AAA: Round Rock 7, at El Paso (SDG) 9
Round Rock: 14 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 17-17, 7 GB
SP Ryan Garcia: 4 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 6 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 73 P / 43 S, 12.46 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.11 ERA
SS Ezequiel Duran: 2-5, 2B, HR (4), .346/.393/.673
1B Jake Burger: 1-4, BB
DH Justin Foscue: 2-4, HR (5), BB, .307/.409/.500
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, BB, .320/.366/.490
CF Sam Haggerty: 3-5, 2B, HR (1), .316/.389/.405
Jake Burger had a bloop single in his first AAA appearance.
Sam Haggerty’s chances of returning to the Majors improved with the departure of Leody Taveras, so I’ll point out that his Statcast figures back up his impressive line. He’s making plenty of singles-oriented contact, and while I see some luck on grounders, he’s hit only one ball in excess of 45 degrees (essentially an automatic out) all season.
AA: Frisco 2, at San Antonio (SDG) 9
Frisco: 5 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 17-11, 2 G ahead
SP Daniel Missaki: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 1 SO, 60 P / 35 S, 4.20 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, 2B, BB, .318/.390/.467
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-1, 2B, 2 BB, .169/.381/.339
Recently, the Express active roster appears to contain fewer than the maximum 28 players. Since Taveras won’t be joining, the AAA outfield now consists of Haggerty, Kellen Strahm, Trevor Hauver, and Alex De Goti, an infielder whose eight OF starts in 2025 are already the most of his career. That is all to say, if the Rangers wanted to promote someone from Frisco, maybe a stocky 22-year-old born in Mexico who can hit for average and power and swipe a bag, I’d sign off on that.
Hi-A: Hub City 6, Greensboro (PIT) 2
Hub City: 7 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 16-12, 1 G ahead
SP Leandro Lopez: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 45 S, 1.77 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, 2B, .261/.355/.380
RF Keith Jones II: 1-4, HR (3), .263/.436/.421
DH Arturo Disla: 1-4, HR (4), .240/.302/.427
Historically wild Leandro Lopez has an 11% walk rate, not bad by modern standards, and opponents are hitting only. 194/.299/.247.
I had no idea what to expect from Keith Jones, a money-saving 9th-round sign from New Mexico State. He crushed the ball as a senior (.367/.472/.710) but did so in the sprawling, video-game environment of the Western Athletic Conference. Even with a high-A assignment, he’s an above-average 23 years old. Such players might have little leeway for extended slumps, but Jones has reached in 22 of 24 games including seven with at least two walks.
Lo-A: Hickory 3, at Augusta (ATL) 1
Hickory: 6 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 13-15, 5 GB
SP Kamdyn Perry: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 73 P / 44 S, 4.95 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 1-3, HR (2), .302/.330/.481
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-3, HR (2), .240/.275/.354
Kamdyn Perry, co-owner of Hickory’s no-hitter in April, tossed another five hitless innings. Augusta would single against Michael Trausch the next inning and put at least one runner in scoring position in the final four frames, but only one would score.
Movement
Texas released Round Rock reliever Hunter Strickland, who immediately signed with the Angels. Catcher Cooper Johnson was promoted to Round Rock, and recently signed Kale Emshoff replaced him at Frisco. OF Yeison Morrobel, injured in the Spring Breakout game running to first, was assigned to high-A Hub City after a brief stay at the complex. Catcher Jesus Lopez was assigned to the complex. I could have sworn he was on Hickory’s injured list, but that transaction was either deleted or only existed in my head.
Per local scribes, righty Robert Dugger signed a minor deal with Texas. Dugger was the leader of Round Rock’s rotation in 2023. He spent part of last year in Korea (with no success, sad to say) and had been in Oaxaca to start 2025. MLB Trade Rumors suggested the possibility of a spot start or long relief with the Rangers, and I suppose that’s the upside, but in general I’d say he’s mostly here to bolster a thinned-out Express staff. Texas also signed 29-year-old Cory Abbott, who threw 104.2 not particularly enchanting innings for the Cubs and Nats during 2021-2023. He had been pitching in the Mexican League as well.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Drake
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: Easley
Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The most single-heavy Texas Rangers minor league hitter during 2007-2024 was Guilder Rodriguez. In six seasons and 2,502 plate appearances, Rodriguez batted .256/.335/.288. 498 of his 555 hits, or 90%, were singles, the highest career percentage of any Ranger with at least 200 hits. He never collected more than 13 extra-base hits in any season and had a career total of two homers. My writeup for the first: “Guilder Rodriguez entered Saturday with 534 games, 1,863 plate appearances, and zero home runs. Now he has one.”
Rodriguez also holds the records for highest percentage of singles in a season with 97%. In 2012, he doubled on April 30 and June 6. That was it. He batted .219/.303/.226 with 56 singles.
Texas had acquired him in the minor league phase of the 2008 Rule 5 draft. I can’t say for sure, but I believe he was eligible for free agency five times as a Ranger but always re-signed. In 2014, Rodriguez was rewarded for years of service with a promotion to the Majors, a highlight of Texas’s otherwise dismal season. In his sixth game, he tallied his first hit, a single to left against the Astros, and would later score. In the 7th, he would line a go-ahead RBI single, and Texas would hold on for a 4-3 victory.
Most singles:
Engel Beltre, 554
Hanser Alberto, 506
Guilder Rodriguez, 498
Highest % of Hits For Singles (min. 200 hits):
Guilder Rodriguez, 90%
Yonny Hernandez, 85%
Carlos Garay, 83%
Highest % of Plate Appearances For Singles (min. 200 hits):
Carlos Garay, 25%
Luis Sardinas, 22%
Julio Borbon, 21%