Scott Lucas

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, Reno (ARI) 8 (11)
Round Rock: 10 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 19-13, 5 GB, 50-57 overall

SP Dalton Pence: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 43 P / 25 S, 10.80 ERA
RP Winston Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 5.79 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.86 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 3-6, HR (6), SB (9), .382/.449/.683
C Logan O’Hoppe: 0-3, BB, HBP
3B Diego Castillo: 3-4, 2B, .309/.387/.435

Dalton Pence has had a terrific year, but I can’t say I was expecting a promotion to AAA this soon, especially after witnessing last Saturday’s start at San Antonio. That night, Pence allowed his most runners of the season. Last night, he failed to reach four innings for the first time. AA might be better than AAA in terms of prospect-watching, but it absolutely is not better in quality. Not that Pence is unaware, but the Aces reminded us fans just in case. 

The telling plate appearance was #9 hitter Anderdson Rojas (yes, two “d”s), who isn’t a slugger but strikes out infrequently. Pence started up 0-2, but Rojas fouled off three fastballs and refused to chase a split and slide. He smacked the eighth pitch, a high fastball, for a run-scoring single. Pitches that might have resulted in a strikeout at a lower level weren’t succeeding here, so the question is how does Pence adjust. Also, given his overall fine results, I’d say he’s just in a down period. It happens. Pence threw a higher percentage of splits versus last week, but a fair number just didn’t appear to leave his hand properly and were very high. Reno didn’t swing at a single out-of-zone changeup. As a back-of-the-rotation candidate, he needs his entire repertoire in form. 

Emiliano Teodo’s first inning yesterday might have been his best all season. He touched the zone often enough and induced seven misses on ten swings, including two in a span of three pitches with a changeup. Alas, he turned to the mound for more duty and spiked two sliders en route to a five-pitch walk. Still, Teodo showed his ceiling for a little while. 

Having thrown 12 pitches last night, Chris Martin entered with two out and a runner on third in the 6th. He needed two pitches to induce an inning-ending grounder. I assume that if he awakened this morning feeling okay he’ll rejoin the Rangers shortly. 

Winston Santos, Marc Church and Alexis Diaz also threw scoreless innings. 

Logan O’Hoppe didn’t create any magic with the bat but drew a bases-loaded walk and threw out a runner attempting to steal in the 11th. 

Jarred Kelenic hit a game-ending homer in the 11th. 


AA: Frisco 0, Corpus Christi (HOU) 7
Frisco: 6 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 8 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 17-15, tied for first, 56-44 overall

SP D.J. McCarty: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 0 SO, 30 P / 13 S, 10.80 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, 2B, .290/.365/.497

Sebastian Walcott was pulled mid-game after a pickoff throw bounced past the first baseman’s glove and into Walcott’s forehead. Hopefully, he suffered no more than a bad bruise, but we shall see. 

Rafe Perich did not play for a second straight night. 


Hi-A: Hub City 12, Rome (ATL) 6
Hub City: 10 hits, 11 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 11-24, 13 GB, 45-56 overall

SP Izack Tiger: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 63 P / 43 S, 1026.00 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 1 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.89 ERA
DH Paxton Kling: 1-4, BB, 3 SB (20), .260/.398/.398
2B Casey Cook: 0-1, 2 BB, 2 HBP, SB (1), .174/.333/.391
SS Luke Hanson: 2-3, 2 BB, .274/.355/.438
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .243/.342/.457
RF Maxton Martin: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .231/.304/.422

My Izack Tiger review: “[Rating:] down slightly. I will be inclined to upgrade to even with just one better outing.”

I guess I’m inclined to upgrade. Control hasn’t been the concern since his return as much as command. He’s throwing strikes, but opposing hitters have adored his location. Yesterday, he didn’t throw nearly as many “uh oh” pitches and also had Emperor hitters looking quite uncomfortable, guessing wrong and swinging early or late. In the 2nd, he buried a hitter with a 3-2 splitter, an infrequent pitch in 2026. Tiger will be Rule 5-eligible if unprotected this fall. His job in the remaining weeks is to become the type of player not ready for MLB but too promising to risk losing, more common among younger international free agents. 


Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Delmarva (BAL) 0
Hickory: 11 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Record: 25-9, 5 G up, 59-39 overall

SP Jacob Johnson: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 30 P / 20 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Moises Morales: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 3.69 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.16 ERA
LF Marco Argudin: 2-5, HR (2), .277/.412/.385
DH Pablo Guerrero: 2-3, 2B, HR (3), 2 BB, .328/.453/.525
C Noah Franklin: 3-5

Johnson excelled in his full-season debut. The fastball hovered around 95, matching what registered in limited Arizona data. Control was a mild issue at the complex, so a strike-filled, walk-free outing was especially nice. He missed seven bats in 15 swings. Moises Morales and Michael Trausch no-hit the Birds the rest of the way. Hickory is a very good team, Delmarva is very bad. 

Angel Arredondo has started at third base twice for low-A Rancho Cucamonga and is 2-for-8 with a double. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Townsend
Hi-A: Segura
Lo-A: Lafalaise

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The signing deadline passed with 16th-round righty Ryan Ure and 18th-round OF Will Taylor on the outside. Ure spent the next four years pitching sparingly and without great results for Oklahoma State. He was drafted as a junior by the Bucs in 2024’s 19th round but declined again. He signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and had a 20.25 ERA for high-A Quad Cities with 28 walks and seven strikeouts in 12 innings. He was released last week. 

Taylor dropped from the early rounds because of his football commitment to Clemson, but his gridiron career was fairly undistinguished, and he focused solely on baseball as a junior. Pittsburgh drafted him in 2024’s 5th round. He’s batting .231/.337/.367 for AA Altoona.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Reno (ARI) 4
Round Rock: 10 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 18-13, 5 GB, 49-57 overall

SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 81 P / 56 S, 5.44 ERA
RP Chris Martin: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 8.22 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.12 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 2-4, 3B, SB (8), .376/.447/.667
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, 3B, BB, .270/.381/.391
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-3, HR (8), BB, .226/.314/.425
RF Julian Brock: 2-3, 2B, BB, .438/.550/.750

Chris Martin missed two bats with a splitter. They’re his first two whiffs on splitters in the entire season. In most seasons including 2025, that pitch has generated the most swinging strikes for him (as a percentage of pitches thrown). 

He’d virtually ignored it during his prior four rehabs outings, throwing only two. Combining MLB and AAA, opponents are slugging 1.667 when they put a splitter into play. Last year, that number was .318, and 29% of swings against splitters were whiffs. 

His splitter outcomes in 2025 and 2026:



AA: Frisco 2, Corpus Christi (HOU) 3
Frisco: 4 hits, 1 walk, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 17-14, tied for first, 56-43 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 85 P / 52 S, 5.13 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2.66 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, HR (17), .288/.364/.494

Frisco was forced into defensive creativity when LF Keith Jones II was ejected. With no other true outfielder or even a utility man available, Frisco could have put any of 2B Max Wagner, SS Frainyer Chavez or 3B Corey Joyce in the outfield. All have extremely limited experience there but not zero, and Rafe Perich, who had the night off, could have taken an infield spot. Instead, Perich stayed put — a decision that caught my attention given the time of year — and catcher Ian Moller jogged out to the grass for the first time as a professional. Predictably, the second batter of the inning lofted a fly his direction, and he caught it easily as the nearby Frisco bullpen cheered. 

Aidan Curry had a quirky night, missing 17 bats out of 39 swings but sending only four batters plodding back to the dugout.


