Scott Lucas

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 2
Round Rock: 9 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 24-34, 10 GB

SP David Davalillo: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 80 P / 41 S, 6.62 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.50 ERA
RP Alexis Diaz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.15 ERA
2B John Taylor: 2-4, HR (1), SB (1)
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-4, HR (1)

Davalillo allowed only one run, but his control troubles continued unabated. Davalillo threw eight splitters and four curves*, resulting in a total of zero swings, one called strike and 11 balls. The cutter wasn’t much better: eight balls, two calls, two fouls. Opponents reserved their hacks for his sinker and four-seamer, and all but one ball in play came against some type of fastball. 

In a game where wins truly mattered, Davalillo might shelve a non-functional pitch (or two) in an effort to get more strikes and outs. Here, he’s usually going to keep trying everything, especially when his fastballs aren’t go-to pitches. Davalillo paints his picture with his breakers and offspeeds. The fastballs are the frame, if you will. 



Emiliano Teodo was effective if not as flashy as usual of late. He’s pitched in three consecutive games interrupted by yesterday’s travel. Given the justifiable delicacy with which he’s been handled over the years, this is really something. 

John Taylor and Keyber Rodriguez were Round Rock’s power sources, not a sentence I ever expected to type. K-Rod was hitless in three AAA games prior to last night, while Taylor has extended his mashing at Frisco to AAA without pause. 

* Statcast classified all 12 as splitters, but it’s wrong.


AA: Frisco 6, Springfield (STL) 7
Frisco: 8 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 26-24, 1 GB

SP Aidan Curry: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 72 P / 49 S, 15.95 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.64 ERA
RP Austin Roberts: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 4.24 ERA
2B Frainyer Chavez: 3-4, 2B, BB, .277/.376/.461
SS Corey Seager: 1-2
LF Wyatt Langford: 1-2, 2 BB, SB
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-3, 2 BB, .291/.392/.457

Whatever else happens in their careers, Springfield’s players can say they beat a team with two Major Leaguers. With Seager and Langford replaced, Frisco scored three in the 9th and had the tying and winning runs in scoring position with one out, but Keith Jones and Arturo Disla both struck out. 


Hi-A: Hub City 1, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 2
Hub City: 5 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 9 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 25-26, 12 GB

SP Enrique Segura: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 3 SO, 73 P / 35 S, 7.62 ERA
RP Luke Savage: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 9.90 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 3-4, .289/.353/.446
RF Chandler Pollard: 1-2, 2B, BB, SB (9), .236/.323/.355

Hub City carried a no-hitter into the 6th. The Burgers threw 49 strikes and 48 balls preceding the hit. I haven’t written about Max Martin (0-4, 3 K) lately. He’s struggled to build on last year’s breakout, following a power-heavy but low-OBP April with a rough May (.218/.284/.310). Martin has never been a high-contact hitter, but in 2026 the whiffs have increased his strikeout rate to 28%, and he’s hitting fewer liners and outfield flies. Martin just turned 21 and isn’t a Rule 5 concern until 2027. 


Lo-A: Hickory 6, Kannapolis (CHW) 3
Hickory: 11 hits, 9 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 29-21, tied for first

SP Alejandro Chiquillo: 3 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 68 P / 40 S, 2.08 ERA
RP Louis Marinaro: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 3.93 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.08 ERA
RP Geury Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.52 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 2-3, 2 BB, .264/.413/.410
CF Hector Osorio: 1-3, HR (11), 2 BB, .295/.429/.561
C Josh Springer: 1-3, 2B, BB, HBP, .284/.366/.328

Hickory played at home for the first time in 25 days. A visiting clubhouse fire forced cancellation of a couple of games and relocation of a homestand to high-A Winston-Salem. Hector Osorio leads the Carolina League all by himself with 11 homers. Undrafted Louis Marinaro had hit best night of the season. Since appearing eight times in April, he’s only been popping up for a single outing of one or two innings each week. 

Dominican Summer League
It commenced Monday. I don’t cover the games but will try to check on notable prospects occasionally. One reason I don’t provide daily recaps is games like this. The Rangers and Angels entered the 9th tied at nine and the Rangers scored nine runs in the top half to seemingly secure a victory, but the Angels scored ten in the bottom half, all with two out. The teams combined for 23 walks ad 14 errors. 

Here’s a better DSL highlight: recently signed Elian Rosario going deep twice.

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Townsend
Hi-A: Easley
Lo-A: Morales

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Hickory’s Cole Ragans fanned 11 in six nearly perfect inning marred only by a solo homer. “Pitchers have overcome multiple Tommy John surgeries to reach the Majors (Pete Fairbanks, for example), but under [Ragans’] circumstances, I was uncomfortable thinking of him as a prospect or even thinking about him at all, other than simply hoping that he could stay healthy. Now, after beginning the previous start with 13 consecutive outs and facing one over the minimum last night, Ragans is transitioning from feel-good story to legitimate prospect.”

Combined with the previous week’s start, Frisco’s Cole Winn stretched a hitless streak to 30 batters while shutting down Amarillo for six innings. 

Transactions
Texas released relievers Josh Sborz and Ryan Brasier at their behest. 

The Rangers were exceptionally patient with Sborz. He’s always been erratic, his roster spot often in jeopardy over the years. The Dodgers designated him for assignment in 2021, and Texas optioned him the maximum five times the following year. He was out of options when activated from the IL in April 2023. As his term on rehab assignment dwindled last summer, I thought he was going to be designated again, but Texas was able to reboot his IL placement. Even a minor league deal over the winter was no sure thing, nor was lasting in the organization this point. 

Unfortunately, Sborz’s velocity still lags, and he rarely looked MLB-worthy this spring. The peak version of Sborz was thrilling, though, and the best stretch of his career occurred during the 2023 postseason. We’ll always have this:



Brasier had been solid if not electrifying for Round Rock, and he can probably still assist an MLB pen. Both could possibly return to the Rangers on new deals. 

