Category: Daily Report

I’m on a tricky schedule (in Salt Lake City for my daughter’s national archery tournament), so I didn’t have an opportunity to provide a summary for RHP Peyton Gray prior to his MLB debut. I’ve been covering him, though, so hopefully you had an idea. Here’s a quick table I produced for social media yesterday:



The change is the money pitch, as you know, and he’ll deal it to righties and into the zone. His called-strike rate on changes in AAA is 23% compared to the league’s 8%. I don’t know if he should be throwing that many strikes with it, but the point is it’s serving a much larger role than just getting chases against lefties. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, at Sugar Land (HOU) 3 (7)
Round Rock: 9 hits, 10 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts

SP Josh Stephan: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 74 P / 48 S, 5.95 ERA
RP Carter Baumler: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 9.00 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 2-4, BB, .299/.380/.448
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .296/.425/.408
SS Cameron Cauley: 2-4, BB

Sugar Land has a positive record despite their hitters’ league-worst strikeout rate and (by far) the worst swing-and-miss rate. Josh Stephan took advantage with 14 misses, easily the most of his young season. 

Carter Baumler made his first rehab appearance; his fastball velocity was normal. Sometimes, clubs haven’t been too eager to rush Rule 5 picks back to the Majors from their rehab assignments, treating them as sort of a miniature option period. We’ll see in this case. Cal Quantrill is on the active roster and might be a casualty. Gavin Collyer has avoided hits, but he’s also walked or hit five of 15 batters and has a 53% walk rate, both of which will will cause problems quickly if not improved. 

Sugar Land’s first two pitchers were Nate Pearson and Sam Carlson, both linked to the Rangers in 2017 draft and picked 28th and 55th overall, respectively. Texas chose OF Bubba Thompson 26th and IF Chris Seise 29th.   

Others from the draft chosen prior to Carlson:
LHP MacKenzie Gore (3)
CIF Jake Burger (11)
1B Nick Pratto (14)
RHP Spencer Howard (45, now in Japan)

AAA: Round Rock 12, at Sugar Land (HOU) 5 (7)
Round Rock: 8 hits, 11 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 10-13, 3.5 GB

SP Ryan Brasier: 1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 24 P / 17 S, 5.63 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.86 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 7.15 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 1-2, HR (3), 3 BB, SB (7), .232/.393/.377
DH Nick Pratto: 1-3, 2B, BB
RF Aaron Zavala: 1-2, HR (1), 2 BB, SB (1), .254/.348/.356

Cam Cauley had a day. He owns a decent if unspectacular walk rate over his career, yet he’s reached via walk in over 20% of his plate appearances so far in AAA. Round Rock hitters drew 21 walks in 14 innings. 

Emiliano Teodo has a loopy opposing line of .129/.372/.161.


AA: Frisco 1, Tulsa (LAD) 6
Frisco: 1 hit, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 9 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 8-10, 6 GB

SP Winston Santos: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 31 P / 17 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1.74 ERA

Santos was pulled in the 1st for an excessive pitch count. OF Dylan Dreiling (0-3) was activated off the IL.


Hi-A: Hub City 16, Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hub City: 16 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 3.5 GB

SP J’Briell Easley: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 46 P / 32 S, 3.52 ERA
RP Joe Adametz: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 5.27 ERA
DH Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, 2B, BB, .214/.302/.375
RF Paxton Kling: 3-6, 2 2B, .288/.400/.407
LF Yeison Morrobel: 3-6, 2 2B, .246/.306/.474
C Ben Hartl: 2-3, HR (1), BB, .250/.345/.375
SS Luke Hanson: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (5), .125/.236/.146

Hub City has improved its OBP from a minors-worst .293 to .312 in a matter of days. Rafe Perich and Quincy Scott added a couple of hits apiece, and Arturo Disla reached on a single, walk and HBP. 


Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Hill City (CLE) 4
Hickory: 8 hits, 9 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 14-4, 4 G up

SP Kamdyn Perry: 3 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 32 P / 23 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.69 ERA
LF Deward Tovar: 2-3, HR (6), BB, .294/.377/.647
C Josh Springer: 2-4, 2B, .326/.408/.349
RF Hector Osorio: 2-5, 2B, .266/.407/.516

Deward Tovar’s six homers are third-most in low-A and tied for ninth among hitters below AAA. The 20-year-old has been a high-power, high-walk, high-strikeout type in his young career.

Box Scores

AAA: wet again 

Doubleheaders are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday. 

Reliever Marc Church survived waivers and was outrighted to Round Rock. Good news for Texas because Church does have a chance at returning to prior form. It does, however, speak to his current situation that someone who had (and may have again) late-inning stuff and an option couldn’t draw interest. 


AA: Frisco 0, Tulsa (LAD) 5 (7)
Frisco: 2 hits, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts

SP Josh Trentadue: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 80 P / 47 S, 8.74 ERA

Hmm. Trentadue’s first start was solid but the most recent two have been hit-filled. At least in the short run, the sharp difference between his high-A success and AA struggles last year has persisted into 2026. 

AA: Frisco 6, Tulsa (LAD) 12 (8)
Frisco: 9 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 5 GB

SP Blake Townsend: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 73 P / 49 S, 7.50 ERA

Homers from Frainyer Chavez (5), Marcus Lee Sang (3) and John Taylor (3) helped the Riders to an early 6-1 lead, but Tulsa would tied the game in the 6th and bring a half dozen home in the extra frame. Chavez had 23 professional homers in 650 games entering the season. 


