Never let it be said that nothing good came out of last year’s Major League Baseball lockout. Sure, fans missed part of Spring Training, but it paved the way for a partnership between an Astros All-Star and a prominent Texas ranch.

Alex Bregman has added beef jerky from R-C Ranch to his growing Breggy Bomb brand. It joins his salsas, barbecue sauces, and spice rubs.

As Bregman explains, instead of spending his February in Florida at Spring Training, the lockout provided him with the opportunity to attend the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. There, he met R-C Ranch co-founder Blake Robertson.

“It took off from there,” he says. “And now we have the best beef jerky in the land. We want everyone who tries our products to be happy, satisfied, and full.”

Robertson’s business partner Ryan Cade explains that the company has always offered jerky as a way to utilize meat from the round. Like all jerky, it’s seasoned and smoked, but R-C Ranch’s end result is more tender than the jerky most people are familiar with.

“So many people grew up eating jerky from the convenience store that’s super tough — your jaws needed a break,” Cade says. That’s not the case with R-C Ranch’s jerky.

“A lot of people compare it to steak bites instead of other jerkies. The crown jewel is always the Wagyu beef — the marbling, the tenderness, and rich flavor — that make ours stand out.”

Currently, the jerky is available at R-C Ranch’s butcher shop at the Houston Farmers Market, at H-E-B stores throughout Texas, and several Spec’s stores. Astros fans will find it at stands throughout Minute Maid Park. It’s also available for shipping via the R-C Ranch website and as a bundle from Breggy Bomb.

“It’s the only jerky I eat,” Bregman says. “I’ll crush this all day long. It’s the best beef jerky in the land.”