Kolby Allard has had three quality starts in a row. 

In six starts in July and August, Dane Dunning has an ERA of 2.73.

Both are pitchers the Rangers are looking to build the future of their rotation around. Guys like Foltynewicz and Lyles are Nomads passing in the night on their way to other teams desperate for starters.

But Dunning and Allard are young, controllable arms who the Rangers are hoping can turn the corner and be reliable starters in the near future.

They’ve had their ups and downs like most young pitchers do, but lately they’ve been encouraging. That’s all this season was about. Finding positives in the steaming pile of losses.

On the offensive side, it appears the Rangers have a keeper in Adolis Garcia. Or, at least someone who’s earned another season.

But it’s pitching that this team desperately needs. Young pitching. Good, young pitching. It’s a foreign concept to Rangers fans but many teams have it.

If the Rangers can somehow develop Allard and Dunning, that’s two-fifths of what they need. They’re stuck with Kohei Arihara for one more year. Lyles and Foltynewicz are gone after this season. So it’s a pretty good bet they sign two or three more Foltynewiczs for next season because they always do, because they always need to.

Next year’s rotation might be a lot more encouraging than anything the Rangers have run out there in a long long time. Last year’s Lynn and Minor and Kluber never materialized. That could have been special. In 2017, Darvish and Hamels were supposed to be special. Both ended up with ERAs over 4.00.

So maybe Allard and Dunning can develop into something. Both will have their struggles, to be sure. But if they can start putting together more good wins than bad the rest of the season, get some real confidence under their belt, and finish strong, the Rangers might be able to finally turn the tables on 50 years of young pitching futility. 

That’s not too much to ask.

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