Texas Rangers are loving the uncapped version of Mike Minor

The Texas Rangers have let Mike Minor loose in 2019. As a result, the left-hander has quietly emerged as one of the top starting pitchers in MLB.

Mike Minor continues to impress for the Texas Rangers. He’s been far and away their best starting arm this year, compiling a 3-2 record and 2.88 ERA over six starts. He’s also had a knack for the spectacular, tossing the club’s first complete game shutout since 2017, and tying the club record with 13 strikeouts in a game by a left-handed pitcher.

His rankings thus far among MLB starters:

40.2 innings pitched: T-2nd

2.88 ERA: 20th

39 strikeouts: T-12th

.179 BAA (Batting Average Against): 7th

0.91 WHIP: 5th

Minor has been one of the more dominant starting pitchers in all of baseball. A nice season was expected of him, but this kind of early success comes as a bit of a surprise. He pitched well a season ago; however, strikeouts were not a prevailing part of his game. He wasn’t a tremendous innings eater either, averaging only 5.6 per outing.

The differences between this year and last? Trust and confidence.

Texas was very cautious with him in 2018. Minor missed two seasons with shoulder problems, then returned in 2017 as a reliever for the Kansas City Royals. Having transitioned back to starter with the Rangers, the organization was sure to control his pitch counts and innings pitched. There were numerous times last year in which Minor could have pitched at least one more inning, yet he was pulled.

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That is not the case this year. The lefty has thrown at least 99 pitches in four of his six starts, and he totaled 111 Saturday night against the Seattle Mariners. That marked the most pitches he’s thrown in a game since 2014. He’s also averaging 6.7 innings/outing this year.

It’s very clear that the Rangers trust him, and have great confidence in him. They have let him loose in 2019.

It’s very clear that Minor’s self-confidence is off the charts, too. He’s commanding the strike zone with each of his pitches and he’s throwing strikes at a stellar rate. Allowing few hits and few free passes, his domination makes a whole lot of sense. He has taken the “Ace” title and ran with it.

Of course, I can’t commend Mike Minor without mentioning the giant elephant in the room. He is 31 years old and under contract for one more season. Given the Texas Rangers’ youth overhaul, he doesn’t quite fall into the team’s long-term plans. In fact, it would be a massive win for the organization if Minor was flipped this year for a couple of highly regarded prospects.

Trading him would be bittersweet. The Rangers would lose their ace, but Minor would fulfill his purpose. If he keeps up anything close to his current pace, there will be a number teams expressing strong interest in him come June and July. A couple teams have reportedly already expressed interest.

To be honest, a Mike Minor trade seems inevitable. To that I say, enjoy watching him pitch in a Texas Rangers uniform for as long as you can. His teammates and coaches certainly will.