Month: May 2024

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, El Paso (SDP) 3
Round Rock: 5 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 29-24, 5.5 GB

SP Johnny Cueto: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 89 P / 57 S, 2.40 ERA
RP Yerry Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.00 ERA
2B Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, 3B, .259/.301/.350
CF Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2B, BB, .262/.364/.395

Johnny Cueto held the opponent scoreless for the second time in three starts and pulled his opposing line down to .257/.274/.386, excellent for the PCL. Underlying data on contact and exit velo isn’t as promising, but he’s at least giving the idea he isn’t done and might be able to pitch for someone, if not necessarily Texas.

AA: Frisco 5, @ San Antonio (SDP) 2
Frisco: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 31-17, 1.5 G up

SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 82 P / 54 S, 4.82 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.96 ERA
RP Bryan Chi: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.23 ERA
C Liam Hicks: 2-3, BB, .248/.357/.307
3B Frainyer Chavez: 3-4, .221/.333/.305

Frisco took advantage of San Antonio wildness in a tied 5th. Daniel Mateo and Aaron Zavala were hit by pitches after a Frainyer Chavez single, and Liam Hicks then drew a bases-loaded walk. Additional runs scored on a Cody Freeman GIDP and Josh Hatcher double.

SS Max Acosta (0-4) is back from s a short IL visit.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 5
Hickory: 11 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 19-29, 8 GB

SP Mitch Bratt: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 52 S, 5.14 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 5.30 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 3-5, SB (2), .179/.228/.263
3B Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, 2B, .201/.335/.326
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2B, .250/.288/.329

Cauley and Walcott  in the summary for a second straight day. These are the days. Walcott actually lost his bat in the follow-through on his double, a soft liner just over the third baseman’s glove. He brought his batting average over .200 for the first time this season.

Mitch Bratt surrendered seven runs in his first start of the season but not more than two since (plus a one-inning, three-run relief appearance).

Lo-A: Down East 6, Fredericksburg (WAS) 3
Down East: 8 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 26-21, 3.5 GB

SP Kohl Drake: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 67 P / 46 S, 2.25 ERA
RP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 3.03 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 1-3, 2B, BB, .252/.315/.369

The Drake/Bonzagni tandem has appeared six times, combining for 47 innings, 18 runs (16 earned), 3.06 ERA, 10 walks, and 58 strikeouts. Elder by nearly two years, Drake has the better peripherals.

Echedry Vargas’s two-run double in the 5th was a grounder to right that deflected off the pitcher. I wish I had video. I mentioned Vargas’s errors yesterday and noticed Gleider Figuero has 13 at third base, also a high figure. That might lead a belief that Down East has the worst fielding in the league, but in fact they’re middle-of-the-pack in errors with 65. The distinction is a concentration at a few positions. The difference between Down East and league-worst Augusta:

Down East: 46 errors at second, third, and short, 19 at other positions.
Augusta: 45 errors at second, third, and short, 33 at other positions (including 17 at catcher!)

Today’s Starters
AAA: Barraclough
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Montalvo
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco received scoreless innings from Emmanuel Clase, Joe Barlow, and Demarcus Evans but scored only one run and lost both ends of a doubleheader and two-thirds of a three-game division lead. The Riders began the first half 17-9 but finished on a 16-27 skid and a tie for third after leading the division much of the way.

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Wednesday 29 May
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 0, El Paso (SDP) 8
Round Rock: 7 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 28-24, 5.5 GB

SP Jack Leiter: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 59 P / 31 S, 3.94 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.31 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.06 ERA
RF Sandro Fabian: 3-4, 2 2B, .329/.378/.555

A closed Highway 130 delayed my arrival to the game until the 2nd inning, so I missed most of Jack Leiter’s first poor AAA outing. In six starts, he hadn’t allowed more than three runs or walked more than he struck out. No longer. Leiter had a 30% zone rate with the fastball, and the Chihuahuas weren’t biting. He missed four bats with the slider, but El Paso also had a good grasp on how to square them up. Nothing to do but hope the next start makes last night a blip instead of a trend.

Antoine Kelly missed on 16 of 23 pitches, walked two, allowed two hits and recorded only one out. Unfortunately, his situation is definitely a trend. Two weeks ago, Kelly departed with what appeared to be a scary elbow or forearm injury but instead was only a cramp per local media. He returned after a week, but his success hasn’t, and his fastball velocity continues to decline. Before last night, his slowest fastball was 89.7 MPH, the last pitch he threw before exiting hurt. Wednesday, he threw five fastballs slower than that, bottoming out at 87. Statcast described them as cutters, and I suppose that’s possible, but they’d be the first cutters he’s ever thrown in AAA, and they had the same tail as his fastball.

