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After taking home honors as the Rangers' top minor-league pitcher in 2012, Cody Buckel took a big step back in 2013, mostly due to control problems. If really bad numbers make you squeamish, then look away now.
The right-handed pitching prospect, who entered last season as a top-100 prospect (No. 87) by MLB.com, lasted just eight outings (seven starts) and was even demoted from Double-A Frisco to the Arizona Rookie League. Buckel was 0-6 with a 21.09 ERA and 4.22 WHIP. He totaled just 10 2/3 innings and walked 29.5 batters per nine innings. Ouch.
Yet, despite his awful 2013 season, the Rangers are confident Buckel can regain his form as a top pitching prospect.
"Last year was a lost year in a lot of respects, but he never stopped working," general manager Jon Daniels told The Dallas Morning News.
Buckel stepped away from the game in August before returning to work in December by spending about three weeks at the pitching-oriented Texas Baseball Ranch in Montgomery. He's now expected to report to the team's minor-league facility in Arizona to resume workouts Friday.
"Cody is doing really well," minor-league pitching coordinator Danny Clark said. "His mindset is good. There are a lot of positives from Cody. I feel like Cody is back on track."
