AAA: Round Rock 4, @ Albuquerque (COL) 1
Round Rock: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 16-15, 5 GB
SP Gerson Garabito: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 75 P / 42 S, 2.81 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, BB, .218/.339/.426
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, .278/.320/.400
Offseason signing Gerson Garabito earned whatever the Rangers are paying him in 2024 with six scoreless innings in Albuquerque. Garabito didn’t get many calls but compensated with 14 missed bats, eight of which were on pitches outside the zone.
Regarding Wyatt Langford’s hamstring injury, I’d expect his plate appearances to be apportioned to hitters already with the team. If bench reinforcement is needed, 40-man options are C Sam Huff, IF Jonathan Ornelas, and 1B/3B/LF Dustin Harris. Harris nominally fills the defensive role but hasn’t improved on last year’s low exit velocities. Ornelas hits as hard as anyone but is hindered by a very high grounder rate. He also hasn’t played outfield in 2024. Huff, you know about. On twitter yesterday, I tossed out the idea of giving him some DH at-bats. He’s 26 and on his fourth option. Non-40 OFs Derek Hill and Sandro Fabian would probably be serviceable fifth OFs.
Langford isn’t in today’s lineup as expected, but that’s the only news as of 10:30am local time.
AA: Frisco 11, @ Corpus Christi (HOU) 0
Frisco: 8 hits, 8 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 16-10, tied for first
SP Emiliano Teodo: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 75 P / 44 S, 2.91 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 2.92 ERA
RP Steven Jennings: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.95 ERA
RF Aaron Zavala: 3-5, HR (2), SB (4), .272/.402/.420
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, HR (4), SB (2), .279/.333/.465
Three weeks after plating six against Justin Verlander, the Riders put five on base and scored three against rehabbing Cristian Javier in 3.1 innings. I didn’t see any of the game and assume that Javier (like Verlander) was just getting in the work, but whatever. Getting licks in against a Major Leaguer is always a treat. Particularly for guys who end up not reaching the Majors, games like this create the lasting memories.
After five starts, Emiliano Teodo has a walk rate (11%) and strikeout rate (25%) right at the league averages. Expecting higher percentages of both was reasonable given the history, but instead Teodo has excelled by clamping down on extra-base hits, surrendering two all season, both doubles in his first appearance.
Hi-A: Hickory 1, @ Rome (ATL) 3
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 10-15, 3.5 GB
SP Winston Santos: 6.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 87 P / 65 S, 1.00 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.13 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4
Winston Santos lasted a season-high 6.1 innings on just 87 pitches, but he allowed his first homer of the season. Even with that, his opposing slugging percentage in 2024 is only .227 compared to an even .500 last year. Frisco beckons. I don’t necessarily mean next Saturday, but folks in north Texas should get ample opportunities to see him.
Lo-A: Down East 1, @ Fredericksburg (WAS) 3
Down East: 1 hit, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 11-14, 7 GB
SP Alejandro Rosario: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 69 P / 48 S, 2.38 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 2.04 ERA
Echedry Vargas’s 5th-inning double was the only hit.
Arizona Complex League
The Baby Rangers won the opener 10-8 with a six-run 9th following the Reds’ six-run 8th. RF Braylin Morel was 3-3 with a double, triple, and two walks. 1B Pablo Guererro, son of Vlad, went 3-5. 3B Esteban Mejia also had three hits including his first homer, and Yeremi Cabrera homered as well, adding a single, two walks, and two steals. DH Max Martin, last year’s 11th-round pick, singled twice, walked, and stole a base.
DJ Peters struck out four and walked none in two innings, notable because his control last year was woeful. Buddy Reed, who I mentioned had converted to the mound, tossed the last 1.1 innings, allowing a hit and three walks while striking out three. Starter Thomas Ireland, a 2021 13th-rounder who spent much of last year in Down East, surrendered a run and fanned five in three innings. 2023 15th-round lefty Michael Trausch tossed two scoreless with four strikeouts in his pro debut.
Today’s Starters
AAA: S. Anderson
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: TBA
Five Years Ago Yesterday
I’d mentioned Nashville’s 8-20 start, worst by a Texas AAA team in at least 15 years. The Sounds were rained out yesterday, but wins by all the others improved Frisco to 18-11, Down East to 22-8, and Hickory to 20-8. Sam Huff hit his 14th homer. I double-checked, because my initial thought was “I’ve messed up, the season is a month old at most, Huff doesn’t have 14 homers,” but yes, he did. He was batting .327/.365/.806 with six walks and 35 strikeouts in 104 trips to the plate, so he was hitting .508 and slugging 1.254 on contact. He’d move up to high-A in a few days.