Month: May 2024

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Reno (ARI) 2 (7)
Round Rock: 8 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 24-18, tied for first

SP Gerson Garabito: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 87 P / 59 S, 2.05 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6.59 ERA
LF Dustin Harris: 2-3

AAA: Round Rock 4, Reno (ARI) 1 (7)
Round Rock: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 25-18, 3.5 GB

SP Owen White: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 70 P / 41 S, 5.02 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.22 ERA
RF Sandro Fabian: 2-3, HR (4), .333/.379/.539
DH Sam Huff: 1-2, 2B, BB, .259/.348/.509
LF Dustin Harris: 1-2, BB, .276/.363/.428

Round Rock held the Aces to four hits in a doubleheader sweep. Owen White’s control wasn’t pristine, but he avoided excessive hard contact and missed ten bats, seven on cutters. Garabito has a 30% strikeout rate in AAA and is missing a ton of bats with his slider and curve. Garabito didn’t pitch anywhere outside of winter ball in 2022-2023 and hadn’t shown this combination of high strikeouts and solid control at any point of his career. He’s been quite the find.

Minnesota released righty AJ Alexy from AA Wichita. The ex-Ranger had walked or hit 29 batters in 18.1 innings following similarly rough control with the White Sox in 2023.

AA: Frisco 3, @ Amarillo (ARI) 4
Frisco: 10 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 23-14, 1.5 GB

SP Dane Acker: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 SO, 91 P / 57 S, 3.16 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .296/.341/.496
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 3-4, 2B, .311/.333/.578

Caleb Roberts’s two-out homer in the 9th off Florencio Serrano ended it. Serrano is one of a handful of pitchers shifting frequently between levels to aid where needed, and while AA isn’t completely out of his range, I don’t think he’d be there under ordinary circumstances.

Dane Acker fanned a career-high nine in just 4.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .205/.315/.321. Acker has one best start and one walk-filled out of seven; the rest have been very strong. I would expect a decent number of AAA starts down the road. Acker was under consideration for a 40 spot last winter (although his omission wasn’t a surprise) and has a good shot again in 2024.

SS Max Acosta (1-2) was injured sliding into second on a double-play grounder and removed.

Hi-A: Hickory 3, Greensboro (PIT) 0 (7)
Hickory: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 13-24, tied for first

SP Joseph Montalvo: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 79 P / 48 S, 2.77 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.27 ERA
RF Quincy Scott: 2-3, SB (3), .194/.263/.258
DH Yeison Morrobel: 1-2, BB
1B Konnor Piotto: 2-3, ` 2B, .239/.337/.380

Hi-A: Hickory 7, Greensboro (PIT) 5 (7)
Hickory: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 14-24, 7 GB

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 9 SO, 83 P / 52 S, 1.70 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-1, 2 BB, .184/.306/.289
RF Yeison Morrobel: 3-3, 2 HR (4), .250/.329/.391

Yeison Morrobel doubled last year’s homer total in one game. He had seven homers in 172 pro games before then, but I persist in believing there’s more in the tank, and maybe we’re finally seeing it. After some up-and-down outings, Montalvo has been nearly flawless his last two times out.

Winston Santos:
2023: 10% BB/HBP, 20% SO
2024: 9% BB/HBP, 36% SO

Lo-A: wet

Two today.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Solomon
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: TBA x 2

Five Years Ago Yesterday
At high-A Down East, John King had the best start in the system to date: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 SO.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 14, Reno (ARI) 0
Round Rock: 10 hits, 9 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 23-18, 4 GB

SP Johnny Cueto: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 63 P / 42 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Aidan Anderson: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.61 ERA
RF Sandro Fabian: 3-4, 3B, HR (3), BB, .326/.369/.514
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, HR (5), 2 BB, .264/.352/.421
CF Jose Barrero: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .196/.296/.413

In his AAA debut, Johnny Cueto relied mostly on an 89-92 fastball and mid-80s slider, plus a large handful of sinkers and changes. Keeping with his history, the fastball lacked “rise” but had exceptional horizontal break, while the slider was an unsweepy as you’ll find. He missed four bats. He and his teammates (including Reid Birlingmair and Jimmy Robbins) avoided any walks despite an ump with a tight if consistent zone (the automated zone is used only for challenges on weekends). Compensating for the lack of strikeouts, Cueto induced a good number of pops and grounders.

Sandro Fabian’s no-doubt grand slam highlighted an eight-run 6th. Dustin Harris’s hard liner looked like a double or tough-luck out at first but squeaked over the wall.