Trade Reviews
Let’s catch up of how some traded Texas prospects are faring in 2026:

MacKenzie Gore trade

IF Devin Fitz-Gerald – He’s not playing much shortstop but is hitting well enough to make his position irrelevant: .291/.400/.582 with 12 homers and 14 other extra-base hits in 46 games in high-A as a 20-year-old. Hard to follow his progress without wincing (not that I wish him ill, certainly). 

1B Abimelec Ortiz — .266/.368/.532 with ten homers for AAA Rochester. He didn’t make the case in March and started slow in April, but he’s been in “see ball kill ball” mode recently. Washington’s busiest DH of late has been Jose Tena, hitting  a modest .219/.276/.377. Abi’s call might be coming. 

OF Yeremi Cabrera – Repeating low-A, Cabera batted a ridiculous .333/.465/.649 with seven homers and 18 steals. Now in high-A, where I expect he would have begun 2026 if still a Ranger, he’s leveled off to .236/.323/.309 in 16 games. 

OF Gavin Fien – Texas’s top 2025 pick is no longer an infielder and hitting .164/.282/.254 with a 33% K rate for low-A Fredericksburg. He had wrist surgery last fall and missed time this April due to that same wrist, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not driving the ball at full force right now. 

RHP Alejandro Rosario – TBD.

Summary: Gore’s had his moments, for better and worse. The eventual grade for this trade depends not just on his performance but whether Texas reaches the playoffs with his assistance. The Nats are doing cartwheels, I imagine. 

Carter Baumler trade

RHP Jaiker Garcia – Recall that Baumler was selected by the Pirates and then traded to Texas in last falls’ Rule 5 draft. For low-A Bradenton, Garcia has a homer-heavy 5.68 ERA in 12.2 innings with 12 strikeouts. His fastball has ranged from 91 to 96 plus a cutter, change, slider and curve. 

Summary: Hard to get worked up about this one yet. 

Merrill Kelly trade

LHP Kohl Drake – I saw Drake’s home AAA debut in Round Rock last summer. He allowed only one hit but didn’t quite look his usual self and was missing a putaway pitch. 2026 to date appears to be an exaggerated and maybe concerning version of that type of performance. Drake has an 8.10 ERA in 43 AAA innings, and it’s not just Reno. He’s lost a full two ticks across his entire repertoire. His K rate has sunk to 18%, and in 11 starts, he’s posted double-digit whiffs only twice. 

RHP Mitch Bratt – Bratt has a 2.68 ERA and a respectable 25% strikeout rate in 40 AAA innings, despite a modest whiff rate. Instead, he’s thriving with calls, a bunch of fouls and weak contact. That in itself doesn’t scream “get him to Phoenix,” but he’s accomplishing this in one of baseball’s toughest environments for pitchers. 

RHP David Hagaman – As a 23-year-old in high-A, Hagaman has a 4.29 ERA in 21 IP with a good K rate but poor control (17 walks). So, he’s just like 80% of minor league pitchers. 

Summary: Given that a deadline deal is intended to put a team into the playoffs or foster a deeper run, it’s easy to deem this failure from Texas’s perspective. And… yeah. I wrote the first sentence with the intention of adding a rejoinder, but what else is there to say? This trade just didn’t work out. 

Phil Maton trade

RHP Skylar Hales – Hales was fraying well before his trade to St. Louis. In Frisco, he reeled off eight consecutive scoreless outings with 13 strikeouts, but he also allowed multiple runs in three straight outings. In 2026, Hales has a 7.74 ERA in 47 AAA innings for St. Louis, his fastball has tapered off to around 94, and his decent K rate is heavily dependent on calls rather than whiffs.  

RHP Mason Molina – He’s handled AA well, posting a 3.18 ERA with 21 walks and 51 strikeouts in 39.2 IP. His control is problematic for a starting role, and his stuff seems a touch light for relief, but there’s a chance he just keeps on trucking and gets to don a Cards jersey someday. Molina is listed as the starter against Frisco tomorrow. 

Summary: Again, a deadline deal that didn’t pay off. In this case, though, I had concerns about Hales, and I don’t see how we can’t be frustrated if Molina manages to pay off for the Cards. I had and have no issues with this trade.

Danny Coulombe trade

RHP Garrett Horn – Apparently delayed by injury, Horn made two outings for Minnesota’s rookie squad before joining high-A Cedar Rapids. He threw a 93-95 four-seamer and 81-88 slider at the complex. In high-A, he’s allowed a run, walked three and fanned seven in six innings. 

Summary: I think my Maton comment applies. 

Enrique Segura trade

RHP Daniel Robert – Robert pitched 10 modestly successful innings for the Phils in 2025. He suffered a cardiac event late last year that likely would have been fatal if not for rapid response from training staff. Another event this spring was caught by an implant, but he’s since had another procedure and won’t attempt a return in 2026. 

Summary: Segura is a longshot and isn’t having a good season for Hub City, but he’s the type of player that comes back in a deal for a DFA’ed reliever. Health issues aside, Robert was unlikely to be an improvement on who Texas used in the bullpen last year.

Mason Molina trade

RHP Grant Anderson – Texas designated him for assignment and traded him to Milwaukee in January 2025. A slightly higher slot (but still very side-armed) and a couple of extra inches of vertical break have transformed his fastball from a dud to a monster. He has a 3.06 ERA in 94 innings for the Brew Crew across two seasons. 

Summary: Another DFA deal. Obviously, this didn’t work out. Good on Anderson, and good on the Brewers for getting the most out of him. For my part, I was never expecting Anderson to pitch this well, and I thought Molina was a better-than-average return. 

Robert Garcia trade

1B Nathaniel Lowe – Lowe posted a 93 OPS+ last year. No telling what he would have done as a Ranger, but assuming similar performance, I expect Texas would have foregone arbitration. He’s rebounded with the Reds.

Summary: Garcia’s been pretty good at times, frustrating at others, spotty in higher-leverage situations. He’s still a Ranger, still potentially helpful, while Lowe ended up being a moderately expensive flop as a National. I guess the question is whether the Rangers got all they could for Lowe, or whether they should have traded him at all. Lowe’s trade did free up some cash that apparently wasn’t available otherwise. 

