Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 9, at Las Vegas (ATH) 5
Round Rock: 15 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 31-44, 14 GB, first half over
SP Nolan Kingham: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 75 P / 58 S, 7.54 ERA
RP Jacob Stretch: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.81 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 1-4, BB, 2 SB (27), .267/.371/.407
3B Jonah Bride: 3-3, 2 2B, BB, .266/.393/.397
1B Blaine Crim: 3-5, .263/.345/.461
DH Aaron Zavala: 2-5, 2B, .259/.361/.416
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-4, HR (2), BB, .158/.234/.263
The 8th was pitched by 23-year-old righty Jacob Stretch, an undrafted Virginia Tech alum who threw 19 innings in the Baltimore organization last year. Texas signed him in May, and he’s tossed 11.2 innings with a 6.17 ERA eight walks and 19 strikeouts for the rookies. The Round Rock assignment is of the “we need a guy” variety, I think; a permanent placement should be at one of the lower levels. Stretch is the first player with that last name in the history of MLB-affiliated ball. Now it’s time for the organization to find and sign Billy Windup.
Gavin Collyer threw ten strikes in 11 pitches, coming on to get the last two outs when AAA batters at altitude proved too much for relative newcomer Cole Roland (0.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R).
Nolan Kingham did everyone a huge favor with a quality start. In the span of a few days, the Express have at least temporarily lost three-fifths of their rotation (Davalillo to the complex, Supak to the IL, Corniell to Arlington). On social media today I joked about signing Taijuan Walker, just released by the Angels, but I’m not really joking. He needs a showcase, Round Rock needs innings.
Several batters took full advantage of the setting last week including Blaine Crim (.381/.435/.619) and Cam Cauley (.333/.385/.667). Round Rock averaged 8.3 runs per game yet lost four of six. Adios, Silver State.
The 31-44 record is the second-worst of any Texas AAA half-season dating back to 2005. In Texas’s lone season with Nashville in 2019, the Sounds were 28-42 at the midway point but finished 38-30. 
AA: Frisco 3, Arkansas (SEA) 1
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 39-29, 3 G up, division champion, first half over
SP Jordan Montgomery: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 13 P / 10 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Dylan MacLean: 5.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3.81 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 7.85 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Frainyer Chavez: 2-2, 2 BB, .287/.397/.453
2B Max Wagner: 2-3, HR (6), .242/.349/.484
Jordan Montgomery had a solid 2026 debut, finishing with a curve strikeout. Had LF Marcus Lee Sang not misjudged a wind-blown fly to the corner, Montgomery would have completed the innings on just five pitches. Like all rehabbers in Frisco, Montgomery donned the weirdly clashing combination of light cream Frisco top and bright white Rangers pants (with red and blue piping). 
Hi-A: Hub City 5, at Frederick (BAL) 8
Hub City: 7 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 1-2, 35-34 overall
SP Izack Tiger: 2.2 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 4 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 41 P / 28 S, 13.50 ERA
RP D.J. McCarty: 5 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 3 SO, 5.36 ERA
CF Hector Osorio: 2-4, BB, .264/.361/.491
2B Chandler Pollard: 2-3, BB, 2 SB (14), .234/.326/.338
The good news is Izack Tiger is back to full-season ball for the first time in over two years. The bad is that homers in the South Atlantic League are up a ridiculous 45% since the last time he pitched at this league, and he was taken deep twice including on just his fourth pitch of the game. Tiger suffered an elbow injury in mid-June 2024 and had thrown 6.2 innings with two runs, two walks and 14 strikeouts in Arizona. He’s touched 100 in the past but was in the mid-90s yesterday.
21-year-old Hector Osorio has handled high-A well so far, drawing seven walks versus just six strikeouts in addition to a nearly .500 slugging percentage. 
Lo-A: Hickory 4, Columbia (KAN) 3
Hickory: 5 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 3-0, 37-30 overall
SP Evan Siary: 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 47 P / 34 S, 3.65 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1.82 ERA
C Cal Stark: 1-3, HR (1), .190/.307/.317
In low-A, Owen Proksch has made 11 appearances of exactly two innings in 2026. Three were perfect, another three were scoreless with no hits, four were scoreless with hits, and one had a run.
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Five years ago yesterday wasn’t very interesting. Five years ago, Tyler Phillips was bumped to AAA and allowed four runs on three hits and two walks in 0.2 innings. The promotion frankly confused me, as he’d been dealing with atypical control issues as well as some fortunately brief elbow discomfort. He missed on 14 of 29 pitches. Keep in mind his walk rate three years prior was one per 37 batters. Frisco’s Hans Crouse allowed a run in 6.2 solid innings, though they did prompt a lengthy discussion about how he most definitely wasn’t the flamethrower of yore, usually dealing a fastball around 93 augmented with a new cutter.
Next year, I’m going to have to adjust the format, because on Mondays in 2027, the schedule “five years ago yesterday” will be completely empty.
Programming Note
Wednesday’s report will be late or perhaps blended into Thursday because of work travel.
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