This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Cole Ragans could not only feel, but see just how nervous he was for his MLB debut when he picked up a water bottle.

“I could see the water shaking,” Ragans said. “I was like, ‘Oh boy.’”

One of the things that helped him relax was knowing that his friend, outfielder Bubba Thompson, was going through the same thing.

Thompson and Ragans, the club’s No. 27 and No. 29 prospects, respectively, both made their MLB debuts on Thursday in the Rangers’ series opener against the White Sox -- a journey that has been a long time coming for the former first-round picks.

Ragans, who was selected by the Rangers in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, once thought his baseball career was over after undergoing back-to-back Tommy John surgeries that caused him to miss the entire 2018, '19 and '20 seasons.

He refused to hang up his cleats, though, and his comeback began in the 2021 season as the left-hander worked his way through the Minor League system and to the Majors. Ragans struck out three through five innings in his MLB debut on Thursday and ended with a no-decision as the Rangers defeated the White Sox, 3-2.

Thompson, a 2017 first-round pick, struggled with injuries throughout his career in the Minors, as well, but has been able to remain healthy over the last couple seasons. In his debut and the game following, Thompson turned heads with his speed on the bases and in the outfield.

Before being called up from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, he was leading the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 49. In his second career start on Friday, Thompson stole two bags, becoming the first Rangers rookie to record two or more stolen bases through his first two career games in the Majors.

“It was good to get my feet wet, to get on the bases and show I can steal, too,” Thompson said. “It was pretty cool to be out there, stealing some bags and knowing I can steal at the highest level.”

Thompson started again on Saturday, simply because Rangers manager Chris Woodward couldn’t see it any other way.

“He kind of forced my hand and now I can’t not see him in there,” Woodward said.