Month: July 2024

Draft
I summarized (with video for many players) Texas’s picks in rounds 3-20 in a separate post.

Rehab
In Arizona, Cody Bradford threw a spotless inning with one strikeout. Kumar Rocker followed with two innings, two hits, a run, a walk, and three strikeouts. Unfortunately, Rocker followed that with an additional inning of five runs and five hits. I wouldn’t worry. One, it’s just AZ, and he’s just getting in the work. Two, four of the hits were grounders, and his control was fine. Some folks in attendance say he touched 100. Two days ago, Brock Porter lasted 2.2 innings while allowing a hit, walking three, and hitting two more. He’s walked or hit 30% of opposing batters in four outings. That’s a much greater concern than Rocker giving up a string of singles. Tyler Mahle and Dane Dunning are expected to pitch in Round Rock tonight.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Oklahoma City (LAD) 10
Round Rock: 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 8-10, 6 GB, 45-47 overall

SP Owen White: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 83 P / 55 S, 5.52 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-5, SB (23), .281/.364/.393
C Sam Huff: 2-4, .247/.323/.442
3B Davis Wendzel: 1-4, HR (5), .276/.371/.500
1B Blaine Crim: 2-2, 2 BB, .241/.351/.376

While not victorious, several Express hitters got their licks in against rehabbing Clayton Kershaw. Among six balls hit at least 97 MPH were Davis Wendzel’s homer, both of Blaine Crim’s singles, and one of Huff’s. Kershaw didn’t exceed 91.7, but that’s nothing new.

Owen White threw his hardest four-seamer (96.7) and hardest sinker (97.0) of the year, and his seven strikeouts were a season-high. Run prevention remained close to typical, although he received help from neither his defense nor bullpen.

AA: Frisco 8, @ Wichita (MIN) 5
Frisco: 12 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 12-7, 0.5 GB, 56-32 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 77 P / 47 S, 4.11 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.70 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 2.15 ERA
C Liam Hicks: 1-4, 2B, BB, .263/.366/.358
DH Cody Freeman: 1-2, 2 BB, .276/.332/.457
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-5, HR (7), .289/.331/.430
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-5, 2B, .213/.288/.339
3B Keyber Rodriguez: 1-2, 3 BB, .250/.306/.388

After four days off, Frisco headed all the way to Kansas for just three games. (Did you know Wichita is closer to Frisco than Corpus Christi?) Seven Riders reached safely at least twice. Abimelec Ortiz extended his hit streak to five and has 11 hits and three walks in that span. He hasn’t homered in over a month, but at least he’s getting on base. Ortiz retained his spot on the updated Baseball America top-30 rankings, if barely. Josh Hatcher also hadn’t homered in a month until last night. Between the two dingers, he’d batted .239/.287/.296. Hatcher doesn’t walk much, so his success at any given moment is tied pretty tightly to batting average.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, Greensboro (PIT) 2
Hickory: 6 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 11-11, 3 GB, 39-49 overall

SP DJ McCarty: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 6 SO, 76 P / 51 S, 3.69 ERA
RP Mitch Bratt: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.27 ERA

Sebastian Walcott reached down to lace a curve for a double, and Ian Moller doubled as well. Walcott has a 28% strikeout rate (understandable for his age and level), but I’ve seen several examples of impressive plate coverage. DJ McCarty has allowed a lone run in three straight starts. I don’t think I see the 2020 free agent as a 40-man addition this fall, but he’s once again put forward a nice season and will progress to the next level at some point.

Lo-A: Down East 3, @ Delmarva (BAL) 5
Down East: 8 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-13, 7.5 GB, 43-43 overall

SP Brayan Mendoza: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 72 P / 49 S, 2.73 ERA
RP Paul Bonzagni: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.27 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-5, .263/.320/.428
1B Arturo Disla: 1-5, HR (8), .269/.347/.405
LF Wady Mendez: 2-2, 2 BB, .227/.337/.288

Josh Trentadue, who typically pitches several innings in a tandem role, lasted a season-low 0.2 innings and allowed three runs. Arturo Disla knocked his eighth homer but also grounded into three double plays.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito (Mahle, Dunning)
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Drake
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco’s Brock Burke, James Jones, Jake Lemoine, and Emmanuel Clase nearly combined for a no-hitter. Arkansas batter Jordan Cowan singled down the line and was thrown out stretching for second by LF Brendon Davis. Burke was perfect through five. A few days earlier, Josh Jung headed to low-A Hickory, while 3B Sherten Apostel made room for him by jumping to high-A Down East. Reliever Joe Barlow was promoted to AAA. “Barlow will definitely be added to the 40-man roster this winter, but only if he doesn’t make his MLB debut first,” I wrote at the time. He would definitely not, and didn’t.

Day One Draft Results
1/30. C Malcolm Moore, Stanford, Age 21 (sophomore), 6’2″, 216, bats left, throws right
Ranked #31 draft prospect by Baseball America, #26 by MLB.com, #18 by Fangraphs

Most prognosticators had Moore as a Ranger in their final or near-final mocks, the other common choice being catcher Walker Janek, nabbed by the Astros two picks earlier. (I suppose we can follow both to see which organization “wins.”) He batted .311/.386/.564 in his freshman year and .255/.414/.553 as a sophomore. Moore improved his walk rate by 120% as a sophomore, and his contact also improved. Though his slugging percentage dropped, his isolated power actually improved. As I mentioned yesterday, Moore’s BABIP was a paltry .233, down from .339 the year before, but I haven’t come across anything to suggest he actually regressed at the plate. That seems to be mostly bad luck. Indeed, the bat drives much of his value, and he projects as someone with the skills to take advantage of his solid power.  Moore employs a very wide-open stance with multiple rapid-fire foot taps as his loads. We’ll see how that evolves as a professional. Traditionally, the Rangers have left draftees to their own devices in their rookie seasons unless they requested assistance.