More promising was Cole Winn. Winn was erratic and blew a save last weekend in his first appearance back in AAA, but he was on point last night, not blowing everyone away but solid enough to retire big-league hitters, I’d venture.

AA: Frisco 6, @ San Antonio (SDP) 3 (7)
Frisco: 8 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts

SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 92 P / 58 S, 4.46 ERA
DH Liam Hicks: 2-4, 2B, .240/.348/.300
3B Cody Freeman: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (6), .298/.359/.490
1B Josh Hatcher: 1-3, HR (5), BB, SB (6), .316/.358/.478

AA: Frisco 6, San Antonio (SDP) 4 (7)
Frisco: 6 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 30-17, 1 G up

SP Florencio Serrano: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 53 P / 33 S, 3.97 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 2-3, BB, SB (8), .300/.390/.413

Meet your first-place Frisco RoughRiders. Frisco played as the home team in the nightcap to make up a mid-May DFW rainout. Kellen Strahm was the hero, singling in the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the 6th, then stealing second and scampering all the way home on an offline throw by the catcher and failed bare-hand grab by the CF. 27 as of last month, Strahm was a 5th-round senior sign out of San Jose State. He had a good season in Frisco in 2022 but backslid some last year, preventing a possible promotion to AAA. This year, he’s resumed his better pace.

Frisco has the league’s best record and second-best in AA behind Birmingham (31-16).

Hi-A: Hickory 9, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hickory: 11 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 19-28,

SP Ryan Lobus: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 85 P / 56 S, 2.87 ERA
RP DJ Peters: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 13.50 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, BB, .267/.333/.442
2B Cam Cauley: 1-3, 3B, BB, .156/.208/.244
SS Sebastian Walcott: 3-4, 2B, .193/.331/.314

Nearly two months into the season, we have the first appearance from both Cam Cauley and Sebastian Walcott in a recap. Cauley did miss nearly a month to injury but also has been mouse-quiet for the most part, collecting only one multi-hit game and one homer outside the complex all season. He has a 34% strikeout rate off the IL, which is nothing new, but he’s also not accounting for much on contact, which is an unwelcome change. Walcott is actually slugging less in May than April but has been better in all respects otherwise. The Rangers have his highlights from last night.

Ryan Lobus settled for 14 missed bats after last week’s 21 plus a career-high 12 strikeouts. His slider is menacing, and everything he throws seems to have an extra little squiggle, even his four-seamer at times. In his second full-season outing, DJ Peters had a 57% strike rate, not good overall but with enough good stretches to record two scoreless innings.

Lo-A: Down East 3, Fredericksburg (WAS) 5
Down East: 8 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 25-21, 3.5 GB

SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 6 SO, 65 P / 41 S, 4.60 ERA
RP Brayan Mendoza: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.06 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 3-5, 2B, 2 SB (6), .250/.308/.361

With two errors last night, Echedry Vargas has 16 in 24 games at shortstop. Errors are an overrated  but not useless stat, and having that many in that few games is a problem. I’m reminded of Odubel Herrera, who in 2012 had 28 errors in 60 games at short by mid-June. There would be no 29th. He switched to second and eventually the outfield, and other than a couple of innings as a mid-game replacement the next season, he’d never play short again. I’m not suggesting the 19-year-old Vargas could be banished from the position in a few weeks, but the situation is worth watching. On the flip side, Vargas is having a nice May at the plate: .270/.333/.348 with a 15% K rate.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Cueto
AA: B. Anderson
Hi-A: Bratt
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Sam Huff knocked his organization-leading 18th homer in a 7-2 win for Down East, 36-17 and leading the division by 6.5 games. Teammate Leody Taveras singled, walked, and stole his 14th base.

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Tuesday 28 May
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 10, El Paso (SDP) 5
Round Rock: 11 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 28-23, 4.5 GB

SP Adrian Sampson: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 89 P / 59 S, 4.27 ERA
RP Brock Burke: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.70 ERA
RF Sandro Fabian: 2-5, HR (5), .320/.370/.538
3B Davis Wendzel: 2-5, HR (4), .309/.400/.582
CF Jose Barrero: 2-4, HR (4), .154/.230/.359

Jose Barrero’s late three-run homer quashed whatever idea El Paso might have had about a comeback. He’s hitting well when he makes contact, but he sports a 39% strikeout and is coming up empty on over half his swings against non-fastballs, although the homer was lasered against a sweeper.

