Scott Lucas

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Albuquerque (COL) 9 (11)
Round Rock: 11 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 8 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 18-17, 6 GB, 52-58 overall

SP Trey Supak: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 67 P / 43 S, 4.15 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-6, 2B, .326/.374/.448
C Cooper Johnson: 2-3, 2B, HR (5), BB, .217/.327/.356

Albuquerque led 3-2 through the 8th, after which both teams scored six runs. Abi Ortiz did not play, presumably because the heat he exuded was melting equipment and injuring his teammates. 

AA: Frisco 5, at Arkansas (SEA) 4
Frisco: 9 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 15-22, 8 GB, 53-52 overall

SP Josh Stephan: 4.1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 82 P / 52 S, 4.95 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 5 SO, 5.40 ERA
CF Cam Cauley: 1-4, 3B, BB, .249/.319/.405
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, HR (10), .238/.366/.391

Eric Loomis struck out Devin Fitz-Gerald’s older brother Hunter to end the game with the winning run at second base. After a couple of blowouts, Josh Stephan has settled into a six-outing productive stretch, albeit without many strikeouts. I’m still not counting on him being a 40 add despite the departures of Drake and Bratt. 

Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Jersey Shore (PHI) 4
Hub City: 7 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 21-19, tied for first, 52-53 overall

SP DJ McCarty: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 80 P / 53 S, 5.17 ERA
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, BB, .252/.323/.314

Would-be CF Anthony Gutierrez has played only DH and first since missing a week and a half in mid-May. He’s hitting .243/.314/.322 with 30 steals in that span, so obviously his legs aren’t the issue. 

Lo-A: Hickory 8, Columbia (KAN) 2
Hickory: 12 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 23-16, 6 GB, 56-48 overall

SP Jesus Lafalaise: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 60 P / 33 S, 0.00 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 3-4, 2B, HR (8), BB, SB (37), .248/.362/.356
LF Maxton Martin: 2-5, HR (12), .265/.343/.456
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-3, BB, SB (2)
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-3, HR (6), .199/.294/.304

Unlike Wily Villar, Jesus Lafalaise is not a 26-year-old with no pro experience. He’s 20 and signed in January 2024. Comparatively dull, but he’s in full-season ball after just 55 pro innings. Per observer Mark Parker (and a little bit of me watching video), he offered a 93-95 fastball, slurvy slider and change. 

Yolfran Castillo bounced a single up the middle (and was tagged trying for second) and grounded past the second baseman. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Edwards
AA: Corniell
Hi-A: Fowler
Lo-A: Perry / TBD

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The tenth-best rotation performance by a Texas pitcher during 2007-2024 was by Neftali Feliz in 2008. 

I think you know his background, and I’m not going to get into that fateful showdown, but in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series, the Rangers had a starting pitcher, starting shortstop and closer from the same trade. Amazing. 

The first time I saw Feliz in action was a rare televised short-season Spokane game, wherein his fastball left me in awe and his scattershot breaker left me wondering what the Rangers really had. Even though I saw him again in person in October (the picture below), for a while I overbought that one visual and thought less of him than most observers. Lesson learned. 

Feliz headed to low-A Clinton to begin 2008, and in his second start he walked five and fanned none in 0.2 innings. Maybe I was right! But after two more starts with mixed results, he clicked into place. Over the next seven outings, he allowed a total of three runs, walked nine, and struck out 40. Earlier, I mentioned some pitchers skipping Texas’s dismal high-A affiliate in Bakersfield. Feliz was among them, joining the Riders for an early July debut. I saw him and Derek Holland (in his AA debut) on consecutive days in mid-August. Those were the days. 

164 pitchers started at least 26 full-season minor league games in 2008. Only Feliz had a 30% strikeout rate, 3% above the next-highest competitor. (Derek Holland was fifth. We’ll get to him later.) Feliz also had the second-lowest opposing average (.201) and slugging percentage of this group (.283). He even had the 18th-lowest OBP (.293) despite an inflated walk rate. Over the years, I’ve covered numerous relievers with poor walk rates but still-incredibleresults because they were unhittable. Feliz accomplished this feat in a starting role. (Except for a very select few, the walks do matter eventually, yes.) 

Feliz converted to relief in late June 2009. In mid-August he made back-to-back appearances for AAA Oklahoma at Round Rock. I was there, of course. In one game, I remember the crowd falling quiet and literally oohing and aahing as his speeds appeared on the video board. 100 MPH isn’t exactly common now, but back then it was truly a special event, and the audience (who were there to support the other team) was enchanted.

Feliz last pitched in a real game in the US in 2021. After several years in Mexico, he signed a minor deal with the Mariners last winter but was released in mid-March. He rejoined Durango but was released after one appearance. Now 37, he might be at the end. 

