Scott Lucas

Arizona Fall League Participants

RHP Alejandro Chiquillo 
RHP J’Briell Easley 
RHP Jesus Gamez 
RHP Jacob Johnson 
RHP Mason McConnaughey
C Julian Brock 
IF Casey Cook
OF Paxton Kling

This group doesn’t match last year’s (Walcott [briefly], Dreiling, Moore, Corniell, Santos, Teodo), but there are several names of interest. No player has even been more of a lock to play in the AFL than Kling, who’s 23, missed seven weeks to a broken hand and received a late promotion to AA. 2025 3rd-rounder Casey Cook missed even more time this year and has badly struggled with the bat in high-A. Easley reached AA at the season’s tail end while the other pitchers are mostly from low-A, and most were either limited by injury and/or restrictive workloads during 2026. 

Award Winners

The Rangers announced their 2026 minor league winners yesterday:
Player – IF Rafe Perich 
Pitcher– LHP Dalton Pence 
Reliever – LHP Louis Marinaro 
Defender– IF Yolfran Castillo 
True Ranger – RHP Evan Siary

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: AA TEXAS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
Frisco RoughRiders (73-64) vs. Arizona-affiliated Amarillo Sod Poodles (77-60)

Season Run Differential: Frisco +74, Amarillo +31
Last 20 Games: Frisco 10-10, Amarillo 15-5
Season Series: Tied 9-9, three series splits

How They Got Here
In the second half, Amarillo was tied for last with a 13-14 record but grabbed a permanent share or outright division lead just a week later. The Poodles* were 29-13 after late July. 

In the first half, Frisco was 21-21 and 2.5 back on May 22nd but finished 18-8, taking the division lead outright on the 6th and never facing a serious challenge thereafter. The Riders peaked at 54-39 overall in late July and were 19-25 over the final seven weeks. 

History
Frisco has been a Texas affiliate since inception in 2003, winning league titles in 2004 and 2022 and reaching the finals three other times. 

Amarillo was created in 2019 when the Elmore Group moved short-A Helena to Colorado Springs, AAA Colorado Springs to San Antonio, and AA San Antonio to a new stadium in the Panhandle. I was nearby on business last week and asked three people who’d owned and worked their land for decades whether they ever used or even heard the term “sod poodle” as a synonym for prairie dog, and all said no. In any case, the Poodles have reached the postseason in four of seven years and won titles in 2019 and 2023. Frisco and Amarillo have never met in the playoffs. 

Top 30 Prospects Per MLB.com
Frisco:
#1: IF Sebastian Walcott
#6: C Malcolm Moore
#13: OF Dylan Dreiling
#19: 3B Rafe Perich
#20: OF Paxton Kling
#27: RHP Leandro Lopez

Amarillo:
#4: RHP David Hagaman
#5: C Carlos Virahonda
#10: IF Jansel Luis
#15: Wellington Aracena
#16: C Alberto Barriga
#17: IF Cristofer Torin
#20: RHP Brian Curley
#23: OF Druw Jones
#26: RHP Mason Marriott
#28: RHP Junior Sanchez

Offense / Possible Position Players
Frisco: +10% runs scored vs. park-adjusted league average (+4% in 2nd half), 109 OPS+ (108 in 2nd  half)
Amarillo: -1% runs scored (+1% in 2nd half), 98 OPS+ (96 in 2nd half)

Frisco lineup:
C Malcolm Moore / Ian Moller
1B Arturo Disla
2B Max Wagner
3B Rafe Perich
SS Sebastian Walcott
LF Yeison Morrobel
CF Dylan Dreiling
RF Marcus Lee Sang
Also 1/2/3 Gleider Figuereo, OF Paxton Kling, IF Luke Hanson

Most of the players listed weren’t here when the season began. The initial group was older but they sure could hit, scoring 6.3 runs per game in the first half. Over the months, the team has gained several interesting prospects but lost some runs, hitting more homers but shedding a full walk per game. The promotions of John Taylor, Keyber Rodriguez, Orlando Martinez and Frainyer Chavez have hurt a little. 

Regardless, Frisco’s overall success is predicated on outslugging the opposition. That 10-8 win in the regular-season finale is the type we might well see in this series. The Riders lead the league in hits and doubles and are third in homers on a park-adjusted basis. Sebastian Walcott has been a terror since returning from elbow surgery. Dylan Dreiling has hit better in the second half, and the additions of Rafe Perich and Yeison Morrobel have helped. Luke Hanson hasn’t hit well since joining in late August (.125/.203/.172), but that might not matter if Walcott can continue to play the field as he did Sunday. Frisco hasn’t participated in the huge league-wide increase in steals but hasn’t needed to. It’s a group designed to put crooked numbers on the board.

Amarillo’s offense is just okay. As a group, they have ordinary power (adjusted for park) and don’t walk much, but they’re tough to strike out. Best are 3B Danny Serretti (.272/.418/.510, 14 HR, 126 OPS+) and COF/DH Angel Ortiz (.271/.34/.503, 13 HR, 103 PS+). SS Cristofer Torin (.281/.344/.440, 94 OPS+) has been on fire of late. 2022 #2-overall pick Druw Jones hit .271/.361/.374 (81 OPS+). Relative newcomer OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu batted .328/.423/.776 in 30 games; the power is legit but that showing vastly exceeds any other results. The Poodles run more often than Frisco but stealing isn’t a significant part of the attack. 

Pitching / Possible Rotation 
Frisco run prevention: Dead-even in runs allowed (6% worse in 2nd half), 101 opposing OPS+ (103 in 2nd half)
Amarillo: 5% better than average in runs allowed (+8% in 2nd half), 101 opposing OPS+ (100 in 2nd half)

The Riders haven’t had what you’d consider a rotation for a while. 13 different starters appeared in the final 30 games and averaged fewer than four innings. 

