Month: May 2025

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Reno (ARI) 6
Round Rock: 6 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 26-29, 8.5 GB

SP Gerson Garabito: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 52 P / 34 S, 8.26 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6.26 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 0-3, .213/.323/.400
SS Michael Helman: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .176/.282/.324

Evan Carter popped out twice and struck out in his rehab debut. In the field, most plays were routine, but he did have to race in to nab a sinking fly in the 2nd. No issues, and Dustin Harris replaced him in the 6th.

As a Ranger, Michael Helman has started five games at short, two in center, one at second and two at DH. Justin Foscue played second base at the complex. IF Jax Biggers (out all season) and OF Trevor Hauver have been rehabbing there as well.

AA: Frisco 7, at Amarillo (ARI) 1
Frisco: 16 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 29-19, 1.5 G up

SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 80 P / 52 S, 4.20 ERA
3B Sebastian Walcott: 3-4, 2 HR (8), 2 SB (10), .253/.343/.461
CF Cam Cauley: 3-5, .235/.302/.376
C Ian Moller: 3-5, 2B, .179/.289/.282

Sebastian Walcott homered twice for the first time in AA. In the linked story, he credits “a whole new mindset this year” for his success. I would point out that in 2024 he handled high-A capably as an 18-year-old after a very rough start, and he reached AA near the end of the season, so last year’s mindset wasn’t exactly lacking. Walcott has started at third two of the last three nights.

Hi-A: Hub City 12, Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hub City: 13 hits, 8 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 26-23, 0.5 GB

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 47 S, 1.02 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.24 ERA
RP Erik Loomis: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.73 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 2-4, BB, 2 SB (13), .173/.266/.224
1B Arturo Disla: 2-5, 2B, .268/.328/.425
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, 2B, BB, .235/.314/.412
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2B, .257/.327/.294
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, 2B, HR (1), .191/.286/.279
C Julian Brock: 2-4, BB, SB (6), .193/.271/.269

Hub City scored five in the 8th to extend an already-wide gap and erase any chance of a third-straight last-inning defeat.

David Davalillo hasn’t allowed more than a run this season. I’m happy I was able to see his one thoroughly dominant inning in the Spring Breakout game before this stretch of success.

Lo-A: suspended

Hickory leads 10-5 in the top of the 5th following an eight-run 1st. Caden Scarborough fanned seven in four scoreless innings with two hits and no walks. Based on his usage, he likely wasn’t coming out for the 5th regardless. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Molina

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 14th-best starting pitching performance by a Ranger belongs to Nick Martinez in 2013.

Texas drafted Martinez in 2011’s 18th round out of Fordham. Back then, acclimation to the pro game meant getting accustomed to bus trips to Yakima and life in a hotel, plus he was shortstop first and pitcher second for the Rams, so he would throw 58.2 innings amongst the rookie squad and short-season Spokane that year. 2012 didn’t impress on paper — a 4.83 ERA with decent peripherals from a 22-year-old in low-A — but he showed enough to indicate he might have a future.

Assigned to high-A Myrtle Beach in 2013, Martinez was steady if not scintillating, posting a 2.87 ERA in 119.1 innings in a favorable environment with a 21% strikeout rate (slightly above average for the time). In five end-of-season starts with Frisco, Martinez enjoyed what involved some BABIP luck but was nevertheless mightily impressive: 32 IP, 1.13 ERA, seven walks, 23 strikeouts.

In 2014, he was assigned to Frisco but called up for his MLB debut before appearing for the Riders. He would start 24 games and rank third in innings in what was a lost season for the Rangers. 2015 was his best season, but on the whole, he was usually just a touch above replacement, and once he’d expended his options, he didn’t have a role on the club. He spent four years in Japan and returned to better success as a swing man for the Padres, and he’s currently in Cincinnati’s rotation.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Reno (ARI) 1
Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 26-28, 7.5 GB

SP Kumar Rocker: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 53 P / 35 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 9.00 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.80 ERA
2B Cody Freeman: 3-5, 2B, .295/.342/.443

Kumar Rocker retired 12 batters in order on just 47 pitches. Extended past the scheduled four innings because of the pitch count, Rocker walked Trey Mancini after an 0-2 start and was done. Yesterday, Statcast classified nearly all of his pitches as sinker or cutters. Today, the fastballs were re-classed as a mix of four-seamers and sinkers (which seems right) and a mix of cutters and sliders. In the latter case, I’d say many so-called cutters were just hard sliders, as his velocity was up about two ticks. (I can’t say for sure, but my impression is Statcast treats a pitcher’s first appearance in AAA as if he’s a newcomer, even if he has experience in MLB.)

In terms of effectiveness, last night was a continuation of his his previous outing with Frisco in that he simply overwhelmed the competition. He could pitch for Texas next time out. In terms of pitch mix, he wasn’t dealing like a typical starting pitcher. He threw three late changes to no effect, but the rest was essentially fastball-slider, so in that respect he arguably needs more work, plus perhaps an opportunity to extend to 70+ pitches.