Hi-A: Hub City 2, Rome (ATL) 5
Hub City: 5 hits, 2 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 10-24, 14 GB, 44-56 overall

SP Caden Scarborough: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 71 P / 39 S, 3.71 ERA
RF Maxton Martin: 2-4, 2B, .230/.300/.420
SS Luke Hanson: 2-4, 2B, SB (13), .270/.349/.435

Scarborough was quirky as well: only two walks and two other three-ball counts to his 15 batters, but a subpar 55% strike rate. He opened the 5th with a single and walk, and both would score againr Luimy Munoz. 

OF Paxton Kling returned to action after six weeks on the shelf with a wrist fracture. He went 1-4 with three strikeouts as a DH. 

Hub City is 10-27 since peaking at 34-29. 


Lo-A: Hickory 14, at Delmarva (BAL) 2
Hickory: 16 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 24-9, 4.5 G up, 58-39 overall

SP Mason McConnaughey: 1 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 33 P / 17 S, 5.63 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 2.73 ERA
also 0-0, 2 BB as hitter
RP Geury Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.80 ERA
also 0-0, BB as hitter
CF Marco Argudin: 3-6, .273/.412/.364
LF Paulino Santana: 3-5, 3B, HR (12), HBP, .267/.396/.444
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-5, BB, .310/.429/.448
RF Kaden Carpenter: 2-5, 2B, HR (1), BB
2B Daniel Flames: 2-2, 2 2B, BB, .272/.361/.343

Catcher Sebastian Baquera left after singling and advancing to third in the top of the 2nd.* Noah Franklin, the only other catcher, was the DH, so Hickory was forced to send their pitchers to the plate when Franklin donned the gear. In his first two professional plate appearances, Jormy Nivar drew two six-pitch walks. Geury Rodriguez, also completely foreign to batting, drew another six-pitch walk. Neither swung the bat even once. 

9th-rounder Kaden Carpenter had a memorable pro debut, doubling to left-center in his first at-bat and later hitting the same direction but deeper for his first homer. 

* I assume he suffered some injury but can’t swear to it. (I was hoping to hear he’d been traded to the Angels for Zach Neto, but no such luck.) The 19-year-old is off to a respectable start (.253/.337/.356 in 26 games) after a brief stay at the complex. He’s thrown out 45% of opposing runners. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD officially, Montgomery presumably
AA: Pence
Hi-A: Tiger
Lo-A: Johnson

Five Years Ago Yesterday
In response to yesterday’s entry, a couple of you informed me that Hans Crouse was released by Baltimore earlier this week. Thanks for the correction, but also, are some of you spending your spare time perusing minor league transaction lists? That’s just deviant behavior. Take it from someone who knows. 

In his Round Rock debut, Glenn Otto walked three in five innings but was otherwise on point, allowing two runs and fanning five. For high-A Hickory, Trevor Hauver played outfield for the first time professionally. He’d mostly manned left at Arizona State, so this wasn’t an Ian Moller situation. With the Yankees, Hauver played at second. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Reno (ARI) 0
Round Rock: 7 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 0 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 17-13, 5 GB, 48-57 overall

SP Cody Bradford: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 56 P / 40 S, 3.00 ERA
RP Anthony Veneziano: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 2.08 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.75 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 3-4, SB (1), .349/.431/.476
LF John Taylor: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .268/.386/.484
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-3, 2B, HBP, .217/.303/.399

Relying mostly on a fastball/change combo that accounted for all 15 of his swinging strikes, Cody Bradford limited the Aces to one single each inning and fanned seven of 16 batters. Since missing on two-thirds of his pitches in his first rehab outing, he’s never thrown fewer than 71% of his pitches for strikes. 

Opponents swung at seven Gavin Collyer pitches, missing four and fouling off three others. As long as the Rangers are in contention, I can’t imagine him being more than an emergency call-up, but he’s worth watching in terms of securing his 40 spot and having a place to stand in the foyer if not a seat at the table come next March. He hasn’t walked anyone in three outings since returning to Round Rock. 

I forgot to mention that as part of the Silseth/O’Hoppe trade, Jose Corniell was placed on the 60-day IL with his flexor tendon injury. Assuming he doesn’t return in 2026, he will have pitched a total of 97.1 innings (including 18 in the Arizona Fall League) during his three option seasons. 


AA: Frisco 4, Corpus Christi (HOU) 16
Frisco: 8 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 17-13, 1 G up, 56-42 overall

SP Dylan MacLean: 4.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 53 S, 4.52 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 3-5, 2B, HR (12), .311/.396/.561
LF Yeison Morrobel: 1-2, HR (2), 2 BB, .350/.409/.625

Infielders Frainyer Chavez and Max Wagner pitched in this one. Sebastian Walcott was 1-4 with a steal. 


Hi-A: Hub City 8, Rome (ATL) 11
Hub City: 14 hits, 9 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 10-23, 13 GB, 44-55 overall

SP Kamdyn Perry: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 1 SO, 32 P / 17 S, 10.36 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 0-2, BB, 3 HBP, .182/.294/.409
RF Maxton Martin: 2-5, BB, .227/.298/.416
SS Luke Hanson: 2-3, 3 BB, .267/.348/.432
1B Antonis Macias: 3-5, BB, .257/.358/.370
LF Quincy Scott: 3-5, HR (8), .219/.352/.349

Kamdyn Perry walked or hit four batters in 22.1 innings at Hickory (5% rate). In 28.2 Hub City innings, that total is 35 (23% rate). Control wasn’t Perry’s forte heading into 2026, so the Hickory showing is arguably the larger outlier, but at the time it gave the appearance of an encouraging step forward. Perry has been pulled in the 1st inning in three of his last six starts, and opponents have a .533 OBP in that span. 

Hub City did make a game of it after trailing 7-0 early, putting the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 9th. Luke Hanson drew a bases-loaded walk, but Antonis Macias grounded to first for the final out. 


Lo-A: Hickory 11, at Delmarva (BAL) 2
Hickory: 15 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 23-9, 4.5 G up, 57-39 overall

SP Evan Siary: 5.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 85 P / 55 S, 3.21 ERA
RP Wily Villar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.26 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 3-5, HBP, SB (44), .286/.393/.408
CF Marco Argudin: 3-6, SB (6), .263/.409/.358
1B Pablo Guerrero: 1-4, HR (2), BB, .302/.422/.453
3B Kolby Branch: 3-5

Hickory took a no-hitter into the 6th behind one of Evan Siary’s best efforts, although he did walk three batters for the first time since the beginning of May. 

2026 9th-round lefty Kaden Carpenter was assigned to Hickory. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Stephan
AA: Curry
Hi-A: Scarborough
Lo-A: McConnaughey

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas acquired pitchers Spencer Howard, Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner for pitchers Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy and… Hans Crouse. If I remember correctly, Crouse wasn’t initially announced (in  media scoops, not by the Rangers themselves), and his “later” addition badly soured the outlook. Trading a prospect while 30 games under .500 was not on the bingo card. As I wrote at the time: “Losing Hans Crouse stings. I was low on him entering the season but higher now than at any time excepting his earliest days. Crouse lost his elite velocity some time ago, which I doubt the average Rangers fan knows. In 2019, he had an elbow issue that he fortunately could pitch through, but he wasn’t throwing as hard… Deeper into 2021, he’s still a different pitcher but has looked much better. The velocity has regained a tick, and he’s placing the fastball well enough: sometimes effective, sometimes effectively wild. It’s aided by a slider that has regained much of its former bite, an adequate change, and a new cutter that has quickly become a go-to. Sticking as a starter remains a concern, and the gap between his floor and ceiling remains vast, but I’m far more optimistic now than in early May.”