AA: Frisco 3, @ San Antonio (SDP) 2
Frisco: 7 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 28-17, 0.5 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 84 P / 56 S, 4.82 ERA
LF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, 3B, .292/.380/.403

Josh Stephan resumed with the expected quality after a couple of five-run outings. Against Robby Ahlstrom in the 9th, San Antonio loaded the bases with one out but watched consecutive third strikes. The Missions stranded eight in the final four innings and had another picked off.

Hi-A: Hickory 6, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hickory: 8 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 18-28, 7 GB

SP DJ McCarthy: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 0 SO, 33 P / 21 S, 5.09 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1.67 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1.45 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 5.82 ERA
DH Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, BB, SB (3), .256/.319/.439
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 1-3, BB, SB (10), .246/.278/.319

This game actually occurred on Memorial Day, and the teams took yesterday off instead. I’d intended to publish a review of Texas’s top prospects yesterday but didn’t complete it because I was distracted by a better AAA data set. I’ll have it next week.

DJ McCarty couldn’t escape the 1st but was bailed out by the steadfast Jackson Kelley. Adrian Rodriguez continues to be highly effective despite the usual alarming walk/HBP rate (currently 24%). Those who don’t get a free pass have a 50/50 chance of striking out. OF Anthony Gutierrez is back from a month-long IL stint.

Lo-A: Down East 7, Fredericksburg (WAS) 2
Down East: 9 hits, 9 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 25-20, 2.5 GB

SP David Davallilo: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, P / S, 1.89 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, 2 BB, .219/.346/.464
1B Arturo Disla: 2-5, HR (4), .275/.372/.451
LF Marcos Torres: 1-3, BB, .181/.278/.293

The league’s best offense was no match for David Davallilo, whose only poor outing of the season came against these same Nationals a month ago.

Gleider Figuereo and Arturo Disla are eighth and 12th in slugging, respectively, among league hitters with at least 100 strikeouts.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Leiter
AA: Garcia / Serrano
Hi-A: Lobus
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas promoted relievers Demarcus Evans and Joe Barlow to AA Frisco and Pete Fairbanks to AAA Nashville. AAA OF Hunter Cole exited with an ankle injury. The player to be named in the 2017 Sam Dyson trade with the Giants, Cole had been hitting well and perhaps had a shot at a utility role or at least a cup of coffee with the Rangers. After nearly a month out, he’d suffer another injury after just three games. Although he would be under contract with Texas through 2020, he never took the field again.

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Sunday 26 May
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 0, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 5
Round Rock: 2 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 27-23, 5.5 GB

SP Peter Solomon: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 71 P / 43 S, 3.29 ERA
C Sam Huff: 2-4, .263/.357/.489

The bad guys took four of six. Reminiscent of last year, when Round Rock manhandled everyone but eventual league champion OKC, the Express are 6-9 against division-leading Sugar Land and 21-14 versus everyone else.

Wyatt Langford was 0-3 but hit the ball hard twice including one that might have left some parks other than Sugar Land. While he’s hitting only .200 with a walk in four rehab games, the deeper stats recall his rapid rise through the system last year: 50% hard-hit rate, only one miss in 23 swings.

AA: Frisco 5, Midland (OAK) 1
Frisco: 7 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Record: 27-17, 0.5 GB

SP Emiliano Teodo: 6 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 49 S, 2.09 ERA
RP Florencio Serrano: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.08 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.70 ERA
RF Josh Hatcher: 3-4, .323/.358/.472

Frisco held Midland to a run on Saturday and Sunday to split the series and stay half a game out of first. Emiliano Teodo was solid again, if in different fashion than usual. First, Caeden Trinkle had the gall to hit the first homer off him this season. Teodo also missed a season-low seven bats but also walked just one for the second time in 2024.

Josh Hatcher broke a three-game hitless streak and next can focus on the ten games without a walk. Hatcher does tend to rely on contact to reach base.

Hi-A: Hickory 0, Asheville (HOU) 3 (6)
Hickory: 2 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 17-28, 7 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 3 BB, 8 SO, 70 P / 41 S, 9.62 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1.53 ERA

Hickory already has more games of one or fewer runs scored (17) than last year (15) in 80 fewer games.

Aidan Curry had a mixed outing, striking out a season-high eight but also allowing his 9th homer, already two more than his total from 2023.

