Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 1, Sacramento (SFO) 0
Round Rock: 11 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Record: 21-18, 6 GB, 55-59 overall
SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 67 P / 41 S, 3.97 ERA
RP Jacob Latz: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.08 ERA
RP Jose Ruiz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.60 ERA
RP Craig Kimbrel: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.26 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 3-3, BB, .338/.385/.548
LF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, BB, .295/.475/.432
Craig Kimbrel had a little more pep in his throws last night, averaging 93.5 on the fastball instead of the usual 92.5. I’d bet that even among serious baseball fans, few know he’s pitching for Texas’s AAA squad. I suppose that slightly increases the chance of another team wanting to take a chance on him and/or the likelihood of him trying to extend his career into 2026.
This week is a reunion of sorts, with former Rangers Sam Huff and Osleivis Basabe in town for Sacramento.Huff lasted two months on the Giants’ roster as an ill-used #2 catcher (53 PA in 58 team games) before being outrighted, which was much more of an opportunity he’d have received in Texas. Basebe was outrighted as well after being traded from Tampa Bay in February.
The Nationals designated 1B Nathaniel Lowe for assignment. His power remains, but after four seasons as an OBP source with Texas that percentage plummeted to .293 in Washington.
AA: Frisco 6, Midland (ATH) 4
Frisco: 12 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 8 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 18-23, 8 GB, 56-53 overall
SP Leandro Lopez: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 35 P / 18 S, 2.35 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.18 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, BB, .238/.336/.377
LF Keith Jones II: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .191/.269/.319
C Julian Brock: 3-4, 2B
Neither I nor faithful readers need a reminder of Leandro Lopez’s eccentricity, but he provided one anyway. He walked the first two batters and was eventually pulled seven pitches into his seventh batter with a 2-2 count.
If you’re wondering whether Sebastian Walcott is injured because his name hasn’t appeared lately, no, he’s just been quiet. Walcott ended a 22-game streak without an extra-base hit a month, but now he’s in another of 13, during which he’s hitting .140/.260/.140. Following a two-homer game on May 30, he’s slugging .301 with eight extra-base hits in 53 games. 
Hi-A: wet
Two today.
Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 26-18, 5 GB, 59-50 overall
SP Jesus Lafalaise: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 73 P / 40 S, 2.79 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.43 ERA
RF Paxton Kling: 3-4
C Josh Springer: 2-3, 2B, .188/.263/.250
Paxton Kling delivered again, lining twice and beating out a grounder for singles. Josh Springer doesn’t have much of a line yet in six games but has only fanned once after doing so just nine times in 133 trips to the plate at the complex (.284/.364/.388).
Today’s Starters
AAA: Supak
AA: Davalillo
Hi-A: Curry / TBD
Lo-A: Scarborough
Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 2021 Frisco RoughRiders had the second-best pitching staff during 2007-2024 of any Texas team and was 28th-best of 794 teams in Texas-affiliated leagues in that span.
Runs allowed: 4.3 per game, 14% better than park-adjusted league average
ERA-: 86
FIP-: 91
Opposing OPS+: 88
What you saw in Frisco after a year lost to covid:
— The best minor league season from Cole Winn (78 innings, 38 hits, 2.31 ERA)
— AJ Alexy’s professional peak (50 innings, 30 hits, 1.61 ERA)
— 14 wonderful starts from Yerry Rodriguez (59 innings, 38 hits, 2.63 ERA)
— 13 strong starts from Hans Crouse (51 IP, 27 hits, 3.35 ERA), until he was traded
— Four walks and 41 strikeouts in 34.2 innings from Cody Bradford (3.89 ERA)
— Dominant relief from Nick Snyder (16 IP, 25 SO, 1.65 ERA), Daniel Robert (17 IP, 31 SO, 2.08 ERA), Cole Uvila (31 IP, 42 SO, 2.90 ERA), Scott Engler (19 IP, 32 SO, 3.20 ERA) and Joe Gatto (18 IP, 25 SO, 0.98 ERA)
— A stretch of eight appearances with 9.2 nearly perfect innings from Chase Lee (1 hit, 1 walk, 16 strikeouts)
— A 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings from catcher Jordan Procyshen
Despite a modestly hitter-friendly park, Frisco led the “Double-A Central”* in runs allowed, walks (barely) and hits (by a mile). 15 pitchers would eventually reach the Majors.
The team was only 64-55 because of a flat offense (98 OPS+ but last in OBP, 7% fewer runs than average). Alas, the pitching responsible for a positive record couldn’t quite get the Riders into the playoffs. Frisco could have advanced with a victory in the finale at Amarillo, and the offense was up to task, rallying from a four-run deficit to take a 10-7 lead in he 9th. Chase Lee had already retired four batters but stayed in, and as he exceeded his career-high in pitches, Amarillo’s Ryder Jones sent the game to extras with a three-run homer. Frisco scored one in the 10th, after which Daniel Robert came on despite having thrown 21 pitches the days before. (Frisco was pretty much out of viable options and had been leaning on him and Lee heavily down the stretch.) Robert threw six pitches, resulting in a double, hit-by-pitch, groundout and season-ending three-run homer. Gut: wrenched.
* Remember when MLB usurped control of minor league operations but didn’t have the naming rights, so they had to use placeholder names? Those were good times.**
** No, they weren’t.
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