I also wrote: “Even if the Phils gain rotational stability in the short term, they’re going to look awfully dumb if Texas straightens out Howard. (You might have seen suggestions he could return to form away from Philly’s alleged mismanagement). Conversely, if Spencer Howard for whatever reason has stalled but Hans Crouse continues his ascent, that means the rebuilding club somehow gave up the best prospect.” Neither Texas nor three other organizations could straighten out Howard, and he’s now in Japan. Crouse quickly reached the Majors but has had a spotty if occasionally electric career; he’s still active with AAA Norfolk (Baltimore). Gowdy would top out in AAA with the Dodgers, and Gessner retired midseason while at high-A Hickory in 2024. 

Late, bad news: Jakob Junis is on the IL with an adductor strain. Winston Santos is up. 

A Trade
The Rangers acquired catcher Logan O’Hoppe and righty reliever Chase Silseth for 19-year-old low-A infielder Angel Arredondo. Like the Hartl-for-Peoples deal, my initial reaction was “… what?”

The 26-year-old O’Hoppe is having his worst season at the plate: .209/.271/.295 with just four homers following last year’s 19 and 2024’s 20. For now, Texas will keep him in Round Rock. Pending other moves and injury updates, perhaps O’Hoppe is nothing more than a depth catcher, but Texas needed a depth catcher. 

Silseth, also 26, has a 2.72 ERA and .230/.330/.331 opposing line with a 28% K rate (yay) and 13% BB+BP rate (boo). For his career but not in 2026, lefties have hit him better. Just over half his pitches are four-seamers or sinkers averaging 96. He adds an upper-80s split and some sweepers. Silseth was quite homer-prone at the beginning of his MLB career (in 2022, the year after he was drafted in the 11th round, because it’s the Angels), but lately he’s far less generous albeit still fly-prone. He’s out of options. 

Trading Silseth saves the Angels about $850,000 and an arbitration decision come winter. Not a pittance, but neither a huge savings. Silseth won’t be arb-eligible until after next season. 

Arredondo’s had a good year, hitting .243/.371/.392 as a teenager at Hickory. He’s patient and makes consistent contact, although he’s not hitting for a high average. He’s grown into some power as well, collecting eight homers and 17 other XBH, although the available Statcast data is lackluster (99.6 MPH 90th-percentile exit velocity, 27% hard-hit). Along with a greater percentage of fly balls has come a large increase in popups. Arredondo was playing mostly at third, and not only became Yolfran Castillo is his teammate. We’ll see if he shifts to more frequent shortstop play in the Cal League. 

Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher quoted new GM John Mozeliak as saying Arredondo belongs in his system’s top ten. I’m no scout, and plenty of people have seen more of him than me, but I wouldn’t have considered him a top-30 type. I’d heard he was worth an eye, and I’ve been covering him with more frequency than the average random guy at that level. That’s what he was to me, just someone to watch as opposed to ignore. Reaching the Majors for even a day would be a terrific outcome. If he maintains his contact up the ladder while generating more oomph, it’s possible. 

This is a weird trade. Undoubtedly, the Angels think far more of Arredondo than us outsiders, and the Rangers probably do as well. But still, really? Arredondo for Silseth alone would have been swell. (I guess the idea is O’Hoppe has negative value, but I wouldn’t go that far.) If the announcement had been Arredondo plus, say, AA reliever Joey Danielson, I wouldn’t feel any differently. 

The Rangers gained an opportunity to improve this year’s club for what seems to be a very modest expense. Thumbs up. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Reno (ARI) 4
Round Rock: 6 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 16-13, 5 GB, 47-57 overall

SP Trey Supak: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 56 P / 35 S, 5.57 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 2-5, 3B, .375/.449/.661

Jarred Kelenic! Happy to have him back yet again. He’s worthy depth, and he certainly makes the Express better. 

Elsewhere, Detroit is calling up OF Max Clark for his MLB debut. He might have been a Ranger had Detroit selected Wyatt Langford as expected. 


AA: Frisco 13, Corpus Christi (HOU) 12
Frisco: 11 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 17-12, 2 G up, 56-41 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 6 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 4 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 83 P / 53 S, 5.61 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 5.94 ERA
SS Corey Seager: 0-3
DH Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, HR (3), BB, .366/.422/.707
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, HR (16), .293/.370/.496
1B Arturo Disla: 1-3, HR (11), 2 BB, HBP, .305/.392/.543
3B Rafe Perich: 2-5, HR (11), .287/.377/.580

Seager was hitless but busy in the field. Walcott hit another monster homer. Not to detract from his accomplishments the past two nights, but Corpus might want to reconsider their strategy of belt-high breakers. Dylan Dreiling cleared the pool beyond right-center. 

Frisco led 13-4 entering the 9th but had to call on Bryan Magdaleno for a two-out save after Thomas Ireland surrendered a walk and seven hits (all doubles!). Ireland has been a serviceable reliever at three levels (mostly Round Rock), but last night’s disaster raised his ERA to 6.38. 


Hi-A: Hub City 1, Rome (ATL) 12
Hub City: 4 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 10-22, 12 GB, 44-54 overall

SP AJ Russell: 2.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 51 P / 29 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.00 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, HR (18), .242/.337/.460

AJ Russell’s strike rate in high-A is 59% compared to 64% at Hickory. One extra ball per 20 pitches may not seem excessive, but it really does affect the walk rate and creates more favorable counts for hitters. Eventually, it can be the difference between pitching in the Majors and pitching in AAA. The key word is “eventually.” Russell is very early into his pro career, and I wouldn’t even call this a concern right now, just something to watch. 


Lo-A: Hickory 10, at Delmarva (BAL) 1 (7)
Hickory: 11 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts

SP Alejandro Chiquillo: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 37 P / 27 S, 2.93 ERA
RP Julius Sanchez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Paulino Santana: 3-5, 2B, HR (11), .263/.393/.428
LF Marco Argudin: 1-3, BB, HBP, .252/.406/.351
DH Pablo Guerrero: 1-3, 2 BB, .306/.424/.408
3B Angel Arredondo: 2-4, 2B, .247/.372/.397
Hickory chased young righty Esteban Mejia in the 1st. Mejia throws 100 at will but has some of the worst control in the minors, although the Dads beat him mostly with hits. Julius Sanchez is last year’s 18th-rounder out of Illinois. He was recovering from elbow surgery when drafted and made his pro debut only two weeks ago at the complex. 

Lo-A: Hickory 1, at Delmarva (BAL) 4 (7)
Hickory: 1 hit, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 22-9, 4.5 G up, 56-39 overall

SP Aidan Deakins: 4.1 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 71 P / 43 S, 2.61 ERA
3B Angel Arredondo: 0-0

Arredondo was in the lineup but replaced by Luis Marquez without batting or playing the field. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Veneziano
AA: MacLean
Hi-A: Perry
Lo-A: Siary

Five Years Ago Yesterday
“Yohel Pozo homered yet again. In 1,034 full-season plate appearances entering 2021, he homered 21 times, or 1 per 49 trips to the plate. At Round Rock, he’s hit 18 in 236 PAs, 1 per 13. I’ve written multiple times about his free-swinging style. My gut feel is that approach would falter against MLB competition, but some hitters make it work.”

