Author: scottrlucas

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Salt Lake (LAA) 11
Round Rock: 8 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 29-31, 7.5 GB

SP Gerson Garabito: 0.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 32 P / 18 S, 9.42 ERA
RP Robert Dugger: 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 13.78 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.45 ERA
LF Trevor Hauver: 1-4, HR (5), BB, .243/.343/.435
CF Michael Helman: 2-3, 2 2B, .200/.286/.400

Garabito seemed a reasonable up-and-down option when the season began, but presently he’s about a far removed from Arlington as one could be while still occupying a 40 spot. In eight of 12 appearances among Texas and Round Rock, Garabito has surrendered at least as many runs as innings. Signed to gobble up AAA innings, Robrt Dugger hadn’t fared well at all early but was on track last night.

RHP Emiliano Teodo has returned to the IL. Texas re-signed catcher Tucker Barnhart and released Chad Wallach.

AA: Frisco 2, Springfield (STL) 6
Frisco: 9 hits, 6 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 31-22, 0.5 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 5 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 78 P / 56 S, 5.71 ERA
RP Aidan Anderson: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 3-5, .274/.420/.425
SS Cam Cauley: 2-2, 2 BB, .247/.325/.396

Two homers off Josh Stephan (one by top St. Louis propsect JJ Wetherholt) determined the outcome. DH Sebatian Walcott walked twice. So far, he’s raised his walk rate slightly compared to 2024 (from 10.6% to 12.3%) and lowered the strikeouts (25.4% to 22.0%).

Hi-A: Hub City 7, @ Greensboro (PIT) 4
Hub City: 9 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 29-25, 1.5 GB

SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 69 P / 43 S, 1.03 ERA
RP Kolton Curtis: 5 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 5.19 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, HR (), .264/.330/.440
RF Keith Jones II: 1-4, HR (6), .246/.392/.395
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, HR (1), HBP, SB (16), .245/.312/.297
LF Yeison Morrobel: 3-4, 2B, HR (3), .230/.309/.379

Anthony Gutierrez notched his first homer, driving a generously located Jack Carey breaker over the fence with ease. One can find MLB outfielders with minimal power (Myles Straw being perhaps the most famous recent example), but it’s not common. Gutierrez is only 20 and isn’t a 40-man issue until next year, but a little more pop would be nice.

I’m not sure of Josh Trentadue’s future, but his probability of pitching at the next level is .99846. He’s got a functional four-seamer/slider/change trio, a quirkly delivery with jarring pauses a la Hans Crouse and even an occasional dip in his arm slot, and an ability to throw strikes and hit spots with said delivery.

Lo-A: Hickory 18, Columbia (KAN) 2
Hickory: 19 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 28-25, 0.5 GB

SP Dalton Pence: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 12 P / 9 S, 2.20 ERA
RP J’Brielle Easley: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.94 ERA
RP Brick Porter: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.69 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 3.09 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 3-4, 2B, .244/.356/.369
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, 2 BB, .236/.381/.318
C Ben Hartl: 3-5, 2B, .185/.333/.228
RF Marcos Torres: 5-5, 2B, .271/.366/.400
2B Daniel Flames: 3-4, 2B, BB,

Behold the Hickory Crawdads, offensive juggernaut. Hickory has reached double digits in three of the last five games and hasn’t gone consecutive games with fewer than six runs in over two weeks. They did so last night despite a 2-for-16 line from the top three spots in the lineup. DH Max Martin was 1-6 with… six RBI? That’s a new one. Martin hit a bases-loaded double followed by three run-scoring groundouts. The bottom six were a combined 17-for-26.

18-year-old Daniel Flames was a 2024 signing who enjoyed a terrific Dominican Summer League season (.329/.529/.400). He joined the Crawdads after only a handful of games at the complex. It’s “flah-mehs”, not “flayms.”

Complex
2024 fourth-round RHP David Hagaman made his first pro appearance, striking out four in two perfect innings. The West Virginia alum underwent brace surgery last July, allowing for a quicker return to action than the traditional Tommy John. Hagaman pitched in relief at WVU but has the mix and stuff to at least attempt starting. Young fifth-round IF Devin Fitz-Gerald was 2-4 with a double yesterday and has continued to dominate, hitting .342/.441/.605 with five doubles, five homers and three steals in 23 games.

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The seventh-best offense in the organization belongs to the 2016 Round Rock Express.

Runs per game: 4.8, 9% above park-adjusted league average
OPS: 107
wRC+: 107

This isn’t the most exciting entry. The raw numbers don’t impress, and the ranking heavily depends on a sizable park adjustment. At the time, the Pacific Coast League was essentially two separate leagues with limited interdivisional play, and Round Rock was a pitcher-friendly park within the pitcher-friendly eastern half.

