This overlooked pitching prospect has a wide open path at Rangers spring training

With the addition of left-handed starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, the Texas Rangers may have the best starting rotation in the major leagues. The bullpen, however, is still undergoing a major overhaul, and there are several questions that need to be addressed during spring training.

One of those questions is who will be providing middle-inning relief once starters Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jack Leiter, and Gore take a seat after hopefully having delivered a quality start.

The Rangers are thin in middle relief right now, and that may mean that non-roster spring training invitee Ryan Lobus should get plenty of work, starting with the first game on February 20 against the Kansas City Royals.

Texas Rangers prospect Ryan Lobus has been pitching well at Double-A Frisco

Lobus spent the tail end of 2024 and all of 2025, pitching for the Rangers' Double-A affiliate Frisco. The 25-year-old prospect joined the organization in 2023 and has made significant strides working almost exclusively out of the bullpen in long relief.

Last season, Lobus pitched 67.1 innings over 45 appearances and also made three starts. He notched a 7-3 record with a 4.14 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts against only 27 walks.

The lanky 6-foot-2-inch 180-pounder from Marietta, Georgia, doesn't overpower hitters, but has plus breaking stuff that sets up an effective change-up that drops down and in on right-handed hitters and low and away from lefties.

On August 16, 2024, Lobus struck out 11 batters over four one-hit relief innings for High-A Hickory, which led to his promotion to Frisco, so he has sneaky stuff.

With the bullpen in a fluid state, now is Ryan Lobus' time to show he can stick with the big league club

The starting slots are all but filled to start the season, with the only real competition being between lefty Jacob Latz and righty Kumar Rocker for the number five spot. So, if Lobus is going to stick, it's going to be in a middle-inning relief role, which is his specialty.

He would likely be fighting for a similar spot to what righty Jacob Webb and lefty Hoby Milner held last season.

No one is asking Lobus to contend for the vacant closer role, but having a guy who can bridge the gap between the starter and the set-up pitcher is still a valuable and underappreciated role that contributes to winning baseball games.