Erratic though he is, Aidan Curry (5.82 ERA, 13% BB+HBP, 29% SO) is Frisco’s best bet to put forth a dominant start, and he’ll lead off tonight. His peripherals are actually quite good, but a tendency to allow runners in bunches has led to an inflated ERA. Undrafted Cole Stasio (5.11 ERA, 12% BB+HBP, 30% SO) has the second-best second-half ERA (4.98) of the usual starters. This morning, Texas transferred Blake Townsend (5.06 ERA, 13% BB+HBP, 19% SO) from Round Rock, where he’d held up well against tougher hitters. Here’s what I’d written about other potential starters prior to this move: Nobody else with at least three starts has an ERA below 6.51 or encouraging peripheral stats, and other starters are either very green for the level or true relievers who could provide two innings at most. 

As for the bullpen, Austin Roberts has been the best second-half option. Used in two-inning bursts of the IL, Leandro Lopez has rediscovered the control that earned a 40 spot last fall. Bryan Magdaleno is effective if walk-prone. Beyond them, we have a collection with second-half ERAs of 4.67 or higher and opposing OPSs of 108 or higher. Joey Danielson, Brock Porter, Zach Bryant, Jonathan Brand and the others can be successful on any given night, but counting on two or three of them to keep runs off the board isn’t wise. 

On a basic level, Amarillo’s pitching is superior to Frisco’s. They allowed 37 fewer runs during the second half in a much tougher park. But once I looked deeper, I saw much less division, plus Amarillo’s superior fielding is partly responsible for Amarillo’s run-prevention advantage. 

Ex-Ranger David Hagaman (3.22 ERA, 9 BB, 36 SO in 30 IP) might start Game 2. Everyone else lacks appeal; all are quite homer-prone with a season-long ERA of at least 5.23 plus  6.70 or higher over the last month. Marriott (who started Sunday), Curley and Sanchez (tonight’s starter) are in the top 30, but actual results are lacking. 

Carlos Rey (3.79 ERA, 24% BB+HBP, 36% SO) and Alfred Morillo (5.90 ERA, 13% BB+HBP, 23% SO) have shared most save opportunities. Rey is tough to hit but extremely walk-prone, while Morillo has broader difficulty keeping runners off the bases. Antonio Menendez has been better than both at this level but hit the IL two days ago. Beyond them, the choices range from adequate to worrisome. 

Defense
Texas’s farm clubs tend to rate well defensively, but Frisco has been an exception, mainly experiencing some difficulty turning double plays and batted balls into outs. Amarillo has been among the league’s best in those respects. 

Advantages
Hitting – Frisco
Pitching – Even
Defense – Amarillo 

Park Factor
Frisco’s park plays close to neutral. Amarillo’s stadium is the Coors of the Texas League. 

Outlook
If you made me put $100 on the series, I’d be very upset. What did I ever do to you? Anyway, my original conclusion was “Amarillo. They’ve played better lately and have two possible games at home, plus Hagaman is the best pitcher on either roster. Close call, though.”  

On further review, an even closer call. Amarillo’s run differential doesn’t support their record, and the underlying peripherals don’t support the run differential. I’ve got them as a sub-.500 club in terms of play-by-play data. Frisco’s 73-64 record isn’t spectacular, but at least it’s honest.  

I really don’t have a good feel for the result, but I’ll erase the part about Amarillo being better lately and keep the rest. Hagaman plus up to two home games makes the case for the Poodles. 

Post-email note: I screwed up which team had two games at home. Not that it matters, but I’ll switch my pick to Frisco.

* The accepted shorthand for Sod Poodles is Soddies, just as the Down East Wood Ducks were the Woodies, but if you’ve got “Poodles” in your name, I’m calling you the Poodles. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, at Salt Lake (LAA) 6
Round Rock: 15 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 38-31, 69-75 overall, eliminated

SP Winston Santos: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 56 P / 36 S, 6.15 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.70 ERA
RP John King: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.45 ERA
DH Kyle Higashioka: 1-5, BB
1B Jonah Bride: 3-4, 2B, BB, .278/.404/.413
RF Aaron Zavala: 4-5, 2B, HR (11), .266/.349/.428
CF Orlando Martinez: 2-3, BB, 3 SB (9), .280/.350/.408

Three consecutive eight-pitch plate appearances resulting in just one out forced an early exit for Winston Santos. Salt Lake had seven two-strike fouls in that span. Emiliano Teodo induced five swinging strikes on six attempts at his slider. 

The Express took five of six from the lowly Bees and will conclude the season at home against Tacoma. 


AA: Frisco 10, at Wichita (MIN) 8 
Frisco: 14 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts

REGULAR SEASON OVER
Overall: 73-64, +74 run differential
First half: 39-29, 3 G up, division champion
Second half: 34-35, 7 GB, 2nd place

SP Thomas Ireland: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 78 P / 52 S, 8.07 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, .322/.398/.586
DH Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, 2B, .312/.380/.516
1B Arturo Disla: 2-5, HR (19), .288/.361/.519
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .343/.400/.600
LF Marcus Lee Sang: 4-5, 2B, HR (16), SB (16), .307/.374/.479

Frisco concluded the regular season with a typically high-scoring affair. Wichita scored in seven of nine innings but lost. 

In his first game in the field, Sebastian Walcott handled three grounders without issue. 

Among league hitters playing at least half the schedule, Rafe Perich (.321), Dylan Dreiling (.312) and Marcus Lee Sang (.307) ranked second, third and fourth in batting average, respectively. Perich was fourth with a .405 OBP and second with a .576 slugging percentage. Perich will lead the organization in homers with 27, followed by Disla with 25 and Dreiling with 22. 

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock’s Tyson Miller threw 69 pitches in his first two innings. Not until the 35th and final pitch of the 1st was a ball put in play, and the 2nd had no balls in play until his 25th pitch. I was there. It was awful. 

The other teams were off. Frisco, clinging to a playoff spot, headed to Amarillo for a season-concluding series. (Jaws theme begins.)