Lo-A: Down East 0, @ Charleston (TAM) 8
Down East: 3 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 24-20, 2.5 GB

SP Wilian Bormie: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 79 P / 44 S, 2.22 ERA
RF Marcos Torres: 1-3, 2B, .177/.271/.292

Charleston stole eight bases against pitchers Wilian Bormie (6), Ivan Oviedo (2), and catcher Beycker Barroso, making his first appearance of the season behind the plate. Recently up from the complex, Barroso has played mainly first and third this season. Only one steal was of any consequence in terms of adding to the score.

Today’s Starters
Hi-A: McCarty

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco’s Tyler Phillips endured his shortest professional start, 1.1 innings and six runs against AA Corpus Christi. Although Phillips would be added to the 40-man roster in the fall, May marked the end of a roughly two-year dominant period when he was often the highlight of that day’s report. He maintained his excellent control but allowed a .471 slugging percentage built from 42 extra-base hits in 18 AA starts.

Late update: righty Gerson Garabito’s contract was selected by the Rangers, and righty Shaun Anderson was designated for assignment. According to statcast, Garabito throws a fastball, sinker, cutter, slider, curve, and change. The slider has been the most effective bat-misser. His hard-hit rate is a lower-than-average 31%, and opponents in AAA are hitting only .174/.255/.250. To expect that in the Majors would be foolishness, but perhaps he could be okay. He’ll start today.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 3
Round Rock: 9 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 27-22, 4.5 GB

SP Owen White: 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 83 P / 57 S, 4.93 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 2 IP, 0 H (3.86 HR), 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Wyatt Langford: 1-3
C Andrew Knapp: 3-5, .364/.439/.553
CF Jose Barrero: 1-4, HR (3), .141/.225/.324

Round Rock returned the disfavor to Sugar Land, which walked off with a two-run single Friday night. Down 3-2 in the 9th, Jose Barrero hit a solo shot, and and a Andrew Knapp single and Sam Huff oppo double accounted for the winning run.

Wyatt Langford reached once on a slow grounder to third.

AA: Frisco 2, Midland (OAK) 1
Frisco: 3 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 26-17, 1.5 GB

SP Dane Acker: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 90 P / 52 S, 2.72 ERA
RP Tristan Polley: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.55 ERA
RP Ricky DeVito: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 5.28 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 3.22 ERA
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 1-2, HR (3), BB, .196/.257/.333
3B Cody Freeman: 1-3, HR (6), .308/.355/.510

Dane Acker allowed one very unearned run on two errors and a groundout in the 5th, and three relievers managed to work around seven runners and strand three in scoring position across four innings. Cody Freeman and Abi Ortiz homered around a Josh Hatcher pop in the 4th. Unfortunately, Ortiz’s May has been especially trying. Entering last night, he was hitting .102 with just one extra-base hit (a double), a lone walk, and 18 strikeouts.

Hi-A: Hickory 5, Asheville (HOU) 4
Hickory: 7 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 17-27, 6 GB

SP Winston Santos: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 91 P / 56 S, 1.69 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.88 ERA
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, .270/.345/.412

Winston Santos walked four for the first time this season and was unusually fly-prone, but results remained strong. Though his overall walk/HBP rate crept just above 10% (still better than average nowadays), he’s struck out 58 of 174 faced (33%). Among Sally League pitchers with at least 30 innings, three of the best ten gaps between K rate and walk rate belong to Rangers: Santos, Joseph Montalvo, and Mitch Bratt.

Jackson Kelley fanned the side swinging in order on 14 pitches. The offense restricted itself to singles.

Righty Josh Gessner retired. He had a 3.00 ERA in high-A but had walked 13 in 12 innings versus four strikeouts. The 23-year-old Aussie became a Ranger in 2021 as part of the Gibson/Kennedy/Crouse trade to Philadelphia. All six players in that trade are now with other clubs or retired.

Lo-A: Down East 4, @ Charleston (TAM) 0
Down East: 5 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 0 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 24-19, 2.5 GB

SP Alejandro Rosario: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 80 P / 52 S, 1.78 ERA
RP Kai Wynyard: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 2.12 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 1-3, BB, .245/.311/.362
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, HR (10), .215/.341/.472
C Julian Brock: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .230/.286/.309

Alejandro Rosario delivered a consistent 97-99 MPH fastball along with a slider and change in holding the RiverDogs to nothing across five innings. He’s sporting a 38% strikeout rate versus just a 6% BB/HBP rate. The Rangers grabbed him in last summer’s fifth round out of Miami. He’s one to watch.

