
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+)