Ten years ago, Bakersfield’s seven decades of affiliated minor league ball ended with a loss to Visalia. Texas-affiliated High Desert knocked off Houston-affiliated Lancaster to reach the league finals. Lancaster starter Jose Urquidy was brilliant through seven, but the Mavericks scored six against the bullpen.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 13, at Salt Lake (LAA) 0
Round Rock: 15 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 37-31, 68-75 overall, eliminated

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 66 P / 45 S, 5.17 ERA
RP Carter Baumler: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.84 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1.1 IP, 0 H (2 HR), 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6.41 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.58 ERA
DH Kyle Higashioka: 1-4, 2B, 2 BB
2B John Taylor: 2-5, 2B, BB, .245/.379/.383
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-4, 3B, BB, .231/.298/.431
LF Trevor Hauver: 3-5, HR (8), .258/.358/.364

Hello, David Davalillo. Five scoreless, two free passes, six strikeouts. 12 missed bats, including at least one on five different pitch types. A 57% chase rate with the splitter, and four misses on eight swings. His overall 5.17 ERA in AAA has no bearing on reality, because he’s always been significantly worse or better than that mark. Since returning to the level, the ERA is 3.67 with a combined seven walks and hit batters in 34.1 innings. 

Round Rock scored six in the 1st off LAA’s Brett Kerry, who made his MLB debut this year and has 13 successful innings to his credit but has spent most of the past four years getting hammered in AAA (7.19 ERA in 324 IP). 

Texas optioned Logan O’Hoppe and Adam Macko back to AAA. O’Hoppe batted .353/.333/.412 in ten games as DH/PH and one (1) inning at catcher. Maybe he’ll return if Joc Pederson has to be shelved, or possibly Kyle Higashioka, who has five appearances on rehab, all at DH. 1B Alejandro Osuna was also pulled mid-game last night. 

Round Rock was officially eliminated from playoff contention with OKC’s 14th consecutive win. The Comets will clinch the second-half title with a win today. 


AA: Frisco 1, at Wichita (MIN) 5
Frisco: 4 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 8 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 33-35, 72-64 overall, first-half champion

SP Aidan Curry: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 27 P / 12 S, 5.82 ERA
RP D.J. McCarty: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 6.51 ERA
RP Leandro Lopez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 5.81 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.65 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, HR (18), .287/.361/.512

Aidan Curry began with two walks on 13 pitches. (Sigh, get a reliever warming.) Wichita’s Brandon Winokur did Curry a favor by popping up the first pitch he saw, and Curry did complete the inning but no more. Given Frisco’s patchwork rotation, Curry might have been pulled so he can start one of the first two playoff games. 

Saturday’s inning might be his last for the organization aside from these upcoming playoffs. We’ll see. I’ve written about him as a possible 40 addition to prevent him from becoming a free agent. I have mixed feelings. Sometimes he looks like he could pitch in the bigs, sometimes he looks like he did last night. He needed six years to reach AA and has a 5.55 ERA there and above, although his peripherals stats are much better. He turned 24 last month and is the type who might finally figure it out, but not until he’s 28 and in a different organization. 2026 is very light on potential picks, so in that respect, Texas has room to make a more speculative “yes” decision on Curry. 

Leandro Lopez was wild but ultimately effective, while Josh Trentadue was simply effective. 

The regular season ends today. Sebastian Walcott is the starting shortstop.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Santos
AA: TBD

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock’s Josh Jung homered twice to improve to .265/.375/.559. Down East’s Owen White fanned ten in six innings after his 12-K outing the prior week. With arm surgery, covid and a self-inflicted broken hand, White had thrown all of 27 innings deep into his fourth professional season. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, at Salt Lake (LAA) 4
Round Rock: 5 hits, 9 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 36-31, 7 GB, 67-75 overall, elimination number 1

SP Dalton Pence: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 SO, 78 P / 46 S, 1.82 ERA
3B Josh Jung: 0-3, HBP
DH Kyle Higashioka: 1-5, 2B
1B Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (10), .281/.382/.376

A weird if effective day at the office for Dalton Pence. A 28-pitch 1st including three walks. Zero missed bats on 15 swings at the four-seamer, his money pitch in college. Five misses on six swings at his curve, a pitch he typically employs as a first-pitch strike-grabber or different look. Three Ks ending with that curve compared to three in his previous 29.2 AAA innings. (And Statcast is finally classifying his curve correctly instead of calling every bendy pitch a slider!) I love to see good results with the tail-end of his repertoire. His profile is looking like a back-end starter or a platoon-indifferent long reliever. He hasn’t been especially effective against lefties, so he’s questionable as lefty specialist.

Josh Jung was hit by another pitch because he’s Josh Jung. Obviously yesterday’s wasn’t a health issue, as I’d hoped, and this one was a slippery slider that caught him in the back. 


AA: Frisco 14, at Wichita (MIN) 2
Frisco: 15 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 33-34, 72-63 overall, first-half champion

SP Jonathan Brand: 2.2 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 43 P / 27 S, 5.34 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 4.67 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 3-6, 2 SB (11), .322/.399/.591
RF Dylan Dreiling: 3-6, SB (14), .313/.381/.518
1B Arturo Disla: 2-5, HR (17), BB, SB (3), .284/.359/.504
3B Rafe Perich: 3-5, HR (16), BB, .321/.405/.576

Ah, the kind of offensive day Frisco that would come in handy next week against Amarillo. Rafe Perich hit a grand slam. Arturo Disla hit a solo. Sebastian Walcott had a three-hit day, although two and potentially all three could have been converted to outs with better defense. 


Lo-A Semifinals: Hickory 6, at Charleston (TAM) 7
Hickory: 7 hits, 8 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Charleston wins series 2-1

SP Josh Owens: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 35 P / 21 S
RP Louis Marinaro: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-3, 2B, BB
CF Marco Argudin: 1-3, 2 BB
DH Deward Tovar: 1-3, 2B, BB
3B Curley Martha: 2-4

I feel I have a better understanding of the randomness of minor league playoffs than just about anybody, but this one stings. 

The Crawdads opened by loading the bases, but a popup and two strikeouts resulted in nothing. They also lost a runner on the bases in the 2nd and 3rd. Hickory did score the first run when Marco Argudin raced home from third on a Paulino Santana sac fly, but failing to take better advantage in the early frames would come back to haunt them. 

