Tar Heel fans remember Dalton Pence as a lockdown multi-inning reliever.
Whenever Scott Forbes needed some big outs, it was very likely that Pence would be the guy he'd call upon. While you could make the case that he was the best pitcher on the staff during his time in Chapel Hill and should've been in the starting rotation, he was so valuable in his role that it made it obvious that he fit perfectly as the top option out of the bullpen.
The Texas Rangers selected Pence in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, as their vision for him was not to have him come out of the pen, but to start games for them.
So far, it's been working out really well for both sides, as Pence has taken that next step toward the big leagues.
Dalton Pence earns a promotion to Double-A
Pence, who started the season with the Hub City Spartanburgers, the High-A affiliate for the Rangers organization, was promoted to Double-A. He made his debut with the Frisco RoughRiders on Thursday, putting together a strong outing in his debut at the Double-A level.
Dalton Pence made his Double-A debut last night. His line:
— The Prospect Times (@ProspectTimes) May 15, 2026
5 IP // 2 R // 5 H // 2 BB // 3 SO // 71/42 strikes, 7 whiffs
Overall, Pence completed five innings of work, allowing just two runs on five hits. He threw 71 pitches, 42 of which were strikes, and struck out three opposing hitters while initiating seven swings-and-misses.
Prior to his promotion to Double-A, Pence posted a 2.59 ERA over five starts at the High-A level. He hasn't been necessarily stretched out like you'd expect from starting pitchers (going closer to 100 pitches per outing), but he has been effectively putting in four to five innings of work while settling around the 70-75 pitch range.
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The encouraging sign is when the Rangers organization decides to extend him more, Pence should be able to use his efficient (yet effective) approach to extend his starts deeper into games.
Pence is an uber-talented arm who is trending toward a big league career. His versatility to be able to not only start games but to come out of the bullpen makes him an extremely valuable weapon, as his path to the big leagues could expedite given that he has the ability to thrive in either role.
For now, the goal remains for Pence to be a starting pitcher, a role he's done quite well in throughout his early professional baseball career.
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