Category: Daily Report

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Reno (ARI) 7
Round Rock: 12 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 4 GB

SP Adrian Houser: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 81 P / 54 S, 3.86 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 2-4, 2B, HR (2), BB, .333/.419/.492
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, HR (3), .254/.357/.475
LF Kellen Strahm: 3-4, HR (1), .250/.365/.364

Emiliano Teodo had another rough day, allowing two runs on a single and homer in 1.2 innings. He also walked three batters, and while none would score, he ended up with more balls (20) than strikes (19). Statcast claims he threw 14 changeups*, which isn’t true, but he did have one of his occasional “low”-velocity days. Daniel Robert stranded two Teodo runners in the 8th, allowed two runs of his own in the the 9th, and stranded the tying run at third with a three-pitch strikeout of pinch-hitter Jordan Lawlar, who waived meekly through a couple of out-of-zone sweepers.

* Teodo hadn’t thrown many changes to date but had built up a database on his sinker and slider. Pitching at altitude dampens induced vertical break, and his velocity was slightly down, so I think Statcast saw some mid-90s pitches with nearly zero vertical break and said “…change?” Teodo also had several pitches that simply looked strange. The computer is doing the best it can.

Evan Carter is yet to play in the series.

AA: Frisco 9, Amarillo (ARI) 4 (2)
Frisco: 7 hits, 9 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 1 strikeout
Record: 8-3, 1 G up

SP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 63 P / 47 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1.59 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-3, BB, .245/.316/.388
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, 2 BB, .244/.354/.390
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, HR (1), BB, .238/.319/.381
C Ian Moller: 2-3, BB, SB (1), .231/.412/.462

Kohl Drake was on point after an unsuccessful first start.

2021 4th-rounder Ian Moller has more walks than hits and is a contender to actually finish the season that way. He has 168 hits and 177 walks in his career. At some point that won’t hold, as he’ll see enough opposing pitchers with the wherewithal to force swings. But, he’s not seeing them yet. I’d called his AA assignment a sink-or-swim because he didn’t exactly hit his way out of high-A, but so far he’s pretty much doing what he’s always done.

Hi-A: Hub City 5, Bowling Green (TAM) 4
Hub City: 11 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 7-4, 1.5 G up

SP Aidan Curry: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 54 P / 26 S, 15.75 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.50 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 2-3, BB, SB (3), .158/.250/.158
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2B, .325/.341/.375
DH Arturo Disla: 1-3, 2B, BB, .250/.325/.333

Once again, Hub City fell well behind early and rallied. Like Joey Danielson last night, Victor Simeon replaced the starter with two on and one out and wriggled out of danger. Despite his currently paltry line, 2024 3rd-rounder Casey Cook has one of the lowest whiff rates in the system. He’s hitting .171 on contact.

Lo-A: Hickory 10, at Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 9 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 7-4, 1 G up

SP Thomas Ireland: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 70 P / 47 S, 3.18 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-3, 2 BB, .182/.372/.182
2B Antonis Macias: 1-4, HR (1), .179/.351/.357
LF Maxton Marton: 1-4, BB, SB (1), .378/.396/.600

Brock Porter is still looking for his first outing without a walk or hit batter, but he threw 18 of 26 pitches for strikes. Antonis Macias hit his first pro homer in his 99th game. The 20-year-old is listed as a left-hander. If so, he’s making throws from second base remarkably well with his off hand. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Dunning
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Bonzagni
Lo-A: Scarborough

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The worst pitching staff in any league involving the Texas Rangers since 2007 is the Angels-affiliated AA Arkansas Travelers of 2010. In a mildly pitcher-friendly park, the Travs allowed 5.36 runs per game, a full run above the adjusted league average. Opponents hit .269/.357/.421, good for a 122 OPS+. Arkansas’s pitchers had the league’s worst rates in homers, BB/HBP and strikeouts.

The three pitchers with the most innings combined for 68 starts and ERAs in the 5.00-5.10 range. They included Ryan Brasier, who was second in the league in most homers and walks allowed, and Michael Anton, third in both categories. Brasier, to his credit, reached the Majors in 2013 and has maintained an MLB career to this day (with a one-year sojourn to Japan). The Travelers also had two of the league’s three pitchers with more walks than strikeouts in at least 40 innings, plus an amazing five of the league’s worst nine in baserunners allowed per nine innings.

Arkansas also didn’t hit or defend well, either, but I’ll save that discussion for an upcoming “worst teams” segment.

Other worsts by class:
2024 AAA Albuquerque Isotopes (COL) (22% more runs than average, oppo 121 OPS+)
2007 High-A High Desert Mavericks (SEA) (30% more runs, 119 OPS+)
2022 Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) (32% more runs, 119 OPS+)

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, at Reno (ARI) 5
Round Rock: 7 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 7-9, 4 GB

SP David Buchanan: 6.2 IP, 4 H (3 HR), 3 R, 5 BB, 3 SO, 91 P / 52 S, 2.49 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, HR (3), .387/.441/.661
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, 2B, .236/.338/.418
LF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, 2B, SB (5), .200/.333/.250

The Express allowed only five hits, but four left the premises including a two-out walk-off by Rene Pinto off Hunter Strickland.

Texas released reliever JT Chargois, who faced 15 batters and allowed five homers (none cheap) last week against OKC. The velocity on his sinker and slider had declined by three MPH compared to last year.

The Rangers also re-signed IF Nick Ahmed, a late cut last month.

The Austin Business Journal interviewed Round Rock President Chris Almandarez ($ link but often works for non-subscribers).

AA: Frisco 4, Amarillo (ARI) 3
Frisco: 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 7-3, 1 G up

SP Winston Santos: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 29 P / 23 S, 3.18 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, BB, .237/.326/.395

With a gap of 11 days between starts, Winston Santos was evidently on a limit and pulled after three innings despite a very modest pitch count. Per observer Michael Tepid, Santos’s fastball velocity was down a touch, but that obviously didn’t affect the performance. Sebastian Walcott hit a couple of balls in excess of 110 MPH, as he does.

Peyton Gray missed an Immaculate Inning by one pitch in the 6th. With a fastball, slider and change, plus the willingness to mix them regardless of count and deal the change to same-handed batters, Gray has fanned 13 of 25 batters to resume his career in affiliated ball. He spent 2022-2023 in indy leagues and last year on Cincinnati’s injured list.

