Author: scottrlucas

I played around some with the data on Jack Leiter, currently famous for a 12.41 ERA and .424/.470/.678 opposing line in 5th innings in 2026. His walks and strikeouts in the 5th are fine, but Looking at the batted ball data, but opponents are hitting .625 when they put the ball in play. Some of that is luck; nobody (except you and I) should be hit that hard in the long run.

One item I caught is a much higher average on grounders, which ought to be pure luck, but check out the last three columns:



Leiter grounders in the 5th have tended to be much harder and more in proximity to line drives. That’s a tangible difference, maybe not worth 271 points of average, but some. I could also analyze his pitch movement and location, but for now I’d rather wait to see if he can improve and save me the trouble. 

Texas called up reliever Joe Ross, optioned Luis Curvelo and designated Michel Otanez for assignment. 

Over the course of two months, Curvelo went from “only optioned because he has options” to “only called up because he has options.” He’s already been optioned four times this season and has only one more before the next would trigger a waiver requirement. 

Michel Otanez has a 6.15 ERA in Round Rock and has been on the cusp of designation since before the season started. He’d actually handled opposing contact fairly well and was squashing righties (.093/.298/.140), but his control has been terrible. 

Joe Ross is Joe Ross. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, El Paso (SDP) 7
Round Rock: 7 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 28-40, eliminated

SP David Davalillo: 3 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 68 P / 37 S, 7.59 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.11 ERA
SS Cameron Cauley: 1-4, BB, SB (23), .266/.376/.390
2B Josh Smith: 1-4, BB, SB
CF Jarred Kelenic: 1-3, HR (2), 2 BB, .382/.462/.618
LF Aaron Zavala: 3-4, 2B, .266/.373/.410

The location troubles continued for David Davalillo:



The splitter was telling. The nine left-most versions were all ignored. The other six resulted in three whiffs, two fouls and a groundout. The homer was a Dell Diamond Summer Special, 92 MPH off the bat into a 16 MPH tailwind. 

Emiliano Teodo had better control of his sinker, although he did allow a run on two singles (one soft, one hard) and a balk. 

Cam Cauley is hitting .353/.465/.500 in June. On the whole, he’s been strong at getting on base but a little light on power. Most of his Statcast data is near the league mean for various categories. He’s played 22 games at short, 19 in center, 12 at second and eight at third. He definitely would serve as a solid replacement for the skills the injured Michael Helman offers. I’m skeptical of what production Cauley would offer at the plate against Major Leaguers right now. 


AA: Frisco 10, at San Antonio (SDP) 1
Frisco: 11 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 34-26, 3.5 G up

SP Ben Anderson: 3.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 62 P / 34 S, 3.65 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.85 ERA
RP Austin Roberts: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3.81 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, BB, .291/.388/.455
3B Rafe Perich: 1-4, 3B, BB, .264/.350/.585
DH Keith Jones II: 1-4, HR (7), BB, .232/.347/.411

Frisco scored eight runs in the top of the 9th. Keith Jones broke a stretch of 16 games without a homer, during which time he batted .164/.288/.262. Rafe Perich has an extra-base hit in seven of his 14 AA games.

Midland lost, pushing Frisco closer to a division title. The first half ends next Sunday. 


Hi-A: Hub City 6, Asheville (HOU) 2
Hub City: 8 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 32-29, eliminated

SP Ismael Agreda: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 82 P / 47 S, 5.32 ERA
RP Cole Roland: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.08 ERA
LF Paxton Kling: 2-4, 2B, 2 SB (16), .261/.395/.404
1B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 SB (7), .236/.339/.429
SS Carter Garate: 1-3, HR (3), .180/.292/.377

Malcolm Moore (0-3 with a walk) is hitting .267/.353/.493 since that bonkers series in Asheville. A 128 OPS+ by my count. 

Undrafted Carter Garate hit a 2nd-inning grand slam. 


Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Charleston (TAM) 0
Hickory: 11 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 32-28, 3 GB

SP AJ Russell: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 53 P / 31 S, 3.52 ERA
RP JD McReynolds: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 4.12 ERA
RP Louis Marinaro: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.30 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.16 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 0-2, 3 BB, SB (28), .305/.405/.425
RF Marco Argudin: 2-5, 3B, SB (2), .353/.476/.529
LF Paulino Santana: 2-4, BB, SB (13), .268/.401/.423
3B Angel Arredondo: 3-5, 3B, .222/.369/.394

The Crawdads won the first of two games required to avoid first-half elimination. Another today would reduce Charleston’s lead to two games, and Hickory would then need two more victories than Charleston over the final three games of the first half. Hickory had two cancelled games, so if the teams finish the same number of games over .500, Hickory would win based on a slightly higher win percentage. 

Yolfran Castillo has 34 walks in 59 games. He walked at will in the Dominican Summer League in 2024 but far less so last year. This year he’s improved his rate a whopping 80%. Paulino Santana leads the team with 40 free passes, also the most in the organization outside of Round Rock, which has played more games. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Stephan
AA: MacLean
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Siary

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock OF Leody Taveras hit his sixth homer, only two shy of his previous season-best. To date, his maximum is 14, helpfully tallied in 2023. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, El Paso (SDP) 3
Round Rock: 7 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 28-39, eliminated G up

SP Jose Corniell: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 72 P / 44 S, 6.08 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.98 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 3-4, 2 SB (3), .387/.441/.548
RF Trevor Hauver: 1-3, HR (3), BB, .249/.387/.350
1B Josh Smith: 0-4, SB

Jose Corniell enjoyed his best start of 2026 by a fair margin, getting 12 misses (including six on out-of-zone swings), maintaining his velocity and needing just 72 pitches for five innings. 

