Opening Day Starting Rotation
1. Nathan Eovaldi
2. Dane Dunning
3. Jon Gray
4. Andrew Heaney
5. Adrian Sampson
The top four rotation is the same top four that pitched in the rotation after Jacob deGrom went down in late April in 2023. Texas rode this top four to a 40-20 start. There may be some concerns about the depth of this rotation but this top four if healthy will win Texas a lot of games. Health has been a concern for these guys and we are still a long way from Opening Day. I think the expectation is that Cody Bradford will claim the five spot, but I think Texas signed Sampson to compete for that spot. Sampson has been a starter for the Cubs back in 2021 and 2022. He put solid numbers for the Cubbies. In 2022 he had a 3.11 ERA in 19 starts made. He missed all of 2023 with a knee injury. He is fully healthy now and has more major-league starting experience than Bradford, Owen White, or Jack Leiter. Texas could opt for the more experienced starter and allow White and Leiter to start at Round Rock and be ready in case of an injury or a spot start is needed.