The Texas Rangers have plenty of stars. Just a glance at the World Series roster reveals big names like Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Max Scherzer and Adolis García. That doesn’t count All-Stars in Nathan Eovaldi, Jonah Heim and Josh Jung. And, of course, there’s Jacob deGrom.
So when it comes to star power, the Rangers aren’t lacking. But each new season brings the opportunity for someone new to step up, and the defending champs are no different in that respect. Despite the obvious talent already assembled, it’s likely that there will be a new household name around Arlington this upcoming year. MLB.com recently compiled a list of potential breakout stars for each team in 2024, with the Rangers’ entry coming from the farm system:
We look to the Minors, where Owen White, the Rangers’ No. 8 prospect, should be the next man up in a thin big league rotation. The right-hander looked primed for the big leagues after a breakout 2022 campaign in which he posted a 3.59 ERA across High-A and Double-A, but he then faltered to a 4.22 ERA in ‘23 as he made his transition to Triple-A. White was pushed into brief big league service with two relief appearances in ‘24, but didn’t have the chance to fully stick around. White has all the tools to be a frontline starter if he can get back to his 2022 form, and while he may not be on the Opening Day roster, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in Arlington soon thereafter. White would make sense, especially early in the season as the Rangers await the injury returns of deGrom, Scherzer and offseason signee Tyler Mahle.
And with several starters scheduled to be free agents after 2024, including Scherzer, Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney, it makes sense to develop a home-grown talent such as White.