AA: Frisco 3, at Amarillo (ARI) 1
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 28-19, 0.5 G up

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 58 S, 5.25 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 2-5, 2B, .241/.332/.420

Not every game in Amarillo is a slugfest, and Josh Stephan produced his first walk-free and second scoreless outing of the season. He’s nearly decreased his ERA to a manageable level after allowing eight runs in his first start. OF Luis Mieses hit a solo homer and reached two other times.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4 (12)
Hub City: 7 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 9 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 25-23, 1 GB

SP Kolton Curtis: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 74 P / 43 S, 4.71 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 1.16 ERA
DH Arturo Disla: 2-5, .264/.326/.420

Hub City didn’t lose another late lead but did lose late, surrendering two 12th-inning runs despite throwing out two Dash runners at the plate. Credit CF Dylan Dreiling and RF Keith Jones II for those. The Burgers drove in their gift-runner but couldn’t muster anything beyond that.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Delmarva (BAL) 4 (11)
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 6 walks, 14 strikeouts

SP Dalton Pence: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 50 P / 35 S, 2.28 ERA
RP Enrique Segura: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 7.94 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, HR (2), 2 BB, SB (14), .217/.357/.297

Yeremi Cabrera homered to lead off the 11th, and reliever Luke Savage didn’t allow Delmarva’s runner to budge. Pence has been effective in a swing role, with a .147/.221/.274 opposing line and 39% strikeout rate. As I’ve mentioned, a fair number of 2024 picks have already reached high-A, and as he’s last year’s 11th-rounder from UNC, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him join Hub City before too long.

Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Delmarva (BAL) 5 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Record: 24-23, 2 GB

SP J’Brielle Easley: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 31 P / 18 S, 4.20 ERA
RP Kai Wynyard: 4.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.83 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 3.33 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 2-3, BB, .246/.402/.315
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB, .214/.337/.338

I’ll confess that Hickory doesn’t feel like a team two games out of first, but there they stand with 18 to play in the first half despite the division’s worst run differential (-24). The Crawdads overcame the first outright poor start of the season from J’Brielle Easley, Aiding that cause were two of the better innings in 2025 from Brock Porter. Assisting even more was Chase Allsup, not a Ranger but Delmarva’s starter, who walked five straight to open the 2nd. Four of those plus a later runner would score.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Anderson
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: Scarborough

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 15th-best starting pitching performance by a Texas minor leaguer during 2007-2024 was by Michael Kirkman in 2010.

Drafted in 2005’s fifth round out of high school, Kirkman had a solid debut for the rookies but then spent three seasons trying to graduate from low-A. Injuries limited his innings, and until 2008 he was extremely walk-prone. In 2009, he was quickly bumped to AA after handling high-A. Texas policy was to hustle anyone with promise out of Bakersfield as soon as possible, and some (like Martin Perez) skipped the Cal League entirely. Frisco was a serious challenge foe the 22-year-old, but he outlasted some early rough outings and finished strong.

Stationed at AAA Oklahoma City to begin 2010, Kirkman blossomed into a legitimate starting prospect, more walk-prone than you’d like but able to limit extra-base damage and strike out 23% of opponents, well above average for the time.

That type of performance translated well to relief, and Kirkman was called up for his MLB debut in that role in late August. The Rangers were comfortably but not decisively leading the AL West at the time. He pitched as he had in OKC, walking ten in 16.1 innings but fanning 16 and surrendering only one extra-base hit. He also made three postseason appearances. In the span of two years, Kirkman had progressed from semi-successful low-A pitcher to Major Leaguer.

Kirkman would spend parts of 2011-2014 with the Rangers before his release in early 2015. He then appeared briefly with Milwaukee and San Diego.

Today’s report is brought to you by the Honda EU2200i portable generator. No, I didn’t nab a sponsor. I mean literally. It’s running the fridge and wifi after the storm that ripped through central Austin yesterday. My place actually missed the worst of the hail by about one-half mile, but we received 1.5 inches of rain in about 15 minutes. Not even the residue of Harvey put so much water in my yard in such a short period.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, Reno (ARI) 5
Round Rock: 10 hits, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 25-28, 8.5 GB

SP Robert Dugger: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 63 P / 31 S, 18.26 ERA
RP Michael Plassmeyer: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.25 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 7.04 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, HR (4), .287/.335/.433

The worst weather also spared Round Rock but did delay the proceedings. Emiliano Teodo didn’t miss any bats but didn’t get himself into excessive trouble with his control. Robert Dugger is still trying to regain his form.

AA: Frisco 2, at Amarillo (ARI) 11
Frisco: 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-19, 0.5 G up

SP Kohl Drake: 0.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 35 P / 19 S, 2.97 ERA
RP Florencio Serrano: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.29 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, HR (4), BB, .258/.429/.417
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 1-4, HR (2), .279/.327/.381

Six elongated plate appearances were enough to end Kohl Drake’s night very early. Florencio Serrano let one of three inherited runners score but certainly did his job in keeping the game close and sparing more bullpen usage. Amarillo opened things up in the middle innings. Aaron Zavala is one homer shy of his 2023 and 2024 total.

