Rangers Pitcher Carter Baumler Surprised to Learn He Made the Opening Day Roster Carter Baumler, a rookie right-hander for the Texas Rangers, was caught off guard when his manager, Skip Schumaker, surprised him during a spring training game. The unexpected visit to the mound in the fifth inning of a matchup against the Kansas City Royals confirmed that Baumler had secured a spot on the team’s opening day roster. Schumaker approached the mound after Baumler retired the first two batters of the inning. Alongside him were Texas catcher Danny Jansen and all four infielders, who gathered to deliver the news. Schumaker informed Baumler he would start the season in the Rangers’ bullpen, a development that left the 24-year-old reliever stunned. “I wasn’t expecting it. I was like, ‘why is he coming out here?’ And he got on the mound and told me I made the team,” Baumler said during an in-game TV interview. “I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game. ... Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you’re usually done.” Baumler, who had never pitched above Double-A prior to this opportunity, maintained his composure to strike out Isaac Collins on a 96.8 mph fastball, ending the inning. The moment was celebrated by his teammates, who greeted him with high-fives after the third out. Jansen patted Baumler’s chest with his catcher’s mitt as a gesture of congratulations. The surprise announcement came after a strong spring training performance. In eight games, Baumler allowed just one earned run while striking out 10 batters over 9 1/3 innings. His journey to the majors has been marked by perseverance. Selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round of the 2020 amateur draft, Baumler underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted.#kansas_city_royals #carter_baumler #skip_schumaker #danny_jansen #texas_rangers
