Month: August 2024

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 16, Albuquerque (COL) 5
Round Rock: 18 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 22-22, , 59-59 overall

SP Tim Brennan: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 0 SO, 56 P / 31 S, 5.83 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 4.05 ERA
RP Owen White: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 5.64 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-6, HR (12), .268/.368/.428
DH Sam Huff: 2-4, HR (10), 2 BB, .239/.305/.403
RF Trevor Hauver: 3-5, 2 2B, .207/.315/.346
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, HBP, .247/.321/.326
LF Kellen Strahm: 3-4, 3B, BB, .259/.359/.333
3B Jax Biggers: 3-3, 2B, BB, .272/.395/.382

There you go, Round Rock. The PCL run average per game is 5.78. Adjusted for park, Albuquerque is 6.23. The ‘Topes were allowing 7.55 runs per game entering last night. And for a second straight night, the Express offense said “how can we make this even worse?”

Albuquerque is on pace to allow 1,144 runs, which would be 89 more than any other PCL team from 1958 to present, as best as I can tell. PCL teams do play 150 games now compared to the old schedules of 144 or 140, but the ‘Topes would also lead in runs per game allowed (currently 7.6).

Yesterday was Trevor Hauver’s first three-hit game in AAA. Part of the Joey Gallo trade, Hauver has maintained a decent walk rate but is striking out nearly a third of the time. Owen White has an opposing line of .189/.286/.432 in ten relief innings. His walk and K rates are fine, but three homers have blunted his effectiveness. He missed ten bats yesterday, a higher number than in several of his earlier starts.

AA: Frisco 8, Springfield (STL) 12
Frisco: 13 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 24-21, 2 GB, 68-46 overall

SP Emiliano Teodo: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 68 P / 39 S, 1.75 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, 2B, .299/.386/.500
2B Max Acosta: 2-5, HR (5), .264/.317/.373
RF Abi Ortiz: 3-5, .225/.303/.364

Emiliano Teodo’s night began with two doubles, after which he didn’t allow another hit, although control was an issue. Rehabbing Jake Latz surrendered five straight runners after his first out and couldn’t complete the innings. Skylar Hales (0.2 IP, 1 R), Nick Krauth (3.1 IP, 3 R), and Damian Mendoza (0.2 IP, 2 R) could only temper the onslaught.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Hudson Valley (NYY) 1
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 25-23, 6.5 GB, 53-61 overall

SP David Davalillo: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 SO, 80 P / 63 S, 2.19 ERA
RP Brayan Magdaleno: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 2-3, 3B, BB, SB (21), .229/.286/.403
1B Arturo Disla: 2-3, BB, .264/.355/.566
RF Anthony Gutierrez: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (37), .241/.317/.315

David Davalillo completed the first four innings on just 29 pitches. In the 6th, he escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam, and after consecutive doubles brought the Renegades to within a run, he struck out what would be his final two batters of the night.

In the 4th, Arturo Disla singled and reached second on an error. He then scampered to third on a mishandled return throw from the catcher, allowing him to score on Yeison Morrobel’s fly to center.

Lo-A: Down East 3, @ Lynchburg (CLE) 4
Down East: 7 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 22-21, 4.5 GB, 57-51 overall

SP Willian Bormie: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 88 P / 49 S, 3.46 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Antonis Macias: 2-4, 2B
DH Julian Brock: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (7), .252/.328/.386

17th-round righty Joey Danielson had a successful pro debut. Out of a low slot, the former NDSU closer offered a snappy slider, straightforward fastball, and a couple of pitches that looked to me like hard changes.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Poor Hickory catcher Matt Whatley took a questionable strike three in the 9th, said some magic words to the plate ump, and then walked into a pole while yelling at the ump from the dugout. Kole Enright then hit what would have been a game-tying homer had Whatley walked (to first base, not into a pole) but instead only brought the Crawdads to within a run, and they wouldn’t erase that margin. Hickory had a 33-22 second-half record, 74-47 overall, but at that point trailed by two games for a postseason spot.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 13, Albuquerque (COL) 3
Round Rock: 16 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 21-22, 4 GB, 58-59 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 80 P / 52 S, 2.50 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-6, 2B, SB (30), .281/.366/.404
2B Justin Foscue: 4-4, 2B, HR (5), HBP, .284/.439/.455
RF Sandro Fabian: 3-3, HR (15), 2 BB, .275/.351/.463
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, 2B, HR (6), BB, .199/.310/.333
SS Jax Biggers: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, .264/.389/.372

Albuquerque has the worst pitching in the league by far (even adjusting, considerably, for their park), but the Express unfortunately have the league’s worst offense. Until last night, Round Rock hadn’t posted the rec-league softball results Albuquerque deserves.

Justin Foscue had a four-hit game (video) including an unusually towering homer as opposed to his usual line drives plus an infield double. Foscue probably has 30 speed but is surprisingly adept on the bases, able to tease out an occasional extra base or steal. He’s not at the level of younger Joey Gallo, who was a 30 out of the block but 50 in second gear and upward, but neither is he a true base-clogger.

