Nathan Eovaldi’s Remarkable Season

Nathan Eovaldi is having an extraordinary year on the mound. The Rangers right-handed pitcher boasts an impressively low 1.38 ERA after 19 starts in 2025.

This stat doesn’t just top the charts among pitchers with 100 innings pitched this season; it also ranks as one of the best in baseball history.

In fact, Eovaldi’s ERA is the fifth lowest ever recorded during the first 19 outings of a season, trailing only iconic figures like Bob Gibson and Lewis Tiant from 1968, Zach Greinke from 2015, and Vida Blue from 1971.

However, Eovaldi faced some setbacks this season. He suffered a triceps injury in late May that sidelined him for about a month, which partially explains why his outstanding performance has flown under the radar.

Despite appearing in only 111 innings this season, Eovaldi is at risk of falling short of the innings threshold. If he can reach the target of 162 innings, he’s poised to join an exclusive club of pitchers who have recorded ERAs under 2.00.

Since the division era began in 1969, only 20 pitchers have accomplished this feat. Eovaldi’s recent form indicates he should easily hit this milestone.

He’s been particularly dominant, allowing one run or none in 13 of his last 14 starts. Remarkably, he has matched Gibson’s performance in 1968 as one of the very few starting pitchers in the modern era to achieve such results.

Notably, his only outing where he conceded one or more runs was right after returning from injury. In July alone, Eovaldi recorded a stunning 0.59 ERA over five starts, gaining recognition as the American League’s pitcher of the month.

At 35 years old, he continues to impress, particularly during his recent game against the Yankees, where Eovaldi pitched eight scoreless innings, yielding only a couple of weak hits and striking out six batters, leading the Rangers to a 2-0 victory.

If he keeps this pace, there’s potential for Eovaldi to contend for the Cy Young Award against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Regardless of how the season ultimately unfolds, it is already shaping up to be the best of Eovaldi’s 14-year career. After his latest performance, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy praised his ace for delivering exactly what the team needed.

“I don’t know what else to say about him,” Bochy commented. “What a job. A huge effort focused on his stuff. Eight innings. We needed it. He’s fun to watch. When he’s on, you see him pitching at his finest. We had our guy there. What a job he did.”