3 key takeaways from the Rangers first four spring training games in 2025

The first handful of Cactus League games in the books for the Texas Rangers. And although despite the 1-3 start, game results don't matter but progress in massive.

Speaking of progress, a lot happened since the Rangers' first game on Friday including the spring pitching debuts of Nathan Eovadi, Tyler mahle, Cody Bradford and Jon Gray. Fans also got a chance to see new faces wear that Texas across their chests.

Here are three key takeaway from the Rangers' first four spring training games.

A few young prospects brought the power with them to Arizona

Hauver is off to a scorching start this spring, homering in two straight games this weekend against the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants.

In his first four at-bats, the 26-year-old hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs. Hauver, a 2020 draft pick, was part of the return in the 2021 deal that sent Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees. He's yet to make his big league debut after spending all of the 2024 season in Triple-A Round Rock. Hauver hit .247/.360/.425/.785 with 11 home runs, 60 RBI's and 28 doubles in 104 games.

Jax Biggers and Abimelec Ortiz also got involved in the prospect home run parade with back-to-back ninth inning shots in the Rangers' 11-3 victory over the White Sox on Monday.

These results might not mean much in the long run since the big league roster is already stacked, a consistent showing of success throughout the spring should put them at the top of the board when the next man gets called up.

Spring training pitching debuts bring mixed reviews, no need for panic

One of the most anticipated reasons for spring training is the pitching. The first four games featured Eovaldi, Mahle, Bradford and Gray.

Here's a recap of how it went:

• Eovaldi: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB, K on 33 pitches

• Mahle: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 K on 32 pitches

• Bradford: 2 IP, H, 2 K on 24 pitches

• Gray: 2 IP, K on 26 pitches

The weekend was also a big day for pitchers expected to be a massive contributor to the team's bullpen success this year. Dane Dunning, Jack Leiter, Adrian Houser, Walter Pennington, Shawn Armstrong and Jesses Chavez all turned in scoreless innings of work.

It could've been smoother for a handful of arms, including Mahle who is probably the one rotation piece that is fighting for a spot with Kumar Rocker. Young hurler Marc Church also got tattooed for two runs in an inning of work on Monday.

Despite whatever results, it's only four games and that panic button shouldn't be pushed quite yet.

Jake Burger's defense is better than advertised at first base

It seems unfair to critic Burger since he's not the worst defender in the league, not by a long shot. Despite the uncertainty that his defense is the weaker part of his game, he's received rave reviews early in camp about his skillset.

That being said, Burger's first base has been strong early. It shouldn't be surprising because Texas has always been good at transforming players' defense. Nathaniel Lowe turned into a Gold Glove caliber defender, Mitch Moreland was before that.

A nifty 3-6 double play on Friday is an early sample of possible returns we will see from Burger on the defensive side in 2025.