Sunday, April 13

ARLINGTON -- Bruce Bochy has never made the postseason the year after appearing in the World Series. He continued that trend with the Rangers in 2024.

But another point of emphasis with Bochy is that his three titles in San Francisco in the 2010s came every other year. While the '24 Rangers tried to buck that trend, the '25 version of the club is looking to keep up that every-other-year pattern.

It all starts on Thursday against the Red Sox at Globe Life Field.

Here’s a look ahead at the Rangers’ 2025 season:

What needs to go right? Young arms need to step up

What actually needs to go right is health. Considering that already hasn’t happened due to Cody Bradford (left elbow soreness) and Jon Gray (right wrist fracture) both opening the season on the injured list, guys need to step up in the rotation.

Those guys are rookies Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, specifically. The two first-round right-handers both made their MLB debut last season and already figured to get their first extended looks in the big leagues in 2025. Now the door is wide open with Bradford out until at least late May and Gray out until at least last June.

The Rangers already believed in both Rocker and Leiter. Now it’s time for them to show it.

Great unknown: Who is the closer?

The Rangers completely rebuilt the bullpen this offseason, adding a number of veteran relievers like Chris Martin and Luke Jackson. Even less experienced guys like Shawn Armstrong, Jacob Webb and Robert Garcia could be used in high-leverage situations.

But with Opening Day approaching, Bochy still hasn’t named a closer. And he isn’t likely to do so until the situation has sorted itself out early in the season. Eventually, Bochy would rather go with one set closer, as he has done for most of his managerial career before coming to Texas.

Team MVP will be ... Corey Seager

Seager earns the title for the fourth year in a row, to the shock of nobody. After all, he signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Rangers entering the 2022 season and has delivered on every second of that.

Seager was limited to 123 games in 2024, but he slashed .278/.353/.512. When he’s healthy, he rakes, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

Team Cy Young will be ... Jacob deGrom

More on this in a second, but when healthy, he’s the best pitcher in the world. deGrom has only made nine starts since signing a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers entering the 2023 season, but over that time, he’s got a 2.41 ERA in 41 innings.

That’ll play, even if he only starts 20 games.

Bold prediction: Jacob deGrom will win the AL Cy Young Award 

It’s not that bold of a prediction. So much so that I already predicted it here. When healthy, the 36-year-old is and can be the best pitcher in the world. That part isn’t the bold prediction.

deGrom hasn’t eclipsed 92 innings since his NL Cy Young Award-winning 2019 season. He’s again now fresh off of his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he looked like himself in 10 2/3 September innings in 2024 (1.69 ERA). He won’t throw 200 innings, and he likely won’t make 30 starts -- though it is a goal of his -- but there’s still an avenue to another Cy Young Award.

In 2021, when deGrom finished ninth in NL Cy Young Award voting, Corbin Burnes won the award with just 167 innings -- the fewest of any of the top eight vote-getters. Despite that, his rate stats were higher than second-place Zack Wheeler and third-place Max Scherzer.

That’s deGrom’s entire MO, even when he was making 30 starts consistently. Anything is possible if he avoids extended stays on the injured list.

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