Author: scottrlucas

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, @ Las Vegas (OAK) 2
Round Rock: 11 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 28-33, 7 GB, 65-70 overall

SP Max Scherzer: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 53 P / 39 S, 3.60 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR, (19), .280/.375/.474
LF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, 3B, BB, .257/.364/.403

Not that anyone was seriously questioning Max Scherzer’s desire to return, but for any doubters, he spent his evening in Summerlin, Nevada, dealing fastballs in a black and green alt-identity Round Rock Chupacabras jersey. Scherzer retired the first 11 in order, then issued an intentional walk, perhaps to practice with a runner aboard or flip from a lefty to another righty hitter. Scherzer would hit that batter an fan the next for his final out. Peter Solomon extended the no-hitter into the 8th.

Blaine Crim homered twice and doubled, all on shots in the 105-107 MPH range. I wrote about Crim and his tricky path to the Majors last week.

AA: Frisco 1, Wichita (MIN) 0
Frisco: 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 36-26, first-half champ, 80-51 overall

SP Jacob deGrom: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 49 P / 35 S, 1.50 ERA
RP Jacob Latz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 12.46 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-4, HR (7), .300/.376/.507

DeGrom settled for five strikeouts compared to Scherzer’s five in what is presumbaly his final rehab appearance. He, Jacob Latz, Bryan Magdaleno, Seth Clark, and Ryan Lobus combined on a three-hit shuotut. Frisco was limited to three hits as well, but the team’s first ball in play left the yard courtesy of Alejandro Osuna.

Hi-A: Hickory 9, Rome (ATL) 6 (10)
Hickory: 13 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 19 strikeouts
Record: 34-31, eliminated, 62-69 overall

SP DJ McCarty: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 SO, 88 P / 56 S, 4.43 ERA
RP Damian Mendoza: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.85 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 3.24 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 2-5, SB (27), .234/.295/.409
SS Sebastian Walcott: 2-5, 2B, 2 SB (26), .261/.343/.441
1B Arturo Disla: 2-3, 2 2B, BB, .264/.333/.529
RF Yeison Morrobel: 1-5, HR (9), .209/.285/.319

Yeison Morrobel hit a walk-off three-run homer in the 10th. Gift-runner Sebastian Walcott had retied the game by advancing to third on a single and jogging home on a balk. Morrobel has endured a very rough second half but is hitting hard when he connects, slugging .493 with 12 extra-base hits in his last 19 games.

Four Hickory pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts. Since mid-May, Sebastian Walcott is batting .291/.362/.497 with 42 extra-base hits and 24 steals.

Lo-A: Down East 3, Augusta (ATL) 5 (10)
Down East: 8 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 10 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 30-32, eliminated, 65-62 overall

SP Kolton Curtis: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 70 P / 40 S, 2.85 ERA
RP Alberto Mota: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.25 ERA
CF Chandler Pollard: 2-5, 2B, 2 SB (39), .238/.315/.326
SS Echedry Vargas: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (29), .276/.321/.454
C Jesus Lopez: 2-5, .242/.306/.351

In front of an announced crowd of 1,911, the Wood Ducks played their penultimate game in affiliated ball. 1B/C Ben Hartl recorded the final out in the 10th. 17th-rounder Joey Danielson took the loss but finished with an opposing line of .207/.303/.207 in his debut season.

Jimmy Ryals of the Assembly wrote at length about Down East’s departure. The Wood Ducks play their final game as an affiliate of the Texas Rangers this afternoon. Worth nothing: the situation affecting Kinston, Modesto, Myrtle Beach, and other cities was created neither by the minor league franchises nor the host cities.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBA
AA: Drake
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: TBA (maybe Bormie)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Down East and Fayetteville split their second doubleheader in the Carolina League semifinals by scores of 5-4 and 2-7. In the opener, Yanio Perez homered in the 7th to tie the game and singled in Sam Huff with the winner in the 8th. In the nightcap, Down East threw 193 pitches in seven innings and walked nine. Fayetteville starter and Houston prospect Luis Garcia faced the Woodies three times in his final four starts, allowing four runs in 17 innings and striking out 32. The teams would play a deciding game the next day.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, @ Las Vegas (OAK) 4
Round Rock: 7 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 27-33, 7 GB, 64-70 overall

SP Kumar Rocker: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 65 P / 50 S, 1.80 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.93 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-4, 2B, HR (10), .280/.367/.407
C Matt Whatley: 1-3, HR (5), .200/.287/.336

Kumar Rocker sat at his locker before yesterday’s game, perused Alan Nathan’s “The Physics of Baseball: Baseball at High Altitude,” and chuckled softly to himself. As if those rules would apply to him.

Swings at curves:
1st start: 14 swings, 11 misses, 2 fouls, 1 in play
2nd start: 17 swings, 12 misses, 3 fouls, 2 in play

In the PCL, results on curves (and sliders) are divided nearly equally between misses, fouls, and balls in play. Rocker has a 75% whiff rate, 15% fouls, and 10% in play.

The PCL is hitting .216/.284/.376 in plate appearances that end in a curve and .231/.300/.400 ending with sliders. Opponents are 1-for-18 with 15 strikeouts against Rocker’s breaker.

Here’s Rocker’s miss chart:

I would argue his most impressive pitch of the night was the green dot, a first-pitch changeup that dove under Hoy Park’s bat. He hadn’t begun a plate appearance with a change before in AAA. If he’s willing and able to land that pitch, he can add some mystery to what has already been a nearly unhittable repertoire.

Rocker did hang a flat curve that Colby Thomas sent into the stratosphere and the Stratosphere. Earlier, Carlos Perez, who goes oppo as infrequently as nearly anyone in the PCL, cued a double down the first-base line and eventually scored. Perez has three homers and two doubles in four games against the Express.

The Express are in a funk. Seven straight losses, and 3.1 runs scored per game since planting 18 on Salt Lake 17 days ago. A Texas AAA squad hasn’t finished more than nine games below .500 since 1997, and until now, I hadn’t had reason to recall that stat.