Hi-A: Hub City 7, Winston-Salem (CHW) 6
Hub City: 9 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 25-22, 0.5 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 49 S, 6.31 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.45 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (11), .164/.256/.217
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-5, 3B, SB (8), .224/.337/.378
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, HR (8), HBP, .240/.315/.418
C Julian Brock: 2-4, SB (5), .183/.258/.261

Hub City always led after the 3rd but the game was still a back-and-forth affair with the Dash scoring in each of the last four innings. Casey Cook’s bases-loaded walk in the 8th would prove critical. Gleider Figuereo is second in the organization with eight homers.

Lo-A: rain

Two today.

Today’s Starters
AAA: “TBD” 
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Curtis
Lo-A: Pence / TBD

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Reno (ARI) 5
Round Rock: 13 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-27, 7.5 GB

SP Ty Blach: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 90 P / 58 S, 3.54 ERA
RP Patrick Murphy: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, .281/.332/.413
LF Kellen Strahm: 4-5, 2 SB (17), .266/.369/.405
C Cooper Johnson: 1-4, HR (2), .184/.310/.306

Strahm’s oppo single brought home Dustin Harris. Now 28, drafted as a senior out of San Jose State in 2019, Strahm is in his walk season. He’s a strong runner, adept outfielder and has handled AAA pitching well, with an ability to see and hit spinny stuff.

AA: Frisco 7, at Amarillo (ARI) 5
Frisco: 12 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 27-18, 1.5 G up

SP Daniel Missaki: 3 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SO, 71 P / 39 S, 6.85 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.97 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.63 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, 2B, BB, .256/.427/.393
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, 2B, HBP, .242/.337/.424
DH Abi Ortiz: 2-4, HR (7), .250/.341/.428
CF Cam Cauley: 2-5, 2B, .228/.299/.373

Amarillo is the Texas League’s El Paso / ABQ / Reno / Salt Lake. Now is the week for Frisco’s hitters to pad their stats, and they collected seven extra-base hits. For pitchers, the idea is to escape intact, and only Missaki allowed a run. A league-average line right now for a Frisco hitter is about .247/.328/.389, so Walcott has a 112 OPS+.

Hi-A: Hub City 2, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hub City: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 24-22, 0.5 GB

SP Leandro Lopez: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 84 P / 55 S, 1.95 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .267/.328/.430

Another Monday night, another start with admirable control from Leandro Lopez. Normally reliable Wilian Bormie was tagged for three hits and three walks in the 9th, permitting four runs for the Dash.

Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Delmarva (BAL) 4
Hickory: 5 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 22-23, 3.5 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 4 SO, 66 P / 33 S, 2.15 ERA
CF Marcos Torres: 1-1, 3 BB, SB (6), .237/.352/.390

Ismael Agreda has good stuff but control is sometimes absent.

Down at the complex, 2024 fifth-round IF Devin Fitz-Gerald is the early standout, hitting .340/.462/.660 with four doubles, four homers, and more walks (10) than strikeouts (5). I’d caution against reading too much into that, as I’ve seen a good many destroy the rookie league only to struggle mightily in low-A (especially now, lacking the half-step of short-season ball). 18-year-old Yolfran Castillo has a .324/.385/.441 line with eight steals against one caught. Fellow 18-year-old OF Paulino Santana, homerless in his 2024 run through the Dominican Summer League, has two dingers, two triples and a .258/.361/.419 slash.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Drake
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: rain

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The seventh-best minor league relief season by a Ranger during 2007-2024 belongs to Cody Eppley in 2010.

Drafted in 2008’s 43rd round out of Virginia Commonwealth, where he’d started with decent success, Eppley immediately converted to relief as a pro and shredded opposing hitters with his sidearm delivery. He fanned 66 against just six walks in 67.2 innings for low-A Hickory in 2009. Assigned to high-A Bakersfield in 2010, Eppley produced 18 scoreless innings with one walk and 24 strikeouts. Promoted to Frisco, he was no longer flawless but still nearly unhittable, and after a an eight-inning scoreless stretch with five runners and 11 strikeouts, he jumped to AAA Oklahoma City. He began with two perfect innings and four strikeouts at Round Rock, which I missed because I was in New Orleans appraising the Dixie Brewery. Eppley leaned more toward the ordinary in AAA but established himself as a potential call-up. He got that call in April 2011.

Unfortunately, Eppley’s control became a problem in 2011, and by April 2012 he’d been waived and claimed by the Yankees. There, he enjoyed his finest season, pitching 46 effective innings and appearing in all four games of the ALCS (a 4-0 Detroit sweep). Eppley made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster in 2013 despite a poor spring. He’d somehow transformed instantly from “competent MLB middle reliever” to “unable to retire AAA hitters with any regularity.” He was quickly optioned, outrighted a month later and released a month after that. After a spell with Minnesota’s AAA squad, he joined Lancaster of the Atlantic League, and he would spend the next six seasons in indy ball.

