These 4 candidates are favorites to close games for the Rangers in 2025

The closer position has undergone a major retooling across Major League Baseball, but is a staple of every Bruce Bochy managed team. While part of MLB goes towards a committee approach regarding closers, it is yet to be seen if Bochy will change his philosophy.

The Rangers have a total of 30 combined major league regular season saves from the entire 40-man roster. This leaves a major question mark heading into spring training and potentially into the regular season.

Here are four in-house pitchers that are currently in the running for the position.

Josh Sborz

Sborz has experience in the playoffs in high leverage situations with the stuff that misses bats.
He notably threw the last out of the 2023 World Series so there are little doubts on if he can handle the moment. The problem in 2024 was his health, only appearing in 17 games for the Rangers.

There are major injury concerns already with offseason injuries that are piling up, including a major surgery on his shoulder that will sideline him for what is likely the first two months of the season. When he is healthy he will get looks for sure at the position. Bruce Bochy has shown unwavering faith in the righty, but time will tell if Sborz will get the job. Sborz's time in Texas has been a rollercoaster but appeared to be on the ascent before the start of last season.

Due to the names in the running for the job, there will likely be a decision early in spring training on who the choice is. With plenty of experience in the 7th and 8th innings, he might be ready to take on the 9th inning. As long as health is in good fortune, there is no doubt Sborz will play a major role in the bullpen.

Jon Gray

Gray is a really interesting choice for the job. Gray has been starting games for his entire major league career, but has been long rumored this offseason to at least be considered for the job.

His arsenal fits the role between his wipeout slider and mid-to-high 90's fastball that would allow him to unload the tank and take that pitch to the next level. During the 2023 postseason, he also had a run out of the bullpen so this is not a completely foreign move for him. The question marks don't start appearing with his arsenal, but whether or not it is necessary. He is valuable in the rotation, but with the rotation finally finding some health, he may be more beneficial to the team out of the bullpen. If that is the case, his transition could be extremely easy.

His likelihood for the role will likely go along with Sborz's health, as well as, the health of the starting rotation. Bochy will make his decision on where to use Gray early in spring training to give him time to spread out innings or get used to coming out of the bullpen. This will be a storyline to follow early in spring training and into the regular season.

Chris Martin

Martin is an experienced veteran that is a guy to fill the role. The signing of pitchers this offseason such as Hoby Milner and Jacob Webb will take up innings that Martin has filled in his career. With those innings not being where Martin may be needed, an upgrade to closer is a possibility. He has 14 career saves in his nine seasons but brings in necessary experience to not be shaken in the moment.

Martin has been a beacon of consistency at every trip since his return to the big leagues in 2018. The Rangers bullpen the last two years, besides the final months of 2023, has been anything but consistent. Martin's innings regardless of where they are in the game are extremely valuable. Consistently coming in and getting outs are the key to steadying a bullpen. In a league where consistency is king, there might not be many better options available in the clubhouse, let alone the league.

In a bullpen that boasts 30 career saves total, he does have the most. He has the ability to get guys out while not overpowering them which can play well with a very good projected defensive team. Martin may not be an appealing name to close games, but he is certainly a name that is at least in the running.

Marc Church

If you want a young guy with a future in the bullpen to close games, this is the most likely to do it. Church has electric stuff built for the bullpen and turns 24 early in the season.

Church's arsenal boasts an above-average grade fastball and slider, but does struggle with command at times. His 235 strikeouts in 164 innings in the minors projects well for his future, but the cause for concern in his time in the minors is his 76 combined free passes to batters. His walk numbers spiked in 2023 with 38 and came way down to 10 in 2024 in 25.2 minor league innings. If his 2024 momentum carries into 2025, his role in the bullpen will be intriguing, but as of now he is fighting to get into the bullpen in the first place.

Church got a taste of the big leagues late last year in a one inning outing against the Angels. He is not likely to fill the role and is a question mark to make the initial 26-man roster, but his stuff looks to be MLB ready. This is more than likely wishful thinking, but a good run in spring training can at least put him in the running for the position at some point.