Category: Daily Report

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The Rangers made a million moves yesterday:

Up to Round Rock:
RHP Gavin Collyer
1B/OF Abimelec Ortiz

Ortiz had a terrific July (seven homers, .682 slug). Given his production before then (.218/.331/.374), I can’t really say he reached AAA on the merits, but he’s spent a year and four months in Frisco, Blaine Crim is gone, and, well, why not. Plus, I’m never against having someone else to watch in Round Rock. While my reaction to the news was admittedly mixed, Ortiz himself reacted by selecting beast mode for his AAA debut (see below.) 

Collyer can rival recently optioned Kumar Rocker for top fastball velocity on the Express. In his AAA debut he averaged 97 and peaked at 98.3. He can become a free agent at season’s end unless he’s protected on the 40, not an event I’m expecting, but now’s his chance. He’ll certainly be pitching somewhere in 2026. 

Up to Frisco:
RHP Wilian Bormie
C Julian Brock

The 22-year-old Bormie struck out 34% of his opponents in Hub City. He also walked/hit 15% but was tough to hit and posted a 3.12 ERA in 52 innings. Brock (2023, 8th round) has found high-A tougher than last year’s term at low-A Down East, hitting .208/.278/.290 in 62 games. I imagine he’ll form a rotation with Ian Moller and Tucker Mitchell. 

Up to Hub City:
RHP Brooks Fowler
RHP Kai Wynyard
C Ben Hartl
IF Luis Marquez

Fowler (2023, 15th round) missed some time to injury but has pitched fairly well (3.23 ERA, good walk rate). Hartl’s story is similar to Brock; he’s batted .211 and slugged .272 in an identical 62 games. The difference is a 9% HBP rate (yes, really, 24 plunks in 264 plate appearances) plus an equal walk rate to boost his OBP to .352. 

Up to Hickory:
RHP Jesus Lafalaise
C Jack Collins
C Josh Springer
IF Yolfran Castillo
IF Luke Hanson

18-year-old Yolfran Castilo joins Hickory a little later than I’d hoped. That could be greed on my part, but after turning heads (more than just mine) in March, he grew into some game power at the complex but was otherwise underwhelming statistically (.260/.310/.366). I’m earnestly looking forward to seeing him on MiLB.tv. Hanson is Texas’s first 2025 draftee to draw a full-season assignment. He was picked in the 15th round out of Virginia. 2024 12th-rounder Josh Springer (.284/.364/.388 as 19-year-old at the complex) and undrafted Jack Collins (22 out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) are the new catchers.

Released:
C Beycker Barroso from Hickory
IF Erick Alvarez from Hickory

Trade Assignments
Four of the six prospects traded by the Rangers were placed in the same classification. Kohl Drake (AAA Reno) pitched last Saturday at Las Vegas, where he’d made his ultimate start as a Ranger 17 days ago. He allowed four runs (including two homers) in 5.2 innings while fanning five. Skylar Hales (AAA Memphis) had a very rough intro to the International League, walking two and hitting two more in a three-run 6th on Saturday. Basic control has rarely been an issue for him. Mitch Bratt (AA Amarillo) faced Midland last night, striking out eight, walking one, and surrendering two runs in 4.2 IP. Mason Molina (high-A Peoria) walked four in four innings last night but struck out five and allowed two runs. Yet to appear but bumped from Hickory to high-A are David Hagaman and Garrett Horn. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 11, at Albuquerque (COL) 5
Round Rock: 13 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 15-16, 6.5 GB, 49-57 overall

SP Caleb Boushley: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 61 P / 32 S, 1.47 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Jake Burger: 2-3, 2B, BB
RF Abimelec Ortiz: 4-5, 2 HR (2)

Abimelec Ortiz homered 417′ to right and an unspecified distance the opposite way. Amazingly, both came off lefties, who have bedeviled him two seasons running. He was hitting .163/.256/.250 with two homers in 90 plate appearances against them entering the game, and last year’s line was .178/.290/.333. Ortiz also singled twice off acclaimed (but doomed to toil in Colorado) righty Chase Dollander. 

Gavin Collyer added a cutter and sweepy slider to the fastballs mentioned above. 

Blaine Crim was 1-5 with a double as Albuquerque’s DH.

AA: Frisco 0, at Arkansas (SEA) 3
Frisco: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 12-22, 9 GB, 50-52 overall

SP Josh Trentadue: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 73 P / 45 S, 7.04 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 4.32 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.84 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, BB, .247/.345/.395

Josh Trentadue inverted his first AA outing, getting chased in the 4th after a strong start. 

Hi-A: Hub City 4, at Jersey Shore (PHI) 5
Hub City: 9 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 21-16, tied for 1st, 52-50 overall

SP Dylan MacLean: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 76 P / 54 S, 3.21 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, 2B, .253/.323/.317

Dylan MacLean had another nice night, but Jersey Shore chipped away at Hub City’s bullpen. 

Lo-A: wet
Two Thursday.

Today’s Starters
AAA: B. Anderson / Plassmeyer
AA: Lopez
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: Segura

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The absolute worst Texas-affiliated full-season team during 2007-2024 is the 2018 Frisco RoughRiders. 

Actual record: 60-80 (.429)
Run-differential record: 56-84 (.398)
Component record: 52-88 (.375)

Three teams in this era had slightly worse won-loss records, but only this edition had a sub-.400 expected record based on run differential (-148, roughly a run per game), and they were very fortunate to win 60 games based on batting components. Frisco was outhit by 27 points of batting average, 31 of OBP and 65 of slugging. Relative to park, Frisco ranked last in the league in all slash components, both offensively and in pitching/defense, with the exception of a next-to-last place in opposing OBP. 

None of Frisco’s top 12 in plate appearances reached the Majors. Preston Beck had a pretty good season at the plate (101 OPS+) but was 27. One could dream a little on outfielders Hunter Cole (153 OPS+) and Jose Cardona (102 OPS+), but this offense was vastly different from the star-filled yet underachieving 2015 version. By 2018, trades and a downturn in talent (that was already beginning to reverse) left the offense with some very marginal prospects and a heavy dose of organizational filler. 13th in PA was Jose Trevino, a well below-average hitter in the upper minors (69 OPS+ that season). The other player with at least 100 PA to reach the Majors (briefly) was IF Luis Marte, and he was among the weakest hitters ever to pass through the Texas system.

On the other side, a remarkable 15 pitchers would attain MLB status. That’s not to say all were good in 2018. Lefty Brett Martin struck out 96 in 89 innings but was obliterated on contact (.357/.397/.509, 7.28 ERA). Pedro Payano pitched for Texas briefly in 2019, but the previous year he was a low-K, high-HBP inning-eater (5.54 ERA in 118 IP). Jeffrey Springs walked seven and fanned 68 in 39 innings, but everyone who reached base scored (4.82 ERA). Similar in run prevention to Springs were Jonathan Hernandez and Taylor Hearn. 

On the bright side, the season actually wasn’t a relentless trudge to semi-infamy in the form of an email by some random blogger seven years later. After bottoming out at 21-45, the Riders were 39-35 the rest of the way. In the second half, Frisco peaked at 36-31 and could have won the division with a little help. Alas, three straight losses ended that dream. 