 After a leadoff homer and two doubles in the 1st, Ryan Garcia settled into a long, productive outing. He fanned the side in the 5th.

AA: Frisco 1, Springfield (STL) 4
Frisco: 7 hits, 0 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 24-20, 1 GB, 68-45 overall

SP Winston Santos: 5.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 88 P / 61 S, 5.23 ERA
LF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, 2B, .295/.385/.496

Winston Santos has been homer-prone in AA, and a three-run blast in the 1st would provide the necessary offense for Springfield. Santos missed 16 bats, his most in AA, and fanned seven for the fourth time in seven starts.

Texas released catcher Scott Kapers, a 2018 17th-rounder who’d played sparingly for Frisco this season. Kapers fared best at high-A Hickory in 2022, batting .261/.321/.496 with eight homers in 37 games. He would have become a free agent at the end of this season.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Hudson Valley (NYY) 2
Hickory: 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 24-23, 7.5 GB, 52-61 overall

SP Kohl Drake: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 74 P / 45 S, 2.53 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (2), .269/.424/.385
DH Malcolm Moore: 1-4, 2B, .120/.267/.200
1B Arturo Disla: 1-3, HR (4), HBP, .240/.328/.560

Malcolm Moore has been batting fourth in the lineup but has led off an inning in 11 of his 30 plate appearances. That’s just weird. That also means usual #3 hitter Sebastian Walcott has been making a ton of third outs lately. Walcott is batting .237/.302/.342 overall with Moore as a teammate, not great but not terrible, and has a lofty .389 OBP for the season with two out. I’m sure it’s just a quirk.

Dylan Dreiling has reached multiple times in five of his eight games.

The one run off Kohl Drake was unearned, and Hudson Valley had only three plate appearances with a runner in scoring position.

Lo-A: Down East 4, @ Lynchburg (CLE) 6
Down East: 6 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 22-20, 3.5 GB, 57-50 overall

SP Kolton Curtis: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 64 P / 41 S, 2.69 ERA
C Julian Brock: 4-4, 2 2B, 3B, HR (5), .251/.326/.383

Keep your fluky cycles. Julian Brock doubled twice, tripled and homered, in that order. Brock was hitting .211/.295/.313 as of three weeks ago but is flaunting a .460/.491/.740 line with nine extra-base hits in his last 13 games. I expected last year’s eighth-rounder to hit well in low-A, and with this recent success he sports a 115 OPS+.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Brennan
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Low-A reliever Kelvin Gonzalez touched 100 MPH twice against Greenville. The Rangers had acquired him for international bonus money a year before, and he’d evolved into the Crawdads’ high-leverage reliever and a worthy if far-off relief prospect. He fanned 58 against just 15 walks in 45 innings. Covid and an injury delayed his next performances until mid-2022. He pitched some for high-A Hickory down the stretch, became a free agent, and hasn’t appeared in affiliated ball since.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Albuquerque (COL) 1
Round Rock: 9 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 20-22, 4.5 GB, 57-59 overall

SP Adrian Sampson: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 88 P / 64 S, 5.89 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.96 ERA
C Sam Huff: 2-4, .239/.301/.398
CF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, .220/.322/.260

Kellen Strahm’s second hit plated Sam Huff walk-off style.

Still on the 40: Grant Anderson. He’s quietly hung while the Rangers designated eight other pitchers for assignment during the season. If not for that four-homer, seven-run debacle in LA, Anderson would have a 4.90 ERA (not good) and a .225/.311/.350 opposing line and 25% strikeout rate (quite good). Anderson has already been optioned six times this season, one more than allowed in the CBA, but some of them must not count, like 1) his option before the season started, 2) his quick recall to replace an injured player in April, and/or 3) his 27th-man appearance for the doubleheader in New York. I don’t know the nuance of the new rule.

AA: Frisco 7, Springfield (STL) 5
Frisco: 8 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 24-19, 1 GB, 68-44 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 62 P / 43 S, 5.27 ERA
RP Bryan Chi: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 4.31 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.82 ERA
DH Abi Ortiz: 2-3, HR (9), 2 BB, .219/.299/.362
RF Luis Mieses: 2-5, 2 HR (3), .340/.352/.528
CF Daniel Mateo: 1-4, HR (4), .172/.233/.265

Luis Mieses’s second homer of the night gave the system another walk-off. Texas signed the 24-year-old in the offseason after he played out his contract with the White Sox. He had ample AA experience but until recently had been helping out in Hickory.