It could be nothing, given the sample size, but Josh Smith isn’t hitting the ball as hard during rehab as his previous time in MLB:


Something to watch, at least. 


AA: Frisco 0, at San Antonio (SDP) 3
Frisco: 2 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 33-26, 2.5 G up

SP Dalton Pence: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 86 P / 56 S, 2.05 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.51 ERA

In his second full season, Pence has issued 14% fewer walks and struck out 14% fewer batters. The K rate is a still-solid 27% versus the league rate of 24%.

Eric Loomis is having a terrific season, allowing only four (!) hits in 17.2 innings while striking out 26. 

Loomis also has a 17% BB+HBP rate. Are there MLB relievers with such a high rate? Yes, but not many, or to be more specific, not many who are garnering much work. During 2024-2025, there were 775 relievers with at least 10 MLB innings in a season. Only 55 had a BB+HBP rate of 16% or higher, and only nine of those pitched at least 30 innings. The median ERA in this group is 4.88. Without an improvement in control, the path to MLB success is very narrow. 


Hi-A: Hub City 6, Asheville (HOU) 5
Hub City: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 31-29, eliminated G up

SP Caden Scarborough: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 62 P / 43 S, 1.69 ERA
RF Hector Osorio: 1-3, 2B, BB, .227/.320/.545
C Malcolm Moore: 1-5, HR (10), .302/.389/.549
1B Quincy Scott: 2-3, 2B, BB, .252/.413/.395

Down 5-3 with one out in the 9th, Malcolm Moore blasted a walk-off three-run homer.

Hub City led 2-0 entering the 8th, but an attempt have Joe Adametz work the duration after Caden Scarborough’s departure didn’t pan out. With the score knotted at two in the 9th, Anthony Susac replaced Adametz with the bases loaded and one out, but a groundout and liner just off shortstop Luke Hanson’s glove plated three. 

Two walks, an error and run-scoring passed ball preceded Moore’s heroics. 

Scarborough had had some understandable struggles in returning from melanoma, but last night the 2025 version was back. He missed a season-high ten bats, but five of Scarborough’s seven strikeouts were called, and three of those came on breakers. Here’s video.


Lo-A: Hickory 1, at Charleston (TAM) 2
Hickory: 3 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 31-28, 4 GB

SP Aidan Deakins: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 72 P / 46 S, 1.82 ERA

Oy. Hickory lost a fourth straight to Charleston, the third by one run. Another loss this weekend will mean elimination. Charleston has won 12 straight. Deakins fanned five in a row at one point and avoided the long ball for the first time in five starts. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Davalillo
AA: TBD
Hi-A: Agreda
Lo-A: Russell

Five Years Ago Yesterday
RHP Tyler Phillips was activated after two weeks of elbow stiffness but last only three batters before being pulled, not because of reinjury but for a lengthy power outage. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, El Paso (SDP) 7
Round Rock: 13 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 28-38, eliminated

SP Trey Supak: 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 83 P / 57 S, 5.21 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.15 ERA
LF Cody Freeman: 3-5, 2B, .341/.426/.537
DH Josh Smith: 2-5, 2B, HR, SB
CF Cameron Cauley: 2-5, 3B, .266/.376/.392

The game ended on an event I can’t recall ever seeing: a double play without a plate appearance. In the 10th with one out and a 7-6 score, Blaine Crim was batting with Josh Smith on 3rd and pinch-runner Jarred Kelenic at 1st. El Paso pitcher Kyle Hart had already thrown to 1st twice, so another unsuccessful attempt would result in a game-tying balk. Hart took that risk and successfully picked off Kelenic, who was tagged out at second. Smith raced home but was also tagged out. 

I searched for MLB games which ended with two runners lost on the bases without a plate appearance, and the only similar example I could find occurred in 1923. The Cards trailed the Reds 4-3 in the 9th with runners at second and third with one out. Ivey Wingo was caught stealing home, and trail-runner Bill Rariden was then caught trying for third. I’m not saying this is the only occasion in MLB history, because searching for game-ending double plays that don’t involve an actual plate appearance isn’t easy. Let’s say it’s a rare occurrence. 

Wilian Bormie had an ugly line — two outs, three hits, a walk, two runs — but it wasn’t all that. A medium-hard grounder just inside the line took a wacky bounce of a railing for a double, and two dinky broken-bat bloops fell for singles. 

Incidentally, the first baseman for El Paso was Nick Pratto, recently released by the Rangers. Pratto hit a solo homer off Trey Supak in the 4th. 

Cody Freeman started in left for the first time this season. 


AA: Frisco 6, at San Antonio (SDP) 3
Frisco: 8 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 33-25, 2.5 G up

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 9 SO, 86 P / 59 S, 7.51 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Keith Jones II: 1-4, 2B, .235/.345/.401
1B Arturo Disla: 1-3, BB, .298/.404/.464

Frisco won a sixth straight to maintain a 2.5-game lead. Winston Santos allowed three runs in the 2nd on a single-double-homer sequence, but in innings 3-5 he recorded seven strikeouts. Joey Danielson had a successful reintroduction to AA with plenty of strikes. 

I believe Frisco’s magic number to win the division outright is eight. The tiebreakers are a headache because Frisco has a 6-6 record against second-place Midland and is 3-3 against third-place Amarillo. The next tiebreak is record in final 20 games, and I don’t want to deal with that unless I have to. A three-way tie with Midland and Amarillo is also possible, if highly unlikely. 