That said, if you saw them play, you probably had a good time. Joey Gallo led with 25 homers. He, IF Drew Robinson, C/1B Brett Nicholas, OF Delino DeShields and IF Jurickson Profar (here for 42 games) posted OBPs of .350 or better. Robinson hit 20 homers and stole 17 bases, and OF Jared Hoying was 16 and 18, respectively.

If not for Nashville, which had one of the best offenses during this period, Round Rock would have the best road stats in the league. The Express hit .274/.345/.449 and scored 5.8 runs per game away from home.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 21, at Salt Lake (LAA) 2
Round Rock: 26 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 29-30, 6.5 GB

SP Cory Abbott: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 82 P / 52 S, 7.36 ERA
RP Nolan Hoffman: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 5.59 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.64 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 4-7, 2B, 3B, HR (1), .226/.344/.292
3B Cody Freeman: 3-7, 2B, HR (6), .311/.355/.485
2B Justin Foscue: 3-5, 2 HR (8), BB, .299/.400/.537
1B Blaine Crim: 2-6, 2B, BB, .283/.349/.513
RF Kellen Strahm: 3-6, 2 2B, SB (22), .267/.377/.400

Round Rock scored 20+ runs for the second time in two weeks. Dustin Harris hit for the cycle, an especially noteworthy accomplishment given his one extra-base hit in the previous 26 games. The homer was off catcher Sebastian Rivero. Cody Freeman hit a 400-ft. homer and 405-ft. double. Round Rock combined for 22 hard-hit balls, hitting .773 with a 1.818 slugging percentage.

AA: Frisco 1, Springfield (STL) 3
Frisco: 4 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 31-21, 0.5 GB

SP Kohl Drake: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 87 P / 60 S, 3.38 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-4, HR (5), .262/.415/.418

Former Ranger TK Roby squelched the bats of several former Frisco teammates. Since the trade nearly two years ago, Roby has pitched only 98 innings and is still seeking his first AAA appearance. Injuries to the shoulder (incurred while still a Ranger) and elbow have limited his availability. St. Louis added him to the 40 last November. I don’t know how the Cardinals handle matters, but I’d expect him to be in Memphis before long.

The loss placed Frisco behind Midland for the first time in two weeks with 16 games remaining in the first half.

Hi-A: Hub City 4, @ Greensboro (PIT) 0
Hub City: 6 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-25, 1.5 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 67 P / 44 S, 5.28 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.89 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-3, HR (3), BB, .175/.268/.246
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, .205/.283/.313

Casey Cook hit the third pitch of the game over the fence, and Hub City nursed that slender lead until the 8th when Yeison Morrobel singled in two and Keith Jones II followed with an RBI double. Aidan Curry has pitched pretty well of late. Josh Mollerus has pitched well pretty much all season. He’s allowed three homers in 28 innings but no other extra-base hits, and he’s walked only seven. He’s middle relief if things work out for the best.

Lo-A: Hickory 2, Columbia (KAN) 6
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 27-25, 1.5 GB

SP Enrique Segura: 6 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 69 P / 51 S, 4.63 ERA
C Beycker Barroso: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (7), .205/.350/.253

Not a debut for the level but a strong first start by 20-year-old Enrique Segura, acquired from Philly wen reliever Daniel Robert was designated for assignment. Segura has one of the looser and quirkier deliveries you’ll come across, lifting his knee nearly to his chin, sweeping the ball low across his mid-section before heading toward the plate, falling leftward and pulling his pitching hand back to his midsection after the release. Likewise, everything he throws moves unpredictably. Unsurprisingly, his control in the Philadelphia system was usually poor, but the Rangers have received better results so far.

Robert has pitched sparingly for the Phils, making two MLB appearances (one marred by three walks) and six scoreless one-inning outings for AAA Lehigh Valley.

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The seventh-best pitching team in the organization during 2007-2024 was last year’s Frisco Roughriders.

Runs: 4.0 per game, 15% better than average
ERA-: 86
FIP-: 93
OPS+: 91
wRC+: 93

Frisco solid rotation featured Emiliano Teodo, Dane Acker, Ben Anderson, Ryan Garcia, Josh Stephan, and late additions Winston Santos, Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake. Teodo and Acker would switch to relief late. Kumar Rocker arrived, overwhelmed Texas League hitters for five starts, and left. Tyler Owens logged eight saves before being traded to Detroit. Frisco didn’t have a set closer otherwise, and 13 relievers registered between one and four saves.

The Riders weren’t particularly adept in RISP situations but were great at avoiding them, with 168 fewer batters faced with runners in scoring position than the league median. I try to separate defense from these rankings, but Frisco’s was clearly beneficial, turning the most double plays and allowing the fewest steals.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, at Salt Lake (LAA) 3
Round Rock: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-30, 7.5 GB

SP Michael Plassmeyer: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 75 P / 48 S, 3.41 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 2.51 ERA
RP Robbie Ahlstrom : 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2B, HR (5), .307/.352/.466
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (21), .259/.373/.385

IF Justin Foscue and OF Trevor Hauver were activated. Only Hauver played (1-4, walk). OF Marcus Smith transferred to Frisco. Outrighted catcher Tucker Barnhart elected free agency.