Jake Burger trade

IF Max Acosta – He performed well enough to reach the Majors last year but hasn’t returned, and he’s been on the IL for three weeks following a slow AAA start. 

IF Echedry Vargas – A favorite of mine in Surprise in 2024, Vargas advanced to high-A to begin 2025 but batted .201/.255/.322 and was shipped back to low-A this season. He’s hitting a better .289/.347/.367 but isn’t within screaming distance of his value when traded. 

LHP Bryan Mendoza – Mendoza hasn’t advanced beyond high-A where he’d been promoted toward the end of the 2024 season prior to the trade. He has a 7.67 ERA in 29 innings. 

Summary: Burger has been a subpar regular, and I’ve openly wondered about his future even in the short term, but every so often he provides some hope. Barring unforeseen change, Miami appears to be stuck with an up-and-down utility IF and a couple of non-prospects. Texas traded those three at peak value for an everyday player, so I see this as good business by the Rangers even with Burger’s shortcomings.

Late word has 26-year-old lefty Robbie Ahlstrom joining the Rangers for his MLB debut. I’ll be honest: My first thought, despite his fine stats, was “really, Ahlstrom?” As it turns out, I am almost certainly unwittingly biased against him, because in reviewing the game logs I find I’ve seen all of his run-allowing outings in person but barely any of the appearances that led to his promotion. Ahlstrom has an opposing line of .185/.241/.269 with a 2.76 ERA, eight walks (7% rate) and 33 strikeouts (28%) in 29.1 innings. In 2026, Ahlstrom is averaging 95 with a four-seamer and sinker plus a slider (85), change (87) and infrequent curve (78). By my count, a slider has concluded nearly one-half of his strikeouts. He’s better-than-average at getting batters to chase but below average in generating misses. 

Texas acquired Ahlstrom for catcher Jose Trevino in 2022. He’s been in the discussion for a 40 spot the two previous falls but, in my opinion, just as someone worthy of discussion, not a serious contender.

I wrote the following last November: “Ahlstrom had decent results in 2025, but he’s fairly established at his point. If he didn’t force his way onto the roster during the season, I don’t know why he’d be picked now. A hot spring or in-season stretch could get him over the line.” So there you go. Best wishes to him. I have plans this evening and can’t watch the game, so the Rangers need to get him in there tonight to avoid my negative influence. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 6, Salt Lake (LAA) 8
Round Rock: 7 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 8 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 23-34, 11 GB

SP Ryan Brasier: 1 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 0 SO, 29 P / 15 S, 3.97 ERA
RP Jose Corniell: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 8.66 ERA
RP Joe Ross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.55 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 6.04 ERA
LF Wyatt Langford: 0-3
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, HR (2), .333/.417/.667
C Cooper Johnson: 1-2, HR (3), 2 BB, .188/.289/.316

A Rocker-esque opening gambit did not succeed for the Express. Starter Ryan Brasier surrendered a three-run homer, and Jose Corniell wasn’t effective. To be blunt, Corniell hasn’t had much success in any inning, including the 1st. He has simultaneously lucky and unlucky yesterday, as several hard hits resulted in outs, but all four balls hit at under 70 MPH fell for singles. 

Texas has signed OF Jarred Kelenic to a minor deal. Once among the brightest prospects in baseball, Kelenic reached the Majors at the age of 21 but took a couple of years to become a decent regular, only to regress to replacement-level form the next season. He’s still just 26, but at this point, he’d just be somewhere in the mix among non-40 depth options, unless Texas can effect a rebound. He should benefit the Express offense, at least. 


AA: Frisco 2, at Arkansas (SEA) 1
Frisco: 7 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 26-23, tied for 1st

SP Dylan MacLean: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 77 P / 46 S, 4.15 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.77 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-4, .379/.463/.603
3B Rafe Perich: 2-4, HR (1)

Five Riders combined to allow just five baserunners. Rafe Perich’s first AA hit was a homer. 


Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Greensboro (PIT) 8
Hub City: 6 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 25-25, 11 GB

SP D.J. McCarty: 3 IP, 6 H (4 HR), 6 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 76 P / 48 S, 6.61 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.47 ERA
1B Gleider Figuereo: 4-4, HR (9), .235/.332/.453

Figuereo had a day. Hub City lacks an obvious 1B since Arturo Disla’s departure, so Figuereo has spotted at first a few times since Arturo Disla’s departure. He’s had a pretty good season, albeit buoyed by the increase in offense at all levels below AAA. He’s logged 390 games at the A levels, and I’m wondering if/when Texas might give him a swim-or-sink Frisco assignment. 

Joey Danielson’s control is poor (18% BB+HBP rate), but he’s essentially unhittable in high-A, allowing three singles and three doubles in 19.1 innings. Recall that he graduated to Frisco last year but was assigned to Hub City to begin this season, and there he remains. 


Lo-A: Hickory 0, at Salem (BOS) 1
Hickory: 2 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-21, tied for 1st

SP Evan Siary: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 69 P / 53 S, 3.09 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.64 ERA

They needed only one hour and fifty-one minutes to play this. Three 1st-inning singles off Evan Siary would score the only run. Siary missed a season-high 14 bats. Owen Proksch has made eight appearances of exactly two innings. Six have been scoreless, and three had no baserunners. Only once did Hickory allow more than three runs last week, but the series was a 3-3 split. 

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock’s Leody Taveras hit his fifth homer in ten games following an opening ten-game stretch with zero homers and a 43% K rate. Nearly a month into the season, Frisco, Hickory and Down East led their respective division in fewest runs allowed per game, but Hickory and Down East were also two of the only three A-level offenses with a sub-.300 slugging percentage. 

Rangers Farm Report: Games of Saturday 30 May
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, Salt Lake (LAA) 4
Round Rock: 7 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 23-33, 10 GB

SP Trey Supak: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 83 P / 55 S, 5.47 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 5.63 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.68 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 2-4, SB (18), .252/.364/.371
DH Wyatt Langford: 0-2, 2 BB
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, HR (9)
2B Cody Freeman: 2-3, 2B, HR (1), BB

Wyatt Langford struck out, popped up and walked twice rehabbing for the Express. 

