Donations
Thanks again to those who’ve donated. For those who are still interested, here’s the link to various payment methods.
Also, the Rangers Player Development twitter account has video of Mitch Bratt (AA) and Izack Tiger (high-A) in their league debuts.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 6, Sugar Land (HOU) 11
Round Rock: 11 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 15-15, 5.5 GB, 52-52 overall
SP Bryan Chi: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 HBP, 2 SO, 60 P / 34 S, 16.50 ERA
RP Matt Whatley: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 3-4, BB, SB (4), .273/.440/.455
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, BB, .247/.321/.342
Matt Whatley made his pro mound debut. Peaking at 49 MPH with a delivery best described at “throwing to an eight-year-old,” Whatley retired three of four batters. Statcast doesn’t know what to do with these pitches, but with up to 14″ of horizontal break, well over 100″ of drop, and a spin rate of around 1,300, I’m going to call them splinkers (splitter/sinker).
Bryan Chi is a just-in-case for whom AA is the upper limit of his ability right now, so don’t hold last night against him. Listed as the starter throughout the day was Jack Leiter.
AA: Frisco 2, @ San Antonio (SDP) 5
Frisco: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 19-12, tied for first, 63-37 overall
SP Kumar Rocker: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 43 P / 32 S, 0.00 ERA
Kumar Rocker again breezed through a Double A lineup, and again I was struck by how fluid he looked compared to any iteration of his previous deliveries. He delivered two and four-seam fastballs, a power slider, and a slightly slower breaker that you can call a curve or a slider variant. I did not see a change.
Swinging strikes by inning: 0, 0, 6, 7.
Players ejected: 0.
Hi-A: Hickory 6, @ Asheville (HOU) 10
Hickory: 11 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 18-16, 4 GB, 46-54 overall
SP DJ McCarty: 4 IP, 10 H (2 HR), 8 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 82 P / 55 S, 4.39 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 2-5, .245/.295/.418
3B Gleider Figuereo: 3-5, 2B, .200/.245/.400
2B Theo Hardy: 1-3, 2B, BB
Theo Hardy is the first 2024 signing to receive a full-season assignment. The undrafted 22-year-old played at San Jose State, batting .271/.392/.472 as a senior. He’s played mostly at short in college and summer leagues.
Asheville is a dismal place for pitchers to practice their trade, as DJ McCarty has learned.
Lo-A: Down East 4, @ Augusta (ATL) 0
Down East: 9 hits, 0 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 18-15, 3.5 GB, 53-45 overall
SP Brayan Mendoza: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 73 P / 46 S, 2.41 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-4, 2 2B, .272/.322/.456
2B Chandler Pollard: 2-4, HR (2), .247/.324/.329
Eight straight. This week, Down East has scored six and four runs in games in which the offense had zero walks and 15 strikeouts. Echedry Vargas drove in three with doubles in the 3rd and 5th. Thomas Ireland spent the last month of 2023 in Kinston but returned to Arizona for the entire rookie-level season. Now back in low-A, the 2021 13th-rounder posted a better outing than any out west.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Sampson
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Drake
Lo-A: TBA
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas purchased the contract of reliever Emmanuel Clase. Nick Solak clubbed his sixth homer in 15 games for AAA Nashville. Leody Taveras reached three times to extend his on-base streak to 15 games. Bubba Thompson hit a grand slam.