Month: April 2023

Yankees MILB 4/30: A Clinic in Hudson Valley

News:

Not much to report. I wish I could tell you that the second coming of Barry Bonds was ready to come up and save the Yankees, but sorry – not happening.

Scranton (10-17) (Shut down by Worcester (featuring James Paxton), 5-0)

CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, K
.254/.413/.492 in 75 plate appearances.
DH Harrison Bader: 0-for-4, K
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, 3 K
I was intrigued to see what he would do against James Paxton, a left-hander who we know has MLB success on his resume. Chaparro didn’t do well, but it’s one game in a sea of several good ones lately.
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, 2B (8), BB, K
.247/.373/.376 in 102 plate appearances. His minor-league approach has allowed him to compile his share of doubles. 
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3
7-game hitting streak (9-for-26)
3B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (L, 2-3) 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Barrett Loseke: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 11 K). The Yankees bullpen is doing well so there isn’t much room for a guy like Loseke, but he can at least get himself on the radar.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (12-8) (Game with Harrisburg was canceled due to rain. It will not be made up)

Some early season numbers:

OF Jasson Dominguez is hitting .140/.380/.340 (114 wRC+) in 71 plate appearances with a 28.2% BB rate and 25.4% K rate. His .161 BABIP will eventually normalize (and you expect the strikeout rate to start to drop somewhat)…OF Everson Pereira (on the 40-man roster) is hitting .246/.317/.421 (109 wRC+) in 51 plate appearances. The triple slash is OK but he will need to normalize the 36.5% K rate…OF Brandon Lockridge is trying to bounce back from a tough 2022. This season, he is hitting .289/.333/.444 (114 wRC+) with ten stolen bases and a nice 19.6% K rate. The defense and speed will play in MLB. It is all about the bat…SS Trey Sweeney is at .234/.342/.344 (101 wRC+) in 76 plate appearances. He is in a bit of a slump recently…C Carlos Narvaez has impressed, hitting .256/.373/.488 in 51 plate appearances. Narvaez didn’t hit for any average last year (.194) but still walked at a 15% clip. If he can even hit in the .230-.240 range with that discipline and some pop, he will make MLB…Veteran utility player Max Burt has a 235 wRC+.

RHP Will Warren owns a 4.15 ERA, thanks mostly to an insane .462 BABIP. His FIP is 1.01 with a 38.7% K and 9.3% BB. He has yet to allow a home run…RHP Richard Fitts is also pitching in some bad luck, as his 5.23 ERA is accompanied by a 3.24 FIP. He owns a 31% K and 6% BB…On the reverse side of the spectrum, RHP Clayton Beeter is the owner of a 1.74 ERA/3.58 FIP (which isn’t exactly bad). I think there are simply a lot of sample size issues going on with these pitchers…

Hudson Valley (14-7) (Destroyed Greenville, 15-2)

SS Alexander Vargas: 3-for-6, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 RS
First career multi-HR game. Prospects develop at different rates – that said, if Vargas suddenly has things click, it would be quite a nice surprise. While he did set a career-high with eight home runs in 2022, it came with a .203/.271/.311 triple slash. Let’s see how this season evolves.
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-4, 2B (3), HR (7), RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Palensky has homered in four straight games (five HR in those four games) and has six HR in his last six games. Yeah, he will be all over tomorrow’s leaderboard data dump on Twitter.
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
  PH-3B Luis Santos: 1-for-2, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Santos has hit exactly 2 home runs per season between 2019-2022 (remember, 2020 didn’t exist in MILB)
CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Gomez has hit safely in 13 of his 15 games this season. There isn’t much power sprinkled in (three doubles) + only three of the games are multi-hit efforts, but we’ll what we can get from a prospect who is trying to regain some shine.
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS
Flores is hitting .404 (19-for-47) with five doubles and ten runs batted in. He is 25-for-61 (.410) in his brief career.
DH Anthony Garcia: 0-for-5, 2 K
2B Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Cowles’ first career multi-HR game. 
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 1-0) 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
2.86 ERA (22 IP, 20 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 29 K). First professional win.
RHP Danny Watson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, HR
11 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 20 K, 1 HR

Tampa (8-13) (Lost to Jupiter, 8-6)