Finally pitching in Frisco after two AA starters on the road, Mitch Bratt couldn’t escape the 3rd. He’s allowed a bunch of singles, but his control has been fine, and opponents are slugging only .339. No cause for alarm.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Hudson Valley (NYY) 3
Hickory: 5 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 23-23, 8 GB, 51-61 overall

SP DJ McCarty: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 85 P / 55 S, 4.14 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 1-2, BB, HBP, .095/.269/.143
1B Arturo Disla: 1-3, HR (3), BB, .234/.315/.511

Arturo Disla hit his 14th homer on the season, and his aggregate line is .275/.354/.447. Top pick Malcolm Moore has more HBPs (3) than walks (2) or hits (2) in seven games. As I mentioned the other day*, the primary (if not only) reason for his poor start was lack of results on balls in play.

Hickory is down eight games with 20 to play. Rays-affiliated Bowling Green (30-14) is always stacked and on the verge of posting a third .600+ winning percentage in four years in the Sally.

* Uh oh. You might not have received Thursday’s report. It’s on the site but only appears as a draft in my newsletter statistics. I don’t know how that’s possible, but in any case, if you’re interested in a pitch-by-pitch analysis of Moore, click here and scroll down to Hickory. I also covered Robby Ahlstrom’s back-to-back outings and my picks in a 2020 mock draft.

Lo-A: Down East 5, @ Lynchburg (CLE) 3
Down East: 10 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 22-19, 3.5 GB, 57-49 overall

SP Brayan Mendoza: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 80 P / 50 S, 2.29 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1.72 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 3-5, 2 2B, .281/.331/.474
C Julian Brock: 3-5, 2B, .241/.318/.351
1B Ben Hartl: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (1), .455/.611/.727
LF Antonis Macias: 2-4, BB

Echedry Vargas has nine multi-hit games in his last 13 (.400/.441/.746), and four included multiple extra-base hits.  I suppose it’s possible he could see Hickory before season’s end, but probably not without someone in Hickory moving on, and staying put wouldn’t reflect poorly at all. He’s still a young 19.

Victor Simeon has stretched out to long relief lately. Last night was his longest outing in over a year. Like so many, Simeon lacks consistent control (18% BB/HBP) but is virtually unhittable at this level (.133 average, 239 slug, 39% SO).

I usually don’t print stat lines until a player has more than five game to his credit, but let’s give 2024 14th-rounder Ben Hartl some love for his first four pro games.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
“Jonathan Hernandez in long relief: 1.80 ERA in 15 IP, .184/.273/.204 opposing line, 22% SO rate. ” He threw three scoreless for Frisco in an 11-4 victory at Amarillo. His next outing would be five days later in Arlington. Last night he made his first appearance for AAA Tacoma since being outrighted, allowing a run in an inning.

My Jack Leiter video.

Leiter video from the Rangers (featuring me, taking my own video!)

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Albuquerque (COL) 4
Round Rock: 10 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 19-22, 4.5 GB, 56-59 overall

SP Jack Leiter: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 SO, 62 P / 41 S, 3.66 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 3.18 ERA
RF Sandro Fabian: 2-4, HR (14), .269/.345/.451
1B Blaine Crim: 2-4, .271/.372/.422

With the caveat that I don’t maintain a list and am going from memory: Welcome to what might be the most dominant minor league pitching performance I’ve seen in person.

Jack Leiter struck out a career-high 11 batters and missed a career-high 21 bats.

He pitched only 3.2 innings.

The Isotopes drew air on 15 of their first 16 swings, and not until the 20th swing did they put a ball in play (an honest double). A wild pitch and dropped fly by LF Dustin Harris resulted in a run (which would have scored even if he’d caught it). Harris’s misplay in the 3rd afforded Leiter an opportunity to strike out the side, which he did. Indeed, every out was a strikeout. 34% of all pitches and 62% of swings were whiffs. The respective averages league-wide are 12% and 26%.

Velocity: Prior to last night, Leiter had thrown three pitches at 99.0 MPH or harder, none above 99.7. Last night, he maxed out at 100.1, threw another at 100 even, and had a total of 15 pitches at 99.0 or harder. That is to say, 15 of his 18 fastest pitches of the season occurred last night. These weren’t errant missiles, either. Nine (60%) were for strikes, six swinging. His three hardest sliders (maximum 92.0) and eight of the hardest nine on the season were also last night.

Location: Leiter’s location was close to ideal. Sliders leaned just off the inside border to righties and outside to lefties. The fastball largely avoided the lower half of the zone. He induced a couple of misses on low curves. He wasn’t perfect. In the 2nd, he temporarily slid into the bad habit of pushing everything a little too far off the glove-side edge, and Willie MacIver worked a walk after an 0-2 count. Leiter recovered to fan the next batter for the third out.

For workload management, Leiter hadn’t thrown in a real game in 19 days, so that explains the modest pitch count. We could assume that he’ll rebuild to the normal level, but another possibility is outings tailored for relief in Arlington down the stretch.

Marc Church’s rehab outings in Hickory weren’t especially encouraging, but back with the Express he was much steadier. Too steady, really, as I would have liked to have seen more than eight pitches.

