Apologies for the delay.
Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan published their rankings of Texas’s top-45 prospects plus a host of honorable mentions. As always, a lengthy and worthy read.
What caught my eye initially was the social-media link proclaiming a “soundly above average” system, not the description I would use in June 2025, to be honest. But then, the authors note that the “soundly above” modifier wholly depends on Sebastian Walcott. Fair enough. Next, they still include Jack Leiter (who by now has thrown 87 MLB innings) and Kumar Rocker (35 IP). Based on FanGraphs’ monetary assignments, removing Leiter would drop the system from 10th to 12th, and removing Rocker plunges the team to 19th, which comports with the general level I had in my head. (For what it’s worth, I don’t have the knowledge to rank Texas against other systems except in a very general sense. My “rankings” tend to be based mostly on who I’m writing about day to day in comparison to Texas systems of the past.) The system’s quality also depends on Alejandro Rosario, who may not pitch meaningfully until 2027, and the returns of Winston Santos and Jose Corniell, and keeping Emiliano Teodo and Marc Church off the IL and on track.
The dark view of the system is Rosario fading away, none of the potential back-end starters being more than depth starters and marginal relievers, the A-level hitters collectively stalling at AA, resulting in a multi-year stretch of bad Frisco squads like 2015-2018, and the DSL/complex guys finding full-season ball too daunting a challenge. The brighter view is Rosario pitching like 2024 once he returns, one of Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt or David Davalillo becoming a serviceable MLB starter, Malcolm Moore becoming at least a capable #2 backstop, and Yolfran Castillo or Devin Fitz-Gerald becoming a top-100-esque infield prospect. I will confess the parent club’s 31-35 record has scrambled my brain and soured my outlook.
It’s important to remember that the farm is a means, not an end. The point is to get these players off prospect lists and onto your screens. One reason the farm is down is because Wyatt Langford graduated within nine months of being drafted. It’s also down because Leiter and Rocker are either established Major Leaguers or at the cusp. In that sense, a lower ranking is complimentary to rather than critical of Texas’s scouting and development.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 7, at Salt Lake (LAA) 3
Round Rock: 12 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 30-33, 8.5 GB
SP Dane Dunning: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, HBP, 3 SO, 47 P / 25 S, 4.75 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 3-5, .269/.376/.399
SS Michael Helman: 2-4, 2B, 2 SB (3), .219/.296/.391
Round Rock outscored Salt Lake 54-34 but split the series. Cody Freeman, Kellen Strahm, Justin Foscue and Michael Helman posted an OPS in excess of 1.000 for the week.
Kumar Rocker pitches tonight, weather permitting.
AA: Frisco 2, Springfield (STL) 9 (10)
Frisco: 6 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 32-24, 0.5 GB
SP Trey Supak: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 86 P / 56 S, 5.10 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-4, HR (6), .265/.406/.426
3B Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, .248/.349/.437
Yes, 9-2 in ten innings. In extras, the first four batters reached against Skylar Hales, and two singles (plus a Sebastian Walcott error) off Bryan Magdaleno provided the unlikely margin. 2025 has been rough on both relievers. Hales has at least outpitched his 6.41 ERA. He’s fanned 30% of his opponents and isn’t walking too many; the primary problem is three homers in 19 innings. Magdaleno has struggled like never before, walking or hitting a scary 26% of the opponent, and his 8.7% swinging strike rate is far below average.
Frisco lost five of six at home to the leaders of the North Division while Midland split at San Antonio to nab the South Division lead. Frisco spends this week at Midland.
Hi-A: Hub City 4, @ Greensboro (PIT) 9
Hub City: 10 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 31-26, 0.5 GB
SP Jose Gonzalez: 3.1 IP, 5 H (3 HR), 6 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 64 P / 42 S, 3.43 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.79 ERA
RF Keith Jones II: 3-5, HR (8), .257/.396/.436
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 1-4, HR (2), .248/.319/.315
Hub City split six visiting a tough Greenboro opponent. The Burgers will host a weaker Wilmington club this week followed by six games at division-leading Bowling Green, the first three of which apply to the first half. Anthony Gutierrez homered again, this time on a fastball and to nearly the same spot as three days ago. For a guy who’s shown barely any game power, he made them look easy.
Lo-A: Hickory 9, Columbia (KAN) 7
Hickory: 11 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 29-27, 1.5 GB
SP Dalton Pence: 3 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 43 P / 27 S, 3.13 ERA
SS Chandler Pollard: 2-4, BB, .270/.354/.335
DH Maxton Martin: 3-5, HR (6), .281/.331/.475
LF Hector Osorio: 2-3, HR (2), HBP, .208/.372/.321
3B Daniel Flames: 2-4
Hickory trailed 7-3 in the 7th. Maxton Martin’s RBI single and Antonis Macias’ sac fly halved the margin. In the 9th, the Crawdads scored four without an out. Three straight singles chased Firefly Elvis Novas. Replacement Julio Rosario immediately balked in a run, and his first pitch was driven over the wall with extreme malice by Martin. Martin’s 27 extra-base hits are the most in the league and second-most in all of low-A. At 20, Martin is already a 1B/LF/DH, so keep swinging that bat.
Hickory split the series with division-rival Columbia, gaining ground on last Sunday’s leader Augusta (1-5) but losing some to Kannapolis (4-2). Hickory visits the league’s worst team this week while the others, all with a chance, battle each other:
Kannapolis at Columbia (2 GB)
Augusta (1 GB) at Charleston (3 GB)
Hickory (1.5 GB) at Myrtle Beach (10 GB)
Elsewhere
Seattle designated OF Leody Taveras for assignment. He batted .174/.198/.272 as an M.
Today
AAA: Rocker
AA: TBD
Hi-A: Lopez
Lo-A: Agreda
Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The eighth-best team during 2007-2024 was one of my favorites, the 2015 low-A Hickory Crawdads.
Record: 81-57
Run-Differential Record: 81-57
Component Record: 76-62
The offense was a tic above ordinary (+2% scoring, 102 OPS+), while the pitching and defense were sublime. Hickory suppressed runs by 15% versus the park-adjusted league average. The four busiest starters (Collin Wiles, Nick Gardewine, Ariel Jurado, Brett Martin) reached the Majors, as did (deep breath) Yohander Mendez, Luis Ortiz, Reed Garrett, Pedro Payano, Richardo Rodriguez Erik Swanson, Dillon Tate, Joe Palumbo AND Jeffrey Springs. Leading in saves were John Fasola (13) and Scott Williams (10), both legitimate if not closer-worthy relief prospects with careers halted by injuries.
Hickory stormed to a first-half title with a week to spare and completed the half with a 44-24 record. In the second, they coasted at 37-33 while West Virginia claimed the title (50-20) and better overall record (87-52). Hickory lost the semifinal opener but won the next two at home including a 1-0 Game 3. Williams saved both wins, and Tate and Ortiz both threw a scoreless 7th and 8th. The Crawdads then swept Colorado-affiliated Asheville in the finals, allowing just four runs in three games. Rehabbing MLB starter Tyler Chatwood took the mound for Asheville in Game 3 but walked three in three innings, and Jose Cardona’s double and Dylan Moore’s sac fly gave a lead that would hold. Hickory plated three more against future Major Leaguer (and Ranger) Jesus Tinoco. Jose Trevino caught every game; in 2015, he established a strong chance of reaching the Majors on defense and intangibles alone. The championship was the first by a Texas-affiliated full-season squad in 11 years and my first to cover in nine years on the beat.
(Photo: Hickory Crawdads)