
#1 SP · Rangers
Height
6'2"
Weight
193 lbs
Age
27
College
N/A
Draft
2017, Rd 1, #3
Experience
4 yrs
Bats/Throws
L/L
Grade this player:
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | ![]() | 111 | 4.201775 | 28-43 | 631 | 1.3952663 | 0.0 | 0 |
Length
1 year
Total Value
$5.6M
Guaranteed
$3.4M
AAV
$5.6M/yr
MacKenzie Gore's one-year, $5.6M deal with the Rangers earns a C+ CVI, reflecting solid value for an above-average starter with upside but notable risk factors. The 25-year-old left-hander brings legitimate strikeout ability and showed flashes of frontline potential during his breakout 2022 campaign, making this a reasonable gamble on talent over recent results. At $5.6M AAV, Texas isn't overpaying for a pitcher who profiles as a back-end rotation piece with the ceiling of something more, especially considering the premium market for starting pitching. The one-year commitment provides ideal flexibility for both sides — Gore gets a chance to rebuild his value after an inconsistent 2023-24, while the Rangers avoid long-term exposure to a pitcher whose command and durability remain question marks. This deal makes particular sense for Texas as they look to supplement their rotation without blocking prospects or committing serious money to anything beyond proven ace Nathan Eovaldi. While Gore's volatility keeps this from being a home run signing, the price point and term structure create enough upside potential to justify the investment for a contending club.
The public narrative around MacKenzie Gore sits at a C+ right now, and that grade accurately reflects a fan base still waiting for the full promise of a high-profile acquisition to materialize on the field. Gore arrived in Texas via a five-for-one trade with the Nationals — a deal that generated genuine buzz and positioned him as a meaningful rotation piece — but the sentiment has cooled noticeably over the last 30 days, sliding from a B+ down to its current standing as the Rangers sit at 16-19 and mired in a three-game losing streak. The media framing around him has been carefully balanced: the coverage acknowledges his four years of MLB experience and the legitimate upside of a former third-overall pick, but the absence of any breakout headlines this season has kept the conversation stuck in "solid starter with potential" territory rather than anything approaching ace-level recognition. Recent team activity — roster shuffling, IL moves, and minor league transactions — reinforces the sense that the organization is still piecing things together around a rotation anchored by Gore, which does little to elevate the broader narrative. His performance grade mirrors the sentiment grade exactly, meaning there's no disconnect between what fans feel and what the on-field product is delivering, which is both honest and somewhat damning at this stage of a competitive spring. The bottom line is that Gore remains a respected name in the Rangers' plans, but with the organization sitting outside a playoff position and no dominant stretch play to point to, the window for a sentiment surge is narrowing with every loss.
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, 5/7 | @ NYY | L 2-9 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| Fri, 5/1 | @ DET | W 5-4 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
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MacKenzie Gore is a player in his 4th MLB season listed at SP for the Rangers. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for MacKenzie Gore: Contract Value Index C+, Performance C+, Sentiment C+, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
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