AA: Frisco 2, Springfield (STL) 7
Frisco: 4 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 31-20, 0.5 G up

SP Florencio Serrano: 3 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 5 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 55 P / 38 S, 5.40 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 8.27 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.61 ERA
CF Cam Cauley: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .239/.312/.389

Florencio Serrano replaced Daniel Missaki as the Monday starter but fared no better. Frisco converted two of their seven walks into runs but was otherwise pretty quiet.

Hi-A: Hub City 1, @ Greensboro (PIT) 4
Hub City: 3 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-25, 1.5 GB

SP Leandro Lopez: 5.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 80 P / 48 S, 2.34 ERA
LF Keith Jones II: 2-2, 2 2B, 2 BB, SB (10), .245/.395/.377

Leandro Lopez cruised through five on just 60 pitches, but his 80th and final pitch left the yard and plated three. Unfortunately, Hub City would have the league’s worst offense if not for hapless Wilmington, so comebacks are a challenge, and the Burgers mustered (mustard? sorry, sorry) only three walks and no hits after Greensboro took the lead. Also unfortunate is the presence of league-leading Bowling Green. Terms like “tradition” and “powerhouse” seem out of place describing low-level clubs, but Tampa Bay’s high-A entry hasn’t posted a losing record since 2016, and a win last night pushed their lead to 1.5 games.

Lo-A: Hickory 10, Columbia (KAN) 1
Hickory: 11 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-24, 1.5 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 78 P / 49 S, 2.10 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.70 ERA
SS Chandler Pollard: 3-5, HR (1), .277/.362/.349
LF Maxton Martin: 3-4, 3 2B, BB, .272/.329/.450
3B Rafe Perich: 2-5, 2B, .233/.352/.358
DH Marcos Torres: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (7), .237/.348/.368

Hickory’s offense rates below average as well but has been in better form lately and more capable of rolling off a double-digit run total. The Crawdads stand alone in second place; a month ago, they were seven games back.

21-year-old Chandler Pollard sat on an inside fastball and tallied his first homer of the year. Given his hitting style (not many homers), he could definitely stand to draw more walks (currently 6% of PA), but he gets plunked enough to boost his free-pass rate to league-average. In a repeat session at the level, he’s striking out much less and turning some of that contact into extra hits. At the least, he’s shown enough for a promotion to high-A at some point.

Elsewhere
San Francisco designated catcher Sam Huff for assignment. By chance, I’d looked him up just last night and wondered how he’d survived to this point with a .208/.259/.340 line. Replacing him is former Ranger Andrew Knizner, who’d signed recently after leaving Washington’s AAA squad. The Nats signed OF Delino DeShields Jr., who’d been in Mexico without much success. Outrighted Pittsburgh utility man Nick Solak too free agency.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Drake (vs TK Roby)
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: Segura

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, Reno (ARI) 7
Round Rock: 8 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 27-30, 7.5 GB

SP Ty Blach: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 52 P / 40 S, 2.84 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 4.50 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 1-4, .207/.314/.379
LF Dustin Harris: 2-5, .208/.327/.219

Evan Carter grounded out hard against lefty Jake Rice and struck out against lefty Kyle Nelson.

Emiliano Teodo was a mess, again, allowing six runs in 0.2 innings on four hits (three of them hard liners) and two walks. After the opening homestand, I wondered if Teodo might get the call if needed. Probably not, but he certainly acted ready. Since then, only two of his nine outings have followed the desired course. In those nine appearances, Teodo has pitched 11 innings, walked 16, and allowed 17 hits and 19 runs. Teodo has almost always been deeply inconsistent, and even his best stretch (May and June of 2024) had its fair share of walks and hit batters, but finding a previous period matching this one requires some deep digging and cherry-picking (and mixing of metaphors).

AA: Frisco 6, at Amarillo (ARI) 2
Frisco: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 31-19, 1.5 G up

SP Trey Supak: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 85 P / 52 S, 5.45 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 3-5, .263/.423/.406
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-3, BB, .250/.343/.438
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, 2B, .274/.295/.439

Frisco took five of six at Amarillo and allowed 4.3 runs per game in park with an average of about 5.7. The Riders batted .276/.350/.486 and scored an even six per game. Mission accomplished. That terrific week netted them exactly 0.0 games in the standings, as trailing Midland also won five of six. In the three series concluding the first half, both teams will spend two weeks on the road, and Midland will host Frisco in the second series. Midland has a 59-run differential advantage.