Texas recalled 1B Blaine Crim. The Rangers were a man short, so there’s no corresponding removal. Crim is not in today’s lineup.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, at Charlotte (CHW) 7
Round Rock: 6 hits, 9 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 24-27, 8.5 GB

SP Dane Dunning: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 68 P / 46 S, 6.06 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 8.10 ERA
LF Kellen Strahm: 1-2, 3 BB, .248/.357/.392
C Cooper Johnson: 2-4, BB, .178/.315/.244

Emiliano Teodo missed on 13 of his first 16 pitches. He’s walked or hit 22% of opposing batters in AAA. There might come a day where relievers are so unhittable they can shrug off that many free passes, but we’re not there yet.

OF Marcus Smith was 0-4 yesterday, but we’d may as well take a closer look because he’s been so much fun. Until promoted to Round Rock in early May, Smith had a line of .178/.316/.267 with a 40% K rate in 235 full-season games. That’s to say, he was promoted solely to help out a roster crunch, a task he also performed last year. With the Express, he’s hitting .319/.459/.702 with nine extra-base hits in 14 games. While his contact rate remains far below average, he’s been elite at ignoring out-of-zone pitches. And the contact! Smith has a 61% hard-hit rate and median exit velocity of 98.9 MPH, nearly eight above the league median. He’s put five fastballs in play and is hitting .800 with a 2.000 slugging percentage. Goodness knows what this means. Maybe nothing. But, for the moment, Smith has uncanny plate discipline combined with a sell-out swing on in-zone pitches.

Texas signed IF Richie Martin. I’ll confess to not knowing he was still in professional ball, but he spent 2024 and a month of 2025 with indy Gastonia, just down the road from Hickory and near Charlotte. Now 30, Martin last played in the Majors in 2022 for Baltimore.

AA: Frisco 2, Midland (ATH) 14
Frisco: 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 26-18, 1.5 G up

SP Trey Supak: 3 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 11 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 6 SO, 73 P / 44 S, 5.87 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA

Frisco wore their 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates unis this week, taking four of six from formerly division-leading Midland despite being outscored 33-18.

Hi-A: Hub City 4, Rome (ATL) 5
Hub City: 8 hits, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 24-21, tied for first

SP Jose Gonzalez: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 70 P / 42 S, 3.00 ERA
DH Arturo Disla: 2-4, HR (5), .259/.315/.420
3B Gleider Figuereo: 3-4, HR (7), .229/.299/.393

Joey Danielson was the unlikely victim of Rome’s comeback, allowing three runs on five hits in 0.2 innings. He hadn’t surrendered more than one run in any previous outing.

Lo-A: Hickory 8, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 7
Hickory: 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 6 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 22-22, 2.5 GB

SP Aneudis Mejia: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 48 P / 31 S, 6.65 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.66 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.60 ERA
RP Grant Cherry: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 5.14 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 3-5, 2B, .237/.406/.314
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, 2B, 2 HBP, .212/.337/.343
RF Marcos Torres: 2-4, HR (1), .224/.313/.379

Hickory trailed 7-3 entering the bottom of the 6th. A Marcos Torres two-run homer, some Pelican wildness and a Torres RBI groundout put the Crawdads back ahead for good. Brock Porter pitched a 1-2-3 7th when the score was knotted at seven.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The second-best full-season team in a Texas-affiliated league during 2007-2004, and the best outside a season shortened by covid, was the 2011 AA San Antonio Missions.

Record: 94-46
Run-differential record: 95-45
Component record: 91-49

The Pads affiliate was 49-16 in games decided by at least four runs. San Antonio never lost more than three straight, and only on three occasions. Meanwhile, they produced nine streaks of at least five wins.

San Antonio led the league with 5.7 runs per game (18% above the league average) despite a pitcher-friendly stadium. On the flip side, they allowed only 3.8 per game (22% better than average). They were an amazing 55-15 at home with a margin of 2.6 runs per game. By my accounting, San Antonio had the tenth-best offense and third-best pitching/defense of 794 teams in my study.

In the playoffs, San Antonio dispatched of Frisco (79-61) in four games. One of my fondest memories was seeing Game 1 in person in San Antonio, where Joe Wieland outdueled Robbie Ross Jr. en route to a 3-0 victory. Nick Vincent pitched the 8th and Miles Mikolas notched the save. Frisco had only three baserunners. The Missions would sweep Arkansas in the finals, including a 20-inning 5-4 victory in Game 2 (no bonus runners back then).