Defense is why he fell to the Rangers. Reviews are lukewarm, generally noting the potential of being an adequate backstop but suggesting uncertainty of outcome. Hopefully, a year of professional instruction during what would ordinarily be his college junior season aids that task. If catching ultimately doesn’t pan out, the question becomes whether the bat will play at the bottom of the defensive spectrum.

2/73. OF Dylan Dreiling, Tennessee, Age 21 (sophomore), 5,11″, 197, bats and throws left
Ranked #73 draft prospect by Baseball America, #72 by MLB.com, #83 by Fangraphs

After a promising freshman campaign, Dreiling truly blossomed as a sophomore, hitting .342/.459/.715 with 23 homers and 53 walks in 71 games. Notably, he played in a platoon role in 2023 (only 16 at-bats against lefties, no hits) but batted far better this season. Performing in critical moments on big stages won’t be an issue. He was named the College World Series MVP and homered in all three games of the finals (video of 1, 2, and 3). He has decent speed but didn’t take advantage of it on the bases. Texas didn’t draft him for his glove or arm. 69 of his 71 appearances this season were in left field, and reviews are subpar.  He projects as an all-around average LF if he reaches his potential.

Here’s the placements of everyone I mentioned yesterday:
18. Tampa Bay — SS Theodore Gillen
23. LA Dodgers — SS Kellon Lindsay
28. Houston — C Walker Janek
30. Texas — C Malcolm Moore
39. Washington — C Caleb Lomavita
40. Oakland — 3B Tommy White
51. Cincinnati — SS Tyson Lewis
56. Miami — SS Carter Johnson
Unpicked — RHP Dax Whitney
Unpicked — RHP William Schmidt (pulled name from draft to commit to LSU)

Buy or Sell?
Strange for an under-.500 club to be playing in what felt like a playoff atmosphere this weekend. For a while, Texas has been in a position of needing to win at least 60% of their games, probably more, in order to have a shot at the postseason. A 4-2 record on the road last week was pretty much a requirement, and the Rangers succeeded. Following yesterday’s win, I mentioned on social media that a .600 winning percentage would result in 86 wins, and .667 would mean 90. A win total in that range guarantees nothing but puts Texas in the conversation. Many responded positively, while others felt the hill too steep, and the Rangers would be better served by jettisoning tradable players.

On the one hand, 2023 is irrelevant in this context. The Rangers aren’t going to win any extra games by wearing gold-trimmed unis or flashing their rings at the opposition. On the other, this club was built to contend this season. Langford (and Carter) aside, it’s a mature, expensive squad. I think they deserve a chance, with the caveat that the chance involves a deluge of “now or never” games. That means something like a 5-2 record in the upcoming homestand against Baltimore and the White Sox. A negative record in that span probably signals the end, and Texas would have six days to engineer any deals.

Box Scores

AAA: wet

Reno says “postponed,” Round Rock says “canceled.” The teams don’t meet again, so I’m going with the latter. Owen White was spared the horror of starting twice in Reno.

AA: Frisco 7, NW Arkansas (KAN) 6
Frisco: 9 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 11-7, 1.5 GB, 55-32 overall

SP Dane Dunning: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 18 P / 13 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Tyler Owens: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.59 ERA
DH Liam Hicks: 2-5, .263/.365/.356
SS Max Acosta: 2-4, BB, 2 SB (16), .262/.325/.373
1B Josh Hatcher: 1-3, 2 BB, .287/.330/.419
C Cooper Johnson: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, .246/.349/.477

With one out in a tied bottom of the 9th, Max Acosta singled and stole second. NWA chose to walk Josh Hatcher despite an 0-1 count to set up a force and/or double play against Cooper Johnson. Johnson has the better OBP and slugging percentage, but the tactic is defensible under the circumstances. Johnson smacked a high fly that 2022 9th-overall selection Gavin Cross might have reached had he not misjudged its carry. The ball eluded Cross and bounced off the track for a game-winning double.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 7
Hickory: 7 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 10-11, 3.5 GB, 38-49 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 74 P / 49 S, 7.34 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.81 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.09 ERA
DH Cam Cauley: 1-5, HR (6), .242/.292/.408
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-5, HR (5), .200/.235/.446

Ouch. In the 11th, Gleider Figuereo hit a two-run homer, but Bowling Green responded with a one-out run-scoring single and a game-ending grand slam from Brock Jones off Michael Brewer.

Lo-A: Down East 1, Salem (BOS) 2
Down East: 6 hits, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-12, 7.5 GB, 43-42 overall

SP Kolton Curtis: 4 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 58 P / 40 S, 3.10 ERA
RP Willian Bormie: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 3.53 ERA
SS Chandler Pollard: 2-3, 3B, .234/.313/.287

A couple of early solo homers would suffice for Salem. Down East had two runners after the 4th, both of whom were caught stealing.

Today’s Starters
No games until Friday.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The Pacific Coast League exceeded the previous year’s homer total with roughly 48 games remaining on each team’s schedule. AAA was using the MLB ball for the first time instead of one specially manufactured for the minors. Folks had always speculated the MLB ball was livelier, and folks were right.

Draft Preview
After six seasons with a first pick in the 2-15 range, the Rangers will watch 29 other clubs make a selection before them. Such is the cost of a World Series championship. As such, I’ll confess that my draft preview is minimally informed by personal observations, but I greatly enjoy reviewing potential picks for future reference, so I’ve prepared summaries of anyone who has appeared as a Texas pick in mock drafts from Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, the Athletic, ESPN, or Fangraphs.

C Malcolm Moore, Stanford
Athletic mock 3.0 (Keith Law) (italics = most recent)
ESPN mock 3.0 (Kiley McDaniel)
Baseball America mock 5.0, 4.0
MLB.com mock 16 May (Jim Callis)

Almost everyone had Texas picking this draft-eligible sophomore a week ago; Baseball American and both MLB Pipeline writers have since decided on a different catcher. Moore batted .255/.414/.553 in 2024 including 16 homers and more walks than strikeouts but also a .233 average on balls in play (excluding homers). The experts believe back luck played a major role in that disturbingly low figure, as the underlying metrics were sound.

