Round Rock Express Named Among 'Most Intriguing' Minor Ball Clubs

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS — Remember when Barbara Walters would compile her list of celebrities she deemed the "10 Most Fascinating People" back in the day? Many of us watched with rapt, well, fascination. Now, Major League Baseball has rolled out its own list of most "intriguing" minor league ball clubs, including the Round Rock Express in its reckoning.

A Triple-A farm club for the Houston Astros, the Round Rock Express formerly served as the top affiliate for the Texas Rangers across eight seasons of play. It returns in 2019 to the Astros organization for the first time since 2010, the MLB says on its website, adding that the roster "...is loaded with some of Houston's highest-ranked prospects."

Adds the MLB: No. 1 Forrest Whitley, No. 2 Kyle Tucker, No. 3 Yordan Alvarez, No. 5 Corbin Martin and No. 9 Cionel Perez will begin the season with the Express alongside No. 14 Garrett Stubbs, No. 16 Myles Straw, No. 20 Dean Deetz and No. 24 Rogelio Armenteros. Houston's 2017 first-round pick Whitley, 21, is considered the best right-handed prospect in the game and the No. 7 overall prospect entering 2019. Tucker, a 22-year-old outfielder who batted .332 with 24 homers and 93 RBIs last season, enters 2019 as the No. 8 prospect in the game. Straw returns to the PCL after leading all of professional baseball with 70 stolen bases in 2018.

Also making the minors' most intriguing teams list are the Missions in neighboring San Antonio, a farm club for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Triple-A San Antonio Missions infield "...will be one to watch as top prospect Keston Hiura mans the keystone, fifth-ranked Mauricio Dubon stands at short and No. 8 prospect Lucas Erceg takes reps at the hot corner," the MLB reports with palpable breathlessness.

Erceg would be a long shot for a 2019 promotion to Milwaukee after a tough 2018 campaign at Double-A Biloxi, but Dubon and Hiura will be the top options if injury strikes the Brewers' middle infield, the MLB adds in an honest appraisal of the ball club. MLB adds: "No. 2 prospect Corey Ray will have the opportunity to build on his 2018 breakout campaign with the Shuckers and brings arguably the Minors' top power/speed combination to the Missions outfield, while sixth-ranked Zack Brown may be the most Major League-ready arm in the organization."

More about the Missions, which play in San Antonio's Wolff Stadium: "The Brewers will likely be fighting for a playoff spot in the competitive NL Central this season, and their newest affiliate is ready to provide reinforcements when necessary."

We also like Henry the Puffy Taco featured at each game enduring abuse when he's chased around the base paths by a youngster plucked from the crowd to tackle this odd Missions mascot mid-run. The mascot is a puffy taco (a favorite culinary staple in San Antonio) on legs, complete with a head of lettuce and yellow, green and red midsection representing the delicious salsa accompaniment that comes with each real puffy taco.

At the end of each sixth inning during every game, he appears on the field to be chased by a young fan — spilling faux lettuce on the ground as he's invariably tackled by enthusiastic youngsters attending the game. It's been going on for years, and it's one of the highlights of Missions games.

The ball club in 2000 added another mascot to the mix in the form of "Ballapeño," who's rumored to be envious of his counterpart's enduring popularity among fans. Ballapeño makes no effort to hide his disdain and outright jealousy of Henry' the Puffy Taco's spotlight. As his baseball card states, "Ballapeño has been rumored to specifically pick the Taco Chaser every evening, and unconfirmed reports have spotted him laughing in the dugout as Henry bites the dust night after night."

We find that not only intriguing, but outright hilarious.