AAA: Round Rock 3, Gwinnett (ATL) 5 (10)
Round Rock: 11 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 1-3, 2 GB
SP Austin Bergner: 4 IP, 2 H (2 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 58 P / 34 S
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
RP Emiliano Teodo: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO
RP Alexis Diaz: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
LF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, 2B
DH Trevor Hauver: 3-4, HR (1), BB
In the 6th, I’d seen Emiliano Teodo loosening in the bullpen with the score knotted at two, not with serious intent yet but perhaps heading toward a 7th-inning entry. But when the first two runners reached against Robby Ahlstrom, it was Peyton Gray who immediately warmed in earnest. Ahlstrom escaped with a strikeout and two comebackers.
Gray replaced Ahlstrom and dealt a scoreless 7th and 8th. He missed six bats including four (on six swings) with the changeup. Gavin Collyer entered the 9th up a run. Jose Azocar lined an honest double with one out and reached third on a groundout. Then, on an 0-2 count, Collyer reared back and delivered a 100.5 MPH fastball to the upper-in edge of the zone, but Chadwick Tromp managed to punch it short the opposite way for a game-tying single.
It may just be dumb luck that Gray and Collyer were scheduled to pitch on nights in which high-leverage situations occurred, but it’s also clear that both are trusted in these situations, seemingly more so than Teodo.
Here’s the top speed of everyone who’s reached 100 in an Express uniform since 2022:
101.7 — Alex Speas, 2023
101.2 — Emiliano Teodo, 2024
100.5 — Gavin Collyer, last night
100.3 — Jonathan Hernandez, 2023
100.1 — Yerry Rodriguez, 2022
100.1 — Jack Leiter, 2024
Teodo would enter in the 10th, and unfortunately his outing was just as rough as last Friday’s. He again hit the first batter, and the gift-runner on second would advance to third and home on wild pitches.
Alexis Diaz replaced Teodo with one out and the bases loaded. Given his tumultuous spring, that sounds like gas on a fire, but Diaz was surprisingly solid last Saturday and strongly hinted at the possibility of returning to MLB-level quality. Seven of Diaz’s ten fastballs were hotter than his maximum Arizona speed of 94.7, topped by two at 97 even. Most were either in the zone or near enough to create three misses and two calls. The slider missed another bat but was generally ineffective, and one skipped to the backstop to plate another run. Still, on the whole, some encouraging signs.
Trevor Hauver was compensated for being robbed of a homer on Sunday. Then, his 107 MPH / 30-degree blast somehow traveled only 356 feet. Last night, his 103 / 29 shot bounced off the bullpen canopy well beyond the 407 sign in deepest left-center.
The 28-year-old Bergner had 282 productive AA innings and 88 violent AAA innings (8.22 ERA, 18 homers) entering 2026. He barely escaped the 1st (an annoyingly cheap solo homer, a no-doubt homer, a walk) but needed only 31 pitches to breeze through the next three. Getting him into the MLB starting depth discussion will take some doing, but hopefully he can be a capable AAA starter or swingman.
Your starting lineup:
Other News
OF Dairon Blanco passed through waivers and was outrighted to AAA Round Rock. We’ll see whether he accepts.
OF Braylin Morel was placed on the 60-day Injured List. He’d been announced as part of low-A Hickory’s initial roster.
Hickory IF Yolfran Castillo made Baseball America’s list of “50 MLB Prospects Who Impressed Scouts Entering 2026.” ($ link)
Gore-Tex Trade Assignments
Gavin Fien was assigned to low-A Fredericksburg and is notably listed as an IF/OF. Joining him is OF Yeremi Cabrera, who spent all of 2025 at the same level with solid results. I thought he’d be promoted, but not yet. Getting the assignment to high-A Wilmington is IF Devin Fitz-Gerald despite only 41 games of pro experience including just ten in low-A. 1B Abi Ortiz was already playing for AAA Rochester, and RHP Alejandro Rosario is out the season with elbow issues.