This team ranks 28th worst of 794 in my collection, and if I added all the various leagues that didn’t include Texas, I doubt Frisco would be in the bottom 50.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, El Paso (SDG) 7
Round Rock: 7 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 14-16, 7.5 GB, 48-57 overall

SP Carl Edwards Jr.: 5.1 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 77 P / 51 S, 4.61 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.25 ERA
LF Cody Freeman: 1-2, 2B, .323/.371/.526
DH Trevor Hauver: 2-3, HR (8), .270/.378/.426

I saw Cody Freeman’s name when I grabbed the lineup sheet but didn’t notice his position until I took my seat. Freeman made his professional debut in the outfield, handling one fairly routine fly (an opposite-field fly to his right) without issue. I eagerly hoped for more in his direction, but he was replaced in the top of the 5th, and I’m unaware of any physical issue. Speculate away, but Josh Jung is surprisingly listed as tonight’s DH.. Freeman hit a sharp liner that was caught and a double to deep center. 

Colorado claimed Blaine Crim on waivers and optioned him to AAA Albuquerque. Tomorrow, the ‘Topes will host none other than the Round Rock Express for a week. Colorado’s production has been scary-bad at first (.213/.275/.385, 76 OPS+) and even worse at DH (.218/.283/.321, 64 OPS+), so hopefully Crim gets a chance. I know The Rox want 1B/DH Michael Toglia (.194/.261/.361) to get back on track after a surprisingly potent 2024, but surely Crim can fit somewhere. Aside from Crim’s brief fling in Arlington, I think the last time I saw an Express game without him on the roster was September 11, 2022. He played 363 games with the Express, hit 60 homers and batted .283/.374/.487. Best wishes. 

OF Dustin Harris went unclaimed and was outrighted to the Express. 

AA: Frisco 0, San Antonio (SDG) 4
Frisco: 5 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 12-21, 8 GB, 50-51 overall

SP Josh Stephan: 3.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 66 P / 42 S, 5.11 ERA
DH Jake Burger: 0-4
SS Sebastian Walcott: 3-4, .246/.343/.395

Sebastian Walcott broke a four-game hitless streak with a vengeance. Frisco had exactly zero plate appearances with a runner in scoring position. Neither Joey Danielson nor Eric Loomis have been sharp in the early going after being promoted from Hub City. Both allowed runs and issued two free passes in a combined three innings.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, Asheville (HOU) 2
Hub City: 8 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 21-15, 1 G up, 52-49 overall

SP Jose Gonzalez: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 82 P / 58 S, 2.83 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-2, BB, SB (24), .202/.288/.273
C Malcolm Moore: 1-2, SB (4), .200/.296/.300

Under a steady drizzle, Jose Gonzalez kept the Tourists off the bases until the 4th. The Burgers were equally stifled until the 7th but scored three. Hub City nearly squandered that lead in the 9th, walking five straight with two out, but with the bases loaded and a full count, Jesus Gamez scraped the top of the zone to record the final out. 

Cal Stark took Malcolm Moore’s place in the top of the 4th. 

Hub City won four of six from Asheville and held the Tourists to three runs and 4.5 hits per game. 

Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Fayetteville (HOU) 5
Hickory: 4 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 21-15, 5.5 GB, 54-47 overall

SP Ismael Agreda: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 51 P / 26 S, 2.84 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.08 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 3.70 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, HR (7), HBP, SB (36), .243/.356/.340

I saw Jormy Nivar in March: “18 walks and 80 strikeouts in 76 DSL innings [2023-2024 combined]. A skinny 6’3”, Nivar cleanly delivered a 92-93 sinker with substantial horizontal movement, a mid-80s slider, and an upper-80s change.” At the complex, Nivar’s control was still fine if slightly worse, but his strikeout rate dwindled to a flat 20%. Now 22, Nivar also allowed nine homers despite an extreme grounder tendency and finished with a 6.91 ERA in 41.2 innings. 

Hickory trails Myrtle Beach, 26-9 in the second half after a league-worst 25-39 record in the first. The teams don’t meet again.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The second-worst Texas full-season squad was the 2015 Frisco RoughRiders.

Actual record: 60-79 (.432)
Run-differential record: 56-83 (.404)
Component record: 55-84 (.393)

This offense had Jorge Alfaro, Lewis Brinson, Ryan Cordell, Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara, Drew Robinson and Nick Williams. This offense was also the worst of any of Texas’s 68 full-season teams during 2007-2024. They hit .243/.313/.378, 21-24 points below the park-adjusted league average in all components, good for an 88 OPS+. The players mentioned combined for a .266/.346/.457 line and 118 OPS+, but the others were .228/.290/.325 with a 68 OPS+. The Luises Marte and Mendez were able defenders with timid bats. Catcher Pat Cantwell didn’t hit (.224/.303/.327), and Preston Beck suffered his worst year as a pro (.224/.303/.327). Collectively, they knocked plenty of homers but didn’t walk much and struck out a ton. 

The six busiest pitchers – Chad Bell, Jose Leclerc, Victor Payano, Andrew Faulkner, Jake Thompson and Aliangel/Frank Lopez – combined for nearly half the team’s innings but had a collective ERA of 4.86 (league average was 4.23), and none was better than 4.19. Management badly wanted Leclerc to succeed as a starter with his intimidating four-pitch mix that included two changeups, but his control simply wouldn’t allow it. The Riders had a league-worst 12% BB/HBP rate at a time when 10% was the maximum acceptable. 

Frisco lost 13 straight after a 12-13 start. They slowly improved to 46-50 (including 17-9 to open the second half), only to lose 11 more in a row, plus another seven to conclude the season. 

Late that July I attended a couple of games, meeting and chatting with Nick Williams’ father and Jake Thompson’s girlfriend. They asked if Nick and Jake would be on different teams in a few days. I told them I had no way of knowing, but they were definitely in play, and while the physical and emotional instability wasn’t fun, it was certainly better to be wanted by many clubs than not. Within a day or two, both would head to Philadelphia for Cole Hamels. Incidentally, both are still active professionals in Mexico and were teammates in Durango for a while. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, El Paso (SDG) 5
Round Rock: 8 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 14-15, 7.5 GB, 48-56 overall

SP Cory Abbott: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 5 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 79 P / 48 S, 7.96 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.04 ERA

I’ve never caught a foul ball at a Major League game. A friend of mine grabbed a Pete Incavglia foul in the 1980s while I was sitting next to him. I did snare a Max Ramirez foul that ricocheted off the press box facade at the Dell Diamond, and at the time I was there as a fan, not in my “official” capacity. 


AA: Frisco 2, San Antonio (SDG) 4
Frisco: 6 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Record: 12-20, 8 GB, 50-50 overall

SP Jose Corniell: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 49 P / 28 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 7.13 ERA
RF Keith Jones II: 2-4, 2B, .203/.286/.319

Jose Corniell was on point once again. Remember that in addition to returning from elbow surgery, he’s pitching at a new level, having split his last healthy season between low-A Down East and high-A Hickory. He’s also 22 as of June, younger than any staff teammate.


