SP Chase Lee: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 38 P / 25 S, 1.86 ERA RP Zack Littell: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA CF Jonathan Ornelas: 1-4, BB, .185/.371/.222 2B Justin Foscue: 2-5, 2B, .255/.387/.451 3B Blaine Crim: 2-4, BB, .262/.354/.357
Blaine Crim has started five games at third. That represents half of his ten non-DH starts in 2023 and half of his career ten starts at that position. Not what I expected.
Jonathan Ornelas made his first outfield start of the season. He played CF four times in 2022 and 27 the year before. A Josh Smith-esque super-utlility role is likely what he’s working toward.
Chase Lee isn’t being converted to starting. Or at least, I think not. Round Rock has a five-plus-bullpen rotation.
SP Owen White: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 77 P / 50 S, 2.13 ERA RP Marc Church: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.93 ERA CF Evan Carter: 2-5, .381/.519/.619 2B Luisangel Acuna: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, SB (3), .306/.352/.408 1B Dio Arias: 2-4, 2 HR (2) SS Chris Seise: 1-4, HR (1)
It’s early, but one thing to eye is Owen White’s strikeouts. His rate of 15.7% ranks 59th of 72 Texas League pitchers with at least six innings, and his swinging strike rate of 8.9% is 56th. Last year’s rates in AA were 27% strikeouts and 16% swinging strikes. White was slowed by a minor injury in Spring Training.
I mentioned yesterday that Carter had seen to most pitches in AA. Now in second: Dustin Harris.
SP Winston Santos: 3.2 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 7 R, 2 BB, 3 HBP, 3 SO, 82 P / 52 S, 5.79 ERA RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 6.75 ERA RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 3.38 ERA RP Michael Brewer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2.25 HBP, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA 2B Jayce Easley: 2-4, 2B, BB RF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, 2B, BB 1B Josh Hatcher: 3-4, BB
Hickory chipped away at a five-run deficit in the final four innings. In the 9th, walks by Josh Hatcher and Daniel Mateo preceded a game-ending single from Cody Freeman. The Crawdad bullpen kept the Hot Rods off the board despite nine runners.
The early monster at the plate is Hatcher: .424/.472/.606 in eight games. He’s in his first full pro season but is already 24, having signed at a steep discount as a 10th-round college senior. That is to say, posting gaudy numbers is conducive to his employment.
Lo-A: Down East 2, Carolina (MIL) 5 Down East: 8 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts Record: 5-5, 0.5 GB
SP Leandro Lopez: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 68 P / 40 S, 2.84 ERA RP Josh Gessner: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA CF Jojo Blackmon: 1-3, HR (1), BB C Tucker Mitchell: 3-3, 2B, SB (1) LF Yosy Galan: 2-4
Leandro Lopez started much of 2022 in the Dominican Republic but rarely worked through two orders of batters. Jojo Backmon is famed for speed but has more pop than you might think. He clubbed nine homers in 54 rookie-level games last year.
Five Years Ago Yesterday Jonathan Hernandez allowed two solo homers but nothing else in a 6-5 victory for high-A Down East. Sam Huff hit three doubles for low-A Hickory.
SP Cole Winn: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 5 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 86 P / 50 S, 7.88 ERA RP Joe Barlow: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Yerry Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA 3B Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, 3 BB, .180/.369/.220 C Sam Huff: 1-7, HR (2), .190/.255/.357 2B Justin Foscue: 2-5, HR (2), BB, .239/.386/.435 DH Clint Frazier: 3-5, 2 2B, BB, .244/.354/.390 SS Davis Wendzel: 2-3, 3 BB, .195/.298/.415
Justin Foscue hit a laser-beam homer (107.8 MPH, 20 degrees) that stays in some parks with topspin and/or unfavorable wind, but in Sacramento, it traveled 424 feet.
Round Rock drew 16 walks and an HBP. JP Martinez, Jonathan Ornelas, and Davis Wendzel had three walks each, while Yoshi Tsutsogo drew four. Good for them, but save some discredit for Sacramento. They’ve walked or hit 8.4 batters per game, 20% of all plate appearances, a figure unacceptable in rookie ball, much less AAA. The RiverCats are out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct.
So far, Cole Winn’s walk and strikeout rates are nearly identical to last year. 2022’s silver lining was an ability to keep the ball in the park, resulting in a respectable .429 opposing slugging percentage. In 2023, Winn’s hard-hit rate has increased, and opponents are slugging .576. Winn is throwing a much higher proportion of fastballs in 2022, and getting more swinging strikes, but the ultimate results are no better. One anomaly from last night: Winn didn’t throw a single slider. In last year’s early going, Winn would often emphasize a particular secondary at the expense of others, but I don’t recall him completely ditching one.
SP Jack Leiter: 5 IP, 8 H (2 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 87 P / 55 S, 5.27 ERA CF Evan Carter: 0-1, 4 BB, SB (3), .378/.531/.649 C David Garcia: 3-4, 2B
Let’s talk about Evan Carter. Carter is on a different level than his peers. I’ve either written or said something to that effect already, but here’s some proof.
