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Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (7/10)

Guillermo Pimentel, photo by Scott Lucas

The Rangers didn’t get the $2 million Guillermo Pimentel who was one of the most prized free agent prospects in the Dominican Republic this summer, but already have a Guillermo Pimentel who has the sort of raw physical tools that could be molded into a pretty special ballplayer.

Me, from Surprise, on March 20:

I’m going to recommend that you put this kid on your watch list. Nineteen year old outfielder Guillermo Pimentel is a thoroughbred with a good-sized, athletic body, plus speed and a plus arm. Physically, he’s a clear standout. Seeing time with both Domincan Summer League teams last year, Pimentel (no relation to pitcher Carlos) hit .311 / .395 / .415 for the DSL 1 club and drew 13 walks while fanning just 16 times in 106 at-bats.

I’m just warning you. I’m a little obsessed with this guy. He’s toolsy as all get out and it appears he’s got a bit of an idea of what he’s supposed to be doing.

Triple-A: @ Oklahoma City 6, Iowa 5

SS Joaquin Arias (.256 / .284 / .293) capped a 2-for-5 outing by leading of the home half of the ninth with a single and then coming around to score the winning run on a double by DH Royce Huffman, who went 2-for-4 with a walk.

RHP Luis Mendoza (4.29 ERA) put the first four in the book, allowing just one unearned run on five hits and three walks. He did not record a strikeout, but 11 of the 12 outs he recorded came via ground balls.

El Duque (3.00 ERA) walked one in a hitless eighth before handing the ball to RHP Neftali Feliz (4-5; 3.50) to recorded the victory with a perfect ninth.

Struggling 2B Jose Vallejo (.236 / .311 / .322) went 4-for-4 with a double to drive in one and CF Julio Borbon (.297 / .366 / .386) went 1-for-4 with a walk from the top of the order.

Double-A: @ Frisco 10, Springfield 4

3B Adam Fox (.229 / .290 / .383) led the Frisco assault with a pair of homers and a walk in a 3-for-4 outing while RHP Blake Beavan (1-2; 5.65) notched his first Texas League win in spite of allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings, neither walking nor striking out anyone, but recording 11 ground ball outs.

CF Craig Gentry (303 / .369 / .433) went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk from the top of the Riders order, adding his 32nd stolen bag of the year and RF Mitch Moreland (.317 / .369 / .470) drove in two runs in a 2-for-5 outing.

LHP Zach Phillips (0.00 ERA) fanned three in two scoreless innings of relief and RHP Beau Vaughan (0.73) struck out a pair in a perfect final frame.

Advanced-A: @ Bakersfield 6, Modesto 4

Blaze starter RHP Tanner Roark (2-0; 2.72) fanned 11 over 6.2 innings during which he surrendered three runs on four hits and a walk.

DH Mauro Gomez (.272 / .326 / .517) homered in each of his first two at-bats to highlight a 3-for-4, three RBI performance and CF Engel Beltre (.220 / .272 / .301) went 2-for-4 from the top of the order, adding his 15th stolen base of the year.

Class-A: @ Hickory 6, Lake County 0

RHP Wilmer Font (5-1; 3.61) punched out four in five scoreless innings during which the big 19 year old allowed just one hit and a walk, giving him back-to-back five frame shutouts.

LF Cristian Santana (.192 / .268 / .371) slammed a two-run homer, his seventh of the year, in a 1-for-2 outing that included a base on balls while C Doug Hogan delivered his ninth dinger of the year for his only hit in four trips. CF David Paisano (.293 / .351 / .397) was the only Crawdad to collect multiple hits, going 2-for-4 from the top of the order.

Short Season-A: @ Eugene 3, Spokane 2

Spokane starter RHP Braden Tullis (3.31 ERA) went the first four, allowing a run on four hits and a walk while fanning four. The 19 year old Tullis, Texas’s 8th rounder in the 2009 draft, has fanned 21 and walked just one through his first 16.1 innings as a professional.

Rookie: Rangers 9 @ Royals 1

2007 6th rounder Bobby Wilkins (2-0; 0.54), who turns 20 next month, is dominating the complex league in his third look at that level of competition. He allowed one run on five hits, fanning four in five innings of work and then sat back and watched the little Rangers open up a can on the Royals pitchers.

3B Ed Koncel, the Rangers’ 13th rounder in the 2008 draft, homered twice in a 3-for-5 outing to drive in four runs while SS Edwin Garcia (.289 / .360 / .422) doubled twice and tripled in four trips to drive in three runs.

A pair that I’ve been overhyping for quite some time now also delivered: C Tomas Telis (.333 / .333 / .407) went 2-for-4 with a double to drive in a pair and CF Guillermo Pimentel (.293 / .383 / .463) went 3-for-3 and stole a bag.