In a memorable spring training moment, Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker informed rookie right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler that he had made the team's Opening Day roster. The news was delivered during a mound visit in a Cactus League game against the Kansas City Royals on March 23, 2026, at Surprise Stadium in Arizona.
Schumaker approached the mound not to remove Baumler from the game, but to congratulate him on earning a spot. The 23-year-old pitcher, a former fifth-round draft pick in 2020, was competing for a bullpen role after missing significant time earlier in his career due to Tommy John surgery.
"It was a pretty cool moment," Schumaker was quoted as saying in post-game reports. The manager emphasized that Baumler's performance throughout camp, including his composure and stuff, warranted the promotion to the major league roster for the start of the 2026 season.
The Rangers are set to break camp and begin the regular season on the road against the Chicago White Sox on April 2, 2026. Baumler's inclusion adds a new arm to a bullpen looking to support the team's defense of its 2025 American League West title.
