Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi reaching historic heights

Nathan Eovaldi has himself in rare air so far this season. 

The Rangers right-hander has a microscopic 1.38 ERA through 19 starts in 2025.

That’s not only easily the lowest among pitchers with at least 100 innings this season, but it’s among the best in baseball history. 

Through a starter’s first 19 outings of a season, Eovaldi’s 1.38 ERA is the fifth-lowest ever, trailing only Bob Gibson (1.06, 1968), Luis Tiant (1.27, 1968), Zack Greinke (1.30, 2015), and Vida Blue (1.37, 1971).

In late May, Eovaldi went down with a triceps injury, sidelining him for a month. 

With his name missing from the ERA leaderboards thanks to a right triceps injury that sidelined him for a month, Eovaldi’s historic season has been overlooked. 

The two-time All-Star has logged just 111 innings this season, leaving him just a handful short of the required one inning-per-game mark. 

If he’s able to get to that 162-inning number, Eovaldi is threatening to join an exclusive list of some of the best seasons by a starting pitcher in recent league history. 

Just 20 pitchers in the divisional era (since 1969) have tossed at least 162 innings with an ERA under 2.00.

Eovaldi’s recent stretch suggests that he shouldn’t have much of a problem making that happen. 

He’s allowed one or zero earned runs in 13 of his last 14 starts, joining Gibson during his 1968 season as the only non-opener starter in the Modern Era to accomplish such a feat, according to OptaSTATS.

The only outing Eovaldi allowed more than a single earned run? His return from the triceps injury after a month off the mound.

In July, Eovaldi had a 0.59 ERA over five starts en route to the American League Pitcher of the Month.

The 35-year-old veteran was somehow even better than that, kicking off his August on Tuesday night against the Yankees. 

Eovaldi completely shut down the Bombers over eight innings, allowing only a bloop double off the bat of Anthony Volpe with six strikeouts in the Rangers’ 2-0 win. 

If he keeps up anywhere close to this pace, Eovaldi will give Tigers ace Tarik Skubal a run for the Cy Young award, who looked to be running away with the award for the second straight season before Eovaldi’s long stretch of dominance. 

No matter how 2025 ends for Eovaldi, it’s already looking like the best season of his 14-year career — he’s never posted an ERA below 3.39 over a full season. 

After his most recent outing, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy raved about the starter that has emerged as his ace — even with two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom in the same rotation.

“I don’t know what else to say about him,” Bochy said, according to MLB.com. “I mean, what a job. Tremendous effort with his stuff and focus. Eight innings. We needed it. We couldn’t score a run, and for him to do what he did today, just says so much about him. He’s fun to watch.

“You’re seeing pitching at his finest when he’s out there. We needed it. We had our guy out there. What a job he did.”