Carter is seeing 24.4 pitches per game and taking 11.3 balls. In just ten games, he’s seen 42 more pitches than any batter in AA. His walk rate is 25%.
Carter hardly ever swings at first pitches (22%). Opposing pitchers knew this entering the season, but he’s still drawn a first-pitch ball in 82% of his takes. 63% of his plate appearances have begun with a 1-0 count.
Carter is swinging at 35% of pitches, making contact on 75% of swings, putting 41% of contacted swings in play, and batting .538 on contact.
The Texas League is averaging 5.86 pitches per out. So, on average, a team would need to throw 158 pitches to record 27 outs. Evan Carter is seeing 10.61 pitches per out, and a team would need a whopping 286 pitches to complete nine innings against an all-Carter lineup.
Max Acosta is slugging .607. Probably not in the long run, but it’s nice to see a hot start.
OF Marcus Smith is 0-16 with 11 strikeouts. I caution about short samples, but this unfortunately might be more than just variance. Smith had an alarming 42% K rate in low-A last year. His promotion feels at least in part due to the Rangers having four other outfielders needing regular play at Down East.
Lo-A: Down East 2, Carolina (MIL) 5 Down East: 4 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts Opponent: 5 hits, 9 walks, 13 strikeouts Record: 5-4
SP Luis Ramirez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 28 P / 9 S, 6.75 ERA RP Damian Mendoza: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Jackson Kelly: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA 3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-2, HR (1), 2 BB
Me, three weeks ago: “Down East has a highly entertaining collection of position players. Will it win a bunch of games? I don’t know.” In my preview draft, the question was a slightly different “will it hit?” The answer to that so far is “not really:” .207/.291/.276 and 3.4 runs per game.
Opponents are scoring an even worse 2.5 runs per game and batting .176/.268/.296. Down East has a strikeout rate of 33% and the league’s best steal prevention by far. Opponents have only seven steals and a 50% success rate. Credit Ian Moller and pitching staff that appears to have some idea of how to keep runners at bay.
Today’s Starters AAA: Lee (bullpen game) AA: White Hi-A: Santos Lo-A: Lopez
Five Years Ago Yesterday I missed what I assumed would be Round Rock’s last-ever morning game as a Texas affiliate because my daughter was sick. Ah, well. The Express played and won their first game under what I termed the “egregious” new extra-inning runner-on-second rule, which had been instituted in rookie ball the year before and expanded to all minor classifications in 2018. I’ve since changed my mind (it’s still a pox in the Majors, though).
SP Robert Dugger: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 64 P / 40 S, 9.39 ERA RP Chase Lee: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.70 ERA RP Fernery Ozuna: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.70 ERA LF JP Martinez: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (7), .405/.532/.649 3B David Wendzel: 2-4, 2B, HR (2), .158/.220/.395
I joked on twitter yesterday about new Round Rock manager Doug Davis being much more inclined toward mid-inning pitching changes than anyone I’ve covered. I checked the data this morning, and the difference is far more pronounced than I would have guessed. Through 14 games, Davis has made 19 mid-inning changes. Last year through the same number of games, manager Matt Hagen made only four. Typically in the minors, pitchers have designated days and innings (subject to circumstances of course). Unless the pitch count balloons, the pitcher is expected to finish the inning. The run difference and leverage usually don’t matter until late, sometimes not even then. I assume Davis isn’t doing this entirely of his own accord, but I don’t know for sure.
The major difference in this style of management is that relievers get a more MLB-like experience of entering with runners on base. Chase Lee replaced Taylor Hearn (0.2 IP, 3 runners, 29 pitches) with two on and two out in the 5th, and Fernery Ozuna replaced Lucas Jacobsen (0.2 IP, 3 runners, 26 pitches) in the same situation in the 7th. Both recorded the third out without additional damage.
Davis Wendzel isn’t hitting the ball hard very often, but five of his six hits are for extra bases. In 57% of his plate appearances, Wendzel is striking out or hitting at an angle in excess of 45 degrees (virtually an automatic out). JP Martinez is exceeding 95 MPH off the bat the same percentage as last year (about one of every three in play) but is getting much better angles, turning last year’s pops into drives.
AA: Frisco 12, at San Antonio (SDG) 2 Frisco: 12 hits, 10 walks, 8 strikeouts Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts Record: 5-4
SP Ryan Garcia: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 40 P / 23 S, 3.86 ERA RP Nick Starr: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.60 ERA RP Antoine Kelly: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA CF Evan Carter: 2-3, HR (3), 3 BB 1B Dustin Harris: 3-5, 2B, HR (1), BB, SB (1) SS Chris Seise: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (2)
Evan Carter batted .435/.567/.870 with three homers and seven walks in the six-game series, gaining some increased attention from media and fans concurrent with a Major League outfield posting a cumulative .217/.277/.367 line and AL-worst negative 0.3 wins above replacement. Not to be spoilsport, but I’d pin some of Carter’s and Frisco’s success on a San Antonio pitching staff which is more than a little strike-averse. Frisco drew 42 combined walks and HBPs in the series, an average of seven per game.
