Rangers Top 30 Prospect Falters in Latest Start

After three solid starts at Triple-A, Sunday's outing was one to forget for the former first-round pick

Texas Rangers Top 30 prospect Cole Ragans had one of his roughest outings of the season Sunday for the Triple-A Round Rock Express against the Las Vegas Aviators.

Sunday’s appearance was his second start since he was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week.

It did not go the way he or the Rangers were hoping. Ragans wasn’t able to get out of the fourth inning, as he gave up 10 hits, seven runs and a walk while striking out three. Ragans saw his ERA go up to 4.35.

Ragans was coming off a start on June 28 against Las Vegas in which he threw 89 pitches in four innings, during which he gave up five hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk while striking out four.

In his previous start against Oklahoma City on June 22, he gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings. He combined with Jonathan Hernández, Spencer Patton and Josh Sborz for a shutout in victory over Oklahoma City.

Ragans’ first start with the Express on June 16 was a quality start, as he threw seven innings, giving up six hits, two runs and struck out eight.

For the minor league season, which started at Double-A Frisco, Ragans is 6-4 with 87 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Ragans, a left-hander is the Rangers’ No. 29 prospect per MLB.com, has taken the long road to get to the Rangers’ top minor-league affiliate.

He was the Rangers’ first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in 2016 out of North Florida Christian in Tallahassee, Fla. He pitched four games in the Arizona Fall League in 2016, and then joined the Rangers’ Short Class-A league team in Spokane in 2017, where he went 3-2 in 13 games with a 3.61 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 35 walks.

But Ragans didn’t pitch again until 2021. He had two Tommy John surgeries and the 2020 minor-league season was canceled due to COVID-19.

In 2021, Ragans pitched for two Rangers affiliates — High Class-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. With Hickory, Ragans threw 10 games, going 1-2 with a 3.25 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 14 walks. With the RoughRiders, he threw nine games, going 3-1 with a 5.70 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 20 walks. Combined, he went 4-3 with a 4.35 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 34 walks.

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