Rangers phenom Evan Carter was a hit at Wolff Stadium

Then-Texas Rangers prospect Evan Carter hits the first of his two home runs on the night for the Frisco Rough Riders against the San Antonio Missions on April 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Then-Texas Rangers prospect Evan Carter hits the second of his two home runs on the night for the Frisco Rough Riders against the San Antonio Missions on April 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Evan Carter has been a breakout player for the Texas Rangers during their 2023 postseason run to the World Series.

He made quite the impression early this season at Wolff Stadium.

Playing for the Double-A Frisco Rough Riders, he hit two home runs in one night in the San Antonio Missions’ second home game. He powered Frisco to a 7-1 victory. Leading off and playing center field, Carter went 2-for-3, drove in four runs and walked twice.

The 21-year-old Carter, who was drafted in the second round by the Rangers in 2020, was Texas’ No. 1 prospect in the minor leagues when the 2023 season opened. He spent 97 games with Frisco and batted .353 with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs. Carter played eight games in Triple-A before being called up to the majors on Sept. 8.

Rangers prospect Thomas Saggese part of Jordan Montgomery trade

Texas Rangers prospect Thomas Saggese playing for the Frisco Rough Riders against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium on April 12, 2023. - photo by Joe Alexander
Texas Rangers prospect Thomas Saggese playing for the Frisco Rough Riders against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium on April 12, 2023.
The Texas Rangers made a big deal for the second day in a row as the trade deadline looms.

The Rangers acquired starting left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Texas sends middle infielder Thomas Saggese, right-handed pitcher and left-handed pitcher John King to St. Louis.

Saggese was the No. 14 prospect in the Rangers minor league organization, according to MLB.com. The 21-year-old was batting .314 with 14 home runs and 78 RBIs in 92 games this season for the Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League. He was a fifth-round draft pick out of high school in 2020.

On Friday, the Rangers acquired pitcher Max Scherzere from the New York Mets for Frisco infielder Luisangel Acuna, the No. 3 prospect in the Rangers organization.

Rangers prospect Luisangel Acuna traded to Mets in Max Scherzer deal

The Frisco Rough Riders' Luisangel Acuna, who has been traded to the New York mets in the Max Scherzer deal, playing against the San Antonio Missions on April 13, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Frisco Rough Riders’ Luisangel Acuna playing against the San Antonio Missions on April 13 at Wolff Stadium.
Frisco RoughRiders shortstop/second baseman Luisangel Acuna is headed to the New York Mets as part of the Texas Rangers’ trade to acquire pitcher Max Scherzer.

Acuna, who has played at Wolff Stadium a number of times this season against the San Antonio Missions, is batting .315 on the season. He has seven home runs and 51 RBIs in 84 games. He also stole 42 bases.

The 21-year-old from Venezuela was the No. 3 prospect in the Rangers’ minor league organization.

Texas Rangers prospects Evan Carter, Dustin Harris hit home runs to close out series against Missions

Frisco's Evan Carter had two hits including a home run on Sunday. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 12-2 on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Frisco’s Evan Carter had two hits including a home run on Sunday.
The Frisco RoughRiders rolled into San Antonio with some of the top young prospects in the Texas Rangers organization.

The RoughRiders wrapped up the six-game series with a 12-2 victory over the San Antonio Missions on Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

Frisco had 12 hits including a leadoff home run by Evan Carter and a grand slam by Dustin Harris. The RoughRiders also drew 10 walks.

Carter is a 20-year-old outfielder and the No. 1 prospect in the Rangers’ minor leagues. He pounded his way through six-game series against the Missions with 10 hits, four runs, 11 RBIs, seven walks, three home runs and a double.

Harris, a 23-year-old first baseman/outfielder, is the No. 7 Rangers prospect, according to MLB.com. He had six hits, five runs, five RBIs and seven walks against the Missions including a home run and double on Sunday.

Frisco's Dustin Harris steals second base. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 12-2 on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Frisco’s Dustin Harris steals second base.

Texas Rangers’ minor league pitchers showing their stuff against Missions

Frisco starting pitcher Nick Krauth got the win. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 7-0 on Friday, April 14, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Frisco starting pitcher Nick Krauth got the win.
Frisco pitchers limited the San Antonio Missions to three hits on Friday night and the RoughRiders rolled to a 7-0 victory at Wolff Stadium.

Frisco, which is the Double-A farm club of the Texas Rangers, has held the Missions to two runs over the last 28 innings in the series and outscored San Antonio 22-2 over the last three games.

RoughRiders starting pitcher Nick Krauth went five innings and got the win. He allowed one hit, two walks and one strikeout.

Four Frisco relievers – Ricky DeVito, Grant Wolfram, Nick Starr and Triston Polley – combined to allow two hits and two walks with three strikeouts over the last four innings.

The Missions used a position player to pitch in the ninth inning. Catcher/infielder Juan Fernandez, who played the first eight innings at third base, retired the RoughRiders in order in the ninth. Missions starting pitcher Duncan Snider went 3.1 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Frisco got a home run from Scott Kapers. The top three batters in the Rough Riders’ batting order piled up the offense with Evan Carter, Luisangel Acuna and Dustin Harris combining for nine hits, three walks, four RBIs and two runs.

Daniel Johnson was the only batter in the top half of the Missions' order with a hit. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 7-0 on Friday, April 14, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Daniel Johnson was the only batter in the top half of the Missions’ order with a hit.

Texas Rangers pitching prospect holds Missions in check, again

Frisco starter Owen White held San Antonio scoreless through the first 4 2/3 innings. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 8-1 on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Frisco starter Owen White held San Antonio scoreless through the first 4 2/3 innings.
For the second night in a row, the San Antonio Missions faced one of the top young pitchers in the Texas Rangers organization.