Hi-A: Hub City 5, Bowling Green (TAM) 3
Hub City: 7 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 6-4, 1 G up

SP Leandro Lopez: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 57 P / 33 S, 6.35 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Seth Clark: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 3-4, 2B, HR (1), .281/.354/.438
C Malcolm Moore: 2-3, 2B, HR (1), HBP, .267/.463/.467

For the first time since 1994, Spartanburg, SC, hosted MLB-affiliated baseball. Against a wild Leandro Lopez, the bad guys scored three in the 1st but no more. Joey Danielson relieved Lopez with runners and the corners and one out in the 3rd. He induced an inning-ending double play and handled the next two frames. Josh Mollerus and Seth Clark followed with two scoreless innings apiece. So far, my one-inning peek at an impressive Danielson in March has been indicative, as he’s yet to allow a run in 7.2 innings.

The park’s first homer belongs to Dylan Dreiling, who also doubled the opposite way and singled. In the 3rd, Malcolm Moore clubbed a no-doubter, and he too doubled oppo in his next AB.

Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 11 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 6-4, tied for first

SP J’Briell Easley: 3 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 57 P / 34 S, 1.29 ERA
RP Kamdyn Perry: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1.13 ERA
C Jesus Lopez: 2-5, 2B, .249/.310/.519
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-4, 2 2B, .314/.342/.457
SS Chandler Pollard: 2-4, .310/.429/.310

The Easley/Perry tandem’s no-hitter streak stalled at one. Get ’em next time. Easley actually retired his first five opponents before surrendering a hit, but in the 3rd, a solo homer, error and bevy of steals put two on the board for Charleston.

So far, league scoring is up nearly a run per game over last year, and the league BB/HBP rate is an unsightly 16%. I hope that settles down.

Texas released RHP Jesus Mosquera, who hadn’t pitched in a real game since 2022 (and was nightmarishly wild) but was throwing in the March intersquads.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Houser
AA: Drake
Hi-A: Trentadue
Lo-A: Fowler

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

And now, to look outside the system for a while. The worst offense by a full-season team since 2007 in a league involving the Rangers* is these guys, the 2024 Augusta GreenJackets. Atlanta’s low-A affiliate scored 433 runs, 80 fewer than any other team. Their 3.4 runs per game were 25% below the league average in a modestly hitter-friendly park.

The underlying stats do them no favors. Augusta batted .202/.303/.277, good for an OPS+ of 73 and wRC+ of 77. They could walk at a reasonable rate and didn’t strike out too excessively, but their contact just didn’t accomplish much. The team had 37 homers, only half the league average, and no individual hit more than five. They also had 66 fewer hits and 23 fewer doubles than any other team. They hit .164/.279/.231 against lefties.

Augusta was shut out 16 times, scored one run 19 times and two 23 times. That’s nearly half of the games played. The pitching staff was below average as well (if just slightly) but found a way to keep things close. Augusta was 32-34 in games decided by one or two runs but 15-46 in others. They were actually lucky to finish at 49-80.

Seven Jackets had at least 200 plate appearances and a sub-.600 OPS:
Leiker Figueroa: .169/.230/.213
Cam Magee: .177/.286/.219
Isaiah Drake: .163/.259/.252
Luis Sanchez: .226/.296/.274
Kade Kern: .199/.274/.300
Robert Gonzalez: .194/.304/.287
Joe Olsavsky: .176/.332/.261

Worsts in other classes:
2022 High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI) (23% below-average in runs, 78 OPS+)
2012 AA Arkansas Travelers (LAA) (14% below-average runs, 82 OPS+)
2012 AAA Nashville Sounds (MIL) (25% below-average runs, 87 OPS+)

* So, leagues without the Rangers (International, Southern, Eastern, Florida State, the Midwest from 2009 to present, etc.) are excluded from this exercise. It has to be a team the Rangers played against during a period I covered.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Oklahoma City (LAD) 3
Round Rock: 7 hits, 8 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 7-8, 3 GB

SP Jacob Latz: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 43 P / 33 S, 3.12 ERA
RP Nolan Hoffman: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 5.19 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .327/.415/.436
RF Trevor Hauver: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .216/.328/.392
CF Evan Carter: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (3), .138/.342/.276

Evan Carter slashed a double to the left-center gap at 107 MPH. Both of his extra-base hits have come in his last two games. He batted sixth instead of leadoff for the first time. I don’t care much about batting orders in the minors, but in this case the drop does increase the likelihood of one less plate appearance than some of the guys ahead of him. Perhaps that’s an aspect of workload management.

He’s now hitting .200/.385/.400 against righties, which doesn’t quite leap off the screen but isn’t unreasonable at all, and the underlying statcast data is solid. He still only has 12 plate appearances against lefties and is hitless with three walks.

Justin Foscue is at least putting himself into position for a call if needed. Joc Pederson, Jake Burger and Marcus Semien are among the bottom 20 of 177 qualifiers in WAR among position players, but obviously they are going anywhere for now, nor should they. Taking Pederson for example, I found similar stretches of 14 games for him in 2015, 2017 and 2022. There are some worrying aspects of his statcast data, but I’m not going to worry too much now. Maybe next week.  Texas’s .267 OBP is baseball’s worst.

Circling back to Carter, I feel his situation is at best loosely tethered to the needs of the parent club, which is to say, the front office isn’t going recall Carter because of Texas’s MLB-worst .267 OBP. He’ll be ready when he’s ready.

AA: Frisco 4, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 11
Frisco: 7 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 6-3, tied for 1st

SP Florencio Serrano: 3.1 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 6 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 63 P / 38 S, 13.50 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, HR (1)
2B Cam Cauley: 2-4, HR (1)
C Cooper Johnson: 1-3, HR (1), BB

Sebastian Walcott (.229/.308/.400) lashed a homer to left. Cam Cauley also hit his first to improve to .364/.476/.606.

Listed starter Winston Santos did not pitch. His roster status is unchanged.

Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Wilmington (WAS) 7
Hub City: 3 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 6 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 5-4, tied for 1st

SP Jose Gonzalez: 4 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 1 SO, 58 P / 37 S, 0.00 ERA

Hub City heads home for its franchise-first home game with a 5-4 record and a modest hitting slump: seven runs and 14 hits in the last four games.  Malcolm Moore doubled to reach .222/.432/.296. After Jose Gonzalez’s departure, Wilmington scored off Anthony Susac (1 IP, 3 runners, 1 R), Dylan MacLean (2 IP, 8 runners, 5 R) and Victor Simeon (1 IP, 3 runners, 1 R).