Down East hasn’t been this close to first place since the first full week of the season. The Woodies trail both Carolina and Fredericksburg by 2.5 with 22 to play.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Solomon
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
I didn’t file a report, and the one from the subsequent day has a monospace font and none of the usual formatting. No idea what was going on then. Frisco’s Emmanuel Clase was mortal, allowing two 9th-inning runs. JP Martinez, who yesterday I’d mentioned was struggling badly, hit a three-run homer with two out and two strikes in the 9th to extend Down East’s game to extras.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 3
Round Rock: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 26-22, 5.5 GB

SP Kyle Barraclough: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 70 P / 47 S, 3.86 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.63 ERA
DH Wyatt Langford: 1-4, BB
CF Dustin Harris: 2-5, .267/.354/.404
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, SB (1), .256/.355/.411

Facing fellow rehabber Jose Urquidy, Wyatt Langford smacked the game’s first pitch at 109 MPH into center for a single. That would be his only hit, but a couple of others were also driven.

Cole Winn’s would-be two-inning save concluded poorly. His smooth 8th included a strikeout of Jose Abreu (who may be cooked at this point, but still, he’s Jose Abreu). The 9th was an uneasy mix of terrific stuff and wildness more reminiscent of 2023. He hit the first batter, but the next two pitches were sliders that started in toward right-handed Shay Whitcomb and grabbed the inner edge, followed by a sweepier slider for a swinging strike three. Outstanding. That would be it, though. A high splitter lined for a single, a walk, and an inside fastball driven down the line would plate the tying and winning runs.

AA: Frisco 3, Midland (OAK) 5
Frisco: 6 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 25-17, 2.5 GB

SP Nick Krauth: 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 69 P / 43 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Seth Clark: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 1-4, HR (3), BB, .288/.380/.390
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-4, HR (3), .240/.348/.364

CF Kellen Strahm’s first error of the season proved critical, as his 6th-inning drop of a short fly after a long run allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Frisco would push runners into scoring position in each of the last three innings but to no avail.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, Asheville (HOU) 3 (7)
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts

SP Joseph Montalvo: 5 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 11 SO, 81 P / 55 S, 2.90 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 1-2, HR (4), .270/.321/.473
DH Sebastian Walcott: 0-1, 2 BB, 2 SB (6)

Hi-A: Hickory 2, Asheville (HOU) 5 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 16-27, 7 GB

SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 25 P / 13 S, 5.70 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 0-2, 2 BB, SB (4), .183/.331/.310

Both Hickory starters were effective, Joseph Montalvo especially so, besting by four his previous high in strikeouts. He did surrender two solo homers, but on the whole he’s struck out 40 and walked only nine.

We’ll see how much longer Alejandro Osuna lasts in Hickory. He’s been there since late 2022, but injuries have limited him to just 111 games out of possible 210 or so. He’s slugging better than ever, but his walk rate has crashed.

Sebastian Walcott: Kevin Youkilis Jr.? The Bahamian God of Walks? I’m workshopping some ideas. After drawing four freebies in seven trips to the plate last night, Walcott has 27 walks, an 18% rate, compared to 23 hits.

Lo-A: Down East 6, @ Charleston (TAM) 4
Down East: 10 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 23-19, 3.5 GB

SP Kyle Larsen: 1.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 40 P / 23 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Jose Gonzalez: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 1.35 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 3-4, HR (3), .287/.391/.457
RF Wady Mendez: 4-4, 2B, SB (9), .232/.338/.362

The Woodies recovered from an early 4-0 deficit. Arturo Disla has nine of his 16 extra-base hits in the last two weeks, during which time he’s hitting .375/.432/.750. Jose Gonzalez stifled the RiverDogs for five inning and has been among Down East’s best pitchers in 2024. He’s struck out 34 against just seven walks in 26 innings.

Today’s Starters
AAA: White
AA: Acker
Hi-A: Santos
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
JP Martinez homered but was off a to .145/.197/.265 start in high-A. He’s batting .272/.346/.401 for AAA Gwinnett. Had he stayed in Texas, I suppose he would have received the call last week instead of Derek Hill, but I seriously doubt that would make any difference in Texas’s current situation. If the Rangers lose tonight, they’ll be under .500 in their last 162 games.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 8
Round Rock: 6 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 26-21, 4.5 GB

SP Johnny Cueto: 5 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 4 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 82 P / 54 S, 4.00 ERA
RP Brock Burke: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Antoine Kelly: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 5.14 ERA

The Space Cowboys squared up against Johnny Cueto pretty well. The better news is Antoine Kelly is back in action after his fearful mid-at-bat exit last week.