Sebastian Walcott walked twice.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, Winston-Salem (CHW) 1
Hub City: 5 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 27-24, 0.5 GB

SP Jose Gonzalez: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 79 P / 59 S, 2.50 ERA
SS Casey Cook: 1-3, BB, .178/.270/.233
1B Arturo Disla: 1-3, HR (6), BB, .263/.325/.430
RF Yeison Morrobel: 1-3, HR (2), .187/.274/.307

Jose Gonzalez missed a career-high 21 bats en route to his best outing of the season. Now 23, Gonzalez is in his fifth pro season (meaning a 40 decision in a few months, unlikely but possible) but didn’t make a strong impression until last year at low-A. Down East.

Hub City’s remaining first-half schedule is no picnic: six at Greensboro (34-16), six against Wilmington (21-30), three at division-leading Bowling Green (27-23), which has series against the two worst teams in the league prior to meeting the Spartanburgers.

Lo-A: Hickory 13, at Delmarva (BAL) 5
Hickory: 14 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 26-24, 2.5 GB

SP Anuedis Mejia: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 34 P / 19 S, 6.46 ERA
RP Josh Sanders: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Chandler Pollard: 1-4, BB, HBP, SB (23), .267/.355/.323
1B Pablo Guerrero: 3-6, .232/.308/.362
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 4-6, SB (15), .233/.374/.308
3B Rafe Perich: 3-4, 2B, .227/.351/.351

Hickory won with another barrage of early runs including eight in the 3rd. The Crawdads also won despite another less-than-one-inning outing from the starter, as too many plate appearances of 7-8 pitches (even the successful ones) forced out Aneudis Mejia.

Hickory has a favorable schedule for the final 15 games of the first half: six against Columbia (26-25), six at Myrtle Beach (18-31), three against Delmarva (20-31).

Dominican Summer League
It began today. Rangers Red won 23-9, aided by 17-year-old 2B Elorky Rodriguez’s 4-for-6 performance with a homer, double, walk and steal. Rodriguez was Texas’s priciest signing of the early 2025 period until the recently inked Seong-Jun Kim of South Korea. Rangers Blue defeated the Yankees Bombers 10-8.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 9th-best full-season team for the Rangers during 2007-2024 was the 2011 low-A Hickory Crawdads.

Record: 79-58 (40-28 first, 39-30 second)
Run-differential record:80-57
Component record: 77-60

The offense was remarkably stable, with the top nine hitters accounting for 82% of the team’s plate appearances. Future Major Leaguers were SS Jurickson Profar, 2B Odubel Herrera, 3B Christian Villanueva and C Tomas Telis. Hickory had the league’s best offense (after adjusting for park); they weren’t especially powerful but led by far in average and OBP. The team’s best hitter was 1B Andrew Clark (.311/.422/.482), who would virtually disappear the next April.

Hickory had the league’s third-best run prevention. Nick Tepesch led the squad with 138.1 innings and would reach the Majors, joined by Luke Jackson, Roman Mendez, Justin Grimm and Ben Rowen. The best starter was 19-year-old Cody Buckel. Ryan Rodebaugh logged 14 saves.

On June 16, I saw Jackson’s sixth-ever full-season start in person, a 5-1 defeat of the Gary Sanchez-led Charleston RiverDogs (pics below.) The win put the Crawdads atop the division by percentage points. They’d trailed by 4.5 games just two weeks earlier but would win 13 of 15 down the stretch to claim the first-half title.

In the playoffs, Hickory was matched against Florida-affiliated Greensboro, which finished with a nearly identical record. The Crawdads would fall in two straight, 5-4 (in 15 innings) and 2-0. In the opener, Hickory took leads in the 10th, 13th and 15th, only to give them back. Some guy named Christian Yelich tied the game in the 13th with a double and ended it with a homer, scoring Marcell Ozuna both times. Hickory managed only three baserunners in the final game.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Reno (ARI) 0
Round Rock: 8 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 0 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-29, 7.5 GB

SP Dane Dunning: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 72 P / 50 S, 5.12 ERA
RP Patrick Murphy: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.50 ERA
DH Evan Carter: 0-3, BB, .205/.316/.386
SS Cody Freeman: 2-4, BB, .304/.351/.446
1B Blaine Crim: 1-3, 2B, BB, .292/.359/.538

Evan Carter faced young Arizona lefty Yu-Min Lin three times. He fanned on a sweeper his first time up, but he then scorched another sweeper 107 off the bat directly to the right fielder and grounded hard to short. Against a righty, he later hit a 101 MPH fly tracked down near the wall by Cristian Pache and walked. All told, a pretty swell 0-for-3 night.

Dane Dunning has back-to-back scoreless outings, and, not coincidentally, his two best outings for swinging strikes, 13 last week and 14 last night. His slider cracked 80 MPH only once but he generated nine misses on 12 swings.

