AAA: Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City (LAD) 7
Round Rock: 6 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 5-6, 3 GB
SP David Buchanan: 5.2 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 54 S, 1.80 ERA
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, BB, .194/.318/.361
I devoted only a few words to Dustin Harris yesterday, and he got the call. Ah, well. But it’s not as though a better solution was just sitting there. The alternative to Harris might have been simply to retain Jonathan Ornelas, whose outfield assignments have tapered off in recent years, but he could roam the grass if necessary.
Evan Carter was 0-3 with a walk and his first stolen base. He’s both walked and struck out in 24% of his plate appearances. He’s also hitting and slugging .080. Not to say he’s hitting well, but he has been unlucky. By my accounting, he’s hit five balls in play that are often (but not always) hits. Add in the occasional grounder that sneaks through and whatnot, and I think a typical hitter would have about five hits instead of Carter’s two.
Cody Freeman has started two games at short, a position he hadn’t manned since a single game at the complex in 2021 and not with any regularity since 2019.
AA: Frisco 12, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 9
Frisco: 12 hits, 10 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 3-2, 1 GB
SP Josh Stephan: 4 IP, 10 H (1 HR), 9 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 81 P / 51 S, 18.00 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 0-3, 3 BB, SB (3)
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-5, HR (1), HBP
RF Josh Hatcher: 4-5, 2B, HR (2)
C Ian Moller: 1-4, HR (1)
Josh Stephan gets the “spend the next two months pulling your ERA down from the stratosphere” challenge. As to how he managed to stay out that long in his first start of the season, the Naturals plated five in the 1st after only 18 pitches. My annual primer mentioned that starters will usually be allowed to get their work despite an onslaught as long as the pitch count doesn’t get out of hand, and that appears to be the case here. Also, in the 5th, his first three opponents reached and would score after he was pulled. The 23-year-old Stephan was understandably omitted from the 40 last fall but has a chance at addition this year.
26-year-old Josh Hatcher leads the organization with his .556/.556./.944 line in the early going. He’d probably be with the Express if room were available. Peyton Gray is 29 and hadn’t pitched in affiliated ball in four years, but he stood out in the indy American Association and winter leagues, so he’s getting a shot with the Rangers. He’s fanned six and walked one in three scoreless innings.
Hi-A: Hub City 14, at Wilmington (WAS) 3
Hub City: 11 hits, 14 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 4-1, 1 G ahead
SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 44 P / 28 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Aidan Curry: 2.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 10.13 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 2-5, 2B, BB, SB (1)
C Malcolm Moore: 0-2, 3 BB, HBP
RF Keith Jones II: 1-2, 4 BB, SB (2)
DH Arturo Disla: 3-3, 2B, BB
Relying mostly on a fastball that I’ve seen in the low-90s in the past (but didn’t hear any readings yesterday), Josh Trentadue no-hit the Blue Rocks for four innings. 2023’s 14th-rounder from the College of Southern Idaho fanned 92 in 70 low-A inning last year. The ERA was 4.46 but he was better than that. 22-year-old righty Aidan Curry is coming off a season in which nearly everything went wrong, and his first 2025 appearance was unfortunately a replay. 24-year-old Victor Simeon is a high-walk, high-strikeout type who graciously involved the defense in all his outs yesterday.
2024 2nd-round OF Dylan Dreiling is off to a nice start (.316/.381/.368). 1st-rounder Malcolm Moore (.177/.462/.235) has three hits and eight walks. Arturo Disla is identical to Dreiling except for an extra double as one of his hits.
Lo-A: Hickory 6, Augusta (ATL) 2
Hickory: 9 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 4-1, 1 G ahead
SP Brooks Fowler: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 40 P / 29 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Michael Valverde: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Maxton Martin: 3-5, 2B
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB
SS Luis Marquez: 2-2, BB, HBP, SB (2)
Hickory nearly no-hit Augusta again. A 7th-inning bloop to short left-center by John Gil that agonizingly dropped between four oncoming defenders would be Augusta’s only hit. Like J’Briell Easley yesterday, righty Brooks Fowler (2024, 15th round Oral Roberts) was making his first pro appearance and was nearly perfect for four innings. Brock Porter continued the no-hitter but wasn’t as collected as his first outing, throwing more balls than strikes and putting three on the bases. An also walk-prone Alberto Mota issued three freebies, so the lone hit (off Erik Loomis) plated two.
I erred in saying Hickory hadn’t thrown a no-hitter since 2009. I was going off the broadcast and didn’t confirm. Sorry about that, and thanks for the corrective emails.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Anderson
Hi-A: Bonzagni
Lo-A: Scarborough
Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 18th-best rotation season during 2007-2024 belongs to Andrew Faulkner.
A skinny, projectable high-school lefty taken in 2011’s 14th round, Faulkner quickly advanced to low-A (as was custom at the time) and spent two fairly non-distinguished seasons as a Hickory starter and swingman. Adding some good weight and velocity, Faulkner boosted his strikeout rate from 17% to 24% while maintaining the improved control acquired in 2010. In his last six high-A starts, Faulkner allowed three runs in 34 innings with six walks and 33 strikeouts. Promoted to AA Frisco, he skidded into a rough patch with more hits (understandable) and iffier control, but he still finished the season as a legitimate prospect.
Legitimate, yes, but not quite a rotation prospect, as his not-so-smooth delivery and control were persistent worries. Shifting to relief in the middle of 2015, Faulkner pitched well enough to warrant a late-August promotion to the Rangers and even received a small handful of medium-leverage situations down the stretch as Texas secured a division title. He dropped into an up-and-down role (mostly the latter) in 2016. The following spring, his career with Texas ended strangely and unceremoniously, as a shaky early-March outing cut short by what was described as lightheadedness prompted a quick option to AAA, and then he was traded to Baltimore for cash.