Reports on his defense are mixed, none especially favorable. My strong preference (and it’s truly just a preference, not backed by analysis) is for near-certainty that a drafted catcher can stick behind the plate; otherwise, I’m thinking mostly on the bat.

C Walker Janek, San Houston
Baseball America mock 7.0, 6.0 (Carlos Collazo)
MLB.com mock 14 July, 4 July (Jonathan Mayo), 14 July, 11 July, 20 June (Callis)

Here’s your defensive catcher, if you like, although even his more positive reviews note improvement needed on the receiving side to match the terrific arm. Still, he would appear to be a lock at the position. Hitting reviews are slightly muted compared to Moore; there is hope of average contact and power in the Majors. He seems someone with a strong likelihood of panning out as at least a backup.

C Caleb Lomavita, California
Baseball America mock 3.0

Most publications have Lomavita selected before Texas’s #30 pick. He’s gotten away with swing-happiness in college because of his contact skill and growing power, but the worry is pro pitchers will take advantage of his approach. Defensive reviews indicate he’s still growing into the position but should be no worse that average.

SS Kellon Lindsay, Hardee HS, Wauchula, FL
Athletic mock 2.0
Baseball America mock 1.0
MLB.com mock 27 June (Callis)

Early mock drafts linked the Rangers to several high school shortstops, later shifting en masse to college backstops. The Rangers haven’t led off with a youngster since 2018, but  they also haven’t picked in this range since 2017. Defensive reviews vary, with some suggesting above-average potential, some projecting a move to center to take advantage of his superior speed. He lacks pop but in an ideal world would develop into a leadoff hitter.

SS Carter Johnson, Oxford HS, Oxford, AL
ESPN mock 1.0

SS Theodore Gillen, Westlake HS, West Lake Hills, TX
Baseball America mock 2.0

SS Tyson Lewis, Millard West HS, Omaha, NE
Athletic mock 1.0

Three more young shortstops. Johnson’s reviews indicate a bat-first prospect who will likely move to second or third down the line. Gillen’s bat draws raves, but fallout from a 2022 shoulder surgery makes shortstop problematic, although his other skills point to a future at second. Still, Fangraphs rates him the draft’s top high school talent. Lewis has good speed on a quality frame. Hitting reviews aren’t as glowing as Gillen but still solid, and like the others, sticking at short isn’t a great bet.

3B Tommy White, LSU
ESPN mock 2.0

Batted .355/.419/.704 with 75 homers across three seasons. He has terrific power, obviously, but isn’t an all-or-nothing hitter. White will have to tone down his tendency to chase as a pro. He could end up at first, but if he reaches his batting potential that won’t be an issue.  

RHP William Schmidt Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, LA
MLB.com mock 30 May, 3 May  (Mayo)

RHP Dax Whitney, Blackfoot HS, Blackfoot, ID
Fangraphs.com mock 1.0 (Eric Longenhagen)

We conclude with two high school pitchers. Texas’s fortune with young high-pick arms is limited, shall we say, but again, this is both a lower pick than in recent years and also a weaker-than-usual draft per the experts. Schmidt is a skinny 6’4” with a mid-90s fastball and massive curve. As is often the case, the change lags because he hasn’t needed it. As for Whitney, my first reaction was “Idaho? Really?”, but reviews are promising. Along with a low-90s fastball, Whitney possesses two worthy breakers and more feel for a change than typical at his age. Longenhagen of Fangraphs should have another mock today.

Futures Game
Three Rangers made meaningful appearances in the 2024 Futures Game. Emiliano Teodo drew the start and tossed two perfect innings on just 14 pitches. He missed five bats (four sliders, one change*). His sinking fastball ranged from 95 to 99 with 17-18 inches of horizontal break, which is heroic. The slider topped at 89.

Winston Santos needed 24 pitches for his one inning, allowing an unearned run on a single and error plus a walk. He concluded his effort with a miss on a 97 MPH fastball. The heater ranged 97-98 with four misses, the slider 84-87 with one swinging strike, and he added one change* at 90.

Sebastian Walcott was 0-2 but provided the second-hardest ball in play of the game, a 106 MPH grounder that shortstop Aidan Miller couldn’t handle.

* Statcast often has trouble with “new” pitchers and lists Teodo’s and Santos’s lone pitches at 90 MPH as sinkers. They’re changes ,best as I can tell.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, @ Reno (ARI) 2
Round Rock: 5 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 6 GB, 45-46 overall

SP Tom Brennan: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 51 P / 33 S, 3.63 ERA

Leave it to the man more dependent on weak contact than anyone on the squad to handle Reno in the mountains for a while. Tim Brennan had missed one bat in each of his previous two starts. He totaled five yesterday. Chase Lee, rehabbing Austin Pruitt, and Grant Anderson spread around eight runners in five innings of scoreless relief, but the offense couldn’t break through. Lee has walked seven in seven innings since rejoining the Express, unusual for him. 

AA: Frisco 9, NW Arkansas (KAN) 10
Frisco: 15 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 10-7, 2.5 GB, 54-32 overall

SP Dane Acker: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 81 P / 44 S, 3.88 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, BB, .354/.415/.667
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .209/.286/.333
LF Aaron Zavala: 3-4, BB, .216/.326/.303
2B Max Acosta: 4-5, 2B, 3B, .258/.320/.371

A seemingly bland, decisive defeat turned wild late. Frisco trailed 7-1 entering the bottom of the 8th but had the tying run on 1st when the game ended despite allowing another three runs. Unfortunately some messy defense in the top of the 9th added three insurance runs that the Naturals would end up needing.