A great many Missions reached the Majors, but impact was limited offensively. IF Jedd Gyorko had the best career (9.3 WAR in 846 games). OF Daniel Robertson eventually debuted with the Rangers in 2014. While no longer a prospect, perpetually injured Kyle Banks spent 78 games with the Missions while recovering from elbow surgery. On the mound, Nick Vincent forged a ten-year relief career. Highly regarded Casey Kelly didn’t pan out in the US, instead finding success in Korea. Anthony Bass debuted that year and pitched through 2023. Brad Brach pitched in MLB into the 2020s, and Miles Mikolas is currently in the St. Louis rotation after three years in Japan.

Texas is calling up 22-year-old OF Alejandro Osuna. He’s starting in left and batting sixth today. Shifting to center for the first time in 2025 is Wyatt Langford.

Despite a very strong AA half-season (.306/.379/.523) last summer, a memorable Arizona Fall League and 2025 Spring Training, Osuna returned to Frisco to concentrate on CF, where he’d never played to the exclusion of the corners. Perhaps Evan Carter’s option to AAA impacted that decision. He was promoted to AAA only 12 days ago. That timeline would foretell a late-season call-up, but as with Carter a few weeks ago, the parent club’s circumstances have dictated a different path.

Osuna was hitting .261/.485/.435 with eight walks against seven strikeouts in 33 trips to the plate. He had seen only 150 pitches and put 16 balls in play in AA, so we can’t draw too much from his Round Rock stats alone. Where he’s impressed the most is selection, as evidenced by the amazing walk rate. He’s seen an elevated rate of out-of-zone pitches, isn’t offering at them much and has an 80% contact rate when he does swing compared to the league’s 54%. Expecting an 80% rate in the Majors is beyond the pale, but some combination of solid patience and contact on out-of-zone pitches would be a boon. Overall, his swinging strike rate in AAA was 5% (league 12%) and his miss rate on swings was 12% (league 26%). Osuna also had a 55% ball rate on first pitches compared to the league’s 42%.

Regarding balls in play, he’s hit a few hard enough to boost his 90th-percentile exit velocity to 106.1 MPH compared to the league’s 104.1, but on the whole his exits have lagged slightly compared to the league and his usual output. Two of his four doubles were fairly soft, and he hasn’t hit a a homer-quality ball yet. Again, we’re dealing with only 16 balls in play, so I’m not concerned about that. Osuna’s Statcast data in the AFL and during spring was terrific; the raw numbers are skewed by the environmental setting, but he stood out relative to his age and peers.

Progress made against lefty pitchers during 2023-2024 has disappeared so far this season. He’s hitting .240/.406/.240, meaning no extra-base hits, and most of that extra OBP has come from HBPs rather than walks.

Osuna stole 34 bases in 2022 but with a slightly elevated caught rate. In other years, he’s peaked at 17 with a success rate in the mid 70s, and if he’s able to play regularly, I’d say that lower total would be the upper limit he’d likely achieve in a full season. In the field, Osuna has decent if not great range and an adequate if not particularly strong arm. He made several memorable plays in March. I can’t say he’ll carve out a role with the Rangers immediately, but at his peak, he could be a regular. A 4th role is a likelier possibility. Osuna is well-rounded without an especially flashy single tool. If anything, it’s contact, and how much of that contact leaves the bat at a desirable speed and angle will decree his future.

Concurrently, Texas designated OF Kevin Pillar for assignment. I’d honestly thought Pillar was a clever addition given Carter’s situation, but his inability to hit lefties sealed his fate.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Charlotte (CHW) 6
Round Rock: 12 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 24-26, 8.5 GB

SP Gerson Garabito: 4 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 72 P / 46 S, 8.17 ERA
RP Codi Heuer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.48 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-4, 2B, BB, SB (2), .259/.474/.444
RF Marcus Smith: 3-5, 2 2B, HR (4), SB (4), .349/.482/.767
SS Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .283/.328/.421
DH Michael Helman: 2-4, 2B, .143/.217/.190

Osuna did not receive any hugs during the game. He played its entirety while Blaine Crim and Dustin Harris sat.

AA: Frisco 4, Midland (ATH) 3
Frisco: 8 hits, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 26-17, 2.5 G up

SP Mitch Bratt: 5 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 74 P / 52 S, 1.94 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.00 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 3-4, 2B, HR (6), .247/.341/.430
CF Cam Cauley: 2-3, HR (4), 2 SB (14), .227/.302/.373

Walcott is part of a five-way tie for second in the organization with six homers. Crim leads with 10. He’s also one of ten Rangers with at least 20 walks, 21 to be precise. And this is a truly convoluted stat, but he and Justin Foscue are the only Rangers with at least six homers and 20 walks.

All the frontrunners have pitched this week, so here’s your organization K leaders:
David Davalillo, 55
Mitch Bratt, 47
Kohl Drake, 47
Caden Scarborough, 42

Hi-A: Hub City 2, Rome (ATL) 1 (12)
Hub City: 9 hits, 8 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 24-20, 1 G up

SP DJ McCarty: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 72 P / 44 S, 8.42 ERA
RP Dylan MacLean: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 5.14 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 0-2, 4 BB, .224/.343/.374
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-5, .264/.328/.296

The teams played 11 scoreless innings with 24 stranded runners. Quincy Scott, who’d pinch-run for Arturo Disla earlier, singled in the tying and winning runs with one out.

