In a season built around youth, these Texas Rangers rookies are leading the charge
The first thing that might pop into someone’s mind when hearing that a team is rebuilding is to imagine a roster made up entirely of rookies.
That’s not quite the case for the rebuilding Texas Rangers, who on Wednesday listed 10 rookies on their 26-man active roster. That doesn’t include one on the injured list and three rookies who have logged MLB time this month but are now playing at the alternate training site.
Chief among the rookie class is right-hander Dane Dunning, who was the scheduled starter for the final of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
The start ranks as a test for Dunning, who is coming off his worst start of the season Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Yes, that’s the same White Sox team that traded him in December for Lance Lynn.
Whatever went wrong on the South Side, either too much adrenaline facing his former team or his former team having too much information on him, Dunning didn’t have it in his fifth start of the season.
It’s hard to argue with how he did overall in the first four. He’s been one of the Rangers’ best rookies so far this season, though there’s still five months of baseball left .
And more rookies will be joining the Rangers’ roster in the coming months.
For now, here are the five best through the first 24 games of the season.
1. Adolis Garcia, OF
Though he has played in just more than half of the Rangers’ games, Garcia in 14 games has outright helped them to half of their 10 wins. And it hasn’t just been with his bat.
But it’s his bat that propelled to become last week’s American League Player of the Week after he connected for four home runs and drove in nine. He has five home runs and 13 RBIs since replacing Ronald Guzman (knee) on the active roster April 13.
Though 28 and three years removed from his MLB debut, Garcia entered the season with rookie status. He’s still a work-in-progress, but his right-handed power in the middle of the lineup is filling a key need.
2. Dane Dunning, RHP
Dunning posted a 0.60 ERA through his first three starts, and his ERA entering Wednesday was 3.06 after allowing five runs in 2 2/3 innings at Chicago.
Does anyone have a problem with the 3.06 ERA? Heck, no.
Dunning’s success can be attributed in part to issuing only four walks. He also has a more advanced feel for how to pitch than other rookies, but he’s still susceptible to rough outings if he isn’t commanding his off-speed pitches.
The Rangers are keeping tabs on Dunning’s workload this season, but he still will be allowed to pitch regularly.
3. John King, LHP
A strong case can be made that King has been the Rangers’ best reliever.
He rarely allows hard contact, his sinker produces groundball after groundball, and the native Texan can also strike out a hitter when needed.
His stats are a little wonky: a 1.46 ERA but also a 1.46 WHIP and opponents are batting .320 against him. He has allowed five runs (two earned) but only one since his season debut April 3.
Manager Chris Woodward said it Sunday: King is a pitcher he wants pitching late in games with a lead.
4. Kohei Arihara, RHP
Though a veteran of six seasons in Japan, the 28-year-old is an MLB rookie and has pitched well through his first five starts (2-2, 4.03 ERA). He looks durable enough, though the possibility of making three straights start on four days’ rest could test that.
A potential red flag was raised Sunday, when Arihara lasted only two innings at Chicago. White Sox hitters didn’t chase his split-fingered fastball, which had been his go-to out pitch. An adjustment might be in order if other teams recognize it and let it go by as it drops out of the strike zone.
Arihara was never a big strikeout pitcher in Japan, and that looks to be carrying over to the majors. He has only 13 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings.
5. Josh Sborz, RHP
An early head-scratcher so far among the pile of roster moves the Rangers have made is the April 16 demotion of Sborz, a hard-throwing right-hander in a bullpen that is filled with lefties.
Opponents are hitting only .200 against Sborz, who has hurt himself some by issuing four walks in eight innings. But his mid- to upper-90s four-seam velocity can be hard to square up, and batters have a .083 average against his slider.
With Kyle Cody (shoulder) on the injured list and Brett de Geus still getting his feet wet, Sborz stands as the best right-handed option other than closer Ian Kennedy.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 2:02 PM.