Lo-A: Hickory 4, Augusta (ATL) 3
Hickory: 7 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 6-3, tied for 1st

SP Dalton Pence: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 46 P / 25 S, 5.40 ERA
RP Angel Anazco: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 4.91 ERA
RP Jake Jekielek: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Ismael Agreda: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.50 ERA
C Jesus Lopez: 2-3, HR (1)
RF Wady Mendez: 2-4, 2B

Hickory trailed early but won on Bullpen Day. Catcher Jesus Lopez has four extra-base hits in six games. Last year, he had 16 all season. In 2024, he was batting a respectable .284/.340/.412 at the midpoint but hit .143/.229/.206 down an injury-shortened stretch.

Both Hub City and Hickory are second in their respective leagues in runs allowed.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 17th-best positional season during 2007-2024 belongs to Chris Davis.

In 2007, Davis had the 20th-best season. He began 2008 in Frisco, where he’d spent a little over a month to close the prior year. Given his success then (.294/.371/.688, 12 HR in 30 games) and Texas’s predilection for aggressive assignments, he could have advanced to AAA immediately, but instead he’d spend another two months destroying Texas League pitching. After a month in AAA with no dropoff in production, the Rangers called him up. Drafted in the fifth round from junior college as a 20-year-old, Davis would reach the Majors after only 275 games. With Texas, he batted .285/.331/.549 with 17 homers in 80 games as a rookie, a performance he wouldn’t surpass until five years later as an Oriole.

Sad that he didn’t establish himself as Texas’s 1B. It’s easy to misremember his situation and assume he was jettisoned too quickly, but he played 224 MLB games prior to Mitch Moreland’s debut and another 43 before being traded. Davis had a stupendous four-year stretch with the O’s (.244/.343/.522, 164 homers) but was sub-replacement thereafter.

Here’s the most boring but also earliest picture of Davis in my collection, from October 2007:

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Saturday 12 April
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 0, Oklahoma City (LAD) 15
Round Rock: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 19 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 6-8, 4 GB

SP Gerson Garabito: 2.2 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 65 P / 41 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 5 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 8.22 ERA
RP Dane Acker: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 3.86 ERA

Yipes. Emiliano Teodo did not have it, and now he has a 8.22 ERA. JT Chargois (1.1 IP, 5 R), who I thought was a nice depth signing, has allowed 14 runs (ten earned) in 4.2 IP. Evan Carter did not play and has been limited to one inning and one trip to the plate the last three nights.

AA: Frisco 7, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 1
Frisco: 14 hits, 5 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 6-2, 1 G ahead

SP Trey Supak: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 68 P / 51 S, 0.90 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-6, 3B, SB (2)
SS Cam Cauley: 2-5, 3B
1B Josh Hatcher: 4-5, 2B, HR (3)
DH Tucker Mitchell: 2-5, HR (1)

28-year-old Trey Supak signed barely a month ago. He’s pitched 160 innings in AAA and high-level indy ball, so he should provide quality innings at this level. Peyton Gray, another offseason sign, is up to five scoreless innings with four runners and nine strikeouts. Josh Hatcher seems a good bet for Texas League Player of the Week, hitting .500/.500/.923 with three homers in the series.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Wilmington (WAS) 1 (7)
Hub City: 4 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts

SP David Davalillo: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 60 P / 40 S, 1.42 ERA
RP Willian Bormie: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.93 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 1-3, BB
DH Keith Jones II: 2-3, 2B

In the 6th, Keith Jones II doubled in Casey Cook (walk + steal) and Quincy Scott (running for Arturo Disla, who reached on an error). David Davalillo was effective again, although he seems to be a week behind schedule, leaving after 60 pitches tonight following 45 in his first appearance. He’s 22 and tossed 110 inning last year, so over the course of the season I’d think he’s available for a full slate of innings.

Hi-A: Hub City 0, at Wilmington (WAS) 6 (7)
Hub City: 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 5-3, 1 G ahead

SP DJ McCarty: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 65 P / 36 S, 9.95 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA

The leadoff hitter reached against DJ McCarty every inning but was stranded until the 4th, when he and many others crossed the plate.

Lo-A: Hickory 8, Augusta (ATL) 7
Hickory: 9 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 11 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 5-3, 1 G ahead

SP Aneudis Mejia: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 56 P / 30 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Beycker Barroso: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 4-5, 2 2B
C Jesus Lopez: 2-5, 2 2B
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB, SB (1)

Entering with a four-run lead in the 9th, Michael Valverde walked three and allowed two runs. A two-out single upped his pitch county to 30, so he was removed despite an unoccupied bullpen mound. Instead, on came 1B/C Beycker Barroso, who walked a batter and hit another to bring in a run. Then, Nick Montgomery clubbed a deep, tailing fly that CF Chandler Pollard slid to catch on the track. As to why a position player is pitching the 9th of a close game in April for a squad with 17 pitchers… welcome to 2025.

Brock Porter now has a six-game hit-batter streak dating to last year but on the whole showed his best control of the season. He went 3-1 to the first batter but none thereafter. The two speeds I heard on fastballs were 91 and 93.

Even at four in the 8th, Hickory plated four on a Luis Marquez triple and Maxton Martin single.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Latz
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: Pence

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 17th-best starting pitching season during 2007-2024 belongs to David Davalillo.

In this era, Davalillo’s 110 innings were a substantial workload. He split across two leagues but would have ranked near the top of the Carolina League had he stayed in low-A, and he led all Rangers below AA. He wasn’t just an inning-eater, though, walking/hitting one-third fewer batters than the league average and squelching extra-base hits. His K rate was only average, but his miss rate was above. That, some additional velocity I noted in March and a mean change hint at some upside in the strikeout department. In an ideal world, he’s a back-of-rotation starter.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Oklahoma City (LAD) 1 (11)
Round Rock: 5 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 6-7, 3 GB

SP Dane Dunning: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 72 P / 44 S, 7.71 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Codi Heuer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Matt Festa: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Sam Haggerty: 2-4, BB, SB (3), .348/.423/.348
1B Justin Foscue: 2-4, BB, .320/.393/.420

Hyeseong Kim homered on Dane Dunning’s third pitch. That would complete OKC’s scoring. Dunning was effective for the first time, missing more bats than usual and generating a bunch of calls with his sinker against a squad in a taking mood. OKC swung more often against Cole Winn and put the ball in play almost at will but accomplished little. Justin Foscue continues to swing (and miss) more than usual but his hitting as well as ever.

