AAA: Round Rock 2, Oklahoma City (LAD) 8
Round Rock: 7 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 20-23, 8 GB
SP Dane Dunning: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 55 P / 32 S, 7.88 ERA
RP Ryan Garcia: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 10.13 ERA
RP Robbie Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 3.60 ERA
RF Marcus Smith: 2-3, 2B, BB, SB (1), .333/.520/.778
I do wish Dane Dunning could show enough to re-enter the long-man discussion, either to actually help the Rangers or have someone take him off Texas’s hands. I harp on the difficulty (sometimes the impossibility, in certain locations) of pitching well in the PCL environment, maybe to the point where it seems we can just ignore the stats, but that’s not really true. Pitchers capable of retiring Major League hitters will succeed here.
I hadn’t paid much mind to Marcus Smith because he’s just here to help out, but darned if he isn’t really helping out. He was part of the Mike Minor trade with Oakland in 2020, arguably the primary part, but was swallowed whole by the strikeout monster in 2022 and hurt much of 2021 and 2023. He’ll become a free agent after the season.
AA: Frisco 6, Corpus Christi (HOU) 5 (11)
Frisco: 9 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 22-15, tied for first
SP Ben Anderson: 6 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 77 P / 50 S, 5.34 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaeno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 5.40 ERA
RP Jenser Lara: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3.86 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, HR (6), 2 BB, .275/.358/.481
CF Josh Hatcher: 2-6, .266/.289/.445
Josh Hatcher walked it off for the Quesos, as they were called last night. Abi Ortiz is hitting .485/.553/.879 with three homers and four doubles during an eight-game hitting streak.
Hi-A: Hub City 3, @Greenville (BOS) 2
Hub City: 8 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 18-19, 2.5 GB
SP David Davalillo: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 80 P / 53 S, 1.08 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.23 ERA
RF Keith Jones II: 2-4, BB, .264/.418/.400
1B Arturo Disla: 2-5, 2B, .242/.299/.402
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, SB (7), .224/.333/.344
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-2, 2 BB, .207/.274/.306
David Davalillo, 2024:
8% BB/HBP, 25% SO
David Davalillo, 2025:
6% BB/HBP, 36% SO
Davalillo will be prominent in the 40/R5 discussion in six months, quite possibly in the category of “not ready for MLB now but too promising to leave off the 40.” An uptick in velocity and improved control have him shredding the Sally.
Lo-A: Hickory 2, Kannapolis (CHW) 5
Hickory: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 17-19, 3.5 GB
SP Caden Scarborough: 3.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 69 P / 45 S, 4.85 ERA
RP Grant Cherry: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 2.70 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.70 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 2-4, HR (3), .293/.336/.474
Righty Grant Cherry signed with Texas as an undrafted free agent out of Long Beach State.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Molina
Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The best season for control by a starting pitcher during 2007-2004 belongs to Blake Beavan in 2010. In 110 innings, Beavan walked only 12 and hit one batter. Beavan’s calling cards when drafted were a 97 MPH fastball and his confidence in it. Unfortunately, his velocity dipped considerably as a pro, an issue that ruined the careers of some of his peers, but to his credit he adjusted as best he could. Beavan simply despised giving up free passes and wasn’t going to be beat that way. In terms of longevity, Richard Bleier had the best combination of innings and control, and he parlayed that into an eight-year MLB career, which to be honest is eight years more than I expected when watching some of the 360 innings he dealt for AA Frisco during 2010-2013.
A bunch of relievers have posted similarly amazing walk/HBP rates over the years. Of the five in he single-season category below, Nick Snyder threw the hardest.
In the lists below, BB/HBP+ means the index of combined walks and hit batter relative to the league average. Lower is better.
Best relative BB/HBP rates, min. 90 IP season:
Blake Beavan — 110 IP, 3.0% BB/HBP, 29 BB/HBP+ (2010)
Joe Wieland — 129.2 IP, 3.3%, 34 (2011)
John King — 97.1 IP, 3.7%, 35 (2019)
Ariel Jurado — 99 IP, 3.3%, 36 (2015)
Robbie Erlin — 121.1 IP, 3.6%, 36 (2011)
Next in line are Alejandro Rosario (if you lower the cutoff to 88 IP) in 2024, Kyle Hendricks in 2012 and Tyler Phillips in 2018.
Best relative BB/HBP rates, min. 30 IP season:
Yohander Mendez — 31 IP, 1.7% BB/HBP, 17 BB/HBP+ (2014)
Tyler Tufts — 62.1 IP, 3.1%, 31 (2011)
Ben Rowen — 57.1 IP, 3.3%, 32 (2012)
Cody Eppley — 67.2 IP, 3.2%, 34 (2009)
Nick Snyder — 33 IP, 4.1%, 35 (2021)
Mendez’s season is an outlier in that he made seven starts, whereas the others were traditional relievers.
Best relative BB/HBP, min. 400 IP career:
Richard Bleier — 546 IP, 5.3% BB/HBP, 53 BB/HBP+
Ariel Jurado — 503 IP, 5.8%, 60
Richelson Pena — 495 IP, 6.1%, 63
Best relative BB/HBP, 300-399 IP career:
Blake Beavan — 395 IP, 4.5%, 45
Joe Wieland — 361 IP, 5.1%, 52
Tyler Tufts — 340 IP, 5.9%, 60
Best relative BB/HBP, 200-299 IP career:
Robbie Erlin — 236 IP, 4.1%, 43
Cody Bradford — 294 IP, 6.6%, 52
Alex Claudio — 227 IP, 5.4%, 55
Best relative BB/HBP, 100-199 IP career:
Kyle Hendricks — 134 IP, 4.3%, 42
John King — 138 IP, 5.1%, 45
Ace Walker — 168 IP, 5.2%, 51