AA: Frisco 11, at Amarillo (ARI) 6
Frisco: 11 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 30-19, 1.5 G up

SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 81 P / 54 S, 1.89 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, HR (8), BB, .249/.337/.439
CF Cam Cauley: 2-5, 3B, SB (16), .240/.304/.389
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, BB, .269/.291/.421

Frisco’s starters have allowed two or fewer runs in four straight starts in a tough environment (although Kohl Drake’s two came in just 0.2 innings). Mitch Bratt missed only five bats but got the Poodles to gawk at a season-high 20 called strikes.

Hi-A: Hub City 1, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hub City: 5 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 26-24, 1.5 GB

SP DJ McCarty: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 76 P / 46 S, 7.04 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.98 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, HR (9), .236/.313/.427

Early in the season, the 1st inning was Hub City’s bugbear. Lately it’s the 9th. Two walks and an error loaded the bases, and with two out, reliever Seth Clark threw a short grounder wide of first. That and a subsequent double plated four. Gleider Figuereo’s solo homer cut the margin in the bottom half.

Lo-A: Hickory 10, at Delmarva (BAL) 2
Hickory: 9 hits, 12 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts

SP Caden Scarborough: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 62 P / 50 S, 4.01 ERA
RP Grant Cherry: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.50 ERA
SS Chandler Pollard: 3-6, 2B, .268/.350/.325
RF Maxton Martin: 2-6, 2B, .265/.313/.432
DH Pablo Guerrero: 1-3, 2 BB, .222/.302/.357

Hickory led 10-0 when the game was suspended, not 10-5 as I said yesterday. The Crawdads coasted from there. Hickory scored eight on the 1st on just four hits, all by Chandler Pollard and Maxton Martin. Caden Scarborough missed a career-high 13 bats.

Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Delmarva (BAL) 3 (7)
Hickory: 4 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 25-24, 2.5 GB

SP Mason Molina: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 80 P / 47 S, 4.06 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 1-2, BB, .213/.344/.333

Delmarva chipped away Hickory’s slender lead with singletons in the 4th, 5th and 6th. Chandler Pollard grounded into two double plays. Despite a lower grounder rate than last year, he’s up to seven for the season, three more than the entirety of 2024.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Supak
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: Mejia

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 15th-best season by a position player during 2007-2024 was by Mitch Moreland in 2009.

Moreland will appear in this feature more than once, so for now let’s just say he was drafted in 2007 and had a respectable 2008. Moreland began 2009 in Bakersfield, probably the worst facility in affiliated ball at the time, and certainly worst compared to the next stop on the organizational ladder. With that extra incentive, Moreland batted .341/.421/.594 with 19 doubles and eight homers in 43 games for the Blaze.

Promoted to Tulsa in late May, Moreland went 3-4 with a double in his first game and batted .326/.373/.488 with another 19 doubles and another eight homers in 73 games. Moreland spent most of his time in Bako at first but manned right much more often at Frisco. His position tended to depend on his teammates; he would outrank someone like Chad Tracy but not Joey Butler.

Moreland continued to hit well in AAA in 2010 and was in the right spot in late July, when Texas traded Justin Smoak, and Chris Davis batted .189/.267/.245 in 16 games as Smoak’s replacement. He entered the Majors essentially a finished product, rarely great but never worse than just good enough for the front office to focus its efforts elsewhere.

MORE Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024 (catching up from when I lost power)
The 14th-best position-player season was Joey Gallo’s 2013.

I’ve already covered Gallo’s 2016 (#18 on the list), and we’re not done with him after today, so I’ll ignore 2014 and after. Gallo had already made a name for himself by breaking the Arizona League record with 18 homers as an 18-year-old in 2012.  

Assigned to Hickory in 2013, Gallo was the most prolific homer-hitter on the most prolific homer-hitting team in any Rangers-affiliated league during 2007-2024. (I’ll probably be discussing that later as well.)

Despite missing an entire month and playing in only 106 of 139 games, Gallo led the team, the league, the organization and all of minor league ball with 38 full-season homers (plus two more in Arizona on rehab).  Gallo also stole 14 bases against just one failure, and his 48 walks were third on the team. When the season ended, he was still just 19 years old.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Reno (ARI) 6
Round Rock: 6 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 26-29, 8.5 GB

SP Gerson Garabito: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 52 P / 34 S, 8.26 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6.26 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 0-3, .213/.323/.400
SS Michael Helman: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .176/.282/.324

Evan Carter popped out twice and struck out in his rehab debut. In the field, most plays were routine, but he did have to race in to nab a sinking fly in the 2nd. No issues, and Dustin Harris replaced him in the 6th.

As a Ranger, Michael Helman has started five games at short, two in center, one at second and two at DH. Justin Foscue played second base at the complex. IF Jax Biggers (out all season) and OF Trevor Hauver have been rehabbing there as well.