IF Cody Freeman took Sam Haggerty’s place on the IL. Evan Carter was off.

AA: Frisco 11, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 2
Frisco: 15 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Record: 5-2, tied for 1st

SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 75 P / 56 S, 2.79 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 6.75 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-5, 2B, HBP
SS Sebastian Walcott: 2-5, 2B
2B Cam Cauley: 3-4, 3B
3B Keyber Rodiriguez: 3-5

Both Walcott and Osuna are off to slightly slow starts, but we’re barely a week in. Mitch Bratt has exhibited good control in both starts, as he must if he’s to reach his potential. Keyber Rodriguez became a free agent last winter but re-signed.

Hi-A: wet

Two today.

Lo-A: Hickory 1, Augusta (ATL) 5
Hickory: 8 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 4-3, tied for 1st

SP Mason Molina: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 71 P / 41 S, 5.87 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 5.68 ERA
1B Beycker Barroso: 2-4, 2 SB (2)
RF Wady Mendez: 2-3, HR (1), BB

Molina had control issues, not a surprise given his career at Arkansas and Texas Tech. None of Molina’s four pitches are show-mes, and his low-90s high-spin fastball will baffle a good many hitters at this level, but he’ll need to walk fewer in the long run. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Supak (Santos listed for Sunday)
Hi-A: Davalillo / TBD
Lo-A: Mejia

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 11th-best full-season team during 2007-2024 is the 2011 Round Rock Express.

Record: 87-57
Run-Differential Record: 79-65
Component Record: 75-69

2011 was Round Rock’s first year as a Rangers affiliate. In the previous four years with the Astros, the team never finished better than 64-79. The new Express barreled out to a 12-4 start, hovered around that many games above .500 through the mid-point, and went 46-26 in the second half. At that time, AAA didn’t use a split-season format, and the Express won the division by 17 games.

At times, the lineup included Chris Davis (still trying to breach the Texas roster), Craig Gentry, an up-and-down Julio Borbon, upcoming Leonys Martin, Esteban German and bruisers like Chad Tracy (who would reach 100 RBI in consecutive seasons), Brad Nelson and Joey Butler. Pitching was a mixed bag, led by a comeback-wanting Brett Tomko, ever-in-recovery Eric Hurley, 22-year-old Neil Ramirez, 20-year-old Martin Perez, and relievers such as Darren O’Day, Pedro Strop, Tanner Scheppers, and Mark Hamburger.

Ah, The Legend Of Joey Butler. Butler batted .322/.388/.493, and I was fielding many, many questions about “Why Wasn’t He In Arlington?!?” Butler was a good hitter with an arm for right at the time, and he’d eventually reach the Majors, but he also batted an absurdly unsustainable .453 on balls in play that season. Butler’s wRC+ by my account was 119, very impressive but not nearly at the level of anyone who’ll appear on my list of best seasons by hitters.

A funny thing, though. The Express greatly outplayed their run differential, and they also scored more and allowed fewer runs than expected based on their production in plate appearances. The offense had a 104 OPS+, and the pitching and defense held opponents to a 97 OPS+. Good, hardly amazing. If I ranked only by win-loss record, this team would be 5th. In my playoff preview, I described the rotation as “startlingly weak,” rated opposing 79-53 Omaha better in all respects and predicted the Storm Chasers would win the series in four games. Round Rock was missing several key contributors (Davis, Brian Barden, German, several relievers) while Omaha was more intact. The Storm Chasers won the series in four games.

I’ll never forget Game 2. Starter Martin Perez was still on the young side of 20, at times visibly unsure of himself and overwhelmed by AAA hitters (6.98 ERA, 72 hits in 49 innings). What he did not need was a bumbling defender. My account of the 2nd inning: “Following a medium-hard grounded single by Kila Ka’aihue, Irving Falu bunted almost straight back to Perez.  Perez could have retired the plodding Ka’aihue at second with ease, but he instead turned toward first and… ate the ball because 1B Jose Ruiz was standing slack-jawed twenty feet from the bag.  A clearly flustered Perez immediately received a pep talk from catcher Kevin Cash.  Still, he began his sequence to Joaquin Arias with two balls and received another talk from pitching coach Terry Clark.  Arias then hit a soft grounder off the glove of Perez, who recovered and threw to first.  Ruiz dropped it.”

I thought Perez might strangle Ruiz. I thought I might. Omaha would eventually plate three and win 7-2. Ruiz did not play in the remaining two games of the series. In fact, he never played in affiliated ball again, spending seven more seasons amongst various winter leagues and US indy squads.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, Oklahoma City (LAD) 9
Round Rock: 12 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 5-6, 4 GB

SP Adrian Houser: 6 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 71 P / 45 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 2-4, BB, .304/.373/.413
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, BB, .349/.388/.558
CF Evan Carter: 1-1, HR (1), .115/.324/.231

Evan Carter replaced CF Kellen Strahm in the 9th and homered to right off a cookie of a 1-2 change from righty Jack Little. So far, probably the most encouraging sign from Carter is quality exit velocities against righties, including a median of 92.1 (league avg. 90.5) and 90th percentile of 107.1 (avg. 106.5). The record against lefties is worse, but he also has only four balls in play (and four strikeouts). OKC hasn’t listed a starter beyond tonight, but I don’t expect any lefties except in relief this weekend.

Whether a sample issue or pitchers attempting bad chases, Carter is seeing fewer in-zone pitches than anyone on the team. To his credit, he also has the team’s lowest swing rate on those, but his miss rate when he does swing is 67% compared to a league average of 47%.

Even though I’ve mentioned some bad luck on balls in play, visually he does give more the appearance of someone with a .115/.324/.231 line, mixing some healthy cuts with some ugly misses not typically seen in AAA. I doubt any of us harbored strong hopes that Carter’s issues would magically disappear with a week in the minors, but at this point, we’re clearly facing a process. Last night’s homer and Wednesday’s stolen base are encouraging signs, though.