Hi-A: Hub City 8, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hub City: 13 hits, 8 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 8-8, 4.5 GB

SP Enrique Segura: 3.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 64 P / 40 S, 6.00 ERA
RF Maxton Martin: 1-5, HR (1), .228/.290/.421
DH Arturo Disla: 1-3, HR (4), BB, .393/.453/.714
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, 2B, .200/.286/.320

Arturo Disla began Wednesday with a homer and walk following yesterday’s 5-for-5 including two homers. Reaching five times in the past two games has pushed Malcolm Moore’s slash line slightly beyond last year’s.


Lo-A: Hickory 8, at Hill City (CLE) 5
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 13-4, 3 G up

SP Aidan Deakins: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 61 P / 41 S, 0.69 ERA
RP Geury Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0.96 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (8), .283/.456/.383
SS Yolfran Castillo: 3-5, 2 2B, .286/.375/.444
RF Deward Tovar: 1-5, HR (5), .277/.356/.600

While nobody was expecting him to hit the cover off the ball last year at such a young age, Yolfran Castillo’s 22 extra-base hits (including a lone homer) were slightly disappointing. He’s collecting them twice as fast in 2026, already reaching eight doubles and a triple in just 16 games. 

Box Scores

AAA: wet

They’ll make it up, but not today. 

Round Rock activated 1B Nick Pratto. He’d been on the development list all season. The Rangers released utility man Tyler Wade, who briefly was a possibility for the Opening Day Roster when he started Spring Training hot and Ezequiel Duran didn’t. In Round Rock, the 31-year-old was controlling the plate well but producing little with swings (.226/.315/.242).


AA: wet

Two today. 


Hi-A: Hub City 3, Winston-Salem (CHW) 4
Hub City: 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 7-8, 3.5 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 4.1 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 86 P / 48 S, 2.70 ERA
RP Mailon Felix: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Gleider Figuereo: 1-4, BB, SB (1), .204/.278/.367
1B Arturo Disla: 5-5, 2 HR (3), .396/.450/.679
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, BB, .174/.269/.283

Arturo Disla had a career day, collecting two homers and five total hits for the first time. Disla was born in the DR but signed (undrafted) out of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview. His 2025 in Hub City was a letdown (.223/.292/.352) after a solid showing in 2024, and he’s as bat-first as anyone in pro ball, so it’s nice to see a successful start to 2026. 

Hub City trailed 4-0 and the halfway point but made a game of it and arguably should have won. Down 4-2 in the 8th after Disla’s leadoff homer, the Burgers loaded the bases with none out but couldn’t score. With one out in the 9th, Gleider Figuereo drew an eight-pitch walk after swinging through the first two pitches, Disla singled, and Malcolm Moore lined off the tip of shortstop Kyle Lodise’s glove into center to bring home Figuereo. Alas, Yeison Morrobel grounded into a double play.

Aidan Curry was mortal for the first time.


Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Hill City (CLE) 7
Hickory: 9 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Record: 12-4, 2 G up

SP Aneudis Mejia: 4 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 67 P / 42 S, 13.00 ERA
DH Deward Tovar: 2-3, 2 BB, .283/.368/.583
C Josh Springer: 2-5, .308/.400/.308

Like Hub City, the Crawdads trailed by several runs early and nearly came back but were left to rue unfulfilled opportunities like loaded bases in the 6th and 7th. Yolfran Castillo tripled off the wall and CF Junieiker Caceras’s head. Hill City has a player named Yeiferth Castillo. He and Yolfran were born in Barquismeto, Venezuela… three months apart. Three? I have found no connecting biographical information. Cousins? 

Aneudis Mejia allowed more runs than innings pitched yet brought his ERA down, if you’d like to know how his year is going. 

The former Lynchburg Hillcats are now the Hill City Howlers. Same city and stadium, just a rebrand. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, El Paso (SDP) 5
Round Rock: 6 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts

SP Austin Gomber: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 38 P / 22 S, 14.29 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 2 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 6.97 ERA
RP Alexis Diaz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, HBP, 2 SO, 3.52 ERA

Austin Gomber’s fastball was dipping into the mid-80s, but he was having his most effective start until rain stopped him at two innings. Effectively Starter Two, Josh Sborz pitched two full innings for the first time but gave up a couple of homers. 

Emiliano Teodo hit yet another batter with a sinker but located the other four for quality strikes including two swinging strikes. Despite his troubles, his swinging-strike rate is above the league average. 

AAA: Round Rock 4, El Paso (SDP) 1 (7)
Round Rock: 8 hits, 7 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 8-13, 5 GB

SP Trey Supak: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 73 P / 54 S, 5.59 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.27 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, BB, SB (4), .262/.355/.354
SS Cam Cauley: 1-2, HR (2), BB, .206/.354/.317

Cam Cauley lined sharply to left for his second homer to break a late 1-1 tie. 


AA: Frisco 7, at Amarillo (ARI) 9
Frisco: 9 hits, 8 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 8-7, 4 GB

SP David Davalillo: 3 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 74 P / 46 S, 4.05 ERA
C Julian Brock: 3-5, 2B, HR (2), .257/.341/.486

I harp on Amarillo’s hitter-friendly status, but goodness. Frisco averaged nine runs and over 17 baserunners per night but left the panhandle with a series split. 

The last time David Davaliilo placed four runners on base by a combination of walks and hit batters was September 2024. 


Hi-A: Hub City 10, at Wilmington (WAS) 9 (12)
Hub City: 13 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 7-7, 2.5 GB

SP D.J. McCarty: 3.2 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 71 P / 41 S, 7.71 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.35 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Chandler Pollard: 3-7, 2B, SB (4), .324/.378/.500
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-7, HR (3), .233/.298/.488
1B Arturo Disla: 4-5, 2 2B, BB, .333/.400/.521
SS Rafe Perich: 2-4, 3B, 2 BB, .156/.229/.281
C Ben Hartl: 2-4, BB, HBP, SB (1), .190/.292/.190

The quiet Hub City offense recovered from a 5-2 7th-inning deficit and scored in every extra inning. Joey Danielson was imperfect for the first time, walking three of seven batters. In the bottom of the 10th, Jesus Gamez had two outs and a 2-2 count but issued two more balls to bring home the tying run. The batter: Devin Fitz-Gerald, now hitting .333/.463/.519.


