What Rangers Have Enjoyed From Ex-Red Sox Nathan Eovaldi

Nathan Eovaldi made the switch after a five-year run with the Boston Red Sox, signing with the Texas Rangers this past offseason and it hasn’t taken very long for the right-hander to earn the trust of his new locker room.

In joining Texas, Eovaldi reunited with former Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers, who shared a glowing review of what the 33-year-old has meant to the Rangers in his first season with the team during an episode of Audacy Sports’ “Bradfo Sho,” hosted by WEEI’s Rob Bradford.

“He’s a competitor,” Hyers told Bradford. “… I just think he’s a reflection in some of our young arms and some of our pitchers. I think they see him in the clubhouse and he’s another that’s just steady and he’s in it for the right reasons. I mean he’s out there watching some of the young guys throwing bullpens. He’s out there talking to some of the young guys playing catch.”

Eovaldi is just 13 outings into his Rangers tenure and through that elite stretch, he’s rapidly grown into becoming the team’s unofficial ace of the rotation. Just recently, Texas lost fellow first-year arm Jacob deGrom to Tommy John surgery, prompting Eovaldi to step up, which he has.

He’s gone 9-2, notching a 2.49 ERA while pitching two complete games and quickly sneaking into American League Cy Young contention. Meanwhile, those results — plus Eovaldi’s intangibles — have translated as the Rangers sit atop the AL West above the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.

“What a great human being, but also he’s in it for the right reasons and I love that about him,” Hyers explained.