AA: Frisco 4, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 9
Frisco: 13 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 4-2, 1 GB

SP Ben Anderson: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 76 P / 43 S, 5.87 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, 2B, HBP
CF Cam Cauley: 2-3, 2B, BB
C Cooper Johnson: 3-5, HR (2)

Five Riders combined to hold top-100 prospects Carter Jensen and Jac Caglione reasonably in check: a combined 2-for-9 with no runs or RBI. Cam Cauley made his first professional start in the outfield, playing center as the much more experienced Alejandro Osuna manned left. Cauley certainly has the wheels for center and defends the middle infield capably, so I imagine he can adapt to the outfield quickly.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Wilmington (WAS) 4 (11)
Hub City: 4 hits, 6 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 4-2, 1 G up

SP Paul Bonzagni: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 75 P / 46 S, 2.08 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 3-5, 2B, 2 SB (4)

Paul Bonzagni has a respectable walk rates in the pros but never when I’m watching, like at the Spring Breakout game and his first appearance last week. Last night while my eyes were focused elsewhere (my daughter’s science homework, probably), he reeled off five innings marred only by a hit batter.

Hub City tied the game in the 9th on a double-play grounder and plated runs on a wild pitch and error in the extras, but three straight hits and two runs off Mailon Felix gave Wilmington the victory.

Lo-A: Hickory 2, Augusta (ATL) 4
Hickory: 3 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 4-2, tied for first

SP Caden Scarborough: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 62 P / 38 S, 4.05 ERA
RP Jake Jekielek: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 2-4, 3B

Augusta singled on the game’s third pitch, dashing the chance at a third straight threat of a no-hitter. Nevertheless, Caden Scarborough cruised through the first three innings on 37 pitches. The 4th saw a couple of walks and a two-run single that ended his night just shy of four innings.  Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes tendered a favorable review yesterday ($ link), noting his quirky fastball (a four-seamer that acts like a two) and potentially strong sweeper. I will say he’s always looked pretty green to me, and in the short and probably intermediate run we’re going to see some chaotic results (both good and bad).

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 18th-best position player season during 2007-2024 belongs to Joey Gallo.

This won’t be Gallo’s only appearance, so I’ll skip most of the historical summary. In June 2015, Gallo made his MLB debut at third in place of an injured Adrian Beltre, going 3-4 with a double and homer. After a month he returned to AAA, where pitchers exploited him with high fastballs, not a previous area of concern to my recollection, probably because pitchers at lower levels were too scared to try. Gallo batted .195/.289/.450 with a 39% K rate before being recalled again, and he was left off the postseason roster.

Returning to Round Rock and spending most of the year there, Gallo never had a month as shaky as his last two AAA months of 2015. While he didn’t match the 40-homer output of some earlier seasons, he still led Texas minor leaguers with 25 homers and corrected (relatively speaking) his propensity to swing under high heat, turning some of those strikeouts into additional walks and singles. On Labor Day 2016, Round Rock’s final game of the season would also be his last as a minor leaguer (except for rehab). He was Texas’s Opening Day 3B in 2017, as Beltre was again injured and wouldn’t return until the end of May.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City (LAD) 7
Round Rock: 6 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 5-6, 3 GB

SP David Buchanan: 5.2 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 84 P / 54 S, 1.80 ERA
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, BB, .194/.318/.361

I devoted only a few words to Dustin Harris yesterday, and he got the call. Ah, well. But it’s not as though a better solution was just sitting there. The alternative to Harris might have been simply to retain Jonathan Ornelas, whose outfield assignments have tapered off in recent years, but he could roam the grass if necessary.

Evan Carter was 0-3 with a walk and his first stolen base. He’s both walked and struck out in 24% of his plate appearances. He’s also hitting and slugging .080. Not to say he’s hitting well, but he has been unlucky. By my accounting, he’s hit five balls in play that are often (but not always) hits. Add in the occasional grounder that sneaks through and whatnot, and I think a typical hitter would have about five hits instead of Carter’s two.

Cody Freeman has started two games at short, a position he hadn’t manned since a single game at the complex in 2021 and not with any regularity since 2019.

AA: Frisco 12, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 9
Frisco: 12 hits, 10 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 3-2, 1 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 4 IP, 10 H (1 HR), 9 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 81 P / 51 S, 18.00 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 0-3, 3 BB, SB (3)
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-5, HR (1), HBP
RF Josh Hatcher: 4-5, 2B, HR (2)
C Ian Moller: 1-4, HR (1)

Josh Stephan gets the “spend the next two months pulling your ERA down from the stratosphere” challenge. As to how he managed to stay out that long in his first start of the season, the Naturals plated five in the 1st after only 18 pitches. My annual primer mentioned that starters will usually be allowed to get their work despite an onslaught as long as the pitch count doesn’t get out of hand, and that appears to be the case here. Also, in the 5th, his first three opponents reached and would score after he was pulled. The 23-year-old Stephan was understandably omitted from the 40 last fall but has a chance at addition this year.

26-year-old Josh Hatcher leads the organization with his .556/.556./.944 line in the early going. He’d probably be with the Express if room were available. Peyton Gray is 29 and hadn’t pitched in affiliated ball in four years, but he stood out in the indy American Association and winter leagues, so he’s getting a shot with the Rangers. He’s fanned six and walked one in three scoreless innings.

Hi-A: Hub City 14, at Wilmington (WAS) 3
Hub City: 11 hits, 14 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 4-1, 1 G ahead

SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 44 P / 28 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Aidan Curry: 2.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 10.13 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 2-5, 2B, BB, SB (1)
C Malcolm Moore: 0-2, 3 BB, HBP
RF Keith Jones II: 1-2, 4 BB, SB (2)
DH Arturo Disla: 3-3, 2B, BB

Relying mostly on a fastball that I’ve seen in the low-90s in the past (but didn’t hear any readings yesterday), Josh Trentadue no-hit the Blue Rocks for four innings. 2023’s 14th-rounder from the College of Southern Idaho fanned 92 in 70 low-A inning last year. The ERA was 4.46 but he was better than that. 22-year-old righty Aidan Curry is coming off a season in which nearly everything went wrong, and his first 2025 appearance was unfortunately a replay. 24-year-old Victor Simeon is a high-walk, high-strikeout type who graciously involved the defense in all his outs yesterday.

2024 2nd-round OF Dylan Dreiling is off to a nice start (.316/.381/.368). 1st-rounder Malcolm Moore (.177/.462/.235) has three hits and eight walks. Arturo Disla is identical to Dreiling except for an extra double as one of his hits. 