Pozo was two weeks from his MLB debut. He has a .316 batting average in AAA and .247 in MLB, so I was correct. (Pozo hardly ever walks, so I’ve stated average instead of OBP.)  On the other hand, he’s still employed and on than MLB team right now. so he’s made it work. 

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Thanks again for following. I have no games to cover today, but I do have a special feature, plus some transactions:

Prospect Review

Following are my prospect assessments using MLB Pipeline’s pre-season top 30. I tend to be cautious in my assessments, especially with injured players and at the lower levels, because I’m working with limited data and observations. Your mileage may vary. 

I have more players rated negatively than positively. That has always been the case and I expect always will. That isn’t a criticism of Texas’s farm (at least not in 2026), it’s the nature of the sport. Most prospects don’t reach their potential, the potential perceived by scouts and others, to be precise. Some players reach the summit, while most peak in the minors and are replaced in rankings by new talent. Actually, given that Texas was starting with its lowest-ranked system in many a year, and given how many prospects were on the shelf or awaiting rookie ball back in March, I’m pleased with the season’s progress, even though Baseball America recently ranked the Texas system worse than Houston (an unconscionable affront). The biggest frustration is the Teodo/Corniell/Santos/Davalillo quartet, but much of the news elsewhere is encouraging. 

I’ve tried not to overdo contextual discussion of the drastic increase in offense at AA and below. In case you weren’t aware, run-scoring and most other offensive stats below AAA are at all-time highs in the modern era (1990-present). Just know that I’ve considered that context in my player reviews. Also, I’ve ignored how a potential lockout might affect current 40-man members and possible additions. I’ll deal with that down the road. 

1. SS/3B Sebastian Walcott
Rating: Even
As long as a major injury has a history of full recovery, I’m disinclined to downgrade a sidelined player absent extraneous factors (already being on a downward trend, becoming “old” relative to competition, impending free agency or lack of options). Walcott has no such factors and has hit the cover off the ball since returning from brace surgery as a DH. 

2. RHP Caden Scarborough
Even
Scarborough missed time as well, though not to a baseball-related injury. So far in 2026, his velocity appears to be down slightly compared to the end of last year, but he looks as effective and exciting as ever.  

3. RHP AJ Russell
Even
Absent a ramp-up, Russell will toss only about 55 innings, a cautious workload given that his brace surgery was in June 2024. He leads all Rangers with a 36% K rate (min. 40 innings) and has a solid walk rate as well, although it’s climbed in high-A. 

4. RHP Jose Corniell
Down
Did you know Corniell is on his last option? Perhaps he gets another, but regardess, time is short. 2024 was lost to surgery, 2025 was an encouraging recovery season culminating in his MLB debut. 2026 has been plagued by additional injuries, more walks, more hits, more runs. 

5. RHP Winston Santos
Down slightly
To answer the question of whether he’s ready: Marco Gonzales. As in, Gonzales is a Ranger and Santos isn’t. Like Corniell, injuries have hampered his development, and the increased offensive environment affected him badly in Frisco. He’s missing a ton of bats, though. Probably a reliever in the long run, possibly a good one. 

6. SS/RHP Josh Owens
Up slightly
Two-way players are rare, and at some point, Owens probably ceases one of his duties. Not in 2027, though. At the complex, he ably controlled a 96 FB / 85 SL combo and showed good exit velocities at the plate. Strikeouts (as a batter) are a concern. 

7. RHP David Davalillo
Down slightly 
Davalillo became one of Texas’s best pitching prospects over the past year but suffered a sudden loss of control upon promotion to Round Rock. After three weeks off, he’s resumed a slightly bumpy path back to AA. A Teodo or Collyer can sometimes get by with diminished control, but not Davalillo. 

8. SS/3B Yolfran Castillo
Up 
His improvement at the plate isn’t just a byproduct of higher offense throughout the minors. He’s grown into some power and shored up last year’s relative weakness in walks and strikeouts. He’s not Walcott, and he won’t be starting 2027 at Frisco, but he’s on a steady ascent. 

9. OF/3B Elian Rosario
Even 
Rosario is described as a “former infielder” by Baseball America but spent nearly all the season at third and didn’t play outfield. He batted .276/.398/.449 in 33 games with five homers, 29 combined BB+HBP and 22 strikeouts. 

10. OF Dylan Dreiling
Up slightly 
Dreiling hit slightly above league-average in 2025 but honestly didn’t look it. He’s improved in ’26, getting much better results on contact. I have mixed feelings about his future in center, but he’s comfortably put himself in position for the next level. 

11. RHP Izack Tiger
Down slightly 
I will be inclined to upgrade to even with just one better outing. Coming off elbow surgery, Tiger has shown good control and is missing plenty of bats. On the downside, that “good” control has included a bunch of straight-ish fastballs plus breakers crossing the plate in the mid-thigh-to-belt region, and batters are absolutely teeing off (.556 avg. / 1.556 slug on contact in hi-A). 

12. LHP Dalton Pence
Up slightly
I saw a lesser performance in person last week, but I also saw someone who might stick at starting if his entire arsenal is in sync. If he can reach the Majors as a middle reliever, that’s fine, too. Despite my rating, a #12 ranking by MLB Pipeline was already generous, and I wouldn’t place him higher. 

13. SS/OF/2B Cam Cauley
Up slightly  
Cauley needed a little time to acclimate to AAA, but once he did, he put himself atop the call-up list, and now you’re watching him on tv (well, BZZR). The statcast data in AAA and the Majors doesn’t fully support his current .250/.341/.444 line, but he offers more than enough in others respects to carve out a useful utility role.

14. RHP Leandro Lopez
Down 
An expanded repertoire and improved control warranted a 40 addition over the winter, but that control abandoned him in 2026, and now he’s dealing with shoulder fatigue. Had he not been added, he wouldn’t be under consideration now, barring a quick return and significant improvement. There’s time, but his history of unalloyed success is brief, and I’m a little worried. 

15. SS/RHP Seong-Jun Kim
Up slightly
See Owens, Josh. Kim didn’t throw as hard as Owens (92.3 FB in limited data availability) but stung the ball with more consistency at the plate. He struck out at a 32% rate. 

16. OF/2B Elorky Rodriguez
Down slightly
He tailed off badly from a strong DSL intro, and I assume he’ll be repeating at the complex to begin 2027. The good news is Rodriguez’s exit velocities were quite promising. Unfortunately, all the hardest hits were grounders, and all the flies were in a lower-90s tier that tends to land in a glove. 

17. RHP Emiliano Teodo
Down slightly
Teodo did reach the Majors, although he wasn’t really ready and let everyone know it in his one appearance. He’s been dominant at times, but his fastball control has often been atrocious. A late-inning reliever lurks in there somewhere, and I am begging for consistency down the stretch. 

18. C Malcolm Moore
Up
There was a real chance the former first-rounder could have fallen off the board in 2026. Reviews of 2025 were downright ugly. Instead, Moore had a terrific start and jumped to AA, where he’s displayed similar power while losing some ground in terms of contact. The promotion was quick, if not rushed, so an adjustment period is understandable. 

19. 3B Jack Wheeler
Even
19 for most of the season, last year’s 6th-rounder hit .302/.356/.531 with 22 XBH in 48 games  mostly at third. He didn’t walk much, and his exits weren’t at the level of any other Baby Rangers I’ve covered. 
 
20. RHP Mason McConnaughey
Even
He hasn’t pitched much, so I’m loathe to offer much. Statcast data indicates a repertoire equal to his brief time at Nebraska: low-90s heaters (touching 95), mid-80s change, low-80s slider. 