Hi-A: Hub City 8, Asheville (HOU) 7
Hub City: 10 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 30-29, eliminated 

SP Kamdyn Perry: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 80 P / 45 S, 3.46 ERA
RP Kai Wynyard: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 9.13 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 8.37 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, 2B, BB, .303/.371/.475
RF Hector Osorio: 2-5, HR (2), .211/.286/.526
SS Luke Hanson: 1-4, HR (10), BB, .260/.330/.475
CF Paxton Kling: 1-3, 3B, BB, SB (14), .256/.396/.400

A messy game ended in appropriately messy fashion when Colby Langford threw away Chandler Pollard’s bunt in the 10th to allow Quincy Scott to score. The teams scored in 11 of the 20 half-innings and combined for nine errors. 

Asheville attempted ten steals off Malcolm Moore and friends, succeeding six times. Moore has a 33% catch rate compared to the league average of 22%. 


Lo-A: Hickory 3, at Charleston (TAM) 9
Hickory: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 31-27, 3 GB

SP Jesus Lafalaise: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 73 P / 45 S, 5.68 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 2-4, BB, .263/.396/.423
DH Braylin Morel: 2-4, 2B, .294/.294/.471
RF Marco Argudin: 2-3, HBP

After May 29th, Charleston was 24-25, in fourth place and five games out of first. The RiverDogs haven’t lost since. Meanwhile, Hickory had been battling Augusta for the division lead, never more than one game up, but a loss on Sunday plus three this week have the Dads in a deep hole. They must win two of the next three to have any chance at the title. 

Last night was the most runs allowed by Hickory in a month, but the team is just 10-10 over the last 20 because the offense has scored a modest 3.8 runs per game in a league averaging 5.1. The annoying part is that the team actually has an above-average OPS during this stretch but is somehow last in runs scored. 

Rookie
DH Josh Owens homered twice to improve to .286/.351/.600. His seven homers rank second in the league. On the mound, Owens has ten strikeouts versus two walks and a 2.8 ERA in 8.2 innings. Texas gave last year’s third-rounder a taste of full-season ball to end 2025 but held him back for the complex this season, presumably to ease his burden as a two-way player. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Corniell
AA: Pence
Hi-A: Scarborough
Lo-A: Deakins

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock 1B Curtis Terry hit his ninth homer in 30 games. The opposing pitcher was talented but wild flamethrower Jojanse Torres, who’d pitched against Terry in alt-site games that April, He emerged from the covid layoff with such poor control that he dropped from top-20 prospect to out of MLB-affiliated baseball in two seasons. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, El Paso (SDP) 2
Round Rock: 10 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-37, eliminated

SP Nolan Kingham: 5 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 87 P / 54 S, 8.31 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.13 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.08 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 1-5, HR (1), .333/.400/.519
SS Cameron Cauley: 2-4, BB, SB (22), .263/.375/.384
LF Alejandro Osuna: 2-2, 2B, 2 BB, SB (6), .295/.398/.397
1B John Taylor: 2-3, 2B, HBP, .267/.436/.500
3B Josh Smith: 1-5

Both Collyer and Teodo dealt with some erratic location on their fastballs but had other pitches working well enough for quick innings.

Josh Smith has played first, second, third and DH on rehab. He made a fine snare of a hard opposite-field grounder to throw out El Paso’s Clay Dungan, who didn’t like the call or Smith or anything and got tossed. 

Nolan Kingham avoided the One Bad Inning that had marred his previous two starts. 


AA: Frisco 5, at San Antonio (SDP) 0
Frisco: 8 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 32-25, 2.5 G up

SP Blake Townsend: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 83 P / 58 S, 3.86 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 5.14 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 8.16 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, 2B, BB, .305/.404/.480
3B Rafe Perich: 2-5, 2 2B, SB (2), .293/.383/.659

San Antonio has the league’s worst offense, and Frisco’s job is to make sure it stays that way. Offseason signing Blake Townsend allowed four homers in his first start but has usually been steady and sometimes exceptional since. 


Hi-A: Hub City 21, Asheville (HOU) 0
Hub City: 17 hits, 11 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 29-29, eliminated

SP J’Briell Easley: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 48 P / 30 S, 3.45 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1.54 ERA
DH Yeison Morrobel: 3-7, HR (7), .299/.366/.469
1B Maxton Martin: 2-5, 2B, HR (4), 2 BB, SB (8), .213/.289/.371
CF Hector Osorio: 2-5, HR (1), BB, HBP, .143/.250/.357
RF Quincy Scott: 1-5, 2 BB, SB (6), .232/.397/.375
2B Antonis Macias: 0-2, 5 BB, .217/.338/.308
C Ben Hartl: 2-3, 3 HBP, .230/.372/.365
LF Chandler Pollard: 4-5, 3B, BB, .241/.322/.361
3B Esteban Mejia: 2-4, 2B, 2 HR (2), HBP, .238/.292/.571
SS Carter Garate: 1-4, 2B, HBP, .172/.290/.328

There you go, the entire lineup in the recap. 35 baserunners. All but Mejia and Garate reached safely at least three times, but Mejia contributed two homers, and Garagte added a double and sac fly. 

Not to downplay the offensive performance, but we do need to acknowledge how egregious the 16-42 Tourists are. As of now, they have the worst pitching (by far) and is second-worst overall of the 882 teams in my database, which consists of every full-season team in a Rangers-affiliated league since 2007). Even adjusting for their very hitter-friendly park, they’re allowing 37% more runs than the league average. They’re the worst in hits allowed, homers, walks, hit batters and strikeouts.  Hub City averaged 12.8 runs per game while taking five of six in Asheville last month. The teams have ten additional meetings. 

