AAA: Round Rock 4, Albuquerque (COL) 9
Round Rock: 8 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 0-1, 1 GB
SP Cole Winn: 3.2 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 80 P / 45 S, 7.36 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 0-3, 2 BB
LF Clint Frazier: 2-5
1B Yoshi Tsutsugo: 2-4, 2B
RF Elier Hernandez: 1-2, BB, SB
CF JP Martinez: 2-4, SB
Cole Winn’s first three batters reminded of 2022: four-pitch walk to open the game, homer, hard single. He then retired nine of the next ten batters, five via strikeout. Leading off the 4th, 3B Aaron Schunk fouled off three two-strike pitches before homering to left at a robust 107.6 MPH. Winn allowed another walk, his third, struck out his sixth and final batter, and was removed after 80 pitches. He’d needed 24 pitches to work through four batters in the 4th.
In spurts, he looked his best since last April, effectively deploying a high fastball, slider, and change. Velocity was fine; the fastball averaged 93.6 and topped at 95.4. He missed 12 bats, usually with the fastball, and fanned six of 17 (35%). Conversely, his strike rate was below average (57%). While he didn’t give the appearance of battling himself like on occasion in 2022, he nevertheless missed enough pitches to end his night shy of four innings.
Winn threw only four curves, three of them attempts at a first-pitch called strike (one worked).
Winn also appears to be throwing a cutter. Out in Surprise, I noticed a couple of odd-looking pitches from him around 90 MPH, not a velocity he hits. He did the same last night at 89 and 90 MPH, and both pitches pushed glove-side slightly. Statcast recorded them as four-seam fastballs, but I think not. I checked the data from last year, and he didn’t offer anything in that velo/movement range. The last three pitches of his night were swinging strikes, and the first two appeared to be cutters followed by a slider.
The relief was indistinct. John King retired only two of seven batters as Winn’s replacement. Best was Daniel Robert, topping out at 98.3 MPH and working around a walk and single to retire four batters without allowing a run.
Newcomers Jonathan Ornelas and Justin Foscue (0-4) are looking for their first AA hits. Foscue lined sharply to the awaiting second basemen and was robbed on a fine play by Schunk, who nabbed a deep grounder along the third base line and whirled to nab Foscue at first. (Also: Foscue isn’t speedy.)
Cody Bradford starts tonight.
Rangers Farm Report: Games of Friday 31 March
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 4, Albuquerque (COL) 9
Round Rock: 8 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 0-1, 1 GB
SP Cole Winn: 3.2 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 80 P / 45 S, 7.36 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 0-3, 2 BB
LF Clint Frazier: 2-5
1B Yoshi Tsutsugo: 2-4, 2B
RF Elier Hernandez: 1-2, BB, SB
CF JP Martinez: 2-4, SB
Cole Winn’s first three batters reminded of 2022: four-pitch walk to open the game, homer, hard single. He then retired nine of the next ten batters, five via strikeout. Leading off the 4th, 3B Aaron Schunk fouled off three two-strike pitches before homering to left at a robust 107.6 MPH. Winn allowed another walk, his third, struck out his sixth and final batter, and was removed after 80 pitches. He’d needed 24 pitches to work through four batters in the 4th.
In spurts, he looked his best since last April, effectively deploying a high fastball, slider, and change. Velocity was fine; the fastball averaged 93.6 and topped at 95.4. He missed 12 bats, usually with the fastball, and fanned six of 17 (35%). Conversely, his strike rate was below average (57%). While he didn’t give the appearance of battling himself like on occasion in 2022, he nevertheless missed enough pitches to end his night shy of four innings.
Winn threw only four curves, three of them attempts at a first-pitch called strike (one worked).
Winn also appears to be throwing a cutter. Out in Surprise, I noticed a couple of odd-looking pitches from him around 90 MPH, not a velocity he hits. He did the same last night at 89 and 90 MPH, and both pitches pushed glove-side slightly. Statcast recorded them as four-seam fastballs, but I think not. I checked the data from last year, and he didn’t offer anything in that velo/movement range. The last three pitches of his night were swinging strikes, and the first two appeared to be cutters followed by a slider.
The relief was indistinct. John King retired only two of seven batters as Winn’s replacement. Best was Daniel Robert, topping out at 98.3 MPH and working around a walk and single to retire four batters without allowing a run.
Newcomers Jonathan Ornelas and Justin Foscue (0-4) are looking for their first AA hits. Foscue lined sharply to the awaiting second basemen and was robbed on a fine play by Schunk, who nabbed a deep grounder along the third base line and whirled to nab Foscue at first. (Also: Foscue isn’t speedy.)
Cody Bradford starts tonight.
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Beats me. In all my years on the beat, the Texas minor league system had never played a real game in March until last night.