Sam Huff (0-3, 2 BB) is back after a minor injury swinging the bat. He caught last night. IF Matt Duffy is active but was replaced midway.

AA: Frisco 1, @ Amarillo (ARI) 9
Frisco: 9 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 23-13, 1.5 GB

SP Nick Krauth: 3.2 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 7 R, 6 BB, 3 SO, 91 P / 48 S, 7.50 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, .265/.386/.381
CF Daniel Mateo: 1-4, HR (1), .138/.242/.241

Jacob Maton had a fine AA debut. In nine Hickory appearances, he posted a 1.98 ERA with a incongruous line of .283/.328/.472. In his worst outing, he allowed six runs in an inning on a homer, double, three singles and a walk, but five were unearned. He signed as an undrafted free agent out of Coastal Carolina in 2022 and has shown much better control as a pro than in college. The scoreboard registered a 92-93 fastball and sliders in the 83-85 range.

Hi-A: wet

Two today.

Lo-A: Down East 5, Carolina (MIL) 4
Down East: 8 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 18-18, 5.5 GB

SP Jose Gonzalez: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 38 P / 28 S, 1.66 ERA
RP Case Matter: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1.64 ERA
RP Kyle Larsen: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 5.29 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 3-4, 2 2B, .267/.389/.410
C Julian Brock: 2-4, 2 2B, .220/.275/.280

Jose Gonzalez didn’t walk anyone, but a balk and two wild pitches contributed to a messy four-run 3rd that ended his night early. He’s been of Down East’s more strikeout-intense pitchers despite just one last night. The Woodies held division-leading Carolina’s strong offense scoreless and nearly hitless the rest of the way.

I had promised more extra-base hits from Arturo Disla, and he’s boosted his slugging percentage from .337 to .410 in the span of two days with two doubles and a homer. Julian Brock also doubled twice, his first two-baggers since Opening Day. I’d expected Brock to hit well in low-A, and he’s received about a third of the DH slots so far in addition to catching every other game, but the results aren’t there yet. Long season, though.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
I weirdly remember this game. Houston-affiliated Round Rock threw “148 pitches in the first five innings, walked in three with the bases loaded, converted three consecutive 3rd-inning grounders to short into zero outs, let a gimme popup fall untouched 30 feet from home plate, and let an alert Jose Trevino steal third without a throw when 3B Taylor Jones aimlessly wandered toward the mound between pitches.” The Sounds won 9-3.

Box Scores

AAA: stormy

The weather that knocked out last night’s game also knocked out my power for 24 hours, thus the late-day version of the report. They’ll play two Saturday.

AA: Frisco 10, @ Amarillo (ARI) 2 (7)
Frisco: 14 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts

SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 83 P / 52 S, 5.80 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.79 ERA
C Liam Hicks: 2-3, BB, .242/.343/.308
DH Aaron Zavala: 2-4, .257/.382/.376
2B Max Acosta: 2-4, SB (9), .261/.331/.351
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-4, 2B, 3B, .268/.295/.537
RF Geisel Cepeda: 3-4, 2B, SB (3), .208/.278/.292

AA: Frisco 10, @ Amarillo (ARI) 2 (7)
Frisco: 12 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Record: 23-12, 0.5 GB

SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 82 P / 51 S, 3.48 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, 2B, BB, .283/.376/.370
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, HR (5), .291/.339/.496
2B Frainyer Chavez: 2-3, BB, .216/.350/.320

Nine Riders reached safely at least twice across the doubleheader, and all twelve who batted collected at least one hit and a run and/or RBI. Meanwhile, Frisco’s pitchers made sure Amarillo’s poor offense didn’t get any funny ideas. Ryan Garcia’s last three starts are at or near his three best in two seasons at AA, and Ben Anderson had a career night, fanning eight with no walks.

Statistically, Aaron Zavala is perhaps halfway recovered from his rough post-injury 2023. His walk rate is about the same (it never suffered), while his strikeouts have fallen from 37% to 30%, still high but not so high as the make a decent batting average virtually impossible. He’s hitting .295 on contact and slugging .432 compared to respective figures of .247 and .363 last year. What’s mainly missing are the homers. Zavala was never a pure slugger but knocked 16 dingers in 2022 and hinted at more. This year he has two.

