ARLINGTON -- Tyler Mahle flies under the radar.
After all, he¡¯s in the middle of a rotation headed by the likes of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, and he¡¯s alongside two of baseball¡¯s best pitching prospects in Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.
The Rangers signed the right-hander to a two-year, $22 million deal entering 2024 knowing that he would miss most of the year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He made only three starts late last season due to rehab and then right shoulder soreness upon his return.
In just over two turns through the rotation in 2025, however, Mahle has -- almost shockingly -- been the Rangers¡¯ most valuable starting pitcher.
The right-hander threw six innings in a 4-0 win over the Angels at Globe Life Field on Tuesday night, putting a hard stop to the club¡¯s three-game losing streak. Mahle collected a season-high nine strikeouts with 18 swings and misses.
¡°That's why we signed him,¡± said manager Bruce Bochy. ¡°This is the guy we know. He's healthy, and he's got a lot of poise out there. He made pitches when he had to. He doesn¡¯t let the game speed up at all. He just keeps his calmness out there, and he¡¯s got good weapons.¡±
Mahle has allowed only two runs in 19 2/3 innings in 2025, good for a 0.92 ERA. This comes after recording just five outs in his season debut against the Red Sox.
Additionally, he has allowed just eight hits through his first four starts, the lowest total by a Rangers pitcher through his first four starts of a season in franchise history (since 1961).
¡°It's a testament to the work that I've done over the years and the people that have been along that ride with me,¡± Mahle said of his hot start. ¡°I had all that time away from the game, not pitching for practically two years. That¡¯s a lot of time to try to figure out who you are and what you're good at.
¡°[Reds pitching coach] Derek Johnson, when I was with Cincy, he always preached: ¡®Be great at what you're good at.¡¯ I had two years to think about that. I¡¯ve just been going out and trying to do exactly that.¡±
Mahle has said multiple times that he hasn¡¯t felt this good since the 2022 season, when he was with the Reds. But even in ¡¯23, his right elbow issues cut short a promising campaign with the Twins, when he posted a 3.16 ERA with 28 strikeouts to five walks over his five starts.
His last healthy season was 2021, when he posted a 3.75 ERA across 180 innings.
If Mahle is healthy and pitching to his best ability, there is no telling the domino effect that can have on the overall effectiveness of a rotation with him, deGrom and Eovaldi at the top of it.
¡°Again, in ¡¯21 I felt good,¡± Mahle said. ¡°I was pitching well. But I've been hurt the whole time after that. So I think I'm still the same pitcher. It's just I've had some time to really hone in on what I'd like to do. ¡
¡°Everyone in a rotation, if we're clicking, we're probably the best rotation. We're super deep. If each guy's doing what they're capable of, that would have to be one of the best in baseball.¡±