Former Rider Jake Thompson promoted to big leagues

FRISCO, TEXAS (August 5, 2016) - Philadelphia Phillies manager Pete Mackanin announced Thursday night that the club plans to purchase the contract of Rockwall native Jake Thompson, a former right-handed pitcher for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. He is scheduled to make his Major League debut Saturday evening in a start against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Thompson is the 146th former RoughRiders player to reach the big leagues.

Thompson, 22, has made 21 starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. He has thrown the most innings of any IronPig (129.2), has the lowest ERA among starters at 2.50, leads the team with 87 strikeouts, and has only given up 10 home runs. Thompson is the top pitching prospect in the Phillies organization, according to MLBPipeline.com, is ranked No. 5 overall in the system, and No. 70 in all of baseball.

The Phillies acquired Thompson in a trade with Texas last year at the trading deadline, when Texas sent six players to Philadelphia on July 31 in exchange for pitchers Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman.

Thompson, originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers, came to the Rangers on July 23, 2014 as part of a trade for pitcher Joakim Soria.

In 24 games, 23 starts, with Frisco in parts of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Thompson posted a 9-7 record with a 4.31 ERA and 122 strikeouts. Thompson was named a 2015 Texas League Mid-Season All-Star.

The Detroit Tigers selected Thompson in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Rockwall-Heath High School. In 2014, he was a Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star with Class A-Advanced Lakeland and was the winning pitcher in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, striking out both batters he faced in a relief appearance.

Thompson joins seven former Riders who have made the Major Leagues for the first time this season: Nomar Mazara (2014-2015 with Frisco, debuted with Texas Rangers), Brett Nicholas (2013 with Frisco, Rangers), Cody Ege (2015 with Frisco, Miami Marlins), Matt Bush (2016 with Frisco, Rangers), Jared Hoying (2012-2013 with Frisco, Rangers), Richard Bleier (2012-2013 with Frisco, New York Yankees), and Jose Leclerc (2015-2016 with Frisco, Rangers).

The Riders continue a four-game road series against the San Antonio Missions Friday at 7:05 p.m.

The Riders return to Dr Pepper Ballpark for a six-game homestand against the Springfield Cardinals and Tulsa Drillers beginning Tuesday, August 16. Tickets for the upcoming homestand and the remaining 13 games at Dr Pepper Ballpark this season are available online at RidersBaseball.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (972) 731-9200, or in-person at the RoughRiders box office.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 11 seasons (2005-2015). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju. The new ownership group, together with the city of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements over the past two seasons, investing over $7 million in wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including the new state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store, and the newest and biggest creation, the 174-foot Choctaw Lazy River. The improvements made prior to the 2015 season earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and C.J. Wilson as well as current Rangers stars Derek Holland, Rougned Odor, and Mitch Moreland. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Nathan Barnett at (972) 334-1976 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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