Josh Owens received the start over Moises Morales and plowed through two innings, mainly relying on a tailing mid-90s fastball that was too much for Charleston hitters. Morales was warming in the pen when rain halted the contest in the middle of the 3rd, and play didn’t resume for an hour and 40 minutes. Absent news of injury, I assume the decision was not to reboot his warmup process after such a long delay. While we can’t presume an effective outing from Morales, his absence would prove devastating. When the bottom of the 3rd commenced at about 9:45 local time, reliever Cole Fehrman walked three on 13 pitches and was hastily replaced. Geury Rodriguez promptly surrendered a grand slam to center from Cooper Flemming. 

Hickory responded by again loading the bases with no out, and this time they converted, scoring two on a Sebastian Baquera walk and Yolfran Castillo sac fly. In the 5th, a Santana walk and Deward Tovar double tied the game. Like Tuesday, Hickory quickly and fully recovered from a multi-run deficit. 

And like other Hickory relievers in the series, Michael Trausch just didn’t have it last night. Replacing Rodriguez after a leadoff walk, Trausch surrendered a single and two walks, the last of which plated the go-ahead run. Trausch doesn’t have great control but had issued just one bases-loaded walk all season. Louis Marinaro induced a double-play grounder. One run was going to score regardless, but 1B Kaden Carpenter’s mishandling of the throw from short brought in another. 7-4 Dogs. Marinaro would pitch an effective and season-high 2.2 innings. 

Hickory scored once in the 6th and opened the 9th with two walks. After a strikeout, a wild pitch and Carpenter groundout plated one. Seong-Jun Kim pinch-hit for Jay McQueen but grounded to third, stranding Marco Argudin at third as the RiverDogs celebrated. Hickory did score six runs, but five came on outs, and the Dads were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. 

Hickory had the league’s best bullpen during the regular season, allowing 4.2 runs per nine and an opposing line of .213/.322/.339 (83 OPS+). The results in the semifinals are dumbfounding: 18 innings, 43 (!) baserunners, 18 runs (12 earned). Those 18 runs were the most allowed in any three consecutive games all season. Charleston batted .347/.455/.486. Using starters limited to two innings at best in two of three games placed a heavy burden on the relief corps, but they’d been effectively dealing with similar situations for a while. Hickory’s defense, also the league’s best, had several critical miscues. Unfortunately, the team rarely resembled the one I covered in the playoff preview. 

Lest this comes across as Hickory giving away the series, let’s give agency to the RiverDogs, who always had an immediate answer to whatever Hickory accomplished. Every at-bat was tenacious, every crunch-time pitch up to the task. Even had the Crawdads prevailed, they never had a comfortable moment in any game. Charleston is a deserving finalist. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Davalillo
AA: McCarty

Five Years Ago Yesterday
From Frisco’s 7-4 win over San Antonio: “Early on, the Riders couldn’t generate much against MacKenzie Gore, a top prospect whose year has been derailed by wildness. After early trouble in El Paso, Gore disappeared for a while and has been working his way up from rookie ball. Last night was his first AA appearance. Gore’s control faltered in the 4th, but Frisco couldn’t take advantage of two walks. Gore then walked the bases loaded with none out and was pulled in the 6th, but Frisco plated just one.”

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, at Salt Lake (LAA) 11
Round Rock: 5 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 19 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 35-31, 7 GB, 66-75 overall, elimination number 2

SP Anthony Veneziano: 1.2 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 5 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 51 P / 32 S, 3.06 ERA
RP Marc Church: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 6.82 ERA
RP John King: 2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.50 ERA
2B John Taylor: 2-4, .245/.379/.385
3B Josh Jung: 0-2, HBP

Josh Jung was hit by a pitch and removed the next inning. The pitch appeared to sneak under his left arm and catch him in the chest. Absent other news, I’m inclined to think he’s okay and was done for the night anyway since he was playing in the field for the first time.

We have a John King sighting.  

Opponents missed on nine of twelve swings at Marc Church’s slider, which is 2024 Kumar Rocker territory. In what I assume are his final weeks in the organization, Church is veering ever more violently between outings of utter dominance and paucity. 

OKC won a 12th straight. Round Rock needs to win five of the remaining nine to avoid being the first Texas AAA team in 29 years to finish at least ten games below .500. 


AA: Frisco 1, at Wichita (MIN) 3
Frisco: 6 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 32-34, 71-63 overall, first-half champion

SP Cole Stasio: 5 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 6 SO, 69 P / 48 S, 5.11 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.23 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 2-4, .316/.400/.566
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, 2B, .327/.367/.482
CF Paxton Kling: 1-3, BB, SB (2)

Offseason pickup Cole Stasio finished the regular season on a strong note. He’s pitched better than his 5.11 ERA, which is inflated by 11 runs (half in total) in two of his 19 outings. 


Lo-A Semifinals: Hickory 4, at Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 7 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Best-of-three series tied 1-1

SP Evan Siary: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 85 P / 65 S
RP William Privette: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO
RP JD McReynolds: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO
RP Jesus Lafalaise: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
LF Paulino Santana: 1-3, BB, SB
1B Kaden Carpenter: 3-4, 2 2B, HR
DH Deward Tovar: 1-4, 2B

Evan Siary was nearly perfect in a must-win game, retiring his first 16 opponents and completing strikeouts on two fastballs, two cutters, two curves and a slider. His only trouble came in the the 6th. With two out and a runner on first (reaching on an honest single), catcher Sebastian Baquera called for a pitchout at the last possible moment and stepped to the opposite side of the batter, but Siary’s pitch cut inside and at best grazed Baquera’s mitt on the way to the backstop. 

That incident set the tone for the final three innings, all too jittery for my taste, particularly in light of what happened to the Rangers after Jacob deGrom’s stellar six innings earlier in the day. Charleston would have 11 plate appearances with the tying run at the plate. William Privette didn’t have it, surrendering two walks and two lined hits, the last of which resulted in one run and a critical Santana-to-Castillo-to-Baquera out at the plate. JD McReynolds secured the last out of the 7th but ran into his own trouble in the 8th, yielding a single, walk and run-scoring double. Jesus Lafalaise, using a fastball that touched 98, generated a couple of groundouts to strand two that inning. Sticking to the script, Lafalaise had an uneasy 9th, allowing a run on a single, wild pitch and groundout before inducing a game-ending comebacker. 

