Author: scottrlucas

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, Las Vegas (ATH) 9
Round Rock: 9 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 14-13, 5 GB

SP Adrian Houser: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 36 P / 18 S, 7.06 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 5.11 ERA
3B Ezequiel Duran: 1-5, HR (2), .261/.320/.565
DH Blaine Crim: 2-5, HR (5), .318/.373/.561
2B Cody Freeman: 2-4, HR (3), .306/.354/.500

Adrian Houser and Dane Acker combined for 62 pitches, 13 batters faced and seven runs scored in a 28-minute top of the 1st. Houser had been homer-prone (four in 21.1 IP) but otherwise effective so far.

Baltimore claimed reliever Walter Pennington, who’d been designated for assignment last week. Yesterday, the transaction wire indicated the Rangers had simply released him, which was odd, as he had no right (to my knowledge) to refuse an outright assignment and didn’t seem a candidate for release despite a poor spring.

Best hard-hit rates (95+MPH):
Kellen Strahm, 53%
Blaine Crim, 51%
Justin Foscue, 48%
(League, 39%)

Nothing against Strahm, but he wouldn’t have been my first guess as the team leader in this category. He’s always hit pretty well but not as an especially prolific power source. In 2025, however, his eight extra-base hits are one shy of last year’s AAA total in fewer than half the plate appearances. I’m not sure what he can do to force the issue, but he’s at least doing enough to earn some consideration should Texas need a replacement in the outfield.

AA: Frisco 4, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 1
Frisco: 10 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 14-7, 3 G up

SP Trey Supak: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 74 P / 55 S, 1.77 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.25 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.08 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.74 ERA
LF Alejandro Osuna: 3-5, .282/.364/.400
1B Josh Hatcher: 1-5, HR (4), .347/.355/.583
RF Abi Ortiz: 3-5, 2B, SB (2), .240/.337/.387

Older indy-league vets Trey Supak and Peyton Gray continue to shine for the Riders. Noted speedster Abimelec Ortiz stole his second base of the young season, equaling last year’s total. Alejandro Osuna has an 11-game hit streak (.357/.431/.452).

Hi-A: Hub City 1, Greenville (BOS) 6
Hub City: 4 hits, 3 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 11 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 12-9, tied for first

SP Jose Gonzalez: 3.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 74 P / 44 S, 1.80 ERA
DH Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, BB, SB (5), .297/.410/.453
C Cal Stark: 1-4, HR (1), .310/.394/.448

The last time Jose Gonzalez allowed a homer plus three or more walks in a game was the 12th of Never.

Hub City took four of six in the inaugural series between the two new rivals. Dylan Dreiling batted .361/.489/.611 during the two-week homestand.

Lo-A: Hickory 1, Salem (BOS) 19
Hickory: 7 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 11-10, 2 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 3 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 62 P / 32 S, 4.63 ERA

The weather at the park was sunny and mild. I trust the beverages were cold and refreshing.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The worst team in a Rangers-affiliated league during 2007-2024 is the 2021 Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

Record: 40-79
Run-Differential Record: 36-83
Component Record: 40-79

This White Sox affiliate came from the same league and year as fifth-worst Fredericksburg. Kannapolis wasn’t in a new city like the FNats but would christen a new stadium and introduce a new mascot (retiring the “Intimidators”). The Cannon Ballers lost “only” ten straight to open the season (including six to Down East) versus Fredericksburg’s 15, but after 24 games they had only two victories and a staggering run differential of -119, roughly five runs per game. They batted .209/.312/318 while opponents hit .304/.400/.463.

Then, after five weeks of reasonable competitiveness, they again lost in earnest and would endure a 15-game losing streak plus three more of 5-6 games. They were as low as 32-78 (.290) before winning eight of their final nine. For the season, Kannapolis had eight wins and 45 losses in games decided by five or more runs.

As I mentioned last week, I considered omitting 2021 from these rankings because of the cancelled 2020 and radical reorganization of minor league ball, but this team was no fluke. While the parent club won 93 games and reached the postseason a second-straight year, the foundation was rotting. Aside from AA Birmingham, Chicago’s other farm clubs weren’t much better than Kannapolis. The White Sox had some impressive top-end talent but scant depth in prospects or capable organizational types. The club descended to 81 losses in 2022, then 101, then last year’s historic 121.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Las Vegas (ATH) 8
Round Rock: 6 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 14-12, 4 GB

SP David Buchanan: 4 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 74 P / 44 S, 5.28 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Evan Carter: 1-5, .204/3/.347/.373
CF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, HR (3), BB, .262/.368/.462

Evan Carter played three consecutive games for the first time this season. Yesterday was his first at DH.

Kellen Strahm has a three-homer month for the first time since 2022. Around long enough to have played for Spokane, the now-28-year-old has 35 professional homers along with 74 steals versus only six caught, plus a career .376 OBP that he has maintained at the top minor league level.

David Buchanan’s incoming ERA of 3.96 flattered to deceive, I’m afraid, so Las Vegas decided to raise it to align with his peripherals.

Cole Winn is up to 17.2 nearly scoreless innings. Earlier this month, he allowed an unearned run on two walks and his own throwing error. He’s yet to permit an extra-base hit and has fanned 18.

Texas traded AAA infielder Alan Trejo to Colorado for cash. Trejo spent last year with AAA Oklahoma City (Dodgers) but was drafted by the Rox in 2017 and spent seven years in their system, so hopefully he left on decent terms.