Feliz at the complex, October 2007:

The graphic accompanying Feliz’s release from Durango in May 2025:

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 13, at Albuquerque (COL) 6
Round Rock: 21 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 18-16, 5 GB, 52-57 overall

SP Kumar Rocker: 5.2 IP, 9 H (2 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 87 P / 58 S, 3.95 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 4-5, 2B, .268/.358/.404
1B Jake Burger: 4-6, 2B, HR (3)
LF Cody Freeman: 3-5, HR (17), BB, .326/.375/.533
RF Abimelec Ortiz: 1-3, HR (4), 2 BB

Top exit velocities by Express hitters in 2025:
114.2, Jake Burger (out)
112.7, Abi Ortiz (home run)
112.7, Rowdy Tellez (single)
111.8, Blaine Crim (double)
111.4, Blaine Crim (single)
111.0, Marcus Smith (double)
110.6, Blaine Crim (single)
110.5, Jake Burger (out)
110.4, Blaine Crim (out)
100.3, Blaine Crim (single)
110.1, Jonathan Ornelas (out)

Of all of Round Rock’s 110+ MPH exits, only Ortiz’s had a homer angle. His shot traveled 433 feet. In Albuquerque, yes, but that’s a big-boy swing. I do need him to cool off a little because my story template isn’t designed to accommodate four-digit slugging percentages. He’s hitting .538/.600/1.462 in four games. 

Cody Freeman made his third start in left, and if you’re wondering whether he has any natural aptitude for the position, let him show you.

Kumar Rocker actually was very good at avoiding hard hits (only five of 22 in play, 23%), but one left the park and three shot through the infield for hits. A slightly slower hit also escaped the premises. He missed five bats on eight swings against his slider. 

Burger is back with the Rangers, and Alejandro Osuna was optioned. 

AA: Frisco 2, at Arkansas (SEA) 1
Frisco: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 14-22, 8 GB, 52-52 overall

SP David Davalillo: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 72 P / 46 S, 1.99 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.22 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.53 ERA

David Davalillo no-hit the Travs for four innings, but the story is the bottom of the 3rd. A walk and error put runners in scoring position with none out. Davalillo responded with three straight strikeouts (slider, slider, change) to strand both. He’s at an even 100 strikeouts (with just 23 walks) in 82.2 innings and has a chance to overtake the departed Mitch Bratt’s org-leading 106 in his next start. 

Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Jersey Shore (PHI) 2
Hub City: 4 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 21-18, tied for first, 52-52 overall

SP Dalton Pence: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 75 P / 51 S, 0.99 ERA
DH Rafe Perich: 1-3, BB, .182/.333/.258
LF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, .188/.258/.314

Dalton Pence is stretched out to actual starting duty, setting career highs in innings and pitches in consecutive starts. In 12 previous starts, he’d last no longer than three innings. 

Lo-A: Hickory 5, Columbia (KAN) 1 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

SP Caden Scarborough: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 64 P / 49 S, 3.09 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.63 ERA
LF Maxton Martin: 3-3, 2 HR (11), .263/.342/.449
SS Yolfran Castillo: 1-2, HBP, SB (1)

Caden Scarborough was efficient enough to reach a career-high six innings on only his seventh-higher pitch total.  

Maxton Martin homered twice, the first an opposite-field shot made more impressive by what appeared to be contact well toward the end of the bat. Martin is the 11th Ranger and sixth outside of AAA to reach double digits. He also leads the organization with 24 doubles. 

Yolfran Castillo grounded a 1-2 breaker through the hole for his first full-season hit. 

Lo-A: Hickory 0, Columbia (KAN) 9 (7)
Hickory: 2 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 22-16, 6 GB, 55-48 overall

SP Enrique Segura: 3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 56 P / 40 S, 4.31 ERA
RP Wily Villar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA

An otherwise forgettable nightcap brought the full-season debut of Wily Villar. Villar spent most of the season in the Dominican Republic and reached the complex near the end of that season, allowing ten runners and five runs in four innings. Okay. So what? First, Villar offered a 98 MPH fastball and low-80s curve. Second, Villar didn’t sign until May of this year, had no previous professional experience, and is going to turn 27 in a few days. That’s quite the background. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Stephan
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Mejia

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 11, at Albuquerque (COL) 5
Round Rock: 10 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 19-17, 6 GB, 53-58 overall

SP Carl Edwards Jr.: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 57 P / 37 S, 5.52 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.06 ERA
RP Jacob Latz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-3, BB, 2 HBP, .500/.600/.999
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, HR (9), 2 BB, .274/.384/.440
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, HR (8), BB, .254/.354/.364

Abimelec Ortiz’s single was a lob to center. An earlier fly needed slightly more pop or a slightly lower angle to clear. 

