The Nolan Ryan curse has struck again.
The Rangers annually name the award after Nolan Ryan as the best minor league pitcher, but the winner of the award seems to be bound to either bad luck or injury within the franchise. The latest news is that right-hander Jose Corniel, the 2023 winner of the award, will miss this season. The pitcher is scheduled to undergo elbow ligament surgery, but the date has not yet been set. It is also unclear whether Corniel, who turns 21 on Saturday, will have medial brace surgery, which usually requires a short rehabilitation period, or a full ligament reconstruction.
Corniel hasn’t pitched this season because of elbow issues after going 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA at two Class A levels in 2023. A year ago, he struck out 119 batters in 101.2 innings and allowed just 31 walks.
The award has become an unofficial harbinger of bad luck. Over the past decade, the recipient has won just 22 games in major league baseball with the Rangers. Cole Ragans tried to break the streak of bad luck after winning the award in 2022, but he was traded to Kansas City last June for Aroldis Chapman. He’s been thriving with the Royals ever since.
Other recipients since 2013 have barely played for the Rangers, including Luke Jackson, Chichi Gonzalez, Ariel Jurado, Johander Mendez, Kyle Cody, Tyler Phillips, Jason Barr, Cole Winn, Ragans and Corniel. Winn and Corniel are the only two recipients still with the organization.
On the positive side for the Rangers, promising relief pitcher Isaac Tiger, who has pitched at speeds up to 100 mph since being selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft, is expected to start the season next week at Class A after overcoming elbow inflammation.
twitter: Evan Grant
See more Rangers coverage from the Dallas Morning News here..
Click or tap here to sign up for our Rangers newsletter.