Thursday was Kaden Carpenter Night. This summer’s ninth-round pick blasted a two-run homer in the 1st off Aidan Cremarosa, against whom opponents slugged only .303 this season. In the 8th, Carpenter doubled in Yolfran Castillo. Between those events, Deward Tovar doubled home speedy Jay McQueen from first.

Tonight, Charleston starter Jordi Infante has a 1.98 ERA but scant experience at the level and no more than three innings in any outing. I expect Moises Morales to start for Hickory. 

Houston-affiliated Fayetteville swept Fredericksburg in the other series. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Pence
AA: Brand
Lo-A: probably Morales

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Despite three strong innings from Cole Winn, Frisco lost to fall outside of a playoff spot for the first time all season. Round Rock’s Josh Jung homered, singled and walked. Slowed by injury, he was virtually certain not to make his MLB debut in 2021, and he wouldn’t. In six full seasons, Jung has played in 546 games, 91 per. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, at Salt Lake (LAA) 1
Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 35-30, 6 GB, 66-74 overall

SP Blake Townsend: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 87 P / 55 S, 3.07 ERA
RP Carter Baumler: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.00 ERA
RP Janser Lara: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.93 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Josh Jung: 1-5, HR (1)

Josh Jung homered in his second rehab appearance. 

Both of Emiliano Teodo’s swinging strikes were sinkers, an unusual occurrence. Carter Baumler’s velocity as down, but I noticed everyone with MLB experience was allegedly throwing slower than their usual selves tonight. Is Salt Lake the anti-El Paso in terms of Statcast pitch velocity? Doing a quick analysis of the PCL pitch data, I see El Paso and Vegas possibly inflating pitch speeds and Tacoma and Sugar Land depressing them the most. It could all be statistical noise, but I wonder if there’s some miscalibration between parks. 


AA: Frisco 7, at Wichita (MIN) 5
Frisco: 10 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 32-33, x G up, 71-62 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 3.2 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 5 BB, 3 SO, 77 P / 42 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Leandro Lopez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.66 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.72 ERA
RP Austin Roberts: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.96 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB, HBP, .314/.399/.567
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, BB, .323/.364/.476
CF Paxton Kling: 2-4, 2B, SB (1)

OF Paxton Kling had an injury-hampered season at Hub City with only six extra-base hits in 31 games after a hand fracture, but he was given a last-minute promotion and missed a homer by about a foot in his first AA game. 


Lo-A: off

Baseball America has a short feature on Hickory righty Moises Morales, who’s had a fine year. They commend his sweeper (37% chase rate, 18% swinging strike rate), a sinker ordinary in velocity but terrific at generating grounders plus a cutter, four-seamer and change. 

Hickory and Charleston meet tonight for Game 2 of the league semifinals. Hickory must take two games in Charleston to advance. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Veneziano
AA: tbd
Lo-A: tbd

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Dustin Harris improved to .364/.414/.653 at high-A with a double and homer but Hickory lost an eleventh straight. Frisco’s Bubba Thompson set career highs with 21 doubles, seven triples and 14 homers. For the season. Not all in one night. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, at Salt Lake (LAA) 1
Round Rock: 12 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 34-30, 6 GB, 65-74 overall

SP Winston Santos: 6 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 65 P / 47 S, 5.72 ERA
1B Alejandro Osuna: 3-4, 2B, HBP, SB (9), .283/.384/.386
DH Josh Jung: 2-5, 2B
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-5, HR (14), .230/.295/.430

Josh Jung singled to left and doubled deep to left-center as DH. 

Winston Santos had one of his best games of the season, pounding the zone and getting plenty of chases. 


AA: Frisco 2, at Wichita (MIN) 8
Frisco: 9 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 31-33, 70-62 overall, first-half champion

SP Ismael Agreda: 3 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 7 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 70 P / 44 S, 21.00 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 3-5, HR (9), SB (9), .326/.405/.622

Sebastian Walcott homered again. This one was only 91 off the bat according to the Wichita announcer, about as gently as a ball can be hit to vault the fence. Including a rookie-level homer early in rehab, Walcott is only three homers shy of last year’s total of 13 in 89 fewer games. I know I’ve yapped all season about offense exploding throughout the minors in 2026, but what Walcott is doing is different and special. 

Ismael Agreda received a bonus start in start following the end of Hub City’s season. Let’s just say it was nice for management to reward him and leave it there. 

Amarillo’s win and Midland’s loss secured the second-half title for the Sod Poodles.


Lo-A Semifinals: Hickory 8, Charleston (TAM) 9 (10)
Hickory: 9 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 16 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: Charleston leads best-of-three 1-0

SP Seong-Jun Kim: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 26 P / 15 S
RP Connor O’Hara: 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
RP Louis Marinaro: 2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO
DH Deward Tovar: 3-5, 3B
C Josh Springer: 2-5, 2B
2B Daniel Flames: 2-2, BB

Goodness. The Crawdads deserve credit for extracting themselves from an early 5-0 deficit, but on the whole the performance was the antithesis of how I described them in my playoff preview. Hickory allowed their most baserunners (24) and most hits (16, set once previously) in any game this season, and for only the second time this season, two batters reached on errors in the same inning.

Promising two-way player Seong-Jun Kim surrendered a leadoff single to CF Slater deBrun and one-out RBI triple to DH Taitn Gray. Kim had walked or hit 11 in 14.2 innings in 2026, and control became an issue as he walked the next two to load the bases. He escaped without further damage, but his night was done. 

The 2nd was a mess. Reliever Connor O’Hara walked his first batter, then an Alberth Palma liner bounced off 3B Curley Martha’s glove. DeBrun followed with a two-run single, and two more batters would single. With two out, 2B Daniel Flames flubbed a routine grounder, and after yet another single, Hickory trailed 5-0. 

Hickory scored three in the 5th, and Flames atoned with a game-tying two-run single in the 6th. Flames might have suffered a leg injury running to first and would have to be replaced later. 