AA: Frisco 1, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 5
Frisco: 5 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 13-7, 2 G ahead

SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 9 SO, 85 P / 59 S, 2.61 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, BB, .263/.351/.388
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, BB, .282/.409/.451

Frisco was shut out for five innings by rehabbing Lance McCullers Jr., who missed much of 2022 and all of 2023-2024 with arm injuries. Mitch Bratt wasn’t quite his equal but left with just a one-run deficit after six. Sebastian Walcott has reached safely in 18 of 19 games.

Hi-A: Hub City 16, Greenville (BOS) 8
Hub City: 11 hits, 12 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 12-8, tied for first

SP DJ McCarty: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 5 SO, 61 P / 37 S, 9.69 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 1-2, HR (2), 3 BB, SB (4), .295/.405/.459
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 1-2, 4 BB, .282/.346/.310
RF Keith Jones II: 2-5, 2B, HR (2), BB, .278/.443/.444
DH Arturo Disla: 2-4, 2B, BB, .286/.363/.486
3B Gleider Figurero: 3-4, 2B, HR (1), BB, .211/.288/.298

A wild one. Hub City trailed 5-2 in the 3rd but pinned seven on the Drive on just four hits including Keith Jones’ grand slam, which was witnessed in person by his father. 15 Burgers reached on walks or by being hit. 2024 2nd-rounder Dylan Dreiling has reached 11 times in four games in the series to push his OBP over .400.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Salem (BOS) 5
Hickory: 5 hits, 7 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 11-9, 2 GB

SP Dalton Pence: 2.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 53 P / 35 S, 4.63 ERA
RP Aneudis Mejia: 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 4.30 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 2-3, BB, .200/.433/.311
SS Chandler Pollard: 2-4, 2B, SB (10), .357/.449/.381

Hickory scored two in the 9th capped with a walk-off balk. With two out, pinch-runner Jose De Jesus attempted a steal of home, and startled reliever Nicholas de la Cruz’s hasty throw home was ruled a balk. The Crawdads’ comeback transpired without a legitimate hit, as Chandler Pollard’s opening high pop landed untouched 45 feet from the plate for a “double,” Erick Alvarez walked (and was replaced by De Jesus), and the two runners advanced on a sac bunt, grounder and balk. Tandem starter Aneudis Mejia needed only 55 pitches for five innings.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Houser
AA: Supak
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: Agreda

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The second-worst team in a Rangers-affiliated league during 2007-2024 is the 2014 AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox, a Rockies affiliate.

Record: 53-91
Run-Differential Record: 54-90
Component Record: 52-92

The Sky Sox were a humdrum 42-51 in early July before losing 41 of their last 51. In blowouts (5+ runs), they had 12 wins and 34 losses.

But enough about that particular team. Let’s talk about the Rockies in general. I can’t imagine covering their system year after year like I do the Rangers. Not without a lot of hostility that by now would have me banned from all their stadiums and the complex in Scottsdale.

In 31 minor league seasons, Colorado’s AAA squads have eight winning records, mostly during the franchise’s earliest dozen years. They haven’t reached the postseason since 1997. Since moving to Albuquerque, the team has nine consecutive losing seasons (with a tenth on the way) and a winning percentage of .443. The fine people of New Mexico deserve better.

I have 794 full-season teams in my database. Colorado’s AAA squads occupy six of the worst 98, and all six have occurred in the last ten seasons:

2014: 2nd-worst ever of 794 full-season teams, worst of 248 PCL teams
2024: #9 overall, #2 PCL
2022: #56 overall, #16 PCL
2015: #65 overall, #19 PCl
2021: #80 overall, #26 PCL
2019: #98 overall, #33 PCL

No, winning isn’t paramount at this level, and yes, recruiting AAA-vet pitching has to be difficult, but other high-elevation teams can and do playing winning baseball. For example, El Paso and Reno tied for the league’s best record in 2022. Colorado’s recent inability to even accidentally inch over .500 is telling.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Las Vegas (ATH) 4
Round Rock: 6 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 8 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 14-11, 3 GB

SP Michael Plassmeyer: 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 41 P / 28 S, 8.10 ERA
LF Evan Carter: 2-4, 3B, .204/.358/.389

Evan Carter used his speed to club a triple and beat out a single on a soft chopper. Those are a double and out for the average hitter. He didn’t face a lefty.

AA: Frisco 4, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 6
Frisco: 8 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 13-6, 2.5 G up

SP Ben Anderson: 4 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 73 P / 45 S, 9.42 ERA
RP Geraldo Carillo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, 2B, 2 SB (4), .260/.344/.390
DH Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, SB (5), .279/.405/.456
3B Keyber Rodriguez: 3-4, HR (1), .347/.414/.449

So far, Sebastian Walcott has been far more inclined to hit the ball in the air and split more evenly between pulled and center versus last year’s pull-happiness.

Hi-A: Hub City 6, Greenville (BOS) 2
Hub City: 10 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 11-8, tied for first

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 72 P / 42 S, 1.10 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, 2B, .288/.377/.407
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, .275/.306/.304
RF Keith Jones II: 1-2, 2 BB, .265/.438/.367
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, HR (3), .273/.351/.470

Despite only 16.1 innings, Davalillo ranks third in the league and first in the organization with 26 strikeouts. We await Anthony Gutierrez’s power. He’s still just 20, but he’s also in his third full season. Gutierrez has two doubles and two walks, leaving him almost totally dependent on singles to boost his production.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Salem (BOS) 4
Hickory: 11 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 10-9, 3 GB

SP Mason Molina: 3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 61 P / 44 S, 3.24 ERA
RP Alberto Mora: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.38 ERA
DH Pablo Guerrero: 2-4, .261/.278/.348
SS Chandler Pollard: 2-4, 2 SB (9), .342/.444/.342
RF Wady Mendez: 2-4, HR (2), SB (4), .279/.340/.512

Mason Molina had no walks and only two three-ball counts but needed 61 pitches in three innings. Wady Mendez already has more homers than last year. He played 76 games as part of an outfield rotation in 2024.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Buchanan
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Pence

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The third-worst team in the 2007-2024 period in a Rangers-affiliated league is the 2010 AA Arkansas Travelers.