AA: Frisco 2, Wichita (MIN) 1
Frisco: 6 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 35-26, first-half champ, 79-51 overall

SP Andy Rodriguez: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 57 P / 36 S, 2.82 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 3.78 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 2.42 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, .272/.329/.449
2B Theo Hardy: 1-2, 2B, BB

Per local media, Alejandro Rosario needed some rest, so Andy Rodriguez drew the spot start. Rodriguez had been knocked around some lately but was more than up to last night’s task. Wichita also lost a remarkable six of eight runners on the bases courtesy of four double plays and two unsuccessful steals.

Hi-A: Hickory 4, Rome (ATL) 3
Hickory: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 33-31, eliminated, 61-69 overall

SP Brayan Mendoza: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 88 P / 53 S, 3.48 ERA
RP Ivan Oviedo: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 2-2, 2B, HBP, .220/.316/.402
2B Danyer Cueva: 2-4, 2B, HR (1), .225/.304/.367

Malcolm Moore is hitting .367/.460/.700 during an eight-game on-base streak.

Sebastian Walcott tripled in four trips to the plate. Across the entire minors, he ranks in the bottom half of the top ten in combined doubles and triples with 38.

Lo-A: Down East 0, Augusta (ATL) 4
Down East: 1 hit, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 30-31, eliminated, 65-61 overall

SP Kamdyn Perry: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 43 P / 26 S, 7.20 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.00 ERA
RP Caden Scarborough: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 8.31 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.77 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA

Down East spread the early innings around some relative newcomers. Kamdyn Perry was Texas’s 17th-rounder in 2023. He didn’t pitch in 2023 (customary for young mound picks) and tossed 26 innings for the rookies this summer with a 6.58 ERA, 18 walks, and 22 strikeouts. 

The offense: 14 outs, Beycker Barroso walk, Keith Jones II single, 13 outs.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Solomon
AA: deGrom
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: TBA (maybe Curtis)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
High-A Hickory knocked off the South Atlantic’s best team in two straight. 90-win Delmarva, playing beyond the regular season for the first time in 14 years, discovered the capriciousness of the minor league playoffs. Abdiel Mendoza (6 IP), Hever Bueno (2.2), and Kelvin Gonzalez (1) combined on a ten-inning, two-hit shutout. The Crawdads scored the winner absent a hit, loading the bases on two walks and an HBP. Kole Enright scored the winner on Jax Biggers’ sac bunt. Hickory would advance to the finals against KC-affiliated Lexington, which had a losing regular season but vanquished 77-61 Augusta.

Spokane was eliminated by Tri-City in the Northwest League semis 3-2 in ten. In the previous year’s finals, reliever Emmanuel Clase gained unwanted fame by committing a walk-off balk to bring in the championship-winning run for Eugene. 2019’s victim was Nic Laio, who brought a 5% walk rate into the contest but walked the leadoff batter bottom half of the 10th and issued a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded. Little did we know that Spokane was playing its final game as a Texas affiliate and as a member of a short-season league.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Las Vegas (OAK) 11
Round Rock: 6 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-32, 7 GB, 64-69 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 87 P / 56 S, 2.76 ERA
LF Dustin Harris: 2-2, 2 BB, SB (33), .278/.366/.397
C Sam Huff: 1-3, HR (11), BB, .239/.305/.403

Ryan Garcia carried a no-hitter into the 5th, but if you’re a pitcher in Vegas, the house always wins. Five Aviator homers in a span of 12 batters turned a close game into a rout. Tyler Soderstrom’s 92 MPH homer off Garcia was the softest hit at 26 degrees all season in the PCL. The Express are in ninth place, so “7 GB” undersells the difficulty of reaching the postseason.

AA: Frisco 4, Wichita (MIN) 6
Frisco: 7 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 34-26, first-half champ, 78-51 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 2.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 58 P / 37 S, 5.33 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Dane Acker: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.17 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, BB, SB (15), .270/.328/.446
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 1-4, 3B, BB, .233/.318/.403

Last night wasn’t pretty, but on the whole, Mitch Bratt has pitched better than his 5.33 ERA in Frisco. Bryan Magdaleno fanned batters with a slider and fastball in his AA debut.

Hi-A: Hickory 6, Rome (ATL) 10
Hickory: 10 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 32-31, eliminated, 60-69 overall

SP Jose Gonzalez: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 59 P / 36 S, 6.75 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .195/.351/.286
SS Sebastian Walcott: 2-5, 3B, .260/.343/.436
DH Malcolm Moore: 2-5, 2B, .200/.297/.363

Malcolm Moore’s batting average now begins with a “2.” The next step is a “3” to lead off the OBP. Honestly I wouldn’t stress about how he and other 2024 picks perform in the short run. There are exceptions (Langford), but for the most part, the post-draft period is about acclimating to the professional lifestyle. Also, the assignments of Moore and 2nd-rounder Dylan Dreiling are aggressive. Josh Jung, picked eighth overall in 2019, spent his late summer after the draft at low-A Hickory. Davis Wendzel (41st overall) only reached short-season Spokane. Justin Foscue began in high-A but only after missing any 2020 action because of covid. Aaron Zavala (38th overall) played for low-A Down East initially.

In 88 low-A innings, Jose Gonzalez allowed three homers, all solos. In his high-A debut, the 12th batter he faced connected on a three-run shot.

