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 Rafe Perich leads the team with 2 home runs. Designated hitter Pablo Guerrero, son of Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero, hit his first home run of the season, going 3-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBIs, and a walk. Left fielder Maxton Martin also has 1 home run and leads the team with 6 RBIs and 2 doubles.
Additional Notes
Marcos Torres has a triple, while Yeremy Cabrera leads the team with 3 walks.
Pitching Highlights
On the mound, 21-year-old left-hander Mason Molina leads with 8 strikeouts and 4 innings pitched. Meanwhile, 23-year-old right-hander Eric Loomis has secured 1 save.
Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A): 2-1 Record
Team Milestones
The Hub City Spartanburgers also posted a 2-1 record, experiencing several franchise firsts, including their first win and first loss.
Esteban Mejia leads the team with 3 RBIs, followed by second baseman Casey Cook with 2. The team has yet to hit a home run, but that’s expected to change soon. Shortstop Danyer Cueva leads the team in batting average (.429) and runs scored (3).
Additional Notes
Catcher Malcolm Moore has the team’s only double so far and also leads with 3 walks. Outfielder Anthony Gutierrez made a game-saving outfield assist at home and leads the team in stolen bases.
Pitching Highlights
Paul Bonzagni leads with 6 strikeouts, followed by Jose Gonzalez with 5. Dylan MacLean boasts an impressive 0.50 WHIP, while Seth Clark and Larson Kindreich each have 1 save.
Looking Ahead
Look for some power from Arturo Disla this week. Right-hander Leandro Lopez is set to start tomorrow in the series against the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals).
Frisco RoughRiders (Double-A): 2-1 Record
The Frisco RoughRiders opened with a 2-1 record. Catcher Cooper Johnson hit the team’s first home run of the season and leads with 1 home run and 3 walks, tied with Luis Mieses, who also has 1 home run.
RBI Leaders
Mieses leads the team with 3 RBIs, followed by Josh Jung (on a rehab assignment), Cooper Johnson, Sebastian Walcott, and Aaron Zavala, each with 2 RBIs.
Standout Performer: Sebastian Walcott
Walcott has been a standout, leading the team with 2 doubles and recording high exit velocities: 107, 108, 109, and 111 MPH.
Speed on the Bases
Cameron Cauley and Frainyer Chavez lead the team with 2 stolen bases each.
Pitching Highlights
Winston Santos started on Opening Day and leads the team with 6 strikeouts. Trey Supak leads with 5 innings pitched, throwing 5 shutout innings on Sunday to close out the series against the Hooks.
Next Game
Left-hander Kohl Drake is scheduled to start tomorrow, opening the series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).
Round Rock Express (Triple-A): 5-4 Record
Team Overview
The Round Rock Express, who started their season earlier than the other affiliates, hold a 5-4 record.
First baseman Blaine Crim has been the standout, earning Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors (read our full article about it here). Crim leads the team with 9 RBIs, followed by Cody Freeman with 7, who also leads with 2 home runs.
Additional Notes
Evan Carter may not be hitting his weight, but he and Chad Wallach lead the team with 6 walks each. Dustin Harris leads with 4 stolen bases and I project him to have at least 30 by the end of the season.
Pitching Highlights
Adrian Hauser leads with 10 innings pitched and 14 strikeouts. Cole Winn has been solid out of the bullpen, throwing 6.1 innings with 7 strikeouts and no runs allowed.
Standout Reliever: Emiliano Teodo
Emiliano Teodo is 1-0 with 5 scoreless innings, 7 strikeouts, and only 1 walk across 3 games, potentially positioning him to close games in Arlington later this season.
Strong Start Across the Board
All four Texas Rangers affiliates kicked off the season with winning records. They have a combined record of 11-7.
Stay tuned to The Prospect Times for more Texas Rangers minor league recaps as the season unfolds!