Dustin Harris (.273/.429/.485) mashed a grand slam and drew seven walks in the series. To my thinking, an aggressive assignment to AAA was possible, if not likely, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s among the earliest promotions in the system. I don’t mean that he’s on Round Rock’s flight to Sacramento today, but perhaps before long.
SP Kumar Rocker: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 38 P / 25 S, 0.00 ERA RP Larson Kindreich: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Leury Tejeda: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 10.13 ERA RF Alejandro Osuna: 0-1, 3 BB, SB (2) 1B Josh Hatcher: 2-4
Kumar Rocker copied his debut outing, issuing plenty of strikes (including six swinging) en route to a quick three innings. Why so few pitches and innings after a five-inning, 53-pitch debut? No idea.
Larson Kindreich retired nine straight and allowed only one ball out of the infield. Max Acosta’s 3rd-inning, two-run double after a Cooper Johnson HBP and Alejandro Osuna walk would hold up.
Lo-A: Down East 0, at Augusta (ATL) 3 Down East: 5 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts Record: 5-3
SP Ivan Oviedo: 4.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 68 P / 42 S, 8.44 ERA RP Seth Clark: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA DH Antony Gutierrez: 1-3, BB, SB (3) 3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, BB
Down East was shut out for a second straight day. SS Cam Cauley was apparently on the lineup card as shortstop and leadoff hitter but pulled prior to first pitch.
In the very early going, the most common outfield alignment is Yosy Galan in left, Anthony Gutierrez in center, and Yeison Morrobel in right, with Jojo Blackmon functioning as a busy “swingman” and Jeferson Espinal as an occasional substitute.
Five Years Ago Yesterday White Sox prospect Dane Dunning allowed four runs to Down East spurred by Anderson Tejeda’s first homer and a double from Leody Taveras.
SP Kyle Cody: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 65 P / 38 S, 5.79 ERA DH JP Martinez: 2-4, SB (6), .400/.512/.657
So far, Kyle Cody’s mix is 35% fastballs, 35% sliders, 30% changeups. Back in the day, Cody’s likelihood of becoming an MLB starting pitcher was uncertain, but he had a credible backup plan as power reliever. His fastball still averages a respectable 92.7 in 2023, but the 2021 pace was nearly three tics higher. Cody had Tommy John surgery in early 2018 and missed most of 2021-2022 with shoulder trouble. He threw 126 innings in 2017 alone. Since then, a total of 78.
OF Nomar Mazara signed a minor league deal with Washington.
AA: Frisco 1, at San Antonio (SDG) 4 Frisco: 5 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts Record: 4-4
SP TK Roby: 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 78 P / 56 S, 6.52 ERA RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.70 ERA SS Luisangel Acuna: 2-4, 3B
Ms. Farm Report had dinner with a friend, so I entertained Farm Report Daughter instead of observing TK Roby’s start. A quick peek revealed a fastball in the 94-96 range.
Luisangel Acuna’s rapped a sharp, low liner to the left-center gap that appeared to be a double at best. Some tee-ball-level outfielding allowed Acuna to race home well ahead of the ball. Acuna was awarded a triple plus run-scoring error.
SP Mitch Bratt: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 68 P / 45 S, 2.08 ERA 2B Jayce Easley: 2-5, 2 2B
Texas assigned former Phil and McNeese State alum Aidan Anderson to high-A. He entered with three Bratt runners aboard and one out in the 5th. One scored on a sac fly, and Anderson then worked a scoreless 6th.
The Rangers have Aidan Anderson, Aidan Curry, Adrian Rodriguez, and Andy Rodriguez on their A-level rosters. All are right-handed pitchers. I assume the Rangers signed Anderson to spite me.
Lo-A: Down East 0, at Augusta (ATL) 2 Down East: 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts Record: 5-2
SP Adrian Rodriguez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 8 P / 5 S, 0.00 ERA RP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 2.35 ERA RP Dylan McCarty: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
Aidan Curry was listed as the starter but instead followed an inning from Adrian Rodriguez. Augusta’s very intermittent camera gun wasn’t functioning at all yesterday, but the announcer said Rodriguez’s fastball peaked at 99.5 in an earlier outing earlier. Down East couldn’t manage another late comeback.
Five Years Ago Yesterday David Hurlbut and Tyler Wagner started Round Rock’s doubleheader at Colorado Springs. Making at least five starts for the ’18 Express were those two, Adrian Sampson, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Michael Roth, Yohander Mendez, Yovani Gallardo, David Ledbetter, Richelson Pena, Chris Rowley, and Chris Jensen. Six of the 11 would not pitch in affiliated ball beyond that season.
A rough, rough outing for Cody Bradford. Three walks! A run! Maybe he was under the weather. Maybe this level of competition doesn’t engage him. In any case, his ERA rocketed to 0.55. He’ll work on bringing it down from the stratosphere next week.