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Augusta (ATL) 2
Hickory: 9 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 4-1, 1 G ahead

SP Brooks Fowler: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 40 P / 29 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Michael Valverde: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Maxton Martin: 3-5, 2B
3B Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB
SS Luis Marquez: 2-2, BB, HBP, SB (2)

Hickory nearly no-hit Augusta again. A 7th-inning bloop to short left-center by John Gil that agonizingly dropped between four oncoming defenders would be Augusta’s only hit. Like J’Briell Easley yesterday, righty Brooks Fowler (2024, 15th round Oral Roberts) was making his first pro appearance and was nearly perfect for four innings. Brock Porter continued the no-hitter but wasn’t as collected as his first outing, throwing more balls than strikes and putting three on the bases. An also walk-prone Alberto Mota issued three freebies, so the lone hit (off Erik Loomis) plated two.

I erred in saying Hickory hadn’t thrown a no-hitter since 2009. I was going off the broadcast and didn’t confirm. Sorry about that, and thanks for the corrective emails.

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 18th-best rotation season during 2007-2024 belongs to Andrew Faulkner.

A skinny, projectable high-school lefty taken in 2011’s 14th round, Faulkner quickly advanced to low-A (as was custom at the time) and spent two fairly non-distinguished seasons as a Hickory starter and swingman. Adding some good weight and velocity, Faulkner boosted his strikeout rate from 17% to 24% while maintaining the improved control acquired in 2010. In his last six high-A starts, Faulkner allowed three runs in 34 innings with six walks and 33 strikeouts. Promoted to AA Frisco, he skidded into a rough patch with more hits (understandable) and iffier control, but he still finished the season as a legitimate prospect.

Legitimate, yes, but not quite a rotation prospect, as his not-so-smooth delivery and control were persistent worries. Shifting to relief in the middle of 2015, Faulkner pitched well enough to warrant a late-August promotion to the Rangers and even received a small handful of medium-leverage situations down the stretch as Texas secured a division title. He dropped into an up-and-down role (mostly the latter) in 2016. The following spring, his career with Texas ended strangely and unceremoniously, as a shaky early-March outing cut short by what was described as lightheadedness prompted a quick option to AAA, and then he was traded to Baltimore for cash.

Texas purchased the contract of Caleb Boushley, who had a nice spring and was among the later camp cuts. In two outings with Round Rock, Boushley offered a heavy dose of 90ish fastballs and 92 sinkers followed by a sweeper averaging 83 (and not especially sweepy), an 85 change and a handful of curves. Contra his spring, he’s not much of a bat-misser in real games but will throw strikes and live with the consequences. His selection indicates the status of experienced 40 options Cole Winn, Jacob Latz and Daniel Robert, although that’s probably unfair to Robert as he isn’t a long type. I’d thought the Rangers might recall Winn, who hasn’t been great but isn’t slumping either and could probably run through an order without ruinous damage. Latz is missing bats but also missing the plate, walking the bases loaded but escaping unharmed in his last appearance.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City (LAD) 16
Round Rock: 10 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 10 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 5-5, 2 GB

SP Nolan Hoffman: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 46 P / 25 S, 7.50 ERA
RP Cody Heuer: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 4.05 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 3-5, 2B, HR (2), .476/.532/.810
3B Cody Freeman: 3-4, 2B, .343/.375/.571

Squaring to bunt in the 8th, CF Evan Carter took a pitch off his finger(s) and eventually removed himself. Carter was clearly in immediate pain but seemed to shake it off quickly, and the trainer barely examined him as he argued with the umpire that he was pulling back and should have been awarded first (the ump ruled he was offering, and the pitch was a foul). However, as Carter took his stance and gripped the bat for the next pitch, he called for time and walked to the dugout. Previously, Carter walked, grounded hard to short, and hit a pop and shallow fly.

I expressed cautious optimism about his condition at the time, and per the beats, he did avoid serious injury. That’s good news, but I personally wouldn’t consider him a viable replacement for Wyatt Langford if needed. Carter is seeing fewer in-zone pitches than anyone on the team and usually not taking the bait. His exit velocities are actually respectable (albeit tilted toward RHPs) in contrast to his .091 batting average. On the downside, he’s whiffing far more often than average, popping up frequently, and he just doesn’t look comfortable at the plate.

As for other possibilities, OF Dustin Harris is unfortunately hitting softy. Justin Foscue is much more swing-happy so far but producing as well as ever in AAA (.316/.381/.447). He doesn’t play outfield, of course, and Texas would have an ungainly outfield depth chart of Pillar, Taveras and Garcia plus Pederson and Smith if Foscue replaced Langford. Sam Haggerty is on the IL. The best hitter at present, by far, is…

Blaine Crim didn’t quite get a full-bore swing at a Nick Frasso slider in the 1st but nevertheless gapped it for a double. Next, the contact on his 3rd-inning fly sounded slightly flat to me, and I thought “ooh, almost.” A few seconds later, the ball bounded off the warehouse roof beyond center, 431 feet from home. So much for my sound wave expertise. He also singled.

Emiliano Teodo breezed through the 6th with two strikeouts including one on only his second changeup of the season. The 7th was another matter, as Ryan Ward began by knocking a fly over the fence at a modest 94 MPH. Two outs, a walk, and two medium-hard hits finished Teodo’s day. His sinker regained its 100+ velocity nearly half the time.

As for the game in general: hoo boy. Round Rock threw 219 pitches, of which 101 were balls. Three pitchers failed to complete requisite innings. Catcher Konnor Piotto collected the final two outs after surrendering a homer.  OKC stole six bases, only one of which was contested with a throw to second. Round Rock loaded the bases with none out in consecutive innings and went 0-3 with two strikeouts after both. Might as well get it all out of the system at once.

AA: Frisco 3, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 7
Frisco: 6 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 2-2, 1 GB

SP Kohl Drake: 3 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 70 P / 43 S, 12.00 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-4, BB
1B Josh Hatcher: 1-4, HR (1)
DH Abi Ortiz: 2-4, 2B

Last summer, the unexpectedly terrific control from Kohl Drake backed up some upon promotion to Frisco, and yesterday was a continuation of that. (Drake’s control wasn’t bad before, just not a highlight.)

