Rangers' deGrom Dazzles, Rocker Impresses in Spring Training

Corey Seager's three-run homer highlights offensive outburst in win over Cubs

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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In a spring training matchup between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs, veteran pitcher Jacob deGrom delivered a dominant outing, striking out five batters over three scoreless innings. Rookie Kumar Rocker also impressed with four solid innings, though he relied less on his changeup than the Rangers would like. The offensive star of the day was Corey Seager, who hit a three-run homer in the first inning to power the Rangers to an 8-3 victory.

Why it matters

The performances of deGrom and Rocker are crucial for the Rangers as they look to build a strong starting rotation for the upcoming season. Seager's early offensive production is also an encouraging sign after the team struggled to score runs in the first inning last year.

The details

deGrom, the Rangers' prized offseason acquisition, said he is still working on trusting his mechanics, but his stuff was electric as he breezed through three innings. Rocker, the team's top pitching prospect, retired the first seven batters he faced and struck out five, though he relied less on his changeup than the Rangers would like. Seager, the Rangers' star shortstop, crushed a three-run homer in the first inning, an at-bat that highlighted the team's improved offensive production early in games compared to last season.

  • On March 10, 2026, the Rangers defeated the Cubs 8-3 in a spring training matchup.

The players

Jacob deGrom

A veteran pitcher and the Rangers' prized offseason acquisition, who delivered a dominant outing in spring training.

Kumar Rocker

The Rangers' top pitching prospect, who had an encouraging outing despite relying less on his changeup than the team would like.

Corey Seager

The Rangers' star shortstop, who hit a three-run homer in the first inning to power the team's offensive outburst.

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What they’re saying

“It's better, but it still feels like too much off a thought right now. I just want to continue working on that trust in mechanics. Because right now it's still quite a bit of, like, 'Hey, stay back. Do this. Do this. Do this.'”

— Jacob deGrom (dallasnews.com)

What’s next

The Rangers will continue to monitor deGrom and Rocker's progress as they prepare for the upcoming season. Seager's early offensive production is a positive sign, and the team will look to build on their improved first-inning scoring from the past few games.

The takeaway

The performances of deGrom, Rocker, and Seager in this spring training game highlight the Rangers' efforts to build a strong pitching rotation and an offense that can produce early in games. These developments are crucial as the team looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season and compete in the AL West.