Anyway, the Rangers aren’t in need of a starter from the AAA ranks, and nobody on the depth chart is closer than third in line behind Dune Dunning and Cole Ragans, I would think. Should need occur, I would pick Bradford over Cole Winn even though the former isn’t on the 40. I’m not convinced of how Bradford’s stuff would play against top-level competition, but at this moment I’d bet on him over Winn at getting through some innings without critical damage. Hopefully Winn makes such a decision more difficult down the road.
Zak Kent is also on the 40 but sidelined with a strained oblique suffered while warming for last Sunday’s start.
Justin Foscue drove a pitch just over 400 feet for his first homer. After that lengthy hitless stretch to begin the season, Foscue is suddenly sporting a respectable line.
AA: Frisco 7, at San Antonio (SDG) 0 Frisco: 16 hits, 8 walks, 11 strikeouts Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts Record: 4-3
SP Nick Krauth: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 59 P / 39 S, 3.00 ERA RP Ricky DeVito: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA DH Evan Carter: 4-6 SS Luisangel Acuna: 3-5, BB LF Dustin Harris: 2-4, BB CF Chris Seise: 2-4, BB, SB (1) C Scott Kapers: 3-5, 2B, HR (1)
25 baserunners, seven hits with runners in scoring position, but a relatively modest seven runs. Still, Frisco pummeled the Missions for a third straight, outscoring San Antonio 22-2 and drawing 26 walks. Carter, Acuna and Harris bat 1-2-3 in the order and were a combined 6-6 with three walks until Carter struck out with the bases loaded. Carter is hitting .414/.500/.655. He’s played 17 AA games and doesn’t turn 21 until late August, so don’t purchase Rangers tickets for June in expectation of his MLB debut.
SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 68 P / 45 S, 1.80 ERA RP Spencer Mraz: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA RP Eudrys Manon: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA CF Daniel Mateo: 3-5 DH Geisel Cepeda: 3-5 C Liam Hicks: 1-2, 2 BB, HBP 3B Keyber Rodriguez: 3-5, 2 SB (2) 2B Griffin Cheney: 2-4, BB
22 baserunners, eight hits with runners in scoring position, somehow only six runs. All the rain hasn’t hampered the hitters’ timing. The Crawdads are batting a robust .292/.368/.444.
Lo-A: Down East 5, at Augusta (ATL) 3 (7) Down East: 7 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts Opponent: 8 hits, 0 walks, 11 strikeouts
SP Jose Corniell: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 70 P / 49 S, 3.86 ERA RP Dylan MacLean: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.25 ERA SS Danyer Cueva: 2-4 CF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-3, 2B, 2 SB (2) RF Jojo Blackmon: 1-2, 2B, BB, SB (1)
Lo-A: Down East 3, at Augusta (ATL) 1 (7) Down East: 6 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts Opponent: 4 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts Record: 5-1
SP Brock Porter: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 57 P / 31 S, 4.50 ERA RP Matt Brosky: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 4.50 ERA CF Yeison Morrobel: 1-2, BB RF Jeferson Espinal: 1-1, BB, HBP, SB (1)
Augusta led 3-1 in the 6th of the opener and 1-0 in the 7th of the nightcap and lost both. In the first game, doubles by Anthony Gutierrez and Jojo Blackmon erased a two-run deficit and created a two-run lead, respectively. In the second, singles by Yeison Morrobel, Ian Moeller, Miguel Villaroel, and Andres Mesa plus a Jeferson Espinal HBP resulted in three runs.
After not escaping the 1st in his pro debut, Brock Porter completed last night’s first inning on 17 pitches. A walk and HBP in the 3rd would lead to a run, but on the whole Porter recovered the control missing from last Friday. Augusta’s camera feed and graphics are not in midseason form, so I don’t have any velocities for Porter. I saw three of the strikeouts, which I believe included a change, slider, and fastball for third strikes.
2022 8th-rounder Matt Brosky fanned six and kept Augusta off the board late, which would prove crucial.
SP Bernardo Flores: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 52 P / 28 S, 6.75 ERA RP John King: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.86 ERA RP Yerry Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA 2B Justin Foscue: 1-3, 2B, BB, .182/.308/.273
Dominic Leone couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead in the 9th but kept the gift runner from scoring in the 10th. In the bottom half, a Justin Foscue walk and Yoshi Tsutsugo single quickly ended the contest.
Texas optioned reliever Taylor Hearn yesterday without a corresponding call-up. John King and Yerry Rodriguez are on the 40 but pitched last night. Barring a 40-man addition, that would leave Joe Barlow and rehabbing Josh Sborz as the choices. Barlow’s top speed of 93.6 in AAA so far is lower than his 94.7 average of 2021-2022.
Nick Solak was claimed off waivers from Seattle by the White Sox. His fourth organization in five months.