Hi-A: Hickory 1, Greensboro (PIT) 2 (7)
Hickory: 3 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

SP Mitch Bratt: 4 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 72 P / 51 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.32 ERA
RF Yeison Morrobel: 1-3, HR (2), .228/.307/.325

Hi-A: Hickory 1, Greensboro (PIT) 11 (7)
Hickory: 4 hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 12-24, 8 GB

SP Leandro Lopez: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 64 P / 34 S, 9.00 ERA

Frisco scored the same number of runs in 14 innings yesterday as Hickory has in the last 12 games. Of the 120 full-season minor league teams, Hickory is last in runs per game (2.9), average (.192), and slugging (.280), and is 118th in OBP (.286). As I’ve mentioned, a below-average offense was a reasonable expectation given the combination of aggressive assignments (Walcott, Gutierrez) and some players who moved up at least in part to clear space for others ready to move up from the complex, but this has really been something else, hopefully not a season-long phenomenon.

Mitch Bratt offered his fourth walk-free outing of the young season. Yeison Morrobel also singled in additional to his homer.

Lo-A: Down East 1, Carolina (MIL) 3 (7)
Down East: 2 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts

SP Brayan Mendoza: 5 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 74 HBP, 6 SO, 47 P / S, 1.00 ERA
RP Ivan Oviedo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA

Lo-A: Down East 5, Carolina (MIL) 0 (7)
Down East: 7 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Record: 17-18, 6.5 GB

SP Kohl Drake: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO, 68 P / 44 S, 3.22 ERA
RP Paul Bonzagni: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.66 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, HR (9), .225/.345/.500
DH Arturo Disla: 2-3, HR (2), .248/.377/.376

The Drake/Bonzagni tandem continues to impress. Gleider Figuereo’s nine homers are most in the league and fourth-most in the minors excluding AAA (which started a week earlier). Only three players (including Yosy Galan) have hit 20 homers in the Carolina League in the post-covid era, but I doubt Figuereo will be the fourth. Not because I doubt his pace, but because he’ll have moved on.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Yordan Alvarez homered twice and doubled against Texas-affiliated Nashville. Alvarez was slugging .903 as a 21-year-old in AAA.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, Reno (ARI) 2
Round Rock: 12 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 22-18, 3.5 GB

SP Adrian Sampson: 6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 87 P / 54 S, 4.01 ERA
CF Derek Hill: 2-4, HR (7), HBP, .342/.394/.667
C Andrew Knapp: 4-5, 2B, HR (5), .375/.465/.587
1B Blaine Crim: 2-4, HR (6), .246/.360/.435

Lefty Antoine Kelly entered the 9th inning, threw six pitches far below his usual velocity, motioned for the trainer, and walked to the dugout. Ordinarily a steady 96 MPH and up to 99 with the fastball, Kelly descended from 94 to 89 across his five heaters. He wasn’t doing any of the between-pitch “arm waggle” I’ve seen from others in this situation but tapped his forearm with his glove when trainer Will Whitehead reached the mound. Kelly’s entry in the 9th was planned in advance, but he had to wait through a 26-minute bottom half of the 8th. Until Jack Leiter and Owen White were optioned back to Round Rock, Kelly was briefly the only healthy 40-man pitcher in the minors. Given his mostly strong outings and the circumstances at the parent club, an MLB debut seemed forthcoming. Now, we have to hope for favorable news.

I’d neglected to mention that on Tuesday Sam Huff was pulled in the middle of a plate appearance after seemingly his knee swinging the bat. He was catching  that night, so he had a hundred or so more crouches had he stayed in. He didn’t play last night but remains on the active roster.

As for the rest of the game, with two on, two out, and a 2-2 score in the 8th, Reno brought in Christian Montes De Oca to douse the field in gasoline. First, he hit Derek Hill in the helmet (he stayed in after a scary plummet to the ground). Next, Dustin Harris had the game’s biggest impact with his one hit, lacing a two-out, bases-loaded triple down the first-base line. After a hard Andrew Knapp single, Blaine Crim followed with his longest homer of the year at 444 feet, a rocket that caromed high off the light standard set beyond the left-center berm. Finally, Sandro Fabian barely missed a homer when his 100 MPH, 50-degree-angled moonshot was caught on the track. No Round Rock game in the statcast era has a homer hit at more than 48 degrees.

Previously, righty Daniel Robert summarized his career in the span of a few minutes. Brought in to face slugger Kyle Garlick with two out and a runner at second in the 7th, Robert fanned Garlick to maintain a 2-1 lead. He retired the first two batters of the 8th, but then a single-walk-single sequence plated the tying run. Robert’s sweeper is an MLB-worthy weapon, while the fastball varies between a strong supporting role or just being along for the ride.

