On The Farm: Sam Huff, Leody Taveras Take Big Swings in Round Rock
Sam Huff is the future at catcher for the Texas Rangers. If his opening night at Round Rock was any indication, he may not be interested in waiting long to get back to Arlington.
Huff, the organization’s top-ranked catcher, is off to a good start at Triple-A. On Friday night, The 6-foot-4 slugger went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, as the Express defeated El Paso, 11-3.
He wasn’t the only player with a big night at the plate for Round Rock. Leody Taveras, who is eyeing a spot in center field in Arlington, went 5-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored out of the second position in the batting order.
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Huff’s three-run home run came in the second inning, part of a six-run surge that gave Round Rock a 8-1 lead.
Huff, drafted in the ninth round out of high school in 2016, has grinded away in the Rangers organization and MLB.com projects that Huff could reach the Major League roster in 2022.
Huff played 11 games with the Rangers in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, hitting .355 with three home runs.
Last season, he played with three different teams in the Rangers’ organization, finishing up with Round Rock and hitting .273 with three home runs in just seven games.
Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers
Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers
Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers
Hamstring and knee injuries limited Huff last season. The Express played Huff at designated hitter and put him at sixth in the batting order. He is, however, healthy enough to catch with no limitations behind the plate.
Taveras is also trying to get back to Arlington after spending 82 games with the Rangers in 2020 and 2021. His time in the big leagues has not gone well, hitting .188 with seven home runs, 15 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
The former international free agent—who signed with the Rangers for $2.6 million in 2015—fared much better at Round Rock last season, as he hit .245 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.
Also On The Farm...
- Luisangel Acuña (High-A Hickory) has a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will miss around two weeks on the Injured List.
- RHP Chase Lee pitched a perfect inning and recorded the save in Double-A Frisco's season opener. The Rangers selected Lee in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama.
- Highly-touted pitching prospect Cole Winn allowed one run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts over four innings in Round Rock's win on Friday.
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