AA: Frisco 5, at Arkansas (SEA) 6
Frisco: 10 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 15-23, 9 GB, 53-53 overall

SP Jose Corniell: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 47 P / 34 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Geraldo Carillo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.41 ERA
DH Aaron Zavala: 2-5, 2B, .242/.365/.404

Jose Corniell struck out four with a slider and three fastballs in a 96-97 range. in 11.2 IP in AA, he’s walked one and struck out 12 with a 0.00 ERA.

Hi-A: Hub City 8, at Jersey Shore (PHI) 5 (10)
Hub City: 7 hits, 10 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 22-19, tied for 1st, 53-53 overall

SP Brooks Fowler: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 79 P / 50 S, 3.60 ERA
2B Casey Cook: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 HBP, .202/.292/.276
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 3-4, 2B, 2 BB, SB (44), .259/.331/.323

Hub City scored three in the 10th aided by a very generous host. Possibly no one in the system could use a good August more than 2024 3rd-rounder Casey Cook, for whom I can’t even cherry-pick some type of positive stat. If anything, he’s a reminder that for most college players, even those from top conferences, high-A is a step up from the NCAA. 

Lo-A: Hickory 6, Columbia (KAN) 1
Hickory: 7 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

SP Kamdyn Perry: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 61 P / 37 S, 5.71 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.06 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 3-4, 2B, .257/.367/.368
DH Hector Osorio: 1-2, BB, .254/.392/.360

Lo-A: Hickory 4, Columbia (KAN) 1
Hickory: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-16, 4.5 GB, 58-48 overall

SP Aidan Deakins: 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 56 P / 35 S, 7.20 ERA
RP Aneudis Mejia: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 6.62 ERA
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-4, 2B, .257/.367/.368
DH Maxton Martin: 1-2, BB, .264/.344/.453

After a quiet July, Columbia’s arrival has rejuvenated Max Martin, who’s 6-for-13 with three homers in the series. 

Yeremi Cabrera had a bland April followed by four hitless games in early May. Since then: .290/.384/.433 with eight homers and 28 steals. I expect he’ll join Hub City next April at the tender age of 20. 

21-year-old Aidan Deakins made his first full-season start. Drafted out of Wabash Valley College last year’s 13th round, he fanned 47 in 38 innings with a 4.03 ERA at the complex. 

Hickory is still in line to be an update on the ’81 Reds, holding the best record in the division but outside the playoffs under the split-season format. Myrtle Beach, the first-half basement-dweller at 25-39, is 29-11 in the second half and it’s not luck (run differential of +2.5 per game). 

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

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
Yesterday, I covered Neftai Feliz’s 2008. Today, a very brief teammate of his, Max Ramirez, who produced the tenth-best position player season during 2007-2024.

Ramirez was the return for OF Kenny Lofton from Cleveland in 2007. I remember a conversation with someone in the organization in Arizona during instructs. I asked whether Ramirez would be able to stock behind the plate and received an equivocal and not terribly optimistic “…mayyybe.” I then asked if the bat would play elsewhere if he didn’t catch. Same response. As it transpired, the man knew his stuff. 

In 2008, the hitting part seemed assured. Ramirez had a terrific eye and could power the ball to all fields. On June 20, he walked thrice and homered to improve to .363/.457/.662 with 17 homers in 66 games. Texas called him up straight from Frisco to replace an injured Gerald Laird, bypassing the older and AAA-stationed Taylor Teagarden. His first tilt at MLB pitching didn’t match his excellence in Frisco, nor did a handful of later games in AAA, but he still finished the season on the upswing. At the time, Ramirez was still firmly focused on catcher, so he didn’t moonlight at first or DH frequently. First was also problematic because of his listed height (5’11”) and his actual height (not 5’11”).  

By the time Feliz reached AA, Ramirez had already made his MLB debut, but when Ramirez was optioned in late July, he rejoined Frisco for two games and caught a Feliz start before heading to AAA Oklahoma City. 

Injuries to both wrists made for a disappointing 2009, and he didn’t join the Rangers at all. He did play in Arlington some in 2010 but dcouldn’t establish a role, and when the Rangers signed reliever Arhur Rhodes in the offseaason, Ramirez was waived and lost to the Cubs. He would continue in affiliated ball for four more years and Mexico for another four, but his MLB career was over.

Max in 2007:

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, at Albuquerque (COL) 3 (7)
Round Rock: 7 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

SP Michael Plassmeyer: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 88 P / 59 S, 4.77 ERA
DH Jake Burger: 1-4, 2B
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 1-3, HR (3)

Only one of Abi Ortiz’s 16 homers in Frisco was truly opposite field. (A couple of others were left of dead-center but east of the alley.) In three games at Albuquerque, he’s added two more. Yesterday’s was a laser (103 MPH, 21 degrees) pointed just inside the foul line. I forgot to mention yesterday that Ortiz drove in eight runs in his two-homer AAA debut. 