Blaine Crim was rewarded with only one hit on the three balls launched at over 102 MPH, but he’s truly locked in at the moment.

AA: Frisco 8, Springfield (STL) 10
Frisco: 14 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 23-19, 2 GB, 67-44 overall

SP Kumar Rocker: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 52 P / 36 S, 0.60 ERA
2B Max Acosta: 3-6, 2B, .266/.321/.369
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, BB, HBP, .215/.292/.350
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-5, HR (4), .214/.330/.298
CF Daniel Mateo: 2-5, HR (3), .170/.233/.245

I was focused on Leiter and today was a mess (sorry for the delay), so I will let Frisco’s video of Rocker speak for me and check him out myself later.

Frisco’s bullpen is improved over 2023 but not this week, as it’s already allowed 17 runs in 10.2 innings this week.

Hi-A: Hickory 0, @ Hudson Valley (NYY) 2
Hickory: 1 hit, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 18 strikeouts
Record: 23-22, 7 GB, 51-60 overall

SP Izack Tiger: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 69 P / 39 S, 3.75 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 11 SO, 3.47 ERA

Ryan Lobus also struck out eleven, although he did require four whole innings to do so as opposed to Leiter’s 3.2. Try harder next time, Ryan. Sebastian Walcott awakened between strikeouts seven and eight to catch a popup. Starter Izack Tiger was ultimately effective if uneasily so, facing seven batters with runners in scoring position but allowing no hits, although one run would score.

Texas has video of Lobus.

Lo-A: Down East 9, @ Lynchburg (CLE) 10 (10)
Down East: 16 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 21-19, 4.5 GB, 56-49 overall

SP Kyle Larsen: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 56 P / 34 S, 7.34 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-5, 2 2B, .276/.327/.468
C Ben Hartl: 3-4, HR (1), BB
2B Chandler Pollard: 2-5, HR (2), .249/.323/.343

Down East led 7-0 at the midpoint, but Lynchburg completed a comeback during a five-run 8th and overcame a 9-8 deficit in the 10th. Six Woodies had multiple hits including Yeremi Cabrera, Esteban Mejia, and Wady Mendez.

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
In a 4-2 victory, lefty Joe Palumbo no-hit AAA Omaha through the 6th, and homers from Nick Solak and Eli White plus three hits from Ronald Guzman

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Albuquerque (COL) 15
Round Rock: 8 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 18 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 19-21, 3.5 GB, 56-58 overall

SP Chase Anderson: 1.2 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 51 P / 31 S, 7.36 ERA

That wasn’t pretty. The story is Robby Ahlstrom pitching on consecutive days. The Express trailed 12-1 in the 9th when he surprisingly replaced a struggling Kyle Barraclough. At that point, I’d expect catcher Matt Whatley or IF Frainyer Chavez before any other pitcher, especially one who’d pitched the night before. Ahlstrom had retired a side Tuesday on a brisk eight pitches. The results weren’t great: a walk, a softly lined single and a hard double before he could record the final out. Still, his situation is worth watching. Although I doubt anything is imminent, that the Rangers wanted to see him pitch on consecutive days is noteworthy.

AA: Frisco 6, Springfield (STL) 7
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 16 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 23-18, 1 GB, 67-43 overall

SP Dane Acker: 6.1 IP, 11 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 86 P / 66 S, 3.32 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.96 ERA
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, 2B, .297/.344/.432

That wasn’t pretty, either. Frisco led 6-3 in the 9th, but a couple of annoyingly soft hits, some harder ones, and CF Alejandro Osuna’s misplay of a fly resulted in four runs off Andy Rodriguez. Dane Acker threw a career-high 66 strikes but surrendered a career-high 11 hits.

Springfield’s starter was Markevian “Tink” Hence, baseball’s #51 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Hence tossed four scoreless innings with one baserunners and six strikeouts.

In 2020, I participated in a mock draft for… someone. For the life of me, I can’t find the correspondence with the organization on email or twitter. Some prospect/fantasy web publication whose name I’ve forgotten. Anyway, I cosplayed as Texas GM, picking for the Rangers in the first three rounds. My picks:

1/14. RHP Reid Detmers — I wanted Garrett Crochet, but my opposing GMs were extremely focused on velocity, and he and all the rocket arms were gone by the time I selected. I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Detmers but reckoned he could become a #3 or #4 starter in short order, and that he did, although 2024 has been a mess. Detmers was actually selected 10th overall. If I remember correctly (maybe not), Justin Foscue was still available when I picked.

2/50. C Dillon Dingler — In real life, Dingler was the first pick in the 2nd round by Detroit and made his MLB debut three weeks ago, a little later than expected given he was drafted out of Ohio State, but catchers take time. He was batting .308/.379/.559 for AAA Toledo. I’m pretty sure nobody in the mock drafted Evan Carter.