Hi-A: Hub City 6, Asheville (HOU) 5
Hub City: 8 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 20-15, 1 G up, 51-49 overall

SP Kolton Curtis: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 75 P / 48 S, 5.01 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 1-4, HR (4), .200/.285/.272
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, 3B, BB, .211/.311/.342
1B Rafe Perich: 2-3, BB, .200/.362/.291

Casey Cook’s 7th-inning grand slam completed the comeback from a three-run deficit. Notwithstanding Saturday, results on flies are a large part of his line to date. He’s hitting .270 with an isolated power of .143, fifth and sixth lowest, respectively, among 80 league hitters with at least 40 flies. 


Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Fayetteville (HOU) 3 (completion of suspended)
Hickory: 2 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

SP Aneudis Mejia: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 66 P / 48 S, 7.04 ERA
DH Maxton Martin: 1-3, BB, .260/.341/.433

Lo-A: Hickory 5, at Fayetteville (HOU) 1 (7)
Hickory: 4 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 21-14, 4.5 GB, 54-46 overall

SP Kamdyn Perry: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 46 P / 27 S, 6.10 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 2-3, 3B, BB, .269/.400/.337

Hickory split the quasi-doubleheader. The Crawdads scored two in the 1st on Friday before the rain but would post zeroes for the next 11 innings. Following some intense and protracted sloppiness on Fayetteville’s part, Antonis Macias banged a three-run triple in the 4th of the nightcap. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBA (maybe CJ Edwards?)
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: Agreda

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
I’d originally intended to cover the worst five full-season teams at length but reduced to four because the stories would be overly repetitive. Why? Because four of the worst five Texas full-season affiliates during 2007-2024 were in the same classification during four consecutive years. 2017-2018 was a down period for the system at large, but the anti-party began in Frisco two years earlier. 

Why so many bad teams in a row, and why Frisco? Especially when in three instances, the previous year’s high-A squad was quite good:

2014 high-A: 82-56, 2015 AA: 60-79
2015 high-A: 78-62, 2016 AA: 63-69
2016 high-A: 82-58, 2017 AA: 60-80

Of course, roster assignments in the minors are far from static, and the 2014 Myrtle Beach Pelicans didn’t fly out to Frisco as a flock the next season. But you’d expect some continuity, yes? Also, these Frisco teams contained some of the most famous and valued prospects I’ve ever covered. 

Frisco never hit during this period. Their OPS+ during 2015-2018 ranged from 87-90, afflicted by four factors: 1) a farm system in a decline period, leading to fewer annual reinforcements, 2) trades of promising hitters to fortify the parent club during 2015-2016, 3) aggressive promotions of the desirable hitters who remained, and 4) several multi-season regulars who could play up the middle but didn’t hit at all. 

For the record, the fifth-worst team was the 2016 Riders: actual record 63-79, run record 63-79, component record 56-83. This team started the season 30-13 and finished 33-63. Fourth were the Bakersfield Blaze, covered yesterday. 

Coming in third: the 2017 Riders.

Actual record: 60-80 (.429)
Run-differential record: 58-82 (.414)
Component record: 58-82 (.418)

As for 2017 in particular, a major reason why they were so much worse than the Cal League-winning 2016 High Deset Mavericks was sharp declines in offense by nearly everyone who graduated. Here’s the change in 2016 to 2017 OPS+ among hitters who spent substantial time with the ’16 Mavs and ’17 Riders (note, these figures do account for High Desert’s ultra-hitter-friendly park):

Luke Tendler — 135 to 99
Scott Heineman — 131 to 119
Jose Cardona — 117 to 94
Juremi Profar — 115 to 86
ALL SIX — 115 to 89
Jose Trevino — 102 to 66
Michael De Leon — 80 to 50

This group was responsible for roughly half the plate appearances for each team, and collectively lost 26 points of OPS. Heineman remained a positive force, but the others dropped to average or worse. Heineman would reach MLB briefly, Trevino improved some (but was never a quality hitter in the upper minors) and of course had the defense and intangibles in his favor. The others essentially topped out. Trevino and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who was repeating the level) have established lengthy MLB careers, but not because of their minor league hitting. 

They had company. A 26-year-old free agent named Eric Aguilera batted .222/.321/.385 while playing exclusively at first. OF Royce Bollinger missed all of 2016 and didn’t hit when he returned (.234/.281/.378, 81 OPS+). Stout defender Luis Marte posted a 75 OPS+. 

As a group, the pitchers graduating from High Desert to Frisco (Ariel Jurado, Yo Mendez, Collin Wiles, Nick Gardewine, four others) were close to the median in high-A and similar in AA. The staff as a whole was above average in walks and strikeouts but desperately poor at keeping the ball in the park, allowing 34 more homers than the league average. Mendez managed a 3.79 ERA but surrendered a homer every 5.9 innings. Relievers Shane McCain and Joe Filomeno gave up ten apiece, and Joe Filomeno and Cody Palmquist both yielded eight. 

I would reiterate that the ’17 Riders and their compatriots weren’t anywhere near the worst teams among the league in which Texas-affiliated teams have played. By my reckoning, the 2017 edition was 69th-worst of 794 full-season clubs. Bad, yes, but the equivalent of an MLB team with 92-94 losses. Nothing historic. 

Folks like Jamey Newberg are better at personalizing prospects than me. Still, you read him and others, you read my ongoing coverage, and perhaps over time you’ve built an affinity for some of them beyond the stats. And then, one day, they’re gone. That said, entering this year’s trade spree I was probably less emotional than ever. I decided I had no guys who were “mine.” The Rangers needed some upgrades, and they had the talent to acquire them. Go, front office. Do some deals. And they did, and now supposedly emotionless me is a little bummed because I’d planned to give an eyewitness account of Kohl Drake’s start in Round Rock tonight. Ah, well.

The farm was pretty flat heading into trade season. After Walcott, who was out of virtually any reasonable discussion, the Rangers had a bunch of prospects in a fairly narrow value range. They also had particular strength in potential starting pitchers. The farm alone was strong enough to acquire some substantial deadline pieces. The bad news is that particular strength is now considerably weaker. 

LHP Danny Coulombe (MIN) for LHP Garrett Horn

I see Coulombe’s repertoire on the page, I watch video of the corresponding pitches, I scratch my head. His 90ish four-seamer essentially operates like a cutter, barely leaning glove-side at all, while his cutter hardly has any rise. He doesn’t throw hard at all, but everything has unconventional movement (see the profile here). Hitters scratch their heads, too. 

Horn had returned from elbow surgery and made his belated pro debut less than two months ago. So far, results have been fabulous: 34 strikeouts versus only six walks (contra his poor college control) in 24.2 innings between the complex and Hickory. A sixth-round pick with little pro experience landed a quality MLB reliever all by himself. Great news, but also an indication of how well Horn was regarded.

RHP Phil Maton (STL) for RHP Skylar Hales and RHP Mason Molina (and international slot money)

Hales was 2023’s fourth-rounder and made an early splash with upper-90s velocity and deception. As I’ve written, his occasional bad days are outsized, sometimes undoing all the good, and his initial flashiness has dimmed. Still, he’s a legitimate relief prospect. Molina was acquired from the Brewers (2024, 7th round) for DFA’ed reliever Grant Anderson. I praised the pickup at the time (given the circumstances), and he’s performed well in high-A, but he’s not of the level of the other starting prospects traded and more likely to be organizational depth. (Incidentally, the formerly up-and-down Anderson has spent nearly the entire season with the Brewers and leads the club in relief innings.) 

