The Texas Rangers Spring Breakout team faced the Royals Friday in the annual exhibition game. Although the Rangers were not victorious, there were a few bright spots.
The Rangers fell to the Royals by a score of 9-2, and it was a rough day for the young standouts. Despite the loss, it was an opportunity to face some of the best young competition and provide pivotal learning along their journey to the major leagues.
The Rangers sent a total of eight pitchers to the mound during the game. Here are a few of the notable standouts:
Dalton Pence
Dalton Pence was the starting pitcher and had the longest outing of anyone on the team. Pence threw 2 1/3 innings, not allowing a run, walking three and striking out five. Pence topped out at 94.6 mph and recorded two strikeouts with his fastball, two with his slider and his fifth with his changeup. Despite some command issues, Pence worked around all three walks he issued for a clean outing and was one of the brighter spots on the afternoon. He primarily used his fastball Friday, throwing it 81.3% of the time, and recorded strikes on 54.2% of his pitches. The former Tar Heel yielded a 1.55 ERA in High-A last season in 11 starts and 14 total appearances. If he keeps up the work and momentum from late last season, we could very well see him in Double-A Frisco this season.
Seong-Jun Kim
The 18-year-old two-way player saw some time on the mound. Kim needed only 11 pitches for his inning and topped out at 93.5 mph. The first batter popped out to center. Then, after a Royals double and a stolen third base, Kim got Josh Hammond to hit a liner right at the third baseman, who caught it and tagged the runner for a swift inning-ending double play. Kim only appeared in three games overall in rookie ball last season and still has much time and room to improve. It seems the Rangers will continue his development as a two-way player, and he will be a name to watch in the seasons to come.
Gavin Collyer
The spring training standout came on in a bases-loaded, one-out situation and performed well in the end. He fielded a grounder to himself on his first pitch, which he threw to second, attempting to get an inning-ending double play. However, the batter beat the throw to first from short, and a run scored. Collyer needed only five more pitches for the next batter, striking him out on a 100-mph fastball, ending the inning and his day on the mound. Although not having eye-popping numbers throughout the minor leagues, Collyer really competed this spring and was vying for a roster spot until his assignment to the minor league camp on March 15. He finished spring with a 3.52 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work and punching out 8. He is surely a name to watch in the first few months; if he continues his impressive spring, we could see him in Arlington sooner than expected.
Aiden Curry
Aiden Curry had the second-longest outing of the day, going two innings.
Curry topped out at 98.4 mph on his fastball. He usually sits around 97 mph on it, and his command will be a key area to watch this season. He allowed three hits during his two innings of work; however, he did not allow a single walk, which is some improvement, as he had a 15.4% walk rate in Hub City last season. The consensus is this could be the last season we see Curry develop as a starter, and if he does not prove he can be a major league rotation piece, we could very well see him transition into a reliever. His fastball velocity was evident during his outing, and with a curveball that hangs around 3,000 RPM, he has the talent, so he is certainly a name to keep track of and could very well make the jump to Double-A Frisco this season.
Offensively, Rangers prospects managed just three hits and five walks on the day. Here's a look at the standouts:
Dylan Dreiling
The 22-year-old College World Series Most Outstanding Player is still looking to establish himself in professional baseball. While he saw an 80-point increase in his OPS in 2025, his on-base percentage (OBP) notably decreased by 20 points. However, his slugging percentage improved by a significant .102 margin. Dreiling went 1-for-1 on the day with a walk. He worked a six-pitch walk in his first at-bat before lining a 96.6 mph fastball to left-center for a single in his second and final at-bat, with an exit velocity of 108.1 mph. Dreiling could potentially see time in Frisco this season, depending on his early performance.
Marcos Torres
The 21-year-old saw a significant improvement from his 2024 statistics, with a .139 OPS increase. Like Dreiling, he singled and walked in his two at-bats on the day. Torres has experienced a decrease in production at each level he's advanced to. At just 21, however, he still has time to adjust to the competition, an ability he demonstrated last season. Not known for his power, he will have to heavily rely on his speed and contact ability to advance. While his strikeout-to-walk ratio has been subpar, he saw a significant drop in his strikeouts last season and will aim to continue that trend.
Curley Martha
Martha provided the lone RBI for the Rangers' prospects, lining a 1-0 fastball into right field for a double that scored Julian Brock. The 19-year-old from Curaçao shone brightly in the 2024 season during rookie ball, where he hit five home runs, drove in 42 runs and posted an OPS of .822 in 54 games. However, he was sidelined last season with an injury and will look to have a bounce-back season and continue his rise since being signed as the No. 29 international prospect in January 2024.
Thoughts
It's difficult to draw extensive conclusions from just one game. However, a productive spring offered many players the chance to refine their skills. This won't be the last we hear of these names, and hopefully, these young players gained valuable insights from major leaguers and big league coaching before their reassignments to their respective minor league affiliates.
Witnessing various levels of prospects participate in these games is always beneficial, providing them with exposure to competition they haven't yet encountered or will soon. The range of talent was broad, from an 18-year-old two-way player with limited professional experience to a 24-year-old vying for a roster spot. The Spring Breakout games will remain a key date on the calendar, offering a glimpse into the organizational talent and the future stars of the sport.
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