Two unanimous Cy Young Awards handed out to pitchers barely into their careers only sharpened the contrast for the Texas Rangers.
Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler were both named the top starters in their leagues for 2026, and both did it at an age when most pitchers are still trying to establish themselves. Misiorowski, 24, brought home the National League honor after helping the Brewers win the World Series.
Schlittler, 25, claimed the American League award after a dominant season for the Yankees. It was only the third time in MLB history that both Cy Young winners were unanimous.
Misiorowski’s season was the kind that jumps off the page immediately: a 16-5 record, a 1.80 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, 6.4 bWAR, and 252 strikeouts in 174.2 innings. He led MLB in ERA and strikeouts, and he did it while regularly reaching 102-105 mph. Schlittler wasn’t far behind in impact, leaning on a 99-102 mph four-seamer to post a 14-6 record, a 1.96 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, 7.0 bWAR, and 239 strikeouts over 193.2 innings.
That kind of youth and dominance is exactly what makes the Rangers’ current situation look so stark by comparison. Texas is expected to open 2027 with Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi at the top of the rotation, two veterans who have given the club major seasons but are also moving deep into their careers. deGrom will turn 39 next year, and Eovaldi is approaching 37.
Nobody is questioning the fight those two bring. The issue is age, and the gap it creates.
Misiorowski and Schlittler are the kind of arms that make a staff look modern and dangerous; deGrom and Eovaldi, for all their quality, are on the other side of that curve. The contrast landed especially hard after Chris Young’s postseason comment about wanting the team to get “younger and more athletic.”
That kind of arm doesn’t appear to be waiting in Texas right now, and Tarik Skubal is not walking through that clubhouse door anytime soon. Jack Leiter, MacKenzie Gore, and Kumar Rocker were supposed to help bridge the gap, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Gore was expected to become an ace last season, and at least one of Leiter or Rocker was supposed to settle in as a front-line starter. Instead, there are still questions about whether Rocker or Leiter truly belongs in the rotation, while Gore’s 4.58 ERA this year ranked fifth-worst among qualified starters.
For now, the picture is hard to ignore: the Rangers look like a club with an average-at-best rotation, and that could be a real problem in 2027.
In Other News...
Danny Jansen Just Made The Rangers Catcher Decision A Lot Tougher
Danny Jansens late-season return gave the Rangers something they had been missing for much of 2026: a catcher who could stabilize the position after injuries and uneven production forced the club to lean on Elias Diaz and Austin Wynns as stopgap options. Jansen missed 64 games with a right forearm and elbow strain, then came back in mid-August and showed enough at the plate to remind Texas why the position suddenly looks a lot less settled than it did a few months ago.
Chris Young is at the MLB GMs meeting in Las Vegas, where the Rangers are expected to keep weighing their options behind the plate. Jansens finish, along with the development of Logan OHoppe, gives the front office more to think about than it had during the summer, and it could end up nudging the club toward a different approach as it sorts out the catcher picture for next season. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Need A Center Field Answer But This Astros Fit Isnt It
The Rangers are still looking at center field through the lens of Evan Carters hip surgery, and that search has naturally led to plenty of outside names as the club tries to patch a major hole in the lineup. One of the more talked-about possibilities comes from Houston, where a left-handed defender with real athletic value has been floated as a possible answer, even if the fit is a little more complicated than it looks on paper.
Texas does have internal and free-agent paths to consider, from Cam Cauley in the system to Trent Grisham on the market, and those alternatives may make more sense depending on how the front office wants to balance defense, offense and cost. The bigger issue is not just finding a center fielder, but finding one who actually matches what the Rangers need, and this particular Astros connection does not seem to clear that bar cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Skip Schumaker Earned Respect But Rangers Still Face One Big Hurdle
Skip Schumakers first season in Arlington gave the Rangers a real case to make in the American League Manager of the Year conversation. Texas stayed in the division hunt deep into the year, and Schumakers work drew enough attention that his name belonged in the discussion even if the hardware went elsewhere. The award instead went to Bruce Bochys former bench coach, now the Chicago White Sox manager, after he guided Chicago to a playoff berth in 2026.
For Schumaker, the bigger issue may be less about recognition than the path to getting it. The Baseball Writers Association of America has long leaned heavily on postseason appearances when it fills out its ballots, which means a close race alone is not always enough. If the Rangers want their manager to get serious award traction next time, the bar is likely to be higher than simply hanging around the race until the final week. [Read more 🡒]