21. OF Paxton Kling
Even
Kling was hitting .261/.400/.404 when he suffered a wrist-breaking HBP in mid-June. He’d very likely be in Frisco by now otherwise, but he strikes me as someone who’ll be assigned to Frisco next April no matter how the rest of 2026 transpires (assuming he’s healthy, of course). 

22. OF Paulino Santana
Even
The 19-year-old had added some pop and is hitting line drives and walking frequently. He’s picked up extra CF duty since Hector Osorio’s departure, but his overall usage still portends a left-field role, so with that in mind, think about what you require from the bat. 

23. LHP Josh Trentadue
Down slightly 
As a starter, Trentadue’s control was actually okay, but the minors-wide increased offense ate him alive. Now in relief outings of mixed length, his control is worse but he’s missing many more bats and avoiding hard contact. He could reach the Majors but needs to find a path. 

24. OF Maxton Martin
Down
Martin is bat-first but has lost 50 points of OBP, and while he’ll hit more homers than last year, the increase doesn’t quite keep pace with the minors-wide explosion in long balls. 

25. RHP Carter Baumler
Down slightly
Remember him? Baumler has an MLB-worthy repertoire but has been sidelined by a rotator cuff strain. Whatever his recovery and outlook, keeping him in the organization is going to be a chore, as he’s missed so much time that the Rule 5 requirements will extend into next season. 

26. LHP Ben Abeldt
Down slightly 
Lefties who dared to swing the bat were helpless (.143/.314/.143), but on the whole the 22-year-old didn’t stand out in a league populated mostly with teenagers. He missed the entirety of 2025 because of elbow surgery, so let’s wait for 2027 before judging too harshly. 

27. RHP Jacob Johnson
Up slightly
At the complex, the 20-year-old walked too many but fanned 31% of opponents with a 95-96 fastball, 87-ish change and 83 slider. A promising debut. He’s headed to Hickory to make me drop the “slightly’ from my rating. 

28. RHP Ismael Agreda
Down slightly 
Agreda is fanning a career-best 30% of opposing hitters with a stupidly low contact rate of 64%, but he’s also walking or hitting a career-worst 17%. Maybe a big-league reliever, maybe a career that stalls with a 9.00 ERA in AA. His stuff demands a patient approach. 

29. OF Hector Osorio
Up
Osorio always had strong on-base skills but in 2026 has increased his homers from four 21 in a similar number of games. Hickory was a conservative assignment to start the season, so I’m glad to see continued robust production in high-A. 

30. OF Anthony Gutierrez
Down
Gutierrez’s top-line production and many under-the-hood stats have remained impossibly, annoyingly consistent despite a swing overhaul to produce more flies and presumably more power. His speed is the tool that just might carry him to the Majors, but he has to hit some. An ACL injury will limit his season to one plate appearance. While I don’t want to punish players for injuries, he was trending downward and really needed to be on the field. 

Transactions

Up to Hickory: RHP Jacob Johnson, C Noah Franklin, IF Kolby Branch (2026 8th-rounder)

Up to Hub City RHP Luimy Munoz

Up to Round Rock: OF Orlando Martinez

Rehab in Frisco: IF Corey Seager

Released: pitchers Adrian Rodriguez (2019, 39th round) and Jake Jekielek (2024, 10th round), IF Santiago Espinal (recent FA addition to Round Rock)

Another Prospect Review

FanGraphs’ Brendan Gawlowski has a lengthy update to his assessment of the Texas farm in the context of the trade deadline. Very much worth your time, especially coming a day after my review. Some of his opinions mirror mine, but he has many additional details and some varying outlooks worth taking into account. Gawlowski was an early Perich fan (he was watching, then as a professional scout, the same performances that caught my eye in March of 2025), and now he’s letting his Perich flag fly high, ranking him ninth in the system. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Reno (ARI) 1
Round Rock: 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts
Record: 16-12, 4 GB, 47-56 overall

SP Nolan Kingham: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 9 SO, 78 P / 52 S, 6.99 ERA
RP Chris Martin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 9.45 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.01 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.75 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, 2 2B, .272/.364/.426

The Express have won five straight and eight of eleven. Emiliano Teodo threw all but one pitch in the lower half of the zone or below, unusual for him, but he made quick work of the 7th. Chris Martin was overly efficient, retiring three batters with five pitches. Martin has made four rehab appearances since rejoining the IL, a high number for someone of his age and nominal stature. Since he’s been IL’ed multiple times with the same issue, I assume the idea is to give him steady work and gauge his response. If he can’t hold up, better for that breakdown to occur in Triple A than a meaningful MLB game. I also wonder to what extent Texas is treating his rehab as a broader evaluation, somewhat like Josh Sborz last year.

Nolan Kingham had his best night in a Round Rock uniform, striking out nine and missing 18 bats. 


AA: Frisco 5, Corpus Christi (HOU) 3
Frisco: 8 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 16-12, 2 G up, 55-41 overall

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 73 P / 44 S, 3.34 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.43 ERA
SS Corey Seager: 1-2, HR, BB
DH Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, 2B, HR (), .378/.425/.676
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, HR (15), BB, .290/.367/.486

For the first time but possibly not the last, Corey Seager and Sebastian Walcott batted back-to-back in the order. In the 5th, Seager homered atop the pavilion beyond the left-field wall. In the 7th, Walcott cleared the pavilion. Seager also made a swell catch-and-throw to his right to nab a runner. 

David Davalillo had the kind of effective if colorless night which wouldn’t merit any detail under ordinary circumstances. He walked two in a span of three batters but otherwise worked quickly, averaging under 15 pitches per inning. Since a false start in Hub City (2.1 IP, 3 BB), Davalillo has walked four in 13 innings. 


Hi-A: Hub City 3, Rome (ATL) 7
Hub City: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 10-21, 12 GB, 44-53 overall

SP Ismael Agreda: 3 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 72 P / 42 S, 5.48 ERA
RP Luimy Munoz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-4, HR (3), .211/.268/.474
1B Antonis Macias: 1-3, 2B, BB, HBP, .253/.356/.371

Ismael Agreda had an Ismael Agreda night. I will say his slider occasionally was delicious. (The first time I saw him, admittedly a few years ago, it was essentially non-functional.) Agreda is still just 22 (until October) but can walk after 2027, and at some point I expect Texas to say “okay, you’re throwing one inning, go out there and shove.” With 97 strikeouts in just 70 innings, Agreda trails only Aidan Curry (with 103) i the system, but he also leads with 54 combined walks and hit batters. 


Lo-A: wet

The rain followed the Crawdads to the Delmarva Peninsula. Two today. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Anderson
Hi-A: Russell
Lo-A: Chiquillo / maybe Deakins

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas traded Joey Gallo. Here’s my partial (but still lengthy) writeup at the time:

“The Rangers have traded OF Joey Gallo and RHP Joely Rodriguez for IF Ezequiel Duran, IF Josh Smith, RHP Glenn Otto and IF/OF Trevor Hauver. The initial reports included LHP John King instead of Rodriguez and two more prospects coming Texas’s way. Apparently, concerns about King’s medical record prompted his replacement with Rodriguez and a lesser return. Who did Texas acquire?

[I’m skipping the player summaries.]