In other news, Texas re-signed Chasen Shreve, a reliever who’d taken his leave a couple of weeks ago. Last Friday, during an extreme out-of-pocket period for me, Johnny Cueto made his first appearance, allowing a solo homer and striking out four in Arizona.

AA: wet

Two today.

Hi-A: Hickory 1, Greensboro (PIT) 2
Hickory: 6 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 12-22, 6.5 GB

SP Ryan Lobus: 4.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 75 P / 44 S, 3.86 ERA
RP Luis Ramirez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 7.85 ERA
C Konnor Piotto: 2-3, BB, .246/.347/.393

Since a nine-run outburst in early May, Hickory has scored 18 runs in ten games. Hickory has reached double digits in hits only three times in 34 games. Ryan Lobus handled his first high-A appearance capably, and Yohanse Morel (1.1 IP), Luis Ramirez (2.0) and Skylar Hales (1.0) kept providing opportunities for a comeback.

Lo-A: Down East 7, Carolina (MIL) 4
Down East: 7 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 16-17, 6.5 GB

SP David Davallilo: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 34 P / 23 S, 1.85 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.50 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 3-4, 2B, HR (2), BB, .242/.290/.403
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, BB, .219/.346/.482

Among the 100 more active pitchers in the league, Davallilo is near the 75th percentile in fewest walks and the same in fewest strikeouts. (Paul Bonzagni is similar.) He faned more than usual yesterday with no loss of efficiency.

Watching Echedry Vargas in Surprise, I was baffled at how he could have struck out in 25% of his appearances in rookie ball. He was a contact machine in March. I’m happy to report his K rate at Down East is only 12%. That hasn’t translated to much positive production, but yesterday he boosted his numbers considerably with a monster day.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Garcia / B. Anderson
Hi-A: Bratt / TBD
Lo-A: TBD x 2

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Demacus Evans struck out rehabbing Trea Turner a day after Jake Latz did so twice.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Reno (ARI) 4
Round Rock: 9 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 21-18, 4.5 GB

SP Kyle Barraclough: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 86 P / 50 S, 4.32 ERA
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, BB, HBP, SB (12), .265/.348/.394
DH Andrew Knapp: 2-2, 3 BB, .354/.452/.535
RF Sandro Fabian: 2-4, 2 2B, .326/.367/.488

No dessert for the Express hitters, who couldn’t finish their plates: 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position, 12 stranded. Round Rock is hitting .275/.357/.440 with the bases empty and .242/.330/.395 with runners in scoring position. A little annoying but not indicative of anything other than the high variance of baseball results. Last year’s squad with several of the same players was better with runners in scoring position than without.

AA: Frisco 6, @ Amarillo (ARI) 7
Frisco: 10 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 21-12, 0.5 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 7 H (3 HR), 5 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 72 P / 48 S, 5.51 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, SB (4), .282/.336/.464
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 3-5, HR (2), .212/.250/.424

If you’re going to pitch for the Rangers, you’ll have to pitch at and probably endure some ugly lines at places like Albuquerque, Reno, El Paso, and Las Vegas. The AA prep for the high-octance PCL is Amarillo, a concept fully absorbed by Josh Stephan when the last of three homers flew over the fence. Now that Cody Freeman appears to be done with catching, and exclusively a third baseman so far, he really needs to hit. So far, he’s hitting for better average and power than any year previous. Freeman has been in the system for a long while now but at 23 is still fairly young for AA.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, Greensboro (PIT) 4
Hickory: 6 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 12-21, 6.5 GB

SP DJ McCarty: 4 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 3 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 77 P / 49 S, 4.15 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, BB, .181/.295/.286

Hickory loaded the bases in the 9th with their best hitter up in the form of Alejandro Osuna, but he flied out. Only Walcott and Cam Cauley (1-4, BB) reached safely twice. Opponents are hitting .117/.221/.233 against Jackson Kelley, who doesn’t throw hard (upper 80s or so) but does throw weird.

Lo-A: wet

Two Thursday.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Cole Ragans suffered another elbow injury 14 months after the first and would undergo surgery again.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Las Vegas (OAK) 6
Round Rock: 8 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 21-17, 3.5 GB

SP Peter Solomon: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 82 P / 52 S, 3.00 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 7.50 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-2, 2 BB, .240/.357/.411

Peter Solomon is the sixth pitcher to appear for the Express and the fourth to start who wasn’t in the organization on Opening Day (45 days ago) . The 27-year-old had been with indy High Point. Originally drafted in 2017’s fourth round out of Notre Dame by the Astros, Solomon reached the Majors briefly with them and Arizona but had serious strike-throwing issues.