Michael Plassmeyer was a pitch from a shortened complete game but removed after a nine-pitch walk. Joe Barlow allowed a homer, single and double to put the tying run on second before recording the final out. 

AAA: Round Rock 5, Albuquerque (COL) 4 (7)
Round Rock: 6 hits, 5 walks, 2 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Record: 17-16, 5 GB, 51-57 overall

SP Ben Anderson: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 66 P / 41 S, 7.11 ERA
RP Jacob Latz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.79 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.16 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 1-1, BB, .322/.370/.523

Round Rock played as the home team in a makeup of a July rainout.

AA: Frisco 2, at Arkansas (SEA) 0
Frisco: 4 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Record: 13-22, 8 GB, 51-52 overall

SP Leandro Lopez: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 69 P / 46 S, 0.60 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Geraldo Carillo: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.62 ERA
RP Erik Loomis: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 9.00 ERA

We have a situation here. In three AA starts, Leandro Lopez has struck out 23 of 50 batters (46%) and walked four. The strikeouts came on four fastballs, a slider and change. Initially famed for a curve and bad-or-worse control, Lopez has increasingly relied on a slider and change to baffle hitters. Lopez had been pitching well in Hub City, but before the trade deadline, I’d have considered him an unlikely 40-man addition. He was too erratic, probably even so as a potential reliever, and if another team wanted to spend a Rule 5 pick on a pitcher with a 55% strike rate, best of luck. Now, with his early results in Frisco and the departures of Kohl Drake and Mitch Bratt? Hmm.  

Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Jersey Shore (PHI) 7
Hub City: 6 hits, 6 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 21-17, tied for first, 52-51 overall

SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 68 P / 43 S, 4.04 ERA
SS John Taylor: 2-3, BB, .294/.374/.392
C Ben Hartl: 1-2, 2 BB

The walks reared their ugly little heads in Aidan Curry’s second outing back fro the complex, but he didn’t suffer from them. Malcolm Moore isn’t on the IL but hasn’t played since exiting early on Sunday. OF Dylan Dreiling’s last multi-hit game was July 18, and he’s .158/.262/.228 with a 35% K rate since. Texas promoted IF Antonis Macias to high-A. 

Lo-A: wet 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Davalillo
Hi-A: Pence
Lo-A: TBD x 2

Rangers Minor League History, 2007-2024
The fifth-best relief season during 2007-2024 was by Phil Klein in 2014.

Phil Klein! Maybe you weren’t expecting him. Klein was drafted in 2011’s 30th round out of Youngstown State. A starter in college, Klein immediately switched to relief, striking out 28% of his opponents (very impressive at the time) at the A levels. Jumping to AA early in 2013, he improved his K rate to 30% but at the cost of a 19% BB rate (dreadful at any time). He returned to Frisco to begin 2014. 

Klein sat 91-92 and mixed in a bullet slider. Sounds plain, even for 2014. But Klein was 6’7″ with an overhead delivery, so both pitches appeared to arrive from out of the sky and were impossible to tell apart out of his hand. Check that table above again. Klein pitched 52 innings and didn’t allow a single extra-base hit. After giving up a run on May 8, he decided he was done with those as well. Over a span of 35 innings, opponents batted .098/.179/.098, reached safely 22 times and struck out 44. 

In late July, I was speculating about his 40-man prospects. 2014 was the year Everything Broke, so the Rangers one-upped my thinking by calling him up. Klein allowed extra-base hits and runs in each of his first two MLB appearances but settled into a respectable debut (2.84 ERA, .164/.291/.388, 23 K in 19 IP). 

Klein’s control was a problem, though. In the minors in 2014, his total hits (22) were exceeded by his combined walks and hit batters (23). He also walked or hit 12 of 79 MLB batters (15%), and in the long run, neither he nor the Rangers could count on deceiving big-time batters into an artificially low BABIP. Klein broke Spring Training with the Rangers in 2015 and pitched decently but was sent to Round Rock mid-April and began starting for the first time since college. He would make a couple of starts for Texas in May, one solid, one not, before bouncing between teams and roles the rest of the season. In June 2016, he would be lost on waivers to Philadelphia, where he displayed the best control of his career in AAA but not for the Phils. After a season in Japan, his pro career would be over. 

Klein was never ranked in Texas’s top 30 by major publications as best as I can tell. Jamey Newberg placed him in the upper twenties for a couple of years, which is telling. He was in a group of players who (for the most part, understandably) received little attention from folks who watched 30 systems for a living, but if you focused on the Rangers, you’d know he had a shot. 

Transactions
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.