2022 Hickory Crawdads pitching stats

Continuing our review of the players with the Rangers minor league affiliates roughly two months into the 2022 season, we move today to the high-A Hickory Crawdads.

Specifically, we are looking today at the pitchers for the Hickory Crawdads so far in 2022:

The Rangers have some impressive pitching prospects working at Hickory this season, even if their numbers aren’t jumping off the page.

Owen White is the top pitching prospect for Hickory, after White’s abbreviated 2021 season at Down East (abbreviated because he broke his hand punching the mound in frustration in his first start of the season) and his Arizona Fall League performance saw his stock around the league soar. As would be expected with a pitcher who has had so little game action since being drafted in the second round in 2018, White has struggled with his consistency. In his last two starts, however, he has struck out 23 batters, against just two walks, while allowing three runs over thirteen innings. White needs to get innings under his belt, but the stuff is legit. I expect he will be in Frisco at some point this season.

Ricky Vanasco is back on the mound after Tommy John surgery cost him the 2021 campaign (though he was back on the mound in Instructionals). Vanasco has blown hot and cold, and his overall numbers aren’t where you want them, but he appears to be heading in the right direction at this point. He could also end up in Frisco in 2022, but I’d say it is less likely at this point than it is with White.

T.K. Roby has missed bats so far this year, but has also been homer-prone. He’s 20 years old and in high-A, so I’m not going to sweat the homers right now.

Marc Church continues to put up sexual K rates, and the fact that he’s given up as many homers as walks may suggest that he might need to throw a few less strikes, perhaps. If he stays healthy, I think you’ll see him in Frisco this season as well.