“So… is that enough? Certainly, it pales in comparison to the Mark Teixeira trade, but this isn’t the 2007 trade market. It’s not even the 2015 market. And Joey Gallo isn’t Mark Teixeira. Gallo could very well outplay Teixeira as a Yankee [2026 note: He did not.], but his erratic track record dilutes his value a bit…

“This forces a focus on quantity, acquiring slightly lesser prospects in greater numbers and hoping someone pays off. That’s not necessarily bad, in and of itself, but unfortunately it doesn’t align with Texas’s current needs. The Rangers already have impressive depth. They also have, with a couple of exceptions, uncertainty regarding which prospects could develop into bona fide rotation members and average-or-better position players. These acquisitions don’t help in that regard, talented though they are. Texas has developed relievers and role players in abundance of late. Developing regulars has been a struggle. Gallo was an exception, and now he’s gone.

“My initial reaction on the trade, for what it’s worth, is: it’s okay. I don’t love it or hate it. I’m circumspect because it’s not as though I had a firm grasp on the New York system and could tell you much about these guys before yesterday. My opinion will evolve as I learn more, and I’ll let you know what I think. I know that’s boring, but I’m not in the business of throwing out uninformed hot takes. That said, I absolutely was on board with trading Gallo. I mean, on an emotional level I hate trading Gallo, but given where the Rangers are, it’s almost compulsory. Trading Gallo isn’t a failure per se. Being in the position to have to trade him is. I don’t doubt his sincerity about wanting to stay in Texas, but getting an extension done seemed iffy at best. You risk having him walk for nothing, so you get what you can. The Rangers got what they could.”

So, yes, I was lukewarm on the trade, and some of that was simply being grumpy about Texas’s worst season in nearly fifty years. It’s worked out quite well, though, albeit via a labored path. Duran and Smith have combined for 9-11 wins above replacement so far. I’d call the trade a win even if Gallo had hit to expectations. 

Alas, the trade was the beginning of the end for Gallo. He suffered in the hothouse environment of New York. Moving to LA certainly didn’t help, and the rest of his career involved increasingly  uncomfortable “pillow” deals. (The last pillow was a folded-up hoodie.) He converted to pitching after being released by the White Sox in 2025, but he hasn’t played anywhere to my knowledge. Maybe his career would have evolved that way regardless, but I do wonder if he might have lasted longer as a Ranger. 

Ten Years Ago Yesterday
“Dillon Tate made his last appearance as a Ranger. It wasn’t good.”

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, at Albuquerque (COL) 2
Round Rock: 12 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 15-12, 4 G up, 46-56 overall

SP Spencer Adams: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 60 P / 43 S, 9.15 ERA
RP Winston Santos: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 6.23 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, BB, .269/.362/.418
1B Jonah Bride: 2-2, 2B, 3 BB, .278/.399/.420
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-4, HR (7), SB (3), .207/.286/.385

A Texas AAA team hasn’t finished at least ten games under .500 since 1997. Meanwhile, Albuquerque has finished at least 14 games under .500 for seven straight seasons and hasn’t posted a winning record since 2013 (mostly as a Rockies affiliate). Against that historical (if not historic) backdrop, Round Rock took five of six in the Duke City. 

Santos pitched in relief and only two innings, but I’m reluctant to impute meaning in terms of his role. Mostly in the recent past but sometimes still, Texas will use starters who pitched a full workload in the Tuesday series opener in an abbreviated role on Sunday. He has a 6.23 ERA but has pitched exclusively in Albuquerque and Reno as a member of the Express. 

Texas released Jared Kelenic again. 


AA: Frisco 0, at San Antonio (SDP) 6
Frisco: 5 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 15-12, 1 G up, 54-41 overall

SP Blake Townsend: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 54 P / 33 S, 5.66 ERA
RP D.J. McCarty: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.38 ERA

Sebastian Walcott failed to reach base safely for the first time since August 28, 2025. Okay, that’s just a 23-game streak because of his elbow injury, but still impressive. 

23-year-old DJ McCarty made his AA debut. An undrafted part of the 2020 class (along with similarly named fourth-rounder Dylan MacLean, much to my regret), McCarty’s ERA jumped from 4.83 in 2025 at Hub City to 5.46 at the same level, but the league ERA has increased by a ridiculous 1.30, so he’s actually improved. 


Hi-A: Hub City 6, at Greenville (BOS) 7
Hub City: 11 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 10-20, 11 GB, 44-52 overall

SP Enrique Segura: 2 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 46 P / 26 S, 7.04 ERA
SS Luke Hanson: 4-5, 2 2B, SB (12), .264/.342/.434
3B Gleider Figuereo: 3-5, 2B, HR (17), .241/.336/.454

Chris Roland, a handy indy-ball signing from earlier this season, entered the 9th with a one-run lead but surrendered a double and walk-off homer. Hub City is 4-5 since the All-Star Break but has at least reduced a walk rate (to 3.6 per game) that was the highest in high-A from Memorial Day through the break (6.0 per game). 


Lo-A: Hickory 1, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 4 (7)
Hickory: 4 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts

SP Daniel Keaney: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 53 P / 38 S, 3.91 ERA
3B Angel Arredondo: 1-3, HR (8), .243/.371/.392

Undrafted 21-year-old Dan Keaney got several Pelicans to swing through what looks like a screw-change. In 47 innings split between Hickory and the complex, he’s walked only 11 and fanned 62. 

Lo-A: Hickory 9, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 2 (7)
Hickory: 8 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 21-8, 4.5 G up, 55-38 overall

SP Moises Morales: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 35 S, 3.95 ERA
CF Marco Argudin: 1-3, 2B, BB, .256/.407/.360
DH Pablo Guerrero: 1-1, 3 BB, .326/.431/.442

Hickory scored six in the 3rd on four hits and much Myrtle Beach generosity. Argudin’s .360 slugging percentage sneaked up on me. Not that he was ever really a power hitter, but since a two-double night in late June he’s hitting .200/.352/.243. He’s still reaching base at a nice rate. 

Five Years Ago Yesterday
I noted that Texas’s full-season pitching staffs were collectively second best in baseball in terms of the difference between strikeout rate and walk rate. Unsurprisingly, Tampa Bay was best.

This photo is not sponsored by HEB. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 11, at Albuquerque (COL) 3 (7)
Round Rock: 11 hits, 9 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts

SP Jordan Montgomery: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 75 P / 44 S, 5.63 ERA
RP Chris Martin: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 11.12 ERA
2B Cody Freeman: 3-5, .354/.436/.521
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-2, 3 BB, SB (6), .263/.594/.417
DH Jonah Bride: 2-2, 2 BB, SB (9), .273/.391/.413
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-2, 2B, BB

Jordan Montgomery avoided last week’s One Bad Inning and ratcheted up to a satisfactory 75 pitches. Control of the four-seamer was slightly shaky (21 thrown, 11 balls), but the stats otherwise seem reasonable. The fastball averaged the now-typical 90.6. 

The Topes swung at ten Chris Martin pitches and put six in play, four of them hard, three lined for hits.

AAA: Round Rock 4, at Albuquerque (COL) 3 (7)
Round Rock: 7 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 14-12, 5 GB, 45-56 overall

SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 72 P / 47 S, 5.34 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.89 ERA
RF Trevor Hauver: 1-4, HR (7), .266/.383/.395
C Julian Brock: 2-3, 2B, 3B, SB (1)

Gavin Collyer replaced Anthony Veneziano with one out and runners in scoring position. He escaped with a deep sac fly and a hard grounder directly to semi-shifted SS Keyber Rodriguez. 