Lo-A: Down East 6, Augusta (ATL) 5
Down East: 10 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 30-30, eliminated, 65-60 overall

SP Kyle Larsen: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 49 S, 5.36 ERA
RP Adonis Villavicencio: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.98 ERA
RP Jake Jekielek: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Ben Hartl: 2-4, HBP, .367/.533/.500
RF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-4, BB, .200/.310/.267

In the 10th, 2024 17th-rounder Joey Danielson surrendered his first three runs of the season. No matter. Down East responded with four runs straight out of a DSL summary: infield single, HBP, HBP, sac fly, reached-on-error, reached-on-error. 10th-rounder Jake Jekielek out of Northwood University in Illinois made his pro debut

Today’s Starters
AAA: Rocker
AA: TBA (Rosario)
Hi-A: B. Mendoza
Lo-A: TBA (maybe Scarborough)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Spokane extended the Northwest League semifinals to a deciding game with a 5-1 victory over Tri-City. RF Heriberto Hernandez hit a two-run homer. Starter Teodoro Ortega (4.2 IP) and Billy Layne (4.1) took some pressure off a staff that had four relievers throw multiple innings the night before.

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Wednesday 4 September
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Las Vegas (OAK) 6
Round Rock: 3 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-31, 6 GB, 64-68 overall

SP Dane Dunning: 4 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 72 P / 46 S, 2.57 ERA

Excluding rehab appearances, Dane Dunning hadn’t started a minor league game since 2018, and never on optional assignment. He’d been added to the White Sox 40 at the end of 2019 while recovering from elbow surgery, and his next appearance would be in the Majors the following August. He handled the atmospheric conditions better than most and missed 12 bats, although he would throw only two pitches of 90 MPH or better. Fellow 40 members Daniel Robert (1 IP, 3 runners, 3 runs) and Owen White (1 IP, 3 runners, 1 run) combined for a four-run 7th.

OF Dustin Harris walked twice and stole his 32nd base. He remains with Round Rock along with fellow 40 member Sam Huff while OF Sandro Fabian finds himself wearing number 40 as a member of the Texas Rangers. I wasn’t expecting this, although I’d seen fit to keep mentioning his better days in the report unlike a good number of free-agent signs. Also, at this point, viable replacement options are limited: him, Harris, Huff, non-40 1B Blaine Crim, maybe veteran IF Matt Duffy (who I haven’t mentioned because he’s not hitting well at all and is 33).

Fabian is hitting .270/.343/.462 with 33 2B/3B an 17 homers in 116 games. He’s graded out slightly above average in contact and power, slightly below in OBP, and a 104 OPS+ overall. Somewhat surprisingly for his power-oriented swing, Fabian whiffs as little as anyone on the Express save Foscue. His exit velocities are vanilla near the median, and his hard-hit rate of 33% is slightly below the league average, but his top-end velo improves relative to his peers, creating ample power. He’s hitting .370/.441/.693 against lefties, .231/.305/.371 vs. righties. Fabian has spotted in center but is best suited to right, where his able arm can vanquish greedy runners.

Fabian could be sent back to AAA in short order in favor of someone else, so I don’t yet want to suggest what this transaction says (if anything) about Harris. But I’ve written about Harris and his issues at length during the season. At this moment, Fabian is more likely to do some damage, especially against lefties. (The left-handed Harris is actually hitting lefties quite well, but the batted-ball data strongly favors Fabian.) Maybe he’ll get some hacks against Angels LHP Samuel Aldegheri on Friday. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting this, but Fabian isn’t undeserving. The 28-man roster limit prevents clubs from doling out multiple cups of coffee, but perhaps the Rangers can hand out some of those little  paper cups.

AA: Frisco 2, Wichita (MIN) 1
Frisco: 6 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 34-25, first-half champ, 78-50 overall

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 81 P / 59 S, 5.27 ERA
RP Jacob Latz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 23.14 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.30 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 2-3, HR (6), HBP, SB (7), .302/.381/.503
2B Max Acosta: 1-3, 2B, BB, .277/.343/.408

Winston Santos struck out his most batters in AA, having stuck on seven in four previous starts.

Alejandro Osuna didn’t hit a double or triple last night, but I noticed his 19 combined doubles and triples in 45 games at Frisco exceed any previous full season. His 15 homers between high-A and AA are already a career-best by six. International signings often present difficult 40 decisions because of their young age and level. In Osuna’s case, starting in low-A as an 18-year-old after signing in late 2020 and hitting well enough to advance in timely fashion (despite persistent injuries) should give the Rangers an easier decision, which isn’t required until after 2025.

Six wins in the final ten games will give the Riders a record of 84-54 (.608), which would be the best AA regular season ever by a Texas affiliate. The 2007 squad was 85-55 (.607).

Hi-A: Hickory 3, Rome (ATL) 9
Hickory: 10 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 32-30, eliminated, 60-68 overall

SP Paul Bonzagni: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 51 S, 3.55 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, 2B, .187/.291/.347
1B Arturo Disla: 3-4, 2B, .264/.328/.536
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, 2 2B, .210/.289/.317

The Crawdads were fortunate to avoid a worse margin. Rome had 22 baserunners and four steals, and Hickory added two runner-advancing errors, three wild pitches, and a balk. Starter Paul Bonzagni escaped before the flood, concluding his solid season with his fewest runs allowed in five high-A starts. Bonzagni was more prone to extra-base hits at Hickory (nearly everyone is) but showed slight improvements in his walk and strikeout rates compared to Down East.

Just-promoted Victor Simeon walked a season-high four and allowed three runs in the 9th.

Lo-A: Down East 4, Augusta (ATL) 3 (10)
Down East: 5 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 29-30, eliminated, 64-60 overall

SP Josh Trentadue: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 43 P / 23 S, 4.57 ERA
RP Kai Wynward: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2.85 ERA
RP Alberto Mota: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2.48 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Ben Hartl: 2-4, 2B, .346/.525/.500

Echedry Vargas (1-5) singled in the winner in the 10th. Assuming he advances to high-A next year, he’ll never have a claw on his cap, as Hickory resumes its former place as Texas’s low-A affiliate.

A 29-pitch 2nd for Josh Trentadue resulted in an outing short enough that he could pitch on Sunday if needed. As it stands, the 22-year-old drafted in last year’s 14th round out of Southern Idaho posted a 28% strikeout rate and 10% BB/HBP rate in 69 innings. 2024 8th-rounder Anthony Susac probably has one more outing to extend his professional scoreless streak.

