I added regular and slow-motion video of swinging strikes from Kumar Rocker with the fastball, curve, and change. Here’s yesterday’s video of all the swinging strikes and balls in play from the 2nd onward.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City (LAD) 1
Round Rock: 8 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 27-26, 4 GB, 64-63 overall
SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 85 P / 49 S, 2.28 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 4.22 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 2-4, HR (9), .279/.419/.483
1B Blaine Crim: 1-3, HR (17), BB, .279/.375/.467
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, BB, .215/.323/.357
I ignored Blaine Crim Wednesday night because of the Rocker display and lack of time, so now I’ll give him his due. He’s as locked in as ever, batting .385/.462/.658 since July 1. Maybe those stats include some luck, but that would compensate for his disappointing May and June when he was still hitting the ball reasonably hard but right at people. On Wednesday, he hit three balls in excess of 106 MPH, two of which left the yard, one off rehabbing Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The other was lined to left for a single. He also check-swung an 0-2 pitch through the short-third gap at 88 MPH.
My explanation in 2023 was if he could be transported back to 2021 or 2022, he likely would have received a call-up on the poor Rangers squads, like Curtis Terry did. In 2023, on a squad clawing for every win, someone like Crim wasn’t going to get a look. Then, this season, he was hitting .215/.323/.351 through June. Now, he’s having the best two months of his life, and the Rangers are eight games under .500. September, perhaps?
To whatever extent Crim is forcing the issue, fitting him in a Texas uniform will take some doing. He’s a first baseman, period. The Rangers still have Nate Lowe. I would think 2020 first-rounder Justin Foscue is first in line for any extra September plate appearances. And, of course, Crim would require a 40 spot at someone’s expense, and the new CBA limits the active roster to 28 players. The days of wholesale call-ups are over. I understood and agreed with lowering the September active roster from 40, but I’m surprised the union acquiesced to 28.
Ryan Garcia continues to impress in Round Rock. I regret to say I haven’t been able to see him in person, but maybe I’ll have one more chance. The 2019 2nd-rounder can push the fastball and sinker up to 94 but tends to sit 91, and he lacks the Cody Bradford-type extension that would help that velocity play up. What he does, seemingly, is make the right pitch at the right time. He missed a modest six bats last night, but four completed strikeouts. He also induced several easy high flies.
AA: Frisco 8, @ NW Arkansas (KAN) 5
Frisco: 12 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 31-23, 1 GB, 75-48 overall
SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 87 P / 56 S, 4.38 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.74 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, HR (5), .308/.389/.511
2B Max Acosta: 1-3, 2B, BB, HBP, .269/.332/.380
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2 2B, .267/.325/.447
RF Abi Ortiz: 2-4, BB, .235/.320/.399
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-4, HR (7), BB, .236/.284/.370
Keyber Rodriguez hit an 8th-inning grand slam to reverse a two-run deficit. AA has tested his on=base ability (.298 OBP) but he’s hit ten homers and 28 other extra-base hits in 121 games at the level across two seasons. I believe he can become a free agent after the season. 21-year-old Alejandro Osuna continues to hit better than ever in his toughest assignment.
Hi-A: Hickory 1, @ Asheville (HOU) 6
Hickory: 4 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 30-27, 7.5 GB, 58-65 overall, elimination number 2
SP Alejandro Rosario: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 57 S, 2.40 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, 2B, SB (24), .259/.346/.433
In his penultimate Hickory start, Alejandro Rosario did what he’s been doing all season. If you’re able, please check out Baseball America’s “These 10 Pitching Prospects Emerged As Unlikely Breakouts In 2024.” Three are Rangers. Three! Rosario, Kohl Drake, and Ryan Lobus. Rosario’s 129 strikeouts rank second in the system behind Drake with 137, and Lobus is fourth with 121.
Bowling Green won a third straight against Greenville (the one team with a legitimate chance at knocking off BG) to push Hickory to the brink of elimination.
Lo-A: Down East 2, @ Myrtle Beach (CHC) 1
Down East: 8 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 27-26, 6 GB, 62-56 overall, elimination number 5
SP Kyle Larsen: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 67 P / 41 S, 5.66 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.77 ERA
CF Jose De Jesus: 2-4, 2B, .286/.348/.298
2B Casey Cook: 1-2, BB, SB (2), .212/.323/.250
I was going to say Kyle Larsen’s outing hearkened to a different era, but no such era exists. In MLB history, only six starting pitchers have matched Kyle Larsen’s line of 7-2-0-2-1, most recently Dave Steib in 1989. Larsen’s per-inning pitch counts were 11, 6, 11, 14, 6, 8, and 11.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Tiger
Lo-A: Scarborough
Five Years Ago Yesterday
The baby Rangers defeated Cleveland 10-0 in the opener of the rookie league finals. For the first time in at least a dozen years and probably ever, the league scheduled a best-of-three championship instead of a one-and-done, as I discovered a few minutes after posting a message about the Rangers winning it all. Whoops. Hickory clinched its first playoff berth since 2015. Ronny Henriquez fanned seven in six innings in a 5-1 victory.