3/86. RHP Tink Hence — Having ended up with a couple of college guys with moderate ceilings in the first two rounds, I wanted more risk and fun in the 3rd and fell in love with the skinny Arkansas youngster while doing my research. My vague recollection was a body and arm that offered projection, plus he was actually throwing four pitches. Texas picked TK Roby. Hence was taken by the Cards 63rd overall.

I drafted quite well, if I may say so. While it was great fun, and I wish I had multiple years of mocks to revisit, the amount of research needed for me to feel comfortable with my selections was considerable. I was asked to participate in 2021 but didn’t have the time.

Hi-A: Hickory 7, @ Hudson Valley (NYY) 5
Hickory: 12 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 23-21, 6 GB, 51-59 overall

SP Paul Bonzagni: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 81 P / 55 S, 2.61 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 3-5, 2B, .333/.524/.400
DH Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, BB, SB (19), .254/.344/.432
1B Quincy Scott: 3-4, .226/.324/.290
2B Theo Hardy: 2-2, HR (1), 2 BB, .400/.533/.800

2nd-round pick Dylan Dreiling is off to a fine start. At the opposite end of the spectrum is 1st-rounder Malcolm Moore, who is 1-for-19 with a walk, two HBPs, and seven strikeouts. I analyzed the pitch data and don’t see anything especially worrying. The opposing strike rate against him is only 57%, but several early favorable counts haven’t panned out. His swinging strike rate is 12% of all pitches and 32% of swings. That miss rate on swings is probably slightly high (I don’t have high-A data, but the AAA miss rate is 26%) but not alarmingly so. The primary issue is just one hit on 11 balls in play, which no professional hitter endures over the long haul. I’d categorize his start as superficially frustrating rather than concerning.

Lo-A: Down East 3, @ Lynchburg (CLE) 6
Down East: 9 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 21-18, 4.5 GB, 56-48 overall

SP Josh Trentadue: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 44 P / 31 S, 4.70 ERA
1B Ben Hartl: 1-3, 2 BB
LF Antonis Macias: 2-4, 2 2B
RF Wady Mendez: 4-5, 2 2B, .246/.322/.325

19-year-old Antonis Macias batted .350/.519/.463 in 30 games with the rookies before joining Down East. Texas signed him in July 2022. Although listed as a catcher, 14th-rounder Ben Hartl spent about three-quarters of his time at first with Kansas.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Leiter
AA: Rocker
Hi-A: Tiger
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco lost at Corpus Christi and would hop a bus to Amarillo for a game the next night. Trips over 500 miles were supposed to include a day off but could be approved without one on an ad hoc basis, and they were, routinely.

Down East rival Fayetteville’s pitching staff set the (then high-A) Carolina league record for strikeouts with 1,287, and the season wouldn’t end for another 20 days. Fayetteville bested its own record of 1,272 set the year before. “Fayetteville is probably going to surpass the previous record by over 200,” I wrote, and the Woodpeckers would finish with 1,476, the most ever by 204.

ESPN and MLB Pipeline updated their top-100 prospects. Sebastian Walcott is the lone Rangers entree on the Pipeline list at #38. Kiley McDaniel at ESPN rates Walcott 47th plus RHP Alejandro Rosario 93rd and RHP Kumar Rocker as a “notable riser” in the 106-150 range.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, Albuquerque (COL) 2
Round Rock: 11 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 19-20, 3 GB*, 56-57 overall

SP Peter Solomon: 5.1 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 82 P / 49 S, 7.48 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H (1.5 HR), 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 2-5, .267/.442/.431
C Andrew Knapp: 1-1, HR (8), 3 BB, .292/.379/.454
DH Blaine Crim: 2-3, 2B, BB, .271/.375/.425
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, 2 2B, .196/.307/.316

The Rangers named Blaine Crim the minor league player of July a couple of days ago, and he’s shooting for another award. Other award winners were Mitch Bratt (starting pitcher), Grant Anderson (reliever), and Frainyer Chavez (defender).

* Sugar Land won the first-half title and leads in the second, so second-place Las Vegas would advance to the playoffs if the season ended yesterday. I’m using Round Rock’s deficit to Vegas rather than Sugar Land above.

AA: Frisco 3, Springfield (STL) 6
Frisco: 11 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
Record: 23-17, 1 GB, 67-42 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 91 P / 66 S, 3.75 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .272/.332/.458
1B Abi Ortiz: 3-4, .213/.284/.350

The Texas organization has played 434 full season games this year. How many starts have lasted seven or more innings? Answer at bottom.

Hi-A: Hickory 0, @ Hudson Valley (NYY) 13
Hickory: 2 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 9 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 22-21, 6 GB, 50-59 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 4.1 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 9 R, 3 BB, 4 HBP, 2 SO, 78 P / 43 S, 7.30 ERA

For the final time, or until MLB reconfigures the minors yet again, Hickory traveled to that bastion of the South Atlantic known as Fishkill, New York. I don’t mean to pick on Aidan Curry, but this outing must be chronicled in all its g(l)ory:

1st inning: out, out, hit batter, hit batter, triple
3rd inning: out, out, walk, walk, homer
5th inning: hit batter, walk, hit batter, out, grand slam

Curry walked or hit seven batters, and all would score.