2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K, SB (7)
.250/.358/.309 in 82 plate appearances. Escanio, who was acquired from the Brewers as a part of the J.P. Feyereisen trade, doesn’t show up anywhere on prospect lists. However, the Yankees continue to lead him off which could be a sign of some faith that there is something to tap into.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, K
3-for-17 during his rehab stint (the numbers don’t even matter – it is all about getting his swings in)
 C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1, RBI
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-5, K
DH Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, BB, 3 K, SB (2)
.296/.371/.537 in 16 gqmes. I have no information about what his signing bonus was back in 2017, so just assume it was small.
SS Dayro Perez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
The average has jumped from .078 to .156 over the last three games – hey, you have to start somewhere.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS
Rodriguez isn’t a big kid (5’9″) but he has shown off some versatility (including the ability to catch). Offensively, he is hitting .283/.371/.358 in 15 games. He has always hit for average in the short-season leagues.
3B Ronny Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Rojas has homered in three straight games.
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 0-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Staurt’s professional debut. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent (out if Pitt) last season. His college numbers don’t jump out at you (he did have a strikeout boost last year), which is something that fascinates me about scouting. They look beyond the raw numbers to see if there is something interesting about the kid – someone liked him, and here he is.
RHP Shane Gray: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
10.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 15 K. This is his debut season and he throws left-handed – which automatically puts him on the radar.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
12.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 14 K. This is the 21-year-old’s first taste of full-season ball.

 

Yankees MILB 4/29: Spencer Jones Homers Twice

News:

C Anthony Seigler was activated today by the Somerset Patriots.

Scranton (10-16) (Lost to Worcester, 7-6, in 11 innings)

DH-CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K
CF Harrison Bader: 0-for-5, K
  P D.J. Snelten: 0-for-0
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5
.232/.298/.505 in 104 plate appearances. Once the plate appearances reach triple digits, I really start to pay closer attention to the stat lines.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, 2B (7), RBI, RS, 2 BB, HBP, K, CS (2)
This is a much-needed performance by Dunham as he tries to break out of a recent malaise.
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-5, HR (4), RBI, RS
Power is his calling card and what makes him intriguing as a potential backup MLB catcher. 
2B Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-5
.205/.235/.333 in 85 plate appearances. Bastidas showed off some pop in 2022, which put him on my radar as a potential utility-type player for someone. 
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
1B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB
A 6-game hitting streak has improved his line from .118/.231/.118 to .193/.292/.281. When you get off to a tough start, it takes some time to get the numbers up to where you want to see them.
SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K, CS (1)

RHP Randy Vasquez: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
6.08 ERA (26.2 IP, 30 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 33 K). It would be nice to see Vasquez get on a roll because they might just need him.
RHP Deivi Garcia: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
3.86 ERA (16.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 17 K). Walks, walks, walks, walks…
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP James Norwood: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP D.J. Snelten (L, 0-1): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
A modern-day stat line, as the ghost runner scores in both of his innings. 

Somerset (12-8) (Split a doubleheader with Harrisburg)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RS
DH Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, HBP
He is still on his rehab stint – it has simply been moved up to Somerset.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-2, BB
LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, RBI, K, CS (1)
.246/.317/.421 in 63 plate appearances.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, 2 BB
.185/.297/.370 in 64 PA. It is still a small sample and Hardman was very productive in 2022.
  PR Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-0, RS, SB (9)
  3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-0
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (1)
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3
2B Max Burt: 2-for-3, 2B (3)

RHP Clayton Beeter: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, HR
1.74 ERA (20.2 IP, 16 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 23 K). Too many walks in his last two starts, but his dominant stuff allows him to keep the runs in check. That does get harder as you get closer to the big leagues, but his overall start to the season has been strong.
LHP Michael Giacone (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
9 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 12 K
RHP Tanner Myatt (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 11 K. If he can stay healthy, he has the power stuff you like for a short reliever (I think his days as a starter are long gone). I should note that I am not sure if that power stuff has held up through all the injuries.