Dustin Harris has played center field the past two days. While not the ideal situation, he’s made progress on the grass. If he ends up hitting well enough to play in the Majors, his outfield defense won’t be a limiting factor.

All Round Rock’s hits were singles, of which Davis Wendzel had two.

AA: Frisco 4, Midland (OAK) 2 (7)
Frisco: 7 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-15

SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 81 P / 49 S, 4.86 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.86 ERA
DH Liam Hicks: 2-2, BB, .254/.356/.313

Ryan Garcia produced a third straight five-inning, two-run start. The 2019 2nd-rounder had a very rough 2023, such that I wondered about his status in the organization, but he’s been much more effective in a second shot in AA. He’s still more walk-prone than you’d like but as clamped down on the extra-base hits.

Like Round Rock, Frisco collected only singles.

AA: Frisco 0, Midland (OAK) 11 (5)
Frisco: 1 hit, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 25-16, 1.5 GB

SP Ben Anderson: 1.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 6 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 51 P / 32 S, 5.01 ERA

Per Collin County Recreational Athletic League rules, the game was called by run rule after five innings. Or maybe it rained. Oft-injured 2021 first-rounder Gunnar Hoagland threw an abbreviated one-hit shutout.

Hi-A: wet

So I guess we’ve got one of those years in which the Carolinas receive rain every day, and the only question is whether it interferes with baseball. Between them, Hickory and Down East and endured eight postponements, a suspended game and a cancellation.

Lo-A: Down East 9, @ Charleston (TAM) 5 (10)
Down East: 8 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 22-19, 4.5 GB

SP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 69 P / 46 S, 2.81 ERA
RP Ivan Oviedo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 2.63 ERA
DH Arturo Disla: 2-5, 2B, .272/.381/.424

Down 4-2 in the 9th, Down East tied the game and scored five more in the 10th on just three hits and a slew of Charleston wildness: three walks, two balks, two wild pitches, two errors, a hit batter. Kohl Drake had a day, pitching in tandem-starter mode but allowing only two runners while facing several closer-level high-leverage situations.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Montalvo / TBA
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Reed Garrett returned to the Rangers from Detroit, which had claimed him in the Rule 5 draft but waived him after some rough outings.

Jon Gray has been IL’ed with a mild groin strain. Righty reliever Jesus Tinoco will replace him, and Cody Bradford has shifted to the 60-day IL.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 1
Round Rock: 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 26-20, 3.5 GB

SP Jack Leiter: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, P / S, 2.37 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 2-4, .239/.350/.406

Jack Leiter completed five innings without much discomfort. He threw fewer fastballs than usual (45%) and mixed in more sliders and changes. Still, the fastball generated the most misses, six of ten total. He did have the fortune of pitching in the league’s pitcher-friendliest park plus the wind blowing in hard from right. Three balls hit at speeds and angles that might have been trouble in many parks ended up in Express gloves.

Until the 9th, the teams combined for zero runs and eight hits. Singles by Davis Wendzel, Andrew Knapp, Sam Huff, and Blaine Crim (plus a Sandro Fabian walk) plated two, and Sugar Land halved the fresh deficit with a Cooper Hummel homer off Daniel Robert. Wendzel also drew a walk, something he weirdly failed to accomplish while in Arlington. Wendzel tended to chase out-of-zone pitches more than his teammates, although his high contact rate on chases at least prevented many strikeouts.

Texas released reliever Jimmy Robbins, who’d actually been pretty effective recently but generally had trouble getting strikes with anything other than his cutter. The Rangers acquired him for cash in mid-April from the Jays.

AA: wet

Two today.

Hi-A: Hickory 7, Asheville (HOU) 2
Hickory: 10 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 6 walks, 19 strikeouts
Record: 15-26, 7 GB

SP Ryan Lobus: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 3 BB, 12 SO, 90 P / 53 S, 3.72 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 1.62 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1.96 ERA
RF Yeison Morrobel: 3-4, HR (5), .264/.344/.414
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, 2B, HR (3), .261/.320/.435
C Ian Moller: 3-4, HR (1), .198/.317/.279

Yeison Morrobel hit one homer in his first 60 full-season games (stretching back to last year) and has five in his most recent 16. While I can’t promise a homer every three games going forward, the power surge isn’t a random stretch of luck. Here’s last night’s shot.