Charleston scored once in the 6th but returned the defensive favor. With two out and runners on first and second, Brandon Crabtree grounded hard to third, but rather than stepping on the bag or simply waiting to tag lead runner Yolfran Castillo, Cooper Fleming decided to throw the ball four feet over 1B Tim Poole’s head. Castillo scored easily, and Paulino Santana scored all the way from first on a daring send. 7-6 Dads. 

In the 9th, Charleston’s Poole led off the inning with a game-tying homer against Louis Marinaro, who in the regular season surrendered just one homer and was eight-for-eight in save opportunities. Charleston scored twice in the 10th. Deward Tovar tripled in the gift-runner with two out in the bottom half to halve the deficit, but with a 3-1 count, catcher Josh Springer looked at two pitches at the bottom of the zone for strikes two and three. The final pitch was arguable. 

The best team in minors now faces elimination and must take two on the road beginning Thursday. That’s baseball.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Townsend
AA: TBD

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco lost to fall into a tie for the final playoff spot for the first time in ages. The Riders were 7-15 following a 52-34 start. Justin Foscue had hit 12 homers in 20 high-A games, but his total in 20 AA games was zero. 

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: LOW-A CAROLINA LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
Hickory Crawdads (82-47) vs. Tampa Bay Rays-affiliated Charleston RiverDogs (73-59)
Season Run Differential: Hickory +201, Charleston +36
Last 20 Games: Hickory 16-4, Charleston 10-10
Season Series: Hickory 7-5 (all in first half)

How They Got Here
In the first half, Charleston was stuck at 24-25 before reeling off twelve straight wins including the first four of a critical six games against Hickory, who had led the division intermittently but never comfortably. The RiverDogs claimed the title with a 37-29 record despite a negative run differential. In the second half, Charleston won one fewer game but outscored the opposition by a respectable margin. 

Hickory posted the best second-half in all of MiLB, and when considering run differential and deeper components of offense and pitching, I think they’re the best team in the minors, period. They’re also the best Texas minor league team I’ve covered in 20 years on the assignment. There’s not an ounce of luck in their record. 

History
Hickory has been a Texas affiliate since 2009, all in low-A except for 2021-2024. Irrespective of level, 2026 is Hickory’s sixth postseason with the Rangers. The Crawdads won the South Atlantic title in 2015 while falling just short in 2019. 

As you might guess, the Rays-aligned RiverDogs are always competitive, sometimes dominant. By my accounting, the 2021 version (82-38) is the best among over 800 minor league squads in a Texas-affiliated league since 2007. Charleston won the 2021-2023 titles, bookended with defeats of Down East.

Top 30 Prospects Per MLB.com
Hickory:
#5: IF Yolfran Castillo
#8: P/IF Seong-Jun Kim
#9: P/IF Josh Owens
#17: RHP Jacob Johnson
#23: OF Marco Argudin
#29: OF Paulino Santana
#30: RHP Mason McConaughey

Charleston:
#1: IF Grady Emerson (10th in MLB)
#5: IF Cooper Fleming (83rd in MLB)
#6: IF Taitn Gray
#13: IF Daniel Pierce (60-day IL)
#14: OF Slater de Brun
#19: IF Andreimi Antunez
#30: IF Dean Moss

Offense / Possible Position Players
C Sebastian Baquera / Noah Franklin / Josh Springer
1B Brandon Crabtree / Kaden Carpenter
2B Daniel Flames / Josh Owens
3B Curley Martha / Kolby Branch 
SS Yolfran Castillo / Seong-Jun Kim
LF Paulino Santana / Jay McQueen / Carpenter
CF Marco Argudin / McQueen / Santana
RF Deward Tovar / Carpenter / McQueen
DH Carpenter / Tovar

I’ve listed a ridiculous number of players, but other than Crabtree and Castillo as near-fixtures at first and short, respectively, the lineup has been truly fluid of late. Manager Nick Janssen has plenty of defensive combinations and batting orders that are roughly optimal. For the season, Hickory’s offense has been solid, a little above average in all respects. They’ve improved in the second half despite the losses of Hector Osorio and Marcos Torres. 

Crabtree hasn’t hit much, unfortunately, and Hickory might be better served with Kaden Carpenter at first, which also accommodates the crowd vying for the four outfield/DH spots. Third base has been lacking in offensive production since the departure of Angel Arredondo, but that doesn’t offer a clean solution. Strictly in terms of production, neither Owens nor Kim have made a case for usurping a spot in the lineup, but you might see one or both anyway. Hickory received a boost when Marco Argudin returned to action Saturday, but 1B Pablo Guerrero remains on the IL. 

Every top-30 prospect on Charleston’s roster is a hitter, but the offense is bland at best. On the upside, their .252 average leads the league, and they have the most singles and fewest strikeouts. They’re also near the bottom in isolated power and combined walks and HBP. Charleston averages 2.1 steal attempts per game vs a league average of 2.4. De Brun (21 SB / 3 CS) and Palma (41 / 8) run most frequently. 

The big name is SS Grady Emerson, 2026’s #2-overall pick, but he joined barely two weeks ago and hasn’t added much to the attack. Last year’s 37th-overall pick, IF Slater de Brun, hasn’t played much because of wrist issues but has a .444 OBP. Last year’s second-round pick, Cooper Fleming (.298/.379/.450) has been around all season and leads the squad with 11 homers. DH Taitn Gray, OF Angel Mateo and 1B Tom Poole have also hit well. 

Pitching / Possible Rotation
SP1: RHP Evan Siary (3.30 ERA, .239/.287/.400 oppo, 6% BB+HBP, 23% SO)
SP2: RHP Moises Morales (3.13 ERA, .217/.278/.357, 8% BB+HBP, 26% SO)

I’ve written this earlier than usual because of work travel, so my rotation is just a guess. Both Siary and Morales would be on five days rest instead of the usual six; if I’m wrong, I expect they’d start Games 2 and (if needed) 3. Hickory has several options for a third starter: Connor O’Hara, Jacbo Johnson, Jacob LaFalaise, perhaps one of Owens and Kim. s

Hickory has the league’s best run prevention. Neither Siary nor Morales are flamethrowers, but Siary’s overall command and Morales’s slider in particular have proven too much for low-A hitters. Siary’s one weakness has been shocking homer-proneness against lefties; he’s allowed 12, and opponents are slugging .537. 

