Seven 2022 Riders win MiLB.com Organizational All-Star nods

FRISCO, Texas (January 4, 2023) – On Tuesday, seven 2022 Frisco RoughRiders players took home Texas Rangers Organizational All-Star awards by MiLB.com.

Full list of All-Stars:

Catcher: Liam Hicks (ACL Rangers, Down East, Hickory)

First Base: Blaine Crim (Frisco, Round Rock)

Second Base: Justin Foscue (Frisco)

Third Base: Thomas Saggese (Hickory, Frisco)

Shortstop: Jonathan Ornelas (Frisco)

Outfield: Bubba Thompson (Round Rock, Texas)

Outfield: Evan Carter (Hickory, Frisco)

Outfield: Ezequiel Duran (Frisco, Round Rock, Texas)

Right-handed starting pitcher: Mason Englert (Hickory, Frisco)

Left-handed starting pitcher: Mitch Bratt (Down East)

Reliever: Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa (Down East)

Crim was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock in the final week of the season, exiting Frisco as one of the best players in franchise history. In 2022 alone, he hit .295/.363/.508/.871 with the RoughRiders, bashing 24 homers and driving in 91 over 119 games. He led the Rangers organization in home runs and RBIs while being one of 25 players in Minor League Baseball with at least 20 home runs and 95 RBIs. Over his Riders career, he is fourth in franchise history in batting average (.293) and tied for sixth in home runs (33).

Foscue, a former first-round selection of the Rangers in 2020, spent the entire year in Frisco, hitting .288/.367/.483 with a team-best 31 doubles (tied for third in MiLB among those who played 101 games or fewer) and 81 RBIs. The Rangers No. 5 prospect finished second to Crim in RBIs among Rangers farmhands and second to Duran in doubles.

Saggese, who took home the "True Ranger" Award in 2022 for exemplifying what it means to represent the organization certainly showed out on the field as well. His only regular-season time in Frisco was during the final week of the season, collecting Texas League Player of the Week honors by hitting .381/.409/.857/1.266 in five games with three doubles, two triples, a grand slam and nine RBIs. Overall, Saggese hit .312/.361/.506/.867 over 103 games between High-A Hickory and Frisco. Saggese is the Rangers No. 19 prospect.

Ornelas was honored for his glove when he was named the 2022 Texas Rangers Minor League Defender of the Year after the season. He 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. 21 prospect in the Rangers system by MLB.com.

Carter, who was named the 2022 Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year, 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.

Duran began the season with the Riders and was the only player in 2022 to be promoted directly to Texas from Frisco. Before his promotion, he led all of professional baseball in doubles with 24 while hitting .317/.365/.574/.939 with the Riders. In Texas, he batted .236/.277/.365/.642 in 58 games. While he was an infielder in Frisco and Texas, Duran went to Triple-A Round Rock to play the outfield, making 17 starts in the grass for the Express. On the season in the minors, despite only playing 78 games, he hit 33 doubles to lead the organization - a mark that also led MiLB among those who played 102 games or fewer.

Englert joined Frisco toward the end of the season and the Forney, Texas native shined in three regular-season starts before pouring in 5.1 innings of one-run baseball in his only postseason start. On the season, Englert led the organization in strikeouts with 136 over 118.2 innings while walking just 31, going 8-6 with a 3.64 ERA over his 24 starts. In December, he was selected by the Tigers in the Rule-5 Draft with the No. 6 pick.

The Frisco RoughRiders won the 2022 Texas League Championship, their second title in franchise history. Season tickets for the 2023 season are already on sale. 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 and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. 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, Bullpen Bar, 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 185 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Cole Ragans and Bubba Thompson. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].