Emiliano Teodo pitched on consecutive nights for the first time in his career. After a strikeout and ten-pitch popup, he finished with a walk and was pulled at 18 pitches. Velocity was no issue. If anything, he was probably overthrowing to the final batter, as he unleashed a couple of offline sinkers and concluded with a 93.6 MPH slider, his fastest this season. Regardless, this is noteworthy, partly because he began the year in such poor form, partly because he has a history of frequent and lingering injuries. His time might soon be at hand. 


AA: Frisco 3, at Arkansas (SEA) 7
Frisco: 2 hits, 1 walk, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 25-23, 0.5 GB

SP Austin Bergner: 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 50 P / 25 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 8.68 ERA

Elite prospect Ryan Sloan retired 18 consecutive Riders, 11 by strikeout. He’s good. Incidentally, Frisco’s doubleheader-opening 4-0 loss the day before was at the hand of even more highly regarded Kade Anderson. Per usual, Seattle has some pitchers. 


Hi-A: Hub City 4, at Greensboro (PIT) 8
Hub City: 7 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 25-24, 11 GB

SP Ismael Agreda: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 6 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 80 P / 45 S, 5.87 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, .324/.410/.579
SS Luke Hanson: 1-4, HR (9), .248/.319/.483

Malcolm Moore lined singles to right and left. Luke Hanson punished a soft two-strike slider. 


Lo-A: Hickory 1, at Salem (BOS) 5
Hickory: 6 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 28-20, 1 G up

SP AJ Russell: 2.1 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 52 P / 27 S, 4.67 ERA
DH Josh Springer: 3-4, .294/.368/.330

Russell pitched on five days rest for the first time. He’s slowwwwwly ramping up to typical use. 

Texas assigned 19-year-old IF Curley Martha to Hickory. He received some attention during the 2024 signing period and for a solid DSL debut, but he spent most of 2025 on the shelf and was hitting .160/.333/.200 with a 31% strikeout rate at the complex in 16 games this season. He’s replacing Esteban Mejia (bumped to Hub City), who was serving as a fairly busy utility infielder. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Corniell
AA: MacLean
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Siary

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Curtis Terry’s seventh homer placed him second in the PCl behind the 11 from Jo Adell. Notoriously slow starter Sherten Apostel clubbed his first for Frisco, while teammate AJ Alexy fanned six and walked non in four scoreless innings. Hickory’s Ronny Henriquez threw six scoreless, walk-free innings with eight strikeouts. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 5, Salt Lake (LAA) 7
Round Rock: 8 hits, 10 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 22-33, 11 GB

SP Nolan Kingham: 3.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 75 P / 44 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Joe Ross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.73 ERA
RP Ryan Brasier: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.91 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.81 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (17), .247/.362/.369
RF Aaron Zavala: 1-2, 3 BB, .264/.368/.426

Texas signed 29-year-old righty and Nolan Kingham and gave him last night’s start. He dominated for three innings, fanning five and allowing a lone single. He unraveled in the 4th, though, as some slight mechanical difficulty (to my eyes) led to more erratic location followed by some unlucky hits and then some scarier shots culminating in a night-ending homer from Omar Martinez. Kingham’s fastball-heavy repertoire included a mid-90s four-seamer and sinker, an effective low-80s slider and some mid-80s split-changes. The Texas-Ex Kingham was drafted in 2018’s 12th round but released in the spring of 2024, and he’d worked for Mexico’s Monterrey squad ever since. 

Up to Round Rock are infielders John Taylor and Keyber Rodriguez. The 25-year-old Taylor was undrafted and in indy ball just 11 months ago, so he’s already a successful signing come what may. Taylor batted .322/.454/.517 in Frsico, tripling last year’s two homers in 50 fewer plate appearances. He’s spent most of his 2026 on the corners (and once in left) versus last year’s heavy dose of short followed by second. Taylor went 1-for-5 at second last night, curling a hard grounder inside the line for a triple. He also had two three-pitch strikeouts, because many AAA pitchers have weapons-grade breakers. 

The 25-year-old K-Rod is a little stockier than I recall, which might explain the shocking .503 slugging percentage in AA versus his career mark of .359.He’s in his ninth year in the organization and spent a few days in AAA last year. Assuming he’s a regular, I expect he’ll be the primary shortstop. 

Texas released OF Dairon Blanco, who’d been claimed off waivers from KC. Righty Marc Church hit the IL. 1B Nick Pratto and IF Richie Martin are on the development list. 


AA: Frisco 0, at Arkansas (SEA) 4 (7)
Frisco: 4 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts

SP Winston Santos: 5.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 8 SO, 82 P / 52 S, 8.26 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 3-3, .400/.492/.660

Santos’s line took a beating when reliever Eric Loomis couldn’t stranded either of two bequeathed runners with two out in the 6th. His control wasn’t great, but the eight strikeouts were his most since the 2024 playoffs, and in a rough season to date, last night was most reminiscent of what brought his name to our attention. 

AA: Frisco 8, at Arkansas (SEA) 0 (7)
Frisco: 9 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-22, tied for 1st

SP Dalton Pence: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 68 P / 51 S, 2.20 ERA
RP Austin Roberts: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.64 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, HR (7), .298/.393/.475
C Ian Moller: 2-3, HR (4), BB, .239/.369/.424
SS Frainyer Chavez: 2-5, 2B, HR (7), .263/.366/.447

The Riders returned Arkansas’s disfavor with a shutout of their own. Pence’s first five strikeouts came on his rising fastball, the last on a nifty split. 

Texas promoted 3B/1B Rafe Perich to AA, and he was 0-3 with a walk in the second game as the third baseman. Perich stood out to me in March 2025, and my thought at the time was that we could wait until Frisco to really learn about him. Unfortunately, his regular season was underwhelming, and in the first few weeks of 2026 he was sitting twice a week, playing first twice as often as third, and still not hitting much. He caught fire in May, though, hitting .345/.448/.747 with ten homers (including seven outside Asheville). Perich should see more time at third in Frisco. 