Record: 55-85
Run-Differential Record: 49-91
Component Record: 47-93

This Angels affiliate has only the 35th-worst winning percentage of the 794 teams in my rankings but are nearly worst in both run differential and hitting/pitching/fielding components. The Travelers were 27-22 in one-run games and were fortunate to win as many as they did. In blowouts (5+ runs), Arkansas was 11-29.

I discussed the team’s historically bad pitching last week. Combining that with weak defense, Arkansas allowed 105 more runs than any other team in the Texas League despite playing in a pitcher’s park. The offense was last in runs, hits, and walks. That said, the three busiest hitters all reached the Majors. OF Jeremy Moore, easily the best of the regulars, got some coffee in 2011. 1B/OF Efren Navarro hit a modest .267/.316/.369 as a 24-year-old but managed to make his MLB debut in 2011 and play 157 games across six seasons. Andrew Romine slowly developed into a utility role.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, Las Vegas (ATH) 6 (10)
Round Rock: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 14-10, 3 GB

SP Dane Dunning: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 84 P / 52 S, 5.40 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 1-5, HR (2), .180/.349/.340
SS Ezequiel Duran: 2-5, 2B, SB (2)
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 2-3, BB, .159/.269/.159

Evan Carter hit a no-doubter to right, 105.7 off the bat for 383 feet. He’s batting .237/.396/.447 against righties and still looking for his first hit against lefties. Through last Sunday, nearly 75% of the pitches in the league came from righties, so one issue (admittedly not the only one) for Carter against lefties is lack of opportunities. He’s played in 14 games and has only 15 trips to the plate against a lefty. 

Zeke Duran has started three straight at short since being optioned. Sac flies from Blaine Crim and Sam Haggerty plated the tying and winning runs in the 10th.

AA: Frisco 4, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 0
Frisco: 4 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 16 strikeouts
Record: 13-5, 3 G up

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 8 SO, 77 P / 53 S, 5.40 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 9.00 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, 2B, BB, .247/.329/.370
SS Sebastian Walcott: 2-3, HR (2), HBP, SB (4), .266/.392/.453

Watch Sebastian Walcott hit the ball hard.

Josh Stephan’s eight strikeouts were his most in 16 starts in Frisco. His first start at the level was in July 2023, but injuries ended his season in early July that season and in 2024.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, Greenville (BOS) 6
Hub City: 9 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 10-8, tied for 1st

SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 60 P / 33 S, 0.82 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 3-5, 2B, SB (3), .273/.369/.382
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, .184/.263/.204
C Cal Stark: 3-4, .364/.474/.409

Baseball America has a feature on Joey Danielson’s ascendance from dust-gathering backup catcher at North Dakota State to relief prospect ($ link). Opponents are hitting .206/.290/.294 against him. Gleider Figuereo collected hit first hit against a lefty. They’ve always troubled him, and in 2025 he’s hitting .091 with two walks and nine strikeouts in 13 plate appearances.

Lo-A: Hickory 8, Salem (BOS) 0
Hickory: 13 hits, 6 walks, 2 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 9-9, 2.5 GB

SP Caden Scarborough: 4 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 54 P / 38 S, 4.30 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2.35 ERA
RP William Privette: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6.14 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 3-5, 2B, SB (2), .324/.347/.479
RF Hector Osorio: 1-2, 3 BB, .174/.406/.217
2B Luis Marquez: 3-3, 2B, HBP, .294/.442/.412

Hickory has only two shutouts but has allowed seven or fewer hits in 15 of 18 games. Caden Scarborough leads the squad with 18 strikeouts, and his 10% BB/HBP rate is better than I expected.

Indy Ball
Following are recently signed former Rangers I found in transaction lists for independent leagues. This is almost certainly not fully accurate or comprehensive.

Atlantic League: P AJ Alexy, P Tim Brennan, P Scott Engler, P David Lebron, P Joe Palumbo, P Nick Snyder, C Isaias Quiroz, IF Ben Blackwell, IF Travis Demeritte, IF Curtis Terry, OF LeDarious Clark
Frontier League: P Ivan Oviedo, P Tyree Thompson
American Association: P Jake Diekman, P Demarcus Evans

Also, some ex-Rangers among the top 100 in plate appearances or batters faced or I just happened upon their names in the Mexican League:
Pitchers Reid Birlingmair, Robert Dugger, Paolo Espino, Neftali Feliz, Roman Mendez, Zach Phillips and Richard Rodriguez, IF Hanser Alberto, OF Willie Calhoun, IF Andretty Cordero, OF Delino DeShields, IF Edwin Garcia, OF Leonys Martin, OF Nomar Mazara, IF Luis Sardinas, IF Yangervis Solarte, OF Josh Stowers, IF Christian Villanueva, OF Nick Williams

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Anderson
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: Molina

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The fourth-worst team in a Rangers-affiliated league during 2007-2024 is the 2015 High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, associated with the San Diego Padres.