Abimelec Ortiz has back-to-back multi-hit nights. To give an idea of how his season has gone, he had one multi-hit game the entire month of June, and one in May. July is off to a fine start, however. Maybe no one in the system wants the upcoming four days off less than him.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 8
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 10-10, 2.5 GB, 38-48 overall

SP Alejandro Rosario: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 SO, 80 P / 55 S, 3.95 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-5, SB (1), .183/.222/.400
1B Quincy Scott: 2-3, 3B, 2 BB, SB (5), .209/.300/.277

Alejandro Rosario’s strikeout rate is higher in three high-A starts than his time in Down East (43% vs. 37%), although his walk rate at the higher level has declined from elite to average. Rosario had only thrown 11 pitches in the 5th and 80 for the night when removed, seemingly indicating a fairly firm limit on his workload. He hasn’t thrown more than 84 all season.

Lo-A: Down East 4, Salem (BOS) 5 (8)
Down East: 6 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 7-11, , 42-41 overall

SP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 58 P / 34 S, 4.35 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 4.14 ERA
CF Jojo Blackmon: 1-4, HR (4), .169/.245/.290
C Jesus Lopez: 1-3, BB, .254/.312/.373

Salem outscored Down East in extras (doubleheaders are scheduled for seven innings), propelled by an error and fielder’s choice that produced no out.

Lo-A: Down East 4, Salem (BOS) 0 (7) (NO-HITTER)
Down East: 6 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 0 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 8-11, 7.5 GB, 43-41 overall

SP Izack Tiger: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 63 P / 43 S, 2.63 ERA
RP Adonis Villavicencio: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.29 ERA
C Julian Brock: 2-3, .218/.296/.319

Izack Tiger and Adonis Villavicencio combined on a seven-inning no-hitter. They were making only their third and fourth career appearances in full-season ball, respectively. Both pitchers walked the first batter faced and then picked him off. Down East doesn’t broadcast on MiLB.tv, but the Rangers provided some video.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas traded reliever Peter Fairbanks to Tampa Bay for IF/OF Nick Solak. Coming off elbow surgery, Fairbanks gained instant attention in Spring Training with a 100 MPH fastball, and he advanced from high-A to the Majors in a scant two months. At the time of the trade, he sported a 37% strikeout rate but a 5.45 ERA across all levels, as the contact batters managed to make tended to be noisy. Solak would make his MLB debut a month later after a .348/.386/.653 showing for AAA Nashville.

Kumar Rocker pitched two inning in Arizona, allowing a run on two hits and a sac fly, walking none, and striking out one. Based on current usage, he could pitch twice in the complex league before presumably heading to a full-season squad.

Pitchers Winston Santos and Emiliano Teodo of Frisco and IF Sebastian Walcott of Hickory are on the temporary inactive list in anticipation of the Futures Game.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, @ Reno (ARI) 6
Round Rock: 8 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-8, 5 GB, 45-45 overall

SP Peter Solomon: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 61 P / 37 S, 9.19 ERA
RP Aidan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.62 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.44 ERA
DH Ezequiel Duran: 2-5, 3B, .194/.237/.250
C Sam Huff: 2-5, 2B, .244/.323/.445
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2B, BB, .277/.363/.387

The Express trailed 4-1 early but mounted a gradual comeback. Davis Wendzel doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th. In the bottom half, Andres Chaparro led off with a single to left-center, and Reno curiously chose to send the gift-runner against Sandro Fabian, who has scant CF experience but plenty in right along with a healthy number of outfield assists. Fabian unleashed a 92 MPH throw to beat the runner by several feet.

Reno entered the series with an 11-1 record and was threatening to develop a commanding lead over the Express and everyone else, but the Express have fashioned a split of the first four games despite shaky starting pitching in the unfriendly confines of northern Nevada. Jack Leiter was listed as Friday’s starter yesterday morning but had been replaced by Solomon in the late-afternoon press notes.

Three of Round Rock’s five games with the most balls in play of at least 95 MPH have occurred in the past week:
30, 7/09 at Reno (14-10 Reno)
29, 7/12 at Reno (7-6 RR)
29, 5/03 at Albuquerque (13-1 RR)
26, 6/08 at OKC (10-9 OKC)
26, 7/06 at Sugar Land  (9-7 RR)

AA: Frisco 10, NW Arkansas (KAN) 8
Frisco: 13 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 10-6, 1.5 GB, 54-31 overall

SP Nick Krauth: 5 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 3 HBP, 4 SO, 87 P / 50 S, 5.33 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.96 ERA
RF Josh Hatcher: 4-4, 2B, 2 SB (2), .288/.327/.424
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 3-4, 2B, .203/.276/.325

Hatcher and Ortiz were the only Riders with multiple hits, but four joined with doubles: C Liam Hicks (1-4, BB), DH Cody Freeman (1-4, BB, SB), SS Keyber Rodriguez (1-4), and 2B Max Acosta (1-4).

Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 3 (10)
Hickory: 8 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 10-9, 1.5 GB, 38-47 overall

SP Ryan Lobus: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 HBP, 7 SO, 69 P / 43 S, 4.10 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.82 ERA
C Ian Moller: 2-5, .238/.362/.309
RF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, .251/.300/.326

Ryan Lobus had his best lengthy outing since the beginning of June, albeit one that doubled his HBP total for the season. Adrian Rodriguez was effective overall but has issued a walk in 14 consecutive appearances and sports a wild .123/.405/.281 opposing line with 25 walks, two hit batters, and just seven hits in that 17.1-inning span.

Dating back to May 5, Ian Moller has a line of .275/.400/.359.