Owens and Kim have been better on the mound than at the plate and could both be in line for an outing of two innings during the series. The Crawdads lack a set closer. Louis Marinano, JD McReynolds, Geury Rodriguez and Michael Trausch have all handled late innings lately. All are quite good, but only Marinaro has above-average control. 

As for Charleston, their busiest starters haven’t been the most reliable. Down the list a little, Aidan Cremarosa and Jacob Kuhn would be good choices, but neither has rested enough to pitch the first game. That starter might be Luke Jackson (no, not that one), who has a 3.42 ERA and solid peripherals but never stretches beyond two innings. All are righties. 

Lefty Yereny Teus leads the Dogs with seven saves. He’s struck out 80 (a 38% rate) and walked 22 in 54 innings. On the whole, Charleston’s pen appears competent but not exceptional.

Defense
Hickory’s defense is immaculate. No team converts more double play opportunities, turns more batted balls into outs, commits fewer errors or shuts down opposing runners as well. 

Charleston rates a little below average in most respects. 

Advantages
Hitting – Hickory
Pitching – Hickory
Defense – Hickory 

Park Factor
In 2026, both parks have played nearly neutral, but Charleston is among the league’s least the homer-friendly while Hickory is quite generous. 

Outlook
Charleston does have the advantage of playing two of three at home should the series extend that far, but Hickory is (in my opinion) the best team in the minors. Yes, momentum can disappear in an instant. The Crawdads could play 45-86 Delmarva and not be a mortal lock to win two of three. Still, they’re unquestionably more likely to advance. 

Most Recent Texas-Affiliated Championship Teams
AAA: 1996 Oklahoma City 89ers
AA: 2022 Frisco RoughRiders
Hi-A: 2017 Down East Wood Ducks (co-champion)
Lo-A: 2015 Hickory Crawdads
Short-A: 2008 Spokane Indians (RIP)
Rookie: 2019 Rangers

Best full-season overall (record, run differential, components) by a Texas affiliate, 2007-2026:
2026 Low-A Hickory: 82-47, .6362019 Low-A Hickory: 83-52, .615
2023 AAA Round Rock: 89-60, .597
2019 High-A Down East: 87-52, .626
2014 AA Frisco: 80-59, .575

Best full-season records by a Texas affiliate, 2007-2026:
2026 Low-A Hickory: 82-47, .6362019 High-A Down East: 87-52, .626
2019 Low-A Hickory: 83-52, .615
2024 AA Frisco 84-54, .609
2007 AA Frisco: 85-55, .607

Best full-season records in a Texas-affiliated Low-A League, 2007-2026:
2021 Charleston: 82-38, .683
2022 Charleston: 88-44, .667
2019 Delmarva: 90-48, .652
2014 Asheville: 89-49, .645
2026 Hickory: 82-47, .636

Best half-season records in a Texas-affiliated Low-A League, 2007-2026:
2026 Hickory: 48-17, .7382015 West Virginia: 50-20, .714
2022 Myrtle Beach: 47-19, .712
2022 Charleston: 46-20, .697 
2019 Delmarva: 48-21, .696

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Oklahoma City (LAD) 3
Round Rock: 5 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 33-30, 6 GB, 64-74 overall, elimination number 5

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 65 P / 39 S, 5.68 ERA
RP Carter Baumler: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 SO, 1.29 ERA
DH Kyle Higashioka: 1-3, BB

A six-game sweep at home. The Express scored 14 runs, and the only hitter I listed the entire week was rehabbing Kyle Higashioka. That elimination number undersells the situation; OKC and Sugar Land face off next week, so Round Rock can at best gain ground on only one on any given day. The Express visit non-contending Salt Lake this week. Round Rock hasn’t won the series season against OKC since 2019.

The good news is David Davalillo had a good day, not electrifying but never less than pleasant in terms of statcast data. 


AA: Frisco 3, Amarillo (ARI) 2
Frisco: 8 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 31-32, 5 GB, 70-61 overall

SP Thomas Ireland: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 71 P / 47 S, 8.51 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.95 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, HR (8), .315/.399/.600

Sebastian Walcott hit a ball 452 feet. Josh Trentadue, Jonathan Brand, Joey Danielson and Bryan Mgdaleno combined for five scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. 

Frisco will visit Wichita to conclude the regular season. 


Hi-A: Hub City 1, Jersey Shore (PHI) 0 (5)
Hub City: 4 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 3 walks, 1 strikeout

SEASON OVER
Overall Record: 61-71, -57 run differential
First Half: 34-32, 4th place, 13.5 GB
Second Half: 27-39, 5th place, 8.5 GB

SP Anthony Astudillo: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 59 P / 31 S, 2.57 ERA
CF Paxton Kling: 2-3, 2 SB (38), .247/.386/.368
DH Maxton Martin: 1-3, 2B, .233/.291/.439

Jersey Shore actually led 2-1 after a couple of 6th-inning runs when rain halted the proceedings. Because Hub City didn’t bat in the 6th, the game officially terminated at the conclusion of the last full inning, so the Burgers stole a 1-0 victory. Paxton Kling swiped 22 bases in 31 games after exiting the IL. 

No league had a greater year-to-year increase in offense than the Sally. Runs per game increased 29%, homers by 67%(!), and OPS by 99 points. Somebody who hit .250/.325/.400 in the Sally in 2025 would have a snazzy 118 OPS+. That same line in 2025 is only a 90 OPS+. 


Lo-A: cancelled midway through 2nd

REGULAR SEASON OVER
Overall Record: 82-47, +201 run differential
First Half: 34-30, 2nd place, 2 GB
Second Half: 48-17, 1st place, 10.5 G up

Josh Owens threw two scoreless innings that will be lost in time like tears in the rain that began falling immediately after his final pitch. 