Hi-A: Hub City 6, at Wilmington (WAS) 1
Hub City: 10 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 3-1, tied for 1st

SP Leandro Lopez: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 58 P / 31 S, 2.70 ERA
RP Josh Mollerus: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Malcolm Moore: 1-3, 2 BB
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, BB
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3

Leandro Lopez had a Leandro Lopez start. For his career, his combined walks and hit batters (90) exceeds his hits allowed (84). Joey Danielson is showing that I didn’t just catch him on an good day in Surprise. He’s up to four scoreless innings.

Over the winter, I contemplated writing up a dozen or so guys who’s upcoming seasons were especially important, but I decided save that material as context for the game summaries. Gleider Figureo was on that list. Still just 20, Figuereo will be Rule 5-eligible if unprotected, and while being added isn’t absolutely necessary for his career progression, I’d like him to make the front office think hard about it. He showed game power last year in repeating low-A (12 homers in 63 games) but is still adapting to high-A, batting .207/.263/.364 in 54 games after a promotion.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Augusta (ATL) 0
Hickory: 9 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 0 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Record: 3-1, tied for 1st

SP Kamdyn Perry: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 42 S, 0.00 ERA
RP William Privette: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP J’Briell Easley: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, 2 BB
LF Maxton Martin: 3-5
2B Antonis Macias: 1-3, 2B, BB
RF Marcos Torres: 1-3, BB, SB (1)

Three pitchers combined for the first no-hitter by the franchise since April 2009 (Martin Perez’s first low-A start). 19-year-old starter Kamdyn Perry (2023, 17th round) was making his third low-A appearance and second start. Privette (23, 2023 13th-rounder) was pitching for only the fourth time professionally, and the undrafted Jayhawk J’Briell Easley had an unforgettable pro debut.

1B Pablo Guerrero gets the gold star defensively. He made a diving snares to his right of a grounder in the 2nd and liner in the 7th, and in the 9th he came off the bag to grab an errant throw and tag the batter. Perry fanned his last two batters, Easley his first two, so the game’s midsection consisted of seven consecutive strikeouts. The outfield participated in only four outs.

Here’s highlights of Perry, Privette and Easley including the final out.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Buchanan
AA: Steohan
Hi-A: Trentadue
Lo-A: Fowler

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 19th-best rotation season and ninth-best relief season were by the same pitcher:

As I mentioned Monday, Phillips couldn’t build on his outstanding low-A season of 2007, and in 2009 he would return to high-A Bakersfield in relief. There, he was nearly impossible to hit, holding opponents to a .125/.180/.181 line in a league that averaged 5.2 runs per team per game. Several of his outings exceeded two innings, and Texas would actually throw him back into the rotation for his final three games with the Blaze. Moving from Bakersfield to Frisco (the minor league equivalent of salvation), Phillips resumed relief, and although his control sometimes faltered, he was no easier to hit.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 10, Toledo (DET) 7
Round Rock: 10 hits, 7 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 5-4, 1 GB

SP Dane Dunning: 3.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 71 P / 43 S, 11.81 ERA
RP Dane Acker: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 10.13 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 1-2, 3 BB, SB (1), .105/.320/.105
1B Blaine Crim: 2-3, 2 2B, 2 BB, .459/.524/.730

Evan Carter stared at 15 of 20 pitches yesterday. 13 were balls, so we can’t accuse him of passivity. On another unusually cold day, Toledo’s pitchers just weren’t aiming well. Potential negative tells about his performance would include expansion of his strike zone and poor ball rates on taken pitches, but so far, he’s fared well in both respects. His problems in the early going are 1) a high whiff rate (against both lefties and righties) when he does swing, and 2) poor exit velocity against lefties. Predictably, 40% of the pitches he’s seen from lefties have been sliders.

Opponents are hitting .417/.516/.750 off Dane Dunning in the early going.

AA: Frisco 2, Corpus Christi (HOU) 0
Frisco: 7 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 2-1, tied for 1st

SP Trey Supak: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 57 P / 38 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Avery Weems: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Daniel Missaki: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 2-4, SB (2)
C Cooper Johnson: 1-2, 2 BB

According to Voice of the Riders Zac Bigley, Sebastian Walcott (1-4 yesterday) already has four balls in play at 107 MPH or better. And, as reiterated by Zac, he’s 19. Cam Cauley has started all three games at second. He’s spent about two-thirds of his career at short and is obviously capable there, but Walcott gets first dibs. Frisco doesn’t have a clear-cut 3B now that Cody Freeman has moved up, so Frisco at least has the opportunity to spot Walcott at third and Cauley at short on occasion.

Frisco received five stellar innings from 28-year-old Trey Supak, an offseason sign who’s been in pro ball since 2014 and spent part of last year with indy Charleston.

Hi-A: Hub City 7, at Aberdeen (BAL) 5
Hub City: 11 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 2-1, tied for 1st

SP DJ McCarty: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 53 P / 29 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Mailon Felix: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Dylan MacLean: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.50 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-4, BB, SB (1)
C Malcolm Moore: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB
1B Cal Stark: 3-5

Moore’s double was a grounder that caromed off the second baseman’s leg into no-man’s land, but it counts the same.

The Rangers have again placed DJ McCarty and Dylan MacLean on the same team just to spite me. They signed within days of each other in 2020. MacLean is Texas’s fourth-round pick from that draft and a lefty, while the right-handed McCarty signed as a free agent out of high school. MacLean made his first appearance since elbow surgery in 2023.

Mailon Felix made his first US appearance at the tender age of 25. The Dominican had spent the last three seasons on a Japanese farm club.

Lo-A: Hickory 5, at Kannapolis (CHW) 7
Hickory: 8 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 2-1, 1 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 3 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 31 P / 19 S, 3.00 ERA
RP Michael Valverde: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 1-5, HR (2)
DH Pablo Guerrero: 3-4, HR (1)

Rafe Perich homered for the second time in the series. Kannapolis’s Carlton Perkins had Pablo Guerrero down 0-2 in the 7th, wasted a couple of pitches and then hung a slider that Guerrero sent out to put Hickory back ahead for a little while. Ismael Agreda allowed a homer as well but didn’t walk anyone, a welcome occurrence for him.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

Texas’s 19th-best starting pitching season belongs to Zach Phillips.

Drafted in 2004’s 23rd round, Phillips spent most of the next summer in rookie ball and then was given a low-A rotation spot in 2006. He posted a 5.96 ERA in 142 innings on a 45-94 club that thankfully preceded my work for the Newberg Report. Repeating the level, he issued 23 fewer walks and 31 more strikeouts while continuing to keep the ball in the park. He fanned 157 in 151 innings at a time when a K-per-inning starters were rare. In one-third of his starts, he didn’t allow a run.