Lo-A: Down East 0, Salem (BOS) 3
Down East: 2 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 7-10, 6.5 GB, 42-40 overall

SP Jose Gonzalez: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 8 SO, 89 P / 54 S, 2.37 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2.95 ERA
3B Esteban Mejia: 1-2, BB, SB (2), .163/.281/.286

Rain shortened the scheduled doubleheader to one game. They’ll attempt two today. Jose Gonzalez walked four, equal to his total in the the previous eight outings.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Brennan
AA: Acker
Hi-A: Rosario
Lo-A: TBA x 2

Five Years Ago Yesterday
High-A infielder Anderson Tejeda suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline him the rest of the season. His next game would be 13 months later as a Major Leaguer. 15 months after that, the Rangers released him, and five months after that, he would be released again and (apparently) out of affiliated baseball for good for a few weeks prior to his 24th birthday. One of the strangest careers I’ve covered. Tejeda signed with independent Charleston (WV) of the Atlantic League in February but hasn’t played. I don’t see a release or any other transaction involving him.

Sean Bass of KTCK and I talked the current state of the Rangers and farm this morning on Diamond Pod.

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs.com delivered his review of the Texas farm system. It’s a longer read than most publications and well worth your time. Longenhagen always has a few rankings highly dissimilar from his peers that you might find interesting (or confounding). Like Baseball America, he’s ramped up Alejandro Rosario to the #4 spot.

Brock Porter’s third rookie-league appearance went poorly: three walks, a hit batter, and one strikeout. The season ends in 13 days, so barring a rapid recovery that allows a return to full-season ball, he’ll be pitching in side sessions and/or simulated and unofficial games in Arizona.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, @ Reno (ARI) 9
Round Rock: 9 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 7-8, , 44-45 overall

SP Adrian Sampson: 4.1 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 6 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 80 P / 51 S, 5.72 ERA
DH Justin Foscue: 1-3, 2 BB, .288/.466/.485
3B Davis Wendzel: 2-4, SB (2), .282/.388/.494

In three games at Reno, Round Rock starters have allowed 20 runs in seven innings. That’s a hefty sum even allowing for the location. Against Adrian Sampson, Andres Chaparro hit a ball 492 feet, and Pavin Smith later launched one 470. I’ve only updated my database through last Sunday, but unless someone hit ball farther this week, Chaparrro’s homer is the longest in the Pacific Coast League this season.

AA: Frisco 2, NW Arkansas (KAN) 3
Frisco: 8 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 9-6, , 53-31 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 89 P / 58 S, 4.35 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.83 ERA
RP Tyler Owens: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.73 ERA
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-5, HR (4), .259/.299/.402
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, BB, .281/.332/.466

Cody Freeman has hits in 17 of his last 18 games and is hitting .329/.360/.586 in that span. When the catching experiment ended, I was honestly skeptical in my assessment, but he’s responded with his best offensive season to date as a 23-year-old in AA. Freeman already has a career high in doubles (20) and will likely exceed his previous high of 13 homers (currently ten). Not playing short hampers his outlook, but he’s at least continuing to appear on the radar.

Hi-A: Hickory 3, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 2
Hickory: 8 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 1 walk, 16 strikeouts
Record: 9-9, , 37-47 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 SO, 82 P / 61 S, 3.36 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, HR (4), .180/.226/.440

Anthony Gutierrez (1-4) executed a straight steal of home to score the go-ahead run in the 9th. Like Jax Biggers at Round Rock earlier this month, Gutierrez got such a huge start that the opposing pitcher didn’t even bother to throw home.

Mitch Bratt tied a career-best nine strikeouts. He’s been as good as ever lately: 29.2 IP, 18 H, 3 R, 5 BB, and 33 SO in his last five starts. He’s pitched 31 games at Hickory across the past two seasons. I don’t expect that total to reach much higher.

Lo-A: rain

Two today.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Leiter
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Lobus
Lo-A: TBA x 2

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The draft signing deadline passed with Texas 7th-round pitcher Brandon Sproat the highest unsigned choice. The Rangers couldn’t pry him from a Florida commitment, and Sproat would even stay a Gator for a fourth season after the Mets picked him in 2022’s third round. The persistent Mets redrafted him in last year’s second round. He’s pitching well for AA Binghamton.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, @ Reno (ARI) 7
Round Rock: 13 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 16 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 7-7, 5 GB, 44-44 overall

SP Gerson Garabito: 2.2 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 69 P / 41 S, 3.56 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.53 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 2-5, 2B, HR (3), .286/.458/.492
LF Ezequiel Duran: 2-4, 2B, SB (2), .194/.242/.258
C Sam Huff: 2-5, 2 2B, .244/.323/.445
CF Dustin Harris: 2-3, 2B, BB, .278/.362/.389

Justin Foscue hit three balls at least 100 MPH, one of which traveled 417 feet. Zeke Duran had his first noteworthy game since being optioned. Back in 2015, Rougned Odor was shipped to Round Rock after a .144/.252/.233 opening month, and after a month in AAA, he enjoyed his most fruitful period at the plate. Unfortunately, for a while that instilled the idea that any struggling batter could be not just fixed but improved in short order with the “Odor treatment.” Not to say I’m pessimistic about Duran, but the process is more complicated than batting coach Matt Lawson sprinkling magic dust on a batter, although I can’t say I’ve discussed it with him.

AA: Frisco 10, NW Arkansas (KAN) 5
Frisco: 12 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 9-5, 1.5 GB, 53-30 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 6 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 90 P / 51 S, 4.14 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, BB, .368/.415/.763
SS Max Acosta: 1-3, BB, .245/.311/.344
RF Aaron Zavala: 3-4, 2 2B, .210/.323/.302
1B Abi Ortiz: 3-4, .192/.266/.314
C Cooper Johnson: 2-3, 2B, BB, .246/.350/.475

Skylar Hales has one walk and 11 strikeouts in 7.1 scoreless AA innings. Abi Ortiz isn’t hitting for power but is at least singling more lately.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 1 (7)
Hickory: 7 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts

SP DJ McCarthy: 5.2 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 54 S, 3.97 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-2, HR (3), HBP, .152/.204/.370
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 1-2, BB, SB (24), .246/.297/.323

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 7 (7)
Hickory: 3 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 3.5 GB, 36-47 overall

SP Kohl Drake: 4.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 75 P / 48 S, 3.52 ERA
RP DJ Peters: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 7.43 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, 2B, .236/.335/.404

I had a sentence to the effect of “Sebastian Walcott is in a slight lull” ready because I hadn’t mentioned him lately, but he’s hitting .296/.387/.519 this month. The “lull” was a 1-13 stretch across three games plus the two-day break. Gleider Figuereo is in a lull more aptly described as getting acclimated to better pitching. Three homers in 13 games is swell, but he’s also striking out in 37% of his high-A plate appearances. Even though he’s new to the squad, only two hitters (Walcott, Gutierrez) are younger than his 20 years and 14 days.

