Cal Quantrill Earns PCL Pitcher of the Week Honors After Strong Performances

Round Rock Express pitcher Cal Quantrill has been recognized as the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week, a testament to his impressive recent performances on the mound.

At 31 years old, Quantrill faced a challenging start to the season. After being one of the final cuts from the Texas Rangers’ roster during spring training, he opted to remain with the team rather than exercise his right to opt out of his minor league contract. His initial outing for Round Rock was rough, lasting just two innings where he surrendered seven runs and issued four walks—an unusual display for the veteran pitcher.

However, Quantrill quickly rebounded with a stellar five-inning performance, allowing only three hits and no walks while striking out four batters. His momentum continued last week when he delivered a dominant seven-inning outing, yielding just two hits and one run from a solo homer, while racking up six strikeouts without issuing a single walk.

Originally signed to provide depth in the Rangers’ rotation, Quantrill has yet to be called upon as the team has not needed to seek reinforcements from Triple-A. Should the need arise, he would be a prime candidate for a promotion, although the presence of Jacob Latz in the bullpen currently reduces the likelihood of that scenario.

Once a highly regarded prospect, Quantrill was selected 8th overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2016 draft while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He later moved to the Cleveland Indians in a nine-player trade that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego. During his tenure with Cleveland in 2021 and 2022, Quantrill demonstrated flashes of brilliance, although his underlying metrics often suggested a less favorable picture than his ERA indicated.

After the 2023 season, he was traded to Colorado for minor league catcher Kody Huff—who, it’s worth noting, is not related to Sam Huff, despite both attending high school in Arizona. Quantrill had a solid season with the Rockies and made 24 starts for the Miami Marlins in 2025, along with two appearances for the Atlanta Braves, finishing with a combined 6.04 ERA and a 5.76 xERA. These numbers contributed to his signing of a minor league contract this year.

Given his skill set, Quantrill might not fit the mold of a traditional short reliever. If he does get called up, it’s more likely he would serve as a long reliever, potentially stepping in for Latz if a starter were to land on the injured list. With the current state of pitching across the majors, if Quantrill continues to excel in his recent outings, he may attract interest from teams seeking to bolster their rotation.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.