2007 would prove an outlier in Phillips’ career as a starter. His walk and strikeout rates would trend poorly in the tougher Cal League, and in 2009 he would switch to relief. The Rangers traded him to Baltimore in July 2011 for 32-year-old IF Nick Green. This was a deadline deal in name only, as Green by then was merely depth for AAA Round Rock. Phillips compiled 22 decent MLB innings across four seasons. A mid-season 2017 release from St. Louis’s AAA squad didn’t end his career. Phillips is still active at the age of 38, having spent the last eight years with Monclova in Mexico.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Toledo (DET) 4 (10)
Round Rock: 10 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 16 strikeouts
Record: 4-4, 2 GB

SP Adrian Houser: 5 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 9 SO, 77 P / 53 S, 3.60 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.25 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-4, BB, SB (4)
C Tucker Barnhart: 2-4, HR (1)

On an annoyingly chilly and windy night in Round Rock, Tucker Barnhart sent the brave crowd home happy with a walk-off homer off ex-Ranger Chase Lee. LF Trevor Hauver (1-4, BB) preceded by doubling in the gift-runner to tie the game at four. Barnhart offered some pop in the late ’10s but had only one homer in each of the past two seasons. He’s the call-up in Heim or Higgy are injured.

Adrian Houser allowed some deafening contact (eight of 11 balls over 101) but struck out nine. Half of his 91-95 MPH sinkers resulted in a whiff or call. Luis Curvelo relied almost entirely on sliders in two not-quite-scoreless innings; the runner on second in the 10th advanced home on a deep fly and groundout.

Evan Carter missed a third straight game. Per Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports, he was away on a personal matter. He’s in today’s lineup. I don’t know that I’ll be there myself, much as I’d like to see him in person, as it’s currently 45 degrees with winds 15+ from the north, and I am a big baby.

AA: Frisco 5, Corpus Christi (HOU) 2
Frisco: 11 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 1-1, 1 GB

SP Mitch Bratt: 3.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 78 P / 50 S, 2.45 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Josh Jung: 1-3
SS Sebastian Walcott: 2-3, 2B, BB, SB (1)
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 2-4
RF Josh Hatcher: 2-4
2B Cam Cauley: 1-3, BB, SB (1)

Josh Jung singled in three trips to the plate as a DH. He’s expected to play the field today and rejoin the Rangers Tuesday.

Sebastian Walcott reached on a 101 MPH very opposite-field double, a lined single and a walk.

Mitch Bratt wasn’t walk-prone but definitely pitch-prone, as a lack of whiffs prolonged several plate appearances. Bratt was ultimately effective but didn’t miss a bat until the final batter of the 3rd. Still, he fanned four and has always maintained a healthy K rate.

Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Aberdeen (BAL) 3
Hub City: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 1-1, tied for 1st

SP Jose Gonzalez: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 50 P / 37 S, 0.00 ERA
LF Dylan Dreiling: 2-3, BB

Now 23, Jose Gonzalez signed at 17 out of Venezuela and has been slow to develop (covid didn’t help), but at this point he’s an actual prospect, if not top-30 worthy. He signed prior to July 2, 2019, leading me to believe he could become a free agent after the season if not protected, but I wouldn’t swear to that.

Dylan Dreiling reached three times. Hub City loaded the bases with none out in the 9th down three, but Julian Brock’s grounder scored one at the expense of two outs, and Casey Cook’s popout ended it.

Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Kannapolis (CHW) 5
Hickory: 9 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 17 strikeouts
Record: 2-0, tied for 1st

SP Mason Molina: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 66 P / 43 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 2-4, 2B, HR (1), BB
3B Rafe Perich: 3-5, HR (1)
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-5
SS Chandler Pollard: 2-2, 2 HBP, 2 SB (2)

Brock Porter returned to full-season action for the first time in nearly a year. In 2024, Porter had a troubling spring and was pulled from the high-A rotation after three increasingly off-kilter starts. He resumed two months later at the complex and was again removed, for good, after five outings. He had walked or hit 33 of 101 batters. (I should say his spring of 2023 was worrisome too, but not in the same way. His control was adeqaute but his velocity had declined. I witnessed fastballs dipping all the way down to 89 during what might have been a dead-arm period. His regular season was erratic but promising, ad he justifyingly held a high prospect ranking heading into 2024.)

Porter struck out the side looking. He relied mostly on the fastball, mixing in a few sliders. I think the final strikeout was a change but couldn’t say for sure (on his last two strikeouts, the feed didn’t cut to the pitch until mid-delivery). I can’t say his control was great — he started the first two batters 3-1 and 2-0, and he hit the third batter — but it was no worse than the typical A-level pitcher. A step forward.

In his first start in the organization after being acquired for reliever Grant Anderson, Mason Molina surrendered an infield single and homer to start the game but then retired 12 of 13, eight via strikeout. Molina doesn’t throw especially hard but can move his fastball around. I don’t recall seeing a curve in Surprise, but it was particularly effective Saturday.

19-year-old Maxton Martin (2023, 11th round) hit a solo homer and drew a loaded walk for Hickory’s fifth and sixth runs.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Dunning
AA: Supak
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Anazco

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024

The 19th-best hitting season belongs to Curtis Terry.

I’ve hinted at this over the years but will fully come clean: In March 2018, I’d given up on Curtis Terry. Drafted in 2015’s 13th round out of high school, Terry had spent two years in rookie ball and another at short-season Spokane with middling results. His power was developing, but with seven walks and 60 strikeouts in short-A, what would become of him in full-season ball. In Surprise, I saw him strike out weakly three times in one day against breaking stuff and sighed. Terry would in fact not receive an assignment to Hickory, instead heading to Spokane again, where he unexpectedly not only thrived but dominated, hitting .293/.362/.537 with 15 homers and 32 walks in 67 games.

The next spring, I saw him punch a tricky, high/tailing two-strike fastball firmly the opposite way for a single. I saw him connect on breakers in the zone and avoid swings at off-plate two-strike versions. He was a different man. Terry finally received a full-season assignment and hit so well that he joined high-A Down East in mid-June. His .537 slugging percentage and 36 doubles led the system. After missing 2020 along with everyone else, Terry skipped AA and hit well enough in Round Rock to briefly join a bad Rangers team late in 2021. I was very happy to have been wrong about him.