Lo-A: Down East 3, Salem (BOS) 5
Down East: 8 hits, 4 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 7-9, , 42-39 overall

SP David Davallilo: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 77 P / 49 S, 1.68 ERA
SS Danyer Cueva: 2-5, 2B, .207/.242/.261
CF Marcos Torres: 1-3, BB, SB (11), .185/.290/.308

Low-A Modesto of the California League will play somewhere else next season. At issue was responsibility for $32 million in facility improvements needed to meet current requirements. The city (which owned the stadium) and Seattle Mariners (parent club and team owner) couldn’t reach an agreement on that or a lease extension, so in 2025 the club will play… well, they haven’t figured out that part yet. Bakersfield’s Sam Lynn? The former home of the High Desert Mavs in Adelanto? How about squeezing into Sacramento with the RiverCats and A’s? Modesto had hosted affiliated ball almost continuously since the 1940s.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Sampson
AA: B. Anderson
Hi-A: Bratt
Lo-A: rained out

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Assigned to the rookie squad, top 2019 pick Josh Jung homered in his first plate appearance.

Kelly and Robert
The Rangers designated reliever Antoine Kelly for assignment eight months after his addition to the 40-man roster and being crowned the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year. The Rangers had acquired him in 2022 from the Brewers for Matt Bush. Expected to be added to the 40 that fall, Kelly unfortunately offered the Rangers an easy opposite decision with dreadful control down the stretch. Last year, Kelly improved dramatically, fanning a third of his opponents and reining in the wildness.

As for this year, well, which day are we talking about? Kelly hinted at an MLB debut from the jump but then missed nearly a month. In mid-May, Kelly exited after just two batters tapping his lower forearm. Fortunately, he missed only a week with a cramp instead of 14 months with a reconstructed elbow. He would never be the same, however.

First 5 appearances in AAA:
4.2 IP, 1 R, 3 BB/HBP, 8 SO, .125/.263/.125

Last 11 appearances in AAA:
10.0 IP, 14 R, 16 BB/HBP, 12 SO, .326/.500/.500

His slider remained exceptionally effective, although he continued to use it rather sparingly (28%). The fastball veered wildly in speed and direction, dropping down into the upper 80s on occasion. His strike rate with it fell from 65% to 51%, and the miss rate from 29% to 11%. Most tellingly, during his bad stretch, he concluded only two strikeouts with his fastball but 11 walks, and opponents batted a nightmarish .500/.658/.769 against it. Texas shipped him to Arizona and then AA Frisco, but after just one more appearance, they decided to move on. Kelly is only on his first option. Assuming a story no more complicated than “he’s terrible lately,” he should be claimed.

Meanwhile, Rule 5 loss Justin Slaten has a 3.38 ERA, nine walks and 45 strikeouts in 42.2 innings for the Red Sox. Not that Kelly over Slaten was a binary decision, but the two outcomes sure aren’t pretty. As I wrote in my 40-man preview, both Kelly and Marc Church seemed probable to join the roster, but I had Slaten farther down the list, mostly because the likelihood of adding a third reliever was low. In the previous ten seasons, the Rangers had protected a total of four relievers at the Rule 5 deadline.

Replacing Kelly on the 40 and joining the active roster is righty Daniel Robert. Primarily a 1B at Auburn, Robert was drafted as a pitcher by the Rangers in 2017’s 21st round. Upon discovery that he needed elbow surgery, Texas didn’t offer a contract by the deadline but eventually signed him as a free agent. By 2022, he’d worked his way to Round Rock as a legitimate relief prospect. Unfortunately, his control often abandoned him in AAA. In 2022, Robert had several lengthy stretches of consistency, but the occasional bad outings were sometimes catastrophic. In 2023, he never had a stretch of more than two appearances without a run or multiple walks. He would be omitted from the 40-man roster in two straight seasons. (Writing about Robert in the annual 40-man / Rule 5 previews, I’m embarrassed to say I used a variation of “Saying a reliever needs to be more consistent sounds like lazy analysis, but…” in 2022 and 2023. Lazy, indeed.)

In 2024, Robert started typically, walking at least one batter in four of his first five outings. He began to show better control in May, if not better overall results, but since the beginning of June he’s displayed the control and consistency that eluded him for two seasons: 14.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB/HBP, 15 SO.

Robert’s money pitch is a sweeper, which is responsible for concluding 33 of his 40 strikeouts. He threw a sweeper 58% of the time, averaging 84 MPH, topping out at 87, with an average of 14.5 inches of horizontal movement. If he maintains his style, you might be surprised as how often he works up with it. Robert’s four-seam fastball (30% usage) averaged 95.6 and peaked at 98.4. Despite a high spin rate, his induced vertical break is fairly ordinary, if I’m reading the data correctly. There’s nothing fancy about it. Statistically, its effectiveness comes from generating a high percentage of fouls (as opposed to balls in play), forcing hitters to contend with his sweeper in an unfavorable count. Robert will also mix in an occasional sinker to righties, and against lefties he’ll deal a handful of changes.

Robert’s control and strikeout prowess are legit, but that .132 opposing batting average has a large element of luck. Opponents are hitting only .069 on grounders, and only .091 on grounders hit at least 95 MPH. That can’t persist. On the other hand, it’s not as though opponents are continuously hitting the ball 105 MPH into gloves. The contact data doesn’t portend disaster.

