Rangers Farm Report: Games of Tuesday 1 July

Box Scores

My Monday report doesn’t appear to have gone through. Here it is.

AAA: Round Rock 6, at Sugar Land (HOU) 2
Round Rock: 5 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 5-2, 1 GB, 39-43 overall

SP Patrick Murphy: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 11 P / 7 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.97 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.77 ERA
RP Craig Kimbrel: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 43.86 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2 BB, .245/.341/.365
SS Cody Freeman: 1-3, 2B, BB, .319/.373/.495

More promotions, beginning with outfielder Aaron Zavala and reliever Skylar Hales to Round Rock from Frisco. Zavala’s is already a victory, coming after an early-2023 brace surgery that capsized his career, leaving him floundering in the water amongst sharks and labored metaphors. He looked done, frankly, but his and organization’s perseverance have produced a rebound and deserved bump to AAA. Zavala struck out three times in four trips to the plate in his debut, and that’s always an occupational hazard for him because of both patience and some miss in his swing.

Hales, drafted in 2023’s 4th round, established himself as a relief prospect from the get-go. He hasn’t dominated quite to the extent I’d originally hoped but is one step from the Majors less than two years from being selected. He fanned over 30% of opponents in AA with an opposing line of .223/.305/.351 but had a 5.26 ERA because his occasional bad days sometimes get away from him.

Also to Round Rock is Kohl Drake, likely Texas’s best pitching prospect among those healthy and currently in action.

AA: Frisco 5, Arkansas (SEA) 6
Frisco: 11 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 2-5, 2 GB, 40-35 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 88 P / 56 S, 4.13 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 3.00 ERA
1B Jake Burger: 1-3, BB
RF Keith Jones II: 2-5, HR (1)
DH Abi Ortiz: 1-5, HR (10), .218/.329/.383
SS Cam Cauley: 2-5, HR (7), SB (21), .239/.321/.400

Up to AA in his first full professional season is 2024 9th-rounder Keith Jones II. On a statistical basis, Jones was Texas’s best minor league hitter in the season’s first half, hitting .270/.406/.451 for high-A Hub City. With some patience, pop and speed, he’s at least quality upper-level depth. Jones does tend to hit a bunch of grounders, but that hasn’t muted his output yet.

Hi-A: suspended

To be completed today.

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Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Kannapolis (CHW) 7
Hickory: 4 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 7-3, 1 GB, 40-35 overall

SP Ismael Agreda: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 48 P / 31 S, 2.76 ERA
RP Grant Cherry: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.03 ERA
1B Pablo Guerrero: 1-4, HR (5), .206/.282/.323

The offense was quiet after Guerrero’s 2nd-inning homer.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Drake
AA: Lobus
Hi-A: Trentadue
Lo-A: Segura