Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (6/25)

Welcome back to the Road, where it’s all Julio, all the time these days.

Though the 35th overall selection in the 2007 draft tore up the Texas League in his first full pro season (.337 / .380 / .459 in 255 at-bats for Frisco last year), he drew just 29 walks while fanning 62 times in 546 at-bats split almost evenly between Bakersfield and Frisco.

The Rangers sent Borbon to the Arizona Fall League to work on taking pitchers deeper into counts and he met the challenge. Borbon drew 17 freebies in just 87 at-bats for Surprise in the AFL — virtually tripling his walk rate. The trade off was that he fanned 20 times in those 87 at-bats after striking out 32 times in 255 at-bats in the Texas League. This, I am sure, was the result of purposefully going deeper in counts. He didn’t see strike two very often in Frisco. But the net gain in OBP (.380 in Frisco & .404 in the AFL) may have proved to Borbon that being more patient can pay off.

Rangers batting coordinator Mike Boulanger has stated that he’s happy with Borbon’s greater command of the strike zone this year and that is reflected less in his walk rate than in his strikeout rate. While Borbon’s walk rate hasn’t actually risen that much this year, his contact rate has increased significantly by cutting his strikeout rate in half. After striking out slightly more than twice as often as he walked last year, Borbon has posted a BB/PA of 0.069 and a BB/K of 0.82 (22 / 27) this year, figures that are very much like CF Jacoby Ellsbury’s (0.068 / 0.77) for the Red Sox this season.

Borbon’s core numbers are also much like Ellsbury’s: .302 / .360 / .378 / .738 for Borbon and .307 / .356 / .401 / .757 for Ellsbury, who was Boston’s first round selection in the 2005 draft. Both are devastating on the bases, both are extremely rangy in center field and neither is blessed with a plus arm. Back in 2007, Ellsbury hit .298 / .360 / .380 in 363 at-bats for Triple-A Pawtucket before getting his callup to Boston for their stretch run to what would become a World Championship season. In 123 at-bats for Boston that year, he hit .353 / .394 / .509.

I’m not arguing that Borbon would do for Texas this year what Ellsbury did for Boston in 2007, but I’d be very interested in seeing him try. Not quite yet, but soon.

Triple-A: @ Oklahoma City 3, Round Rock 2

LF Julio Borbon (.302 / .360 / .378) slammed a two-run homer — his first of the year — drew a walk and stole his 19th bag of the year while CF Greg Golson (.281 / .336 / .382) went 2-for-4, driving in the winning run to give the RedHawks their fourth straight victory.

RHP Josh Rupe (1-4; 5.77) enjoyed his best outing of the year since joining the OKC rotation, limiting the Express to a pair of runs on five hits and no walks, fanning six.

The aged but perhaps not quite yet infirm Il Duque made his organizational debut, fanning two in a perfect eighth and RHP Warner Madrigal (2.19 ERA) notched his sixth save of the year with a perfect ninth.

Double-A: Midland 14 @ Frisco 3

It was a festival of poor pitching performances for the Riders, beginning with “starter” RHP Tanner Roark (1-1; 6.17) who gave up four runs on five hits and a pair of walks through the first two before giving way to RHP Jared Hyatt (6.27 ERA) who was reasonably effective, limiting the RockHounds to a pair of runs on four hits — including two solo shots — through the next four. Then RHP Brennan Garr (4.74) yielded four runs through the next 1.1 innings and RHP Thomas Diamond (3.86) surrendered four more over the final 1.2 frames.

1B Justin Smoak (.331 / .451 / .503) singled and walked in four trips, driving in one while RF Dustin Majewski (.256 / .337 / .344) doubled and tripled in a 2-for-4 outing.

Advanced-A: Bakersfield — OFF

Class-A: Hickory — OFF

Short Season-A: Spokane 18 @ Everett 9

The Indians opened up a can on the Aqua Sox as the Spokane lineup combined for five multi-hit performances and four dingers. DH Aja Barto (.389 / .522 / .833) led the way with a 2-for-4 outing that included his second homer of the year as well as a walk, driving in four. C Vincent DiFazio (313 / .421 / .625) went 2-for-5 with a home run and a walk to drive in a pair.

Starting pitcher RHP Kyle Ocampo surrendered six runs in the first inning and then settled down to deliver three more shutout frames. RHP Reineir Bermudez, a Cuban defector, walked on over two shutout frames, fanning two.

Rookie: @ Rangers 4, Royals 2

RHP Juan Grullon allowed two runs, one earned, on on hit, a walk, a wild pitch and a HBP while punching out four through the first five innings as the little Rangers doubled-up the score on their complex mates.

C Tomas Telis (.421 / .417 / .500) went 2-for-4, scoring once from the two hole and the toolsy, intriguing and way under the radar DH Guillermo Pimentel tripled for his only hit in four trips.