Asheville does have a decent offense, so credit to Easley and Porter (and Anthony Susac in the 9th) for shutting it down. 


Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 8 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 31-26, 2 GB

SP Moises Morales: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 71 P / 44 S, 4.71 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 1.83 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 3-4, 2B, .313/.404/.438
CF Marco Argudin: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (1)

Charleston has taken the first two games of the series and leads by two. Hickory must win at least two of the remaining four to have any chance at the first-half title. Barring some very particular rainouts early next week, the teams can’t finish in a tie. 

Newcomer Marco Argudin put Hickory up briefly in the 6th on a walk, steal, error and passed ball. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Supak
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Perry
Lo-A: Lafalaise

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas demoted IF Anderson Tejeda to Frisco from Round Rock, where he’d batted .152/.236/.273 with a 42% K rate. He would never reach AAA again. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, El Paso (SDP) 5
Round Rock: 8 hits, 6 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-37, eliminated

SP Josh Stephan: 4.2 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 85 P / 58 S, 5.79 ERA
RP Joe Ross: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 3.78 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 2-5, .364/.440/.455
2B Cameron Cauley: 1-4, 3B, BB, .259/.371/.382
1B Josh Smith: 0-3, HBP
RF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (5), .276/.371/.368

There’s a version of this game in which Josh Stephan allows only one run. CF Jarred Kelenic had a slightly hesitant jump on a deep fly that fell against the base of the wall for an RBI double. (In fairness, it would have been a whale of a catch, and Kelenic had never played in the Dell Diamond previously.) A Nick Schnell fly perhaps stays within the playing grounds with a modest shift in the wind. Stephan isn’t a power pitcher, though, and is subject to the whims of contact results. Also, the Chihuahuas’ strong offense isn’t merely a product of their park. They can hit. 

Stephan actually has an above-average strikeout rate despite a below-average whiff rate. He doesn’t really have a put-away pitch; instead, he gets plenty of early-count calls and fouls to set up a concluding mystery pitch. He will throw anything in any count, and despite so-so velocity, Stephan surprisingly has a higher miss rate with his four-seamer than any other pitch. His strikeouts have ended in remarkably diverse fashion:
Sinker: 13
Four-seamer: 12
Slider: 11
Cutter: 10
Changeup: 9
Curve: 8

In his AAA debut, righty Wilian Bormie entered with the bases loaded and two out in the 9th. He blasted four fastballs in a 98-99 range toward Nate Mondou, who swung through the second and fourth to end the threat. Perhaps Bormie will show us the slider next time. Because of poor control, he was ignored in last year’s 40-man/Rule-5 process, but he’s improved considerably in that regard. He’s a legitimate relief prospect and could see Arlington in 2026. 

The recently improved Express offense played to older, lesser form against comeback candidate Marco Gonzales, who’s been getting rocked but inexplicably has Round Rock’s number. The Express put 15 runners aboard but never could produce that one hard shot. 

John Taylor made his third start of the year in left. He had a couple of tentative moments but handled everything a decent LF should. 

The Express are 11 games back with 11 to play in the first half, but some future matchups between other contenders will prevent the Express from pulling off the miracle comeback. 

Texas released 1B Nick Pratto and RHP Austin Bergner. Pratto actually had a solid May (.265/.324/.500), but in terms of potential MLB depth, I wasn’t sold, and Blaine Crim essentially took his spot. Austin Roberts wins the tontine 

Thanks to Rylan Kobre and the Express for having me on the call last night. 


AA: Frisco 10, at San Antonio (SDP) 4
Frisco: 13 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 31-25, 2.5 G up

SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 51 S, 11.68 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.54 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-4, 2B, BB, .306/.404/.480
3B Rafe Perich: 2-3, 2 BB, .278/.381/.639
C Julian Brock: 2-5, 2B, .167/.289/.307

Frisco recovered from an early four-run deficit. Aidan Curry had some strong moments undercut by two run-scoring wild pitches. 

Righty Joey Danielson has returned to AA where his finished 2025. I didn’t expect him to spend 40% of this season back in low-A, but despite being nearly unhittable (.099 average, .155 slug) there, his control has been much shakier than you’d like (15 BB in 25 IP). 


Hi-A: Hub City 3, Asheville (HOU) 13
Hub City: 7 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 11 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 28-29, eliminated
SP Enrique Segura: 4 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 7 R, 4 BB, 6 SO, 75 P / 44 S, 8.63 ERA
RP Cole Roland: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.45 ERA
DH Maxton Martin: 1-3, 3B, BB, .208/.280/.349

The South Atlantic League has not been kind to Enrique Segura. Each month has seen a decrease in his already iffy control, and over have of his hits allowed have gone for extra bases. 

RF Hectoro Osorio was 0-4 in his “true” high-A debut (he’d played one game for Hub City when Hickory lost two games to the clubhouse fire). 


Lo-A: Hickory 4, at Charleston (TAM) 5
Hickory: 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 31-25, 1 GB

SP Alejandro Chiquillo: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 72 P / 48 S, 1.89 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-4, 3B, BB, 2 SB (27), .305/.398/.427
DH Marco Argudin: 1-3, 2 BB

Hickory led 4-0 entering the bottom of the 8th but eventually lost both the game and division lead to Charleston, which has won nine in the row. The first half ends next Thursday. Louis Marinaro and Geury Rodriguez combined to allow ten runners over the final two frames, the last a hit batter with the bases loaded. 

