Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (6/3)

Hickory's Joe Wieland

Say hello to Buzz Boy v2009. Throughout the Rangers organization, there is a sense that RHP Joe Wieland is going to turn out to be one of the great steals of the 2008 draft. The fourth rounder out of a Reno, Nevada high school had an outstanding rookie season in the Arizona League last summer. Not only were his core numbers impressive — 5-1 with a 1.44 ERA — but his peripherals were astonishing.

Wieland held the AZL to a .200 batting average and struck out 41 while walking only eight in 43 innings. In spite of the fact that he really didn’t have a developed changeup at that point, Wieland held lefties to a .193 / .246 / .351 line. By any measure, he stamped himself as a legit prospect by the end of the summer.

But it was during fall instructionals and this spring that his stock really soared as he captured the imagination of Nolan Ryan and earned accolades from pitching coordinators Rick Adair (in the fall) and Danny Clark (in the spring). Already commanding a plus fastball and curve, Wieland has made enormous progress with his changeup since being drafted and observers universally come away exeedingly impressed with his advanced approach.

Through his first eight innings of full-season baseball, Wieland has fanned nine without issuing a single walk, and he’s just getting started. With Martin Perez, Wilmer Font, Carlos Pimentel, Wilfredo Boscan and Jake Brigham already there — and Neil Ramirez, Robbie Ross, Geuris Grullon, Carlos Melo and several others still back in Surprise — Wieland figures to significantly augment a Hickory staff (2.94 team ERA) that can realistically be called the best young pitching staff in baseball.

Triple-A: Memphis 8 @ Oklahoma City 4

The RedHawks staked RHP Josh Rupe (0-3; 7.97) to a 4-1 lead after one, but the struggling former big league reliever could not hold on to it as the Red Bird added one in the third and then three more in the sixth while the Oklahoma City lineup remained dormant after their big opening stanza.

CF Julio Borbon (.285 / .345 / .357) got things going for OKC with a leadoff single, his 15th stolen base of the year and a run scored on C Emerson Frostad’s three-run homer. Borbon later added his 16th walk of the year and his 20th strikeout.

Double-A: Frisco

The Texas League had the day off to switch dance partners. Frisco begins a homestand at Dr Pepper Ballpark tonight.

The Rangers’ first round selection in the 2006 draft, LHP Kasey Kiker (3-2; 2.72) is the RoughRiders scheduled starter. Kiker ranks third in the Texas League ERA standings and leads the circuit with 52 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. He’s holding Texas League hitters to a .207 batting average and has surrendered just two long balls all year. At the age of 21 years, six months, Kiker is the league’s second youngest starter.

Advanced-A: @ Visalia 1, Bakersfield 0

RHP Michael Main (4-5; 6.48) gave the Blaze what was arguably his best effort of the year, holding the Rawhide to one runs on four hits and four walks while fanning five in 5.1 innings (against the worst offensive ballclub in the Cal League), but the Bakersfield lineup was whitewashed on just four hits.

Back in the two hole where he is hitting .313 / .374 / .458, CF Engel Beltre (.243 / .298 / .342 overall) went 2-for-4.

Class-A: @ Hickory 6, Hagerstown 3

LHP Yoon-Hee Nam (5-1; 0.71) continued to dominate the Sally League with 3.2 scorless innings of relief, allowing one hit and walking two, as the Crawdads doubled up on the Suns.

As usual, the Hickory lineup was led by the Sally League’s best hitter, RF Mike Bianucci (.342 / .399 / .627) who belted a solo shot and delivered two RBI sac flies in four trips to drive in three runs. C Leonel “Macumba” De Los Santos (.255 / .278 / .362) went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and a run in his second game back from a two week break in action.

RHP Joe Wieland (2.25 ERA) got his second start of the year — after beginning the spring in extended and then going on the DL with a groin strain after his first start — and gave up three runs, all unearned, on five hits in 3.1 innings, fanning four.