Why the Texas Rangers’ success might rest on these members of the pitching rotation
The parade of newcomers to the Texas Rangers rotation continued Monday as Kyle Gibson took the mound for the first time this spring.
Corey Kluber rode the first float Sunday, and Jordan Lyles brings up the rear Tuesday.
Gibson and Lyles are no Kluber, but only a handful of pitchers the past seven seasons are in his elite company. They also haven’t registered seasons like the ones Lance Lynn and Mike Minor did in 2019.
When people talk about the potential of the Rangers’ rotation in 2020, Kluber, Lynn and Minor are the first three names mentioned.
Gibson and Lyles, though, aren’t to be forgotten as they operate with much less fanfare. They were significant offseason additions, totaling $44 million in free-agent contracts, and rate as significant upgrades over the pitchers at the end of the rotation last season.
The Rangers believe Gibson and Lyles could make or break their season.
“It’s kind of a difference-maker when you look at the end of the year what our win-loss record is,” manager Chris Woodward said. “Those top three guys are going to give us a chance every game. They match up against the best in the game. Sometimes you get a 1 versus a 1 and it’s hard to win the game.
“The thing that sets you apart is when your 4 and 5 are as good as ours are,” he continued. “You’ve got a chance to win 40 percent of your games because the matchup is so much better. It’s hard to have a 4 and a 5 that are as good as those two guys.”
The Rangers believe they are catching Gibson and Lyles on an upward trajectory. Woodward isn’t focused on the 4.52 and 5.11 career ERAs Gibson and Lyles will bring into the season, but the 4.16 and 4.13 ERAs they posted the past two seasons.
Lyles posted a 2.45 ERA over his final 11 starts last season after being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He started to use his pitches differently, elevating his four-seam fastball to complement his 12-6 curveball.
He is riding a wave of confidence into his first camp with the Rangers after the best stretch of his career.
“I think just mentally it helps you out a little bit,” Lyles said. “I’m looking forward to continuing what I did after the trade deadline in Milwaukee and doing my job every fifth day.”
The biggest question with Gibson entering the season was his health after pitching with ulcerative colitis last season. However, he said that he is on schedule for the regular season and pitching again with the strength that was sapped from the intestinal disease.
His ERA ranged between 3.75 and 4.02 in June, July and August before a lack of sleep and the weight loss forced him off the mound. He returned but wasn’t the same and finished with a 4.84 ERA.
Gibson also has benefited from a change, though to his arm slot and a new training regimen. He features a sinker-slider combination, but has seen his fastball velocity creep upward to 93-94 mph.
“I felt really good about where my stuff was last year and how I was executing pitches,” Gibson said. “The older I’ve gotten I’ve tried to evaluate myself a little differently and not just look what the quantifiable numbers say because every now and then they’ll tell a different story.
“I felt like I’ve gotten better at that the last few years and mixing in better sequencing and figuring out how to change from 90% sinkers. I think I still have years to pitch. I don’t think I’m on the downswing by any means.”
Neither Gibson, who tossed two scoreless innings Monday against the Cleveland Indians, or Lyles is too worried about the spotlight being focused on Kluber, Lynn and Minor. The Rangers, meanwhile, think they have an advantage at the bottom of their rotation.
“This team starts and finishes with Lance and Mike, and a healthy Corey makes a world of difference in a rotation,” Lyles said. “So, me and Kyle, we’re just sitting back and we’re going to hold up the last spots. We’re here to do our part, but we’re here to complement and do the best we can.”
This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 2:37 PM.