20-year-old Marco Argudin had a fine full-season debut. The Cuban hit .359/.481/.547 in 19 games at the complex. This is no knock against Argudin, but you should look very askance at rookie-league slash lines. The jump from the complex to Hickory is vast, and a fair number of previous Texas farmhands have landed in a pit. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Kingham
AA: Townsend
Hi-A: Easley
Lo-A: Morales

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Evan Carter improved to .232/.422/.379 with a single, double and walk. His 28 walks were nine more than any other pro teenager. (Ominous music) Little did he know his season would end in four days. 

The day before, NW Arkansas shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. crushed his second homer of the evening against Frisco’s Hever Bueno but was ruled out for neglecting to touch the plate. 

Programming note: I will be joining Round Rock media man Rylan Kobre in the booth for Tuesday’s opener against El Paso. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 7
Round Rock: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 27-36, 11 GB

SP David Davalillo: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 34 P / 22 S, 7.36 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.23 ERA
1B Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, .274/.365/.356
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, 2B, HR (2), .249/.389/.331

David Davalillo endured his shortest outing in five starts in Round Rock, but unlike the others, control wasn’t the primary concern. Three of the first four batters reached on hits, placing his pitch count at 16 with one out. After that, a seven-pitch sac fly with two two-strike fouls and an eleven-pitch walk with five two-strike fouls ballooned his pitch count to 34, and Davalillo was done. Yes, his day ended with a walk, but the larger problem was at-bats prolonged by a lack of whiffs. 

Trevor Hauver finally has his second homer. He knocked 11 in 104 games in Round Rock in 2024 and 12 in 104 games last year.  His batted-ball profile is fine, as far as I can tell. He’s just not getting results. 

Alejandro Osuna started at first for the first time in his career. 

Texas traded IF Richie Martin to the Rockies, probably for cash but we’ll see. Pittsburgh purchased the contract of IF Davis Wendzel to replace optioned OF Jhostynxon Garcia. 


AA: Frisco 6, Springfield (STL) 4 (7)
Frisco: 6 hits, 8 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Record: 29-25, 1.5 G up

SP Dylan MacLean: 4 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 4 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 69 P / 45 S, 4.56 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 8.42 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.78 ERA
2B Josh Smith: 2-3, HR, BB
DH Rafe Perich: 1-4, HR (3)

AA: Frisco 6, Springfield (STL) 4 (7)
Frisco: 7 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 8 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 30-25, 1.5 G up

SP Austin Bergner: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 1 SO, 59 P / 25 S, 8.31 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 5.33 ERA
DH Josh Smith: 0-1, BB, HBP
3B Rafe Perich: 2-3, HR (4), SB (1), .242/.324/.636
C Ian Moller: 1-3, HR (6), .236/.362/.453

Frisco swept the doubleheader and expanded the division lead to a season-high 1.5 games. Rafe Perich leads the organization with 15 homers and is slugging .611.  

Since shifting to the bullpen two weeks ago, Josh Trentadue has still struggled with control but has been far less hit-prone. I would hope that he’d get another opportunity to start down the road, but we’ll see. 


Hi-A: Hub City 11, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 8
Hub City: 15 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 28-28, eliminated

SP Dylan MacLean: 4.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 9 SO, 82 P / 53 S, 6.25 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.25 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 3-5, HR (6), BB, .302/.373/.467
2B Antonis Macias: 3-5, 2 2B, BB, .219/.321/.307
CF Quincy Scott: 3-4, BB, .240/.400/.394
3B Esteban Mejia: 3-4, HR (1), SB (1)

What a week. Tuesday through Thursday, Hub City twice flirted with no-hitters and allowed a total of five runs on eight hits (and a million walks) but lost all three. Over the weekend, the Burgers allowed 17 runs but scored 28 and won all three. 

About two weeks into the season, 22-year-old Yeison Morrobel began to hit and hasn’t let up. He’s on his third tilt against high-A pitchers. He batted just .170/.248/.278 last year and was sitting two or three times per week down the stretch, and I wondered whether he’d have a job as a Ranger in 2026. He’s enjoying his best production since 2022 in rookie ball. 

Righty Cole Roland’s streak of scoreless appearances to start his MLB-affiliated pro career ended at six. He surrendered three runs two homers and three other hits across portions of the 5th and 6th. The former Wake Forest reliever had pitched for three indy teams in 2024-2025. 


Lo-A: Hickory 3, Kannapolis (CHW) 5
Hickory: 8 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 31-24, tied for first

SP Evan Siary: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 75 P / 55 S, 3.14 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.04 ERA
LF Hector Osorio: 3-5, HR (13), .309/.437/.581
CF Paulino Santana: 2-5, 2 2B, .260/.398/.420

Hector Osorio is tied for the Carolina League lead with 13 homers and first among qualifiers with a .437 OBP and .581 slugging percentage. Entering the season, he had six homers in 178 games and had never slugged better than .376 in a season. What’s left for him to do in Hickory, I wonder. 

Siary had a typical performance, and Proksch began a new streak of scoreless two-inning appearances, but the usually trustworthy Michael Trausch walked three and allowed a hit without retiring a batter. 

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Texas designated OF Khris Davis for assignment and recalled utility man Eli White. Texas was 23-38 at the time, having lost 20 of 25 following an 18-18 start. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 2
Round Rock: 7 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 27-35, 10 GB

SP Jose Corniell: 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 69 P / 42 S, 7.48 ERA
RP Joe Ross: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.06 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.29 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 1-4, BB, .261/.358/.348
CF Jarred Kelenic: 1-3, 2B, BB
C Cooper Johnson: 3-5, HR (5), .209/.305/.366

Jose Corniell had a weird night: 64% hard-hit rate, only three missed bats, but no serious damage. 