Lo-A: Hickory 2, Salem (BOS) 4
Hickory: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 12-3, 3 G up

SP Jesus Lafalaise: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 76 P / 47 S, 0.73 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Hector Osorio: 3-4, 2B, .269/.424/.558
LF Paulino Santana: 0-1, 3 BB, SB (7), .302/.464/.415

The win streak ends at nine.

Baseball America said the following about Paulino Santana in ranking him Texas’s #22 prospect: “His speed, defense and arm all settled in around average or slightly better, giving him a fair chance to stick in center field. Doing so would be a boon for his future, since his offense is unlikely to profile in a corner.” 

Santana hasn’t played a minute in center this season, so let’s check out that offense. The primary criticisms were poor swing decisions and over-aggressiveness versus non-fastballs. I lack the data and observations to comment specifically about the latter, but the former appears to have improved substantially. Last year in 67 plate appearances at the level, Santana drew four walks and struck out 27 times. In a nearly equal number of 2026 appearances, those figures are 12 and 17, respectively. That K rate is still elevated but vastly improved. He’s swinging much less often and making much better contact when he does swing. 

Elsewhere
Dustin Harris is an Astro following a waiver claim. He’d batted .250/.438/.333 in six games for the White Sox after being called up to replace the injured Austin Hays, but Chicago had been grooming infield prospect Sam Antonacci for grass duty all season in AAA and decided he was ready, at Harris’s expense.

Apologies for no report yesterday. I was traveling and found I couldn’t sync my address list between my laptop and desktop. I’ve covered the last two days below. 

Box Scores

Saturday AAA: suspended

Round Rock and El Paso are tied in the top of the 3rd. Beginning at noon, they’ll complete that plus a seven-inning tilt today.
RHP Josh Sborz will stay a Ranger, as apparently no club offered him an active spot. That aligns with my observations. I sure I could find a logical place for him on a needy team, but in general, he looks more like an up-and-down type right now, and the lack of options prevents that usage. 

OF Mark Canha received his release. He lives in Arizona and had permission to work out at the complex rather than join the Express. 

Friday AAA: Round Rock 9, El Paso (SDP) 7
Round Rock: 11 hits, 8 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 7-12, 4.5 GB

SP Patrick Murphy: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 61 P / 32 S, 3.18 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Jonah Bride: 4-5, 2 2B, HR (3), .288/.397/.492
SS Cameron Cauley: 1-2, 3 BB, SB (6), .207/.356/.276
C Willie MacIver: 3-4, .205/.385/.308

Another off-kilter affair. 139 pitches out of the strike zone, 14 walks, two hit batters, four unsuccessful challenges in the first four innings. Peyton Gray was the antidote, needing just 37 pitches to complete three innings. He wasn’t quite as whiff-happy as usual but no less effective. Jonah Bride had a night reminiscent of his surprising 2024 with Miami, when he batted .276/.357/.461 with 11 homers in 73 games as a 27-year-old. 

AA: Frisco 5, at Amarillo (ARI) 4
Frisco: 8 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 8-6, 3 GB

SP Dylan MacLean: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 71 P / 52 S, 4.61 ERA
2B Corey Joyce: 3-4, HR (2), .471/.500/.882

Congrats to Dylan MacLean for becoming the first Rider to leave an an Amarillo start with a lower ERA. The solution, at least for him, was 14 swinging strikes, one shy of his personal best. Recently signed Corey Joyce has June 23rd circled on his calendar; that’s when the Riders return to Amarillo.

Friday AA: Frisco 5, at Amarillo (ARI) 6 (10)
Frisco: 10 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts

SP Leandro Lopez: 6 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 89 P / 56 S, 2.20 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 3-5, HR (2), .375/.386/.625
DH Keith Jones II: 2-3, HR (2), BB, .333/.467/.708

Frisco lost a second straight on an infield grounder to first in the 10th, this one just evading a drawn-in Frainyer Chavez with a runner at third. Absent for three days, OF Dylan Dreiling was placed on the IL before last night’s game. 

Saturday Hi-A: Hub City 2, at Wilmington (WAS) 10
Hub City: 8 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 6-7, 2.5 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 71 P / 43 S, 7.36 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 1-4, HR (2), .222/.300/.444

Ismael Agreda has allowed only one extra-base hit in three starts, but opponents are singling and walking with abandon. 

The Spartanburgers’ .283 OBP is the lowest in minor league ball, although they’ve slugged enough to avoid ranking last in runs in their league. 

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

SP Dalton Pence: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 77 P / 52 S, 2.35 ERA
CF Paxton Kling: 1-3, BB, HBP, .275/.420/.375
C Malcolm Moore: 1-3, BB, .158/.256/.289
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-3, 2B, BB, .195/.267/.390
LF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, HR (1), BB, .219/.306/.375

Dalton Pence traded some strikeouts for pops, which are no less effective and give the infield something to do. Even with slightly fewer misses, he’s struck out 19 versus just two walks in 15.1 innings. 

Saturday Lo-A: Hickory 13, Salem (BOS) 7
Hickory: 12 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 12-2, 4 G up

SP AJ Russell: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 28 P / 19 S, 3.60 ERA
RP Frank Martinez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Marcos Torres: 2-4, BB, .288/.403/.558
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-4, 2B, BB, .280/.379/.400
CF Hector Osorio: 1-5, HR (3), .229/.403/.521
RF Deward Tovar: 3-5, 3B, 2 HR (4), .245/.322/.585
C Josh Springer: 2-4, BB, .313/.421/.313

Hickory has won nine in a row. A throttled AJ Russell has been sharp in two of three outings. The offense started the season as slowly as Hub City, with no homers and a sub-.300 OBP through six games, but they’ve knocked ten out of the park in the last eight days, and several players have slash lines that wouldn’t look out of place in the PCL. 