While Ian Moller isn’t in Morrobel’s class, he’s another who I’ve always thought had more than what he’s shown. He’s always drawn plenty of walks and is at least reaching base at a roughly league rate.

In a span of 12 batters, Ryan Lobus recorded nine consecutive outs via strikeout. He missed 21 bats out of 39 swings. There are harder throwers in the system, but the 23-year-old has a nice mix and good control. Lobus was an undrafted signing out of Mercer.

Texas promoted reliever DJ Peters to Hickory. He’d held rookie-level opponents to a .103/.235/.207 line with 18 strikeouts in nine innings. He’d walked three and hit two, reasonable figures that are the key to his promotion. Peters imparts a ton of movement on both his fastball and slider, and in his first stab at pitching as a Tiger in 2023, he had little idea of how to control them, walking or hit one of every three batters.

Lo-A: Down East 7, @ Charleston (TAM) 5
Down East: 11 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 21-19, 4.5 GB

SP Brayan Mendoza: 3 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 74 P / 41 S, 3.16 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 3-5, .256/.315/.390
2B Chandler Pollard: 1-3, BB, 3 SB (14), .217/.270/.239

Down East scored five in the 1st. Chandler Pollard leads the organization with 14 steals. After a tough April, the 2022 5th-rounder is hitting .293/.341/.317 in May with fewer strikeouts.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Cueto
AA: Garcia / B. Anderson
Hi-A: Bratt
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Newly switch-hitting Anderson Tejeda collected two hits against lefties batting right-handed. He was hitting .289/.283/.356 in that fashion, with no walks in 46 plate appearances. I don’t know his current whereabouts. He’d signed with indy Charleston in February but has not appeared, and I don’t see any other transactions.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 5
Round Rock: 9 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-20, 4.5 GB

SP Adrian Sampson: 5 IP, 6 H (3 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 84 P / 57 S, 4.53 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.14 ERA
RF Sandro Fabian: 2-4, HR (5), .329/.373/.544

Round Rock lost the opener against the division leader.

Once overcrowded with outfielders, the Express now have three, or four if you include Jonathan Ornelas, who made his first (and only) appearance in center on the 12th. Derek Hill was called up, Elier Hernandez departed for Japan, Trevor Hauver is hurt. Dustin Harris spent nearly half his games at third base through April, but he’s made 16 consecutive appearances somewhere else, usually left.

Texas signed righty Nabil Crismatt to a minor league deal and assigned him to Round Rock. The 29-year-old had thrown four solid innings against the Express last month and made five mostly respectable appearances for the Dodgers before being DFA’ed a second time and taking free agency. Previously, he’d produced a couple of worthy seasons for the Padres before suffering through a dreadful 2023. He tends to leave fortune to the BABIP gods, lacking exceptional velocity but generating plenty of grounders and avoiding walks. Not a bad signing as these things go.

AA: Frisco 3, Midland (OAK) 7
Frisco: 10 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 24-15, 1.5 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 80 P / 57 S, 6.04 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 3-3, 2B, BB, SB (5), .303/.350/.500
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 3-4, 2B, .333/.375/.588

Frisco also lost its opener against the division leader.

IF Max Acosta has been IL’ed after suffering an injury sliding into second base on Saturday.

Hi-A: Hickory 5, Asheville (HOU) 8
Hickory: 6 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 14-26, 8 GB

SP DJ McCarty: 5 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 93 P / 61 S, 4.03 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.72 ERA
DH Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, 2 BB, .250/.333/.382
3B Sebastian Walcott: 1-2, HR (3), 2 BB, .192/.322/.325
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-4, HR (2), .246/.310/.369

Sebastian Walcott cranked his third homer and walked twice. Subtracting his first eight games improves the line to .228/.377/.380, not otherworldly but darned impressive for an 18-year-old in high-A. Once seemingly incapable of making contact, Walcott’s swinging strike rate has declined to 12.3%, precisely middle-of-the-pack among league batters with at least 100 trips to the plate. After that gruesome start, he appears to be rewarding the aggressive assignment.

The game itself was painful. Bestowed some unusually strong offense, Yohanse Morel couldn’t find the plate, and Skylar Hales found too much of it, eventually reversing a three-run lead. Hales has been strong in eight of 11 outings, but the other three are responsible for 12 of his 15 hits and all of the runs. He sports a 6.00 ERA despite a not-bad line of .259/.302/.362.

