Nick Tepesch hasn't quite figured out the whole art of being a starting pitcher.
Sure, he's had some nice stretches as a starter, but his inability to pick up another solid pitch has made it really difficult for him to go deep into games and be successful enough to stick as a big-league starter.
For the second straight year, Tepesch seemed like the obvious favorite to win a starting spot in the rotation only to force the Rangers' hand in another direction with an awful showing in spring training. Last year was just horrendous, and instead of Tepesch the Rangers turned to a no-name youngster named Nick Martinez.
Now, Martinez has won the job as the Rangers' No. 5 starter, and Tepesch has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, where he'll be a part of the Express' rotation and try to hone his craft a little bit more.
Tepesch has the look of a solid starting pitcher. He's big, strong and has a nice delivery. He just needs some seasoning and hopefully he can eventually turn into someone the Rangers can trust for the long term.