Yolfran Castillo has matched last year’s six low-A extra-base hits in half the number of plate appearances. He’s also striking out more, but I don’t know that it’s a concern right now. His rate isn’t excessive, and most of last year’s extra contact didn’t accomplish anything. 

Friday Lo-A: Hickory 7, Salem (BOS) 5
Hickory: 6 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts

SP Evan Siary: 4 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 5 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 70 P / 38 S, 5.25 ERA
RP Wily Villar: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Kamdyn Perry: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-3, 2 BB, .313/.450/.438
1B Marcos Torres: 1-4, HR (2), BB, .271/.386/.563
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-5, 2B, SB (4), .261/.358/.370
DH Hector Osorio: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .233/.421/.488

Evan Siary ran into serious trouble for the first time in three starts. Hard-throwing septuagenarian (okay, he’s 27) Wily Villar threw another two walk-free innings, raising his total to 6.1. He walked 19 in 26 innings last year. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Supak
AA: Davalillo
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Lafalaise

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 10, El Paso (SDP) 9
Round Rock: 10 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 6-12, 5.5 GB

SP Dane Acker: 2.1 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 5 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 58 P / 29 S, 5.63 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 4.05 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 3.00 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 1-3, 2 BB, .324/.383/.500
DH Trevor Hauver: 2-5, 2 2B, .284/.377/.388
C Cooper Johnson: 2-3, HR (2), BB, .243/.333/.432
SS Richie Martin: 2-4, 2B, HR (2), .212/.366/.485

Emiliano Teodo threw eight official triple-digit pitches and two more that would round up, but once again, location was erratic and resulted in his fourth hit batter of the young season (plus another near-miss). Two inherited runners scored plus one of his own, although the defense bears more than a little responsibility. Lately, he has the same problem I described for Marc Church: His slider is effective but carrying too large a burden. 

I’ve seen crisper games. The first six innings required two hours and 15 minutes, and the teams had combined for 12 walks and a combined 276 pitches. Express hitters found success against rehabbing Griffin Canning, who walked four and burned through 67 pitches in 2.2 innings. 

AA: Frisco 12, at Amarillo (ARI) 13
Frisco: 13 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 7-5, 2 GB

SP Winston Santos: 3 IP, 6 H (3 HR), 6 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 66 P / 47 S, 13.50 ERA
LF Keith Jones II: 2-6, 2B, .286/.423/.571
C Ian Moller: 1-4, 2 BB, .258/.324/.452
RF Marcus Lee Sang: 3-4, 2 HR (2), BB, .318/.348/.523

After three straight double-digit games in Amarillo, Frisco leads the league in scoring with 6.92 runs per game. I should also point out that Frisco’s average batter age of 25.4 is tied for the highest in AA and higher than six AAA six teams. 

Frisco led 12-7 at the stretch, but Amarillo retied the game with a two-out bases-loaded double in the 9th. In the bottom of the 10th, with one out and runners on the corners, 1B Theo Hardy fielded a grounder but contemplated a 3-6-TBD double-play attempt before throwing home, and the hesitation allowed the winner to score. 

Offseason signing Marcus Lee Sang homered 466 feet, over the batter’s eye.

OF Dylan Dreiling isn’t on the IL but hasn’t played this week, missing the opportunity to pad his stats like his brethren. 

Hi-A: Hub City 11, at Wilmington (WAS) 7
Hub City: 10 hits, 8 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 6-5, 2.5 GB

SP J’Briell Easley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 20 P / 17 S, 3.60 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.38 ERA
RF Maxton Martin: 1-3, 3B, 2 BB, .289/.372/.447
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, HR (1), BB, .158/.220/.342
2B Antonis Macias: 2-4, BB, .172/.294/.276

In a couple of two-inning starts, Easley has needed only 38 pitches and thrown 31 strikes. Offseason addition Joe Adametz fanned six and walked none in 3.2 innings but also allowed nine hits and six runs. 

The Burgers scored six in the first and had three first-pitch hits including Figuereo’s homer and Martin’s triple. Hub City is hitting better lately but hadn’t scored more than six in a game until last night. The number of batters with a sub-.400 OPS has shrunk from 11 to five, and two of those have barely played. 

Lo-A: Hickory 14, Salem (BOS) 5
Hickory: 12 hits, 11 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 10-2, 3 G up

SP Jormy Nivar: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 59 P / 37 S, 1.13 ERA
RP Frank Martinez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 2-5, BB, .311/.436/.444
SS Yolfran Castillo: 1-4, 2B, BB, .244/.354/.341
CF Marcos Torres: 2-3, 2 BB, 3 SB (6), .273/.385/.523
RF Hector Osorio: 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 3 SB (5), .225/.415/.425

Hickory put 26 runners on base and stole seven. Torres and Osorio are still 21, so, while still young, I was mildly surprised to see them repeating low-A despite respectable showings last year. One likely factor is lack of room in Hub City to play with enough frequency, although that should change in the medium run if not the short term. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Murphy
AA: Lopez
Hi-A: Pence
Lo-A: Siary

I’m pleased with Texas’s decision to call up Gavin Collyer after what I wrote yesterday. Not that I outright predicted he’d get the call, particularly since he’d pitched for Round Rock the day before, but I did believe he’d outpitched everyone already on the 40 and the MLB-experienced off-40 competitors. His MLB debut was also the first of his 181 professional outings to come on zero days of rest. Indeed, he’d never even pitched on just one day of rest in 20 AAA appearances dating back to last July. 

