Today’s starters down the ladder are Glenn Otto, Tai Tiedemann (bullpen), TK Roby, Gavin Collyer
Major Moves
C/DH Mitch Garver and IF Josh Smith active.
C/1B Sam Huff and OF Zach Reks returned to AAA.
RHP Glenn Otto to AAA on rehab.
OF Eli White to the 60-day IL.
C Meibrys Viloria contract purchased and active.
I’d been meaning to write about Viloria. The 25-year-old offseason signing doesn’t offer much of an MLB resume (.216/.266/.287 in 67 games) but is having a whale of a season for Round Rock, batting .344/.471/.512 in 38 games. The batted data is legit: respectable home-run-level pop, plenty of line drives, more ground balls than you’d like but enough velocity to push a good number through the infield (.363 average and 90 MPH median velo on downward-hit balls). He’s drawn walks at a 17% rate and struck out only 20% of the time. In his career, the two places he’s hit exceptionally well are Round Rock in the Pacific Coast League and Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League. Not a coincidence.
Huff was hitting a powerless .111 in 13 games since his June 1 homer. I’m a fan of regular play for him, which means Round Rock. Can Viloria match Huff’s overall line of .282/.320/.352? I doubt it, but could he be a decent 2nd catcher for a while? Sure.
Rookie Recap: Games of 13-18 June
Scores: 5-4 (WSox), 6-3 (WSox), 1-7 (Pads), 20-1 (Pads), 15-14 (Royals)
Record: 8-2, +2 G
RHP Joseph Montalvo (20): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 6 SO, 0.00 ERA
RHP Ismael Agreda (18): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, HBP, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA
LHP Luis Paulino (24): 5.0 IP, 2 R, 5 H, HBP, 6 SO, 3.60 ERA
RHP Kai Wynyard (19): 4.0 IP, 3 R, 2 H, BB, HBP, 7 SO, 6.48 ERA
IF Gleider Figuereo (17): 7-12, 3B, 2 HR (2), 2 BB, .455/.600/1.000
IF Danyer Cueva (18): 5-11, 2 2B, HR (1), BB, .375/.464/.625
OF Yeison Morrobel (18): 7-16, 2 2B, 3 BB, HBP, 2 SB (3), .333/.459/.400
C Liam Hicks (23): 8-13, HR (1), 2 BB, 2 HBP, .500/.600/.727
IF Zion Bannister (20): 2-8, 2B, 6 BB, .333/.545/.467
Courtesy of two weekend outbursts, the baby Rangers lead the league in runs (7.5 per game) and all the slashes (.295/.411/.459).
Gleider Figuereo was the youngest player on Texas’s 2021 instructional roster and retains that honor on this team. He’s the league’s hottest hitter, first in OBP and slugging, six extra-base hits in seven games more walks (7) than strikeouts (5). Listed as a shortstop when signed, he’s played exclusively at third professionally.
Catcher Liam Hicks is old for the level but was only drafted last summer (9th round) and would probably need someone in Kinston to come back the other direction to get a spot on the Wood Ducks right now. Zion Bannister co-leads the team in walks with Figuereo,
As a group the starters were nondescript. 19-year-old Ivan Oviedo walked one and struck out five while allowing three runs in four innings. Free-agent signing Aidan Curry tossed one scoreless, one-strikeout inning to start Texas’s 20-1 demolition of the Padres; he co-leads the team (along with Kai Wynward and Michael Alfonso) with 12 strikeouts. 19-year-old Michael Alfonso (2021/17th rd.) didn’t have a great start earlier in the week (3 IP, 6 runners, 4 runs, 4 SO) but came on to strand the gift runner in the 10th of Texas’s 15-14 win against the Royals.
Joseph Moltalvo has faced 21 batters without a walk.