Former Rangers pitcher of the year rebounding this spring after last year's struggles

The 2023 Texas Rangers pitcher of the year is looking to find his stride again with a successful spring training.

Dane Dunning, 30, has been a mainstay in the Rangers pitching staff since his acquisition after the 2020 season. He's done everything that was asked of him, transitioning from starter to long-inning bullpen relief interchangeably.

After replacing Jacob deGrom in the rotation in 2023, he finished the season leading the team in innings pitched (172.2), wins (12), third in strikeouts (140) and a 3.0 WAR. His 2024 season was less than stellar as he found himself walking more batters and giving up harder hits, finishing the year with an ERA over 5.00 in only 95 innings pitched.

Determined to not have a second-straight down year, Dunning showed up to spring training with an improved physical and mental approach which seems to be translating well. Despite ending his scoreless inning streak on Tuesday, Dunning has only surrendered two runs and six strikeouts in six innings of work.

"I wanted to cut some bad weight down and start moving quick again and be able to be explosive," telling Dallas Morning News reporter Shawn McFarland he lost 11 pounds this offseason. "It's been really good. I've been working on a lot of things this seasons and cleaned up a lot of the problems I created for myself last year."

Although it's a small sample size this spring, Dunning appears to have cleaned up his mechanics and is getting quicker and more explosive in his delivery. The righty has a great sense of control over his pitches, matching his average velocity from last year while managing swings and misses he didn't get much of last season.

It is unlikely Dunning will get a shot during in the rotation early in the season But the six-foot-four right-hander will be an option out of the bullpen for Texas in a long-relief role, a spot he was excellent in prior to deGrom's injury in 2023.

There is however a slight chance he misses out on the big league roster entirely given the tough competition with other pitchers vying for that bulk relief role. He'll have to continue to outduel the likes of Jesse Chavez and Adrian Houser but if all else fails, Texas still has the option to send him down to Triple-A to begin the year.