How Good Are deGrom & Eovaldi as Rangers’ Top Aces?

Alright, we're back. I'm going to keep my hands off of my computer. I think that's the problem.

I think I know I accidentally closed the window and I don't know how. So anyway,

I'm taking a hands-off approach here. But we're going to talk about Nathan of Aldi and Jacob

DeGrom because the Rangers are...get this. Until proven otherwise, they are a pitching first franchise

or pitching first team. Look, this is a team that, again, led the majors in ERA last season,

the first time that ever happened in franchise history. DeGrom was the team's lone all-star.

He didn't pitch in the game as it turned out.

Evolve should have...should have could have been an all-star.

Could have should have been the contender for the Toledo baseball in ERA, but he was injured,

didn't qualify, but still had a 173 ERA, which is pretty darn shiny in what, 20-something

start to 130 innings. So he's back and he's healthy. Again, he's pitching on the backfields

today. So if you're in town like Miss Diaz, maybe you can get out there and take a look at him.

DeGrom, he's been very coy about when he's going to pitch, although I bet if I'm a betting man,

I'm betting he's going to pitch Wednesday against Brazil. I don't know that for sure,

but he has thrown live batting practice he proved that a few days ago. So the next step for him is

a game. So it could be there. Also that day, the Rangers are going to run a series of simulated

games on the backfield, so maybe DeGrom partakes in those, but he's about to hit the mound.

He's been pretty silly about it, I guess. He said that he was going to...when you know,

you know, is basically what he said. And I guess with him, that's the truth, but he does need to

build up and start getting ready here. Anyway, let's say he's probably on the same buildup

regiment as everybody else, so he'll be two and 30 pitches roughly, then progress to three and four

and five. And if the Rangers are pitching every fifth day, he has plenty of time to get ready and

to do this stuff. So he could still technically pitch on opening day. It's not an impossibility.

In fact, with the way things are lined up, though, I bet it's a vaulty. If they just follow

a strict five-minute schedule, if he's pitching today and the season opens to 26, well, that's 25 days.

And then DeGrom would pitch the second game, which is actually two days after the opener. So

the Rangers have a game to 26th, 27th is an off day. 28th then is game two at Philadelphia.

Not saying anything's for sure there, not saying anything at all is for sure, but just kind of connect

the dots and play the numbers game. Anyway, of all the, he's made two, two starts. He started this

the spring opener, gave up to three runs and two innings against the Royals and two of them came

on a, on a home run that was probably a flyout just about every other ballpark in the majors,

maybe even an airline, I don't know about Arizona. I mean, it's 350 down the line here. So they,

understand the, the effects of the, the wind and the thin air, but he, in any event, he was happy

with it. His next outing, he went three innings. The numbers look better, but I still think he's

feeling a little more, a little out of whack with some things. He's trying to get all of his pitches

down then, hence the fact that he will pitch today in a simulated game on the backfields while

as we've mentioned, this is now the third time we'll pitch in the A game. You know, of all the

and the Grommer similar in that they're both so meticulous about feel and mechanics and the,

you know, making sure that they get the command and everything right, you know, when, when Jacob

Grommer's at his best, his fastball is zipping in there on the outside corner. He can throw the

slider in the same spot and it just dives off the plate and, and pitchers can't help but swing

and miss it, you know, and, and I think even with the ABS this year, it'll still be effective,

though maybe, though maybe the desperate hitter will get two strikes against him and be like,

all right, I'm just going to take a pitch and see what happens, especially if I think a slider

is coming. So the Grommer, what's he been doing if he hasn't pitched? I mean, the pitcher's first day

was February 10th. So what on earth has he been doing? He has thrown a lot of sides.

He's been in the lab at least twice trying to get his mechanic styled in,

throwing bowlpants he threw alive and he feels fine. He looks great. He isn't a good mood. He hasn't had

any, any reason to not be, to not be in a pleasant demeanor and disposition. And this might also

delay in his start. It might also be a reactionary to slowing him down a little bit after he

threw, made 30 starts and threw in the 175 range, innings-wise. And it also could be slowing

him down to make sure that he doesn't go too fast too soon as, as the Rangers kind of take some

of the reins off of him in his second full year after Tommy John surgery. This, you know, last year

is considered the rebound season. So this year is kind of like the foot on the gas season.