AA: Frisco 7, at Amarillo (ARI) 1
Frisco: 16 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 29-19, 1.5 G up

SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 80 P / 52 S, 4.20 ERA
3B Sebastian Walcott: 3-4, 2 HR (8), 2 SB (10), .253/.343/.461
CF Cam Cauley: 3-5, .235/.302/.376
C Ian Moller: 3-5, 2B, .179/.289/.282

Sebastian Walcott homered twice for the first time in AA. In the linked story, he credits “a whole new mindset this year” for his success. I would point out that in 2024 he handled high-A capably as an 18-year-old after a very rough start, and he reached AA near the end of the season, so last year’s mindset wasn’t exactly lacking. Walcott has started at third two of the last three nights.

Hi-A: Hub City 12, Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hub City: 13 hits, 8 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 26-23, 0.5 GB

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 47 S, 1.02 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.24 ERA
RP Erik Loomis: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.73 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 2-4, BB, 2 SB (13), .173/.266/.224
1B Arturo Disla: 2-5, 2B, .268/.328/.425
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, 2B, BB, .235/.314/.412
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2B, .257/.327/.294
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, 2B, HR (1), .191/.286/.279
C Julian Brock: 2-4, BB, SB (6), .193/.271/.269

Hub City scored five in the 8th to extend an already-wide gap and erase any chance of a third-straight last-inning defeat.

David Davalillo hasn’t allowed more than a run this season. I’m happy I was able to see his one thoroughly dominant inning in the Spring Breakout game before this stretch of success.

Lo-A: suspended

Hickory leads 10-5 in the top of the 5th following an eight-run 1st. Caden Scarborough fanned seven in four scoreless innings with two hits and no walks. Based on his usage, he likely wasn’t coming out for the 5th regardless. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Molina

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 14th-best starting pitching performance by a Ranger belongs to Nick Martinez in 2013.

Texas drafted Martinez in 2011’s 18th round out of Fordham. Back then, acclimation to the pro game meant getting accustomed to bus trips to Yakima and life in a hotel, plus he was shortstop first and pitcher second for the Rams, so he would throw 58.2 innings amongst the rookie squad and short-season Spokane that year. 2012 didn’t impress on paper — a 4.83 ERA with decent peripherals from a 22-year-old in low-A — but he showed enough to indicate he might have a future.

Assigned to high-A Myrtle Beach in 2013, Martinez was steady if not scintillating, posting a 2.87 ERA in 119.1 innings in a favorable environment with a 21% strikeout rate (slightly above average for the time). In five end-of-season starts with Frisco, Martinez enjoyed what involved some BABIP luck but was nevertheless mightily impressive: 32 IP, 1.13 ERA, seven walks, 23 strikeouts.

In 2014, he was assigned to Frisco but called up for his MLB debut before appearing for the Riders. He would start 24 games and rank third in innings in what was a lost season for the Rangers. 2015 was his best season, but on the whole, he was usually just a touch above replacement, and once he’d expended his options, he didn’t have a role on the club. He spent four years in Japan and returned to better success as a swing man for the Padres, and he’s currently in Cincinnati’s rotation.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Reno (ARI) 1
Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 26-28, 7.5 GB

SP Kumar Rocker: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 53 P / 35 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 9.00 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.80 ERA
2B Cody Freeman: 3-5, 2B, .295/.342/.443

Kumar Rocker retired 12 batters in order on just 47 pitches. Extended past the scheduled four innings because of the pitch count, Rocker walked Trey Mancini after an 0-2 start and was done. Yesterday, Statcast classified nearly all of his pitches as sinker or cutters. Today, the fastballs were re-classed as a mix of four-seamers and sinkers (which seems right) and a mix of cutters and sliders. In the latter case, I’d say many so-called cutters were just hard sliders, as his velocity was up about two ticks. (I can’t say for sure, but my impression is Statcast treats a pitcher’s first appearance in AAA as if he’s a newcomer, even if he has experience in MLB.)

In terms of effectiveness, last night was a continuation of his his previous outing with Frisco in that he simply overwhelmed the competition. He could pitch for Texas next time out. In terms of pitch mix, he wasn’t dealing like a typical starting pitcher. He threw three late changes to no effect, but the rest was essentially fastball-slider, so in that respect he arguably needs more work, plus perhaps an opportunity to extend to 70+ pitches.

