Opening Day on the farm was a good one for Texas Rangers thanks to these prospects
The opening act was a good one for the three Texas Rangers full-season minor-league affiliates that started their seasons Tuesday.
Double A Frisco, High A Hickory and Low A Down East were victorious on Opening Day as minor-league baseball was played for the first time in more than 600 days.
Frisco beat Midland 5-2, Hickory topped Greensboro 7-5 and Down East beat Kannapolis 8-4. Frisco was the only team that didn’t have to overcome a deficit.
Here’s a quick dive inside the box scores for items of note:
Evan Carter’s debut
The second-round draft pick last year (50th overall) made true on his evaluations from the instructional league and minor-league camp. He walked three times, including once to start the game, to validate the reported keen eye at the plate and advanced approach. Down East parlayed two of those walks into runs.
Luisangel Acuna brought in Carter with a sacrifice fly in the first and later added a double. Dustin Harris, one of the two players received in the Mike Minor trade with Oakland last season, doubled and scored twice.
Right-hander Owen White made his pro debut after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2019, and he allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings. White walked two and struck out four.
Chris Seise homers
The oft-injured shortstop went 1 for 5 for Hickory, but the one was a homer to open the fourth inning. Seise, now 22 after being selected 29th overall in the 2017 draft, was one of the best players, if not the best, during instructs and minor-league camp.
First baseman Blaine Crim, a 19th-round pick in 2019, went 3 for 4, scored twice and drive in the first run in a four-run third inning. Justin Foscue, the 2020 first-round pick, went 0 for 4 in his pro debut, but drew a walk and scored a run.
Good offense at Frisco
The RoughRiders scored three times in the first inning, two of them coming on a Sherten Apostel double. Frisco took seven walks, including two by shortstop Davis Wendzel, and stole six bases.
Bubba Thompson, selected three picks ahead of Seise in 2017, went 2 for 4 with a triple and scored a run on a wild pitch.
One pitching note: Cole Uvila pitched the ninth inning and picked up the save. The right-hander spent April at the alternate training site and could be a late-season addition to the Rangers’ bullpen.
This story was originally published May 5, 2021 at 11:49 AM.