Lo-A: Hickory 4, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 3
Hickory: 7 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 21-22, 3 GB

SP Mason Molina: 5.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 76 P / 49 S, 4.09 ERA
RP Dalton Pence: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 1-2, 2 BB, .221/.400/.292
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-4, BB, SB (12), .232/.360/.296

Dalton Pence threw three scoreless innings as the Crawdads recovered from a 3-1 deficit. Like Hub City, Hickory walked off victorious on a Yeremi Cabrera single to score Maxton Martin, who’d led off with a single and advanced on a walk.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Dunning
AA: Supak
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: Mejia

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 22, at Charlotte (CHW) 13
Round Rock: 21 hits, 13 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 3 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 23-26, 8.5 GB

SP Cory Abbott: 3.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 6 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 79 P / 46 S, 10.03 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.61 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 3-4, 3 BB, .211/.333/.211
1B Blaine Crim: 3-5, HR (10), BB, HBP, .301/.369/.558
SS Cody Freeman: 3-6, 2B, BB, .277/.326/.413
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-7, HR (5), .247/.349/.397

Round Rock defeated Charlotte 22-13 in a wild Mecklenburg County Men’s D-II (Competitive) Softball League tilt on Friday. The Express led 11-2 after three, but the Knights stormed back to a 13-13 tie before allowed nine unanswered. Round Rock will face DB’s Tavern tomorrow and HINH Insurance Group Sunday.

Texas activated Patrick Murphy after an inning at the complex; he allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 1.1 innings with two strikeouts. Murphy, who spent 2024 in Japan, had been under consideration for a rotation spot but hit the IL late in March. Peyton Gray missed seven bats, mostly with a changeup.

Dustin Harris is still seeking his first extra-base hit but lined three singles and drew three walks. Cody Freeman made his seventh start at short.

Texas traded IF Jonathan Ornelas to Atlanta for cash. I wasn’t expecting him to slide through waivers.

AA: Frisco 3, Midland (ATH) 0
Frisco: 6 hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-17, 1.5 G up

SP Kumar Rocker: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 34 P / 23 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Ben Anderson: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 4.54 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, .252/.428/.393
CF Josh Hatcher: 1-4, HR (6), .277/.297/.453

Kumar Rocker looked like he did last summer, overwhelming AA competition in a three-inning rehab. Rocker fanned three on a 98 sinker, clock violation and slider. One hit was true, the other a result of his hesitance to cover first on a grounder to 1B Abi Ortiz. Rocker’s next outing might occur in Round Rock next week, as Frisco will be in Amarillo.

Hi-A: Hub City 4, Rome (ATL) 1
Hub City: 8 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 23-20, tied for first

SP David Davalillo: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 SO, 80 P / 56 S, 0.92 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.96 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.33 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, HR (5), .228/.331/.379
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2B, .258/.326/.292

David Davalillo matched a career-high ten strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of eight starts. Dylan Dreiling has been relatively quiet in May but has two homers and a double in the Rome series so far.

Lo-A: Hickory 7, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 8 (11)
Hickory: 9 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 6 walks, 18 strikeouts
Record: 20-22, 3.5 GB

SP Caden Scarborough: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 71 P / 48 S, 4.55 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 2-5, BB, .218/.393/.291
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-5, BB, SB (11), .223/.352/.289

Caden Scarborough fanned a career-high eight. His 42 on the season (in 29.2 IP) leads the team and ranks fourth in the league.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Molina

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The third-best full-season team in a Rangers-affiliated league during 2007-2024 was the 2021 high-A Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Record: 82-36
Run-differential record: 75-43
Component record: 79-39

No AL organization was better equipped to take advantage of the first “post-covid” season than the Tampa Bay Rays, so much so that I can’t discuss them fully until Monday. The Rays won 100 games and had probably the best top-to-bottom modern-era minor league performance ever.

In 2021, due to various factors, the league didn’t employ a split-season format, but Bowling Green would have won both halves handily, posting a 39-21 record by the midway point and 43-15 thereafter. I can cherry-pick some mildly soft stretches, but Bowling Green never really slumped. The Hot Road were a modest 8-8 in one-run games and 74-28 (.725) in others. They won ten of 12 against a Hickory squad I’ll discuss down the line.  

The offense scored 6.1 runs per game, 19% better than the park-adjusted league average with a 123 wRC+, and the pitching and defense combined to allow 12% fewer runs than average and an opposing wRC+ of 86. Three Rods (Jordan Osar, Grant Witherpoon, Evan Edwards) hit 22-23 homers.