AA: Frisco 3, at Amarillo (ARI) 1
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 28-19, 0.5 G up

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 58 S, 5.25 ERA
DH Sebastian Walcott: 2-5, 2B, .241/.332/.420

Not every game in Amarillo is a slugfest, and Josh Stephan produced his first walk-free and second scoreless outing of the season. He’s nearly decreased his ERA to a manageable level after allowing eight runs in his first start. OF Luis Mieses hit a solo homer and reached two other times.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4 (12)
Hub City: 7 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 9 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 25-23, 1 GB

SP Kolton Curtis: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 74 P / 43 S, 4.71 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 1.16 ERA
DH Arturo Disla: 2-5, .264/.326/.420

Hub City didn’t lose another late lead but did lose late, surrendering two 12th-inning runs despite throwing out two Dash runners at the plate. Credit CF Dylan Dreiling and RF Keith Jones II for those. The Burgers drove in their gift-runner but couldn’t muster anything beyond that.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Delmarva (BAL) 4 (11)
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 6 walks, 14 strikeouts

SP Dalton Pence: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 50 P / 35 S, 2.28 ERA
RP Enrique Segura: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 7.94 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, HR (2), 2 BB, SB (14), .217/.357/.297

Yeremi Cabrera homered to lead off the 11th, and reliever Luke Savage didn’t allow Delmarva’s runner to budge. Pence has been effective in a swing role, with a .147/.221/.274 opposing line and 39% strikeout rate. As I’ve mentioned, a fair number of 2024 picks have already reached high-A, and as he’s last year’s 11th-rounder from UNC, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him join Hub City before too long.

Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Delmarva (BAL) 5 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Record: 24-23, 2 GB

SP J’Brielle Easley: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 31 P / 18 S, 4.20 ERA
RP Kai Wynyard: 4.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.83 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 3.33 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 2-3, BB, .246/.402/.315
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB, .214/.337/.338

I’ll confess that Hickory doesn’t feel like a team two games out of first, but there they stand with 18 to play in the first half despite the division’s worst run differential (-24). The Crawdads overcame the first outright poor start of the season from J’Brielle Easley, Aiding that cause were two of the better innings in 2025 from Brock Porter. Assisting even more was Chase Allsup, not a Ranger but Delmarva’s starter, who walked five straight to open the 2nd. Four of those plus a later runner would score.

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The 15th-best starting pitching performance by a Texas minor leaguer during 2007-2024 was by Michael Kirkman in 2010.

Drafted in 2005’s fifth round out of high school, Kirkman had a solid debut for the rookies but then spent three seasons trying to graduate from low-A. Injuries limited his innings, and until 2008 he was extremely walk-prone. In 2009, he was quickly bumped to AA after handling high-A. Texas policy was to hustle anyone with promise out of Bakersfield as soon as possible, and some (like Martin Perez) skipped the Cal League entirely. Frisco was a serious challenge foe the 22-year-old, but he outlasted some early rough outings and finished strong.

Stationed at AAA Oklahoma City to begin 2010, Kirkman blossomed into a legitimate starting prospect, more walk-prone than you’d like but able to limit extra-base damage and strike out 23% of opponents, well above average for the time.

That type of performance translated well to relief, and Kirkman was called up for his MLB debut in that role in late August. The Rangers were comfortably but not decisively leading the AL West at the time. He pitched as he had in OKC, walking ten in 16.1 innings but fanning 16 and surrendering only one extra-base hit. He also made three postseason appearances. In the span of two years, Kirkman had progressed from semi-successful low-A pitcher to Major Leaguer.

Kirkman would spend parts of 2011-2014 with the Rangers before his release in early 2015. He then appeared briefly with Milwaukee and San Diego.

Today’s report is brought to you by the Honda EU2200i portable generator. No, I didn’t nab a sponsor. I mean literally. It’s running the fridge and wifi after the storm that ripped through central Austin yesterday. My place actually missed the worst of the hail by about one-half mile, but we received 1.5 inches of rain in about 15 minutes. Not even the residue of Harvey put so much water in my yard in such a short period.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, Reno (ARI) 5
Round Rock: 10 hits, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 25-28, 8.5 GB

SP Robert Dugger: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 63 P / 31 S, 18.26 ERA
RP Michael Plassmeyer: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.25 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 7.04 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, HR (4), .287/.335/.433

The worst weather also spared Round Rock but did delay the proceedings. Emiliano Teodo didn’t miss any bats but didn’t get himself into excessive trouble with his control. Robert Dugger is still trying to regain his form.

AA: Frisco 2, at Amarillo (ARI) 11
Frisco: 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-19, 0.5 G up

SP Kohl Drake: 0.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 35 P / 19 S, 2.97 ERA
RP Florencio Serrano: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.29 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, HR (4), BB, .258/.429/.417
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 1-4, HR (2), .279/.327/.381

Six elongated plate appearances were enough to end Kohl Drake’s night very early. Florencio Serrano let one of three inherited runners score but certainly did his job in keeping the game close and sparing more bullpen usage. Amarillo opened things up in the middle innings. Aaron Zavala is one homer shy of his 2023 and 2024 total.