Though I don't know that Jacob Gromney's ever put the foot on the gas again. I think, you know,

he's going to want to make as many starts as he can. He's already said that. He's even said that

he's willing to, the Rangers, you know, manipulate, manipulating his schedule, building in some rest

for him because the goal he said is to make every start. And, and the goal is to be able to make

starts in October of that are effective. So I wouldn't worry at all about Jake. I wouldn't

they worry at all about a vaulty. Now, in the order in which they pitch, I don't know necessarily

that matters either. Though I'll be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing a left hand or in between him.

And in between the two, a gork had fit in there and that would be, you know, a different look

at least in a three game series. You're, you're not getting too hard throwing guys back to back.

Though, though, again, Evaldy has so many more pitches that he uses. Nothing to Grom doesn't

have a huge arsenal because he can throw four. He threw that curve off a couple of times last

year and he started. It was pretty effective. Evaldy has like 100 pitches, I think. So he's,

they're similar, but they're not similar. I'd still wouldn't mind throwing a left hand there,

though, but, but. And here's something else, consider if they want to give to Grom the first

home start, the guy who starts the second game would be in line to make that start in the home

opener against the Reds. So maybe that's in play two. And then maybe they find an off day to flip

somebody and make it work out. But whatever the case is, you know, when you talk about one, two

punches, the Rangers are in really good shape. You know, there are a lot of major league teams

that wish they could have two guys at the top of the rotation or in the rotation, the caliber

of DeGrom and Evaldy. And, you know, you can look around the majors and say, oh, the Tigers now,

you know, they've got that say young winner, school ball, and they got Framber. Okay, that's

pretty good. You can look at the Mariners and pick out a couple of their starters and be like,

these guys are pretty good. You can do it with the Dodgers, obviously. You can do it with a

handful of teams as you can't do it with every team. And so the Rangers have a little bit of an

edge that way. And then when you throw and go in lighter, and then whoever the fifth starter is,

lats who, you know, may not win the spot even though right now, he seems to have the edge,

at least, statistically, on rocker. We'll see how Kamar does. I think he's going to pitch,

I think his next time would be Wednesday. So maybe if DeGrom does pitch that day, then maybe Kamar

would follow him. And he needs to be a little better than it was last time, at least. And again,

the consistency, maybe that's the ultimate factor that decides this thing because if lats is

more consistent, I think the Rangers would want that. Now, Cal control. Don't see Cal winning this,

winning the fifth spot in the rotation, at least based on his first two outings. Maybe he'll do

well for Canada in the WBC. Not sure about that. And then Kamar, I think he has a lot of work to do.

But he's the Rangers at least want to take a serious look at him today. So there you have it.

That's kind of your update on the ACEs. Again, healthy, nothing to worry about. And then how they're

deployed during the season, Nathan of Aldi on day one of spring training. I asked him about

how he stays healthy because again, he had the offseason herniac surgery, which apparently was

bothering him the previous offseason. So he pitched a lot of last year with an issue.

That wasn't shoulder related. It was internal. And maybe that helps explain why some starts. He was

sitting in the 93 range. He needs to stay healthy too. And the Rangers need to try to take care of him

to make sure he does that as well. So it's not just one or one picture they might be worried about.

You know, with DeGrom and not overtaxing him, but of Aldi. Of Aldi's only thrown 30,

made 30 starts twice in his career. He's well aware of that. He made 29 in 2024. So he almost got

there, but that's something else to keep a watch on. How are they going to try to keep, how are the

Rangers going to try to keep these two guys upright off the injured list and pumping out, you know,

quality, quality starts in September. Again, this is a team that expects to content and

for a playoff spot. And like I said, the Texas Rangers until the offense proves otherwise

are a pitching first franchise. I'm sure a lot of you never thought you'd live to hear that.

I'm not sure I thought I would ever live to hear that. But it's true. It's true. It's true. It's true.