Round Rock won the most momentous challenge I can recall in terms of subsequent runs scored. With the bases loaded and two out in the 9th, Jarred Kelenic successfully challenged an alleged strike three, turning an inning-ending strikeout into a bases-loaded walk. The pitcher then balked a runner home, and Cooper Johnson followed with a two-run single. Incidentally, while I’m of the opinion that the PCL plate umps do a pretty good job, Felix Neon had a terrible night, suffering 11 overturns on 12 challenges. 

Round Rock has taken four of five on the road against the team with the league’s second-best record and best run differential entering the week. 

AA: wet

Two today. Josh Smith is in Frisco on rehab and would have played last night. 

Hi-A: Hub City 9, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hub City: 14 hits, 10 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 27-28, eliminated

SP Ismael Agreda: 4 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 77 P / 44 S, 5.74 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 3-4, 2B, 2 BB, .294/.364/.446
C Malcolm Moore: 3-6, 2 2B, .314/.402/.562
SS Luke Hanson: 3-5, .259/.325/.466
DH Paxton Kling: 1-3, BB, SB (13), .254/.396/.393
1B Ben Hartl: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .209/.329/.358

Moore lined to right-center for the first double and over the head of the center fielder (who took an inefficient route, it must be said) for the second. The single was lined hard as well. I have and will continue to note the crazy Asheville series as a caveat to Moore’s stupendous slash line, but don’t take that to mean his 2026 is a fraud. He’s having a fine season and is one of the year’s best stories so far. 

Lo-A: Hickory 5, Kannapolis (CHW) 0
Hickory: 12 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 0 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 31-23, 1 G up

SP AJ Russell: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 53 P / 37 S, 3.92 ERA
RP Geury Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 0.48 ERA
RP JD McReynolds: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.50 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.43 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-5, 2B, .306/.394/.422
CF Hector Osorio: 1-3, BB, SB (9), .301/.433/.565
3B Angel Arredondo: 1-4, HR (6), .215/.364/.392
1B Marcos Torres: 3-4, 2 2B, SB (21), .238/.323/.456
2B Daniel Flames: 3-4, SB (2), .269/.336/.315

AJ Russell and friends combined on the seventh no-hitter in Hickory franchise history. Russell retired ten straight. Geury Rodriguez was effectively wild, shall we say, walking four of eight batters faced but escaping with some help from JD Reynolds, who replaced GRod with two on and two out in the 5th and fanned Efren Teran. McReynolds worked a spotless 6th and yielded to Jormy Nivar, who walked one but faced the minimum over the final three innings. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: MacLean / TBD
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Siary

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Catcher Yohel Pozo homered in his first two at-bats. Anderson Tejeda was hitless and walkless with nine strikeouts in his last 14 plate appearances. Frisco OF Bubba Thompson went 3-7 across a doubleheader to improve to .299/.370/.515 with a career-low 20% K rate. 

Per the locals, Texas is signing catcher Elias Diaz to a Major League deal. The 35-year-old had played very sparingly for Kansas City and then AAA Omaha after being outrighted. He doesn’t reach base any more but has some pop and can nab the occasional runner. Round Rock’s Jose Herrera has been Texas’s nominal third catcher but hasn’t made the case for a call-up. 

Farewell to Arlington’s Sheraton hotel near the old and new stadiums, imploded this morning to make room for a replacement. I’d guess I stayed there around twenty times over the years since moving to Austin.  

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 4
Round Rock: 11 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 26-35, 10 GB

SP Trey Supak: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 90 P / 58 S, 5.13 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.93 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.39 ERA
CF Jarred Kelenic: 1-4, 2B, BB, SB (1)
3B Jonah Bride: 2-3, HR (6), 2 BB, SB (4), .263/.390/.389

Collyer, the rehabbing Winn and Teodo were all effective if wild. Neither Collyer nor Winn landed more than half their pitches for strikes. Teodo replaced Josh Sborz with one out in the 9th after a walk-homer-double sequence put the tying run at the plate for the Comets. Teodo walked Ryan Fitzgerald before settling in to get a strikeout and game-ending groundout. Not his best outing, but he continues to get high-leverage situations and deliver. 

Houston released former Texas farmhand OF Kellen Strahm from AAA Sugar Land. 


AA: Frisco 11, Springfield (STL) 3
Frisco: 4 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 28-25, tied for 1st

SP Dalton Pence: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 87 P / 53 S, 2.53 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, 2B, BB, .192/.300/.462
C Ian Moller: 1-3, HR (5), HBP, .233/.363/.427

Pence again lorded over the opposition with his upstairs fastball, getting five swinging strikeouts (plus a swing and call on a breaker). 

Frisco scored 11 runs on four hits. That’s new. Eight batters who reached on a walk, HBP or error would eventually score on rare but timely hits. Switch-pitching starter Jurrangelo Cijntje lacked control irrespective of hand, walking two and issuing a wild pitch in Frisco’s five-run 1st. 


Hi-A: Hub City 8, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 5 (11)
Hub City: 13 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 26-28, eliminated

SP Caden Scarborough: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 3 SO, 52 P / 29 S, 2.57 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.31 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 2-5, HR (9), BB, .307/.399/.552
RF Paxton Kling: 2-6, 2 2B, .253/.392/.394
1B Ben Hartl: 2-4, BB, .200/.312/.338
DH Antonis Macias: 3-5, 2B, .190/.293/.267

In his second full-season start, Caden Scarborough dealt with control issues, particularly in the 1st when his fastball and most everything else tended to fly arm-side. It was the kind of performance I expected to see more frequently last year, but instead he harnessed his stuff much more quickly than I envisioned. In any case, we need to be patient with him. 