Future success for this group has been limited. A good number have reached the Majors but mostly for cups of coffee, limited utility use or trials that haven’t produced regular roles. Faring best has been righty Taj Bradley, a back-of-rotation starter since 2023. 2B/OF Brett Wisely has played 147 games for the Giants over the past three years, and utility infielder Curtis Mead has remained with the Rays. Great minor league teams don’t necessarily generate great or even average Major Leaguers.

Box Scores

First, please welcome the newest members of the Lucas family, Nefertari and Bastet. (My daughter is into ancient Egyptian history, so my wife and I broke our decades-long practice of simple names.) They are seven-month-old sisters from the Austin Animal Shelter. We also broke our practice of adopting adults (say, two years old or so), but we wanted a bonded or at least amicable pair, and their chumminess overcame our initial resistance to their youth. We had been a one-cat household for 18 months since the passing of Ranger one week after the 2023 World Series. (The one cat hasn’t been introduced to the newcomers yet.)

AAA: Round Rock 0, at Charlotte (CHW) 8
Round Rock: 4 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 22-26, 9.5 GB

SP Robert Dugger: 2.1 IP, 6 H (4 HR), 6 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 72 P / 37 S, 21.13 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 7.11 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .261/.485/.435
LF Dustin Harris: 2-2, .181/.289/.181

If perhaps you’re wondering who from the minors is going to right the Rangers’ ship, particularly on offense, the answer is nobody. The Rangers were designed to win now with who they signed. The season depends on Marcus Semien and Joc Pederson and other hitting to expectations. If they don’t, Texas is cooked. Certainly, Sebastian Walcott should help out immensely someday, and I’m fond of Alejandro Osuna, but the likelihood of them making an impact at the MLB level in the immediate future is remote.

AA: Frisco 4, Midland (ATH) 3
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 24-17, 0.5 G up

SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 2 H (2 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 82 P / 51 S, 6.30 ERA
RP Jenser Lara: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3.38 ERA
1B Josh Hatcher: 2-4, .278/.298/.438

When I mentioned the upcoming 40/R5 decisions on Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and David Davalillo, I was thinking of first-time eligibles. Another to consider is Josh Stephan, who was under consideration last year but omitted. Stephan has run more hot-and-cold than the others so far, and his strikeout rate has lagged. Still, we’re not even one-third of the way through the season. At this time of year, one could daydream of ten-or-so names as potential 40 additions, but the players themselves will provide clarity as the season progresses, and come November a colder assessment will drop that number by at least half. 

Hi-A: Hub City 2, Rome (ATL) 1
Hub City: 5 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 22-20, tied for first

SP Josh Trentadue: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 82 P / 49 S, 1.33 ERA
RP Kolton Curtis: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 4.76 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, .247/.307/.400
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, HR (6), BB, .211/.285/.367

Lefty Josh Trentadue missed a career-high 15 bats while squelching the Emperors over five innings. Trentadue signed in 2023 as a 14th-rounder out of the College of Southern Idaho. Dealing a four-seamer, slider and change, he’s walked 36 and struck out 122 in 97.2 full-season innings the past two seasons.

Kolton Curtis allowed eight runners across the 6th, 7th and 8th but managed to strand seven and pick off the other.

Hub City walked off victorious on a bases-loaded single by Jhocsuanth Vargas. No, one of the cats didn’t step on my keyboard. That’s his name. (Actually, one of the cats has repeatedly stepped on the keyboard but not during this paragraph.)  Still just 18, Vargas has played sparingly the past two seasons and has served as a third catcher for Hub City and Hickory in 2025.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 1
Hickory: 9 hits, 10 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 20-21, 2.5 GB

SP J’Brielle Easley: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 73 P / 55 S, 3.07 ERA
RP Jesus Gamez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB (), .281/.335/.484
1B Pablo Guerrero: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .255/.319/.414
3B Rafe Perich: 2-4, BB, .218/.344/.355

J’Brielle Easley had nearly as many called strikes (16) as balls (18) against a pliant Pelicans squad. Pablo Guerrero is hitting .265/.333/.471 in May. 22-year-old Jesus Gamez out of Mexico is a converted 1B/OF with (per Mark Parker) a 93-94 fastball plus a splitter.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The fourth-best full-season squad during 2007-2024 in a Rangers-affiliated league is the 2009 San Jose Giants of the high-A California League.

Record: 93-47
Run-differential record: 91-49
Component record: 92-48

The Giants never had a bad stretch but did sit at a mundane 27-23 at the end of May, after which they won 66 against just 24 losses (.733) and rattled off streaks of seven, eight, nine and nine wins. On a good if not great offense, their catcher through mid-July was some guy named Buster Posey. Brandon Crawford spent his first month of the season there. 1st-rounder Conor Gillaspie became an MLB regular for a while, and several others reached the Majors briefly.

Although most of San Jose’s pitchers never reached the Majors, and most who did didn’t make much impact, they were easily the class of the league, allowing 130 fewer runs than any other team. Their park helped, but they still were 23% better than the league average. 19-year-old Madison Bumgarner made five starts to open the season before heading to AA and then the Majors.