Best as I can tell, the number of pitchers named to the Opening Day roster who have been on the squad without injury or call-up all season is two: Adrian Sampson and Jesus Tinoco. Five others have spent some time with the Rangers (Anderson, Leiter, Pruitt, White, Winn), six have been or are injured (Brennan, Church, Greene, Kelly, Robert, Taylor), and two have been released (Duffy, Shreve). A decent rule of thumb is that whatever personnel chaos is occurring on the Major league roster is visited doubly upon AAA.

Despite the turnover, the Express have allowed 12% fewer runs per game than the park-adjusted league average by my count. Indeed, Round Rock is 13-5 after an 8-12 start. Strong defense has aided that cause. (Worst by a mile is Albuquerque, 8.9 runs per game allowed, 36% more than average.)

AA: wet

Makeup TBD.

Hi-A: Hickory 3, @ Greenville (BOS) 4
Hickory: 8 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 12-20, 5.5 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 84 P / 48 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.17 ERA
C Ian Moller: 2-2, 2 BB, SB (4), .182/.308/.227

In seven previous high-A starts (dating back to last year), Aidan Curry had allowed fewer runs than innings pitched only once, and even that was a close call. Yesterday, he produced the kind of outing that seemed routine in low-A. Curry is still missing bats aplenty (30% K rate) and not walking too many (12% BB/HBP), but when hitters put it in play, they’re slugging .854. Hopefully Sunday is something to build on.

Hickory’s offense has a 71 OPS+ and has scored 33% fewer runs than the park-adjusted league average, easily the lowest marks in the league and among the lowest in the entire minors.

Lo-A: Down East 6, Lynchburg (CLE) 5 (10)
Down East: 12 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 15-17, 7.5 GB

SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 71 P / 47 S, 5.24 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-5, HR (8), .209/.336/.482
C Jesus Lopez: 2-5, .322/.386/.433
DH Julian Brock: 2-5, 3B, .218/.267/.264
1B Arturo Disla: 1-5, HR (1), .245/.366/.351
CF Marcos Torres: 2-4, 2B, .172/.263/.264

Lynchburg hit a two-out homer off Kolton Curtis in the 9th to tie the game, and Down East couldn’t convert a no-out bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom half. Down a run in the 10th, Julian Brock singled in Jesus Lopez and reached third on a throwing error by catcher Robert Lopez. He then scored the winning on a missed catch by Lopez.

Down East isn’t in Hickory’s shape offensively but is about 8% below the league-average scoring rate, mostly because of few walks. Gleider Figuereo has a dazzling 21 free passes in 137 trips to the plate. Tommy Specht, Chandler Pollard, Erick Alvarez, Echedry Vargas, Danyer Cueva, and Jojo Blackmon have a combined 20 in 414 appearances. Figuereo and catcher Jesus Lopez have been the most encouraging performers followed by Arturo Disla, who isn’t showing the power I’ve hoped but is reaching base at a terrific rate.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Down East swept a doubleheader at Winston-Salem to improve to 27-10. John King and Demarcus Evans had strong outings, and CF Leody Taveras and SS Anderson Tejeda were both 3-7 with a homer.

Finally home. I spent Friday night in Santa Fe visiting an old friend and most of Saturday in transport, so I didn’t have time for a report until last night. Friday’s games are here: a fairly light day, headlined by some info on Antoine Kelly.

Texas’s new A-level affiliate in Spartanburg, SC, will be known as the Hub City Spartanburgers.

The name isn’t new; a summer collegiate team known simply as the Spartanburgers played there in 2021, and the new team bought the trademark. You can guess the primary mascot, who lacks a name at present. There’s also a spatula (Flip) and pickle (Chip). Hub City is an old nickname derived from the many railroads leading into the city. Primary colors are navy and bright green plus some orange, red, yellow, and brown. That’s a mishmash, but hey, burgers have many colors. There are seven different logos because of course there are, but the uniform tops are simple and sharp, in my opinion.