RHP Merrill Kelly (ARI) for LHP Kohl Drake, LHP Mitch Bratt and RHP David Hagaman

I make those first two deals without hesitation. You can’t play armchair GM if you’re worried about Skylar Hales pitching the 7th for the Cards in 2027. But if a trade is going to sting, this is most likely. The high guys on Drake have described him as “mid-rotation” rather than the “back-end” category I’ve lumped him in with others. I’m not quite there, but sure, it’s conceivable. One issue from his AAA debut was trouble putting away hitters once ahead, and that was to be my focus were I able to see him tonight. He was going to be added to the 40 in November and compete for a rotation spot next March. Not a shoo-in, certainly, but in a position to be atop the list as an in-season reinforcement. Bratt, the command/control wizard, likewise was a lock for the 40, and I was counting on seeing him in Round Rock before the season ended. Hagaman, like Horn, was returning from surgery, displaying much better control as a pro starter than as a college reliever. 

Drake was an 11th-round pick, Bratt a fifth, and Hagaman a fourth. Yes, the trade required all three, but getting a mid-rotation starter without relinquishing a top-100 draft pick is nice work by everyone involved. 

Kelly didn’t make his MLB debut until Age 30 but has 953 innings and 17 WAR. That’s fun. A 2010 8th-rounder, he was permitted four years later by Tampa Bay and the rest of the league to wander off to Korea, where he spent four seasons before returning stateside. Superficially, the trade makes no sense, as Texas wouldn’t wouldn’t be in a buying position if not for the existing rotation, but not a single member is free of concern due to age, injury history, quality and command of stuff, or combinations thereof. Exhibit A: Kumar Rocker’s start last night. 

All told, a substantial collection of talent has departed. But, let’s remember some guys: Jorge Alfaro, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Robbie Erlin, Joe Wieland, Mike Olt, CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm, Neil Ramirez, Christian Villanueva, Blake Beavan, Justin Smoak, Michael Main, Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, Ryan Cordell. All traded at the deadline by the Rangers. Some were pretty good for a short while, but none played through their arbitration years and reached MLB free agency in a conventional fashion. Yes, I omitted Kyle Hendricks, and Tanner Roark, and Chris Davis, but for the most part, prospects just don’t work out, and capitalizing on their peak values is imperative. Jake Burger hasn’t performed well as a Ranger, but have you missed Echedry Vargas or Max Acosta or Brayan Mendoza? All are struggling with the Marlins, and there’s a good chance that their values crested in the days leading up to their trade. 

Designated for assignment were 1B Blaine Crim and OF Dustin Harris. Both were likely non-tender candidates come the offseason, but the acquisitions hastened the process. 
In Round Rock, Crim has looked as formidable as anyone I’ve seen over the years. I don’t mean he’s Yordan Alvarez (of the top of my head, the scariest minor league hitter I’ve seen in person), but he has a very steady, consistent approach and hits the ball hard. Unfortunately, his brief look in Arlington yielded no results, and he’s not getting another shot on a win-now club. Anyone who saw Harris’s early days in Frisco’s outfield has to be happy with his defensive progress. He’s also stolen 30 bases per 500 trips to the plate as a pro. He has the bat control to angle his contact well, but he simply doesn’t hit that hard, and his power has waned since slugging .471 in AA in 2023. Both Crim and Harris were drafted in 2019 and to my knowledge can become free agents at season’s end if they go unclaimed or are claimed and outrighted later on. 

I was having a hard time seeing how Josh Sborz would fit in before these trades. He’s 20 days into a maximum of 30 on rehab and cannot be optioned. Last night, Sborz recorded three outs on only seven pitches but topped at 91.4. 

Absent updates, I’m assuming that the Rangers have crossed the Competitive Balance Tax threshold for a third consecutive year. To the extent I worry about that, if ever, it won’t be today. The Rangers are going for it. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, El Paso (SDG) 4
Round Rock: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 14-13, 6.5 GB, 48-54 overall

SP Ryan Garcia: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 58 P / 35 S, 7.99 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.75 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 3.86 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, BB, .243/.451/.405

Cody Freeman only had one hit. Maybe he has the flu. He and his teammates collected five of their ten hits in a five-run 8th. 


AA: Frisco 12, San Antonio (SDG) 3
Frisco: 16 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 11-19, 8 GB, 49-49 overall

SP Leandro Lopez: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 72 P / 43 S, 0.90 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.30 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.74 ERA
CF Cam Cauley: 2-5, 2 2B, .259/.324/.420
DH Abi Ortiz: 3-5, 2B, HR (16), .250/.348/.454
LF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, 3B, .244/.372/.398

Missions starter Victor Lizarraga was pasted for ten runs in two-plus innings. Unfortunately, the only Rider not to reach was Sebastian Walcott (0-5). 

Leandro Lopez pitched very well again. I haven’t had a chance to watch more than a moment of last night night’s start. In his AA debut, Eric Loomis reached counts of 1-2 and 0-2 on his first two batters and ended up with two walks and 14 pitches on his ledger. He couldn’t complete an inning and allowed two runs. He’s better than that. 


Hi-A: Hub City 1, Asheville (HOU) 7
Hub City: 2 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 6 walks, 16 strikeouts
Record: 19-14, tied for 1st, 51-47 overall

SP Dalton Pence: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 62 P / 40 S, 1.25 ERA
RP Jesus Gamez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA

Entering the bottom of the 6th, Hub City had no hits. Opposing Asheville had only one hit, a single. Somehow, Hub City trailed 3-1. Malcolm Moore broke up the no-hitter with a hard grounder down the left line. I noticed today that Moore had more balls hit the opposite way  (45%) than pull-side (39%). Of 162 Sally batters with at least 100 plate appearances, Moore’s oppo rate is second highest. I don’t have results for contact to particular fields, but it’s certainly not what I had in mind.


Lo-A: Hickory 5, at Fayetteville (HOU) 10
Hickory: 11 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 20-13, 3.5 GB, 53-45 overall

SP Brooks Fowler: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 81 P / 51 S, 3.00 ERA
CF Hector Osorio: 2-4, BB, SB (7), .256/.395/.372
C Ben Hartl: 3-4, HBP, SB (5), .216/.352/.279
1B Marcos Torres: 2-3, BB, SB (14), .254/.333/.376

Two days ago, Enyel Lopez made his full-season debut. Last night, 20-year-old lefty Geury Rodriguez joined the party but is going to spend the rest of his season trying to bring his ERA out of the stratosphere, as he allowed six runs in an inning-plus. Rodriguez spent three seasons in the Dominican Republic before joining Arizona. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Currently listed but highly unlikely

AA: Davalillo
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: See Drake, Kohl


Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
I chose to write about the trades instead of the 2007 Bakersfield Blaze. 