Record: 50-90
Run-Differential Record: 48-92
Component Record: 45-95

The Storm played in a pitcher’s park (relatively speaking) but allowed the most runs in the league by far, an incredibly dubious accomplishment given the presence of High Desert and Lancaster, who played in the most hitter-friendly locations in the the US. The pitching was poor, to be sure, but Lake Elsinore also might have sported the worst defense of any of the 794 teams in my rankings. Measuring defense at this level is tricky, but the Storm committed the league’s most errors and were terrible at converting balls in play into outs (and converting double-play opportunities). They allowed a .291 opposing average on grounders, 40 points higher than any other team. The offense was bad, too, scoring 11% fewer runs than average with an 87 OPS+.

Lake Elsinore’s losing wasn’t as dramatic as Fredericksburg from yesterday, more of a long, dreary slog. They actually were competitive through May with a 23-26 record but went 27-64 the rest of the way. In that stretch, they posted 11 losing streaks of at least three games but only two on the winning side.

SS Jose Rondon was the only hitting prospect to reach the Majors, working as a backup for a few years with several clubs. Several pitchers reached, some very briefly and led by 59 innings from Brad Wieck, who closed out 2021 with 17 scoreless innings but was then derailed by injuries.

Righty Emiliano Teodo has shoulder fatigue and was placed on the IL, hopefully not for long. Based on the MLB and Baseball America rankings, Texas’s top minor-level pitching prospect in good health is either Kohl Drake or David Davalillo. IF Nick Ahmed replaced Corey Seager on the Texas roster. Ahmed had not played in Round Rock since re-signing two weeks ago.

Texas also designated LHP Walter Pennington for assignment. The return for Michael Lorenzen last summer, Pennington was among the earliest optioned players this spring, and at the time Dane Dunning was waived, I’d expected Pennington to be the one removed. Pennington did not pitch in Round Rock but was not on the IL, instead occupying a spot on the rookie roster.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Las Vegas (ATH) 1
Round Rock: 4 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts

SP Jack Leiter: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 40 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Dane Acker: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.50 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 1-3, 2B, BB, .178/.362/.289
SS Ezequiel Duran: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (1)
2B Jonathan Ornelas: 1-2, BB, .122/.229/.122

I covered Leiter yesterday. Evan Carter’s double was impressive not for its velocity but how he achieved it. He lined medium-hard between left and center and was instantly at full speed, beating the throw with a slide. Any hesitation would result in a single or single-plus-tag-out. Alas, Carter then tried to steal third and was caught. He later walked and scored (along with Zeke Duran) on a Blaine Crim single.

AAA: Round Rock 2, Las Vegas (ATH) 1 (7)
Round Rock: 5 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 13-10, 3 GB

SP Ryan Garcia: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 63 P / 41 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Ezequiel Duran: 1-3, HR (1)
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, 2B, .244/.341/.423

Ryan Garcia is back from whatever ailed him. The 2019 2nd-rounder reached AAA last summer and was impressive, if not enough to merit a 40 spot. Cole Winn pitched well again (but so did Jacob Latz and Caleb Boushley in the Majors).

Former Ranger Zak Kent made his MLB debut with three innings of one-run ball for Cleveland.

AA: Frisco 6, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 2
Frisco: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 18 strikeouts
Record: 12-5, 3 G up

SP Kohl Drake: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 SO, 71 P / 46 S, 2.92 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.61 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 2.70 ERA
RF Abi Ortiz: 1-3, BB, SB (1), .294/.429/.471
LF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, 2B, .400/.397/.633

Kohl Drake fanned ten. Watch them all here. His K rate after three starts in 38%. Josh Hatcher already has eight multi-hit games in 14 played.

Hi-A: Hub City 4, Greenville (BOS) 3
Hub City: 9 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 5 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 10-7, tied for first

SP Kolton Curtis: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 53 P / 33 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Keith Jones II: 2-3, BB, SB (5), .255/.417/.362
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, .271/.348/.441

Kolton Curtis made his first 2025 appearance and first at high-A. The undrafted 20-year-old has drawn attention for a four-pitch mix headed by a change. He sported a 2.85 ERA with few hits and many walks at Down East last year. Anthony Gutierrez (1-5) slashed an opposite-field single with two out in the 9th to bring in Quincy Scott with the winning run.

Lo-A: Hickory 0, Salem (BOS) 4
Hickory: 4 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 2.5 GB

SP J’Briell Easley: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 53 P / 36 S, 0.82 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 3.68 ERA

Brock Porter pitched well again, resulting in a second-straight outing with no walks or hit batters. Per in-person observer Mark Parker, Porter’s fastball was in the 93-94 range, a touch higher than I’d previously heard. Irrespective of velocity, he’s struck out 14 of 40 batters and allowed only two hits, so he’s obviously got something going on. The undrafted Easley fanned half of his opponents and missed 14 bats.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Trentadue
Lo-A: Scarborough

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The fifth-worst* full-season team in a Rangers-affiliated league during 2007-2004 is the 2021 Low-A Fredericksburg Nationals.

Team Record: 44-76
Run-Differential Record: 39-81
Component Record: 42-78

The Washington-affiliated FNats played against Down East in what was named the “Low A East” because MLB’s commandeering of the minors didn’t include league naming rights. The Nats were also a “new” team (relocated from Woodbridge, VA) in a new stadium (I’ve been there, it’s nice). Covid vaccines were available, albeit with difficulty, and outdoor sporting events were among the safest of social activities. What a glorious time for baseball!

Except the Nationals began the season with 15 consecutive losses, and not a bevy of frustrating one-run losses like the unlucky ’13 Mudcats I covered yesterday. No. Fredericksburg was outscored 154-39, a margin of 7.7 runs per game, losing six by at least 11 runs and another six by margins in the four-to-six range. During this period, Fredericksburg hit .164/.273/.213 with only 14 extra-base hits, while opponents hit .308/.408/.502 with 63 extra-base hits. There are longer streaks in recent history (AAA Rochester’s 19 straight in 2022, for example), but Fredericksburg’s might be the most lopsided in terms of how the games transpired. The Nats were never unlucky. As shown above, across the season they actually won more games than expected based on their run differential and components.