Down East secured a non-losing record with the victory.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garcia
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: TBA (Larsen)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The playoffs began. High-A Down East (87-52) split a hurricane-prompted doubleheader with Houston-affiliated Fayetteville (72-67) by duplicate scores of 3-0. Sal Mendez (6.1 IP) and Joe Kuzia (0.2) three-hit the Woodpeckers in the opener. CF JP Martinez, DH Yohel Pozo, and RF Yanio Perez contributed two hits apiece. Fayetteville’s Miguelangel Sierra memorably turned a homer into an out when he failed to touch the plate. In the second game, starter Scott Engler surrendered a two-run homer to Jeremy Pena.

Low-A Hickory (83-52) defeated Baltimore-affiliated Delmarva (90-48) 4-3 in the opener of the best-of-three semifinals. Ricky Vanasco allowed two runs in the 1st but no more in five subsequent innings, backed up by Nick Snyder and high-leverage specialist Kelvin Gonzalez. Delmarva’s Grayson Rodriguez (6 IP, 4 R) surrendered three 1st-inning runs via doubles from Jax Biggers, Josh Jung, and Miguel Aparicio, and Tyreque Reed’s later homer provided the margin. Rodriguez’s battery mate was Adley Rutschman (1-4, double).

Short-season Spokane (45-31) lost 4-3 in 12th to Pads-affiliated Tri City (38-38). The Dust Devils quickly scored three off Jeifry Nunez, who walked four in three innings after not having walked more than two in any previous outing. Spokane would recover in part by a two-run homer from Heriberto Hernandez, a virtual newcomer to the level, but stranded would-be game-winning runs later on.

Box Scores

Baseball America’s updated top-100 prospect rankings include Kumar Rocker up to #30 and leading all Rangers, followed by Sebastian Walcott (#55), Alejandro Rosario (#86), and Emiliano Teodo (#97).

AAA: Round Rock 1, @ Las Vegas (OAK) 5
Round Rock: 9 hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 27-30, 6 GB, 64-67 overall

SP Adrian Sampson: 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 8 SO, 94 P / 59 S, 5.72 ERA
RP Marc Church: 2 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.14 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-4, 2B, .277/.361/.397

Las Vegas’s lone hit with runners in scoring position was a grand slam by Carlos Perez.

AA: Frisco 3, Wichita (MIN) 2
Frisco: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 33-25, first-half champ, 77-50 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 99 P / 65 S, 3.67 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.52 ERA
RP Ricky DeVito: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.96 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 3.38 ERA
SS Max Acosta: 2-5, 3B, HR (7), .276/.342/.406

This is Monday’s game; the teams had last night off. Max Acosta is hitting .44/.553/.793 in his last eight games, boosting the perennially modest but decent production I’d mentioned a little while back.

Texas promoted righties Alejandro Rosario and Ryan Lobus and lefty Bryan Magdaleno to Frisco from Hickory.  Rosario and Lobus were two of the three Rangers listed as “unlikely breakouts” along with Kohl Drake. All three and Magdaleno began the season at low-A Down East, and I saw Rosario and Magdaleno with the Woodies barely over two months ago. In seven outings with the Crawdads, Magdaleno declined to allow a hit in eight innings, walked two, and struck out 14 (54%), and opponents drew air on 39% of swings. In late June, I saw a 96-97 fastball that touched 98 and an 83-84 slider.

Hi-A: Hickory 0, Rome (ATL) 7
Hickory: 5 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 32-29, eliminated, 60-67 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 78 P / 48 S, 6.44 ERA
DH Malcolm Moore: 1-3, BB, .169/.280/.324

Aidan Curry’s strikeout rate fell from 28% in the first half to 21% in the second, but also declining was the barrage of extra-base hits that kept his Run Average above nine until early July.

Malcolm Moore is hitting .212/.317/.404 in his last 14 games after a very slow start.

RHP Victor Simeon has joined Hickory to replace Magdaleno. He fanned 54 of 148 batters (36%) at Down East ad held opponents to a .132/.277/.240 line.

Rays-affiliated Bowling Green clinched the second-half division title and will advance to the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons.

Lo-A: Down East 2, Augusta (ATL) 1
Down East: 10 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 28-30, eliminated, 63-60 overall

SP Thomas Ireland: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 SO, 83 P / 53 S, 2.16 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 3.95 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-4, HR (14), .279/.323/.460
2B Casey Cook: 1-3, 2B, BB, .209/.308/.254
C Julian Brock: 2-4, .258/.325/.386
LF Keith Jones II: 1-3

Thomas Ireland finished the season strong. Drafted in 2021’s 13th round out of Polk State (Junior) College, Ireland missed 2022 after arm surgery and spent more time at the complex this season than last.

Ninth-rounder Keith Jones II singled in his first professional plate appearance but was denied an RBI when Esteban Mejia was thrown out at the plate.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Dunning
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Bonzagni
Lo-A: TBA (Trentadue)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Nothing happened, as the full-season and short-season leagues ended the day before. AAA Nashville completed what turned out to be the only year as a Texas affiliate with a 13-inning win aided by Andy Ibanez’s 20th homer. Salt Lake led the 2018 PCL with 173 homers; 14 of 16 teams would best that amount in 2019 with the bouncier MLB ball. In extreme getaway-day fashion, AA Frisco dropped the final contest at NW Arkansas 2-0 in a mere hour and fifty-three minutes. At 68-71, the Riders were below .500 and absent from the postseason for a fifth straight year.

High-A Down East lost but finished 87-52 (.626), the best mark by any Texas full-season affiliate since 1993. Low-A Hickory wasn’t far behind at 83-52 (.615), the highest winning percentage from a Texas low-A club since 1989. Finally, Spokane would post its best record (45-31) since 2008. All three would continue to the postseason, all facing pitching staffs which set single-season records for strikeouts in their respective leagues.