No movement on Texas’s part as of when I hit the send button. My current email delivery is very slow, so by the time this reaches you, that could change. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, El Paso (SDG) 8 (10)
Round Rock: 9 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 9 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 13-13, 6.5 GB, 47-54 overall

SP Michael Plassmeyer: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 61 P / 34 S, 4.97 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 3-5, .326/.374/.535
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, HR (18), .284/.373/.515

Cody Freeman singled three times, giving him nine hits in his last three games. He also badly misthrew a routine grounder in the 10th with runners at 2nd and 3rd and two out, permitting two runs to score. 


AA: Frisco 4, San Antonio (SDG) 7
Frisco: 7 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 10-19, 7.5 GB, 48-49 overall

SP Josh Trentadue: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 53 P / 37 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Josh Stephan: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.11 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 2-4, 3B, .256/.323/.415
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-3, HR (15), 245/.345/.440

San Antonio’s first batter lined a single to left, and the second barreled a slider into the stands. Welcome to AA, Josh Trentadue. Making his Frisco debut, the 23-year-old quickly discovered that hitters aren’t friendly here, but he recovered to retire nine straight after a 2nd-inning run. Trentadue isn’t complicated — fastball up, slider down, an occasional change — but batters have trouble picking him up. Among 50 South Atlantic League pitchers with at least 50 innings, his 33% SO rate was third highest, and his rated of missed bats ranks sixth. 


Hi-A: Hub City 9, Asheville (HOU) 1
Hub City: 10 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 19-13, 1 G up, 50-47 overall

SP Dylan MacLean: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 70 P / 46 S, 3.54 ERA
RP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 4.23 ERA
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 3-4, BB, 3 SB (41), .256/.325/.319
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-5, HR (17), .207/.287/.382
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, 2B, .198/.295/.297

Hub City took full advantage of an opposing starter with an 8.17 ERA, scoring seven in four innings. Malcolm Moore’s double hit the base of the wall on the fly. 


Lo-A: Hickory 0, at Fayetteville (HOU) 5
Hickory: 3 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 20-12, 2.5 GB, 53-44 overall

SP Enrique Segura: 4.2 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 72 P / 38 S, 4.00 ERA
RP Enyel Lopez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, HBP, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.76 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-3, BB, SB (35), .244/.357/.334

Yesterday brought the full-season debut of left Enyel Lopez, a 19-year-old signed only six months ago out of the Dominican Republic. Courtesy of an alarming walk rate, Lopez’s opposing line at the complex was .280/.442/.370 with a 5.88 ERA in 26 innings at the complex, but he’s obviously very new to pro ball. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 180 and doesn’t look a pound over. The fastball speeds I heard were 95, and whether by design or fortune, he moved it around the zone effectively. Yeremi Cabrera saved a run, maybe two, tracking down a down fly to end Lopez’s inning. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Abbott
AA: Lopez
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: Fowler

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The worst short-season team was Spokane in 2012.

Actual record: 28-48 (.368)
Run-differential record: 32-44 (.420)
Component record: 37-39 (.481)

At first glance, this team appears similar to the baby Rangers I covered yesterday: terrible record, components suggesting the team could’ve been .500 with a little luck. That’s true, but… no, I’m sorry. I remember this team, and when I came up with the idea of replacing the “five years ago” segment with these historical pieces, I knew this team would require an entry. 

Why so memorable? The errors. Yes, errors are only one facet of defense, often overrated and much more frequent at this level, but arrrggh so many errors. 45 in the first 17 games. 17 errors in a three-game set to close June. Nine in one game! As I wrote at the time: “22 grounders hit at the Spokane defense resulted in eight outs, seven hits, and seven errors. In the 8th, Boise batters reached on four consecutive infield errors.  That’s a tough way to do business.” They would finish with 128 in 76 games, easily the league’s most. 

The defense did slowly improve and was actually decent in some aspects like turning double plays and limiting the running game. Still, they started 8-22, and ten of the losses were by at least five runs. Spokane also had the most combined wild pitches and passed balls (101), the most combined walks and hit batters (364), even the most balks (9). Connor Sadzeck led the team in innings with 62; he managed a 4.06 ERA but had terrible control. Equally busy Abel de los Santos and Jose Valdespina had ERAs in the high fives. The league average was 3.79. 

The bats weren’t as bad, just boring. Ryan Rua, then an infielder and even an occasional shortstop, batted a solid .293/.368/.432. Joey Gallo joined for the last few weeks. On the other hand, a good many hitters wouldn’t play beyond this level. 

Podcast
Sean Bass, Michael Tepid and I chatted this morning. Links at top right.

A Slew Of Moves
OF Alejandro Osuna up from Frisco to Round Rock
OF Paulino Santana up from Arizona to Hickory
RHP Joey Danielson up from Hub City to Frisco
RHP Eric Loomis up from Hub City to Frisco
RHP Jesus Gamez up from Hickory to Hub City
RHP Josh Mollerus released from Frisco

Santana is the second complex hitter to reach low-A after OF Braylin Morel. Danielson and Loomis are last year’s 17th and 16th-round choices, respectively, so reaching AA this soon is no small accomplishment. Danielson impressed me in March and has been effective in Hub City, if less so lately, while Loomis has been the statistical reincarnation of late-2010s Demarcus Evans, striking out 40% of opponents and allowing hardly any hits. Mollerus was the return for DFA’ed reliever Yerry Rodriguez last summer. I saw a decent if erratic mix in March and am slightly surprised to see him leave this soon, but that’s how it goes. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, El Paso (SDG) 3
Round Rock: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 13-12, 5.5 GB, 47-53 overall

SP Carl Edwards Jr.: 6 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 8 SO, 86 P / 54 S, 3.88 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 4.91 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 3-4, 2B, HR (16), .322/.371/.534

Josh Sborz allowed four hits and a walk in an inning, and the fastball peaked at 92.4 MPH. He’s 18 days into a maximum of 30 on rehab assignment. I vaguely remembered the possibility of an extension, but that appears to apply only to those recovering from UCL injuries. 

Carl Edwards did not get cute, straightforwardly delivering a ton of high fastballs to calm the Chihuahuas. 

I need to know what Cody Freeman is eating. 


AA: Frisco 4, San Antonio (SDG) 2
Frisco: 7 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 10-18, 7 GB, 48-48 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 5.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 84 P / 55 S, 3.18 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.66 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 3-4, 2B, HR (14), .241/.341/.428

Mitch Bratt surrendered a on his third pitch of the game, uneasily recalling last week’s four-homer barrage. After that, Bratt was his usual self, although two late walks foiled an attempt at six full innings. Abimelec Ortiz had both of Frisco’s extra-base hits. 


Hi-A: Hub City 4, Asheville (HOU) 0
Hub City: 7 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 18-13, 1 GB, 49-47 overall

SP Mason Molina: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 75 P / 47 S, 2.63 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.96 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.08 ERA
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 3-4, 2B, 3 SB (38), .249/.317/.313
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, BB, SB (13), .214/.311/.345

In high-A, Mason Molina has one start with five runs and five others with a total of four. Absent Danielson and Loomis, Anthony Susac might be called on for more bridge innings. Last year’s 7th-rounder has more combined walks and HBP (33) than strikeouts (31).


Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Fayetteville (HOU) 2
Hickory: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 20-11, 2.5 GB, 53-43 overall

SP Caden Scarborough: 5 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 67 P / 45 S, 3.38 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 1-5, HR (6), SB (34), .243/.355/.334

Caden Scarborough didn’t have a clean inning and had to ward off eight plate appearance with runners in scoring position, but he worked through it with only a solo homer making permanent damage. Hickory scored everything in the 7th on just three hits including Yeremi Cabrera’s gran slam. 

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
Welcome to Worst Week, where I’ll cover the worst Texas rookie team, short-season team and the four least impressive full-season clubs. I’m doing this because I think it’s interesting and fun, but I want to preface by saying that the Texas farm system has been pretty darn good over the years. 

Here’s the aggregate records for each classification during 2007-2024:
AAA: 1,240-1,187 (.511)
AA: 1,219-1,127 (.520)
Hi-A: 1,178-1,137 (.509)
Lo-A: 1,235-1,068 (.536)
Short: 647-643 (.502)
Rookie: 501-451 (.526)

All winners. That’s impressive. As I’ve said every year, winning is secondary to developing future Major Leaguers plus coveted prospects to be traded for existing Major Leaguers. But as I’ve also said, surrounding those prospects with quality “organizational” talent matters, too, and winning is more fun than losing. Most of the time, the Rangers have made things fun.

None of the Rangers’ minor league entries rank among the very worst of their leagues. By my accounting, the worst full-season squad ranks 28th (from the bottom) of 794 teams in my collection. Bad, but not historically so. The worst short-season and rookie teams aren’t even in the bottom 10% among their peers. Over the years, I’ve seen some squads with sketchy rosters in the final week of the season, but the Rangers have never outright punted team construction. 

The worst Texas rookie team played in 2016.

Actual record: 18-37 (.327)
Run-differential record: 23-32 (.411)
Component record: 26-29 (.475)

Straight off, you’ll notice a huge gap between the components and the actual record. The slash lines of the offense and the opposition were pretty close. But check out this offense:

Average: .269 (1st of 14)
OBP: .333 (5th)
Slug: .386 (2nd)
OPS+: 106 (3rd)
Runs: 4.6 per game (12th, and 11% below average)

What? Where are the runs? The Rangers weren’t especially bad with runners in scoring position or at striking out. Only two teams were caught on the bases less often. They were below average in homers but led in doubles by a wide margin. 

Best as I can tell, difference-makers were a league-leading 48 GIDP (15 more than the average of the other teams) and, weirdly, only 35 batters reaching on errors compared to an average of 58 for the competition. That, plus the chaotic nature of rookie ball. This “bad” offense” included above-average performances at the plate from Sam Huff, Curtis Terry, Yohel Pozo, Anderson Tejeda and Leody Taveras.  

The pitching and defense don’t require a thesis. They were just garden-variety bad, allowing an 8% excess of runs and an opposing 109 OPS+. Four of the top five in innings combined for a 6.50 RA and 5.52 ERA, both about 1.5 runs above the league average. (The outlier of the five was Joe Barlow.) Demacrus Evans, Cole Ragans and Alex Speas were there as well. 

This team played sub-.333 ball and was outscored by 57 runs in 55 games. They weren’t good. But as far as “worsts” go, you could do worse. 

The farm was 6-18 with a -40 run differential last week. But I heard the parent club did pretty well. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Tacoma (SEA) 1
Round Rock: 15 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Record: 12-12, 5.5 GB, 46-53 overall

SP Trey Supak: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 67 P / 46 S, 5.40 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 2-5, 2B, .288/.377/.516
3B Cody Freeman: 3-5, 3 HR (15), .317/.367/.519
CF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, 2 BB, .258/.360/.371

In his first three trips to the plate, Cody Freeman swung his bat four times, three of which resulted in a homer to nearly the same spot down the left field line. One was about as slow as possible (90.7 MPH) to achieve homer distance, while the others were missiles. Freeman’s 15 homers are a career high, and we’ve got a third of the season remaining. Freeman has availed himself of everything the PCL offers — livelier ball, smaller strike zone, multiple Colorado-like environments — to boost his OPS from .752 to .886. That only explains a portion of the increase, though. The rest is him, getting better. 

On balls hit under 91 MPH this season, PCL batters have nine out-of-park homers, one per 4,420 trips to the plate. MLB has two, one per 59,133 PA. 

Josh Sborz’s fastball averaged 93.0 yesterday, still two ticks below last year’s average but better than previous rehab results. 

AA: Frisco 4, at Wichita (MIN) 6
Frisco: 7 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 9-18, 7 GB, 47-48 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 67 P / 43 S, 4.65 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 2-4, .251/.346/.408
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, HR (9), BB, .243/.374/.396

Frisco fell below .500 for the first time since Opening Day. In the context of Frisco’s 2007 season that I covered Sunday (57-27 start, then 28-28), a reader asked what caused the current edition’s even steeper decline (31-19 start, 16-29 since).

The answer is offense. Frisco scored 5.0 runs per game during the winning period, only 3.9 since. Meanwhile, run prevention has barely budged. Based on run differential, that’s about a .110 decrease in expected winning percentage. Extreme good luck during the winning period (about four wins more than predicted) and bad since (an extra three losses) have exaggerated the decline. Here’s the change in OPS between the winning and losing periods for selected hitters and the team:

Cauley, +.099
Moller, +.093
Chavez, +.044
Rodriguez, -.003
Ortiz, -.075
Walcott, -.081
TEAM, -.095
Others, -.113
Zavala, -.126
Hatcher, -.171
Mieses, -.401

To be honest, I was unaware of Mieses’ descent until now. He’s a veteran free agent, so I’m just not paying him much attention, but until about seven weeks ago, he’d always hit pretty well since joining the organization in 2024.  

Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Greenville (BOS) 4
Hub City: 5 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 17-13, tied for first, 48-47 overall

SP Jose Gonzalez: 5.2 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 74 P / 50 S, 3.08 ERA
RP Erik Loomis: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.80 ERA
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2B, 2 SB (35), .242/.311/.303

This weeks’ starters: 26.1 IP, 17 baserunners, 2 runs
This week’s bullpen: 23.2 IP, 50 baserunners, 18 runs

Adrian Rodriguez hit a batter and walked two more to open the 9th with the scored tied at three, after which Anthony Susac surrendered a game-ending single. Erik Loomis did allow a rare run earlier in the week but on the whole continues to be a bright spot, striking out 25 of 54 batters across 15.2 innings over the last month. 

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Augusta (ATL) 13
Hickory: 12 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 12 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 19-11, 3.5 GB, 52-43 overall

SP Ismael Agreda: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 71 P / 41 S, 2.77 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 3-4, HR (9), BB, .266/.343/.446
RF Braylin Morel: 2-5, 2B
1B Marcos Torres: 2-3, BB, 2 SB (13), .247/.325/.371

Maxton Martin broke a 21-game homer drought with a game-tying grand slam in the 6th. 

Brock Porter’s stretch of five walk-free outings ended less than a month ago but seems more distant. Since then: 9 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 14 BB, 1 HBP, 12 SO.

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
Spokane offered Texas’s best-ever short-season entry in 2008.

