aren’t called on to put out the fire.
Tyler Alexander:
Tyler Alexander has been great for the Rangers this year with a 0.68 ERA in 13 and 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts and three walks. He also has two saves, showing that he can do a bit of everything. He has pitched high-leverage innings, but that is not the go-to for him. Alexander is a jack of all trades and does a lot of different things for the team. Including pitching multiple innings, as he is a former starter.
Jalen Beeks:
Like Alexander, Jalen Beeks has been an asset for the Rangers with a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings with nine strikeouts vs three walks. He is yet to get a save this season for the Rangers, but he is a good lefty arm that they have relied on to get big outs.
High leverage:
These are the guys that Skip Schumaker calls on to get out of tough situations or to close out a game.
Cole Winn:
Cole Winn has had some tough times recently. Up until last week, he had not allowed a run; now he has allowed six after getting tagged for three in two appearances. He was one of the Rangers’ most important pitchers until this week, and he still is. Despite the ugly 4.91 ERA that he boasts, Winn is still a good pitcher, and the Rangers are going to need him to get out of this funk if they want their bullpen clicking at full power. He is a guy who can help navigate this bullpen as one of the arms that can close games.
Jacob Latz:
After losing the fifth starter battle to Kumar Rocker, Latz has slotted into the bullpen nicely. He has a 1.32 ERA in 13 and 2/3 innings with just two runs allowed. Those two runs came against the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers. Before that, Latz had hitters go 0 for 29 against him. He has been the high-leverage arm that Schumaker has called on to get big outs against lefties, and he has delivered. While he did not earn a spot in the rotation, he is still showing that he can help the team.
Jakob Junis:
No other pitcher has made the most out of the opportunity to take the closer role. Jakob Junis has become the Rangers’ top option at closer with a 2.38 ERA in 11 and 1/3 innings, going 3 for 3 in save chances. He has been untouchable except for a blowup appearance against the Athletics, where he allowed three runs. However, all of those runs came against him when he came out of the game. He is a guy that Schumaker and fans should feel confident about closing out games.
The Last Word
This is another year where the Rangers don’t have a go-to closer, and they like to ride the hot hand, seeing which pitchers will rise to the occasion. There is one thing that I will give Chris Young credit for, and that is he can find journeyman pitchers and make the most out of them. Junis, Alexander, and Beeks are all guys who have performed well for the Rangers and weren’t signed for much. This is a group that isn’t flashy, but they have been a good unit that has gotten the job done for the Rangers.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
