I’m on a tricky schedule (in Salt Lake City for my daughter’s national archery tournament), so I didn’t have an opportunity to provide a summary for RHP Peyton Gray prior to his MLB debut. I’ve been covering him, though, so hopefully you had an idea. Here’s a quick table I produced for social media yesterday:
The change is the money pitch, as you know, and he’ll deal it to righties and into the zone. His called-strike rate on changes in AAA is 23% compared to the league’s 8%. I don’t know if he should be throwing that many strikes with it, but the point is it’s serving a much larger role than just getting chases against lefties.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 5, at Sugar Land (HOU) 3 (7)
Round Rock: 9 hits, 10 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
SP Josh Stephan: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 74 P / 48 S, 5.95 ERA
RP Carter Baumler: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 9.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 2-4, BB, .299/.380/.448
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .296/.425/.408
SS Cameron Cauley: 2-4, BB
Sugar Land has a positive record despite their hitters’ league-worst strikeout rate and (by far) the worst swing-and-miss rate. Josh Stephan took advantage with 14 misses, easily the most of his young season.
Carter Baumler made his first rehab appearance; his fastball velocity was normal. Sometimes, clubs haven’t been too eager to rush Rule 5 picks back to the Majors from their rehab assignments, treating them as sort of a miniature option period. We’ll see in this case. Cal Quantrill is on the active roster and might be a casualty. Gavin Collyer has avoided hits, but he’s also walked or hit five of 15 batters and has a 53% walk rate, both of which will will cause problems quickly if not improved.
Sugar Land’s first two pitchers were Nate Pearson and Sam Carlson, both linked to the Rangers in 2017 draft and picked 28th and 55th overall, respectively. Texas chose OF Bubba Thompson 26th and IF Chris Seise 29th.
Others from the draft chosen prior to Carlson:
LHP MacKenzie Gore (3)
CIF Jake Burger (11)
1B Nick Pratto (14)
RHP Spencer Howard (45, now in Japan)
AAA: Round Rock 12, at Sugar Land (HOU) 5 (7)
Round Rock: 8 hits, 11 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 10-13, 3.5 GB
SP Ryan Brasier: 1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 24 P / 17 S, 5.63 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.86 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 7.15 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 1-2, HR (3), 3 BB, SB (7), .232/.393/.377
DH Nick Pratto: 1-3, 2B, BB
RF Aaron Zavala: 1-2, HR (1), 2 BB, SB (1), .254/.348/.356
Cam Cauley had a day. He owns a decent if unspectacular walk rate over his career, yet he’s reached via walk in over 20% of his plate appearances so far in AAA. Round Rock hitters drew 21 walks in 14 innings.
Emiliano Teodo has a loopy opposing line of .129/.372/.161.
AA: Frisco 1, Tulsa (LAD) 6
Frisco: 1 hit, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 9 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 8-10, 6 GB
SP Winston Santos: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 31 P / 17 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1.74 ERA
Santos was pulled in the 1st for an excessive pitch count. OF Dylan Dreiling (0-3) was activated off the IL.
Hi-A: Hub City 16, Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hub City: 16 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 3.5 GB
SP J’Briell Easley: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 46 P / 32 S, 3.52 ERA
RP Joe Adametz: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 5.27 ERA
DH Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, 2B, BB, .214/.302/.375
RF Paxton Kling: 3-6, 2 2B, .288/.400/.407
LF Yeison Morrobel: 3-6, 2 2B, .246/.306/.474
C Ben Hartl: 2-3, HR (1), BB, .250/.345/.375
SS Luke Hanson: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (5), .125/.236/.146
Hub City has improved its OBP from a minors-worst .293 to .312 in a matter of days. Rafe Perich and Quincy Scott added a couple of hits apiece, and Arturo Disla reached on a single, walk and HBP. 
Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Hill City (CLE) 4
Hickory: 8 hits, 9 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 14-4, 4 G up
SP Kamdyn Perry: 3 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 32 P / 23 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.69 ERA
LF Deward Tovar: 2-3, HR (6), BB, .294/.377/.647
C Josh Springer: 2-4, 2B, .326/.408/.349
RF Hector Osorio: 2-5, 2B, .266/.407/.516
Deward Tovar’s six homers are third-most in low-A and tied for ninth among hitters below AAA. The 20-year-old has been a high-power, high-walk, high-strikeout type in his young career.
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