Collyer may very well experience more control issues and require more time in AAA, but I’m hopeful this is the beginning of a fruitful relationship. He isn’t at risk of being DFA’ed when either Martin or Curvelo returns. 

Cal Quantrill was the other selection. I didn’t cover him yesterday because I was focused on relievers, but to be honest, I’d have been lukewarm if I had. He’s coming off two starts totaling 12 innings with just one run, one walk and ten strikeouts, although the underlying stats aren’t nearly as encouraging. He’s probably okay as a low-leverage reliever. 

Texas shifted lefty Cody Bradford to the 60-day IL and designated righty Marc Church for assignment. I called Michael Otanez the more likely choice, but this is only a mild surprise. Since the beginning of 2024, Church has thrown only 43 innings but has walked 29 batters, and opponents were hitting .287/.386/.461. I think back to late 2023 in AAA, when Church’s slider was untouchable but carrying too heavy a load, as his fastball was either too far out of the zone or too close to the middle. When he corrected that issue and those pitches worked in tandem, primarily during the springs of 2024 and 2025, he was a setup reliever in waiting. Those periods were too brief, though, terminated by injuries and inconsistency. 

I also think back to his 13-pitch outing a week ago, when the Comets knocked four of seven swings for medium-hard hits without an out. Not a good day, to be sure, but a pull after only 13 pitches? That just doesn’t happen. Church was dealing unappealing strikes, but at least they were strikes, his velocity was fine, and he was well-rested. I could be way off base, but it gave the appearance of the organization having seen enough. In his final outing before being designated, he allowed two homers in 1.2 innings. A club with space might take a chance on him. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, El Paso (SDP) 14
Round Rock: 2 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 16 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 5-12, 6.5 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 1.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 5 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 50 P / 37 S, 6.89 ERA
RP Alexis Diaz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 7.11 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 4.32 ERA

Sborz pitched the second day in a row, as had been planned in order to see where he stood as of his deadline date. I saw a local report indicating his fastball velocity declined sharply, but that’s not the case. Relative to 2024 and earlier, yes, but not to recent results. Yesterday it averaged 93.5 compared to 94.1 the previous night and 93.6 for the season. I’d call that a win under the circumstances, plus his slider and curve were faster than usual. Results were lacking, though, as he threw 12 breakers outside the zone and elicited only one swing. 

My understanding is Sborz is available if a team wants to place him on an MLB roster. The Rangers have a right of first refusal but have implied their lack of immediate interest by calling up Collyer instead. Yesterday’s outing might quell the interest of others. 

Otanez and Diaz also pitched on consecutive days and with more success. Otanez lost 0.5 MPH from his average fastball while Diaz gained 0.6. I couldn’t tell you that last time Texas’s AAA team used three relievers on consecutive days, mostly because I don’t keep track, but also because the answer might be never during my time on this gig. It probably happened in my earliest years (late 2000s) when rosters held only 24 players and usage patterns were very different. Beyond then, I can’t imagine. In the late 2010s before rosters expanded to 28, position-player pitching was rampant even in close games because teams didn’t want to deviate from the strict schedules relievers were on. 

Outrighted OF Dairon Blanco joined the Express. 


AA: Frisco 10, at Amarillo (ARI) 7
Frisco: 11 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 7-4, 2 GB

SP Blake Townsend: 3.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 59 P / 39 S, 10.29 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Keith Jones II: 1-3, HR (1), 2 BB, SB (1), .267/.450/.600
CF Orlando Martinez: 3-5, 2 2B, .366/.447/.585
2B Corey Joyce: 2-4, HR (1)

Frisco hit five homers; 3B Frainyer Chavez (3), 1B John Taylor (2) and SS Keyber Rodriguez (1) joined those listed above. Joyce homered after signing a few days ago. The 27-year-old was drafted in 2019’s 12th round by Detroit and spent last year with the Cubs’ AA team. He can play everywhere and has a knack for reaching base. 

Wilian Bormie fanned two straight after replacing Blake Townsend with the bases loaded in the 4th, but an intervening wild pitch did bring one run in. 


Hi-A: Hub City 6, at Wilmington (WAS) 5
Hub City: 13 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 5-5, 2.5 GB

SP Enrique Segura: 2.2 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 56 P / 32 S, 4.76 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Maxton Martin: 2-5, 3B, SB (3), .286/.342/.400
C Malcolm Moore: 2-5, 2B, .161/.235/.323
2B Chandler Pollard: 2-3, HR (1), 2 SB (2), .300/.333/.450

Joey Danielson has retired 16 consecutive hitters to begin the season. 

SS Devin Fitz-Gerald homered, drew three walks and stole a base. 


Lo-A: Hickory 5, Salem (BOS) 4
Hickory: 6 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 9-2, 2 G up

SP Aidan Deakins: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 71 P / 36 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-2, HR (1), 2 BB, .300/.429/.450

Deakins had trouble throwing strikes, walking three and reaching three balls to four other batters. 19-year-old Paulino Santana hit his first homer. His time in CF has dwindled from a majority in 2024 to a sizable minority last year to zero in 2026. 

The league BB+HBP rate is 16%, which is brutal. Hickory’s 13% is near the best. Delmarva has a combined 96 walks and hit batters in 96 innings. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Not Quantrill
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Easley
Lo-A: TBD

We knew the day would come when Texas would need bullpen reinforcements, so I’ve made that a focus of my early reports. The Express are 5-11 but not because of the relievers, who have an aggregate 3.70 ERA, .218/.308/.258 opposing line and 37% K rate. Problem is, management can’t call down to Round Rock and say “send us one bullpen unit, please… actually make it two.” They have to make specific and complicated choices.

