Nathan Eovaldi has a strong case to make for greatest Rangers' pitcher of all time

When someone asks you to think of the Texas Rangers Mount Rushmore. Who do you think is listed regularly among the best four players in franchise history?

Like clockwork you will hear a combination of Pudge, Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, maybe even Juan Gonzalez or most recently Corey Seager. Put they will always sneak in one name unlike the other, Texas native and Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.

The truth of the matter is older Rangers' fans that got a chance to witness Ryan pitch will never forget it and the youngest generation that missed out will hear the great tales of the fireball right-hander.

So it wouldn't be a surprise to you if I told you that the greatest Rangers' pitcher of all time was an Allen, Texas native. However, it might surprise you which Allen, Texas native I choose.

Is Nathan Eovaldi the greatest pitcher in Rangers franchise history?

To make the best argument for this we need to focus on not games/years played in a Texas uniform but the impact and accomplishments made during his Texas tenure.

There's really only two other main players in this category alongside Evo; Ryan and Kenny Rogers.

Rogers has Eovaldi and Ryan beat in terms of years with the team. He spent 12 seasons in Arlington from 1989-2002 and again from 2002-04. In those 12 years he was 133-96 with a 4.16 ERA, 1,201 strikeouts, 686 walks, 1.40 WHIP, 5.7 K/9 and a 31.2 WAR in 1,909 innings.

Ryan's five years in Texas surpasses Eovadli's three seasons but Evo is still active and only in the first year of his three year deal which would put him over Ryan in that regard.

While Eovaldi still has a long way to go to match the counting stats, Eovaldi has helped do something neither Rogers or Ryan could ever do. Lead a pitching staff to a World Series championship.

In 2023, Eovaldi's 144 regular season innings provided a much-needed ace for Texas when Jacob deGrom went down with Tommy John surgery early in the season. His complete game shutout on April 23 against the New York Yankees came one day after the deGrom news and provided the team a crucial "don't worry, we go this" moment.

From that moment in, Eovaldi was entrusted with every big moment for the Rangers. During the postseason, he made six starts for Texas, winning five of them, recording a 2.95 ERA, 41 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 36 2/3 innings. He outdueled Arizona's Zac Gallen in the title-clinching Game 5, somehow finding a way to escape every jam he was put in through six innings of shutout ball.

Eovaldi's Rangers' tenure is filled with meserizing performances and mentorship

Eovaldi enjoyed his first couple of seasons in Texas so much that he decided to re-sign with the Rangers prior to the 2025 season. Expected to finally get a combination of deGrom and Eovaldi as a 1-2 punch was enough excitement fans were hoping for.

Up until Eovaldi's season-ending rotator cuff strain on August 24, the 35-year-old was pitching at a Cy Young-caliber level. He was 11-3 with a 1.73 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 129 strikeouts, 21 walks, .194 opponent average and a 4.3 WAR in 130 innings.

However, it's also his impact on the younger generation of pitchers that puts Eovaldi above and beyond. During games that he, deGrom and Jack Leiter aren't pitching, the three of them can always be seen next to each other talking.

Leiter, after another stellar start in Sacramento on Friday, even confirmed the huge impact Eovaldi has made on his positive turnaround this season. He told reporters that Eovaldi, although not with the team, did his own scouting report in the A's to share with Leiter and immediately texted him following the game.

That is leadership. That is true impact. That is always getting better. That is the greatest Rangers' pitcher of all time.