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Back in Arlington, All-Star LHP Cole Ragans looks back at ‘crazy’ rise to MLB stardom

About a year after being traded to Kansas City by the Rangers, Ragans has inserted himself into superstar territory.

ARLINGTON — Cole Ragans’ last locker within the Globe Life Field home clubhouse was inside, to the right and a few spots down from the entrance to the showers. His new locker — or, at least, the one he’d use Tuesday for this one-day celebration of baseball’s best talent — was on the opposite end next to Kansas City teammates Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr.

Could he ever imagine this?

“At the time?” Ragans asked.

Yeah, after he moved out of this clubhouse and into the Royals’ when the Texas Rangers dealt him last June in exchange for left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

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“No,” he said. “I don’t ... I mean ... no. This is what you dream about as a kid.”

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Few could’ve expected this in fairness. For a handful of reasons. Ragans, a left-handed pitcher, pitched the sixth inning on Tuesday night, surrendering one hit in his first All-Star Game in the home stadium of the team that drafted him eight years ago, on the field where he made his major league debut two seasons ago and in the city that won a World Series last fall just months after he was traded.

“It’s crazy,” Ragans said. “I’m blessed to be here. It’s crazy what a year can do ... these guys are superstars. Some of these guys are the face of this game and are going to be for a long time.”

Ragans, despite the odds, has inserted himself into that territory. The Rangers selected the Tallahassee, Fla. native in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft but a pair of Tommy John surgeries in both 2018 and 2019 caused him to miss three straight seasons. He went, in total, 1,344 days between professional starts before he pitched for High-A Hickory on May 5, 2021.

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He made his major league debut at Globe Life Field on May 5, 2022 against the Chicago White Sox, then earned a spot on Texas’ opening day roster prior to last season. He pitched in 17 games before the bullpen-strapped Rangers (who couldn’t squeeze Ragans into their rotation) shipped him off to the Royals in exchange for Chapman.

Now look at him. The 26-year-old yielded a 2.64 ERA in 71 2/3 innings pitched for Kansas City last season after the trade and has developed into one of baseball’s best lefty starters. He has a 3.16 ERA in 20 starts for the Royals (52-45) this season.

“I’m really happy for him,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy before the game in which he served as skipper for Ragans and the AL All-Star team. “Gosh, what he’s gone through, and such a great guy, great teammate. I’m happy that he’s here and I’m able to pitch him today.”

It’s a shared sentiment.

“I said the same thing: ‘It’s crazy what a year can do,’” said Ragans, who also talked with Rangers general manager Chris Young while in Arlington for this week’s festivities. “Those guys, I have nothing but respect for all those guys.”

Ragans, under the direction of Bochy and his former pitching coach Mike Maddux, shared a dugout on Tuesday night with ex-teammates Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.

It’s a little different than the last time he did that.

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“We miss him,” Semien said Tuesday. “He looks like he’s grown so much in a short amount of time ... this All-Star game is just the start.”

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