4 Statistical Anomalies Defining the Rangers’ 2026 Rotation
The Texas Rangers have had a puzzling 2026 campaign. Much of what the organization anticipated would be strengths entering the season have instead been disappointments. One strength-turned-disappointment has been their starting rotation.
Texas starting pitchers combined for the best ERA in Major League Baseball in 2025. A year later, they rank 21st. This year’s rotation differs from last year’s, but not by much. The Rangers’ 2026 starters accounted for 60% of the team’s starts in 2025. The primary personnel changes were Patrick Corbin, Tyler Mahle, and Merrill Kelly out, with Mackenzie Gore, Cal Quantrill, and Cody Bradford coming in — swaps the front office likely viewed as upgrades.
Repeating as the top rotation in the sport was unlikely, though dropping from the top to near the bottom of MLB rotations was, too. What’s been most frustrating is how the rotation has fallen, through radical inconsistencies and statistical anomalies from most of its starters.
Let’s dig into four anomalies that have contributed to a volatile Texas Rangers starting rotation in 2026.
1. Jacob deGrom on the road
Step into the box against Jacob deGrom at Globe Life Field, and you’re facing a top-10 pitcher in the game. Step into the box against him anywhere else, and you’re facing a top-75 pitcher.
Home and away splits have been severe for deGrom, who’s producing a 138% higher ERA, 49% higher BAA, 48% higher SLG, and 73% higher WHIP on the road in 2026. The Rangers have lost 8 of deGrom’s 13 road starts, including his last three starts in Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The contrast is hard to fathom for the 11-year veteran and 2-time Cy Young Award winner, whose success has spanned many different ballparks throughout his career. Just last year, deGrom posted a 3.61 road ERA and held opponents to a lower batting average and OBP when pitching away from Globe Life Field.
What could be causing such a sudden and stark drop-off on the road when he seemingly carries the same arm talent, mentality, and repertoire?
Home and away, the rubber rests 60’6” from home plate, the bases sit 90 feet apart, and eight position players have his back. But for whatever reason(s), deGrom has been considerably less effective on the road this season. Perhaps, at age 38, his body is having more difficulty adapting to travel and hotel mattresses – your guess is as good as mine.
2. Kumar Rocker in the 1st inning
Kumar Rocker’s first inning ERA this season: 8.62. His ERA in innings two through nine: 3.76.
Rocker’s 2026 season has been a letdown for Rangers fans. If he could cut that first-inning ERA in half, however, we’d probably be praising him.
Something about the opening inning has Rocker at a loss. It could point to pitch usage, scouting reports, intimidation from the top of the batting lineup, or general lack of command. Whether it’s one of those factors or some combination of them, Rocker must find a way to overcome the immediate hurdles.
Manager Skip Schumaker has tried to overcome them by using an opener in three of Rocker’s outings this season. The strategy has mostly paid off.
May 19 at Colorado, Rocker entered in the second inning and pitched the rest of the way, allowing no runs on three hits in a 10-0 Rangers win.
June 22 at Miami, Rocker pitched innings two through six, allowing two runs on five hits in a 4-3 Rangers win.
Schumaker opted not to use an opener for Rocker again until Friday, when he entered in the third inning and left after the seventh, giving up five runs on nine hits in 6-7 Rangers loss to the AL-best Tampa Bay Rays.
We’ll see how Skip approaches the remainder of Rocker’s 2026 outings. Deploying an opener makes a lot of sense, but you can also understand his belief in Rocker to conquer the beast that is the first inning. Rocker should be able to.
3. Mackenzie Gore in the 2nd inning
Throw Rocker in the first inning and Mackenzie Gore in the second, and the Rangers could be down 6-0 in the blink of an eye. That’s right, it’s the second inning that has proved burdensome for Gore.
In the second frame, Gore has an 8.07 ERA. Across all other innings, his ERA is 3.72.
On Sunday against the Rays, Gore pitched a scoreless first, retiring three of four batters faced. In the second, he gave up four runs via five hits and two walks… Case in point.
Gore’s situation is even more curious than Rocker’s. Second inning struggles imply Gore has a tougher time retiring the middle of the order than the top. He settles into the game just fine, but that second trip to the mound often spells doom.
Do top-of-the-order hitters see something in Gore and then communicate it to the middle hitters, making them more successful? Does the southpaw not mix his pitches well enough that hitters pick up on his tendencies faster? Again, hard to explain.
Gore’s early struggles force the Rangers out of their game plan. The offense has to play catch-up, and the bullpen activates prematurely. It’s a losing recipe that Gore — and Rocker — have followed too often. Hopefully they figure it out. After all, these are supposed to be anomalies, not normalities.
4. Cal Quantrill since August 1
The Rangers signed Cal Quantrill to a minor league contract in January, worth $1.25 million. Quantrill looked like a solid signing for much of the season, effectively eating innings in long relief and taking on spot starts.
Through July, he made six starts across 22 appearances and posted a 3.83 ERA. He allowed a .702 OPS and averaged six strikeouts per nine innings.
Since August 1, Quantrill has a 1.63 ERA across eight starts, holding opposing hitters to a .504 OPS and upping his K/9 to 7.8. The Rangers are 2-0 in his September starts after he pitched six strong innings last night in a crucial series opener at Seattle.
He’s quickly become one of the stories of the season, emerging as a dominant and heavily relied upon starting pitcher for Texas. He’s pitched like an ace, filling in masterfully for the ace on the shelf, Nathan Eovaldi.
Quantrill deserves a ton of credit for his excellence on the mound during a critical part of the regular season. He should be among the first to pop open a bottle of champagne if the Rangers make the postseason.
Rangers Rally 
Leave a comment