Luis Ramirez replaced Curry after the grand slam, walked his first batter, then allowed a homer. He walked four more subsequent to that but managed to keep them from touching the plate. Adrian Rodriguez, perhaps the most walk-prone pitcher in the system lately, issued only one to ten batters faced and stranded him, though he did allow two runs.

Whatever hopes the Crawdads harbor for the playoffs are complicated by Bowling Green’s 27-14 record and differential of 2.8 runs per game. Hickory hosts the Hot Rods next week.

Lo-A: Down East 0, @ Lynchburg (CLE) 4
Down East: 4 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 21-17, 3.5 GB, 56-47 overall

SP Thomas Ireland: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 78 P / 48 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
C Julian Brock: 2-4, 2B, .234/.313/.344

8th-round reliever and Arizona alum Anthony Susac made his pro debut and pitched a scoreless 9th. Susac leaned on a slider that tended more downward than sweepy and a fastball for which I heard no speeds but has been clocked in the low-to-mid 90s.

Today’s Starters
AAA: C. Anderson
AA: Acker
Hi-A: Bonzagni
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Hans Crouse threw a season-high 87 pitches for low-A Hickory. He’d been limited by bone spurs. Crouse threw 92 for short-season Spokane in 2018 as a 20-year-old and dealt at least 82 in seven of 13 appearances. Short-season ball doesn’t exist anymore, but if it did, I think the probability of someone that age throwing 90+ pitches would about negative 200%. Low-A Down East, a higher level, has only 11 starts of at least 82 pitches (and none of 90+) in 113 games.

Crouse’s fastball was in the 92-94 range. He rebounded to a steady 94-95 for a while in Frisco in 2021, but the “upper 90s, wipeout slider” guy effectively disappeared in early 2019. His money pitch with the Angels is a 93ish sinker that doesn’t really sink but has plenty of run.

Answer
11.
AAA: Sampson, Shaun Anderson, Leiter
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Lobus, Santos, Bratt, Bratt, Rosario
Lo-A: Davalillo

Sorry for the lateness. I was out most of yesterday, and, like last Friday, the action on the field didn’t insist on a timely report.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 0, @ Oklahoma City (LAD) 3
Round Rock: 6 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 18-20, 6 GB, 55-57 overall

SP Tim Brennan: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 3 SO, 53 P / 29 S, 5.20 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 1-2, BB, HBP, SB (29), .283/.369/.409

Let’s revisit Sam Huff, whose extended slump I mentioned recently.

March-May (40 games): .267/.367/.486, 7 homers, 23 walks, 51 strikeouts
June-August (41 games): .213/.240/.325, 2 homers, 5 walks, 62 strikeouts

What are the changes in his statcast data from the first period to the next?

Balls: Down from 36% to 31% of all pitches (league average is 38%). A 5% drop may not sound huge, but to give an example from the opposing side, that difference in strikes thrown by a starting pitcher is close to the difference between league-average control and dealing enough walks to get booted from the rotation.

Swinging strikes: From 17% of all pitches to 20%.

Hard-hit rate (95+ MPH): down from 47% to 35%. His velocity has maintained its impressiveness at the top tier, but it now tapers off to a lower median by 3.5 MPH. The percentage of balls in play that I’d classify as either likely or possible homers has fallen from 12% to 5%, and the percentage of likely singles from 21% to 13%.

Zone: His swing rate on out-of-zone pitches has increased from 31% to 45%. His contact rate on these pitches has actually increased slightly, and his results on contact put in play are surprisingly good, but those extra swings are still a major contributor to a ratio of 12.4 strikeouts per walk the last three months. Relative to his career, his season-long ratio of 4:1 is close to his career, and without a reversal of the recent trend, last year’s sharp improvement (1.8 strikeouts per walk) is looking like an anomaly.

AA: Frisco 1, @ Midland (OAK) 4
Frisco: 7 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 23-16, 1 GB, 67-41 overall

SP Emiliano Teodo: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 59 P / 35 S, 1.72 ERA
LF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, 2 SB (18), .296/.344/.432

Emilano Teodo made his second start since someone hit ctrl-at-del the last week of July, and he graduated from 41 to 59 pitches. Teodo has exceeded last season (including the Arizona Fall League) by six innings, and if used typically he’ll make five more regular season appearances.

Hi-A: Hickory 0, Aberdeen (BAL) 4
Hickory: 4 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 22-20, 5 GB, 50-58 overall

SP David Davalillo: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 51 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 3.70 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, 2 BB, .254/.344/.434
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 0-1, 3 BB, .247/.316/.326

David Davalillo had a respectable high-A debut. He missed only six bats, fewest in other three months, but he kept the ball in the yard as he had in 15 of 17 outings with Down East. The offense drew nine walks but was 0-11 in at-bats with a walker on base.

