AAA: Round Rock 11, at Albuquerque (COL) 5
Round Rock: 10 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 19-17, 6 GB, 53-58 overall
SP Carl Edwards Jr.: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 57 P / 37 S, 5.52 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.06 ERA
RP Jacob Latz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-3, BB, 2 HBP, .500/.600/.999
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, HR (9), 2 BB, .274/.384/.440
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, HR (8), BB, .254/.354/.364
Abimelec Ortiz’s single was a lob to center. An earlier fly needed slightly more pop or a slightly lower angle to clear.
AA: Frisco 5, at Arkansas (SEA) 6
Frisco: 10 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 15-23, 9 GB, 53-53 overall
SP Jose Corniell: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 47 P / 34 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Geraldo Carillo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.41 ERA
DH Aaron Zavala: 2-5, 2B, .242/.365/.404
Jose Corniell struck out four with a slider and three fastballs in a 96-97 range. in 11.2 IP in AA, he’s walked one and struck out 12 with a 0.00 ERA.
Hi-A: Hub City 8, at Jersey Shore (PHI) 5 (10)
Hub City: 7 hits, 10 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 22-19, tied for 1st, 53-53 overall
SP Brooks Fowler: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 79 P / 50 S, 3.60 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 HBP, .202/.292/.276
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 3-4, 2B, 2 BB, SB (44), .259/.331/.323
Hub City scored three in the 10th aided by a very generous host. Possibly no one in the system could use a good August more than 2024 3rd-rounder Casey Cook, for whom I can’t even cherry-pick some type of positive stat. If anything, he’s a reminder that for most college players, even those from top conferences, high-A is a step up from the NCAA.
Lo-A: Hickory 6, Columbia (KAN) 1
Hickory: 7 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
SP Kamdyn Perry: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 61 P / 37 S, 5.71 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.06 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 3-4, 2B, .257/.367/.368
DH Hector Osorio: 1-2, BB, .254/.392/.360
Lo-A: Hickory 4, Columbia (KAN) 1
Hickory: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-16, 4.5 GB, 58-48 overall
SP Aidan Deakins: 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 56 P / 35 S, 7.20 ERA
RP Aneudis Mejia: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 6.62 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-4, 2B, .257/.367/.368
DH Maxton Martin: 1-2, BB, .264/.344/.453
After a quiet July, Columbia’s arrival has rejuvenated Max Martin, who’s 6-for-13 with three homers in the series.
Yeremi Cabrera had a bland April followed by four hitless games in early May. Since then: .290/.384/.433 with eight homers and 28 steals. I expect he’ll join Hub City next April at the tender age of 20.
21-year-old Aidan Deakins made his first full-season start. Drafted out of Wabash Valley College last year’s 13th round, he fanned 47 in 38 innings with a 4.03 ERA at the complex.
Hickory is still in line to be an update on the ’81 Reds, holding the best record in the division but outside the playoffs under the split-season format. Myrtle Beach, the first-half basement-dweller at 25-39, is 29-11 in the second half and it’s not luck (run differential of +2.5 per game).
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: TBD
Hi-A: Curtis
Lo-A: Agreda
Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
Yesterday, I covered Neftai Feliz’s 2008. Today, a very brief teammate of his, Max Ramirez, who produced the tenth-best position player season during 2007-2024.
Ramirez was the return for OF Kenny Lofton from Cleveland in 2007. I remember a conversation with someone in the organization in Arizona during instructs. I asked whether Ramirez would be able to stock behind the plate and received an equivocal and not terribly optimistic “…mayyybe.” I then asked if the bat would play elsewhere if he didn’t catch. Same response. As it transpired, the man knew his stuff.
In 2008, the hitting part seemed assured. Ramirez had a terrific eye and could power the ball to all fields. On June 20, he walked thrice and homered to improve to .363/.457/.662 with 17 homers in 66 games. Texas called him up straight from Frisco to replace an injured Gerald Laird, bypassing the older and AAA-stationed Taylor Teagarden. His first tilt at MLB pitching didn’t match his excellence in Frisco, nor did a handful of later games in AAA, but he still finished the season on the upswing. At the time, Ramirez was still firmly focused on catcher, so he didn’t moonlight at first or DH frequently. First was also problematic because of his listed height (5’11”) and his actual height (not 5’11”).
By the time Feliz reached AA, Ramirez had already made his MLB debut, but when Ramirez was optioned in late July, he rejoined Frisco for two games and caught a Feliz start before heading to AAA Oklahoma City.
Injuries to both wrists made for a disappointing 2009, and he didn’t join the Rangers at all. He did play in Arlington some in 2010 but dcouldn’t establish a role, and when the Rangers signed reliever Arhur Rhodes in the offseaason, Ramirez was waived and lost to the Cubs. He would continue in affiliated ball for four more years and Mexico for another four, but his MLB career was over.
Max in 2007:
