Summary
The San Antonio Missions finished the 2025 season with a record of 66-72. They started hot, posting a 39-30 record in the first half, thanks in large part to a stacked pitching staff.
However, the departure of marquee names like Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Tyson Neighbors at the trade deadline left a depleted roster to go 26-42 in the second half. The pitching staff was the strength of the team as the club, holding opponents to a .235 average that was good for second in the league, and finishing fourth in the Texas League with a 9.40 K/9.
Overview
Our approach to eligibility remains straightforward. Players are considered at whichever affiliate they logged the most service time. So while Garrett Hawkins and Miguel Mendez finished their season in San Antonio, they already featured prominently in the Fort Wayne wrap-up. We recognize the top contributor to this year’s team as the top player, while the top prospect is based on our expectations based on his production, age, projectability, and potential impact in the major leagues.
Level
Double-A is regarded as the differentiator level in the minors. For the first time, prospects regularly face players in their mid-to-late twenties and even players with big league experience. For young hitting prospects, this is their first time being exposed to high-level arms who not only own quality stuff but also have the ability to locate it. If a player has questionable plate discipline skills or issues with creating regular in-zone contact, this is the level where they can be exposed. The diversity of ages, abilities, and backgrounds makes it one of the most interesting levels to watch and one of the most important at which to appraise play.
Jagger Haynes getting full extension. (Photo: San Antonio Missions
Pitcher of the Year
Jagger Haynes, LHP (John Conniff, David Jay, Kevin Charity, and Ben Davey)
For the second year in a row, the left-hander logged north of 100 innings, a big positive for the 2020 fifth-rounder, who missed most of his first four years in the organization to injuries. In his 103 innings for San Antonio, Haynes logged a 4.11 ERA, though his walk rate pushed the advanced metrics up to a 5.01 FIP and 4.56 xFIP. Among starters with at least 100 innings in the Texas League, the 23-year-old’s 22.8% strikeout rate ranked tenth and his .222 opponents’ batting average was good for sixth.
While he created his own trouble at time because of walks, the North Carolina native did well to find his way out of trouble, posting a 71.7% strand rate. Haynes had stretches of excellence for the Missions, including a nine-game run in May and June when he posted a 3.09 ERA and 25.0% strikeout rate. His fastball still sits 92-94 mph with decent ride, and can get up to the upper-90s when he reaches back for more. His changeup, though, continues to be his best offering, sitting in the mid-80s with a good late fade.
In addition to a 14% walk rate, there were other worrying signs for the lefty this year. He allowed a career-high 13.8% HR/FB rate despite the friendly environment at Nelson Wolff Stadium.
Others receiving votes
Ryan Och creates some difficult angles from the left side. (Photo: Vashaun Newman)
Ryan Och, LHRP (Clark Fahrenthold)
The University of Southern Mississippi alum had yet another successful season in 2025. After a tough start to the year, Och rebounded incredibly well down the stretch, posting a 1.38 ERA and holding opponents to a .163 average over his final 26 innings. That helped lower his overall numbers to a 3.46 ERA on the year – supported by a 3.62 FIP, and a 24% strikeout rate across 54.2 innings.
Och did especially well limiting long balls, allowing only two all year while logging a 4.3% HR/FB ratio. One area where he struggled as he continued to work to rebuild velocity following 2023 Tommy John surgery, was with his command. The left-hander with a funky delivery posted a 12.7% walk rate on the year.
Top Pitching Prospect
Jagger Haynes, LHP (John Conniff, Ben Davey, and Clark Fahrenthold)
Bradgley Rodriguez, RHRP (David Jay and Kevin Charity)
Bradgley Rodriguez showed elite swing-and-miss stuff for the Missions. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
The split here reflects the challenge of trying to compare starters and relievers. Haynes will need to take another step forward with his command to reach his ceiling as a mid-rotation starter. Should that not come to fruition, there’s a good chance he could slide into a relief role where his fastball velocity could play up.
Conversely, Bradgley Rodriguez is already a clearly-defined prospect. He finished the 2025 season with the big league club and even earned a spot on the Wild Card roster. While he pitched at three different levels this year, a majority of his work was done with the Missions. In 22.1 innings with San Antonio, Rodriguez overpowered Double-A hitters, posting a 34.8% strikeout rate while walking only 5.6% off the batters he faced. That combination of skills fueled a 2.06 FIP that tracked well ahead of his 3.22 ERA.
Rodriguez’s raw stuff remains some of the most electric in the system. His four-seamer averages 16.5 inches of induced vertical break at 97-99 mph, from an exceptionally flat -4.8 vertical approach angle. As impressive as the velocity has been, the changeup, with 16 to 17 inches of horizontal break, has been his best strikeout pitch. He also has shown a high-90s sinker that he worked to morph into a nasty gyro-slider over the course of the year. The whole package makes it easy to imagine Rodriguez working at the back of a big league bullpen for a long time.
Others of Note
Reliever Andrew Moore was acquired mid-season from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder Connor Joe. The former 14th-round pick by the Seattle Mariners was a lottery ticket of sorts. The raw stuff is incredibly impressive. He shows a four-seamer sitting 97-99 mph, a sinker that averages 12 to 15 inches of arm-side run at 95-97 mph, and a true 70-grade hammer curve that displays exceptional depth and two plane movement, spinning at 2600-2700 rpm. To make the stuff work, however, he’ll have to make significant improvements with his command. The 26-year-old righty walked 33 in in 36.1 innings, often struggling to land any of his pitches in the zone. … After a respectable 2024, Victor Lizarraga struggled mightily in 2025. The 21-year-old right-hander threw 91.1 innings and regularly struggled with command and inducing soft contact. He posted a 6.21 ERA on the year, seeing his strikeout rate fall to 20.8% while his walk rate spiked to 12.9%. The 21-year-old came into the year with hopes of earning a spot on the 40-player roster, but now he’ll head into 2026 needing to earn a rotation spot in the system. … Enmanuel Pinales threw 88 innings in a swing role with San Antonio after a strong start start to the year with Fort Wayne. His time at the higher level was marked by more valleys than peaks as he posted a 5.32 ERA, though his 4.49 FIP, and 4.41 xFIP were slightly more encouraging. While he was able to add velocity coming into the year and now can top out around 96 mph, he managed just a 20.8% strikeout rate. He also shows a big curveball in the high 70s with good depth and a mid-80s change with solid late fade.
Final Note
Finally, as Missions broadcaster reported on his Curves, Cannons, and Bells podcast, Missions’ manager Luke Montz will not be returning to the organization in 2026. Montz, who spent three years managing the Missions, is returning to his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana after 22 seasons in professional baseball to coach high school baseball and allow both of his daughters to stay in the same school for the entire academic year. We wish Luke all the best and thank him for always making time for us on all of our visits.
You can view all our level wrap-ups here as they are published.
