Rangers continue to rave about Gore after 9-K start in home debut

ARLINGTON -- Opening Day is the start of the new year in baseball. And while Texas had to wait a week, as the Rangers opened the season with a seven-day, six-game road trip, the festivities got underway on Friday afternoon.

Accompanying the new year was the Rangers’ newest starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, whom Texas acquired in January as part of a deal that sent five Top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline to the Nationals.

Gore struck out nine Reds hitters and delivered a quality start in his Globe Life Field debut, but he was rewarded with a no-decision thanks to homers from Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz as the Rangers fell, 5-3, in their home opener to start a three-game set.

“I don't think it was a mixed outing,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “I thought it was a good outing, quite honestly. Nine strikeouts, no walks. I know he gave up a couple home runs, but it was exactly what we're hoping for, maybe even more, against a tough lineup. He gave up the couple homers, but that was pretty much much it. We'll take that kind of outing any day of the week. I feel like we have a really good chance to win when he gives us those outings.”

Gore said he obviously wanted two pitches back, but he still was able to put the Rangers in a position to win. Texas and Cincinnati were tied at 3 going into the ninth inning before Chris Martin allowed Tyler Stephenson’s two-run homer to put the Reds on top.

“He was good,” catcher Danny Jansen said of Gore. “He's attacking the zone, mixing fastballs at the bottom, at the top, using his offspeed. I thought we had a pretty good mix all day. ... He’s got a deceptive fastball, it's a spinny fastball, it's an explosive fastball. I’ve been impressed with his ability to land other stuff as well in the zone. That's an impressive arm for sure. Hopefully, he keeps building off it.”

The Rangers made a number of external additions this offseason, including Jansen. But the Gore trade was arguably one of the biggest splashes in the Majors this winter.

Since taking over in 2022, president of baseball operations Chris Young has attempted to transform the Rangers into more of a pitching destination -- something the organization has historically struggled with.

Gore, joining a rotation with Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, can only benefit from the Rangers’ hands-on pitching group and teammates.

“He’s been as advertised or better,” Young said pregame. “I just love watching him. We did a lot of background work, and his poise is what really stood out to me. He doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. Just stays in the moment, makes pitches and does his job. It's a sign of a true professional. It's a player who knows himself, and -- in my opinion -- is going to continue to get better and better.”

And those around the organization believe that the Rangers’ pitching infrastructure will only benefit Gore down the stretch this season and into 2027, his final year of team control.

“There was a plan when I got here,” Gore said. “I wouldn't say I’ve necessarily [executed it] yet at a really high level, but we're throwing everything I have. I think when we do that and get ahead, it’ll be pretty good. We've been solid so far. We're going to continue to get better. We should be all right. ... We're going to make adjustments and try to be even more efficient, miss more bats, and just try to keep it in the ballpark.”

Schumaker has known Gore since he was an associate manager with the Padres in 2020, when Gore was a 21-year-old pitching prospect. He’s watched him grow, first from up close and later from afar, as they both moved to different organizations.

The sky’s the limit for him in Texas.

“I've known this kid for a long time, so I’m used to seeing him growing every single day,” Schumaker said. “Quite honestly, I think he'll be more comfortable around the guys and around us as a staff the more he's here. I've said this before. He's been here a couple years in the big leagues already, and he’s had a really good career so far, but I think his second half of his career is going to be even better, which is kind of scary to think about.”