Former Riders sweep 2022 Rangers MiLB awards

FRISCO, Texas (October 3, 2022) – Five 2022 Frisco RoughRiders players took home all of the Texas Rangers Minor League Awards on Friday:

Tom Grieve Player of the Year – OF Evan Carter

Nolan Ryan Pitcher of the Year – LHP Cole Ragans

Reliever of the Year – RHP Chase Lee

Defender of the Year – INF Jonathan Ornelas

True Ranger Award – INF Thomas Saggese

Carter spent the last six games with the RoughRiders after beginning the season in High-A Hickory and shined in the postseason as well with Frisco. The 20-year-old played a total of 106 games during the regular season, hitting .295/.397/.489/.886 with 21 doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, 73 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. He finished tied for third in all of Minor League Baseball with his 10 triples while he was eighth in the Rangers organization in batting average (.295), tied for second in runs scored (86) and third in OPS (.885). In the postseason, the center fielder had three hits during the Championship Series-clinching game two, including a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning. Carter was the Rangers second-round selection in 2020 and is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the organization by MLB.com. Carter is the 11th former RoughRiders player to be named the Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year and the first since Scott Heineman in 2018.

Ragans both finished the 2021 season and began 2022 in Frisco before finishing the season in Arlington with the Rangers. With the RoughRiders in 2022, Ragans made 10 starts, going 5-3 with a 2.81 ERA while striking out 65 batters to 19 walks over 51.1 innings. Ragans then went on to make eight more starts in Triple-A Round Rock before his promotion to Texas. Overall in 18 minor league starts, Ragans went 8-5 with a 3.04 ERA. The former first-round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Rangers is the No. 13 prospect in the Rangers system by MLB.com. Ragans becomes the 15th former Riders pitcher to be named the Nolan Ryan Pitcher of the Year, joining most recent selection *Cole Winn *in 2021.

Lee also finished off 2021 and began 2022 with the RoughRiders, turning into one of the most dominant arms in the Rangers system. To start the season, Lee made 21 outings for the Riders, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA, acquiring 30 strikeouts to just eight walks over 24.0 innings while holding opponents to a .186 average. While his numbers were inflated in Triple-A Round Rock (1-1, 5.46 ERA over 30 outings), the 2021 sixth-round pick of the Rangers finished the season strongly, going 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his final 25 Triple-A games. Lee is the 10th former Riders player to win the Reliever of the Year award and the first since Nick Snyder took it home in 2021.

Ornelas showed off his defensive prowess at multiple positions in 2022 while spending the entire season with Frisco. The primary shortstop (86 games) also spent 29 games at third, four games at second and four games in centerfield while owning a .969 fielding percentage and a .973 mark at shortstop alone. On offense, Ornelas also hit .299 over 123 games, tying the franchise record for most hits in a single season with 157. Ornelas is the No. 22 prospect in the Rangers system by MLB.com

Ornelas played shortstop (11 games), third base (10 games) and centerfield (two games) in August, totaling a .966 fielding percentage while converting 86 of 89 total chances. He shared the honor with outfielder Marcus Smith (Down East).

This is Ornelas' second Defender of the Month award from the Rangers as he took home the award in June.

The RoughRiders returned home on Tuesday, September 20th at 6:35 p.m. to take on the San Antonio Missions in the first game of the Division Championship Series. Neither team has announced a starter for the game.

For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance for 15 consecutive seasons (2005-2019). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 170 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].