San Jose nearly lost in the league semifinals, finally vanquishing the Texas-affiliated Bakersfield Blaze in a full five games. The Giants then swept High Desert for the championship.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, at Charlotte (CHW) 7
Round Rock: 7 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 22-25, 8.5 GB

SP Ty Blach: 4 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 73 P / 44 S, 3.52 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.04 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 3-4, BB, .299/.364/.551
C Cooper Johnson: 1-2, 2 BB, .147/.275/.235

Round Rock scored three in the 1st courtesy of two Charlotte errors but could manage no more. I referred to yesterday’s waiver acquisition as both Michael Helman and Michael Clement yesterday. It’s Helman. I had the Baseball Reference page of Ernie Clement on the screen yesterday and decided to use his last name for some reason.

AA: Frisco 2, Midland (ATH) 1
Frisco: 8 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 23-17, 0.5 GB

SP Kohl Drake: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 82 P / 51 S, 2.48 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.48 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 6.43 ERA

The organization strikeout leaders are Kohl Drake (47), Mitch Bratt (47) and David Davalillo (45). All are Rule 5-eligible if unprotected after the season. At this point, I’d say they and OF Alejandro Osuna are the top four contenders for a 40 spot, although Osuna has the best chance at beating the November deadline.

LF Aaron Zavala walked twice, SS Sebastian Walcott doubled, and 1B Josh Hatcher had two singles.

Local media report the Kumar Rocker will begin his rehab assignment Friday in Frisco.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, Rome (ATL) 2 (12)
Hub City: 9 hits, 7 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts
Record: 21-20, 1 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 78 P / 46 S, 7.06 ERA
RP Mailon Felix: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 5.00 ERA
RP Willan Bormie: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 0.82 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.61 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-5, 2B, BB, .226/.335/.365
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, HR (5), 2 BB, .208/.279/.344

Dylan Dreiling’s opposite-field liner brought home speedy Anthony Gutierrez in the 12th. Gutierrez began the inning at second after his would-be sac fly in the 1th resulted in Julian Brock being thrown out at the plate.

Lo-A: Hickory 7, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 10 (10)
Hickory: 10 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 6 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 19-21, 3.5 GB

SP Kamdyn Perry: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 74 P / 52 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 HBP, 2 SO, 3.75 ERA
DH Maxton Martin: 1-5, HR (4), .273/.321/.453
1B Pablo Guerrero: 3-4, 2B, HR (4), .254/.310/.408

Brock Porter’s run of respectable control ran into a brick wall, as he walked two and hit three out of 13 batters faced. Opponents are now hitting .184/.336/.368 with a 19% BB/HBP rate and 29% SO rate.

Down 10-6 in the 10th but with the bases loaded and none out, Hickory lost a runner on a 2-1-4-2-6-3 play. Pelican pitcher Jackson Kirkpatrick threw a very wild pitch that rebounded off a metal grate above the padding directly back to the catcher, who quickly threw to Kirkpatrick covering the plate. Beycker Barroso (on third) and Rafe Perich (on first) realized the situation in time to retreat, but Pablo Guerrero (on second) was 15 feet from third before the interrobang appeared over his head. A complicated rundown ensured, and eventually Barroso, not Guerrero, was tagged out.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Dugger
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Trentadue
Lo-A: Easley

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
Today’s entry concerns a team within everyone’s favorite organization, the St. Louis Cardinals. Okay, maybe not so much, but the 2017 Memphis Redbirds were the fifth-best team from a Texas-affiliated league and best Pacific Coast League team during 2007-2024.

Record: 91-50
Run-differential record: 85-56
Component record: 89-52

Memphis actually started a drab 10-11 but would then roll off 11 straight victories and win roughly two of three the rest of the way including a 35-10 stretch beginning in late June. In the postseason, Memphis eliminated Colorado Springs 3-2 in the semifinals (with scores of 15-16, 11-8 and 13-10 in Colorado) and held off El Paso in the championship series three games to two.

Seven hitters would play at least 37 games with the Birds and go on to play at least 450 MLB games:
C Carson Kelly
1B Luke Voit
3B Patrick Wisdom
SS Paul DeJong
OF Harrison Bader
OF Adolis Garcia
OF Tyler O’Neill

Five pitchers would face at least 160 batters and eventually face 1,100 or more in MLB:
Jack Flaherty
Marco Gonzales
Dakota Hudson
Mike Mayers
Luke Weaver

Memphis’s offense was strong if not brilliant, leading the more pitcher-friendly eastern half of the league with 5.1 runs per game (about 8% above the park-adjusted league average). Luke Voit was the best regular (.327/.407/.565, 13 homers in 74 games), while DeJong matched Voit’s homers in only 48 games, and Patrick Wisdom led the squad with 31. On the other side, the pitching staff allowed half a run per game fewer than any other team. Mayers Gant, Flaherty, Weaver and Gonzales were all outstanding, combining for a 3.11 ERA in 444 innings with a 7% walk rate and 37% K rate.