Among prospects, Sam Huff led the system with 28 homers, trailed by Curtis Terry (25) and Pedro Gonzalez (23). Demarcus Evans: 0.90 ERA, 100 strikeouts in 60 innings (43% K rate), .119/.266/.175 oppo line.

The Rangers would not renew the contracts of AAA manager Jason Wood, AA manager Joe Mikulik, AAA pitching coach Brian Shouse, or AAA bullpen coach Eric Gagne.

The next regular season game would be in 610 days.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Oklahoma City (LAD) 9
Round Rock: 6 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-29, 5 GB, 64-66 overall

SP Jacob deGrom: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 43 P / 30 S, 0.00 ERA
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, BB, .274/.360/.294
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, 2B, .284/.390/.364

A soft single and walk in the 2nd were the only blemishes to Jacob de Grom’s record. OKC swung at 50% of his out-of-zone pitches (league rate 28%) and whiffed on half of those (league rate 45%).

Yesterday I discussed Owen White, recalled yesterday to the Rangers. Today, Dustin Harris, who was not but has received some attention lately by hitting .331/.406/.483 since the beginning of July.

My persistent worry with Harris has been the lack of exit velocity. Last I checked, his median and 90th-percentile velocities would rank at or near the bottom among MLB hitters with at least 100 trips to the plate. He simply doesn’t hit very hard. He succeeds with angles, avoiding excess grounders and spraying liners that might reach to and beyond the fence if hit hard enough or will drop in front of fielders if hit softly. His profile is fairly similar to Josh Smith when he was in AAA. The difference is Smith can play just about anywhere, while Harris is a LF/1B (and CF in a pinch).

Has that profile changed in the past two months? A little. His top-end velocity hasn’t budged. His mid-range velocity has improved, and that’s important. That’s an area where seemingly small increases can have a large impact on hit rate. He’s also getting a bunch of soft hits. The league is hitting .200 on airborne balls hit in the 60-75 MPH range. Harris is hitting .692, 9-for-13. That’s nearly 20% of his hits during this hot stretch. Even with his knack for angles, that just seems incredibly lucky. Put another way, I’d be very reluctant to count on that type of production at the MLB level. So on the whole, I’d say his recent success is combination of genuinely better results and a healthy portion of luck.

AA: Frisco 12, @ NW Arkansas (KAN) 7
Frisco: 12 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 32-25, 3 GB, 76-50 overall

SP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 82 P / 54 S, 4.38 ERA
RP Dane Acker: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.23 ERA
SS Max Acosta: 2-2, HR (6), 3 BB, .270/.332/.380
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-5, 2B, .301/.351/.441
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-4, HR (14), BB, .230/.315/.390

Abi Ortiz has a .302/.402/.523 line dating back to Independence Day and nine homers in his last 30 games. Wonderful to see.

Hi-A: Hickory 10, @ Asheville (HOU) 0
Hickory: 7 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 32-28, 7.5 GB, 60-66 overall, eliminated

SP David Davalillo: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 SO, 85 P / 55 S, 2.25 ERA
RP Avery Weems: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .197/.357/.288
SS Cam Cauley: 3-4, 2B, HR (12), BB, 2 SB (26), .231/.295/.411
DH Arturo Disla: 2-4, HR (8), BB, .255/.325/.539
C Cal Stark: 1-3, HR (1), HBP

21-year-old David Davalillo has fanned ten in two of four high-A starts. He’s struck out 31 and walked only five in that span.

Avery Weems made his first appearance since 2022. Part of the Lance Lynn trade, Weems underwet Tommy John surgery early in 2023.

Undrafted Tennessee alum Cal Stark made his pro debut. Strk batted .212/.353/.511 with 11 homers in 53 games for tte Vols in 2024.

Lo-A: Down East 2, @ Myrtle Beach (CHC) 4
Down East: 8 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-30, 7 GB, 62-60 overall, eliminated

SP Willian Bormie: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 80 P / 54 S, 1.98 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, HBP, 5 SO, 5.40 ERA
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-4, SB (26), .277/.321/.452

16th-round righty Eric Loomis made his pro debut. The Missouri State alum featured a low-90s fastball with enough tail to fluster both opposing hitters and himself. He added an occasional slider.

The loss eliminated Down East from division contention. The official page says otherwise, but I believe it still assumes some rainouts will be made up. The Woodies host league-worst Augusta (46-77) next week for their final six games as an affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Tim Dillard threw 125 pitches in seven innings for AAA Nashville. Dillard was 36 and threw relatively gently from a low slot, so he could ignore modern usage standards. Tyler Phillips threw 6.1 innings of one-run ball for Frisco. The previous week, I saw him in Springfield, MO, the last game I would watch in person for a very long time.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City (LAD) 6 (10)
Round Rock: 13 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-28, 5 GB, 64-65 overall

SP Peter Solomon: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 85 P / 53 S, 6.68 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.10 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3.04 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 2-4, BB, .279/.374/.464
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-3, .251/.322/.326
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .218/.329/.360

The Rangers recalled IF Jonathan Ornelas and RHP Owen White from Round Rock to cover the extra September roster spots. Yesterday, Texas added righty Chase Anderson to the 40 and active roster, recalled Justin Foscue, and optioned Dane Dunning.

White has improved in some respects since switching to relief at the end of July. His strikeout rate has increased from 18% as a starter to 25% in relief with attendant gains in his swinging strike rates (from 11% to 14% on all pitches, and 23% to 29% on swings) His walk/HBP rate has maintained at 12% despite a decline in first-pitch strikes. With the exception of his slider, his pitches have gained between 0.6 and 1.5 MPH. His slider’s miss rate has improved even without added velo. In relief, he’s emphasized his cutter more at the expense of the four-seamer. Contact is a mixed bag. He’s allowed fewer hits but but more power, including three homers in 13.2 innings. His hard-hit rate and exit velos are up slightly. The baserunners have come in clumps, and he’s allowed seven runs (4.61 ERA).