AA: Frisco 8, at San Antonio (SDG) 1 Frisco: 7 hits, 10 walks, 12 strikeouts Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts Record: 3-3
SP Owen White: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 67 P / 43 S, 0.00 ERA RP John Matthews: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA RF Evan Carter: 2-5, 2B 1B Dustin Harris: 0-2, 3 BB 3B Thomas Saggese: 2-4, 3B, BB DH Trevor Hauver: 1-3, 2 BB
Owen White held San Antonio hitless through 4.2. An honest single ended his night. White’s fastball sat at 94-95 with a few a tic or two lower. The slider ranged from 84 to 91, usually 87-88. Yes, he threw a 91 MPH slider; it’s the third pitch in my video. Appearing less frequently was the curve (77-82) along with a small handful of changes (87-90). He missed ten bats on the night: four fastballs, four sliders, two curves. White can adjust the velocity, break, and location of his slider and curve so hitters can’t key on the same spot. He didn’t throw as many changes as I would have liked (nobody does), but it appears to be a capable pitch.
Nobody’s going to write a sonnet about White’s performance. He didn’t dazzle, even with a good number of swinging strikes. He just showed up and did his job, briskly. In the 4th, facing two lefties, he tended to run pitches outside and walked one batter on five pitches, but I wouldn’t say he ever struggled. White had solid location of solid stuff. You can pitch a long time that way, health willing. Not to suggest there’s any hurry, but the gap between what he is and what he could become isn’t huge. He just needs to be out there every fifth or sixth day.
Evan Carter singled and doubled the opposite way. He was picked off after the single. Dustin Harris was 1-4 with four walks in the two games I saw, swell but not conducive to exciting video.
SP Winston Santos: 4.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 2 SO, 71 P / 45 S, 2.61 ERA SS Maximo Acosta: 1-3, HR (1), BB, SB (2)
So Winston Santos will not throw a near no-hitter in every start. Maximo Acosta hit only four homers last year but ought to surpass that in 2023 with the combination of filling out a little and more hitter-favorably parks.
Lo-A: rain
Two today. Hickory and Down East have played a combined eight of 14 scheduled games. Today’s Starters AAA: Bradford AA: Krauth Hi-A: Santos listed, pitched yesterday Lo-A: TBD x 2, Porter should be one
Five Years Ago Yesterday Round Rock’s game in Colorado Springs was postponed by cold. I wouldn’t be writing about the Sky Sox much longer. Like AAA Fresno, Colorado Springs had become undesired by the MLB clubs closest to it, creating havoc in the biennial affiliate shuffle. The team would move to San Antonio in 2019, replaced by a short-season team from Helena, MT. After 2020, the powers that be eliminated the short-season leagues. The rechristened Rocky Mountain Vibes compete in the now-independent Pioneer League.
SP Cole Winn: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 77 P / 52 S, 6.75 ERA RP Joe Barlow: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA 2B Jonathan Ornelas: 0-2, 3 BB, SB (1) 3B Blaine Crim: 1-3, BB
Cole Winn produced his best outing of the season despite a rocky 5th. Winn cruised through the first four innings, surrendering a double and walk plus only one other three-ball count. The 5th contained six hard-hit balls including a double, single, and double around a walk.
Jonathan Ornelas (.167/.390/.200) has five hits and ten walks.
Blaine Crim has started three straight at third. We’re through the looking glass, folks.
AA: Frisco 7, at San Antonio (SDG) 1 Frisco: 9 hits, 8 walks, 12 strikeouts Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts Record: 2-3
SP Jack Leiter: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 90 P / 48 S, 5.19 ERA RP Antoine Kelly: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Alex Speas: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Justin Slaten: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA CF Evan Carter: 2-3, 2 HR (2), 2 BB, SB (1) 2B Luisangel Acuna: 2-5, SB (2)
I saw Jack Leiter in person for the second time this year.
The good news: 12 swinging strikes, seven strikeouts (37% of the 19 batters) mostly completed with a slider. Several batters took late, awkward, flat-footed swings at sliders that veered outside. It’s a sharp pitch. Leiter fanned three batters in the 4th and tallied seven misses in a stretch of ten swings. Against a righty-heavy lineup, Leiter’s fastball was effective when up and running in. After a walk to start the game, Leiter was fairly efficient through the 3rd, reaching three balls to three more batters but always delivering a strike when required. Hard contact wasn’t an issue; San Antonio never hit anything that hinted at extra bases. His mound demeanor seemed fine.
The bad news: Leiter had a 53% strike rate, departing with 90 pitches through 4.1 innings. That three-K 4th began with two walks and consumed 30 pitches, only 15 for strikes. The opposition swung at only five of his 19 first pitches. Of the other 14 plate appearances, 11 began with balls. Of eight first-pitch fastballs taken, seven were balls. Leiter simply isn’t throwing enough strikes with the fastball, and batters can improve their chances by waiting on a likely 1-0 count. A fair number of plate appearances felt like a Leiter monologue with the batter off to the side of the stage. The curve, such a weapon at Vandy, was essentially just another look or an early-count strike-stealer. We’ve been waiting for some indication of changeup development, but at this point I’m putting that aside until the fastball comes around. The house needs a solid foundation.
