Presumably, there aren’t a ton of spots open for grabs as the Texas Rangers embark on Spring Training.

Most of the positions feel pretty set, with rotation spots Nos. 1-4 almost certain. And there is no doubt several relievers you feel pretty confident are going to be on the Opening Day roster.

With that said, there aren’t a ton of interesting storylines to watch for, but the competition for the fifth starter spot certainly makes up for that.

Kumar Rocker and Jacob Latz appear to be making up the bulk of the competition, and one of them is already turning heads.

Earlier this week, Rocker threw his first live batting practice of Spring Training, and it certainly caught the attention of his new manager.

“Rocker looked really good yesterday,” Rangers first-year manager Skip Schumaker said when meeting with the media on Monday morning.

“There was intent behind his live, I felt like he was on the gas pedal with throwing strikes. His velocity was up, the sinker was real, he threw a couple of four-seamers at the top, and the slider and changeup were both effective to lefties, so it was an impressive start,” Schumaker said.

Something that tormented Rocker last season was his ability to control the run game when guys reached base against him, but it appears that has been a focal point this offseason.

“Even the run game, he was working from the stretch and doing an abbreviated quick step or slide step," Schumaker said. "No one told him to do that, which is good to see that he’s been working on. There were a lot of things to like yesterday."

Last season, Rocker made 14 starts with the Rangers, going 4-5 with a 5.74 ERA in 64.1 innings pitched.

This season, the Rangers are hoping that Rocker can take a step forward and become more like the pitcher he was at Vanderbilt, which led them to select him third overall in the 2022 draft.

If Rocker does wind up winning the fifth starter position, then it would allow for Latz to be used as a swing man out of the bullpen, giving the Rangers' pitching staff more depth.

Of course, Spring Training results will be huge for Rocker once the exhibition slate gets underway later this week, but there’s no doubt he is not waiting to make an impression.

Earlier this week, Rangers starter Jack Leiter said, “If there’s anyone I would not want to bet against, it’s Rocker,” and the team is hoping that he is more than right.

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