Ryan Lobus Could Be the Bullpen Answer the Rangers Are Looking For

The Texas Rangers’ rotation is shaping up to be one of the most formidable in baseball. With the addition of lefty MacKenzie Gore alongside Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jack Leiter, Texas is stacking arms like they’re preparing for October already. But while the top of the pitching staff looks rock solid, the bullpen remains a work in progress – and that’s where things get interesting heading into spring training.

One of the biggest questions the Rangers will need to answer over the next few weeks is this: Who’s going to handle those crucial middle innings once the starters hand over the ball?

Right now, that bridge between starter and closer is looking a little shaky. There’s not a ton of depth in the middle relief corps, which opens the door for a few under-the-radar names to make a case – including right-hander Ryan Lobus, a non-roster invitee who’s been quietly climbing the ranks.

Lobus Has Been Turning Heads in Frisco

Lobus has spent most of the past two seasons with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate in Frisco, and he’s done more than just hold his own. The 25-year-old reliever, who joined the organization in 2023, has carved out a niche as a long-relief option with the kind of stuff that doesn’t light up radar guns but still gets results.

In 2025, Lobus logged 67.1 innings across 45 appearances, with three of those coming as starts. He posted a 7-3 record with a 4.14 ERA, a clean 1.15 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts against just 27 walks. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but they’re the kind that suggest consistency, command, and the ability to eat innings – all valuable traits for a bullpen in transition.

What makes Lobus effective isn’t overpowering velocity, but rather his command of a solid three-pitch mix. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he brings a deceptive delivery and a breaking ball that sets up a changeup with late, diving action – especially tough on right-handers down and in, and just as nasty fading away from lefties.

He flashed that upside in a big way on August 16, 2024, when he struck out 11 over four one-hit innings of relief for High-A Hickory. That performance earned him a promotion to Frisco, and he hasn’t looked back since.

A Real Shot at a Role in 2026

With the rotation more or less set – the only real battle being between Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker for the fifth spot – Lobus isn’t being asked to crack the starting five. But the bullpen? That’s wide open, especially in the middle innings.

The Rangers are still figuring out who can fill the kind of role Jacob Webb and Hoby Milner handled last season – reliable arms who can come in during the fifth or sixth and keep a game from spiraling. That’s exactly where Lobus fits in.

He’s not in the mix for the closer job, and that’s fine. Not everyone needs to be a ninth-inning fireman to have value.

In fact, the middle innings are often where games are won or lost – especially when a starter exits early and the bullpen has to cover three or four frames. That’s where Lobus could shine.

If he shows well in spring training, starting with his first opportunity on February 20 against the Royals, he could earn himself a spot on the Opening Day roster. And given the current state of the Rangers’ bullpen, the timing couldn’t be better.

A Name to Watch

Lobus might not be a top prospect, and he’s not going to dominate headlines, but every contending team needs arms like his – guys who can come in, throw strikes, miss bats, and keep the game under control. The Rangers have the frontline starters. Now they need the glue guys to hold it all together.

Ryan Lobus has a chance to be one of those guys. Spring training is his audition, and the stage is set.