Trio of Top Texas Rangers Prospects Join Round Rock Express

ROUND ROCK, Texas – Three of the top prospects in the Texas Rangers organization have arrived in Round Rock! RHP A.J. Alexy, INF Sherten Apostel and RHP Yerry Rodriguez were all promoted from the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders to the Round Rock Express prior to tonight’s 7:05 p.m. series finale against the Oklahoma City Dodgers at Dell Diamond.

Apostel is the highest rated prospect joining the E-Train roster as the 22-year-old infielder currently ranks #10 on MLB.com’s Texas Rangers Top Prospects list. Joining Apostel in Round Rock is the 22nd-ranked Rodriguez and the 24th-ranked Alexy. All three prospects are listed on the Rangers 40-man roster and have spent the duration of the 2021 season with Frisco.

Alexy has dominated his Double-A Central League competition this season, pitching to a 3-1 record with a team-best 1.61 ERA (9 ER/50.1 IP). The righty has struck out 57 compared to just 21 walks while holding his opposition to a .174 batting average and a 1.01 WHIP. The Honey Brook, Pennsylvania native has appeared in 13 games for the RoughRiders, including seven starts. In the midst of a breakout season, Alexy joins the Express leading the Double-A Central League in ERA while ranking fourth in opponent batting average and fifth in WHIP among all hurlers with at least 50.0 innings on the year.

The 23-year-old was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2016 June Draft out of Twin Valley High School in Elverson, Pennsylvania. Alexy was acquired by the Rangers in a four-player trade with the Dodgers on July 31, 2017 that sent RHP Yu Darvish to Los Angeles and INF Willie Calhoun and INF Brendon Davis to the Texas organization. In his five minor league seasons, Alexy is 13-19 with a 3.37 ERA (107 ER/285.2 IP) to go along with 343 strikeouts and 141 walks. He also owns a career .207 opponent batting average and a 1.23 WHIP.

Apostel is set to make his Triple-A debut with Round Rock after suiting up in 42 games with Frisco. The corner infielder has tallied a .236 batting average (35-148) with nine doubles, six home runs and 20 RBI on the year. He owns a pair of multi-home run games, having gone yard twice on June 10 against Northwest Arkansas before another two-homer night on June 18 at Corpus Christi in which he also matched his career high with five RBI. Apostel was sidelined from July 6-30 with a knee injury.

The Willemstad, Curacao native made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2020, hitting .100 (2-20) with a double in limited action across seven games. He was acquired by Texas as the player to be named later from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the deal that sent RHP Keone Kela to Pittsburgh and LHP Taylor Hearn to Texas. Across 329 career games at the minor league level, Apostel owns a .249 average (280-1,123) to go along with 55 doubles, seven triples, 46 home runs and 180 RBI.

Rodriguez has been one of Frisco’s most consistent starters all season, posting a 2.63 ERA (15 ER/51.1 IP) across 14 games, all starts. The righty has racked up 63 punchouts to just 21 walks while his opposition is hitting a miniscule .205 against the Santiago, Dominican Republic native. Rodriguez was magnificent in his last start for the RoughRiders, holding the Corpus Christi Hooks scoreless on just three hits while tallying a season-high 11 strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work on July 29. He also retired 14 consecutive hitters across two starts on June 11 and June 17.

The 23-year-old has spent the duration of his career within the Texas Rangers organization after being signed by the club as a non-drafted free agent on September 2, 2015. In 57 total games, including 44 starts, across his five minor league seasons, Rodriguez is 18-9 with a 2.46 ERA (67 ER/244.2 IP). He owns a 4.44 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, having recorded 271 punchouts to just 61 walks in his career.

The Round Rock Express have also added RHP Glenn Otto, RHP Nick Snyder and RHP Cole Uvila to the team’s roster in recent days.

Otto was acquired by the Rangers on July 29 from the New York Yankees in a deal that sent OF Joey Gallo to the Bronx and INF Ezequiel Duran, INF Trevor Hauver and INF Josh Smith to the Texas organization. The 25-year-old made his Express debut on July 31, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five in 5.0 solid innings of work against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. In five previous minor league seasons, all within the Yankees organization, Otto went 14-7 with a 3.08 ERA (59 ER/172.1 IP), 232 strikeouts and 68 walks. He was originally drafted by New York in the fifth round of the 2017 June Draft out of Rice University.

Snyder is seeking his Triple-A debut with Round Rock after an August 2 promotion from Frisco. In 13 games, all in relief, for the RoughRiders, the 25-year-old went 0-1 with a microscopic 1.65 ERA (3 ER/16.1 IP). Snyder racked up an impressive 25 strikeouts to just one walk across his 16.1 total innings. He also posted a .200 opponent batting average and 0.80 WHIP in his time with Frisco. Snyder has rocketed through the Texas Rangers organization after being selected in the 19th round of the 2017 June Draft out of Indian River State College in Florida. In 73 total games, all in relief, the Palm City, Florida native is 6-4 with a 2.95 ERA (33 ER/100.2 IP), 120 strikeouts and 28 walks.

Uvila made his Triple-A debut with the Express on August 1, allowing a pair of runs on four hits in 2.0 innings of relief against Oklahoma City. Prior to his promotion to Round Rock, Uvila went 2-2 with a 2.90 ERA (10 ER/31.0 IP) in 23 games for Frisco. During his time in a RoughRiders uniform, the 27-year-old racked up 42 punchouts to only 14 walks while holding opposing hitters to a .212 average. In 81 career games since being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 40th round of the 2018 June Draft, Uvila is 10-5 with a 2.30 ERA (33 ER/129.1 IP). He owns 186 career strikeouts and 65 walks to go along with a .172 opponent batting average.

Fans can see Round Rock’s new talent beginning with Tuesday night’s series finale against the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) beginning at 7:05 p.m. Express LHP Wes Benjamin (2-3, 8.27) is scheduled to face Dodgers RHP Andre Jackson (--) in the finale. Round Rock then welcomes the Sugar Land Skeeters (Houston Astros affiliate) to town for a six-game series from Thursday, August 5 – Tuesday, August 10. Rodriguez is scheduled to make his Triple-A debut with a start on Thursday before Alexy is slated to make his Triple-A debut with a start on Friday.

Single game tickets are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!