Lo-A: Down East 3, @ Charleston (TAM) 6
Down East: 4 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 20-19, 4.5 GB

SP David Davallilo: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 63 P / 45 S, 2.22 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 1-3, 2B, BB, .234/.299/.377
C Jesus Lopez: 2-4, 2B, .303/.358/.413

David Davallilo has walked or hit only eight batters all season, and six of those occurred in one start.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Leiter
AA: Garcia
Hi-A: Lobus
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
How much did the switch to the livelier MLB ball affect the Pacific Coast League in 2019? Very, very much.

The season-ending figures would be even higher: 5.85 runs per game and a 3.8% homer rate. So far in 2024, the PCL has averaged 5.8 runs and a 2.9% homer rate despite the reconfiguration that placed several pitcher-friendly locations in the International League. Homers are down but runs haven’t budged because the combined BB/HBP rate has jumped from 10.8% to 12.9%.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Reno (ARI) 3
Round Rock: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 25-19, 3.5 GB

SP Peter Solomon: 3.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 66 HBP, 4 SO, 43 P / S, 2.79 ERA
RP Kyle Barraclough: 3 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 4.76 ERA

The Express lost the final game but won the the series, their fourth straight.

Texas optioned IF Davis Wendezel to AAA and will make a corresponding addition tomorrow. Wendzel’s MLB production was entirely at odds with what he’d done in the minors. In Round Rock, he’s been a high-power, high-angle, high-walk, high-strikeout type, while with the Rangers he didn’t walk into 29 trips to the plate, struck out only four times, and had a 50% grounder rate.

AA: Frisco 3, @ Amarillo (ARI) 2
Frisco: 7 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 6 walks, 16 strikeouts
Record: 24-14, 0.5 GB

SP Emiliano Teodo: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 7 SO, 76 P / 41 S, 2.20 ERA
RP Ricky Devito: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 5.54 ERA
1B Josh Hatcher: 2-4, HR (4), SB (5), .343/.385/.519

Emiliano Teodo walked five for the first time since last July but avoided extra-base hits for a sixth consecutive start. Opponents are batting .182/.308/.200. Only 59% of his pitches have been strikes, but only 59% of swings have resulted in contact. Keeping the bat on the shoulder and hoping for the best is a viable option.

Down 2-1 in the 7th, Josh Hatcher hit a solo homer to tie things, and Kellen Strahm (2-4) doubled and later scored on a balk in the 8th.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, Greensboro (PIT) 7
Hickory: 5 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 14-25, 7 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 3 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 7 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 82 P / 45 S, 10.44 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1.76 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.21 ERA
DH Alejandro Osuna: 3-5, .246/.313/.328

Aidan Curry’s streak of strong starts ended at one. Curry is missing plenty of bats and generating strikeouts at an above-average rate of 29%, but unlike Teodo, the contact has been ferocious.

Lo-A: Down East 3, Carolina (MIL) 2 (9)
Down East: 3 hits, 3 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts

SP Alejandro Rosario: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 73 P / 46 S, 2.21 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 4.81 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.50 ERA

Lo-A: Down East 7, Carolina (MIL) 2 (7)
Down East: 8 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 20-18, 4.5 GB

SP Kolton Curtis: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 61 P / 36 S, 1.55 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.19 ERA
DH Arturo Disla: 3-4, 3 2B, .277/.396/.438
LF Tommy Specht: 1-2, 2B, BB, .191/.284/.225

Down East took five of six against the formerly division-leading Mudcats to bring them within shouting distance. The Woodies will play nine of the remaining 24 first-half games against Fredericksburg, the current leader.

Neither team led by more than a run until the 6th inning of Game 2, when Down East manad to score six on just three hits plus some patience and Carolina wildness. In the opener, Wady Mendez began the 9th on second, stole third, and scored the winner on a sac fly. (Doubleheaders are scheduled for seven innings, so teams get bonus runners beginning in the 8th.)

2023 5th-rounder Alejandro Rosario backslid into poor control his final year at Miami, but he’s walked only five in 20.1 pro innings while fanning 29.

Arturo Disla hit five doubles in the last three games to raise his total to 12, behind only Sandro Fabian’s org-leading 1

Elsewhere
37-year-old Zach Phillips, drafted by the Rangers in 2004’s 23rd round, is still active. He’s spent several seasons in Mexico after being released by the Cards in June 2017.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Nashville’s Pat Wisdom hit a three-run homer to extend the game at Round Rock beyond the top of the 9th. Swell, except my daughter and I were in line to run the bases. Hunter Cole also homered to place the Sounds ahead, and the Express didn’t score in the bottom half, so all ended well.