Gonzalez’s dazzling first month rules Rangers record books

It’s still early. Especially early if trying to compare and contrast a rookie pitcher with long pitching careers.

But Chi Chi Gonzalez’s first four starts for the Texas Rangers have elicited that sort of study.

Of all the former pitchers the Rangers have selected in the first round of the draft, none compare with Gonzalez’s start.

Through his first four starts, Gonzalez has an 0.90 ERA in 30 innings.

No other Rangers pitchers taken in the first round can match that.

You have to go all the way back to Joe Coleman, who was the No. 3 overall pick for the Washington Senators in 1965, to find a pitcher with similar numbers in his first four starts in the big leagues.

Coleman pitched complete games in three of his first four major league starts, but that was stretched out over three seasons (1965, ’66 and ’67) and came before relief pitchers became a relevant part of the game.

Gonzalez (2-1) makes his fifth career start in the series opener against the Oakland Athletics at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Globe Life Park.

“We didn’t really know what to expect from Chi Chi,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “We expected a young guy who was going to come up, throw strikes, be able to move the ball around. We weren’t really sure how major league hitters were going to react to his stuff. He’s been a pleasant surprise.”

Gonzalez, the No. 23 overall pick in 2013 out of Oral Roberts, has been more than a pleasant surprise for the Rangers’ rotation, which was forced to find alternatives with injuries to Yu Darvish and Derek Holland.

The early success has been fun, Gonzalez said, especially when he hears from friends, family and former coaches who helped him along the way.

“They remind me where I came from and to always stay humble and I try my best to stay humble,” he said. “They played a big part in my life, all my coaches, my family members who supported me along the way. It’s nice to see a text from them, or a call from them saying they’re watching and supporting me.”

Gonzalez’s studious nature is one of the reasons the Rangers were attracted to him as a prospect. He studies the craft of pitching, does his homework on hitters, and tries always to keep batters guessing.

But he’s also tried to soak in the success and the realized dream of pitching in the major leagues. Maybe for just a minute or two, at least, and then he’s on to his next opponent.

“I try to enjoy it when it happens and then move on from there and just get prepared for my next start,” he said. “Yeah, it’s been fun, it’s been great, makes it even better that we’ve been winning and playing great ball right now. I look back at it every once in a while to remind myself, just as a confidence builder, take it as that.”

This story was originally published June 22, 2015 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Gonzalez’s dazzling first month rules Rangers record books."