Game 2

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-3, RS, BB
Sweeney’s double in Game 1 snapped an 0-for-13, which is now a 1-for-20. Everyone goes through slumps.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Dominguez has 20 walks (28.2%) and 18 strikeouts (25.4%) in 71 PA.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Rosario is making the most of his hits (8-for-55 with four home runs). He has drawn 16 walks.
C Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, RS
Given his injury history, I am happy to see that this one wasn’t long-term.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RS, K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 3-for-3, 2 3B (2), RBI, BB, SB (10)
This boosts his average to .289 (he entered the day at .238 – early-season baseball!) He has ten stolen bases in 17 games this season after stealing 18 in 108 games last season.
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
The minor league veteran is up to .390.
1B Eric Wagaman: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3

RHP Gray Fenter: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
LHP Lisandro Santos: (L, 0-1)  1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
As I have mentioned a few times:  Great arm, doesn’t always know where the ball is going.
RHP Justin Wilson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 26-year-old was signed as a minor league free agent in February. He is yet another guy who came from the Braves organization (like Santos above). Maese was drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round back in 2015 out of high school. 

Hudson Valley (13-7) (Lost a forgettable game to Greenville, 17-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
.286/.329/.610 in 85 plate appearances. This is his second multi-HR game of the season.
SS Alexander Vargas: 3-for-4, 2B (1)
Vargas has three multi-hit games in his last five games played (7-for-19 with a double, triple, and home run. He has also walked five times)
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, 2B (3), K
Durbin has a .444 OBP in 16 games. His ability to get on base has been his calling card in professional ball – let’s see if he can keep it up in the upper minors.
C Ben Rice: 0-for-4, 2 K
Rice’s season-starting 14-game on-base streak is snapped.
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 K
After his 10-game hitting streak was snapped yesterday, he starts up a new one today.
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-1, K
  PH-1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS, K, SB (1)
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Juan Carela: (L, 0-1)  3.1 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The conundrum you face in the minors: You need your pitchers to get their work in, but you don’t want to hang them out to dry. Carela tossed 80 pitches, so they went down the “get the work in” route, and that’s fine. Carela is a solid prospect who will just have to put this one out of his mind.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (8-12) (Knocked off Jupiter, 9-5)

3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-5, RS, BB, 2 K
DH Austin Wells: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Wells is 3-for-13 with a home run and three walks during his rehab stint.
SS Dayro Perez: 4-for-5, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, SB (2)
Perez stole 16 bases in 20 tries last season down in the GCL (he compiled 56 stolen bases in 104 games down in the DSL). This was a much-needed performance as he entered the game 5-for-56.
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Serna has a 7-game hitting streak (12-for-28, so this is far from a cheap streak!)
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, RS, K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-5, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, 3 K
Medina is hitting .300 with a .908 OPS
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RS
Martinez is hitting .264 with a .834 OPS.
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, RS, BB, K, SB (4)
Rodriguez had four 3-hit games in 2022 (GCL)
LF Alan Mejia: 2-for-5, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange:  3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
4.91 ERA (14.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 26 K). The walks and strikeouts = shortened outings (this was his 4th start – so he is averaging under four innings per start)
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
RHP Matt Keating: (W, 2-1) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
1.74 ERA (10.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 14 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: (S, 2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 4/28: Austin Wells Goes Yard

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-15) (Lost to Worcester, 4-2)

LF-CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-4, K
3-for-16 during his rehab stint.
  P Aaron McGarity: 0-for-0
They lost the DH after they took Bader out of the game (McKinney had to move into the field)
  PH Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-1
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
Dunham, one of my favorite under-the-radar type prospects, is in a bit of a slump (0-for-14; 2-for-28)
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, RS, BB
Tale of two halves of the month:
Started: 0-for-20; 2 walks, 10 strikeouts.
Since: 21-for-63 (.333); 2 doubles, 8 home runs, 6 BB, 14 K
DH-LF Billy McKinney: 0-for-4, RS, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, RBI
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (2)
Gasper is off to a slow 9-for-54 start. 
C Jose Godoy: 1-for-3, BB, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4, K

RHP Sean Boyle: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
The starting pitching depth underneath MLB isn’t great right now – Boyle is a part of that depth. He has been struggling to start the season, but this is a nice outing to get himself going.
RHP Shawn Semple: (L, 0-2)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 19 K). Solid start to the season for McGarity, who is 28 years old. He was drafted by the Yankees all the way back in 2017 out of Virginia Tech.

Somerset (11-7) 

The game against Harrisburg was postponed. They will try to play a pair tomorrow, though the forecast isn’t great.

