
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.