AA: Frisco 3, at San Antonio (SDP) 4
Frisco: 6 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 15-11, 1 G up, 54-40 overall

SP Dalton Pence: 4.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 87 P / 57 S, 2.77 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 6.06 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, 2B, .414/.469/.655
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, 2 2B, .304/.385/.537

I left San Antonio initially a little underwhelmed with Dalton Pence, but in viewing his game logs I discovered I’d witnessed his worst start of the season in terms of baserunners allowed and game score. That actually makes me feel much better, and I don’t mind seeing a lesser outing. A mix of good and not-so-good innings presents a more comprehensive view. 

Pence’s first two frames weren’t up to his standard. He would very much like back the 2-1 slider thrown to Jake Cunningham and deposited just beyond Orlando Martinez’s leap at the wall. Preceding that, he pushed three of his famously rising fastballs too high against the patient Ethan Salas, turning a 1-2 count into a walk. The 2nd included another fastball-heavy walk. 

His 3rd and 4th were what’s placed him fairly high on various prospect lists. At this point, Pence established his fastball, especially by adeptly placing it not just along the top rail but down at the corners, and the Missions gawked at a good many calls. This set up five consecutive strikeouts (including of Salas and Cunningham) on a mix of low and high fastballs and his splitter. 

Pence couldn’t quite maintain that form to complete the 5th. He issued his third walk, and on his final pitch of the night, Cunningham drove a two-strike fastball for a game-tying double. 

Of his 14 misses, nine were on fastballs, the others mostly splitters. The split was a worthy pitch. I’ve seen outings in which Pence’s slider offered a critical supporting if not starring role, but it wasn’t quite there last night. By my count, two-thirds of his pitches were fastballs, and as they went, so did he. It ranged from 90 to 95, sitting 92 but with a little extra sauce in the 3rd. The slider was mostly 83-85, the splitter mid 80s and curve upper 70s. He threw four curves, none of consequence. 

Frisco looked like they were going to run off 34-year-old Andrew Thurman, Houston’s 2013 second-rounder and back in MLB-affiliated ball after a nine(!)-year absence. Doubles by Sebastian Walcott (a rope down the left line), Arturo Disla and Keith Jones II plated two in the 1st, and Walcott singled in Orlando Martinez (on a liner to left-center) in the 2nd. Henceforth, Thurman would retire 13 straight, seven via strikeout. He had an 18% walk+HBP rate entering the game but issued no freebies to Frisco. Indeed, Frisco had only one baserunner after Walcott’s single.

Walcott would ground out to third and hit a shallow fly to conclude his night. He evidently spent his recuperation period losing whatever remained of his boyishness. He’s filled out. I’ve got some video of him and Pence that I’ll edit and post. 

Josh Trentadue had one of his best relief outings, mixing a mid-90s fastball and low-80s slider. Since switching to relief (or shorter starts), he’s struck out batters at a 35% rate. 




Hi-A: Hub City 6, at Greenville (BOS) 2
Hub City: 10 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 10-19, 11 GB, 44-51 overall

SP Izack Tiger: 3.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 59 P / 39 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 1.62 ERA
CF Quincy Scott: 2-4, HR (7), .216/.356/.367
3B Esteban Mejia: 3-4, 2 2B, SB (5), .286/.370/.443

Izack Tiger’s elbow-surgery rehab in Arizona went to plan, but in high-A, opposing hitters are really enjoying was he has to offer. One ball escaped the yard to right, and RF Max Martin caught two more flies with his rear pressed against the wall. Brock Porter walked four in 3.2 but surrendered no runs. 


Lo-A: Hickory 4, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 3 (10)
Hickory: 10 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 20-7, 4 G up, 54-37 overall

SP Alejandro Chiquillo: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 32 P / 20 S, 3.16 ERA
RP Jesus Lafalaise: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 4.04 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 1-4, HR (5), BB, .285/.393/.412
RF Marco Argudin: 3-4, 2B, HBP, .261/.413/.361
CF Paulino Santana: 4-4, 2B, .258/.390/.414

What a crazy bottom of the 10th. Down a run with Yolfran Castillo starting at second, Jay McQueen showed bunt on four straight pitches but pulled back each time to draw a walk, and the last pitch evaded the catcher, allowing Castillo to reach third. Marco Argudin followed with an RBI double. McQueen rounded third but stopped despite a vigorous go signal and then sat on the bag with what appeared to be a leg injury. He was replaced by Curly Martha. Pablo Guerrero then tapped a grounder past the pitcher but snared by 2B Fernando Cruz. Argudin raced for third on contact but Martha more-or-less stayed put. Uh oh. Cruz forced out Guerrero with a throw to 1B Edward Vargas, who threw to SS Alexis Hernandez to nab Argudin. At that point, Martha bolted home and beat the throw from Hernandez. 

Unfortunately I can’t find a clip of the final play that wouldn’t run afoul of someone’s copyright. Hickory’s site has on only preceding Argudin double. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Adams
AA: Townsend
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Keaney / TBD

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Baseball America’s midseason top-100 prospect list includes the unsigned Jack Leiter at #37, Josh Jung 43rd and Cole Winn 89th.

Box Scores

AAA: Wet

Two today, including Jordan Montgomery’s rehab start. 

Josh Smith is hitting .206/.333/.235 since returning to AAA, and six of his nine games have occurred in Reno or Albuquerque. Much of the underlying Statcast data is underwhelming, but then, that’s almost always been the case. Smith has never hit the ball especially hard, instead relying on swing decisions and angles to make his case. 

Texas signed 28-year-old lefty Anthony Veneziano, who was a Ranger briefly before heading off to Korea (without much success). 


AA: Frisco 10, at San Antonio (SDP) 0
Frisco: 12 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 15-10, 2 G up, 54-39 overall

SP Cody Bradford: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 48 P / 39 S, 1.50 ERA
RP Aidan Curry: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 5.51 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 4-5, 2B, SB (2), .400/.464/.640
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, SB (16), .296/.371/.489
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, 2B, .300/.383/.529

Sebastian Walcott had four hits. Watch ’em all, plus Walcott swiping a base off top San Diego prospect Ethan Salas. 

Cody Bradford was in fine form. With a little more defensive help, he could have completed four on that same number of pitches, but no matter. (The defense wasn’t bad, just a few near-misses on some opportunities.) I’m sure there’s always room for refinement, but in general he appears to lack nothing but stamina, and how much of that he needs will depend on his role. 

Also in form was Aidan Curry, who fanned “only” six but had 16 whiffs, near his season high. Curry dealt a mid-90s fastball, upper-80s cutter, mid-80s slider and mid-70s curve. I didn’t see a change, but I didn’t see every pitch. 


Hi-A: Hub City 10, at Greenville (BOS) 4 (7)
Hub City: 11 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts

SP Caden Scarborough: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 62 P / 48 S, 3.60 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-3, 2B, BB, .250/.323/.500
1B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, HR (16), SB (10), .238/.336/.445
CF Marcos Torres: 2-4, SB (3), .238/.304/.381

Scarborough resumed normal activity after a briefer post-ASB start and tied a season-high 16 swinging strikes. Three of the six strikeouts required only three pitches. 

Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Greenville (BOS) 2
Hub City: 5 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 9-19, 11 GB, 43-51 overall

SP Kamdyn Perry: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 60 P / 39 S, 9.32 ERA
CF Quincy Scott: 2-3, 2B, SB (13), .210/.354/.323

Perry had one of his better outings in terms of runs scored, although he’s still looking for his first high-A appearance with a walk rate under 10%. 