After finally winning, they commenced a decent stretch of competitiveness (14-16) including a 4-2 series against a strong Down East squad. They then lost six straight and would play .350 ball until the final week, when they prevented a higher ranking on this list with a four-game win streak.

A handful of Nats eventually graduated to the Majors, the most successful to date being OF Jacob Young, who was drafted that summer and assigned to Fredericksbug in August, and lefty Mitchell Parker, who started three of those opening 15 losses but would escape to high-A in July.

As you’ll discover soon, Fredericksburg wasn’t even the worst team in the league.

* I debated excluding 2021 or at least the low-A level from the rankings. Covid ruined 2020, plus the short-A level had been eliminated. A good number of players occupied that uneasy ground between “too good for the complex” and “not quite ready for full-season ball,” and all were rusty and lacking thorough evaluation. Organizations probably had never faced as tough a task as populating their low-A teams that year. That said, the parent clubs of the two 2021 teams in my top five had weak farm systems, especially in depth, and both fielded poor squads throughout the system with the lone exception of one club’s AA team.

Per local reports, reliever Marc Church will miss 7-10 days with an oblique strain. I always take the over on obliques (hamstrings, too), so we’ll see. RHP Winston Santos will miss 8-10 weeks with a stress reaction in his back. Santos had appeared only twice, on Opening Day and 11 days later. Finally, Hub City righty Paul Bonzagni has elbow inflammation and is awaiting results of further tests.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 0, Las Vegas (ATH) 1 (suspended)
SP Jack Leiter: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 40 S

In a rehab outing, Jack Leiter easily dispatched the Aviators. Leiter threw at least eight of five different pitches. He fanned four on a slider, curve, slider (looking) and fastball, and missed four other bats with a curve and three heaters. The fastball topped at 98.9. Leiter had a momentary control lapse to start the 2nd, getting CJ Alexander to swing through two pitches before running too many up and wide for a walk. He concluded the inning with three outs on just seven pitches, all strikes.

All told, a encouraging effort, and one more meaningful than the typical rehab. Leiter isn’t some 32-year-old just rebuilding stamina and whose rehab results can be ignored (within reason). He’s still progressing, still trying to build lengthy periods of consistency and success, so I was really hoping for an outing that would look suitable against Major Leaguers. He provided that.

He also narrowly avoided another injury. Statcast shows a hard but seemingly innocuous ball in play from Aviator Darell Hernaiz in the 4th: 103.6 MPH, four degrees, 125 feet in the air, groundout. In fact, the ball caromed off Leiter’s back to second baseman Jonathan Ornelas, who threw to first for the out. I’m no back specialist, but the ball didn’t quite hit him squarely and probably impacted the “best” spot: upper middle, not on the spine, not a kidney, not a collarbone or by the shoulder. Leiter received a house call from the trainer but was able to resume after some stretching and a warm-up throw.

Yipes!

AA: Frisco 3, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 2
Frisco: 6 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 11-5, 2 G ahead

SP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 38 P / 26 S, 4.76 ERA
RP Daniel Missaki: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.38 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 10.50 ERA
RP Avery Weems: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-4, BB, .246/.329/.369
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, 2B, BB, .250/.344/.429
DH Luis Mieses: 1-3, HR (3), BB, .310/.356/.571

Skylar Hales broke a string of three appearances with multiple runs allowed. He endured a similar situation last April, yielding eight runs in two short outings before righting the ship.

LHP Bryan Magdaleno is off the IL. LHP Robbie Ahlstrom was promoted to AAA, where he belonged from the get-go but had to wait for the crowd of relievers in front of him to dissipate.

Hi-A: Hub City 1, Greenville (BOS) 0
Hub City: 3 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 9-7, tied for first

SP Leandro Lopez: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 65 P / 46 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Mailon Felix: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.40 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Willan Bormie: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1.00 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, BB, SB (1), .167/.245/.190

Not only did the one-hour rain delay not faze the often control-averse Leandro Lopez, he threw five walk-free innings for the first time since July 2022 in the Dominican Summer League.

The only run scored without a ball in play. With runners at the corners and two out in the 5th, Gleider Figuereo broke for second. The throw from the catcher apparently got away (the camera was focused elsewhere, but the announcer said as much), and Julian Brock scored easily from third. The sequence was ruled a double steal.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Salem (BOS) 12
Hickory: 7 hits, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 8-8, 2 GB

SP Kamdyn Perry: 3 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 59 P / 36 S, 6.55 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-4, 2B, BB, .188/.361/.208
LF Maxton Martin: 1-4, BB, .323/.348/.484
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-5, .268/.288/.375
3B Rafe Perich: 2-5, HR (3), .228/.303/.421
2B Antonis Macias: 0-0, 4 BB, .189/.426/.324

Hickory allowed double-digit hits and runs for the first time in 2025. Kamdyn Perry participated in a no-hitter two weeks ago. Today, he sports a 6.55 ERA. Luke Savage appeared for the first time. The 23-year-old undrafted TCU alum had been on the IL.

Elsewhere

Former Texas relief prospect Chase Lee is a Major Leaguer. First opponent: Manny Machado. First result: double play.

Cleveland purchased the contract of righty Zak Kent. After being acquired from Texas, Kent was outrighted but re-signed with the Guardians.