Top 30
Baseball America updated its team top-30 prospect lists including the Rangers. BA is a subscriber publication, so I’m not going to reproduce it, but will say that 1) it’s a fine publication, and you should subscribe if you can, and 2) Texas’s new #4 prospect has a video shot by yours truly.

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Tuesday 9 July
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 10, @ Reno (ARI) 14
Round Rock: 19 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts
Record: 6-7, 6 GB, 43-44 overall

SP Owen White: 4 IP, 11 H (1 HR), 10 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 79 P / 56 S, 5.48 ERA
RP Brock Burke: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.84 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 5-5, 2 2B, .274/.358/.382
1B Justin Foscue: 5-5, 2B, .276/.462/.431
DH Blaine Crim: 3-4, 2B, BB, .234/.340/.371

Welcome to Reno. The teams combined for 30 balls in play of at least 95 MPH, tied for seventh most in the PCL this year. Taking one for the team and then some, Owen White allowed 11 of those hard hits and pitched two more innings after a six-run, eleven-batter 2nd. Aidan Anderson joined twin brother Grant in allowing homers to three consecutive batters. (Grant did so in the 9th inning of Jack Leiter’s professional debut.) I suppose the upside is Round Rock threw only 148 pitches, fewer than expected against such an onslaught. The Aces were swinging.

Both Justin Foscue and Dustin Harris were 5-5.

Texas signed righty Matt Festa, just released by the Mets. The 31-year-old had pitched very well for AAA Syracuse, and as well as could be expected at the video-game environment of El Paso before then.

AA: Frisco 1, NW Arkansas (KAN) 6
Frisco: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 8-5, , 52-30 overall

SP Tyler Mahle: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 32 P / 23 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Josh Stephen: 4.2 IP, 10 H (1 HR), 6 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.94 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.06 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .371/.389/.800
C Liam Hicks: 2-4, .264/.371/.356

Tyler Mahle again handled minor league hitters with ease. Incidentally, I saw a couple of comments online expressing concern at Mahle pitching in AA as if it were a demotion from the previous rehab outing at Round Rock. That idea hadn’t occurred to me, at least not with someone of Mahle’s stature. Don’t be concerned. Some rehabbing players gradually build up from the lower levels, but more often than not, assignment location is based on convenience. Round Rock was at home last week but in Reno now, so Mahle switched to Frisco where he can be more easily observed. The San Francisco Giants have sent six different rehabbing Major League pitchers to nearby low-A San Jose. Washington’s Joey Gallo played two games for low-A Fredericksburg (about 50 miles from DC) against Down East (and homered off Josh Trentadue).

Hi-A: wet

Two today.

Lo-A: Down East 8, Salem (BOS) 6
Down East: 8 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 7-8, 4.5 GB, 42-38 overall

SP Brayan Mendoza: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 66 P / 44 S, 2.70 ERA
RP Willian Bormie: 2 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.83 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 1-3, BB, SB (13), .273/.335/.454
DH Arturo Disla: 3-4, HR (7), .278/.361/.411

Disla’s seven homers are tied for 14th in the league. Only five players have ten, while a whopping 78 have at least ten steals. In the Pacific Coast League, seven homers gets you a 15-way tie for 48th.

Echedry Vargas might finish with at least 20 steals and a slugging percentage of .450 or better. Post-2020, the only Rangers to do so at one of the A levels are Dustin Harris and Evan Carter. Further back, Scott Heineman accomplished the feat in 2016, albeit at High Desert, the hitter-friendliest location in affiliated ball at the time. Heineman slugged .464 in the minors and skipped low-A, so I’m inclined to give full credit.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Garcia
Hi-A: Drake
Lo-A: Davalillo

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Organization SO rate leaders:
Joe Barlow, 47%
Demarcus Evans, 45%
Peter Fairbanks, 39%
Scott Engler, 37%
Locke St. John, 36%

I don’t know where he ranked, but Emmanuel Clase’s rate was a relatively modest 29%. His forte was a combining a good, if not elite, level of strikeouts with fewer walks. At that time, he had nine for the season compared to 21 for Barlow and 28 for Evans.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 7 (10)
Round Rock: 10 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 7 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 6-6, 5 GB, 43-43 overall

SP Tim Brennan: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 SO, 42 P / 21 S, 3.38 ERA
C Sam Huff: 1-5, HR (9), .241/.324/.439
RF Sandro Fabian: 3-5, 2B, HR (11), .292/.362/.493
PH Matt Whatley: 1-1, HR (3), .192/.298/.342

Down 5-0 after five and 7-4 entering the 9th, Round Rock stormed back with three homers. Sandro Fabian took an 0-2 slider deep to lead off the 9th, and after a Trevor Hauver walk, pinch-hitter Matt Whatley tied the game with his second of the season. In the 10th, Sam Huff brought home gift-runner Blaine Crim with yet another blast.

Justin Foscue wasn’t in the lineup but replaced Whatley in the bottom of the 10th, as manager Doug Davis decided Whatley would not be making his professional debut at second base that evening. Back in 2019 or so, Whatley was my very dark dark-horse pick to reach the Majors, with better hitting being the necessity. Whatley hasn’t hit much, to be honest, but combined with his defensive and organizational appeal, he’s maintained a professional career for eight years including three in AAA.