Hub City will replace Down East in 2025. As it stands, the affiliation is low-A, but I suppose they could swap with high-A Hickory, as Spartanburg is a more heavily populated metropolitan area, and a switch would only minimally affect travel in their respective leagues.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, Las Vegas (OAK) 3
Round Rock: 6 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Record: 21-16, 3.5 GB

SP Shaun Anderson: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 71 P / 44 S, 2.53 ERA
RP Aidan Anderson: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0.77 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 2-3, BB, SB (1), .236/.342/.409

Two the the four Andersons in the organization combined for seven strong innings. As I’ve mentioned, Blaine Crim is hitting better than his slash stats suggest. He actually has the best hard-hit rate on the team, but he seems to be having terrible luck on avoiding enemy gloves.

AA: Frisco 12, San Antonio (SDP) 2
Frisco: 13 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 21-11, tied for first

SP Emiliano Teodo: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 SO, 82 P / 54 S, 2.60 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 3-4, 3B, BB, SB (6), .287/.378/.374
C Liam Hicks: 3-5, .227/.331/.291

Emiliano Teodo fanned a season-high nine. He missed 15 bats: 10 sliders, 3 changes, 2 fastballs. I’ve been deeply skeptical of his potential as a starter because of his control, command, and lack of a useful third pitch, but he’s made some serious progress in 2024. While his walk rate is still elevated at 14%, he’s spotting his pitches better, and the change, although still fairly infrequent, has become a genuine bat-misser. He’s yet to allow a homer, and the opposing slash is a meager .188/.297/.208.

Hi-A: Hickory 3, @ Greenville (BOS) 2
Hickory: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 12-19, 4.5 GB

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 88 P / 61 S, 1.41 ERA
RP Yohanse Morel: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 9.37 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1.54 ERA

Hickory’s oft-dormant offense had been no-hit through five by Juan Daniel Encarnacion but recorded all four hits and three runs in the 6th against Adam Smith. So much for the invisible hand.

Winston Santos had a nice night bookended by some hiccups: back-to-back triples in the 1st (aided somewhat by Greenville’s Fenway-aping dimensions) and consecutive two-out walks in the 5th before a final strikeout. Yohanse Morel and Larson Kindreich aren’t particularly walk-averse but were on point Saturday with a one-run lead.

Sebastian Walcott walked twice. He still isn’t hitting that much but has improved his walk rate to 14% and isn’t striking out as often.

Lo-A: Down East 4, Lynchburg (CLE) 3
Down East: 5 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 14-17, 7.5 GB

SP Alejandro Rosario: 5 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 71 P / 42 S, 2.20 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 2.08 ERA
DH Jesus Lopez: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .318/.385/.435

With two out in the 8th, Erick Alvarez doubled in Gleider Figuereo to tie the game at three, and Jesus Lopez would later scamper home to take the lead on a wild pitch.

Down East is by far the best pitching staff in the league for stinginess with runners in scoring position (.179/.296/.245). That’s not a realistic line going forward, but for now, it’s keeping them in games.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Hickory infielder Tyler Depreta-Johnson threw two innings, allowing a gift-runner to score in the 12th but shutting down Charleston in the 13th. He then dropped a squeeze bunt to bring home the winning run. Not only had he never pitched professionally, he didn’t pitch in college, and I couldn’t even find an occasion in high school. He would make four more mound appearance in 2019, at least getting by in all but one. He was released in the Great Purge of 2020 (when teams released many players in light of impending contraction and the unlikelihood of a minor league season) but is still active, currently playing for indy Schaumburg.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, Las Vegas (OAK) 2
Round Rock: 11 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 20-16

SP Gerson Garabito: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 87 P / 51 S, 2.21 ERA
RP Jesus Tinoco: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.93 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 3-5, 2B, .236/.342/.409

With the MLB bullpen being what it is lately, eyes turn wishfully to Antoine Kelly. Unfortunately, he suffered his first rough outing of the season, walking and surrendering two runs in 1.1 innings. Still, opponents are hitting only .182/.333/.182 for the season with a 37% K rate. Kelly leans hard on a fastball that averages 96 and has reached 99.3. So far, no batters have hit a slider into play; they’re 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on appearances that conclude with that pitch. Because of an injury, he’s only thrown six innings.

After two years away from affiliated ball, 28-year-old Gerson Garabito is having the best success of his career. His previous tilt at AAA hitters in 2021 was walk and homer-prone.

AA: Frisco 4, San Antonio (SDP) 1
Frisco: 8 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 20-11

SP Dane Acker: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 49 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Steven Jennings: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.76 ERA
RP Damian Mendoza: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.15 ERA
1B Josh Hatcher: 3-4, 2B, .352/.396/.523

Dane Acker’s decent walk rate took a beating, but Steven Jennings managed to strand three runners after Acker’s 32-pitch, three-walk 3rd.