Hi-A: Hub City 0, at Greensboro (PIT) 4
Hub City: 0 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 25-23, 10 GB

SP Caden Scarborough: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 49 P / 32 S, 2.25 ERA

After a couple of Arizona outings, Scarborough made his first full-season start of 2026 nearly two months into the season. He’d been diagnosed with and treated for melanoma last in the offseason, and he pitched yesterday with a long-sleeve turtleneck under his jersey. Scarborough completed three strikeouts on angry sweepers. He also dealt his usual fastball, split, and also what looked to me like a cutter. Irrespective of results, it’s great to have him back. 

As for the game, well, three Hoppers combined on a no-hitter and flirted with perfection. 2023 4th-rounder Carlson Reed, entering with a 5.91 ERA, retired 21 straight, seven via strikeout. He departed with only 79 pitches, not even his season high. (Welcome to minor league ball in the mid-2020s.) 

In the 8th, Paxton Kling ruined perfection by fouling off four two-strike pitches to draw a ten-pitch walk. Quincy Scott and Carter Garate would walk as well, but the game ended when Malcolm Moore took called second and third strikes that (arguably) grazed the zone.


Lo-A: Hickory 9, at Salem (BOS) 3
Hickory: 6 hits, 9 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-19, 1 G up

SP Aidan Deakins: 4.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 80 P / 50 S, 1.83 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.13 ERA
RP Geury Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.59 ERA
CF Hector Osorio: 0-1, 2 BB, HBP, .301/.431/.564
SS Yolfran Castillo: 3-4, BB, SB (22), .302/.390/.430

A very low-A kind of night: Hickory reached base ten times via walk or hit batter, six scored. Castillo’s 22 steals are fifth-most in the league, eighth in low-A and 22nd in all of minor league ball. 

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

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Catcher Yohel Pozo went 3-5 with a homer for Round Rock to improve to .388/.388/.796. Zero walks and four strikeouts (despite a crazy 69% swing rate) in 49 trips to the plate. Pozo wouldn’t take a free base for another couple of weeks, but he would hit well enough (and Texas would be bad enough) to reach MLB in mid-August. 

Apologies for no report yesterday. My real job was too much of an intrusion. I’ve covered the last two days below.

Box Scores

Wed. AAA: Round Rock 5, Salt Lake (LAA) 4
Round Rock: 9 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts

SP David Davalillo: 4 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 4 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 83 P / 48 S, 8.10 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 7.43 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.01 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 1-5, 2B, .241/.352/.364
3B Jonah Bride: 1-2, HR (5), 2 BB, .264/.389/.399

For a third straight start, Davalillo had trouble finding the zone to an extent virtually unprecedented in his career. He’s walked or hit 27% of opposing batters in AAA. Last night, the sweeper was especially unwieldy, consistently spiraling well beneath the zone to be ignored by hitters. I can’t imagine this is anything particular to AAA, as he’s handled prior in-season promotions with aplomb. 

Emiliano Teodo has been getting and succeeding in late/close situations lately. He topped at 100.5 late night, making me even more skeptical of last week’s 103 MPH sinkers in El Paso, but what matters is that his slider finally has some help. 

Thu. AAA: Round Rock 16, Salt Lake (LAA) 11
Round Rock: 17 hits, 7 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 22-32, 11 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 85 P / 58 S, 5.82 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 3-5, BB
1B Blaine Crim: 5-5, 2B, 3B, HR (1), BB
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, BB, .242/.390/.306

Blaine Crim hit for the cycle (plus an extra single and walk) in his second game back with the Express. The triple was a fly to the fence that LF Christian Moore never spotted in the twilight, and the ball landed before Moore budged from his spot. The  homer came off an 8th-inning 54 MPH lob from a catcher. None of that matters. Just enjoy it. Here’s video. 

Cody Freeman switched from injury rehab to optional assignment and is staying in Round Rock. 


AA: wet x 2

They’ll make up one tonight and the other next month in Frisco. Righty Leandro Lopez was placed on the IL. 


Wed. Hi-A: Hub City 5, at Greensboro (PIT) 6
Hub City: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 8 walks, 11 strikeouts

SP J’Briell Easley: 3 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 2 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 55 P / 30 S, 4.57 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.49 ERA
LF Paxton Kling: 0-2, BB, HBP, 2 SB (11), .250/.399/.399
C Ben Hartl: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .204/.322/.327

I note below that Malcolm Moore is hitting well outside of Asheville, but the same doesn’t apply to Paxton Kling, unfortunately. Outside of western NC, where he hit four homers and two doubles in five games, Kling is batting .242/.398/.305, drawing walks at a terrific rate but with only eight extra bases on hits in 36 games. 

Thu. Hi-A: Hub City 9, at Greensboro (PIT) 2
Hub City: 10 hits, 8 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 25-22, 9 GB

SP Kamdyn Perry: 4.1 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 73 P / 48 S, 4.15 ERA
RP Cole Roland: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Case Matter: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 2-5, HR (11), .303/.394/.606
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, BB, .328/.418/.599

Moore’s non-Asheville line improved to .286/.385/.473, and he’s hitting .370/.452/.704 since the conclusion of that loopy series. (The Tourists, incidentally have fallen to 9-38, losing eight more in a row after taking just one of six against Hub City.) 


Wed. Lo-A: Hickory 4, at Salem (BOS) 2
Hickory: 7 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

SP Moises Morales: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 49 P / 36 S, 4.69 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.75 ERA
RP Frank Martinez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.41 ERA
CF Hector Osorio: 1-3, 2 BB

Owen Proksch finally condescended to allowing a Carolina League hitter to cross the plate with him on the mound. Between a two-run double from Devin Fitzgerald in a one-off high-A appearance on the 10th and last night, Proksch retired 25 of 26 batters, 15 via strikeout, and the only blemish was a hit batter. 

