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.