Texas Rangers: Who Should Replace Tyson Ross in the Rotation?

After a horrendous outing on Tuesday, pitcher Tyson Ross could be out of the rotation before his next start. Which pitchers are candidates to take over for Ross if he is indeed taken out of the starting rotation?

After Wednesday’s exciting extra innings victory the Texas Rangers have moved just two games out of the Wild Card spot. They need all the help they can get, but pitcher Tyson Ross continues to hold them back.

This season Ross is 3-3 with a 7.04 ERA in 10 starts with Texas. He’s walked 35 batters in 46 innings this season. Ross is currently posting a -0.8 WAR this season which is by far the worst of his career.

In his start on Tuesday, Ross lasted just 3 2/3 innings and struggled to show any signs that he is deserving of a rotation spot. The Rangers will evaluate Ross and decided whether or not he will even make another start this season.

More from Nolan Writin'

• Framework for a potential Max Fried trade to the Texas Rangers
• Early 2023 MLB mock draft has Texas Rangers selecting an Ohtani-lite
• 3 Texas Rangers outfield trade targets not named Bryan Reynolds
• Did Jacob deGrom really mean what he said at his Texas Rangers press conference?
• Where do Texas Rangers prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker stand after the DeGrom signing?

Both Nick Martinez and Austin Bibens-Dirkx are heavy favorites to take over if Ross is pulled out of the rotation. It has been an ugly season for Martinez who is posting a 5.38 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) with the Rangers.

The better option would be Bibens-Dirkx, but he’s pitched well out of the bullpen. He’s posting a 4.98 ERA in 17 games (six starts), but he’s pitched better than the statistics show. The Rangers would likely want to keep Bibens-Dirkx in the pen rather than move him right now.

Another option is giving No. 4 prospect pitcher Yohander Mendez a shot in the rotation. He’s the Rangers No. 1 pitching prospect and No.4 overall prospect according to MLB.com right now. The 22-year-old has looked sharp in the minors this season.

In 22 starts Mendez is 7-7 with a 3.68 ERA in Double-A. He’s pitched relatively well and the only negative is he’s allowed 20 home runs in 127.1 innings of work. Despite the high home run rate Mendez has pitched well enough to join the Rangers squad.

It’s a tough decision, but the Rangers know what they will get from Martinez and Bibens-Dirkx already. There is a chance that Mendez pitches well in the rotation, and he has the potential to be an ace starter.

Next: Three Ways To Improve The Rangers This Off-Season

Once the Rangers have their September call ups they should give a rotation spot to Mendez. He’s earned an opportunity, and it’s almost impossible for him to be worse than Tyson Ross.