Newly acquired starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore had his introductory press conference for the Texas Rangers on Thursday afternoon, and these are the main takeaways from Gore and the Rangers’ remarks.
The Biggest Takeaways from MacKenzie Gore’s First Rangers Press Conference
This is a Win-Now Move
The Rangers paid a heavy price to acquire Gore, and President of Baseball Operations Chris Young believes that this signing can help get them back to the playoffs. “We felt like this was worth it, in terms of getting a starting pitcher to fit in with a rotation with Jack Leiter, Jacob deGrom, and Nathan Eovaldi, and having MacKenzie in that rotation, really, we feel like gives us a chance to win day in, day out.”
The Rangers have one of the best rotations in the league, and it should carry them through many games. However, that rotation will be tested as they face contenders like the Toronto Blue Jays, who made the World Series last year, as well as the Seattle Mariners, who made the ALCS and dominated the Rangers last year with a 10-3 head-to-head record.
Even with these obstacles, the front office believes that Gore will give them an edge.
MacKenzie Gore, Texas Ranger pic.twitter.com/Y3V1zNrwi4
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) January 29, 2026
Gore Thrilled to Join the Rotation
Gore shares this mindset as he is excited to be part of the Texas rotation and grow. “I’m really excited to be a part of this group. I think if you’re playing anything, you want to win.”
It makes sense why he wants to join the Rangers rotation, as they led MLB with a 3.41 ERA in 2025. The rotation is headlined by aces Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, with young pitcher Jack Leiter holding down his spot, and the final spot being up for grabs between Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker.
This leads to less pressure on Gore as he goes from the ace on a bad Washington Nationals team to a middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Rangers, and gives him a chance to learn from two of the best pitchers in baseball.
Gore will be a fly on the wall and do his best to learn from them. “I think the biggest thing is, just like you said, being around them, I think you learn a lot from just kind of watching, once you kind of get into the season, be able to ask the right questions and see how they go about their business, because they’ve been really good for a long time.”
Rangers Believe They Can Unlock Gore’s Potential
The management is confident that they can get the most out of Gore, and General Manager Ross Fenstermaker backs up that belief. “He’s an All-Star pitcher coming into his own. We think there’s a lot of positives here now, and we can continue to level up.”
Gore has had flashes of being a great pitcher, and looking at last year, you can see why they believe this. He had a great first half last year with a 3.02 ERA and earned an All-Star nod. Then he hit a bump in the road, posting a 6.75 ERA in the second half. But the team is confident that they can tap into their first-half selves with new pitching coach Jordan Tiegs and the rest of the staff.
The Last Word
The Rangers and MacKenzie Gore are ready for the team to compete, and their strong rotation will headline the team. Time will tell if the move works, but both parties are ready to win.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images