Actual record: 51-25 (.671)
Run-differential record: 47-29 (.623)
Component record: 45-31 (.595)

Spokane outscored the park-adjusted league-average by nearly a run per game. Only Joey Butler (.301/.417/.434) would reach MLB as a hitter; 2007 2nd-rounder Matt West would switch from infield to relief in the interim. Top performers included OFs Mike Biannuci and Jared Bolden, 1B Doug Hogan and IF Jacob Kaase. 

Four of the top five starters would play in the Majors: 17-year-old Martin Perez, 18-year-old Wilfredo Boscan, 19-year-old Neil Ramirez and the ancient Richard Bleier (21). Joining them were Michael Kirkman and Justin Miller. Spoakne’s staff had an average age of 19.9, a full year younger than any other team.  

Back then, the Northwest League didn’t use a split-season format, and Spokane coasted to the division title after a 28-8 start. In the finals, Spokane lost the opener but then took three straight by scores of 11-10, 11-10 and 6-5. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 4, at Tacoma (SEA) 8
Round Rock: 5 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 11-12, 6.5 GB, 45-53 overall

SP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 80 P / 48 S, 5.19 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 3.26 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 1-3, HR (9), BB, .266/.359/.409
1B Justin Foscue: 1-4, HR (11), .256/.344/.466

Kohl Drake handled a western PCL city fairly well despite fastball velocity about 1.5 MPH lower than usual. He missed only five bats, but the contact quality didn’t deserve six hits. Round Rock has lost five straight to the division leader. 

AA: Frisco 2, at Wichita (MIN) 3
Frisco: 8 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 9-17, 6 GB, 47-47 overall

SP Jose Corniell: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 43 P / 28 S, 0.00 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 2-4, .254/.323/.412
SS Sebastian Walcott: 1-3, HR (11), BB, .248/.345/.407
DH Keith Jones II: 2-3, .207/.303/.310

Errors and related miscues made the difference. Daniel Missaki replaced Jose Corniell with two out and one aboard. After a hit batter and walk, SS Sebastian Walcott was charged an error for mishandling a grounder, but he had both a leaping baserunner and 3B Keyber Rodriguez in his way (see below). Another scored on a walk-balk-SB-error sequence. Manager Carlos Cardoza was ejected for arguing the balk. DH Keith Jones was ejected as he ran to first after a grounded single for arguing an earlier automatic strike call. 

Hi-A: Hub City 4, at Greenville (BOS) 1
Hub City: 6 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 17-12, tied for first, 48-46 overall

SP Kolton Curtis: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 55 P / 32 S, 4.93 ERA
RP Josh Sanders: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.08 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 1-4, HR (9), .234/.303/.378
2B Casey Cook: 2-4, .206/.284/.269
RF Yeison Morrobel: 1-4, HR (6), .194/.264/.333

Kolton Curtis displayed some of his best control of the season, reaching only one three-ball count until two outs in the 5th, when a walk-single-walk sequence ended his night. On Saturday, the starters and bullpen were on the same wavelength, and the pen ably protected the lead. Morrobel’s line is similar to last year; in 171 combined high-A games he’s hitting .206/.279/.326. There’s a better hitter in there, but it’d be nice to see him. 

Lo-A: Hickory 4, Augusta (ATL) 1
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 19-10, 2.5 GB, 52-42 overall

SP David Hagaman: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 58 P / 39 S, 3.52 ERA
RP Aneudis Mejia: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 7.65 ERA
RP Jesus Gamez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.95 ERA
RF Braylin Morel: 1-3, HR (1), BB
2B Antonis Macias: 2-4, 3B, .268/.401/.333

In his second game with the Dads and first in the field, Braylin Morel found an inside fastball to his liking and knocked it out for a three-run homer. 

Rookie
The Rangers lost in the semifinals to the Giants 4-1. Rehabbing Kamdyn Perry allowed a run on four his, no walks and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings. In the same number of innings, the Giants scored once off Moises Morales and and twice off Geury Rodriguez, both among the better performers for the staff this season. The Rangers were limited to four hits, all singles: two from RF Andry Batista and one from Angel Arredondo and Williams Wong.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Supak
AA: Anderson
Hi-A: Gonzalez
Lo-A: Agreda

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The sixth-best full-season team was the 2007 AA Frisco RoughRiders.

Actual record: 85-55 (.607)
Run-differential record: 79-61 (.563)
Component record: 77-63 (.552)

Eight hitters off this squad would reach the Majors for varying lengths of time: IF Chris Davis, German Duran, John Mayberry and Travis Metcalf, OFs Brandon Boggs and Kevin Mahar, catchers Taylor Teagarden and Kevin Richardson. Davis hit 12 homers in 30 games, while Boggs (.266/.385/.508, 19 HR) and Duran (.300/.352/.525, 22 HR) led the regulars. On the pitching side, Luis Mendoza, Armando Galarraga and Doug Mathis combined for half the team’s starts and over 400 innings. Pre-injury Eric Hurley spent the first half of the season here. Leading with 24 saves was 25-year-old Jesse Ingram, who would retire after the season to become a firefighter (and still is, best as I can tell). 
A funny thing though: Frisco was 28-28 after a 57-27 start, and by the time the playoffs began, the Riders faced a San Antonio team in much better condition. San Antonio swept the series in three games by an aggregate score of 16-4. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, at Tacoma (SEA) 8
Round Rock: 9 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 11-11, 5.5 GB, 45-52 overall

SP Cory Abbott: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 76 P / 46 S, 7.84 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
R Dustin Harris: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (24), .266/.357/.398
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, HR (7), BB, .272/.385/.432

A run scored against Josh Sborz on an opening walk, steal, error and sac fly. His fastball topped at 92.5 and averaged 91.8, compared to last year’s average velo of 95.1. He’s still getting plenty of rise with it and generated three misses on six swings. Sborz is two weeks into his rehab. He cannot be optioned.

After five innings, the Express have trailed by five, two, three and six runs in this series.

AA: Frisco 0, at Wichita (MIN) 3 (5)
Frisco: 3 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 9-16, 5 GB, 47-46 overall

SP David Davalillo: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 60 P / 37 S, 2.45 ERA
1B Joc Pederson: 0-3

Rain ended this early. SS Cam Cauley singled. 3B Sebastian Walcott and CF Alejandro Osuna walked.

Hi-A: Hub City 2, at Greenville (BOS) 4
Hub City: 6 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 16-12, 1 GB, 47-46 overall

SP Dalton Pence: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 47 P / 30 S, 1.00 ERA
1B Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, SB (33), .238/.309/.297
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, BB, .216/.311/.350

Dalton Pence has surrendered just one run in five three-inning starts for Hub City, plus one more among three single-inning outings. Pence is fly-prone but has yet to yield a homer at the level. Neighboring Greenville reached the bullpen, though, and the offense scored either two or three runs for a sixth consecutive game. Admittedly, the workloads are light, but Hub City starts have allowed one run in 16 innings this week, but the team is 1-3. 

Lo-A: Hickory 5, Augusta (ATL) 2
Hickory: 11 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 18-10, 2.5 GB, 51-42 overall

SP Garrett Horn: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 61 P / 40 S, 2.95 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 2.69 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 3-5, HR (5), SB (32), .251/.364/.336
RF Hector Osorio: 2-4, HR (4), .254/.391/.376

Hickory allowed four runners in the 1st and four more the rest of the night. In his last 41 games, Cabrera has 20 steals without being caught.

