What a 33-Year-Old Reliever Can Bring to a Depleted 2026 Rangers Bullpen
The Texas Rangers' bullpen has been the highlight of the team since the season started, but the injury bug has decimated the lineup and has the clubhouse spiraling as they try to find someone who can step up when they’re needed most. Enter Jakob Junis. The 33-year-old veteran has found his home in Arlington, becoming a solidified reliever for Skip Schumaker’s squad. As of July 18th, Junis had been activated from the 15-day injured list because of a right hip impingement. He had first injured his hip back on the first of July, but on July 4th, he had re-aggravated the nagging injury and had to be sidelined.
The Illinois native was fighting off the injury, settling for pain-relieving injections, but it became too much for the veteran, and he decided to give himself some much-needed rest. Junis has had an incredible season so far, with a 1-1 record and an ERA of 2.80. His batting average against hitters has some room for improvement, as it’s sitting at .224, but that’s still impressive as he’s having to go through some of the league’s best on almost a daily basis. In just over 35 innings pitched, he’s only given up two home runs, making ground balls a huge part of his successful reputation. ‘June Bug’ has four pitches in his arsenal, with his most frequently used pitch being his sweeper.
Junis’ sweeper hits 82 MPH consistently, making left-handed hitters choke up on the bat, and it’s especially lethal against right-handed hitters, as the pitch starts in the batter’s box and ends up down and away, making it seemingly impossible to hit. Junis’s changeup is used about 20% of the time, almost mimicking other Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi’s splitter, topping out at 86-87 MPH. Junis has two more pitches, his sinker and his four-seam fastball. Both of them are low-end fastball speeds, but his sinker has a killer run, with 14 inches of horizontal movement towards right-handed batters. With this pitch mix, the pressure can be relieved on some of the other relievers who are trying to find their rhythm, like Peyton Gray, Cole Winn, and Ben Peoples.
With the current injuries to the bullpen, Junis not only provides veteran leadership but also much-needed depth. Currently, four big names from the bullpen are on the injured list: Chris Martin, Jalen Beeks, Robert Garcia, and Carter Baumler. The veterans Martin and Garcia were supposed to be the keystone closers and main relievers, but they’ve gone through the wringer with injuries, as they take one step forward, then three steps back. Beeks has been off and on, but he’ll be out for the remainder of the season due to his being forced to undergo surgery to repair a flexor tendon strain. Baumler, who made his debut this season with the Rangers, was on the road to a bright and productive season, but he’s had a nagging rib strain that hasn’t progressed in the right direction, despite multiple rehab assignments, and he’ll most likely miss the rest of the season. With the Rangers going through this pickle, Junis will have to step up in a major way, especially with how close the race is in the American League West.
