Rangers All-Star Commissioner’s Cup & Jennie Finch Classic rosters finalized

Two Texas Rangers Youth Academy All-Star teams will head to Seattle next weekend to compete in the fourth annual Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic tournaments.

After multiple tryouts and extensive evaluations, the top 17U Academy athletes were identified to represent the Rangers in the All-Star Week competition, where they’ll face off against Youth Academies and Nike RBI teams from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Pool play will begin on Friday, July 7, with the Rangers All-Star Jennie Finch Classic team facing off against the Washington Nationals Youth Academy at 10 a.m. CT and the Commissioner’s Cup team competing against the Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy at 12:15 p.m. CT.

The top-performing teams in pool play will advance to the elimination round, with the championship games for both tournaments taking place on Monday, July 10, at the University of Washington’s Husky Ballpark and Husky Softball Stadium.

Mason Berry, Kennedy Day, Amira Forbit advance to Jr. Home Run Derby National Finals

Dozens of the top sluggers from Texas and surrounding states participated in the Jr. Home Run Derby Dallas Regional last weekend, which saw Rangers Youth Academy athletes Mason Berry, Kennedy Day and Amira Forbit punch their tickets to the National Finals in Seattle.

Berry, who competed in the 12U baseball division, hit 12 final-round home runs to secure the win, while Day, who competed in the 16U softball division, hit 10 home runs to advance. In one of the most dominant performances of the regional, 14U softball champion Forbit hit 11 homers in her final round after knocking 16 over the fence in her first at-bat, posting 27 total home runs off 50 pitches.

In an upset over 2022 National Champion Braylon Hubbard and two-time National Finalist Maddox Johnson, San Angelo native Michael Sarabia proved unstoppable with 18 home runs in the final round to win the 14U baseball division.

Winners in each age group will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Seattle to compete for the national championship and attend Major League Baseball’s T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

The Jr. Home Run Derby National Finals at T-Mobile Park will take place on Friday, July 7, at 10 a.m. CT and will be available to stream live on MLB.com.

Pudge Catching clinic

Former Texas Ranger and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez hosted a clinic on Monday, June 26, for Youth Academy baseball and softball catchers.

The 13-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award-winner spent over an hour teaching the ins and outs of his technique, helping the next generation improve their skills behind the plate.

Pitch, Hit & Run: Round 1 recap

This recap is written by Texas Rangers Charley Pride Fellow and University of California, Santa Barbara student, Isaac Moisa.

On Wednesday, June 28, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted the first round of the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run competition for Academy athletes. A record turnout of more than 220 participants took the field to compete in the three-part competition. Baseball and softball players ranging from ages 7 to 14 competed in the 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U age groups in hopes of advancing to round two.

Participants were scored on their performance in three categories:

Pitch - From the pitcher's mound, participants attempt to throw five strikes at a target, gaining a point for each target hit. Hitting a bullseye target is worth double points.

Hit - Each athlete takes five swings off a tee in an attempt to hit the ball as far and straight as possible.

Run - Runners get two timed attempts to see how quickly they can run from base to base in a 90-yard dash.

Luciano Lopez looked to defend his title after he dominated the 12U division in 2022. Luciano, now participating in the 14U division, has been improving steadily at pitching and hitting due to his time spent at the Academy. Luciano said, “Hopefully I win, but if not, I want to keep improving because I know what to work on.”

Alexis Valadez, participating in the 12U division, said her favorite part of the competition is “playing with my teammates and helping each other, mostly playing with wiffle balls and running.” When asked what she’s learned the most from the Academy, Valadez responded, “Throwing and running, I’m really slow at running, and the tips they give me help me run faster.”

Julie Gonzalez, who finished fourth at the Pitch, Hit & Run finals at Minute Maid Park in Houston last year, fell ten points shy of advancing to round two in the 14U softball age group.

2023 Texas Rangers Youth Academy Pitch, Hit & Run Round 1 Results:

8U Baseball Champion - Conner Burns: 840 points

8U Softball Champion - Allison Zuniga: 775 points

10U Baseball Champion - Matthew Chau: 950 points

10U Softball Champion - Cheyenne Alarcon: 1070 points

12U Baseball Champion - Anthony Bazen: 1180 points

12U Softball Champion - Elyza Veiza: 820 points

14U Baseball Champion - Maddox Fore: 1420 points

14U Softball Champion - Amarianna Hill: 1270 points

Winners from each age group in round one of the competition will advance to round two at Globe Life Field on Sept. 21 in hopes of reaching the National Finals during the World Series in October.

Juan Leonel Gárciga, Senior Director of Youth Academy and Baseball Development said, “We’re excited to give these kids the opportunity to compete on a big-league field for the first time, and it will be memorable not only for them but also their parents and family.”