Hi-A: Hickory 0, @ Greenville (BOS) 1
Hickory: 5 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 11-19

SP Joseph Montalvo: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 73 P / 49 S, 3.60 ERA

Joseph Montalvo’s best performance of the season went for naught, as Hickory couldn’t plate any of 13 baserunners. Cam Cauley and Yosy Galan fanned with the bases loaded in the 9th.

Lo-A: Down East 0, Lynchburg (CLE) 2
Down East: 4 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 13-17

SP Kyle Larsen: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 47 P / 31 S, 6.43 ERA
RP Jose Gonzalez: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1.42 ERA
C Jesus Lopez: 2-4, .318/.385/.435

Down East likewise couldn’t take advantage of some fine pitching. 22-year-old Jose Gonzalez has 26 strikeouts in 19 innings.

Note: Travel might push reports on Friday’s games to Sunday.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 12, Las Vegas (OAK) 7
Round Rock: 15 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 19-16, 3.5 GB

SP Adrian Sampson: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 63 P / 38 S, 4.42 ERA
CF Derek Hill: 3-5, 2B, 3B, .342/.393/.667
LF Dustin Harris: 2-5, 2 2B, .271/.343/.415
DH Sam Huff: 2-5, HR (7), .271/.352/.564
2B Alex De Goti: 2-4, HR (1), .200/.263/.286

Welcome to AAA, Brady Blasso. The Oakland farmhand was tagged for nine runs in 2.1 innings in his Las Vegas debut.

Round Rock’s Reid Birlingmair didn’t fare well in his AAA debut either, allowing three runs and five runners in 1.2 innings, but he’s a creditable addition to the squad. He relied heavily on a cutter than ranged from 87 to 94, followed by a 94-96 fastball and a handful of traditional breakers. Unexceptional as a starter in Oakland’s system after being picked in 2018’s 28th round, Birlingmair was injured most of 2022 and released in August while still on the IL. Only two days later, he was pitching for indy Fargo-Moorhead. He continued there in 2023 until signing with Texas in June.

Elier Hernandez is reportedly signing with Japan’s Yomiuri Giants. As I’d mentioned when he was released at the end of April, a move overseas was the likely reason. If I can brag a little, I’ll refer to last July, when I said he and his agent should learn Japanese. Hernandez just seemed the type. He’s a mature, solid hitter who nevertheless was going to have a hard time sticking on a 40-man roster long enough to establish an up-and-down role. I was always happy to see him in the Round Rock lineup and wish him the best.

AA: Frisco 9, San Antonio (SDP) 5
Frisco: 11 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 19-11, 1 GB

SP Nick Krauth: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SO, 96 P / 65 S, 6.15 ERA
RP Seth Clark: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
SS Max Acosta: 2-3, 2B, HBP, .245/.324/.315
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 2-4, .222/.288/.374
2B Frainyer Chavez: 3-4, 2B, .207/.337/.287
CF Daniel Mateo: 2-3, BB, SB (3), .111/.271/.111

The Riders batted 12 and scored seven in the 5th, aided by three Mission errors.

CF Daniel Mateo was hitless in his first four AA games but no longer. Mateo batted .258/.285/.398 in 133 high-A games spread across three seasons. He’s still just 22, and this is a stout assignment. One immediate improvement is eight walks, already only one shy of last year’s total in 110 games.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Greenville (BOS) 2 (resumed from Wednesday)
Hickory: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 11-17, tied for first

SP Mitch Bratt: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 24 P / 15 S, 6.16 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2.76 ERA
RP Leandro Lopez: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 4.33 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.75 ERA
DH Yeison Morrobel: 3-4, 2B
C Ian Moller: 2-4, 2B, .161/.257/.210
3B Ben Blackwell: 1-3, 3B, .169/.289/.229

Just before rain halted affairs Wednesday, Mitch Bratt had walked two straight and reached 24 pitches. I didn’t see any of the game, but I imagine conditions were poor. Jackson Kelley did him a solid by entering the resumed contest and stranding three runners. 

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Greenville (BOS) 5 (7)
Hickory: 7 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 11-18, 5.5 GB

SP Luis Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 60 P / 36 S, 8.82 ERA
RP Ivan Oviedo: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.38 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .241/.267/.379
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, BB, .224/.315/.316

Cam Cauley homered in his first plate appearance off the IL. Yeison Morrobel was 5-7 across the quasi-doubleheader.