Lo-A: Hickory 1, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 2 (8)
Hickory: 5 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

SP Mason McConnaughey: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 46 P / 29 S, 5.14 ERA
RP Josh Sanders: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-2, 2 BB

Mason McConnaughey invoked the spirit of former Ranger Bob Tewksbury, who had a better-than-average ERA despite fanning only 53 batted in 129 innings in 1995. Neither team scored until the extra 8th inning. Representing the tying run, Jay McQueen singled with one out and reached third on a passed ball and Santana single, but he would move no farther. 

Lo-A: Hickory 2, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 1 (7)
Hickory: 7 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 19-7, 4 G up, 53-37 overall

SP Evan Siary: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 68 P / 46 S, 3.32 ERA
RP Louis Marinaro: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.21 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-2, BB, .249/.384/.404

In July, Evan Siary has completely shut down the hard contact that made for some run-filled earlier outings. In his past three starts, he’s allowed only one extra-base hit (a double) and only one run. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Montgomery / Stephan
AA: Pence
Hi-A: Tiger
Lo-A: Lafalaise

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco’s AJ Alexy allowed a lone run in 4.2 innings but walked five. He was five weeks from his MLB debut, would you believe. Josh Jung was 3-4 with a go-ahead single in the 8th. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 14, at Albuquerque (COL) 1
Round Rock: 20 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 12-12, 5.5 GB, 43-56 overall

SP Joe Ross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 18 P / 14 S, 4.35 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 4-6, 2 2B, 3B, .374/.451/.654
3B John Taylor: 4-5, HBP, .286/.403/.489
RF Aaron Zavala: 2-5, 2B, BB, .267/.355/.421
C Julian Brock: 2-3, 2B, BB, HBP

A day game in July. Criminally negligent in Round Rock but feasible in Albuquerque. Jarred Kelenic continues to pad his resume for a nice payday in Asia. Marc Church, Mason Thompson, Luis Curvelo, rehabbing Chris Martin and Austin Roberts provided scoreless innings. 


AA: Frisco 3, at San Antonio (SDP) 0
Frisco: 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 14-10, 1 G up, 53-39 overall

SP Trey Supak: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 49 P / 33 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Dylan MacLean: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.44 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 3-5, HR (14), SB (9), .293/.369/.486
LF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, 2 2B, HBP, .364/.417/.591
2B Max Wagner: 1-3, HR (13), BB, .250/.367/.546

Off a month-long IL stay, Trey Supak limited the Missions to an infield single. Frisco managed to convert two homers, four doubles, four singles, three walks, a hit batter, four steals into three whole runs. 


Hi-A: wet

Two tonight.


Lo-A: wet again

Two Sunday. A doubleheader is already scheduled for tonight.


Rookie: Rangers 21, Angels 3
Rangers: 20 hits, 8 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 28-32, season over

SP Josh Owens: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.48 ERA
RP Jacob Johnson: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 2.84 ERA
SS Seong-Jung Kim: 2-2, HR (7), HBP, .303/.419/.545
2B Cody Freeman: 1-4, BB
LF Braulio Cavero: 3-5, 2 3B, BB, .480/.552/.880
3B Daniel Rodriguez: 2-4, 3B, .302/.393/.490
C Noah Franklin: 3-4, 2B, BB, .363/.426/.627
DH Josh Owens: 2-6, HR (9), .255/.345/.469

The baby Rangers closed the season by beating the Angels soundly enough to switch their run differential from -13 to +5. 

2026 was the highest-scoring Arizona season* in at least 20 years, probably longer. The park-adjusted league-average batting line for a Ranger was .267/.381/.429, and an average ERA was 6.11. Let’s review some notable names, keeping in mind the Complex League is chaos incarnate and shouldn’t be given too much credence in terms of statistical evaluation. Also, I’ve got partial statcast data for 16 games (out of 60), and I manually recoded a bunch of pitches that seemed off (like Ben Abeldt’s 79 MPH sinkers):

P/MIF Josh Owens (Age 19) — .255/.345/.469 (100 OPS+) with a team-high nine homers. His walk rate was bland (10%, league average was 16%), and his strikeout rate was alarming (37%, league average 26%). Despite my caveat about stat-scouting, that’s something to watch. Owens has the two longest homers on record at 457 and 437 feet. On the mound, Owens tossed 20.2 innings with a 3.48 ERA, just a 9% BB+HBP rate (lovely to see in a league like this) and 27% K rate. Owens averaged 96.4 MPH with his sinker (touching 98.6) and 85.8 with the slider. 

P/SS Seong-Jung Kim (19) — .303/.419/.545 (137 OPS+) with seven homers and ten other XBH in 48 games, occasionally at short but mostly as a DH. Like Owens, a concern is a high 32% K rate. Pitched sparingly but well, although the 1.04 ERA fibs a bit: 12 runners and 10 strikeouts in 8.2 innings. He dealt a four-seamer averaging 92.7 (top 95.5) and an 81 breaker.  

OF Jay McQueen (19) — graduated to Hickory early with honors, batting .361/.465/.536 (147 OPS+) with 17 XBH and seven steals (and seven caught) in 48 games. 

3B Jack Wheeler (20) — .302/.356/.531 (117 OPS+) with six homers and 16 other XBH. Last year’s sixth-rounder but not a thrift-sign like rounds 5-10 in Texas’s 2026 draft; his $525,000 was the second-highest bonus in that round. 

SS/3B Daniel Rodriguez (18) — Not quite a pop-up prospect, but after a nondescript if walk-heavy DSL tour last year, he immediately showed potent contact stateside and finished .302/.393/.490 (117 OPS+) with 15 XBH. A name to remember. 

C Noah Franklin (19) — Singed for an above-slot $275,000 in last year’s 17th round, Franklin batted .363/.426/.627 with five homers and ten other XBH. He didn’t walk or strike out much. Franklin hit a homer 425 feet at 109.8 off the bat, the best exit velo of any Ranger on record. 

2B Elorky Rodriguez (18) — Not all the news is upbeat. Coming off a terrific DSL campaign and certainly better-regarded than Daniel (no relation to my knowledge) entering 2026, Elorky pretty much stopped hitting after a solid dozen games and concluded at .188/.352/.297 (62 OPS+). 

RHP Jacob Johnson (20) — Last year’s 11th-rounder posted a 2.84 ERA with a 17% BB+HBP and 31% SO in 25.1 innings. Johnson has the fastest pitch by a Ranger on record, 100.4, but nothing else above 96.9, so I’m skeptical. He averaged 95.8, so there’s legitimate heat. He also offered an 83.2 slider and 87.5 change. 

LHP Ben Abeldt (22) — Last year’s 5th-rounder from TCU and recovering from elbow surgery. Statcast recorded literally every pitch he threw as a sinker. My recoding shows a sinker averaging 90 topping at 92.3, plus (I think) a change and two breakers. His top-line stats in 40.2 innings were near the middle: 5.31 ERA, 16% BB+HBP, 27% K, but opponents batted only .196/.327/.343 (66 OPS+). 

LHP Enyel Lopez (20) — I’d seen reports of 96-98 MPH in spring, but in the available games, Lopez topped at 95 with the four-seamer and averaged 93-94 (hard to say for sure because of some pitch classification issues). He also threw a mid-80s breaker, and a few pitches seem change-like but I’m loathe to affirm. Unfortunately, his ERA was 11.39 and isn’t lying. Opponents hit .339/.488/.479 with a 24% walk+HBP rate. He struck out 40 in 31.2 innings, but because of so many runners his K rate of 24% was actually below average. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD 
AA: Bradford
Hi-A: Scarborough / Perry
Lo-A: McConnaughey / TBD

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The Masons Englert and Cole combined for eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball, but low-A Down East lost 1-0 on a walk-off walk.