I’m not seeing this as a promotion for some who’s improved to the level of MLB. He’s pitched better, yes, but hasn’t especially stood out from the competition. Perhaps he returns to AAA quickly. But for however long he hangs around, I think it’s to see what, if anything, he has to offer at present, and whether what he shows portends future success.

AA: Frisco 5, @ NW Arkansas (KAN) 7
Frisco: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 8 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 31-25, 3 GB, 75-50 overall

SP Andy Rodriguez: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 51 P / 26 S, 2.90 ERA
RF Josh Hatcher: 5-5, 2 2B, 2 SB (21), .301/.351/.441
C Cooper Johnson: 1-3, HR (12), 2 BB, .235/.350/.475

Batting average leaders in full-season, min. 200 PA:
.301, Josh Hatcher (AA)
.294, Andrew Knapp (AAA, released)
.288, Justin Foscue (AAA)
.287, Alejandro Osuna (hi-A, AA)
.279, Blaine Crim (AAA)

Hi-A: Hickory 10, @ Asheville (HOU) 4
Hickory: 11 hits, 10 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 31-28, 8.5 GB, 59-66 overall, eliminated

SP DJ McCarty: 4.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 3 HBP, 8 SO, 89 P / 60 S, 4.47 ERA
RP Florencio Serrano: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2.70 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, 2 BB, .190/.354/.238
SS Sebastian Walcott: 3-6, 3 2B, .260/.346/.437
DH Malcolm Moore: 1-4, HR (3), 2 BB, .162/.269/.324
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB (7), .212/.292/.316
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, BB, .222/.275/.392

Combined doubles and triples:
36, Sebastian Walcott (hi-A)
33, Cody Freeman (AA)
32, Sandro Fabian (AAA)
27, Blaine Crim (AAA)
27, Alejandro Osuna (hi-A, AA)

Lo-A: Down East 2, @ Myrtle Beach (CHC) 3 (7)
Down East: 4 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 7 walks, 5 strikeouts

SP Kolton Curtis: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 31 P / 15 S, 2.85 ERA
RP Adonis Villavicencio: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 5.49 ERA

Lo-A: Down East 1, Myrtle Beach (CHC) 2 (7)
Down East: 5 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-29, 6.5 GB, 62-59 overall, elimination number 1

SP Aneudis Mejia: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 61 P / 32 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Beycker Barroso: 2-2, BB, SB (6), .230/.340/.385

20-year-old Aneudis Mejia made his full-season debut. Signed in 2022, he’s walked 34 and struck out 42 in 29 innings across two seasons at the complex. 2024 draftees Anthony Susac and Joey Danielson had strong showings. Offense was lacking.

Today’s Starters
AAA: deGrom
AA: Drake
Hi-A: Davalillo
Lo-A: TBA

Five Years Ago Yesterday
“Texas added 1B Ronald Guzman and RHP Ian Gibaut from Nashville. OF Nomar Mazara and RHP Adrian Sampson are off the 10-day IL. RHP Edinson Volquez and LHP Jeffrey Springs have been activated from the 60-day IL. To make room for those last two, Texas designated RHP Pedro Payano and LHP Locke St. John for assignment. Healthy 40-man members still in the minors: Pitchers Kyle Bird, Wei-Chieh Huang, CD Pelham, and Phillips Valdez, and OF Zack Granite. Yohander Mendez is on the 60-day IL but has been pitching in real games for over a month. Joe Palumbo is dealing with his blister.”

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City (LAD) 4
Round Rock: 4 hits, 5 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-27, 5 GB, 64-64 overall

SP Gerson Garabito: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 76 P / 51 S, 3.42 ERA
RP Marc Church: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.92 ERA

Marc Church threw eight sliders out of ten pitches, unusual for him, and missed two bats. Although the slider has been his action pitch, he’s relied more on the fastball. As for the possibility of an MLB debut, to repeat last night’s phrase, that would take some doing. While Church is on the 40, the upcoming 28-man roster limit affords only one more pitcher who should be Jack Leiter at some point if not imminently. At least one of the currently IL-ed pitchers should also be back before long.

AA: Frisco 4, @ NW Arkansas (KAN) 9
Frisco: 6 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 8 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 31-24, 2 GB, 75-49 overall

SP Nick Krauth: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 87 P / 57 S, 5.91 ERA
LF Josh Hatcher: 2-4, HR (10), .292/.343/.428

Innings 1-2: four extra-base hits, four runs
Innings 3-9: two baserunners, no runs

Cody Freeman and Tucker Mitchell tripled. Entering the season, Mitchell (2021, 14th round) had always hit well enough to moonlight at first and DH when not catching, but 2024 has been a challenge. He (and all his teammates) struggled in the early going at Hickory, and he’s hitting .114/.235/.182 since his promotion to AA three weeks ago. Of 550 batters with at least 50 plate appearances in AA, Mitchell’s .152 average on contact is tied for last. I would assume at least a little bad luck.

Hi-A: Hickory 3, @ Asheville (HOU) 4
Hickory: 7 hits, 5 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 30-28, 8.5 GB, 58-66 overall, eliminated

SP Brayan Mendoza: 4.1 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 75 P / 53 S, 6.23 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.31 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 1-4, BB, 2 SB (24), .225/.288/.396
C Malcolm Moore: 2-5, SB (3), .156/.250/.281
LF Yosy Galan: 1-3, 3B, 2 BB, .181/.279/.330

Brayan Mendoza survived his debut in the league’s toughest hitting park. Righty batter Oliver Carrillo tends to pull but knocked one out to center and another over the short fence in right. The 20-year-old Mendoza posted a 2.18 ERA with a 9% BB/HBP rate and 26% strikeout rate in 90 low-A innings. Ryan Lobus missed seven bats out of 16 swings.

Combined with yet another win by Bowling Green, Hickory is eliminated from postseason contention as best as I can tell. The official page lists an elimination number of two, but Bowling Green has three missing games, two of which definitely won’t be made up, and those absences favor the leading team.