The first of the complex club to advance to Hickory is OF Braylin Morel, who grounded the first pitch he saw for a single and later walked in his full-season debut. The 19-year-old missed some time earlier and repeated the level despite a strong 2024 showing. This season, he batted .268/.302/.423 with three homers, just five walks and 40 strikeouts in 37 games.

Rookie
The baby Rangers (33-27) will play the Dodgers (42-18), not the Angels (38-22) as I originally thought, in today’s one-and-done semifinal. I assumed the Dodgers would play the wild-card Rockies (37-23) by virtue of having the best record, but instead the powers that be seeded the participants solely by record, so the fourth-seeded Rangers must face the top dog.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Drake
AA: Corniell
Hi-A: Curtis
Lo-A: Hagaman

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The seventh-best Texas-affiliated full-season team was the 2014 high-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. 

Actual record:82-56 (594)
Run-differential record: 82-56 (.597)
Component Record: 75-63 (.544)

Myrtle Beach also had Texas’s third-best full-season offense in the era. They outscored the park-adjusted league average by 16%, about 0.6 runs per game, and posted a 109 OPS+. In a league lacking power, Myrtle Beach hit 111 homers versus an average of 73 for the other teams. Joey Gallo (.323/.463/.735) led with 21 in just 58 games before heading to Frisco. Nick Williams (.292/.343/.491) and catcher Jorge Alfaro (.261/.318/.440) followed with 13 and would also follow Gallo to AA. Also spending team here and reaching the Majors were OFs Lewis Brinson, Odubel Herrera and Ryan Cordell and IFs Hanser Alberto and Chris Bostick.

Run prevention was respectable (6% better than average) but depended heavily on defense. The staff peripherals were ordinary and punctuated by the league’s worst walk rate. The two busiest starters (Luis Parra and Victor Payano) were strictly inning-eaters. Worked less but more effective were Chi Chi Gonzalez, Andrew Faulker, Chad Bell and Sam Wolff. Although he wasn’t done as a would-be starter, Jose Leclerc spent 2014 in relief and saved 14 games. 

In three prior seasons as the Texas affiliate, Myrtle Beach had reached the postseason but been eliminated in the opening round. In 2014, they defeated Salem in the semifinals to face Potomac, an absolutely bog-average team that finished 78-58 because of a 32-13 record in one-run games. As is so often the case in the minors, team composition in the playoffs can vary greatly from the regular season, plus luck rules all. Myrtle Beach was thinner in September because of promotions and injuries, and my preview was apprehensive. Potomac would go on to win the championship in four games. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, at Tacoma (SEA) 6
Round Rock: 2 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 11-10, 4.5 GB, 45-51 overall

SP Michael Plassmeyer: 5 IP, 8 H (3 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 77 P / 46 S, 4.59 ERA

With 100 pitches, Tacoma’s 37-year-old Casey Lawrence threw the first nine-inning complete game in the league this season. Billy McKinney’s 1st-inning homer and Dustin Harris’s 9th-inning single were the hits.

AA: Frisco 5, at Wichita (MIN) 6
Frisco: 8 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 6 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 9-15, 4 GB, 47-45 overall

SP Leandro Lopez: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 SO, 66 P / 42 S, 0.00 ERA
DH Joc Pederson: 2-3, BB
SS Cam Cauley: 2-4, HR (9), .250/.321/.412

In his second AA appearance and first start, Leandro Lopez reached double-digit strikeouts for the first time in the US. Lopez missed on eight of his first ten pitches and received a visit from pitching coach Julio Valdez. Thereafter, Lopez destroyed a lineup containing top-20-overall prospect Walker Jenkins, top-100 OF Kaelen Culpepper and a couple of others in Minnesota’s top 30. Mixing a mid-90s fastball, curve, hard slider and change, struck out ten of the next 15 batters. The high-spin curve has typically drawn the most attention, but the entire repertoire contributed to third strikes. Thanks to occasional injuries and frequently poor control, Lopez has never ranked in any national publication’s top 30 to my knowledge, but he does has top-30 stuff that can devastate when properly harnessed.

34 seconds of strikeouts worth your time.

Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Greenville (BOS) 0
Hub City: 8 hits, 0 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 16-11, tied for first, 47-45 overall

SP Dylan MacLean: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 52 P / 40 S, 3.74 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 5.10 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.29 ERA
RP Erik Loomis: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.91 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 2-3, 2B, HBP, .207/.324/.315
3B Rafe Perich: 2-4, 2B, .182/.321/.295
2B John Taylor: 2-4, SB (6), .308/.375/.446

I saw 2020 fourth-rounder MacLean in Surprise returning from elbow surgery. His fastball was in the 88-91 range, a couple of ticks lower than what I remembered, and he wasn’t effective. He then began the season with five doubles, two homers and ten runs in his first ten innings. Uh oh. Since then, however, he’s been quietly effective: 33 IP, 2.70 ERA, .174/.241/.331 oppo line, 22% K rate. He has some BABIP luck, but he’s making things work lately. MacLean relies very heavily on his curve and change. The bullpen rebounded form two nights of ineffectiveness. Malcolm Moore reached based safely thrice for the second time this season.

Lo-A: Hickory 5, Augusta (ATL) 8
Hickory: 7 hits, 10 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 17-10, 2.5 GB, 50-42 overall

SP Brooks Fowler: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 73 P / 46 S, 2.86 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-4, 2B, .245/.361/.320
2B Antonis Macias: 1-3, 2 BB, .264/.399/.324

Hickory put 20 runners on base but stranded 13 and lost a couple on the bases. Maxton Martin (0-3, 2 BB) is having his first down month, hitting .200/.319/.267 in July. He’s still walking and not striking out excessively, so blame it on the Fates.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Abbott
AA: Davalillo
Hi-A: Pence
Lo-A: Horn

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The second-best Texas short-season team plated in 2010.

Actual record: 43-33 (.566)
Run-differential record: 47-29 (.612)
Component record: 45-31 (.589)

A .566 winning percentage, equivalent to a 92-70 record in MLB. Nice, but hardly awe-inspiring. Well, this group overplayed their actual record, struggling in one-run games but winning 19 of 29 blowouts.

Spokane led the league in scoring by nearly half a run per game. The top four in plate appearances — 3B Mike Olt, SS Jurickson Profar, OF Jared Hoying and OF Ryan Strausborger — would reach the Majors along with #7 C Brett Nicholas. Hoying batted .325/.378/.543 with ten homers and 20 steals, while Olt provided nine dingers and a .293/.390/.464 line. Pitching was solid, if not quite as strong, with Chad Bell, Ben Rowen and Roman Mendez eventually reaching MLB for a little while. Teenagers Randol Rojas and Nick McBride were the workhorses, both making 15 starts and exceeding 70 innings.
Spokane swept Yakima (also 43-33) by scores of 5-1 and 6-1 in the semifinals and defeated Everett 4-1 in the opener of the finals, but the AquaSox (49-27) claimed the championship by winning the next two.