The day’s minor league action brought a mix of rough starts, loud bats and a few notable debuts across the system.
At Hickory, 2025 fourth-round pick Mason McConnaughey made his full-season debut and ran into trouble early. Brady Ebel got him for a pair of homers, and McConnaughey finished with four runs allowed in three innings, along with two walks and three strikeouts. Jesus Lafalaise followed with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts.
Hickory’s offense got a boost from 2025 20th-rounder Jay McQueen, who also made his full-season debut and collected two hits. Paulino Santana added a homer and a walk, while Yolfran Castillo went 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Daniel Flames doubled, Pablo Guerrero was 2 for 4, and Angel Arredondo and Marco Argudin each added a hit.
Hub City had a much tougher night on the mound. Izack Tiger started and gave up six runs in two innings, with four of those runs coming on homers.
He struck out four. Ismael Agreda worked a scoreless inning, and Case Matter allowed one run in his inning.
The power display on the other side kept Hub City from keeping pace. Casey Cook, making his full-season debut after spending the entire season on the injured list, homered. Hector Osorio also went deep, and the other two hits for Hub City came from Cal Stark and Antonis Macis - and both were homers as well.
Frisco got a look at Yeison Morrobel in his AA debut, and he responded with a 2-for-5 night. Sebastian Walcott, in his full-season debut after elbow surgery this spring, drew two walks while serving as the DH. Rafe Perich and Dylan Dreiling each went 2 for 5, Malcolm Moore drew two walks, and Arturo Disla finished 2 for 3 with a pair of walks.
On the mound for Frisco, Aidan Curry allowed four runs over 4.2 innings while striking out five and walking three. Andrew Susac followed with 1.1 scoreless innings, Josh Trentadue struck out two in a shutout inning, and Eric Loomis added a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Round Rock got a solid start from Marco Gonzales, who allowed one run in five innings while walking one and striking out one. Michel Otanez, Ryan Lobus and Alex Diaz each handled a scoreless inning in relief, with Lobus striking out two and Diaz adding one strikeout.
At the plate for Round Rock, John Taylor went 1 for 3 with a triple, two walks and a stolen base. Josh Smith drew a walk, Aaron Zavala doubled, and Jarred Kelenic finished 2 for 5 with a double and a stolen base.
In Other News...
Rangers Linked To Deadline Bat Fans Know Could Come At A Cost
With the August 3 trade deadline approaching, the Rangers are at least being mentioned in the market for a bat that could help deepen a lineup that has been searching for more right-handed punch. The appeal is easy to see: a versatile hitter who can move around the diamond and give Texas another option without forcing the club into a narrow roster fit.
The harder part is the price. Any deal of this sort would likely require a talented prospect and possibly cash, which is where the conversation gets more delicate for a front office trying to balance the present with the future. Names such as Emiliano Teodo, Seong-Jun Kim and Josh Owens have come up in the kind of speculative framework that usually follows these rumors, but for now it remains just that, with no official trade in place. [Read more 🡒]
Emiliano Teodo Showed Rangers Fans Exactly Why He's So Intriguing
Emiliano Teodos first major league look gave Rangers fans a quick reminder of why his arm has been such a talking point inside the organization. In Fridays debut against Atlanta, the right-hander worked 1.2 innings and allowed two earned runs, but the bigger takeaway was the kind of velocity he brought with him, headlined by a sinker that averaged 99.4 mph and flashed 100 mph often enough to stand out immediately.
The stuff is loud, and it has been for a while, which is why Teodo has already become the Rangers season leader in 100 mph fastballs. The next step is the part that still keeps him from looking like a finished big league reliever, since control remains the piece he is still chipping away at, and after the outing he was sent back to Triple-A Round Rock for more work. [Read more 🡒]