RHP Neftali Feliz signed with Durango in Mexico. He’d attempted a US comeback with the Mariners but was released mid-March. (If anyone knows a site for Mexican League transactions, please let me know.)

David Robertson is still a free agent.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Drake
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: Easley

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

We’re staying outside the Rangers this week, mostly having fun with some of the worst teams to ever face a Texas-affiliated squad. Today, though, is the unluckiest full-season team during the 2007-2024 period, the 2013 High-A Carolina Mudcats, affiliated with Cleveland.

Carolina led the league in batting average (.266) and OBP (.345), had more hits, more combined doubles and triples and fewer strikeouts than any other club, and were a close second in combined walks and HBP. They did lag in homers. I calculate that they should have scored 681 runs, but they actually scored 637 and were only middle-of-the-pack in that regard. On the other side, Carolina’s pitching and defense allowed a roughly league-average .256/.336/.383 line (and notably, a lower OPS than their offense) but allowed 657 runs, second-most in the league. The Mudcats had 87 more baserunners than their opponents but scored 20 fewer runs. In terms of batting and pitching components, Carolina had the quality of a 73-67 team. In terms of runs scored and allowed, their record could have been 68-72.

Carolina was 57-83, underplaying their run-differential by 11 wins and their components by 16.

You’ve read about luck in one-run games, I’m sure. Conversely, a pretty good marker of team quality is record in blowouts (5+ runs). Carolina was 22-16 in blowouts but only 14-30 in one-run games, plus 5-20 in two-run games.

Incidentally, a terrific example of such weirdness in MLB is the 2022 Rangers, a not-terrible team that was 19-18 in blowouts but 15-35 in one-run games and finished 68-94. People lost jobs over that. Maybe they’d have lost them anyway, but it didn’t help! Another is the 2016 Rangers: only 18-24 in blowouts but a staggering 36-11 in one-run runs, permitting a division-winning 95-67 record despite a run differential of just +8.

Unbelievably, the second-unluckiest minor league team is the 2014 Mudcats, who finished 62-74 despite a +6 run differential and +253 baserunner differential.

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Sunday 20 April
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, at Reno (ARI) 8 (11)
Round Rock: 12 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 19 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 11-10, 3 GB

SP David Buchanan: 3.1 IP, 11 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 76 P / 53 S, 3.96 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 7.88 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 1-4, 2 BB, .167/.352/.262
1B Justin Foscue: 2-5, 2B, BB, .354/.426/.549
DH Blaine Crim: 2-5, HR (5), BB, .329/.387/.600

Such is Reno that Blaine Crim’s homer at 96.4 MPH off the bat was only the 29th-hardest ball off the bat on the day.

LF and bonus-runner Alex De Goti was thrown out at the plate by Reno RF AJ Vukovich in the top of the 11th. In the bottom half, De Goti threw out bonus-runner Vukovich at the plate.

Congratulations to Dustin Harris on his first start in center, a position I’ll confess to never expecting him to start at this level. Nothing against him, certainly, as he’s put in a ton of work since early 2022 when he wandered tentatively amongst the grass in left field at AA Frisco, but the thing about guys who “can play a little center (or shortstop)” is that they’re probably never better than third-best on the roster at that position, so whence the opportunity? And indeed, Texas had Taveras, Pillar and Langford on the active roster yesterday, except Langford had just been activated off the IL and has only played left so far, Pillar won’t start against a righty, and Taveras isn’t hitting.

Some hitting data (big orange dot is the league average):

AA: Frisco 8, Amarillo (ARI) 6
Frisco: 12 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 10-5, 1 G up

SP Trey Supak: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 70 P / 51 S, 1.80 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 1.23 ERA
DH Aaron Zavala: 2-4, 2B, BB, .152/.412/.273
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB (2), .264/.394/.434
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-4, HR (2), BB, .231/.322/.404
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, 2B, .423/.418/.673
C Cooper Johnson: 3-4, 2B, .333/.450/.697

Among Texas League hitters with at least ten games, Sebastian Walcott’s .394 OBP ranks only 20th, but still, .394! Walcott’s 11 walks are tied for third in the system below AAA (which has played an addition six games).

Josh Hatcher has one walk and two sac flies, thus the weird slash line with a higher average than OBP.

Trey Supak is 28, old enough to have pitched for the San Antonio Missions in their lone year as a Triple A team, but for now he’s a high-performance inning-eater in AA.

Hi-A: Hub City 4, Bowling Green (TAM) 6
Hub City: 7 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 8-7, tied for 1st

SP Dylan MacLean: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 54 P / 38 S, 7.20 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 1-4, HR (2), .275/.362/.471
DH Casey Cook: 1-4, HR (1), .160/.246/.220

2024 3rd-rounder Casey Cook hit hit first professional homer. His tepid line isn’t due to strikeouts. In fact, his 11% K rate is the lowest in the system. Half of his balls in play have been grounders with a .136 average.

Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Charleston (TAM) 5
Hickory: 5 hits, 8 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 8-7, 1 GB

SP Angel Anazco: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 45 P / 24 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Michael Valverde: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 4.05 ERA
DH Rafe Perich: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .212/.295/.365
3B Luis Marquez: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (3), .222/.400/.333

Again with the near no-hitters! Hickory didn’t collect a hit until two out in the 7th when RF Wady Mendez tripled in C Jesus Lopez, who had walked. In the 8th, seven consecutive Crawdads reached, four via hits, to take the lead for good.