Thu. Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Salem (BOS) 3
Hickory: 11 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 27-19, 1 G up

SP Jesus Lafalaise: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 80 P / 51 S, 5.50 ERA
LF Paulino Santana: 1-5, HR (4), .265/.405/.422
RF Hector Osorio: 2-5, HR (10), .302/.427/.568
CF Marcos Torres: 1-3, HR (7), BB, SB (19), .244/.333/.476

Osorio is the second Ranger to reach ten homers, and he’s tied for the league lead in that category plus is seventh in OBP and fourth in homers. Osorio was an on-base machine in Hickory last year (.251/.393/.339) but hadn’t displayed much power until this season. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do at the next level. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Bergner
AA: Santos / Pence
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: Deakins

Five Years Ago Yesterday (And The Day Before)
Frisco’s Cole Winn no-hit Midland for six innings. High-A Hickory’s Cody Bradford shut out the Dash for six innings on two hits and no walks. Low-A Down East’s TK Roby fanned nine in four innings and teammate Dustin Harris hit his first homer, a walk-off. 

Reports will be on a tape delay today and probably a couple of additional days this week due to my real-life job. The Andrew McCutchen DFA is a shame but not surprising. It just wasn’t working out. I daydreamed about Texas signing him prior to 2025, although I doubt he would have improved the team’s fortune much. Replacement Nicky Lopez had a fine season with KC in 2021 but has batted .228/.298/.281 in 1,220 plate appearances since. He still has a positive WAR over this period, but it’s all fielding, particularly range. To be indelicate, his contributory value might come in the form of not being Justin Foscue in the field. (Foscue actually rates quite well in the advanced defensive metrics, but not so much in the eye test.) 

Incidentally, Mark Canha might have made the Opening Day squad if not for McCutchen’s signing and strong spring, but he hasn’t found a home since getting his release from the Rangers in mid-April. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 1, Salt Lake (LAA) 7
Round Rock: 3 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 20-32, 11 GB

SP Jose Corniell: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 71 P / 44 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 2.33 ERA

Corniell didn’t have a fun day at the office. He missed a respectable ten bats but fanned only one, and his fastball velocity had shrunk to an average of 92.4 MPH in the 4th.


AA: Frisco 8, at Arkansas (SEA) 7
Frisco: 11 hits, 10 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 9 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 24-21, tied for first

SP Aidan Curry: 3 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 7 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 67 P / 39 S, 21.00 ERA
RP Josh Trentadue: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 9.00 ERA
RP Jonathan Brand: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.04 ERA
RP Wilian Bormie: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1.96 ERA
1B Frainyer Chavez: 2-5, 2 2B, BB, .262/.369/.430
3B John Taylor: 3-6, .322/.454/.517
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 3-5, 2B, BB, SB (5), .318/.354/.503

23-year-old Aidan Curry is a Rider. His promotion reminds of Josh Stephan, who is eight months older and also an undrafted 2020 signing. Like Stephan (now in Round Rock), Curry didn’t quite dominate the previous level, but it’s time to find out if he can hack it. Last night went poorly, but we’ll see. Stephan, for his part, has been typically homer-prone but maintained both good control and a solid K rate. 


Hi-A: Hub City 13, at Greensboro (PIT) 19
Hub City: 16 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 9 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 24-21, 10 GB

SP Enrique Segura: 0.2 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 6 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 0 SO, 31 P / 13 S, 8.64 ERA
RP Anthony Susac: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 4.94 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 4-6, 2B, 3B, HR (5), .295/.358/.473
1B Rafe Perich: 4-5, 2B, 2 HR (10), BB, .299/.394/.591
C Malcolm Moore: 2-5, HBP, .323/.412/.602
SS Luke Hanson: 3-5, HR (8), .259/.325/.489

This game was not played in Asheville. Rafe Perich is the first Texas minor leaguer to club ten homers, surpassing the trio of Arturo Disla, Hector Osorio and Deward Tovar. Yeison Morrobel hit for the cycle. 


Lo-A: Hickory 1, at Salem (BOS) 3 (5)
Hickory: 4 hits, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 25-19, 1 G up

SP Alejandro Chiquillo: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 62 P / 43 S, 0.90 ERA

Chiquillo had been rehabbing in Arizona. Mother Nature drenched this one a few minutes after Salem scored twice to grab the lead. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Davalillo
AA: postponed
Hi-A: Easley 
Lo-A: Morales

Five Years Ago Yesterday
High-A lefty Cole Ragans carried a perfect game into the 5th and departed with one run through five. Low-A SS Luisangel Acuna went 3-3 with a homer, two walks and a steal. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at El Paso (SDP) 7
Round Rock: 13 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 20-31, 10 GB

SP Trey Supak: 4 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 1 SO, 77 P / 49 S, 5.66 ERA
RP Marc Church: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.39 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 6.00 ERA
RF Gilberto Celestino: 4-5, 2B, .267/.354/.349
2B Diego Castillo: 3-4, 2 2B, BB, .300/.398/.400
DH Dairon Blanco: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB (7), .241/.338/.310
SS Richie Martin: 2-3, HR (4), BB, SB (12), .231/.340/.366

Round Rock took four of six on the road. Several vets had a strong day at the plate, but I point them out to reiterate that the Express offense is largely composed of such players, and nobody is coming to save the Texas offense*. The most highly regarded prospect is Cam Cauley, and much of his value is contained in defense, speed and versatility. 

Marc Church had an ultimately productive outing, although all five balls in play were in excess of 95 MPH off the bat. He also reached 98.5 MPH and had three pitches faster than anything he’d thrown entering the week. Good for him, but as with Emiliano Teodo’s pair of 103 MPH pitches, I’m wondering if the radar in El Paso is a little generous. 

* I would still point out, much to my own annoyance, that the offense isn’t actually bad in the context of the extreme park conditions. Globe Life in 2025-2026 is the inverse of the go-go days of The Ballpark. 


AA: Frisco 8, San Antonio (SDP) 1
Frisco: 10 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 23-21, 0.5 GB

SP Dylan MacLean: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 83 P / 55 S, 4.46 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.91 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 1-3
LF Keith Jones II: 1-2, 2B, 3 BB, .274/.384/.484
DH Arturo Disla: 1-3, HR (3), BB, .421/.522/.763

Dylan MacLean reminded everyone that San Antonio has a bad offense that should be kept in its place. Arturo Disla continues to lord over Texas League pitchers. 