Lo-A: suspended, DE up 8-0 top 3

Down East and Myrtle Beach played 16 of 54 scheduled innings last week. One game is definitely cancelled, and one or two more could be depending on how many makeups the league wishes to cram into Down East’s visit to the Pelicans two weeks from tomorrow.

Although it won’t appear in the record until the game is completed, catcher Ben Hartl notched his first professional hit, a two-run single. 3rd-rounder Casey Cook, again playing 2B instead of the left field position most commonly assigned in college, reached on a walk and HBP. Newcomer Antonio Macias drew a walk.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Solomon
AA: B. Anderson
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas’s full-season squads had an aggregate record of 258-209 (.552), already more wins than the previous two years with three weeks to play. The five best winning percentage in my time on the job:

2011: 317-243 (.566)
2014: 312-248 (.557)
2019: 304-247 (.552)
2023: 289-249 (.537)
2008: 300-261 (.535)
2024: 288-199 (.534) so far

The worst season was 2017: 252-305 (.452).

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, @ Oklahoma City (LAD) 2
Round Rock: 8 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 18-19, 5 GB, 55-56 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 85 P / 52 S, 2.25 ERA
RP Owen White: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.79 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-5, HR (11), .271/.375/.425
Sam Huff: 2-4, 2B, .235/.300/.399
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2B, BB, .282/.365/.409

Even though I cover the system daily, I did a double-take at Sam Huff’s line. A .300 OBP and slugging percentage under .400 in the PCL? After a solid two months, Huff is hitting .221/.250/.359 since the beginning of June with four walks and 49 strikeouts. We’ll see if he receives any playing time in September, but given his lack of appearances to date and Texas’s trade for a different #2 catcher, his future in the organization seems pretty well determined. Huff is on his final option, and I expect a decision on his 40-man spot well before late-March 2025.

Ryan Garcia mixed and matched and avoided hard contact.

AA: Frisco 3, @ Midland (OAK) 1
Frisco: 10 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 23-15, tied for first, 67-40 overall

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 86 P / 53 S, 5.33 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.50 ERA
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-5, 2B, .255/.299/.394
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, 2B, .206/.278/.345

No homers, no hit batters. There’s the Winston Santos we know and love. Midland has a strong offense, leading the league in slugging at .408 despite middling homer production because of a horde or doubles and triples.

Hi-A: Hickory 6, Aberdeen (BAL) 1 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts

SP DJ McCarty: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 80 P / 56 S, 4.21 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.80 ERA
C Ian Moller: 1-2, HR (2), BB, .227/.359/.311

Hi-A: Hickory 1, Aberdeen (BAL) 2 (7)
Hickory: 3 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 22-19, 5 GB, 50-57 overall

SP Kohl Drake: 4.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 86 P / 56 S, 2.95 ERA
RP DJ Peters: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 5.14 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 5.40 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 0-1, 3 BB, .200/.500/.200

Sebastian Walcott’s day at the plate wasn’t special (1-6, 2B, BB), but he commenced the doubleheader with a terrific defensive play, venturing far to his left to nab a grounder and then wheel and throw to beat the runner.

2nd-round OF Dylan Dreiling has drawn six walks in four games.

Kohl Drake nearly doubled his high-A walk total. He’d issued five (and struck out 44) in six previous starts.

Lo-A: Debby

Down East and Myrtle Beach were rained out for the fourth time in five days. Fortunately, Ducks and Pelicans are well-suited to waiting out a tropical storm.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: TBA x 2

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Homers from Nick Solak, Andy Ibanez and Scott Heineman fueled Nashville’s 11-3 victory at Sacramento. Starter Wes Benjamin allowed three homers, but all were solos, and he lasted seven innings.

Note: You didn’t miss yesterday’s report. I woke up to no internet, the internet I could find was used for my real job, and the organization played only two games, so I never sent anything. I’ve written up Thursday’s games here, with brief notes on Mitch Bratt, Blaine Crim, and Michael Matuella. Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, @ Oklahoma City (LAD) 6
Round Rock: 8 hits, 10 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 17-19, 6 GB, 54-56 overall

SP Adrian Sampson: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 90 P / 59 S, 6.21 ERA
RP Aidan Anderson: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.09 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 2-5, 2B, BB, .269/.444/.444

Justin Foscue has 32 walks in 32 games despite a weirdly poor record on first pitches. Foscue has drawn a first-pitch ball in only 34% of his plate appearances compared to the league rate of 42%. However, if the an opening ball is achieved, he’s walking almost 40% of the time. Foscue also swings at first pitches out of the zone at a league rate 16%, but while the average PCL batter will miss on half those swings, Foscue misses a scant 12%.

