AAA: Round Rock 6, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 2
Round Rock: 12 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 3-8, 4 GB
SP Trey Supak: 4.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 84 P / 49 S, 5.91 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.91 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.59 ERA
RP Ryan Brasier: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 2.08 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, .289/.340/.422
LF Trevor Hauver: 3-5, SB (1), .268/.388/.341
CF Cameron Cauley: 2-4, BB, SB (4), .211/.348/.316
DH Willie MacIver: 2-4, SB (1), .091/.310/.091
Josh Sborz was effective again, if a little less strike-prone than usual. To be more accurate, the fish weren’t biting outside the zone as much. I’ve discussed the velocity at length, probably too much. His did reach a new peak a few days ago, but for at least the short run, he probably is who he is. The question is whether that’s enough.
Sborz has allowed a single run and five runners in 5.2 innings. Super. His walk rate is 9%, the strikeout rate 22%. Swell. On the other hand, most of Sborz’s Statcast and other markers are at or near the PCL averages. With the caveat that samples are small, opponents have chosen to swing at pitches inside and outside the zone at league-average rates, and miss rates are similar. His hard-hit rate is average, although he’s been able to ward off the hardest contact. On the downside, he’s been quite fly-prone, and his first-pitch strike rate is just 36%.
So, the basic stats are great, and the underlying data is… fine. Despite the 3-8 team record, the Express bullpen has been quite strong, so Sborz doesn’t stand out from most of the rest in terms of a potential call-up. The situation is complicated by the situation in Arlington. Who would he replace? Pure relievers with options are Luis Curvelo and Robert Garcia. (Whatever his role, Jacob Latz is as safe as they come right now.) Curvelo was just recalled and pitched well. Garcia has been annoying, but demoting him now seems a bit hasty, and Sborz hasn’t made a definitive case as a better choice.
Sborz can (but doesn’t have to) opt out of his deal on the 15th. We’ll see.
AA: Frisco 4, Midland (ATH) 5
Frisco: 10 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 4-1
SP Blake Townsend: 3.2 IP, 5 H (4 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 67 P / 41 S
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
RP Jonathan Brand: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
CF Dylan Dreiling: 3-4
C Julian Brock: 2-4, 2B
Frisco will not finish the season 138-0. The lefty-swinging Dylan Dreiling has been extraordinarily oppo-oriented so far, collecting last night’s three singles, last week’s homer and probably more on shots to left.
Hi-A: Hub City 4, Greenville (BOS) 1
Hub City: 8 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 1-3
SP Enrique Segura: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 46 P / 25 S
RP Brock Porter: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO
RP Thomas Ireland: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, HR (1)
1B Arturo Disla: 3-4, 2 2B
2B Antonis Macias: 1-3, HR (1)
In relief of Enrique Segura, Brock Porter walked his first opponent and hit the next, but he more-or-less recovered afterwards, sometimes dealing some nifty sliders. The lone hit was dubious, a fly down the line to right that apparently was believed foul by everyone (even the Greenville batter and runner on 1st) except the plate ump. (The stands prevented a definitive view from the camera.)
21-year-old Antonis Macias hit his third professional homer in 201 games. He’s resumed duty at second, where he played frequently at low-A Hickory but not once in 16 high-A games last summer.
Catcher Malcolm Moore (1-4) doubled sharply to right-center.
Lo-A: Hickory 0, at Kannapolis (CHW) 4
Hickory: 2 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 3-2
SP Aidan Deakins: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 59 P / 36 S
RP Geury Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO
2024 13th-round LHP Aidan Deakins had a nice start. The lone walk and HBP are noteworthy. Deakins walked only eight in 38 complex-level innings in 2025, but his stints at Hickory last summer (19 IP, 12 BB+HBP), Wabash Valley College and summer leagues didn’t indicate great control.
Today’s Starters
AAA:
AA:
Hi-A:
Lo-A:
Five Years Ago Yesterday
I reported on two “alternate site” minor league games between the Rangers and Astros in Round Rock. These were equivalent to extended spring training but involved mostly AAA players. In late February, AAA teams announced their schedules that were to begin at the usual time in early April, but the other leagues wouldn’t commence until May. For various reasons, reaction within and outside the industry was skeptical, and MLB rescinded the AAA schedules just eight days later. Instead, all levels would begin in May with a reduced 120 games on the slate (and several teams would lose more than ten games to widespread covid outbreaks).
In the early afternoon before the game listed above, I’d driven to Killeen to get my covid booster because I couldn’t get an appointment in Austin. My wife got her second shot in Rockdale, of all places. Such were the times.
As for the games, IF Anderson Tejeda homered once and struck out several times. He would soon be in Arlington, batting second and playing third base, but before long he would return to Round Rock and then Frisco as his contact rate collapsed. Remarkably, a mid-September game at the complex would be his last as a professional at the age of 23. Korean righty Hyeon-jong Yang threw two scoreless innings, but my view was askance: “I don’t believe his repertoire on Wednesday would fare well against an MLB lineup.” He, too would be in Arlington in a couple of weeks and post a 5.60 ERA in 35 innings. (He returned to Korea and is still active at the age of 38.)
The 2021 Rangers were not very good.
Adolis Garcia didn’t do anything of consequence in Round Rock but had a great spring overall and had his contract purchased by the Rangers a few days later. Lefty Brett Martin pitched well in a warmup before joining the Rangers. I liked what I saw of Spencer Patton despite a homer allowed, and by June he’d return to the Majors for the first time since 2016 (He’d spent four seasons in Japan.) RHP Cole Uvila looked like a Major Leaguer but didn’t quite make it. Unfortunately, Mike Matuella’s fastball velocity had dwindled from the occasional triple digits of 2018 to the 89-92 range. He didn’t receive an assignment and would be released in mid-May. (I still think he was a good pick.) The revelation was RHP Jake Lemoine, whose fastball improved from the low 90s in early 2017 (coming off nearly two years lost to injury) to 93-95 in 2019, and 95-99 in front of me in April 2021.