Lo-A: Down East 6, @ Myrtle Beach (CHC) 7
Down East: 12 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 27-27, 5 GB, 62-57 overall, elimination number 4

SP Caden Scarborough: 2.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 46 P / 27 S, 11.57 ERA
LF Jose De Jesus: 1-3, BB, .287/.351/.299
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-5, .277/.321/.455
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-3, 3B, BB, SB (7), .191/.295/.265
2B Chandler Pollard: 2-4, 2B, SB (37), .244/.321/.336

Caden Scarborough’s full-season debut proceeded swimmingly for two innings, but he walked two of his first three opponents in the 3rd, received a pep talk, and then surrendered a homer on the next pitch. Last year’s sixth-rounder hasn’t pitched much in real games, never taking the mound in 2023 (typical for younger picks) and making only four appearances totaling six innings in Arizona. Older reports suggest a low-90s fastball with some hope for higher, a curve, and a change. I did see what appeared to be sliders as well, but maybe those are Rocker-like hard curves with tail. I can’t trust my eyes anymore.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Solomon
AA: Rodriguez
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: TBA x 2 (Curtis / ???)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The Rangers won the Arizona League championship, completing the two-game sweep over Cleveland by a score of 7-2. RF Heriberto Hernandez homered and doubled, and 2B Oslevis Basabe walked and stole a base.

I added regular and slow-motion video of swinging strikes from Kumar Rocker with the fastball, curve, and change. Here’s yesterday’s video of all the swinging strikes and balls in play from the 2nd onward.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City (LAD) 1
Round Rock: 8 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 27-26, 4 GB, 64-63 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 85 P / 49 S, 2.28 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 4.22 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 2-4, HR (9), .279/.419/.483
1B Blaine Crim: 1-3, HR (17), BB, .279/.375/.467
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, BB, .215/.323/.357

I ignored Blaine Crim Wednesday night because of the Rocker display and lack of time, so now I’ll give him his due. He’s as locked in as ever, batting .385/.462/.658 since July 1. Maybe those stats include some luck, but that would compensate for his disappointing May and June when he was still hitting the ball reasonably hard but right at people. On Wednesday, he hit three balls in excess of 106 MPH, two of which left the yard, one off rehabbing Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The other was lined to left for a single. He also check-swung an 0-2 pitch through the short-third gap at 88 MPH.

My explanation in 2023 was if he could be transported back to 2021 or 2022, he likely would have received a call-up on the poor Rangers squads, like Curtis Terry did. In 2023, on a squad clawing for every win, someone like Crim wasn’t going to get a look. Then, this season, he was hitting .215/.323/.351 through June. Now, he’s having the best two months of his life, and the Rangers are eight games under .500. September, perhaps?

To whatever extent Crim is forcing the issue, fitting him in a Texas uniform will take some doing. He’s a first baseman, period. The Rangers still have Nate Lowe. I would think 2020 first-rounder Justin Foscue is first in line for any extra September plate appearances. And, of course, Crim would require a 40 spot at someone’s expense, and the new CBA limits the active roster to 28 players. The days of wholesale call-ups are over. I understood and agreed with lowering the September active roster from 40, but I’m surprised the union acquiesced to 28.

Ryan Garcia continues to impress in Round Rock. I regret to say I haven’t been able to see him in person, but maybe I’ll have one more chance. The 2019 2nd-rounder can push the fastball and sinker up to 94 but tends to sit 91, and he lacks the Cody Bradford-type extension that would help that velocity play up. What he does, seemingly, is make the right pitch at the right time. He missed a modest six bats last night, but four completed strikeouts. He also induced several easy high flies.

AA: Frisco 8, @ NW Arkansas (KAN) 5
Frisco: 12 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 31-23, 1 GB, 75-48 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 87 P / 56 S, 4.38 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.74 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, HR (5), .308/.389/.511
2B Max Acosta: 1-3, 2B, BB, HBP, .269/.332/.380
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2 2B, .267/.325/.447
RF Abi Ortiz: 2-4, BB, .235/.320/.399
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-4, HR (7), BB, .236/.284/.370

Keyber Rodriguez hit an 8th-inning grand slam to reverse a two-run deficit. AA has tested his on=base ability (.298 OBP) but he’s hit ten homers and 28 other extra-base hits in 121 games at the level across two seasons. I believe he can become a free agent after the season. 21-year-old Alejandro Osuna continues to hit better than ever in his toughest assignment.

Hi-A: Hickory 1, @ Asheville (HOU) 6
Hickory: 4 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 30-27, 7.5 GB, 58-65 overall, elimination number 2

SP Alejandro Rosario: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 57 S, 2.40 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, 2B, SB (24), .259/.346/.433

In his penultimate Hickory start, Alejandro Rosario did what he’s been doing all season. If you’re able, please check out Baseball America’s “These 10 Pitching Prospects Emerged As Unlikely Breakouts In 2024.” Three are Rangers. Three! Rosario, Kohl Drake, and Ryan Lobus. Rosario’s 129 strikeouts rank second in the system behind Drake with 137, and Lobus is fourth with 121.

Bowling Green won a third straight against Greenville (the one team with a legitimate chance at knocking off BG) to push Hickory to the brink of elimination.

Lo-A: Down East 2, @ Myrtle Beach (CHC) 1
Down East: 8 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 27-26, 6 GB, 62-56 overall, elimination number 5

SP Kyle Larsen: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 67 P / 41 S, 5.66 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.77 ERA
CF Jose De Jesus: 2-4, 2B, .286/.348/.298
2B Casey Cook: 1-2, BB, SB (2), .212/.323/.250

I was going to say Kyle Larsen’s outing hearkened to a different era, but no such era exists. In MLB history, only six starting pitchers have matched Kyle Larsen’s line of 7-2-0-2-1, most recently Dave Steib in 1989. Larsen’s per-inning pitch counts were 11, 6, 11, 14, 6, 8, and 11.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Tiger
Lo-A: Scarborough

Five Years Ago Yesterday
The baby Rangers defeated Cleveland 10-0 in the opener of the rookie league finals. For the first time in at least a dozen years and probably ever, the league scheduled a best-of-three championship instead of a one-and-done, as I discovered a few minutes after posting a message about the Rangers winning it all. Whoops. Hickory clinched its first playoff berth since 2015. Ronny Henriquez fanned seven in six innings in a 5-1 victory.