Strikeouts have leveled off in low-A. Walks and hit batters, not so much:

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Reno (ARI) 4
Round Rock: 13 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 10-10, 4 GB

SP Nolan Hoffman: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 52 P / 32 S, 7.36 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1.93 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 3-5, 2B, HR (3), .351/.420/.545
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-3, BB, 2 SB (7), .278/.391/.444

Cole Winn hasn’t allowed an earned run in 13.2 IP and struck out 15. He could be under consideration for the long role shared by Gerson Garabito and Caleb Boushley so far, but we’ll see how Texas handles Patrick Corbin once Jack Leiter returns.

Justin Foscue continues to pound the ball, and Joc Pederson continues to not, but Pederson isn’t Ben Broussard or Ryan Garko, past and much less expensive free agents quickly jettisoned after a few weeks of ineptitude.

AA: Frisco 3, Amarillo (ARI) 4
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 9-5, tied for 1st

SP Mitch Bratt: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 75 P / 53 S, 2.45 ERA
RP Daniel Missaki: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.60 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, BB, .260/.377/.420
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .103/.391/.207

Mitch Bratt has fanned 15 versus two walks in 14.2 IP. Aaron Zavala has developed a flawless eye in 254 AA games — he’s walked in 30% of his plate appearances this season — but is still seeking the batting form that preceded his elbow injury.

Wyatt Langford was given the day off but is still expected to return to Arlington today.

Hi-A: Hub City 15, Bowling Green (TAM) 4
Hub City: 13 hits, 9 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 8-6, 1 G up

SP Dylan McCarty: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 69 P / 46 S, 8.71 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 2.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, BB, SB (2), .222/.345/.333
1B Arturo Disla: 2-3, HR (1), BB, HBP, .277/.370/.426
DH Keith Jones II: 1-3, 2 BB, .237/.408/.368
C Julian Brock: 2-4, 2 2B, .171/.211/.286
3B Danyer Cueva: 3-5, 2B, SB (2), .286/.316/.371
RF Quincy Scott: 1-3, HR (1) 2 BB, .200/.333/.400

Have-bat-will-travel Arturo Disla had the standout night in a bombardment of Bowling Green. Dylan Dreiling isn’t showing much power yet but is reaching at a nice rate.

Lo-A: Hickory 0, at Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 3 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 7-7, 1 GB

SP Aneudis Mejia: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 64 P / 36 S, 6.52 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA

Brock Porter retired six straight on a mere 17 pitches, as the three non-strikeouts required a total of just four. At this stage, I’m only interested in establishment of consistently adequate control, not runs allowed, but so far he’s unscored upon in 8.2 innings. He’s walked three, hit three and struck out ten.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Buchanan
AA: TBD
Hi-A: MacLean
Lo-A: Anazco

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The best pitching staff in a Rangers-involved division during 2007-2024 is the 2022 Wichita Wind Surge, affiliated with Minnesota in the AA Texas League. Frisco faced and vanquished this staff in the Texas League finals. In my preview, I praised them but not that effusively, probably in part because of earlier departures leaving few ranked prospects, possibly in part because the Surge were in a hitter-friendly park and league, making their top-line numbers seem ordinary. I called the series a coin flip, but Frisco won in two straight, the concluding game in extras.

Wichita allowed 20% fewer runs than the park-adjusted league average, an opposing OPS+ of 81 and wRC+ of 80. Several prospects have since reached MLB including Simeon Woods Richardson, Kody Funderburk, Louis Varland, Casey Legumina, Steven Cruz, Brent Headrick, Sawyer Gipson-Long, and Evan Sisk.

Annoyingly, Frisco faced the second-best pitching staff (and a much better defense) two years later in the form of the Midland Rockhounds and lost in the league semifinals.

Other bests by classification:
2023 AAA OKC Dodgers (LAD) (16% below-average runs, 82 oppo OPS+, 80 wRC+, 89 FIP-, beat Rangers-affiliated Round Rock in PCL finals)
2014 High-A Wilmington BlueRocks (21% below-avg. runs (87 OPS+, 83 wRC+, 81 FIP-)
2018 Low-A Lakewood BlueClaws (PHI) (23% below-avg. runs, 83 OPS+, 83 WRC+, 86 FIP-)

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, at Reno (ARI) 11
Round Rock: 9 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 16 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 9-10, 4 GB

SP Gerson Garabito: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 46 P / 30 S, 15.19 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .362/.396/.574

Dane Acker, Hunter Strickland and Michael Plassmeyer were also victimized. Round Rock hitters had the three hardest-hit balls and six of the top seven by distance, but the score says Reno blowout. Evan Carter played again and was 0-4 with three strikeouts. Cody Freeman is back from the IL.

AA: Frisco 2, Amarillo (ARI) 6
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 9-4, tied for first

SP Ben Anderson: 2.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 67 P / 40 S, 9.58 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 5.79 ERA
LF Wyatt Langford: 1-3, BB
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, 2B, BB, .255/.368/.426

Walcott doesn’t have a homer at Riders Field but has come close in each of the last three games. Wyatt Langford is wearing a #9 jersey with no name on the back and mismatched pants, as is custom.

Hi-A: Hub City 2, Bowling Green (TAM) 7
Hub City: 4 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 7-6, tied for first

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 53 P / 39 S, 0.79 ERA
RP Florencio Serrano: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Marcus Smith: 1-3, HR (1), .143/.333/.357

Check that line again. Would you believe Bowling Green had only one baserunner through five, that on a strikeout / wild pitch? Unfortunately, the video feed was absent so I can’t describe David Davalillo’s performance beyond the box score. Despite curiously low pitch counts in all three starts, Davalillo has fanned 19 in 11.1 innings.