Alexis Diaz, Josh Sborz, Michael Otanez, Gavin Collyer and Peyton Gray pitched in yesterday’s noon game in Round Rock. The Rangers obviously wouldn’t have chosen that quintet had they known what would transpire late that evening. I’m mostly going to ignore this usage while running down the options because I want to offer my opinions on them even if they couldn’t pitch tonight, but it’s worth keeping it in mind.The three relievers already on the 40 are Otanez, Marc Church and Emiliano Teodo. I suppose one could suffice in a pinch, but I don’t trust any of them right now. They’re generating strikeouts but are deeply worrying in other ways, usually control. I think Schumaker would have to be getting a potential replacement loose before any of them finished their jog to the mound, unless they were entering a blowout.

Among non-40 candidates, the obvious choice is Josh Sborz. He’d be comfortable with the logistics of two nights in two cities two time-zones apart. He also has a deadline of today for addition to the roster or letting him go if another club showed interest. (He could also simply agree to stay, I believe.) His basic line is solid if walk-heavy. He’s been effective, if not electric. On the downside, Sborz isn’t throwing a great percentage of strikes including on opening pitches. Opposing contact has leaned solid, pulled and airborne. I don’t want to come across as overly critical. He’s been fine, just not in such a way that I think sets himself above all his peers or insists on a call-up under ordinary circumstances. 

Sborz did pitch Tuesday, and I wonder about the effect on his already slightly attenuated velocity if he had to pitch tonight. Per local reports, the idea is for him to get that back-to-back outing tonight in Round Rock. Another problem, the same problem since 2023, is that he can’t be optioned. If he’s brought to the Rangers and doesn’t perform well, that might end his relationship with Texas. But then, it might be time. We’ll always have late 2023. 

Ryan Brasier has settled down after a shaky spring, although his most recent outing wasn’t pretty. Like Sborz, zipping out to Sacto on short notice wouldn’t be an issue, plus he’s rested. If the Rangers bring him up and he has to be outrighted two weeks later and then leaves, it’s almost certainly not an event that would lead to long-term regret.

Alexis Diaz has been better lately and threw only two pitches yesterday in something akin to a Spring Training just-in-case role, replacing starer Trey Supak with runners aboard and two out in the 4th. Better, yes, but with some of the same worries as the trio on the 40. He’s regained some of his velocity and has a monstrous 80% whiff rate on sliders, but his overall strike rate is still quite poor thanks to an inability to catch the zone much, and his results could decay against batters with better plate discipline. 

Gavin Collyer has looked best to me, and assuming he maintains this recent performance, he’ll see the bigs before too long. In addition to the usual upper-90s fastball, cutter and sweeper, he’s vastly improved the poor control that kept him off the 40 over the winter. His overall strike rate is 75% including a comical 85% on first pitches. Collyer has a 42% call-strike rate with his cutter, of all things, compared to the league rate of 16. None of that will persist AAA, much less in the Majors, but it doesn’t need to. The point is the change from previous times when he couldn’t throw strikes with any consistency (and batters weren’t chasing at all). 

Gray is pitching like the guy who caught your attention during March, but he wouldn’t be my first choice right now, and he threw two innings Tuesday. 

I also had a crazy idea, and as I typed it out I became convinced it was stupid, but here it is anyway. Cody Bradford hasn’t pitched since April 2. Per a local report five days ago, his next rehab outing has been delayed because he didn’t feel quite right afterwards. Is he better now, and scheduled to pitch soon? If so, why not let him do it in Sacramento, and then option him to AAA for the rest of his rehab. He has two options, so burning one isn’t a big deal, and it wouldn’t even count if he’s in AAA fewer than 20 days. The problems are 1) the stress of pitching in MLB versus AAA, where results are essentially irrelevant, 2) the difference between the stable, regimented warmup preceding a Triple A start versus a situation-dependent and potentially hasty warmup in MLB. 

The better idea for Bradford might be transfer to the 60-day IL, given his outlook. I’d also be curious to know more of Cody Freeman’s situation. I’m assuming Texas won’t know enough of Curvelo’s or Martin’s prognoses to make an immediate 60-day decision. As for casualties if a 40 spot is needed in the traditional manner, Otanez might top the list.

Incidentally, my Statcast tables for Round Rock are up and running. Pitchers are here, hitters here. As with the Spring Training tables, my idea was to condense as much useful info as possible onto a single page. They includes some color gradients for quality in various statistics, but basically they’re just big tables. Please don’t look at them on your phone. It will explode. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, El Paso (SDP) 4
Round Rock: 10 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 5-11, 5.5 GB

SP Trey Supak: 3.2 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 83 P / 53 S, 6.91 ERA
RP Alexis Diaz: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.13 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 8.44 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.70 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 3-5, 2B, HR (2), .343/.389/.537
DH Alejandro Osuna: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (3), .294/.362/.412
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, 2B, BB, .293/.397/.379
SS Cameron Cauley: 1-3, 2 BB, .189/.323/.264

I more-or-less covered the game in my bullpen writeup. Foscue pulled a first-pitch outer-half slider from Misael Tamarez into the seats. He was at the plate and had seen four Tamarez offerings when Tyler Wade was picked off first for the final out of the previous inning. 


AA: Frisco 15, at Amarillo (ARI) 11
Frisco: 20 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 16 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 6-4, 2 GB

SP Josh Trentadue: 2.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 71 P / 42 S, 7.04 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 3-6, 2B, 3B, .375/.390/.525
RF Orlando Martinez: 5-6, 2B, 2 HR (2), .333/.429/.528
LF Marcus Lee Sang: 4-6, 3 2B, SB (3), .278/.297/.361

Amarillo is the Texas League’s equivalent of the PCL’s ABQ, El Paso, Reno or Salt Lake, and in that environment, Frisco transformed a three-run deficit into a four-run lead in the 9th. Keith Jones drew three walks, and 3B Frainyer Chavez, catcher Ian Moller, 1B John Taylor and 2B Theo Hardy had two hits apiece. 