Lo-A: Down East 2, Lynchburg (CLE) 1
Down East: 6 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 13-16, 7.5 GB

SP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 57 P / 44 S, 1.93 ERA
RP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 SO, 4.20 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, BB, .218/.347/.485
RF Marcos Torres: 1-3, HR (1), .143/.239/.234

Since workloads are spread among so many players, seeing only two pitchers combine for nine innings almost feels a complete game. Drake’s ERA doesn’t wow, but he’s walked three and fanned 24 in 15 low-A innings. He also had one “we need a guy” outing in Frisco that was ugly, but that’s not his fault. I currently see around five active pitchers at levels where they don’t really belong, but the combination of injuries and (I’m guessing) the 165-man limit have forced some unusual assignments, and those guys need to be evaluated with grace.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Cole Winn was promoted to Hickory, then a low-A squad. He’d earned rave reviews in extended spring training.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Las Vegas (OAK) 4
Round Rock: 9 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 13 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 18-16, 4.5 GB

SP Kyle Barraclough: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 3 SO, 73 P / 37 S, 4.91 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 9.00 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.26 ERA

Texas signed 33-year-old righty Kyle Barraclough to more-or-less replace Danny Duffy, who was given his release. Barraclough has pitched in the Majors in every year since 2015 save 2020, but not much since 2019. In the last three years, he’s wandered a path between the Majors, AAA, and indy ball, and he’d been pitching for the Atlantic League’s High Point. I suppose a strong showing (and more injuries at the parent club) could get him a look in Texas, but I’d guess he’s mostly to shore up Round Rock.

As for Duffy, I loved the signing back in 2023 and was glad he returned, but unfortunately he’s just been unable to recover the form preceding his shoulder troubles. Duffy had walked 17 in 18 AAA innings.

After yesterday’s comment about Dustin Harris not fulfilling Texas’s need for a righty bat, an intrepid reader asked if I’d seen his splits. I’d seen the page containing them, but I must have misread it, because it didn’t catch my eye. I blame the headache. The left-swinging Harris is hitting .333/.379/.500 against lefties and .247/.330/.371 against righties. That giant reverse split isn’t a six-week fluke; the previous two years are similar. So, what gives?

First I checked the balls in play (2024 stats only).
vs.L: 26% hard-hit rate, exit velo median 84.8, 90th percentile 101.2
vs.R: 30% hard-hit rate, exit velo median 88.5, 90th percentile 99.8

He’s had better top-end performance against lefties but more consistency against righties. Probably a wash. One thing I’ll note is that while his hard-hit rate is well below average, when he does hit hard, he nearly always hits at a worthy angle, hardly ever driving the ball downward or too high.

Next, contact:
vs.L: 6% swinging strike rate (misses / all pitches), 13% whiff rate (misses / swings)
vs.R: 11% swinging strike rate, 25% whiff rate

Now we’re getting somewhere. Finally, contact against non-fastballs:
vs. L: 6% swinging strike, 12% whiff
vs.R: 18% swinging strike, 38% whiff

I think we have a winner. Harris makes very good contact overall, particularly against fastballs, but bendy stuff and changes from righties give him the most trouble.

AA: Frisco 0, San Antonio (SDP) 7
Frisco: 4 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts
Record: 18-11, 1 GB

SP Ben Anderson: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 82 P / 50 S, 3.81 ERA
RP Ricky DeVito: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 7.00 ERA

Ben Anderson was knocked around for the first time this season, and Frisco didn’t have a hit until the 5th. Liam Hicks (0-3, BB) reached safely in his first ten games but is .125/.230/.188 since. He’s struck out only seven times in those 17 games. He had a similar stretch last June in what was still a productive season.

Hi-A: suspended

Rain in the bottom of the 1st. They’ll resume today. IF Cam Cauley is off the IL but wasn’t in the lineup. RHP Skylar Hales is also active after a short IL stint.

Lo-A: Down East 2, Lynchburg (CLE) 5
Down East: 3 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts
Record: 12-16, 7.5 GB

SP Brayan Mendoza: 4 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 69 P / 47 S, 3.09 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1.53 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, HR (7), .214/.342/.490

Gleider Figuereo now leads the organization and Carolina League in homers all by himself.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Sampson
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Ramirez
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Infielder Chris Seise would miss the rest of the year with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. In 2017-2019, he played 72 games.