What did MacKenzie Gore say at his first Texas Rangers news conference?
The Texas Rangers had an introductory news conference for pitcher MacKenzie Gore on Thursday.
What did President of Baseball Operations Chris Young say about adding him to one of MLB’s best rotations?
“We said last week, when we made this move, felt like this was an important move for us that helps really elevate where we are and what we’re trying to accomplish this year and beyond. So, you know, we talked about the price we paid. We felt like this was worth it, in terms of getting a starting pitcher to fit in with a rotation with Jack Leiter, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi and having MacKenzie in that rotation, really, we feel like gives us a chance to win day in, day out. So really excited about not only the player he is, but also the competitor.”
Gore echoed Young’s sentiments, saying he was excited to join a starting rotation that had the lowest ERA (3.41) in the majors last season.
“Really excited. Yeah, when I heard I was coming here, that’s kind of, you know, the first thought of, first winning and then being able to be a part of this rotation and just learn from these guys and continuing to grow as a player and really excited,” said Gore.
He also talked about what he hopes to learn from deGrom, Eovaldi and the Rangers’ rotation.
“I think the biggest thing is, just like you said, being around them, I think you learn a lot from just kind of watching, once you kind of get into the season, be able to ask the right questions and see how they go about their business, because they’ve been really good for a long time,” said Gore.
This is the second trade of Gore’s career. His first was from the San Diego Padres to the Washington Nationals. It comes a season after the North Carolina native made his first MLB All-Star game.
Gore talked about consistency being his next step after starting off last season red-hot but finishing the second half 1-7 with a 6.75 ERA.
“I think when you get done with the year, you look at the good and the bad, and at the end of the day, you just try to do the good as much as you can, and so learn from, you know, what happened both sides. And now we get to have a lot of new conversations with a lot of new people, and I’m going to continue to improve, and looking forward to doing it with this group,” said Gore.
Gore will try to find said consistency while trying to help the Rangers’ rotation take the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 5:05 PM.