Hi-A: Hub City 6, at Wilmington (WAS) 4
Hub City: 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 4-5, 2.5 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 71 P / 47 S, 1.00 ERA
CF Paxton Kling: 3-4, 2 SB (6), .333/.471/.481
C Malcolm Moore: 1-4, HR (1), .115/.207/.269
DH Chandler Pollard: 2-4, SB (1), .235/.235/.235

Aidan Curry stretched out to five innings and has 13 strikeouts and a lone walk in nine innings. We’ve got ourselves a story here.

Malcolm Moore hit hit first homer to provide a boost to a slow start. Moore is making contact at a solid rate despite an aggressive approach, but the contact is foul-heavy and not adding to much so far. Like last year, the contact in play is mostly airborne (good) but leaning toward the opposite field (no, unless everyone’s pitching him away all the time, which I doubt). 

Wilmington leadoff hitter and shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald was 1-for-5 with a double. He’s hitting a salty .314/.415/.486 eight games into an aggressive high-A assignment. 

The opposing homer off Curry was by Elijah Green, whom you might recall as the putative top pick in the ’22 draft even before that start of his senior season in high school. Green would eventually fall to fifth and quite frankly been a complete bust, batting .204/.299/.328 with a 43% strikeout rate in 252 games at the A levels. Texas picked Kumar Rocker third overall. I’ve mentioned this before: Rocker was a shocking pick at the time, and his ultimate evaluation is pending, but nearly everyone else connected to the Rangers in that draft hasn’t panned out. 

Wilmington LF Cristhian Vaquero came up the loser in an ugly collision with Hub City 1B Arturo Disla on a grounder. Vaquero is listed at 6’3″ and 180 pounds, while Disla is 6’2″ and charitably listed at 240. Vaquero did walk away under his own power, but to the dugout, while Disla stayed in. 


Lo-A: Hickory 7, Salem (BOS) 5
Hickory: 9 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 8-2, 2 G up

SP Frank Martinez: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 58 P / 38 S, 8.22 ERA
RP Aneudis Mejia: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 14.40 ERA
RP JD McReynolds: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Deward Tovar: 1-4, HR (2), .250/.341/.528
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-4, .243/.349/.324
2B Daniel Flames: 3-3, BB

Hickory was down 5-2 at the midpoint but took the lead in the 7th. Luke Savage is Texas’s recent low-A save leader with six in 2024 and 2025. JD McReynolds and Louis Marinaro both have three after just ten team games. 

Salem still affiliates with Boston but is no longer team-owned and changed the mascot from the long-standing Red Sox to RidgeYaks. Your first guess at who bought Salem will be correct. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Stephan
AA: Townsend
Hi-A: Segura
Lo-A: Deakins

Fangraphs published their Texas prospect list today, much earlier in the season than usual. This year’s addition was written by Brendan Gawlowski, an Acquaintance of The Report who spent several years scouting for the Bucs and patrolling the back fields in Surprise among other duties. I’d already written enough (too much) last night, so I’ll leave thoughts on the new list for later. 

Jake Burger had a nice start to the season, but I noticed yesterday that his slash stats are all below his 2025 levels. His walk and strikeout rates are worse as well. He’s swinging the usual amount but less frequently at heart-of-zone pitches and more at out-of-zone offerings. 38% of pitches have resulted in a called or swinging strike, the highest in MLB. He’s hitting the ball very hard when he makes contact, but that’s being swamped by other issues. I guess the question is whether 2026 is a small sample to be judged cautiously or instead a continuation of 2025 to be judged as a whole. (Note: Baseball Reference gives him an inoffensive 98 OPS+, but that’s a function of what I think is a cattywampus park adjustment that is grossly overstating Globe Life’s pitcher-friendliness.) 

Meanwhile, Justin Foscue is doing what he does in AAA, swinging judiciously (albeit with few walks so far), making consistent and firm contact with results dampened by a slight excess of pops and grounders. Foscue is 27, his MLB results to date have been painful, and I’m not willing to say he’d be any better now. Hopefully so, because surely he’s better than that, but enough to hang around? Management’s actions over the years have always implied he’s never had a spot waiting for him, but at the same time, he’s never quite forced the issue. 

I’m not sure where I’m going with this, to be honest, other than to wonder aloud how much time Burger will be given and who might replace him. (This could also be applied to Pederson, but that’s for a another day.) 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 11, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 12
Round Rock: 9 hits, 11 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 4-11, 6 GB

SP Austin Gomber: 1.1 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 8 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 41 P / 25 S, 16.39 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 5.40 ERA
1B Justin Foscue: 2-5, BB, .323/.373/.468
CF Michael Helman: 2-3, 2B, HR (1), 2 BB, .167/.255/.286
DH Cooper Johnson: 1-4, HR (), BB, .233/.324/.267

Austin Gomber’s three starts have totaled 8.1 innings, and not because he’s on a leash. His strikeout rate is 9%, and while he’s getting plenty of grounders, there’s just so much contact. 

Michael Helman frequently pulling the ball into the air with force is a potentially useful Major Leaguer. Delete the words “with force” and he’s not. Helman became a pull artist in 2023, always ranking near the top of leaderboards in that category. Entering Sunday, a third of his balls hit into play were pulled and airborne, but not a single one was hit above 92 MPH. The results: one single in eight at-bats. Yesterday, Helman smacked a pitch to left center at 100 MPH for his first homer. 

