Texas Rangers: Jordan Lyles still struggling to find his command

Monday night’s start against the San Francisco Giants was by no means the worst outing Jordan Lyles has had while wearing a Texas Rangers uniform, but it was one that was plagued by a rather reoccurring theme for the veteran right-hander.

Lyles walked a season-high five batters, taking his walk total up to 15 on the season while his WHIP climbed up to a rather alarming 1.605 mark. Signed to a two-year/$16 million contract following the conclusion of the 2019 season, Lyles has yet to really settle in with the Rangers pitching staff.

Lyle is 2-9 across 17 starts since joining Texas, and his ERA with the Rangers sits at a 6.87. Lyle’s BB/9 rate with the Rangers is also up at a 3.6 – the highest mark its been across a single season since 2016 (when he pitched for Colorado).

There’s still plenty of time left for Lyles to turn things around this season, in fact his most recent outing against the Giants may end up being a step in the right direction. If you ignore the walks issue, Lyle’s two runs and two hits allowed across 5.0 innings of work is a rather decent start.

Texas Rangers RHP Jordan Lyles is still struggling to hit his spots.

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Throw in the fact that Lyles has 13 strikeouts over his past two starts, and it’s possible we’re finally seeing the right-hander find some semblance of a groove.

However, Lyle’s lack of command is likely something that will continue to hold him back if it isn’t improved upon moving forward . Even going up against a fairly disciplined Giants offense, five walks is simply too many to issue out in just 5.0 innings of work, and Lyles currently leads the entire American League in terms of WHIP.

It’s also worth highlighting that Lyles currently ranks third in the AL in terms of home runs allowed, another sign that he’s been consistently missing his spots.

Set to be a free agent this upcoming offseason, Lyles would likely prefer to see his numbers improve as well for contract-related purposes later down the road. It would be hard to sell teams on his current 6.63 ERA.