Seth Clark spent much of 2024 at AA Frisco and had been nearly flawless back in high-A, but not last night. With two out and a runner on first, a short fly landed for a single, and LF Marcus Smith’s throwing error plated the runner and placed the batter on third. After that: walk, single, HBP, single, walk, grand slam.

Lo-A: Hickory 0, at Charleston (TAM) 1
Hickory: 4 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 0 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Record: 7-6, 1 GB

SP Mason Molina: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 75 P / 53 S, 3.29 ERA
RP Michael Valverde: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.79 ERA
RP Jake Jekielek: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA

Check that lline again. Hickory has thrown two no-hitters this season but only won one. Starter Mason Molina permitted no runners and only three balls out of the infield in six innings, all to RF Yeremi Cabrera. Michael Valverde retired three straight to bring Hickory within six out of a perfect game. The problem was the Crawdads hadn’t scored either, so they were focused on more than just history.

Alas, the first ball in play to LF Maxton Martin would end in horror, as the short fly deflected off his outstretched glove for what was initially ruled a single but changed to an error. SS Luis Marquez had raced a long distance from near second base (in position against a left-handed batter) in an attempt to reach the ball and probably spooked Martin, who seemed slightly off-line and then stabbed at the ball at the last moment. It was certainly an easier play for him, but I’d guess no one took charge or heard his teammate’s attempt to do so.

After a forceout, a walk and hit batter loaded the bases. Jose Monzon hit a sac fly to score the game’s first run. The Crawdads maintained the no-hitter after the scoring revision but found themselves three outs from defeat. Martin singled in the 9th but was stranded.

Hickory has allowed only 67 hits or 5.2 per game, easily the league’s best, but has walked or hit 79.

Today’s Starters
AAA: tbd
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Mejia

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The best offense since 2007 in a Rangers-involved league is the 2012 high-A Winston-Salem Dash, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The Dash outscored the park-adjusted league average by a ridiculous 34%, 5.73 runs per game versus an average of 4.29. Winston-Salem hit.278/.350/.444, leading the league in all the slashes plus 135 homers, 30 more than any other team. The team record of 87-51 easily led the league, and they would knock off the Rangers-affiliated Myrtle Beach Pelicans 2-1 before succumbing to an ordinary Lynchburg squad in the finals. In my playoff preview, I’d called for a Dash sweep Myrtle Beach based on an offensive advantage deemed “really, really, really large,” as the Pelicans comparatively had the league’s worst offense and seemingly underplayed their 74-65 record. 

The Dash’s primary shortstop and occasional 2B was Marcus Semien, who hit .273/.362/.471 with 14 homers and 36 other extra-base hits in 107 games. He would make his MLB debut with Chicago the next year, play in the postseason three straight seasons with Oakland, and spend a year in Toronto before signing with you-know-who. Others to reach MLB included IF Yolmer Sanchez, catcher Kevan Smith, and OF Trayce Thompson. Of those three, only Thompson played much in high-A, leading the squad with 22 homers.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, at Reno (ARI) 2
Round Rock: 9 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 9-9, 3 GB

SP Dane Dunning: 5.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 5 SO, 80 P / 55 S, 5.14 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.57 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 2-5, SB (4), .176/.349/.294
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, HR (4), .357/.416/.643
RF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .255/.375/.426

Evan Carter started for the first time since Sunday. The hits were a bunt and soft liner, while two harder-hit balls went for outs. Dane Dunning not only survived but thrived in inhospitable Reno, but he’s allowed a homer in all four appearances so far, and I can’t imagine he’s under consideration for Arlington. Remember that he’d need reinstatement on the 40 at someone’s expense.

Blaine Crim’s homer would leave any park. His three other balls in play were outs, but all left the bat at 102 MPH or higher.

The White Sox signed RHP Keone Kela, who hasn’t pitched in affiliated ball since 2022. They also re-signed OF Travis Jankowski.

AA: Frisco 5, Amarillo (ARI) 3
Frisco: 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 9-3, 1 G up

SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 84 P / 49 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.23 ERA
DH Wyatt Langford: 1-3, HR (1), BB
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-2, 2B, BB, .256/.365/.419

Wyatt Langford homered in his first rehab plate appearance. Josh Stephan’s start had some background noise in the form of two wild pitches and a hit batter, but he was effective after a miserable opening outing.

On the IL: LHP Bryan Magdaleno

Hi-A: Hub City 5, Bowling Green (TAM) 6
Hub City: 5 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 13 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 7-5, 0.5 G up

SP Paul Bonzagni: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 31 P / 19 S, 4.82 ERA
RP Willan Bormie: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.13 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 0-2, 3 BB, .243/.370/.378
DH Keith Jones II: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .250/.400/.406
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, BB, .152/.231/.152

Okay, Hub City, enough with the 1st-inning nonsense. For a third straight night, the good guys found themselves down by multiple runs before swinging a bat, and this time, they wouldn’t quite claw back. Paul Bonzagni couldn’t escape the 1st. He seems more prone to wilder swings from outing to outing than most.

Per local reports, 2024 1st-round catcher Malcolm Moore will miss six-to-eight weeks with a fractured finger. That is a bummer.

Lo-A: Hickory 1, at Charleston (TAM) 6
Hickory: 5 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 7-5, tied for first

SP Caden Scarborough: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 52 P / 33 S, 5.91 ERA
RP Dalton Pence: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3.38 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, BB, HBP, .194/.396/.194
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB, .244/.327/.415

Caden Scarbourough had the control part down, but his first surrendered homer and a bunch of balls in play resulted in four runs.

On the IL: RHP Brooks Fowler, IF Chandler Pollard

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Anderson
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: Molina

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

Running behind today, will double-dose later.