Marc Church is throwing strikes and getting misses. His opposing contact velocity is acceptable. He’s been fly prone, but more of those flies have been pops than the type to leave the yard. So how are opponents hitting .391/.500/.739 with four walks (and a hit batter) in 4.1 innings? First, his perfectly fine strike rate of 63% has veered between extremes of throwing strikes at will and being unable to find the zone. Second, his strikes have landed middle-middle about 60% more often than the average. At this early stage stage of the season, that’s literally just an extra four pitches, but they add up. Church has thrown 12 centered pitches. Opponents have swung at ten and hit six into play, resulting in three singles and a homer. A third reason might be bad luck, and I do expect improvement, but I’d be very reluctant to attribute his current results to luck. 


AA: Frisco 1, Midland (ATH) 5
Frisco: 2 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 5-4, 2 GB

SP David Davalillo: 5 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 78 P / 52 S, 1.74 ERA

Davalillo was unusually touchable yesterday. He didn’t allow more than seven hits in any 2025 appearance. He has two walks versus 14 strikeouts in his first 10.1 innings, so I’ve got no complaints. 


Hi-A: Hub City 6, Greenville (BOS) 5
Hub City: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 3-5, 2.5 GB

SP DJ McCarty: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 61 P / 32 S, 5.40 ERA
RP Cole Stasio: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
CF Paxton Kling: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .261/.433/.435
1B Rafe Perich: 2-4, 3B, .100/.143/.200
C Cal Stark: 1-4, HR (1), .111/.200/.444

Joey Danielson has four perfect one-inning, one-strikeout appearances, all in the 9th and all with medium-to-high leverage. He spent several weeks in AA last year, albeit with problematic control, so I wouldn’t expect him to stay in Hub City too long. DJ McCarty is back from a short IL stint.


Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Kannapolis (CHW) 1
Hickory: 11 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 7-2, 2 G up

SP Jesus Lafalaise: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 69 P / 37 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Wily Villar: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Marcos Torres: 3-5, 2 3B, HR (1), .257/.333/.543
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-5, 2B, SB (3), .212/.333/.303
LF Deward Tovar: 2-4, 2B, .250/.351/.469

27-year-old flamethrower Wily Villar has yet to walk a batter. His control ranged from mediocre to frightening in 2025, so even a 15-batter stretch without a walk is newsworthy. 

I’d mentioned that Hickory was last in the league in homers (still true), but they’re third in combined doubles and triples with 20. Yolfran Castillo hit his third yesterday. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 9, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 10
Round Rock: 12 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 10 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 4-10, 5.5 GB

SP Ben Anderson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 1 SO, 69 P / 36 S, 7.71 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1.29 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 2-6, 2B, .316/.361/.474
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-5, 2B, .278/.381/.352
DH Willie MacIver: 2-2, 2B, 2 BB, HBP, .185/.436/.333
RF Aaron Zavala: 2-4, 2B, BB, .242/.366/.333

The sturdy Express bullpen crumpled last night. Down two runs with two out in the 9th, Ryan Ward smacked a three-run homer off a 3-0 centered sinker from Michael Otanez. Earlier, Ryan Brasier had to be pulled with two out after a walk and three sharp singles. Another single off Josh Sborz would result in three runs on Brasier’s ledger. 


AA: Frisco 6, Midland (ATH) 7 (11)
Frisco: 9 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 5-3, 1 GB

SP Dylan MacLean: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 74 P / 45 S
RP Jonathan Brand: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
RP Austin Roberts: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
CF Dylan Dreiling: 3-4, SB (1)
2B John Taylor: 2-5, HR (1)
DH Ian Moller: 1-4, HR (2)

Frisco recovered from an early four-run deficit and tied the game in the 9th with a solo shot from John Taylor. The teams traded runs on gift-runners until the bottom of the 11th when Frisco couldn’t bring Orlando Martinez home from third. 

Ian Moller has two homers in four games after last night’s entry. I believe the idea was he’d grow into more power after being picked out of high school in 2021’s fourth round, but he’d averaged one homer per 65 trips to the plate entering the season. Maybe 2026 is the growth spurt. 


Hi-A: Hub City 1, Greenville (BOS) 6
Hub City: 1 hit, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 2-5, 3.5 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 71 P / 46 S
RP Luke Savage: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
RP Anthony Susac: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO

Hub City has several hitters who began 2025 in Spartanburg and several others with a decent level of experience in high-A hoping to make the case for promotion. We’re off to a slow start, as Hub City ranks last in runs (2.3 per game) and OPS (.457). 1B Arturo Disla, OF Paxton Kling, OF Maxton Martin and UT Antonis Macias are the only hitters with an OPS above .342. The other 11 are a combined .064/.140/.097 with a 37% strikeout rate. That’s hard to believe. It’s early, though. 

Offseason signing Paxton Thompson has allowed 11 runs across a couple of 1.2-inning outings. 


Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Kannapolis (CHW) 5
Hickory: 8 hits, 11 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 6-2, 1 G up

SP AJ Russell: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 34 P / 18 S
RP Geury Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
RP Moises Morales: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 SO
RP Louis Marinaro: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO
SS Yolfran Castillo: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (2)
C Josh Springer: 1-3, 2 BB

The undrafted Marinaro and 2025 10th-rounder and senior-sign JD McReynolds are the trusted high-leverage relievers in the early going. They already have combined for five saves. 

Russell exited after the 1st, and I’m honestly surprised he was given a chance to face a seventh batter in the 1st with a pitch count at 29. A new rule in the complex leagues will permit pitchers to leave and re-enter as they can in Spring Training. If the rule had been extended to this level, Russell could have been replaced after his fifth or sixth batter (assuming someone else was ready) and returned in the 2nd. All that aside, he’s on a lower pitch count in general as he’s returning from injury. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Gomber
AA: Davalillo
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: Lafalaise