Video of Kumar Rocker from me and from the Rangers.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, Oklahoma City (LAD) 3 (10)
Round Rock: 7 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 18 strikeouts
Record: 26-26, 5 GB, 63-63 overall

SP Kumar Rocker: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 SO, 67 P / 44 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.16 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 4-4, 2 HR, (16), .279/.374/.461
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, 2B, SB (7), .266/.372/.342

Two weeks ago, I declared Jack Leiter’s outing the most dominant minor league pitching performance I’d ever seen in person*. That’s still true, but if I hadn’t visited the park that night, the top place would belong to Kumar Rocker. Rocker wasn’t quite as absurdly unhittable, with a swinging strike rate of “only” 22% of all pitches and 43% of swings compared to Leiter’s respective figures of 34% and 62%. That said, even while watching Leiter mow through hitters like never before, his history of inconsistency had me wondering “how long will this last?” Conversely, watching Rocker, I felt like he could last forever. He was never not in control. Okay, he did start two batters 3-0 in the 3rd, but he always had a strike when needed.

Rocker’s induced vertical break on his four-seamer honestly wasn’t anything special, averaging 12.5″. (Leiter’s AAA average is 16.8″ and includes some starts at altitude which dampens IVB.) Rocker instead imparted much more horizontal movement than typical, and he added a sinker with an average run that exceeds every Express pitcher in 2024 except Jonathan Hernandez. All that to say, he was throwing two fastballs in the upper 90s with huge movement and controlling them. Last night, opponents missed a relatively low three out of out 19 swings, but fouls were three times more common than balls in play.

Rocker’s breaker averaged 85.3 MPH. The average PCL slider is 83.7, and Rocker’s vertical break sat halfway between the average PCL slider and curve, so Statcast understandably called it a slider, but it’s a curve. Not only did it not sweep much (never more than 4″), but it occasionally snuck back to the arm side. OKC swung at 14: one in play, two fouls, 11 misses.

He added five changeups, generating one more miss. He hasn’t thrown it much, maybe in part because he hasn’t needed to, but it’s a potentially worthy pitch with the kind of run you’d expect given what he can do with his fastballs, and the spin is down into splitter range.

In six starts in AA/AAA, opponents are hitting .119/.149/.167 with a 3% walk rate and 45% strikeout rate. I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and nobody I’ve ever covered has pitched like this over a comparable span at the upper levels.

There’s more to discuss but I’m low on time and will leave that to tomorrow.

* Just to be clear, I mean most dominant by a prospect at a reasonable level, so I’m ignoring Jacob deGrom from Tuesday, Yu Darvish rehabbing in Round Rock, AA-AAA relievers throwing live BP against teenagers in Surprise, etc.

AA: Frisco 6, @ NW Arkansas (KAN) 5
Frisco: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 30-23, 1 GB, 74-48 overall

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 89 P / 53 S, 5.75 ERA
RP Dane Acker: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.30 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.65 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, BB, .305/.389/.497
DH Abi Ortiz: 1-3, HR (13), 2 BB, .232/.316/.398

Winston Santos is slowly finding his way in AA. His rates on walk (7%) and strikeout (26%) are swell, and he’s dominated a couple of times, but in others he’s fought something, usually homers or hit batters. Last night included more walks than usual plus two balks and a wild pitch.

I would assume Dane Acker’s downshift to relief is workload-related. Covid and injuries have greatly limited his output. Last year’s 67 innings are his maximum since 2018.

Hi-A: Hickory 11, @ Asheville (HOU) 9
Hickory: 9 hits, 9 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 30-26, 6.5 GB, 58-64 overall, elimination number 4

SP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 79 P / 53 S, 3.98 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 0-3, 3 BB, SB (5), .182/.348/.236
SS Cam Cauley: 2-6, HR (11), .228/.290/.402
C Malcolm Moore: 1-4, HR (2), BB, SB (2), .143/.238/.286
DH Gleider Figuereo: 3-4, 2B, BB, .213/.267/.396

Hickory scored four before the Tourists batted and led 11-4 at the halfway point but had to face down the tying run at the plate in the 9th. Sebastian Walcott (1-6) hit a bases-loaded triple.

Hickory can finish at .500 with eight wins in the final ten. Because of 46-68 record in 2021 despite a run differential of only -14, the Crawdads are assured of a losing record during their four years in high-A.

Lo-A: Down East 0, @ Myrtle Beach (CHC) 3
Down East: 3 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 0 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 26-26, 7 GB, 61-56 overall, elimination number 5

SP Josh Trentadue: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 63 P / 43 S, 4.54 ERA
RP Jose Gonzalez: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2.26 ERA
RF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-3, 2 SB (6), .180/.286/.230

A two-run homer in the 1st would provide all the offense Myrtle Beach needed. A pity, as Josh Trentadue and Jose Gonzalez combined for 12 strikeouts and no walks. Yeremi Caberera and Jose De Jesus managed to reach and steal three bases between them in the 8th, but they were stranded in scoring position.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Garcia
AA: Bratt
Hi-A: Rosario
Lo-A: TBA (Larsen)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Cole Winn’s last full start of 2019 would be his best: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO. Unfortunately, the negatives of what would be recycled for 2022-23: “One issue for Winn has been a relatively high number of pitches far off the plate or bouncing two feet in front of it. I don’t mean swing-inducing “waste” pitches. These are simply non-functional. Last night, they were almost totally absent. Instead of a perpetually searching for rhythm, Winn threw with ease and purpose. Highly encouraging.”