Hi-A: Hub City 7, Winston-Salem (CHW) 6
Hub City: 9 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 25-22, 0.5 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 49 S, 6.31 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.45 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (11), .164/.256/.217
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-5, 3B, SB (8), .224/.337/.378
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, HR (8), HBP, .240/.315/.418
C Julian Brock: 2-4, SB (5), .183/.258/.261

Hub City always led after the 3rd but the game was still a back-and-forth affair with the Dash scoring in each of the last four innings. Casey Cook’s bases-loaded walk in the 8th would prove critical. Gleider Figuereo is second in the organization with eight homers.

Lo-A: rain

Two today.

Today’s Starters
AAA: “TBD” 
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Curtis
Lo-A: Pence / TBD

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Reno (ARI) 5
Round Rock: 13 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-27, 7.5 GB

SP Ty Blach: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 90 P / 58 S, 3.54 ERA
RP Patrick Murphy: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, .281/.332/.413
LF Kellen Strahm: 4-5, 2 SB (17), .266/.369/.405
C Cooper Johnson: 1-4, HR (2), .184/.310/.306

Strahm’s oppo single brought home Dustin Harris. Now 28, drafted as a senior out of San Jose State in 2019, Strahm is in his walk season. He’s a strong runner, adept outfielder and has handled AAA pitching well, with an ability to see and hit spinny stuff.

AA: Frisco 7, at Amarillo (ARI) 5
Frisco: 12 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 27-18, 1.5 G up

SP Daniel Missaki: 3 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SO, 71 P / 39 S, 6.85 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.97 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.63 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, 2B, BB, .256/.427/.393
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, 2B, HBP, .242/.337/.424
DH Abi Ortiz: 2-4, HR (7), .250/.341/.428
CF Cam Cauley: 2-5, 2B, .228/.299/.373

Amarillo is the Texas League’s El Paso / ABQ / Reno / Salt Lake. Now is the week for Frisco’s hitters to pad their stats, and they collected seven extra-base hits. For pitchers, the idea is to escape intact, and only Missaki allowed a run. A league-average line right now for a Frisco hitter is about .247/.328/.389, so Walcott has a 112 OPS+.

Hi-A: Hub City 2, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hub City: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 24-22, 0.5 GB

SP Leandro Lopez: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 84 P / 55 S, 1.95 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .267/.328/.430

Another Monday night, another start with admirable control from Leandro Lopez. Normally reliable Wilian Bormie was tagged for three hits and three walks in the 9th, permitting four runs for the Dash.

Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Delmarva (BAL) 4
Hickory: 5 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 22-23, 3.5 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 4 SO, 66 P / 33 S, 2.15 ERA
CF Marcos Torres: 1-1, 3 BB, SB (6), .237/.352/.390

Ismael Agreda has good stuff but control is sometimes absent.

Down at the complex, 2024 fifth-round IF Devin Fitz-Gerald is the early standout, hitting .340/.462/.660 with four doubles, four homers, and more walks (10) than strikeouts (5). I’d caution against reading too much into that, as I’ve seen a good many destroy the rookie league only to struggle mightily in low-A (especially now, lacking the half-step of short-season ball). 18-year-old Yolfran Castillo has a .324/.385/.441 line with eight steals against one caught. Fellow 18-year-old OF Paulino Santana, homerless in his 2024 run through the Dominican Summer League, has two dingers, two triples and a .258/.361/.419 slash.

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The seventh-best minor league relief season by a Ranger during 2007-2024 belongs to Cody Eppley in 2010.

Drafted in 2008’s 43rd round out of Virginia Commonwealth, where he’d started with decent success, Eppley immediately converted to relief as a pro and shredded opposing hitters with his sidearm delivery. He fanned 66 against just six walks in 67.2 innings for low-A Hickory in 2009. Assigned to high-A Bakersfield in 2010, Eppley produced 18 scoreless innings with one walk and 24 strikeouts. Promoted to Frisco, he was no longer flawless but still nearly unhittable, and after a an eight-inning scoreless stretch with five runners and 11 strikeouts, he jumped to AAA Oklahoma City. He began with two perfect innings and four strikeouts at Round Rock, which I missed because I was in New Orleans appraising the Dixie Brewery. Eppley leaned more toward the ordinary in AAA but established himself as a potential call-up. He got that call in April 2011.

Unfortunately, Eppley’s control became a problem in 2011, and by April 2012 he’d been waived and claimed by the Yankees. There, he enjoyed his finest season, pitching 46 effective innings and appearing in all four games of the ALCS (a 4-0 Detroit sweep). Eppley made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster in 2013 despite a poor spring. He’d somehow transformed instantly from “competent MLB middle reliever” to “unable to retire AAA hitters with any regularity.” He was quickly optioned, outrighted a month later and released a month after that. After a spell with Minnesota’s AAA squad, he joined Lancaster of the Atlantic League, and he would spend the next six seasons in indy ball.