While not perfect, Josh Sborz’s 2023 Rangers playoff performance defined excellence

Back in September 2023, Josh Sborz's regular season nightmare had finally came to an end. The 29-year-old recorded a 5.50 ERA in 44 games out of the Texas Rangers' bullpen.

Outside of five game stretch to start the year and a 10 game stretch in June where he went 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA, Sborz had four months where his lowest monthly ERA was 5.79 in August. Many were calling for the Rangers to release him, as speculation grew over the year he wouldn't be on the roster by the end of the year.

Nevertheless, the Rangers went into the postseason with Sborz as a main fixture to the backend of the bullpen alongside Aroldis Chapman and Jose Leclerc. A move that massively paid off.

Rangers patience with Sborz grew thin after struggle to recover from shoulder surgery in 2025

On Nov. 21, Sborz and three other players were released by the Rangers, deciding not to tender their contracts for the 2026 season and effectively declaring them free agents.

Sborz, 31, was one of the three former members of the 2023 World Series team released who had fallen on tough times over the past few seasons. He was limited to just 17 games in 2024 after constant injuries and didn't appear in a single game this past season as he didn't recover strongly from offseason shoulder surgery.

Owed $1.1 million for 2026, the Rangers opted to part ways with the right-hander after the struggles he faced during his recovery. It seemed that not getting his velocity back to a normal level after 12 rehab games and getting shut down in early September was the nail in the coffin.

Even with the Rangers' impending bullpen rebuild this offseason, President of Baseball Operations Chris Young and his front office team, felt that Sborz no longer had a spot on the roster.

Sborz 2023 postseason run defied expectations, cemented his legacy in Rangers' history

All that doesn't change a single aspect of what Sborz was able to achieve during his legendary 10 game run in the 2023 postseason.

In 12 innings of work, Sborz recorded a 0.75 ERA, 13 strikeouts, four walks, one save and a 0.667 WHIP. He only surrendered four hits and one run, which came in the Rangers' 11-4 ALCS Game 7 win over the Houston Astros.

Sborz also had the special privilege of delivering the final pitch of the World Series, a 2-2 curveball that struck out Ketel Marte looking to secure the 5-0 win and the team's first ever championship. His iconic glove slam is forever immortalized in Rangers' history and that glove now sits in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

An unprecedented feat of resilience for Sborz, which weirdly enough was the theme of the entire 2023 season for the Texas Rangers. After dominating the AL West most of the year, they snuck in as a Wild Card team on the second to last day of the regular season and won an MLB record 11 road postseason games to become champions.

One day we will see a statue outside of Globe Life Field with Sborz as the main centerpiece. A throw-in trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers after they released him in 2021 to make room for Trevor Bauer. Imagine that.