Malcolm Moore homered the opposite way to deep left-center in the 11th, just shy of 400′ per my measurement off Google Earth. 


Lo-A: Hickory 5, Kannapolis (CHW) 2
Hickory: 10 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 30-23, 1 G up

SP Aidan Deakins: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 78 P / 56 S, 1.83 ERA
RP Louis Marinaro: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.54 ERA
RP Luimy Munoz: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.70 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 1-3, HBP, 2 SB (25), .303/.394/.418
CF Hector Osorio: 3-4, HR (12), .301/.432/.568
3B Angel Arredondo: 2-4, HR (5), .214/.366/.377

19-year-old Angel Arredondo had a dismal opening month but is hitting .295/.421/.568 across 28 games since. 22-year-old Aidan Deakins was perfect through three. His 22% K rate is a touch below the league average, but his control is vastly better. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Bergner
Hi-A: Agreda
Lo-A: TBD

Five Years Ago Yesterday
3B Andy Ibanez and DH Curtis Terry has three hits in Round Rock’s 12-9 victory over El Paso. 

I’d meant to write a little about yesterday’s MLB transactions, but yesterday was an exceptionally busy day I was tired. I was tired and uninspired. 

Down to Round Rock for the incoming Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford are IF Cody Freeman and OF Alejandro Osuna. Staying up are IF Nicky Lopez, OF/IF Michael Helman and OF Evan Carter. 

I’m not president of the Nicky Lopez Fan Club or even a member, but the infield at-bat availability will shrink with Seager back, and Freeman has options and needs steady work. Okay. Osuna has a terrific .376 OBP and a .275 slugging percentage. He actually has some pop, but it’s yet to appear above AA. Osuna is also below Helman on the CF depth chart, and Helman can play infield as well. I would much rather watch Osuna than Helman, but I understand the thought process. 

The story is Carter, currently batting a lowly .171/.291/.331, but that line hides a more-or-less league-average OPS against righties (.196/.318/.385) and continued utter helplessness against lefties (.037/.133/.037).

What is Carter’s future? Are we giving up on him as an everyday player? If not, an extended stay in AAA is probably in order to find whether Carter can provide something against lefties (or can’t). He has in the past, admittedly at the A levels. Here’s his OPS against lefties at all levels, year by year:
2021: 1.033 (51 PA)
2022: .749 (113 PA)
2023: .602 (106 PA)
2024: .283 (27 PA)
2025: .290 (54 PA)
2026: .170 (31 PA)

If he’s staying in Arlington, every plate appearance of his against a lefty is a non-competitive event, and if the 30-32 Rangers fancy themselves contenders, they have to minimize these events. He’s started four games against a lefty in 2026, and that number can’t budge unless the Rangers drop out of the race. While Carter’s K rate of 35% against lefties is certainly bad, as is his 69% contact rate against in-zone pitches, those would be tolerable if the occasional contact was hard. It isn’t, though. Carter’s median exit velocity against lefties is a minuscule 70 MPH compared to 93 against righties. Out of 17 non-bunts in play, only four have exceeded 77 MPH. (Incidentally, Carter isn’t chase-happy against lefties, just a 24% swing rate out of zone). Staying in Arlington doesn’t immediately relegate him to a permanent platoon role, but time is dwindling.

The mitigating factor has been Carter’s defense, which is elite. Despite the offense, he’s been worth 1.6 WAR per Baseball Reference and 0.9 per FanGraphs. That’s the WAR of a better-than-average regular. Weirdly, his production reminds me of Leonys Martin, the type of player whose defense was strong enough to provide league-average overall value despite minimal offense. Were Carter merely an average defender, I think the decision to send him down would be easy. But it’s not easy, and I’ve waffled on whether I would send him down as I’ve been writing this. This decision is tied to broader matters, such as whether 2026 is a now-or-never season, and whether the team is genuinely competitive or just cosplaying and would be better served with a teardown/rebuild. (And, ugh, what about a strike/lockout?)

Jamey Newberg wrote about Carter at length today in a piece about how he’d reconfigure the roster, but (scout’s honor) as soon as I reached the part of the discussion concerning him, I stopped reading because I wanted to complete my own thoughts down first. Now that I’ve written the above and finished Jamey’s piece, I’d reiterate his takeaway that Carter’s “big-league profile is at stake.” So is the profile of the entire organization. We’re in for some interesting times. Hopefully, they involve winning baseball. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 5
Round Rock: 8 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 25-35, 10 GB

SP Nolan Kingham: 4.2 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 5 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 90 P / 51 S, 11.25 ERA
RP Joe Ross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.25 ERA
2B John Taylor: 1-3, 2B, BB, .238/.385/.524

The righty Kinhgam threw a bazillion changes and backdoor sliders to a lefty-heavy lineup with mixed results to all but RF Zach Ehrhard, who homered twice. 

The Express offense scored four against prospect River Ryan with walks, singles and John Taylor’s double. 


AA: Frisco 4, Springfield (STL) 6
Frisco: 9 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-25, tied for 1st

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 74 P / 50 S, 7.83 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H (0.6 HR), 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 3-4, HR (8), BB, .306/.403/.488
3B Max Wagner: 1-3, BB, .267/.362/.517

Santos was stung by a three-run homer in the 2nd. That 7.83 ERA isn’t lying; opponents are hitting .328/.415/.547, a 157 OPS+ by my count. He’s possibly been unlucky on balls in play, and league-wide offense is inflated over last year, but that only explains so much. Santos did finish with nine straight retired. At the moment, Santos isn’t on the short list or any list in terms of potentially helping the Rangers, but we’re barely over one-third into the schedule. 


