Podcast
Sean Bass of Ticket, Michael Tepid and I talked ball this morning. Links at the bottom of email or the here on the website.
First-Half All-Stars
C Cooper Johnson
AA/AAA, .268/.361/.377, 5 HR
Good for Johnson, but catcher aside from Malcolm Moore is thin.
1B Blaine Crim
AAA, .276/.357/.488, 12 HR, 30 BB
Blaine Crim.
2B Antonis Macias
Lo-A, .258/.421/.320, 9 2B, 55 BB
Can Macias take the Yonny Hernandez route to the Majors? One negative factor is the number of games Macias has played at short: zero in 150 career games.
3B Cody Freeman
AAA, .300/.348/.473, 18 2B, 9 HR
Freeman has also played a large handful lof games at short for the first time since 2019.
SS Sebastian Walcott
AA, .244/.345/.404, 16 2B, 8 HR, 12 SB
Not an eye-popping line, but not a worry given his age. He’s fine.
COF Keith Jones II
Hi-A, .266/.397/.463, 10 HR, 44 BB
Statistically the systems’ best first-half hitter.
COF Maxton Martin
Lo-A, .277/.340/.469, 7 HR, 32 XBH, 8 SB
Leads the system in extra-base hits as a 20-year-old after a couple of so-so seasons at the complex.
CF Cam Cauley
AA, .241/.325/.401, 21 XBH, 19 SB
Cauley has played only a third of his games in center, but he belongs on the list somewhere.
Bonus Hitter Aaron Zavala
AA, .265/.400/.405, 14 XBH, 45 BB
I would hope for some AAA action to get a better handle on his resurgence.
Bonus Hitter (Rookie) Devin Fitz-Gerald
Rk/Lo-A, .305/.421/.508, 6 HR, 7 SB
Hit his way out of the complex in a hurry.
SP Mitch Bratt
AA, 62.2 IP, 2.15 ERA, 4% BB/HBP, 30% SO
SP David Davalillo
Hi-A/AA, 55.2 IP, 2.26 ERA, 8% BB/HBP, 32% SO
SP Kohl Drake
AA, 49.1 IP, 2.74 ERA, 11% BB/HBP, 34% SO
SP Josh Trentadue
Hi-A, 38 IP, 1.18 ERA, 9% BB/HBP, 32% SO
SP Leandro Lopez
Hi-A, 53.2 IP, 2.01 ERA, 10% BB/HBP, 29% SO
SP Jose Gonzalez
Hi-A, 52.1 IP, 2.92 ERA, 8% BB/HBP, 28% SO
2025 hasn’t been the most exciting farm season I’ve covered, but one bright spot is that most of the back-end rotation prospects who’ve stayed healthy have progressed nicely.
RP Peyton Gray
AA/AAA, 37.1 IP, 2.65 ERA, 9%, BB/HBP, 24% SO
Destroyed indy ball in 2022-2023 and has pitched to form after losing a year to injury while with Cincy. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen him in person yet. Fastball 93-94, broad mix.
RP Cole Winn
AAA, 23.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 13% BB/HBP, 23% SO
I did throw some cold water on his 0.00 ERA when he was recalled but he’s continued to put zeros on the board despite some walks.
RP Luis Curvelo
AAA, 26.2 IP, 1.69 ERA, 13% BB/HBP, 26% SO
Not exactly screaming for a recall but has pitched well enough to justify the 40 spot given when signed.
RP Codi Heuer
AAA, 30 IP, 3.00 ERA, 12% BB/HBP, 30% SO
Pitched himself back to the bigs after an injury season.
Movement
RHP Josh Mollerus from Hub City to Frisco
LHP Dalton Pence from Hickory to Hub City
C Malcolm Moore activated in Hub City (off IL)
3B Rafe Perich from Hickory to Hub City
Cody Bradford you know about. Now word comes that reliever Marc Church has been placed on the IL with elbow inflammation. Church threw five pitches on Sunday including one fastball at 94.2 (about one tic slower than usual) and four sliders in a range of 82.2-85.2 (compared to his season average of 86.3).
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 3, Tacoma (SEA) 5
Round Rock: 7 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 0-1, 1 GB, 34-42 overall
SP Ryan Garcia: 3 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 43 P / 29 S, 9.19 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.67 ERA
RP Craig Kimbrel: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.86 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, BB, .303/.353/.473
1B Blaine Crim: 2-5, 2B, .292/.368/.513
LF Trevor Hauver: 1-1, 2B, 2 BB, HBP, .248/.365/.418
Tyler Locklear’s two-run homer off Luis Curvelo in the 8th put the Rainiers ahead for good. Craig Kimbrel missed on nine of 20 pitches but didn’t get into any trouble like his previous outing.
AA: Frisco 5, Tulsa (LAD) 1
Frisco: 10 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 1-0, tied for first, 39-30 overall
SP Ben Anderson: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 85 P / 56 S, 3.94 ERA
3B Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, 3 SB (15), .248/.347/.406
SS Cam Cauley: 1-3, 2B, BB, .243/.327/.404
C Ian Moller: 2-3, BB, 2 SB (3), .212/.321/.305
MLB.com showed the game, so viewers were able to see Sebastian Walcott steal three bases for the second time in his career.
Ian Moller woke up feeling spry, I guess, attempting three steals in one game after trying twice in the previous 35 games. Moller actually had an impressive record entering the season, swiping 42 bases against just five caught.
Hi-A: Hub City 4, Aberdeen (BAL) 3
Hub City: 8 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 16 strikeouts
Record: 2-2, 1 GB, 33-36 overall
SP Leandro Lopez: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 68 P / 46 S, 1.99 ERA
RP Dalton Pence: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Keith Jones II: 1-2, 2 BB, .268/.402/.464
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 1-3, BB, 2 SB (21), .230/.303/.300
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, .294/.467/.471
Hub City has nine 2024 draft picks on the active roster plus another acquired in trade (Mason Molina), two non-drafted 2024 signings (RHP Josh Sanders, C Cal Stark. IF Theo Hardy.
Lo-A: Hickory 8, at Salem (BOS) 0
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 4-0, tied for first, 37-32 overall
SP Ismael Agreda: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 35 S, 2.33 ERA
RP Grant Cherry: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.50 ERA
RP Jake Jekielek: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6.31 ERA
SS Devin Fitz-Gerald: 2-5, 2B, .250/.400/.313
2B Antonis Macias: 3-5, .266/.424/.327
RF Hector Osorio: 1-2, BB, HBP, .212/.373/.321
Agreda is the sixth Hickory pitcher to throw at least four no-hit innings in a start, so Hickory has either teased or accomplished a no-hitter about once every two weeks.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Blach
AA: Drake
Hi-A: Trentadue
Lo-A: Segura