Heath Criswell
Lifelong Rangers fan with a passion for the farm system. When I’m not covering minor league baseball, I’m enjoying time with my family and exploring the Rangers' next big stars.
Abimelec Ortiz’s Monster Series vs. Hooks Nets Texas League Player of the Week Honors
Frisco RoughRiders slugger Abimelec Ortiz lit up the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros affiliate) pitching staff like a firecracker, earning Texas League Player of the Week honors for his monster series. Ortiz’s bat was pure dynamite, slashing .450/.560/1.000/1.560 with 3 home runs—including a walk-off grand slam—11 RBI, and 5 walks, leaving Hooks pitchers dazed and RoughRiders fans roaring. Ortiz’s strong series against the Hooks Over the series, Ortiz was a one-man wrecking crew, hammering 3 hom
Kohl Drake Named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for Dominant No-Hit Outing
Frisco RoughRiders’ left-hander Kohl Drake has been named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for May 5-11, 2025. Drake’s dominating performance—a 6.0-inning no-hit gem against the San Antonio Missions—earned him the honors. Drake’s No-Hit Mastery in San Antonio On Wednesday, Drake was untouchable, tossing 6.0 no-hit innings in Frisco’s 6-1 rout of the Missions. Facing just two batters over the minimum, he issued 2 walks, fanned 6, and threw 79 pitches (49 strikes). The RoughRiders had a combine
Mitch Bratt’s Brilliance Shines, but Missions Walk Off RoughRiders 2-1
Just days after Kohl Drake, Ryan Lobus, and Skylar Hales twirled a combined no-hitter, Frisco’s other lefty Mitch Bratt unleashed a masterpiece of his own against the San Antonio Missions last night. Despite his brilliance, the RoughRiders fell 2-1 on a gut-punch, two-out, walk-off homer by Romeo Sanabria, who launched a 2-run shot with a runner on third to steal the game. Bratt’s Brilliance Not Enough Mitch Bratt was dealing, carving up the Missions with a career-best performance in strikeou
Rangers Sign Two-Way Phenom, Seong-Jun Kim
Rangers fans are in for a treat! The Texas front office, led by Chris Young and Ross Fenstermaker, worked their magic once again, signing Seong-Jun Kim, a two-way sensation from South Korea, for a reported $1.3M signing bonus, pending a physical. Young and Fenstermaker are always looking to the future while we’re in the present, and adding a two-way player to the Rangers’ system has fans excited. According to the “KBO in English” account, Seong-Jun Kim is skipping the KBO draft to start his pro
RoughRiders Cast a Spell on Wind Surge with 5-2 Win on Harry Potter Night
On a picture-perfect evening at Riders Field, with 8,800 fans rocking Harry Potter house scarves and 72-degree weather greeting the first pitch, the Frisco RoughRiders conjured up a 5-2 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Mitch Bratt’s dazzling mound work and a balanced offensive attack ensured the magic was all Frisco’s. Mitch Bratt’s Mastery Continues Mitch Bratt, the RoughRiders’ southpaw sensation, was pure wizardry again, earning his second win of 2025. Against the Wind Surge (Twins aff
Rangers Shake Up Lineup, Call Up Blaine Crim for MLB Debut
Blaine Crim, will make his next plate appearance in Arlington against the Mariners for his MLB debut. The Texas Rangers are calling up Crim and optioning Jake Burger to Triple-A Round Rock, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. These are moves to ignite their struggling offense, and fans—myself included—have wanted to see Crim’s debut for a while. That wait is soon over. Rangers’ Offense in Need of a Spark The Rangers’ lineup has been ice-cold to start the season, averaging just 3.21 runs per
RoughRiders Shut Out Hooks Behind Stephan’s Gem and Walcott’s Power
The Frisco RoughRiders leaned on a lights-out performance from Josh Stephan and a hot night from Sebastian Walcott to blank the Corpus Christi Hooks 4-0 last night, stretching their win streak to four games. Stephan spun his first quality start of 2025, and Walcott, the 19-year-old, smashed his second homer of the season. For Stephan, this season is huge. After being limited to just 58.1 innings last year due to injury, a healthy season is a priority. The righty tossed 6 scoreless innings, givi
RoughRiders Roll: Bratt’s Gem and Bats Erupt in 11-2 Rout of Naturals
The Frisco RoughRiders unleashed a relentless offensive barrage without a home run and rode their first quality start of the season to an 11-2 drubbing of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Saturday night. LHP Mitch Bratt delivered a quality start, tossing six innings of two-run ball, allowing six hits, striking out six, and issuing zero walks on 75 pitches (56 strikes). It marked the longest outing by a RoughRiders starter this year and the Texas League’s first quality start of 2025. Frisco’s
Texas Rangers Minor League Recap: Opening Weekend
Minor league baseball kicked off on Friday, although Triple-A got their start at the end of March. The rest of the Texas Rangers’ affiliates got their seasons underway this last weekend on April 4, 2025. Here’s the Texas Rangers minor league opening weekend recap, breaking down the key highlights, standout players, and upcoming games for each team. Hickory Crawdads (Low-A): 2-1 Record The Hickory Crawdads started the season with a 2-1 record, showing early offensive firepower. Third baseman R
Frisco RoughRiders Season Opener Recap: Hooks Edge Out 7-5 Win
Frisco, Texas - The threat of rain during game time didn't keep 6,126 fans from the Frisco RoughRiders season Opener. The RoughRiders kicked off their season at Riders Field against the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros). The RoughRiders pitching staff struck out 12 Hooks but they dropped game one by a final of 7-5. Here's the box score. Pitching Breakdown Winston Santos took the mound for the RoughRiders in the season opener, with his fastball topping out at 96 MPH and hitting 97 MPH once. His f