AA: Frisco 4, @ Midland (OAK) 0
Frisco: 8 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 22-15, 1 GB, 66-40 overall

SP Kumar Rocker: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 51 P / 41 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H (1.89 HR), 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.16 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB (4), .304/.404/.530
SS Max Acosta: 3-4, 2B, .265/.319/.371
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (1), .202/.276/.340

In three AA outings, Rocker has an opposing line of .132/.154/.184 and a 42% strikeout rate. His control is outstanding, and opponents are missing on a whopping 44% of their swings. Can we tender the idea that he’s already too good for AA without incurring the wrath of the Baseball Gods? At the very least, he certainly didn’t need the more measured advance to Frisco I envisioned when he first returned.

Hi-A: Hickory 1, Aberdeen (BAL) 5 (5)
Hickory: 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 21-18, 4.5 GB, 49-56 overall

SP Izack Tiger: 4 IP, 6 H (3 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 75 P / 41 S, 4.00 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-2, HR (7), .211/.256/.412

Yet another victim of Hickory’s relative homer-friendliness. Izack Tiger watched three balls escape the premises, a one-time event in 18 innings at Down East. Gleider Figuereo also homered a few minutes before the weather decreed no more balls would be hit over the fence or anywhere else.

Lo-A: Down East 2, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 3 (7)
Down East: 4 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 11 walks, 12 strikeouts

SP Kyle Larsen: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 56 P / 24 S, 8.44 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.36 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 1-3, 2B, BB
2B Casey Cook: 1-2, HBP
3B Rafe Perich: 1-2, BB

Lo-A: Down East 7, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 1 (7)
Down East: 8 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 21-16, 3 GB, 56-46 overall

SP Kolton Curtis: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 58 P / 33 S, 2.88 ERA
RP Willian Bormie: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 2.88 ERA
LF Jose De Jesus: 2-4, .452/.485/.452
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-4, SB (20), .278/.329/.468
1B Pablo Guerrero: 1-2, BB, .296/.367/.519
2B Chandler Pollard: 1-2, BB, SB (34), .246/.322/.325

Down East played for the first time since Sunday. 3rd-round second basemen Casey Cook belatedly debuted with… wait. Texas drafted an outfielder and introduced him as such. In three years at UNC, Cook played two games at second, none in the past two seasons. He played five on the Cape in 2023. But his first pro action consisted of a jog to the dirt between 18-year-old Pablo Guerrero and first and 19-year-old Echedry Vargas. Cook singled, walked, and was hit by a pitch in two games, one at DH.

7th-round 3B Rafe Perich also debuted, and at his usual position, and 14th-round catcher Ben Hartl caught the second game and hit a sac fly.

This is a different squad from a few weeks ago. Nine of the top 14 Down East batters in plate appearances are on other teams, injured, or released.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garcia
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Drake / TBA
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
El Paso’s Esteban Quiroz hit a 9th-inning grand slam to give the Chihuahuas a 15-12 win over Houston-affiliated Round Rock. The homer was El Paso’s 232nd, already a modern (1998-present) record with over three weeks remaining on the schedule. El Paso would conclude the season with 258, still the record even though the schedule since 2022 has an additional ten games.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, @ Oklahoma City (LAD) 2
Round Rock: 10 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 16-19, 53-56 overall

SP Chase Anderson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 34 P / 20 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Walker Pennington: 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .262/.442/.437
1B Blaine Crim: 3-4, HR (10), .272/.377/.420

On June 26, Blaine Crim was hitting .204/.312/.348. While by no means was he having a good season, it seemed depressed by a strong element of bad luck. His statcast data was fairly respectable. Since then: .430/.523/.589 with more walks (22) than strikeouts (17) and probably with a strong element of (deserved) good luck.

Like last year, Justin Foscue has more walks (35) and strikeouts (23) for his entire season, albeit one shortened by injury.

AA: Frisco 5, @ Midland (OAK) 8
Frisco: 12 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 21-15, 65-40 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 7 SO, 84 P / 60 S, 3.27 ERA
LF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, 2B, .295/.389/.518
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .277/.338/.467
C Cooper Johnson: 2-4, 2 2B, .232/.342/.463

In his second AA start, Mitch Bratt faced a career-high 29 batters. He didn’t suffer his third and fourth times through the order, surrendering two hits to 11 batters, but the early going was rougher.

Hickory and Down East were rained out.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Righty Mike Matuella was on enough of an upswing that I broached at least the idea of a 40 spot. I don’t remember that positive feeling, to be honest, but the 2015 third-rounder was enjoying his best run since switching to relief over a year before. Unfortunately, lesser results returned to close out the regular season. I didn’t write him up in my November 40-man preview, and he wasn’t added by the Rangers. Matuella would miss 2020, of course. When I saw him in April 2021, his velocity was well below the previous level, and he was released without receiving an assignment. Matuella’s final professional appearance in an official game would be only 30 days from “five years ago yesterday,” a dandy 2.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts in Down East’s 5-4 postseason win over Fayetteville.