I’ll have a playoff preview Tuesday. 

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock scored 14 runs (equal to this entire week) at El Paso. The other teams were off. Frisco held the Texas League’s final playoff spot by a game, while Down East trailed by two. (activate clickbait mode) What Happened Next Will Shock You!

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Oklahoma City (LAD) 2 (11)
Round Rock: 4 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 33-29, 5 GB, 64-73 overall

SP Dalton Pence: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 76 P / 50 S, 2.12 ERA
RP Robert Garcia: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.85 ERA
DH Kyle Higashioka: 0-3, BB

OKC is a good club, better in my opinion than Sugar Land despite the latter leading the league for most of the second half. Round Rock also has lost several hitters and now resembles the light-on-power bunch of the first half. Still, 13 runs in fives games, including one run in seven extra innings, is tough to take. Catcher Julian Brock drove in Round Rock’s lone run with a two-out single in the 7th, but he was erased twice on the bases including being doubled off second on the game’s concluding play. Keyber Rodriguez scored in extras earlier this week on a sac fly, but last night he was thrown out by several feet on a similar attempt (which I don’t criticize at all, given the situation). 

I’ve seen Dalton Pence four times in person this season, and last night was the best, better than than the scoreless four-inning outing I saw previously. While he still didn’t strike out many hitters, he did miss 11 bats, and I felt his pitches were working together better than before. Pence made his name in college with his rising fastball, but in pro ball he doesn’t really have a go-to pitch. In reworking his pitch classifications*, I found an equal number of strikeouts attributable to his fastball, slider and change. Pence is aiding his vanilla K rate with a ton of popups (one every other inning in AAA), which are functionally akin to strikeouts. 

Robert Garcia was solid in his first rehab outing. The fastball was a tic lower than earlier this year, but that’s not uncommon, and OKC looked helpless against his slider. Encouraging. Emiliano Teodo had one of his better outings as well. 

Per Round Rock voice Rylan Kobre, with whom I teamed on the call last night, opposing starters have a 1.38 ERA when I’m in the booth. Said opponents have been two of the objectively worst pitchers in the PCL and another (Charlie Barnes) who I thought was flattered by his 4.07 ERA. My apologies. 

* For some reason, Statcast has deep trouble with Pence. The computer is classifying everything slower and glove-side as a slider. 84 with about 30 inches of drop? Slider. Fine. 75 with 45 inches of drop? Slider. What? Maybe I’m the one who’s wrong, but Pence appears to be throwing many more curves than I realized. It’s not much of a bat-misser, but he’s throwing a decent number to open at-bats and with good success. 


AA: Frisco 5, Amarillo (ARI) 6
Frisco: 8 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 30-32, 6 GB, 69-61 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 82 P / 49 S, 5.64 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 1-2, 2B, BB, HBP, .220/.320/.423
2B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, 2B

Six runs on three hits, eight walks and two hit batters? I’ve seen enough; I’m not scanning that game log. Aidan Curry walked four for the first time in over three months. Between then and last night, he’d walked 27 of 265 batters, which is pretty darn good in 2026. He’s intriguing, which I’ll confess is deceptive language meaning “I’ve been watching him for years but still don’t have a good grasp of whether he’ll ever come to fruition.” Curry can become a free agent after the season, so Texas’s decision on his 40 placement will come before the standard deadline. Off the top of my head, Drew Robinson and Tomas Telis were protected in this fashion. 

Today’s starter for Amarillo is ex-Rangers farmhand David Hagaman, who reached AA a few weeks ago and has a 2.52 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 25 innings. “Good for him,” I say as I stare blankly into the distance. 


Hi-A: Hub City 5, Jersey Shore (PHI) 7
Hub City: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 7 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 26-39, eliminated G up, 60-71 overall

SP Enrique Segura: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 5 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 81 P / 49 S, 6.57 ERA
CF Paxton Kling: 2-3, 2B, BB, HBP, SB (36), .243/.383/.365
1B Antonis Macias: 1-4, HR (9), BB, .260/.357/.396
LF Quincy Scott: 1-5, HR (14), .235/.356/.412

For the season, Segura allowed 63 hits and 66 combined walks and hit batters in 75 innings. Run-scoring in the Sally has increased 1.3 runs per game over last year, and my guess is that creates more variance among pitchers. Put another away, some pitchers are more likely to get wiped out. The combination of tougher environment and worse control has placed Segura is in that group. 


Lo-A: Hickory 2, Fayetteville (HOU) 0
Hickory: 2 hits, 8 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 48-17, division winner G up, 82-47 overall

SP Jacob Johnson: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 70 P / 40 S, 2.04 ERA
RP Cole Fehrman: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP JD McReynolds: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.35 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 0-1, BB, HBP, SB (55), .286/.390/.416
C Noah Franklin: 1-3, BB, .247/.402/.329
3B Curley Martha: 1-2, HBP, SB (5), .192/.261/.269

Fifteen straight wins, tying the franchise record. Fayetteville entered the series with a 39-20 record, by the way. The Woodpeckers didn’t get a hit until the 6th, and Hickory had no hits after the 3rd. Yolfran Castillo began a terrific double play in the 4th, ranging deep and to his right to snare a grounder, then executing the turn and throw and rapidly as possible to give 2B Daniel Flames time to throw to first. 

Hickory’s offensive output was similar to Amarillo’s, but since Hickory won, let’s find out how. The Crawdads scored on a single/walk/walk/GIDP sequence in the 1st and a walk/balk/wild pitch/sac bunt in the 7th. 

In his final start of the regular season, Jacob Johnson fanned only one but managed to get a lot of balls hit at people. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Davalillo
AA: Ireland
Hi-A: TBD (Scarborough is listed but nope)
Lo-A: Owens

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Down East’s Owen White fanned a career-best 12. The last six outings for Frisco’s Daniel Roberts: 9.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 19 SO. “His arsenal doesn’t leap off the page: 92-94 fastball, 80-82 slider, maybe a curve. He relies heavily on the slider, which has an almost floating quality out of his hand but acquires anger late and doesn’t end up where the batter thinks.”