I wiped his and Cole Winn’s slates clean after 2022. Rough years, to be sure, but some time off would hopefully serve everyone’s interests. So, in that respect, what I’ve seen in 2023 reminds me of what I’d like to forget. Still, all that said, he and the Rangers have time. There is, at least in my mind, zero expectation of a contribution at the Major League level in 2023. I would just like to see him finish the year in a better place, primarily with improved fastball control and command from which his entire repertoire can blossom.
I have video of his entire 4th inning (condensed to about three minutes). That’s more than I would usually upload, but I felt that inning encapsulated the best and worst of his night.
Evan Carter homered in consecutive at-bats. The first was lined to right center, not a sure thing until it cleared. Everyone in the park knew the second would exit the moment he connected. Carter saw 31 pitches in five trips to the plate. His plate composure is superb. I’ve seen previous criticism of him being passive at the plate, and perhaps that was the case, but I certainly didn’t get that impression yesterday. He’ll walk all day if pitchers oblige, but he’s not simply taking until forced to swing. Here’s my video of those plate appearances.
Antoine Kelly’s first inning reminded of why Texas traded for him: a 94-97 fastball matched with a mid-80s slider that could both nip the outer edge and bore into righties. The lefty Kelly stands on the right side of the rubber, but his pitches still seem to arrive from first base. His second inning reminded of why Texas didn’t place him on the 40: increasingly troublesome location concluding with three plate appearances of 11, seven, and seven pitches, all walks.
Alex Speas relieved Kelly with the bases loaded. This might be an example of a player pitching on schedule rather than situation, because the situation definitely called for someone with better than Speas’s historically scary control. Nevertheless, Speas induced a 1-1 popup to end the threat and then worked a clean 8th almost exclusively with low-90s sliders. Not bad for a guy coaching high-schoolers last summer.
SP Gavin Collyer: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 69 P / 42 S, 2.70 ERA C Cody Freeman: 2-4, HR (1) DH Josh Hatcher: 1-3, 2B, BB RF Angel Aponte: 1-4, HR (1)
The first three Blue Rocks would reach against Leury Tejada in the 5th, and all plus one more would score off Andy Rodriguez. The Cuban-born, 24-year-old Andy is a 2022-signed free agent out of Miami Dade Community College. The Rodriguez I recently mentioned in reference to praise from Baseball America is Adrian, currently at Down East. The Rangers deliberately sign similarly named players to make my like difficult. I’ve been dealing with this since 2007, when low-A Clinton had 23-year-old, college-drafted outfielders Craig Gentry and Grant Gerrard.
Brooklyn has already allowed 21 stolen bases versus just one caught. Hickory’s total of six (including four last night) ranks in the league’s lower half. Successful steals are up 61% over last year so far.
Lo-A: Down East 1, at Augusta (ATL) 0 Down East: 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts Opponent: 2 hits, 6 walks, 13 strikeouts Record: 3-1
SP Josh Gessner: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 69 P / 40 S, 0.00 ERA RP Leandro Lopez: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA 3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, 2B, BB
20-year-old Leandro Lopez recorded seven of ten outs via strikeout using a 92-94 fastball and especially a 74-79 curve that runs tighter than the speed would suggest. Control is not Lopez’s specialty, but he can pour it in for called strikes as well as misses. Most Carolina League hitters are not equipped for this sort of pitch. Lopez spent 2021-2022 in the Dominican Summer League under the name Leandro Calderon. He fanned 59 and walked 16 in 32 innings last year.
Gleider Figuereo scored the game’s only run in the 7th. He reached by being hit, advance to second on an error, to third on a groundout, and home on a wild pitch.
Today’s Starters AAA: Flores AA: White Hi-A: TBD Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday Down East defeated Myrtle Beach 16-14 in the home opener. The teams combined for 31 hits, 14, walks, two HBPs, and eight more reaching on errors.
Start with Hickory below, then come back to the top.
Okay. Per the Hickory Daily Record ($ link but might work anyway), the Hickory Crawdads will be sold from the Rangers to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a private equity group that has snatched up a bunch of teams since the 2020-2021 MiLB reorganization. Per GM Douglas Locasio, daily operations are not expected to change. The Rangers purchased Hickory in 2016, at the time a low-A team. Concurrently, they became owners of a new high-A team in Kinston christened Down East, which began play in 2017. The teams swapped classifications in 2021.
A critical factor in Texas buying these teams was to secure stability for its A-level rosters. While Texas had a strong relationship with Hickory that I expected would continue, the Rangers’ high-A situation had been a nuisance for a dozen years, culminating in banishment to High Desert, on the short list of least desirable affiliations in pro ball. Prior to the creation of Down East, the Rangers had attempted to purchase high-A Wilmington (DE, not NC) and move it to Kinston, which failed because of the collapse of a related purchase/relocation of AA Binghampton by another party. Now that MLB has asserted its control over Minor League Baseball including elimination of the biennial affiliate reshuffle, clubs can sell with more assurance that they won’t face a High Desert-like situation down the road. Also, should MLB decide on additional minor league contraction, the Rangers wouldn’t be holding what would become a deeply diminished asset.
