Rangers Sign Luke Jackson to One-Year Deal

By Nate Miller

Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images

February 17, 2025

The Texas Rangers added to their pitching staff on Monday afternoon by agreeing to terms with right-hander Luke Jackson. The new deal covers the 2025 season. To clear a spot for Jackson on the 40-man roster, right-hander Josh Sborz was placed on the 60-day injured list. Sborz is recovering from shoulder surgery that he underwent in November.

Familiar Surroundings

For Jackson, the signing marks his return to the organization that originally selected him with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2010 draft. The Rangers traded Luke Jackson to the Atlanta Braves in 2016, receiving pitchers Brady Feigl and Tyrell Jenkins in return. Neither wound up throwing a pitch for the Rangers, while Jackson eventually emerged as a reliable setup man for the Braves, with his best year coming during the team’s World Series run in 2021.

Luke Jackson was sidelined in 2022 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. That was his final year of control with the Braves before becoming a free agent. He landed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the San Francisco Giants in free agency. Jackson pitched well in the first year of the deal. He tossed 33 1/3 innings, posting a 2.97 ERA in his return from surgery before struggling in year two. He went back to the Braves alongside Jorge Soler in a salary-driven deadline swap. Jackson posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.556 WHIP in 18 innings with the Braves and allowed walks to 13% of his opponents. (NL Avg BB%: 8.2%)

Elevated ERA in 2024

In 53 innings last season, Jackson owned an ERA of 5.09. He did, however, post a 1.98 ERA in 2021 and a 2.97 ERA in 2023 on either end of his elbow surgery. Between those two seasons, he totaled 97 innings with a 2.32 ERA, 28% strikeout rate, and 10.9% walk rate. He excelled in plenty of high-leverage spots, particularly with the Braves in 2021, when he racked up a career-best 31 holds.

That’ll be the form the Rangers hope to capture in 2025. His 94.7 mph average fastball this past season was down noticeably from his 96.1 mph peak, but he averaged only 94.4 mph in 2023, so there’s evidence to suggest he can succeed even if his fastball never quite bounces back to pre-surgery levels.