clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

2019 Texas Rangers farm review: Frisco Roughriders pitchers

Taking a look at the pitchers from the 2019 Frisco Roughriders

By Adam J. Morris
Theodore Roosevelt Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

2019 Texas Rangers minor league review: The Frisco Roughriders pitchers.

With the regular season over for the Texas Rangers’ minor league clubs, we are taking a look at the performance of each of the U.S.-based minor league teams. After looking at the AA Frisco Roughriders hitters yesterday, today we are checking out the Frisco pitchers.

So, you know how yesterday I mentioned how little there was in the way of prospect excitement among the Frisco hitters? That’s not the case with the pitchers.

Probably the most exciting guys, in terms of performance at Frisco this year, among the pitchers was the trio of righthanded relievers who all started the year at Down East and who, at a minimum, passed through Frisco. Emmanuel Clase had 33 games for Frisco before moving up to Nashville, and is now doing work out of the Rangers major league pen. Joe Barlow allowed just 2 runs in 16 innings while striking out 27 batters before making the jump to Nashville, while Demarcus Evans struck out 60 in 37.2 IP, allowing just 4 runs. Barlow and Evans are almost certainly going to join Clase on the 40 man roster this offseason.

Tyler Phillips will also most likely be added to the 40 man roster this offseason. The 21 year old righthander was outstanding at Down East before earning a promotion to Frisco, and while he was roughed up early, over his final 10 outings for Frisco he had a 2.95 ERA with 40 Ks against 12 walks in 58 IP. Jason Bahr also moved from Down East to Frisco and he was great in AA from the outset, putting up a 3.23 ERA in 12 starts for the Roughriders.

Then there are Joe Palumbo, Brock Burke and Jonathan Hernandez, three of the four guys who came into the season among the Rangers’ top pitching prospects. Hernandez struggled with consistency and appears to be moving into a bullpen role, while Burke and Palumbo have made solid strides this year and have made starts in the majors. All three have been in the big leagues this year — Hernandez and Burke are up now, and Palumbo will be when his blister is healed.