An eventual sale of Down East would not be unexpected.
SP Robert Dugger: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 52 P / 31 S, 14.73 ERA RP Lucas Jacobsen: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA RF JP Martinez: 2-4, BB, SB (4) 3B Blaine Crim: 2-4, 2B
Rehabbing Leody Taveras clubbed a grand slam off Fred Villarreal, singled earnestly off Taylor Williams, and drew a bases-loaded walk off Justus Sheffield. None of these pitchers is MLB-caliber at present, but it’s still nice to see Taveras swinging a solid bat.
For the second time professionally, Blaine Crim has started consecutive games at third. Jonathan Ornelas received his first day off.
Reliever Hever Bueno is back. The righty had retired with several weeks remaining in the 2022 season, not the time of year players in their mid-twenties announce that sort of decision. I didn’t see him in Surprise but heard he was there. Last year, Bueno had a robust 28% strikeout rate in AAA with serious control issues. (Incidentally, if you’re wondering whether a minor leaguer can simply retire and sign elsewhere as a free agent, oh my heavens no. At least not before he reaches free agency via service time. Clubs can opt not to offer the returning player a new contract, which would then make him a free agent, but retiring in and of itself doesn’t sever the relationship between player and club. See below.)
AA: Frisco 0, at San Antonio (SDG) 4 Frisco: 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts Record: 1-3
SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 78 P / 44 S, 3.60 ERA C David Garcia: 2-3
2019 2nd-rounder Ryan Garcia made his AA debut. Injuries and covid had limited him to just 17 appearances during 2019-2022.
Dustin Harris received a clock strike on a 3-2 count. He wasn’t happy and I don’t blame him. The opposing pitcher was behind the mound, twirling his hand for a clock reset that wasn’t granted. When the pitcher finally stepped on the rubber as the clock dwindled, Harris still had one foot outside the box, so the ump rung him up. (This is my interpretation from various MiLB.tv camera shots. There was no audio at the time.) Manager Carlos Cardoza argued Harris’s case and was ejected.
The Texas League is batting a collective .212/.306/.333 and scoring 4.2 runs per game, 1.3 fewer than last year. Frisco is hitting .189/.273/.268. None of these conditions will last.
SP Kumar Rocker: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 53 P / 41 S, 0.00 ERA RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA SS Maximo Acosta: 2-4, 2B 1B Josh Hatcher: 2-4, HR (1), BB, SB (1)
Kumar Rocker pitched last year in indy ball and as a Ranger in the Arizona Fall League, but in a way, last night was his honest-to-goodness professional debut. He was more than up to the task, racing through five innings with an endless barrage of strikes. Rocker struck out two batters in each of the first four innings, then finished with a five-pitch 5th. The opposition whiffed at 12 pitches (23% of all pitches, 36% of swings) and took another eight for strikes. Only two balls escaped the infield, both lined singles.
So, about that opposition. Washington’s farm system is weak overall, but its high-A lineup features OF James Wood (a Soto acquisition and MLB.com’s #16 overall prospect), three others from major colleges, and several experienced internationals. It averaged 22.3 years of age and nearly three years of pro experience entering the season. These hitters aren’t on par with what Jack Leiter is facing, but Rocker definitely isn’t lording over a bunch of teenagers trying to graduate from the complex league.
Wilmington has a radio feed but no MiLB.tv coverage. Best as I can tell, Rocker threw the usual fastball/slider mix, and velocity was to expectations.
I’ve already seen fans pining for promotion to Frisco. All in due course. First, I’d like to see him build up to 90 pitches or whatever Texas intends to be his cap in 2022. Second, I’d like to see changeups. Changeups galore, and curves, too, if they’re intended to be in his repertoire. Rocker is virtually a two-pitch guy right now. Hickory is the place to build on that.
Texas’s official prospect Twitter account has video.
Lo-A: Down East 6, at Augusta (ATL) 5 Down East: 8 hits, 6 walks, 13 strikeouts Opponent: 4 hits, 6 walks, 13 strikeouts Record: 2-1
SP Luis Ramirez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 25 P / 17 S, 0.00 ERA RP Joseph Montalvo: 3 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 3.00 ERA RP Seth Clark: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA SS Cam Cauley: 1-5, HR (1) RF Yeison Morrobel: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (2) C Ian Moller: 2-3, 2B, BB, SB (1) 2B Danyer Cueva: 2-3, 2B
7th-round righty Luis Ramirez made his pro debut. I watched a brief portion of his outing and saw effective sinking fastballs and changeups. The video gun read either 92 or a blank after each pitch, so I can’t vouch for velocity, but a 92 fastball sounds about right. Ramirez’s final season at Long Beach State was shortened by a shoulder injury, not that it would have made a difference professionally, because none of Texas’s drafted pitchers appeared last year by design.
