AAA: Round Rock 9, at Las Vegas (OAK) 6
Round Rock: 12 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 8 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 32-23, 1 GB
SP Cole Winn: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 52 P / 25 S, 5.44 ERA
RP Yerry Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 5.73 ERA
RP Jake Latz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 5.19 ERA
RP Jonathan Hernandez: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.50 ERA
CF Leody Taveras: 2-5, HR (7), .282/.317/.479
LF Bubba Thompson: 1-4, 2B, BB, .306/.323/.452
C Yohel Pozo: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, .340/.383/.500
3B Diosbel Arias: 2-3, HR (1), BB, .412/.474/.765
Extra days off were of no help to Cole Winn, who walked three of 13 hitters including one with the bases loaded. Winn retired the first two batters of the 3rd on just four pitches, but apparently a 30-pitch 2nd and sub-50% strike rate called for a quick hook. As ever, Winn’s velocity was fine. He missed up with the fastball and down/away with the change and curve. He is, at least, not missing in ways leading to hard hits; opponents are batting .255 and slugging .349 during this stretch.
Bubba Thompson drew his third walk.
Balls hit at 102 MPH and a 20-degree angle are gimme doubles but cleared the fence only 5% of the time in MLB during 2019-2021, so be glad you were in Vegas last night, Mr. Taveras.
In his third rehab outing, Jonathan Hernandez found his slider control, although he did have a couple of them shipped the other direction pretty hard.
AA: Frisco 4, at Amarillo (ARI) 7
Frisco: 11 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-25, 1 GB
SP Jack Leiter: 5 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 7 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 94 P / 55 S, 5.90 ERA
RP Tim Brennan: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.79 ERA
3B Trey Hair: 2-3, 2B, HR (7), 2 BB, .240/.301/.479
DH Kellen Strahm: 2-3, 2B, BB, .229/.384/.295
2B Jax Biggers: 2-3, BB, .273/.385/.318
Another bunched-up collection of hits and walks for Jack Leiter, including the 2nd and 3rd homers allowed as a professional. 609 minor league pitchers have thrown at least 30 innings. Leiter’s strand rate of 52% is 12th worst. That is not to say he’d have a sub-3.00 ERA with an ordinary distribution of baserunners. Obviously, we want better from him, but I’m not worried about his ability to shrug off poor outings.
Frisco had more baserunners but stranded 11 and lost more on double plays.
High-A: Hickory 0, at Bowling Green (TAM) 6
Hickory: 6 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 30-22, 2.5 GB
SP TK Roby: 5.2 IP, 4 H (3 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 10 SO, 97 P / 62 S, 6.02 ERA
SS Chris Seise: 2-3, .255/.306/.416
Hickory entered down 1.5 games to Bowling Green with 15 to play in the first half, but their first of six battles was a dud. The Crawdads’ league-best offense went down on nine pitches in the top of the 1st, and TK Roby gave up solo homers to three of his first seven opponents. Singles by Cristian Inoa and Chris Seise to begin the 5th were in vain.
Roby did reach double-digit strikeouts for the first time as a pro and didn’t issue a walk.
Low-A: Down East 0, at Kannapolis (CHW) 6
Down East: 4 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 24-28, 4.5 GB
SP Gavin Collyer: 7 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 86 P / 61 S, 4.02 ERA
Down East generated more opportunities than Hickory but couldn’t convert. Catcher Ian Moller (0-3, BB) stole two bases, giving him six without a negative result in 14 games. On the flip side, Moller has thrown out nine of 21 runners (43%). No other Wood Duck exceeds 23%.
Rookie: Rangers 11, Dodgers 10
Rangers: 11 hits, 9 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeoutsSP Aidan Curry: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Kai Wynward: 2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 13.50 ERA
RP Michael Alfonso: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Alberto Mota: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Andres Mesa: 2-5, 2B, BB, SB (1)
CF Yeison Morrobel: 2-6
C Jesus Moreno: 3-5, 2B, SB (1)
SS Danyer Cueva: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB
Rookie: Rangers 4, Dodgers 2
Rangers: 10 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 2-0
SP Ivan Oviedo: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 2.25 ERA
RP Joseph Montalvo: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Evan Elliott: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 9.00 ERA
CF Jojo Blackmon: 3-3, BB, 2 SB (2)
LF Yeison Morobel: 1-3, BB
C Liam Hicks: 2-3, 3B, BB
DH Zion Bannister: 3-4, BB
The rookies took two from the Dodgers to begin the rookie season. The season began in classic rookie fashion, as 2B Andres Mesa reached second on an error, advanced to third on a balk, and then was thrown out trying to score on a caught fly. Texas also once led 10-0. Games can be sloppy at times, the Rangers are splitting time amongst 38 youngsters, and MiLB.com makes getting info on this level a chore, part of why I’ve chosen non-daily coverage.
18-year-old OF Yeison Morrobel, Texas’s top 2020-2021 signing, started both games and collected three singles and a walk. Baseball America ranked him Texas’s #16 prospect, lauding his batting eye and contact skills. Signed at the same time, SS Danyer Cueva also has played twice. BA ranked him #27 in the Texas system.
19-year-old Jojo Blackmon was Texas’s 11th-rounder last summer. He swiped two bases in the second game and is on tap for many more. 9th-rounder Liam Hicks (23, Arkansas State) manned 1B in the opener and caught last night.
OF Zion Bannister was a 2019 international signing of some regard. His 2021 in Arizona wasn’t great (.227/.317/.320), but I thought he might draw an April assignment to low-A since he’s been around a while. Perhaps later this year.
Now 19, righty Aidan Curry signed after going unclaimed in 2020’s five-round draft. 2021 17th-rounder Michael Alfonso, 19 years old out of Key West, made his pro debut. 15th-round righty Evan Elliott fanned seven in three 2021 innings. 19-year-old Dominican Ivan Oviedo fanned 72 in 62.1 innings in last summer’s DSL.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Howard
AA: Ragans
Hi-A: Vanasco
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Not much happened. Ten years ago, I saw Wil Myers hit a grand slam off Roy Oswalt in Round Rock. My link to the story no longer works, but I remember Oswalt complaining mildly about AAA hitters jumping on his first-pitch fastballs. “Welcome to every rehab/warmup start ever,” I said.