26-Year-Old Pitcher Takes Final Starting Spot in the Texas Rangers 2026 Rotation
Amid the Rangers’ first Spring Training game against the Kansas City Royals in Arlington, a lot of roster news was announced by the team, including the highly anticipated starting pitcher rotation. The first four spots are occupied by Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore, and Jack Leiter. The fifth spot was up for grabs, with Kumar Rocker and Jacob Latz in a competition for who gets the nod. Throughout Spring Training, both Latz and Rocker were having great outings on the mound, as it was close for the team to decide who they want in the long run, and this afternoon, they landed on the former Commodore, Rocker.
The 26-year-old had his moments throughout the season in 2025, but because of injury and further pitching competition, the expectations were not met, and he was used less and less as the season went on. Now, this isn’t the end for Latz, as he is still a great pitcher and has been a solid arm on the mound, as he was statistically one of the top pitchers against left-handed hitters in the American League in 2025, but the clubhouse thinks Rocker has the utilities meant for success and will allow the Rangers to put them in the best-case scenarios during games. Pitching was an issue last season for the Rangers, especially in relief. That’s where Latz comes in. He will continue to ride the bullpen, and has some opportunity to come in for relief, on Rocker’s off days, and still provide success on the mound.
For Rocker, one of the most important things he has to work on if he wants to prove to the Rangers that he’s owning that fifth spot in the starting rotation for the long run is to fix his changeup. Hitters were slugging at an astonishing .714 against his breaking ball, mainly because there wasn’t a lot of difference between a normal changeup and a low-speed fastball, and he kept throwing up in the zone, allowing hitters to punish the ball. He needs to command the changeup and continue to keep hitters confused when they go face him, as they can face something other than his slider and fastball. One other struggle he has had is his command on the mound. Yes, he’s topping out his fastball just a skosh under 100 mph, but that doesn’t mean it's untouchable. Today’s hitters are getting better and better with every passing day, and “throwing hard” isn’t going to make you a great pitcher, but being able to command the strike zone while throwing hard can. If Rocker can paint the corners and work on consistently throwing not only his fastball around the strike zone, he has the potential to be a great pitcher and help that rotation.