AA: Frisco 7, Arkansas (SEA) 1
Frisco: 11 hits, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-4, 1.5 GB, 52-29 overall

SP Emiliano Teodo: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 86 P / 56 S, 1.71 ERA
RP Antone Kelly: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 9.00 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 3-4, 2B, 3B, .375/.375/.750
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 2-4, 2B, .261/.303/.394
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, HR (10), .279/.331/.468
C Cooper Johnson: 2-3, 2B, HR (7), .235/.338/.462

I’m going to borrow from Grant Schiller again: Emiliano Teodo’s 12 swinging strikes consisted of eight sliders, three changes, and one fastball. Once again, Teodo didn’t allow an extra-base hit. One might be inclined to attribute his minuscule 0.47 ISO to luck. I’m sure it plays some part, and I’d expect that figure to rise rather than fall, but Teodo also has one of the best grounder rates in the system and league. He’s doing his part.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 6
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 7-8, 3.5 GB, 35-46 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 80 P / 54 S, 7.58 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 1-2, HR (5), .243/.294/.399
C Ian Moller: 2-3, BB, .227/.350/.297
LF Yosy Galan: 0-2, 2 BB, 3 SB (21), .168/.284/.337

Against rehabbing White Sox starter, Texas Tech alum, and 27-year-old greybeard Davis Martin, Cam Cauley homered and Sebastian Walcott reached to pull a low slider down the line for a double. Both Cauley and CF Anthony Gutierrez were pulled mid-game for reasons unknown to me.

Lo-A: canceled

Lightning interrupted the contest in the bottom of the 1st. 21 of Down East’s first 81 scheduled games were against Carolina, but they don’t meet again, so the game will not be made up. Echedry Vargas had a single, stolen base and run that will not count. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

Today’s Starters
Texas’s affiliates skipped last week’s off-day and will instead have both Sunday and Monday off.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
(Actually the day before yesterday but I didn’t report until 7/7/2019) Spokane’s Ricky Vanasco carried a no-hitter into the 6th despite early wildness that included four full counts, two walks, and two wild pitches among the first five batters. He would fan ten in six innings. Down East improved to 59-28, equaling the previous year’s win total with 53 games remaining.

Kumar Rocker made his first appearance in a real game since five days shy of 14 months ago. In two innings, Rocker allowed a leadoff homer and a grounded single, walked none, and struck out three. Assuming good health, he could squeeze in roughly a dozen outings before season’s end. He could also appear in the Arizona Fall League, depending on what workload Texas foresees.

2023 6th-round righty Caden Scarborough made his pro debut, striking out three, walking two and permitting one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings. The Rangers won 14-1 over the White Sox.

At long last, here’s my video of Alejandro Rosario’s final low-A start in Fredericksburg, VA.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 3
Round Rock: 5 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 5-6, 5 GB, 42-43 overall

SP Jack Leiter: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 86 P / 49 S, 3.88 ERA
RP Chase Lee: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Aiden Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.01 ERA

Initially, I wondered if Leiter would survive the 1st. Several of his early pitches were crazily outside the zone, mostly high, as if he were having trouble gripping the ball. Two walks preceded an annoying little dribbler that plated a run. Leiter eventually reigned in the wildness but still reached 76 pitches through the 3rd. Sugar Land’s Quincy Hamlton launched a high, two-strike slider to left-center at 94 MPH and 33 degrees, a combination that usually falls slightly short of the wall but not this time.

AA: Frisco 8, Arkansas (SEA) 2
Frisco: 8 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 7-4, 2 GB, 51-29 overall

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 80 P / 53 S, 5.87 ERA
RP Ricky DeVito: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, SO, 2.79 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, 3B, HR (1), .321/.321/.643
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .275/.329/.457
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-2, 2 BB, .189/.267/.317

Santos recovered nicely from his rude, three-homer intro to AA. Per Grant Schiller, Santos’s fastball started the evening at 96-97 and lost a few tics toward the end.

Abimelec Ortiz isn’t on what I’d call a tear, but he’s quietly placing together more productive games lately. Alejandro Osuna is on a tear. He’s yet to draw a walk in eight AA games, but he’s also slugging.643, so we can worry about that later.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 7 (7)
Hickory: 3 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts

SP Ryan Lobus: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 71 P / 42 S, 4.38 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 1-3, 2 SB (17), .241/.292/.384
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-2, HR (7), BB, SB (10), .239/.342/.408

In the 1st, Cam Cauley scored from third on a convoluted double steal involving Sebastian Walcott. Cauley perfectly timed a bolt home on a pickoff move to first by Dash starter Tommy Vail and beat the throw back to the plate. He actually missed the plate but returned to tag it while the catcher readied a throw to catch Walcott, who raced for second when the 1B threw home. Cauley had reached on a sharp single and advanced to third on a steal and error. Exciting, heads-up play all around.

Walcott later homered to left beyond the grass berm and most of the outfield. I’d ballpark the distance at around 410′.

Hi-A: Hickory 3, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 4 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 7-7, 2.5 GB, 35-45 overall

SP Alejandro Rosario: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 10 SO, 79 P / 54 S, 5.00 ERA

Alejandro struck out 10 of 22 batters and registered misses on 40% of opponents’ swings, but a sequence of hits in the 4th led to three runs, and back-to-back doubles in the 6th plated one more.

Lo-A: Down East 7, @ Carolina (MIL) 1
Down East: 10 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 6-8, 5 GB, 41-38 overall

SP Izack Tiger: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 72 P / 47 S, 4.15 ERA
RP Ivan Oviedo: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 3.48 ERA
1B Erick Alvarez: 2-5, 2 2B, .242/.268/.330

Izack Tiger extended to five innings in his second full-season start. Grades on his control were iffy entering professional play, but he’s been fine so far. I didn’t catch any speeds during the inning I watched, but Tiger throws a mid-90s fastball (upper in shorter stints), slider and splitter.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Brennan (MiLB.com lists Johnny Cueto, which if true would be a surprise to all parties.)
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Yesterday, Philadelphia purchased the contract of former Rangers righty Tyler Phillips. Texas’s 16th-rounder from 2015 was claimed off waivers in July 2021. Philly released him two months later but re-signed him to a minor deal in November, and he’s stayed there since. Phillips grew up a Phils fan across the border in New Jersey.

As for five years ago yesterday: “For 5.2 innings, Tyler Phillips looked as good as he ever has in AA, limiting Amarillo to a single and walk while striking out six. Then, three hits including a homer left Phillips with a much more ordinary line.” That was the standard copy about Phillips’ first AA season in 2019, although he would improve down the stretch.