AAA: Round Rock 10, at Albuquerque (COL) 5
Round Rock: 10 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 65-56, 4 GB
SP Tyson Miller: 5 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 69 P / 48 S, 4.80 ERA
CF Josh Smith: 3-4, 2 2B, HR (5), BB, SB (9), .272/.372/.435
SS Davis Wendzel: 2-4, HR (10), .207/.287/.369
No lead is safe in Albuquerque, but Davis Wendzel provided comfort if not certainty with his 8th-inning grand slam that pushed the lead to six. Josh Smith’s maximum MLB exit velocity of 104 ranks at only the 16th percentile, but last night he hit four balls in the solid 94-102 range, which is what he does when he’s on his game.
AA: Frisco 2, Wichita (MIN) 1
Frisco: 2 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-21, tied for first, 63-54 overall
SP Zak Kent: 7 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 93 P / 59 S, 4.58 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.75 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.80 ERA
Like Cody Bradford, Zak Kent began the year worryingly poorly but has pitched much better since June:
April-May: 15% BB rate, 18% SO
June-August: 5% BB, 29% SO
He’s yet another player I don’t think will be added to the 40, but I am at least thinking about him. Having these tough and risky upcoming decisions is good. You want a system in which your ninth or and tenth-best 40/R5 prospects are being eyed by the competition.
The “1981 was 31 years ago” thing was a joke. Or an attempt at one. Getting old is funny, ha ha.
High-A: Hickory 4, at Hudson Valley (NYY) 5
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Record: 24-28, 10 GB, 62-56 overall
SP TK Roby: 5 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 4 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 71 P / 49 S, 4.93 ERA
RP Spencer Mraz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 5.65 ERA
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 2-2, 2 BB, .251/.318/.326
Roby’s stats don’t betray any sign of exhaustion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s feeling a touch weary at 95 innings compared to 2021’s injury-shortened 22 and 2020’s covid-shortened zero. The Rangers are continuing to let him pitch, but he’s tapered down to 70-79 pitches lately instead of the 90+ he threw in June.
Low-A: Down East 8, at Fredericksburg (WAS) 23
Down East: 13 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 20 hits, 9 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 27-25, 5.5 GB, 60-58 overall
SP Gavin Collyer: 5 IP, 9 H (2 HR), 8 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 79 P / 57 S, 4.83 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 3-5, 2 2B, SB (34), .215/.317/.300
CF Marcus Smith: 2-4, SB (40), .178/.332/.267
Yipes. Down East trailed 7-0 after the 2nd but clawed back to 9-8 at the stretch. Then the Nats batted 18 and scored 13. C/1B Liam Hicks pitched a one-run 8th.
Organization SB leaders:
56, Bubba Thompson (includes 7 in MLB)
42, Daniel Mateo
40, Marcus Smith
39, Maximo Acosta
34, Luisangel Acuna, Cam Cauley, Alejandro Osuna, JP Martinez
Today’s Starters
AAA: Alexy
AA: Weems
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas designated Tanner Scheppers for assignment. I described LHP Brett Martin as a tough 40 decision after his seven-inning, two-run outing for high-A Down East. (In November, I gave him a cautious thumbs-up, and he was indeed added.) Down East still trailed by 3.5 games with eight to play. As Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, my “five years ago” note mentioned Round Rock hosting a series scheduled for New Orleans because of Hurricane Issac.