And for the second straight night, the Missions had a tough time getting their bats going.

Frisco starter Owen White pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and the RoughRiders beat the Missions 8-1 Thursday night at Wolff Stadium. White held the Missions to one hit, walked two and struck out four.

MLB Pipeline lists White as the No. 60 prospect in all of minor league baseball. The 23-year-old right-hander is the No. 2 prospect in the Texas Rangers minor league system, behind only Frisco outfielder Evan Carter.

The Missions managed just four hits on the night. Their only run came on a Tirso Ornelas home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Frisco reliever John Matthews pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.

Missions starting pitcher Jackson Wolf lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowed four earned runs and took the loss.

Missions catcher Michael De La Cruz had two hits. Juan Fernandez and Ornelas accounted for the other two San Antonio hits.

Missions middle relievers Jose Espada and Seth Mayberry combined to hold the RoughRiders hitless for five straight innings. Espada took over in the fourth inning and threw four shutout innings, allowing only one walk with three strikeouts. Mayberry held Frisco scoreless in the eighth despite allowing two walks along with two strikeouts.

On Wednesday night, Frisco starter Jack Leiter held the Missions to one run over 4 1/3 innings in a 7-1 RoughRiders victory. Leiter is the No. 4 prospect in the Rangers’ organization.

Michael De La Cruz. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 8-1 on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions catcher Michael De La Cruz tags out the RoughRiders’ Evan Carter in a rundown between first and second.
Tirso Ornelas. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 8-1 on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tirso Ornelas celebrates after hitting a ninth-inning home run.
San Antonio reliever Jose Espada pitched four innings and held Frisco hitless and scoreless over that stretch in the RockHounds' 8-1 victory over the Missions on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio reliever Jose Espada pitched four innings and held Frisco hitless and scoreless over that stretch.

Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter hits two home runs in one game for Frisco

Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter hits his first of two home runs against the San Antonio Missions on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter hits his first of two home runs Wednesday.
Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter hits his second of two home runs against the San Antonio Missions on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter hits his second of two home runs Wednesday.

Evan Carter is No. 1 on the list of Texas Rangers prospects on MLB.com.

The 20-year-old outfielder is currently playing for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League.

Carter is projected to reach the majors next summer. Which is not to say he couldn’t get there sooner if he keeps having games like he did had Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Texas Rangers 2023 prospects rankings on MLB.com

Carter hit two home runs and walked twice while batting in the leadoff spot against the San Antonio Missions on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. His homers helped power Frisco to a 7-1 victory over San Antonio.

And by the way, Carter plays center field.

Carter is hitting .333 in five games so far this season with six hits and eight RBIs. Carter batted .295 last season at High-A and Double-A combined with 12 home runs and 73 RBIs in 106 games.

A native of Tennessee, the Rangers picked Carter in the second round of the 2020 draft.

Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter chases down a fly ball in center field against the San Antonio Missions on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Texas Rangers top prospect Evan Carter chases down a fly ball in center field in the Frisco Rough Riders’ 7-1 victory.

Texas Rangers prospect Hans Crouse makes Double-A debut pitching against Missions

Texas Rangers prospect Hans Crouse pitching for the Frisco RoughRiders against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium on May 18, 2021. - photo by Joe Alexander
Texas Rangers prospect Hans Crouse pitching for the Frisco RoughRiders against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium on May 18, 2021.
Four years ago, the Texas Rangers picked Hans Crouse in the second round of the amateur baseball draft.

The Rangers gave the high school pitcher from California a million-dollar-plus signing bonus that marked him as one of the team’s big hopes for the future.

Tuesday night, the 22-year-old Crouse pitched at the Double-A level for the first time as the Frisco RoughRiders’ starter against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium.

In his first game since Aug. 26, 2019, the 6-foot-4 right hander pitched one inning and retired the Missions in order while striking out one batter. According to the Prospect Times, Crouse threw 11 pitches, with eight of them strikes.

The Rangers already had another pitcher warming up when the game started, so it looks like the one-inning appearance was part of the team’s plan.

Crouse pitched in 19 games in 2019 in Class A ball, despite reportedly dealing with bone chips in his elbow. He recorded a 6-1 record with a 4.41 ERA. His last game before Tuesday night was August 26, 2019.

Texas Rangers prospect and Nashville Sounds infielder Andy Ibanez

Nashfield Sounds third baseman Andy Ibanez playing against the Missions on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Nashfield Sounds third baseman Andy Ibanez playing against the Missions on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Andy Ibanez went into Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Missions hitting .500.

Even though it’s very early in the season, that gives you an idea why Ibanez is one of the Texas Rangers’ top prospects on the Nashville Sounds’ roster.

The Sounds third baseman had one hit, one RBI and one run scored in a 7-3 victory over the Missions at Wolff Stadium.

Ibanez is listed as infielder on the roster and has seen action as a second baseman in the minors. Prospects 1500 lists the 26-year-old from Cuba as the second highest prospect among position players on the Sounds’ roster and in the top 50 in the Rangers’ minor-league organization.

Missions fans got a chance to see Ibanez last season in the Texas League. He hit .283 with 12 home runs with Round Rock in 2018.

The Missions and Sounds continue their four-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Wolff Stadium with fireworks after the game. The teams meet again Sunday at 2:05 p.m. and Monday at 11:05 a.m.

  • Texas Rangers prospects on prospects1500.com
  • Andy Ibanez bio on milb.com
  • Rangers prospect Andy Ibanez on FoxSports.com