Hi-A: Hub City 0, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 1
Hub City: 2 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 25-28, 14 GB

SP Kamdyn Perry: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, HBP, 2 SO, 69 P / 41 S, 2.00 ERA
RP Kai Wynyard: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 9.97 ERA

Hub City has allowed a total of eight hits the past three nights and has three losses. The problems: 23 walks, some dubious defense last night, and no help from the offense. Unlike Tuesday and Wednesday, the Burgers never threatened a no-hitter but did hold the Dash scoreless until the 8th. Ryan Burrows lined to left-center and reached second when CF Paxton Kling couldn’t corral it cleanly. It was ruled a straight double, but I have my doubts. Burrows reached third on a grounder and scored the game’s only run when Cole Stasio bounced a pitch past catcher Malcolm Moore. 

Hub City has been eliminated from first-half title contention by Bowling Green (39-14), which is on a 24-5 tear. 


Lo-A: Hickory 3, Kannapolis (CHW) 4
Hickory: 9 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 29-23, tied for 1st

SP Jesus Lafalaise: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 3 SO, 75 P / 39 S, 5.58 ERA
RP Wily Villar: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.86 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-5, HR (5), .261/.403/.415
DH Josh Springer: 2-3, 2B, BB, .309/.387/.366
RF Deward Tovar: 2-4, HR (10), .218/.294/.441

19-year-old Paulino Santana has already equaled last year’s five homers, and all from 2025 were at the complex rather than Hickory. He’s sneaked in a few games at center but is essentially the team’s LF, and if that’s his future, he really needs that bat to shine. 

OF Braylin Morel is active in Hickory. He’d been on the 60-day minor league IL and had batted .259/.286/.333 in seven games at the complex. Texas released OF Wady Mendez. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Pence
Hi-A: Scarborough
Lo-A: Deakins

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco’s Hans Crouse fanned four and allowed a solo homer in three innings. You could still find heated discussion (but not in this report) of him as “upper 90s with a wipeout slider,” but that was no longer the case, nor had it been since early in 2019, when he tapered off to the mid (and sometimes low) 90s while dealing with bone spurs. In 2021, Crouse was in fact rounding into a legitimate starting prospect with additions of a cutter and change, although by 2023 he’d convert permanently to relief. 

Crouse is currently with AAA Norfolk in the Baltimore system. 

Corey Seager is active for tomorrow’s game. Per local media, Wyatt Langford will also be activated. OF Alejandro Osuna and IF Cody Freeman have been optioned. 

Reliever Josh Sborz is back from three days in the wilderness on a new minor deal. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 5
Round Rock: 12 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-34, 9 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 86 P / 59 S, 5.79 ERA
RP Dustin Saenz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.08 ERA
2B Cameron Cauley: 2-4, BB, .257/.370/.374
CF Jarred Kelenic: 3-4, 2B, BB
1B Blaine Crim: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .296/.394/.667
RF Gilberto Celestino: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, 3 SB (7), .250/.347/.327

Round Rock had a month-long stretch averaging a meager 3.8 runs scored per game, and not coincidentally, a 9-17 record. Since then, the Express have averaged 7.5 over the last 14 and won nine. 

Gavin Collyer handled the 8th with just eight pitches including six strikes. 

The 27-year-old Saenz was Washington’ fourth-round pick in 2021 out of TAMU, signed by Texas after being released by the Nats in the spring. He’d pitched sparingly for Frisco in May. 


AA: Frisco 8, Springfield (STL) 7
Frisco: 12 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 27-24, tied for 1st

SP Blake Townsend: 4 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 62 P / 44 S, 4.46 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.85 ERA
2B Frainyer Chavez: 4-5, 2B, .291/.385/.474
SS Corey Seager: 0-3
DH Wyatt Langford: 1-3, HR
3B Rafe Perich: 1-4, HR (2), BB, .158/.238/.474

Rafe Perich timed a looping 0-1 curve perfectly for a walk-off homer. Perich was also named player of the month in the South Atlantic League, which is now in his rearview mirror. 


Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hub City: 8 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 25-27, 13 GB

SP J’Briell Easley: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 46 P / 28 S, 4.01 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 1.74 ERA

On Tuesday, Hub City carried a no-hitter into the 6th, allowed two hits total, and lost.

Last night, Hub City carried a no-hitter into the 7th, allowed two hits total, and lost. 

Entering with a one-run lead, Joey Danielson surrendered a game-ending two-run double following two walks. Hub City has walked 17 batters over the past two night. 

Brock Porter continues to be effective, after a fashion, walking or plunking 21% of opposing batters but extremely hard to hit. Last night, he was aided by a line-out double play, an outfield assist, and a sac bunt by a guy with a 1.000 OPS. 


Lo-A: Hickory 3, Kannapolis (CHW) 8
Hickory: 10 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 29-22, tied for 1st

SP Moises Morales: 4.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 69 P / 42 S, 5.04 ERA
RP JD McReynolds: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.86 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-4, SB (23), .301/.392/.420
C Josh Springer: 3-4, 2B, .300/.377/.350

Like Louis Marinaro, McReynolds started white-hot, went through a rough patch and has been better lately. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Perry
Lo-A: Lafalaise

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Minor League Baseball floated the possibility of playoffs, which were omitted from the makeshift post-covid 2021 schedules. MiLB would eventually institute simple best-of-fives between the top two teams (irrespective of division) in AA and the A levels, while AAA would adopt a convoluted “Final Stretch” consisting of ten additional regular season games and an AAA-wide champ for those ten games in addition individual league champs for the originally scheduled 120 games. Blessedly, this was a one-time event.