Five Years Ago Yesterday Round Rock fell to 1-6 with a 19-1 loss at OKC. Opponents were hitting .345/.434/.530 against the Express, “so the opposition is nine Joey Vottos, every night.” Andy Ibanez started his third straight game for the Express at third. His performance at the position while in Frisco left much to be desired, but he would gradually improve such that he was respectable there and even adequate at short.
AAA: Round Rock 6, at Sugar Land (HOU) 0 Round Rock: 6 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts Opponent: 5 hits, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts Record: 5-3
SP Fernery Ozuna: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 29 P / 18 S, 3.86 ERA RP John King: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 6.23 ERA RP Jusitn Leone: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA RP Yerry Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA 2B Justin Foscue: 2-4 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo: 2-4, HR (1)
No-hit through seven, the Express erupted for six runs in the final two innings. Yoshi Tsutsugo homered in Justin Foscue to begin the 8th, and both would also single and score in the 9th. Sam Huff bopped a two-run double.
Blaine Crim made a rare start at third base. With the roster lacking a genuine non-1B reserve infielder (no offense, Blaine), that’s the only way one of Davis Wendzel, Jonathan Ornelas, and Foscue can have a day off. Ornelas and Foscue have played every game.
Zak Kent, listed as the starting pitcher up to and into the game, did not appear.
Rehabbing Josh Sborz fanned two in a perfect 3rd.
The league-wide BB/HBP rate is 15%, far above last year’s 11.8% and last April’s 11.5%. Comparing 2023 to last April, that’s an extra 1.4 free runners per team per game. The league might just have to shut down and restart from scratch. This won’t do.
Elsewhere
The Yankees purchased the contract of OF Willie Calhoun on Saturday. They also placed reliever Demarcus Evans on the minor league 60-day IL. Don’t what what that’s about. Oakland signed reliever Spencer Patton.
Five Years Ago Yesterday “Ronald Guzman [1-3, BB] has five hits, three walks and no strikeouts in three games (he missed Saturday and Sunday). Four of those hits went to the opposite field. And, of 29 pitches taken, only six were strikes. Nobody in Texas is seeing the ball better than Guzman right now. Since around last July, I’ve thought he could handle MLB pitching. Not dominate it, but handle it.”
From Huntsville, AL, maybe the weirdest box score you’ll ever see. Visiting Chattanooga was no-hit but won 7-5, scoring everything with two out in the final inning. Walk, walk, pop out, walk, strikeout, bases-loaded walk, three-run error, HBP, HBP, bases-loaded HBP, bases-loaded walk, run-scoring wild pitch, HBP, strikeout.
AAA: Round Rock 4, at Sugar Land (HOU) 0 Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts Opponent: 2 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts Record: 3-3
SP Cody Bradford: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 82 P / 57 S, 0.00 ERA RP Chase Lee: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.86 ERA SS Jonathan Ornelas: 1-2, 2 BB 2B Justin Foscue: 1-3, 2B RF Elier Hernandez: 2-2, HR (1), BBCody Bradford no-hit Sugar Land through five. Bradford’s fastball again had a median velocity just under 90 MPH. He missed eight bats, six via changeup. Justin Foscue has a hit. After a hard out, Foscue angled a pitch at a relatively modest 81 MPH for a double. He would double again in the nightcap. Foscue leads the team with ten hard-hit balls (>= 95 MPH) and has a minuscule 5% swinging strike rate. Elier Hernandez homered in both games.
AAA: Round Rock 3, at Sugar Land (HOU) 2 Round Rock: 7 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts Record: 4-3
SP Kyle Cody: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 61 S, 6.35 ERA C Sam Huff: 1-4, HR (1) 2B Justin Foscue: 1-2, 2B, BB, SB (1) CF Elier Hernandez: 1-2, HR (2), BB
Kyle Cody, starting pitcher? 60 pitches are the most he’s thrown since September 2020. He offered a low-90s sinker, mid-80s change and a heavy dose of 78-83 sliders. Plenty of strikes including 11 swinging, but also a fair number of hard hits.
SP TK Roby: 3.2 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 77 P / 45 S, 7.36 ERA RP Marc Church: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA LF Evan Carter: 1-4, BB DH Luisangel Acuna: 2-5, SB (1) 3B Thomas Saggese: 2-3, 2B, BB
TK Roby surrendered two homers in his AA debut. Long balls were a weak spot last year in high-A, as he allowed 19 and a .446 slugging percentage in 22 starts.
AA: rain
Makeups during the week of April 25-30 in Winton-Salem.
AA: rain
They’ll make it up in June.
Today’s Starters AAA: Kent AA: off Hi-A: off Lo-A: off
Five Years Ago Yesterday In his high-A debut, Mike Matuella lasted five innings with two runs allowed and four strikeouts. The fastball sat in the mid 90s. Baseball America had dropped him from 19th to 30th among Texas prospects over the winter, but after a noteworthy spring, his status might have peaked around this time.