Hi-A: Hub City 4, Rome (ATL) 0
Hub City: 7 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 24-20, 8 GB 

SP D.J. McCarty: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 88 P / 56 S, 5.40 ERA
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, 2B, HR (8), .320/.408/.609

Malcolm Moore had a good day, and that’s important. He’s received plenty of deserved attention for his breakout, but I want to put his stats in context. The Burgers scored 79 runs and hit 23 homers during that insane week in Asheville, and they’re a different team otherwise:

Hub City In Asheville: .361/.455/.744, 12.8 R/G
Hub City, elsewhere: .232/.330/.374, 4.9 R/G

Even during 2015-2016, when Texas’s high-A affiliate played in the most notoriously bat-oriented minor league park in the US, the offense never exceeded 66 runs in any six-game stretch. Asheville’s a hitter’s haven, as I’ve mentioned, but that’s not all. Even accounting for that, Asheville might be the worst pitching squad any Texas-affiliated full-season offense has faced since at least 2007, when I began keeping records. (We’ve got two-thirds of a season to find out.) Hub City’s week there was a genuinely unique experience that forces a skeptical look at any Hub City batter’s line.

Compared to last year, Moore is swinging slightly more often and missing more as well, but he’s taking fewer called strikes. The larger differences are more pulled balls in play (44% in 2026 vs. 37% last year), more outfield flies (39% vs. 31%) and more first-pitch balls (62% vs. 49%). That final stat hasn’t resulted in more walks but does appear to be creating better pitches to hit later in the count.

To return to Asheville: Moore batted a ridiculous .520/.571/1.160 that week. Just five games account for more than a third of his total bases on hits in 2026. Drop those, and Moore falls from .320/.408/.609 to .272/.370/.476, and that’s… actually pretty good. A 128 OPS+ by my count. Hopefully, that’s a pace he can maintain, and we can soon compare him favorably to the Moore we heard about when he was drafted. 


Lo-A: Hickory 4, Charleston (TAM) 0 (7)
Hickory: 6 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts

SP AJ Russell: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 59 P / 38 S, 4.20 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Esteban Mejia: 2-3, HR (3), .231/.383/.369
LF Paulino Santana: 1-2, 2B, BB, .276/.415/.423

Lo-A: Hickory 1, Charleston (TAM) 0 (7)
Hickory: 4 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Record: 25-18, 1 G up

SP Evan Siary: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 77 P / 55 S, 3.26 ERA
RP Jormy Nivar: 1 IP, 0 H (2.28 HR), 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA

Hickory took five of six and regained first place on the “homestand” in Winston-Salem. AJ Russell ramped up to a season-high 3.2 innings and 59 pitches. He also missed 14 bats, easily a career-high. Owen Proksch had yet another scoreless, hitless two innings. In the second game, former MSU Bulldog Evan Siary pitched like someone who had survived and even thrived in the SEC. 

Five Years Ago Yesterday
I wondered whether Round Rock Curtis Terry (.351/.403/.737) was ready for MLB. My immediate current-day reaction was “I tend to be cautious, why am I speculating on  Curtis Terry after just three weeks of AAA games,” but the Rangers were already 6.5 games back in the division and seven in the wild card, plus they had Khris Davis (.172/.219/.276 at the time) and David Dahl (.213/.247/.348) occupying a significant chunk of the DH at-bats. Regardless, I concluded that Terry needed to be judged on his own merits, not just against Davis. Terry would eventually debut in July. 

1B Blaine Crim is a Ranger again. Texas claimed him off waivers from Colorado, where his efforts to regain MLB status was thwarted by an oblique injury during Spring Training and underwhelming production in AAA Albuquerque. He was hitting .265/.339/.449 with seven homers in 36 games, not bad but a little light for a mountain venue in the PCL. At the least, Crim will help an Express club badly lacking in power. He’s also right-handed batting depth, although there’s a decent overlap between his and Justin Foscue’s skill sets, and the Rangers themselves might try to sneak Crim through waivers when a 40 spot is needed. 

Texas placed Rule 5 reliever Carter Baumler on the 60-day IL to accommodate Crim. 

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, at El Paso (SDP) 5
Round Rock: 9 hits, 8 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 19-31, 11 GB

SP Austin Bergner: 2.2 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 63 P / 37 S, 5.17 ERA
RP Michel Otañez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 6.52 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.35 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 5.24 ERA
DH Cameron Cauley: 2-4, 2B, BB, .251/.368/.383
1B Nick Pratto: 3-4, 3B, HR (5), .247/.301/.494

Emiliano Teodo reached 103.1 again, and his slowest sinker was 99.5. He didn’t miss any bats with them but worked a quick but not clean 9th for the save. (Nobody claimed a one-out pop that hung in the air for six seconds and landed 23 feet from home plate, but Teodo worked a game-ending double play.) 

Gavin Collyer made his first appearance since being optioned. A significant reason for him being optioned was having options, but not the only reason. He walked or hit 11 in 12.2 innings, and while his ERA wasn’t badly blemished (2.84), it eventually will be with that many free passes. On a more granular level, Collyer had a 56% strike rate. As I’ve written about earlier in the context of his original call-up, pitchers with strike rates at that level are either issuing excess walks or threatening them. The average MLB pitcher has started with a 3-0 count 4.7% of the time in 2026, and two-thirds of those have ended with a walk. Collyer started 11% of his plate appearances 3-0, and all ended with walks. So, as manager, do you confidently put Collyer on the mound in a meaningful situation? Probably not. 

A few hours after the Crim claim hit the wire, Nick Pratto missed the cycle by a double.

The Express trailed 5-4 entering the 9th, but Gilberto Celestino’s bases-loaded walk and Diego Castillo’s two-run single provided a two-run lead. 


