Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (5/4)

Hickory 3B Matt West

The Rangers discussed cutting their 2007 second round pick after he disgraced the organization and himself by testing positive for a performance enhancing drug in the summer of 2007 and he wasn’t altogether honest about how it happened. Ultimately, they hung in there with him and he returned in 2008 to put up mostly pedestrian numbers in the NWL.

It’s certainly too early to say, but it’s beginning to look a bit like the kid might have had an epiphany after a visit with Rangers farm director Scott Servais last week.

A big part of what has led to the Rangers possessing the top farm system in baseball is development. Yes, they’ve scouted and drafted exceedingly well of late, but they keep coming up with breakout guys who were under the radar.

And maybe Hickory 3B Matt West is about to become another one of those guys who go from suspect to prospect.

Triple-A: New Orleans 12 @ Oklahoma City 8

Through five innings, RHP Neftali Feliz (5.03 ERA) had limited the Zephs to a run on three hits and a walk, fanning seven. Then he gave up three straight hits to begin the sixth before handing the ball off to RHP Warner Madrigal who allowed all three runners to score before getting out of the inning.

Officially, Madrigal pitched two scoreless, hitless innings. The truth is that he had a bad day.

SS Joaquin Arias (.241 / .258 / .265) went 3-for-6 and added two stolen bases while CF Julio Borbon (.268 / .343 / .309) went 1-for-4 with a walk from the top of the order, adding an outfield assist by teaming up with 2B Jose Vallejo to nail a runner at third. Vallejo went 1-for-4 with a walk in his Triple-A debut.

RHP Pedro Strop (10.61 ERA) surrendered six runs on six hits, including two homers, and a pair of walk over the final two innings.

Double-A: Corpus Christi 5 @ Frisco 0

RHP Kris Benson gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in his rehab matchup against Bradon Backe — remember when everyone thought he was the next big thing?

1B Justin Smoak (.358 / .475 / .580) went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Advanced-A: Bakersfield 5 @ Stockton 3

LHP Mike Kirkman (2-1; 2.89 ERA) held the Ports to three runs while scattering six hits and four walks over
five innings to earn the victory.

LF Tim Smith (.365 / .452 / .556) paced the Blaze lineup with a homer and a walk in four trips. CF Joey Butler went 3-for-4.

LHP Corey Young (2.13 ERA) and RHP Brennan Garr (1.86 ERA) combined for four scoreless innings of relief.

Class-A: @ Hickory 6, Lakewood 1

Farm Director Scott Servias blows through town, fixes 3B Matt West’s swing, and the kid suddenly can’t stop hitting the ball.

West (.276 / .371 / .408), the Rangers’ 2007 second rounder from Bellaire, Texas — who began his pro career with a 50 game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance — went 3-for-4 with a double to drive in two runs. He was hitting .196 / .292 / .304 before Servais changed his batting stance a week ago.

Oh yeah, LHP Martin Perez (1-2; 2.42 ERA) picked up the win by holding Lakewood to a run on two hits and no walks over 5.1 innings, fanning three.

The Sally League is hitting .176 against the youngest pitcher on the circuit and — here’s some laginappe for you — righties are flailing away at a hopeless .149 / .208 / .298 clip against him.