AA: Frisco 7, San Antonio (SDP) 5
Frisco: 10 hits, 10 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 22-21, 1.5 GB

SP Leandro Lopez: 4.2 IP, 10 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 92 P / 61 S, 7.20 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Jonathan Brand: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.32 ERA
DH Cody Freeman: 1-4
LF John Taylor: 2-4, BB, .318/.459/.530
1B Arturo Disla: 3-4, BB, .429/.524/.714

Down 5-3 at the stretch, Frisco scored four on an Arturo Disla single and three bases-loaded walks. Leandro Lopez had better control than usual last night but was very hittable, a team-wide malady. The Riders’ 405 hits allowed are 27 more than any other Texas League team. Three teams have allowed more runs, though, as Frisco is reasonably strong at avoiding walks. 


Hi-A: Hub City 4, Rome (ATL) 7 (7)
Hub City: 6 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 23-19,

SP Ismael Agreda: 4 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 7 R, 4 BB, 7 SO, 81 P / 49 S, 5.13 ERA
RP Cole Roland: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Case Matter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0.00 ERA
1B Rafe Perich: 1-3, HR (8), .288/.379/.552

Hi-A: Hub City 0, Rome (ATL) 4 (7)
Hub City: 4 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 23-20, 8 GB

SP Joe Adametz: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 85 P / 53 S, 5.64 ERA

Rome swept the doubleheader. Adrian Rodriguez and Case Matter made successful returns to full-season ball. Both had been rehabbing in Arizona. Rodriguez has been around forever (since 2019 to be precise). His control is awful, and I’ll confess to thinking I was watching his last outing in the organization on a field in Surprise back in 2024, but he throws hard and has almost always hinted at being the real deal. Matter was Texas’s 10th-rounder from Washington in 2023 and is a similar good-stuff/zero-control type. 


Lo-A: wet

Two today

Rookie
Izack Tiger threw a scoreless innings with one walk and one strikeout for the rookies, his first action since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2024. I haven’t written much about Tiger because he’s been on the shelf more often than not, but he’s a legitimate prospect with the stuff to transfer to high-leverage relief if starting doesn’t pan out. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: Supak
AA: MacLean
Hi-A: McCarty
Lo-A: Siary / TBS

Five Years Ago Yesterday
“The latest Baseball America mock draft has the Rangers selecting high school shortstop Marcelo Mayer with the second pick in the 2021 draft. A month ago when we were young and innocent, Texas could simply select whoever Piitsburgh didn’t pick among SS Jordan Lawlar and Vandy righty Jack Leiter. Now, life is complicated. In recent weeks, Mayer has gained equal footing with Lawlar, Leiter’s temporary absence obscured his outlook, and yet another prep batter (SS Brady House) has entered the top five.”

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 3, at El Paso (SDP) 14
Round Rock: 6 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 18-31, 11 GB

SP Josh Stephan: 4.1 IP, 9 H (3 HR), 11 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 78 P / 48 S, 6.00 ERA
RP Thomas Ireland: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.76 ERA
CF Gilberto Celestino: 2-5, HR (1), .231/.315/.208
DH Nick Pratto: 2-3, HR (4), BB, .222/.281/.420

“So, Scott, you’re always mentioning quick pulls, how could Stephan or anyone possibly be permitted to stay in long enough to allow 11 runs?” What gets pitchers pulled is excessive pitch counts, especially in a single inning. Otherwise, the score doesn’t matter much, and the plan is for the pitcher to have a full day (5-6 innings, +-85 pitches in Stephan’s case). El Paso batted around in a five-run 5th, but Stephan threw only 22 pitches. Stephan faced six batters in the 5th, and five scored, but that sequence required only 16 pitches and just eight minutes between the first and last pitches. 

Last night is also an extreme example of what can happen to Stephan in such a setting. He’s a command pitcher. His fastball velocity isn’t bad (low 90s), just a touch light by current standards. His arsenal doesn’t have a ton a motion, and the El Paso air reduces that further. The results on 31 swings: 20 in play, 11 fouls, zero misses. 


AA: Frisco 6, San Antonio (SDP) 7
Frisco: 10 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 21-21, 2.5 GB

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 74 P / 48 S, 9.13 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 2-5, 2B, .309/.413/.488
2B Cody Freeman: 0-3
3B John Taylor: 1-2, HR (6), 3 BB, .313/.455/.531
LF Keith Jones II: 3-5, 2B, SB (5), .280/.376/.492
1B Max Wagner: 2-3, 2B, BB, .250/.340/.568

Santos is missing bats (including 13 whiffs last night), but oh, the non-misses. Opponents are hitting .574 and slugging .926 on contact. Wilian Bormie wasn’t his usual scintillating self. Entering with a one-run lead but two on and none out in the 8th, he allowed three hits to plate both inherited runners plus one of his own. 


Hi-A: wet

Two today.


Lo-A: Hickory 5, Charleston (TAM) 3
Hickory: 3 hits, 8 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 23-18, 0.5 GB

SP Kamdyn Perry: 4.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 70 P / 47 S, 2.82 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.23 ERA
CF Hector Osorio: 1-2, 2 BB, SB (8), .303/.433/.572
LF Paulino Santana: 1-2, 2B, BB, HBP, .272/.412/.411

Hickory scored three in the 1st on two walks, a hit batter, a sac fly and four steals (two each by Yolfran Castillo and Marcos Torres). Opposing starter Aidan Cremarosa actually took a no-hitter in to the 5th, but timely hitting then and in the 7th would create two more runs. 

Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Lopez
Hi-A: Agreda/TBD
Lo-A: Russell

Five Years Ago Yesterday
I threw out some names from Round Rock as potential replacements for injured reliever Hunter Wood. I said Demarcus Evans made the most sense but that Wes Benjamin was well-rested. I was skeptical of Joe Palumbo and Brock Burke at the time. Off the 40, I offered Joe Barlow, Luis Ortiz, Drew Anderson and Jimmy Herget as possibilities. 

Texas would bring up both Evans and Benjamin to replace wood and the also-injured Kyle Gibson. Evans had a terrific handful of outings but was back in AAA following a couple of wipeouts. This being 2021, Barlow, Anderson and Herget would eventually come up as well, and Barlow would collect 11 saves.