Hudson Valley (13-6) (Split a doubleheader with Greenville)

Game 1 (Won, 7-4)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K, CS (1)
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.395/.480/.907 (not a typo) in 50 plate appearances. He has 16 home runs in 88 games at this level. He is certainly not a top prospect or anything, but why not just place him in Somerset to see if he can be an overachieving type? Note: He actually has experience in Somerset. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he started his professional career in Somerset in 2021 – skipping all levels. 
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-4
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, K
Back-to-back games with a home run.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
Like many at this level, Flores has started strong: 16-for-39 (.410/.455/.487). In his brief professional career, he is hitting .415/.448/.604 in 58 plate appearances.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-4, RS
.200/.280/.356 in 50 plate appearances. After hitting for a solid average in the DSL in 2019 (a league that is hard to take seriously – but everyone has to start somewhere), he hasn’t been able to replicate that since moving to the States. As you may suspect, much of that is due to a too-high K rate.
CF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, CS (1)
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
2.14 ERA (21 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 26 K). Messinger struck out 112 batters in 83.2 innings down in Tampa last year. The 13th-round pick (Virginia) back in 2021 has an intriguing arm to follow. It should be noted that he didn’t start much in college (11 of his 51 games pitched), so this is still a relatively new thing for him.
RHP Jack Neely (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
11 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. Another intriguing arm to follow – like many, it comes down to cutting down the walk rate.
RHP Nick Paciorek (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Injuries have slowed down the 7th-round pick from the 2019 draft.

Game 2 (Lost, 9-1. They mustered only one hit)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, 2 K
.278/.325/.542 in 80 plate appearances. He does have those 28 strikeouts (35%) that he will need to clean up (he was solid in this category last year)
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-0, RS, 3 BB, SB (14)
11 walks in 68 plate appearances (16.2%). If he can walk and steal some bases while maintaining his defensive flexibility, there could be an MLB player here. We are still a while away from knowing that.
DH Ben Rice: 1-for-3, RBI
Of course the only hit would be off of Rice’s bat. This game drops the OBP below .600 (.375/.594/.575 in 64 PA). He has started the season on a 14-game on-base streak.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-1, BB, K, HBP
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Wake up tomorrow and just pretend this was a bad nightmare.
RHP Harold Cortijo: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
0.84 ERA (10.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 14 K)
RHP Enrique Santana: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (7-12) (Lost to Jupiter, 9-8)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-5
.309/.397/.364. 6-game hitting streak (11-for-25; .440). Low-A pitchers aren’t knocking the bat out of his hands, and that is nice to see. His size will always put him under a microscope as he tries to handle tougher and more advanced pitching.
C Austin Wells: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
He is probably ready to rake up in Somerset/Scranton.
  C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1, RS
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-5
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, K
SS Dayro Perez: 1-for-5, 3B (1), RS, 2 K
The speedy Perez didn’t triple in 38 games last season. He had 7 in his first 104 games (2019, 2021). Baseball!
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K
He has an impressive .392 career OBP (477 plate appearances). Martinez is a 21-year-old left-handed C/1B.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-5, 2B (3), HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
He is 6-for-29 in eight games this season. A big issue is the strikeouts (18)
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (3)
3B Roberto Chirinos: 0-for-0
Dunno why he was pulled.
  3B Ronny Rojas: 2-for-3, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (2)
Rojas wasn’t even supposed to play today…

RHP Sean Hermann (L, 1-2): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
3.60 ERA (20 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 16 K). We talk a lot about the “quick rise” prospects in this system – Hermann may take a bit more time to marinate (he doesn’t turn 20 until June).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2020 (the year when MLB had a shortened draft). He is 21 years old.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. They are keeping him in the bullpen to begin 2023. If you don’t remember (and why would you?), Calderon tossed a 7-inning no-hitter in his Tampa debut last season.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Yankees MILB 4/27: Jared Serna: 4 Hits

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-14) (Lost to Worcester, 5-4)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, HR (3), RBI, RS, 3 K
I don’t think it is traceable – but I would love to know how many leadoff home runs Florial has in his MILB career. Anyway, this game is Florial in a nutshell – strong performance but it comes with the three strikeouts.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, RS, BB
.218/.284/.517 in 95 plate appearances. I am not concerned about the average, given how poorly he started. Everything should continue to come together.
LF Jake Bauers: 1-for-4
A potential call up if Aaron Judge requires IL time – or not.
DH Rodolfo Duran: 2-for-5, 2B (5), K
.306/.358/.592 in 53 plate appearances. Strong start for Duran, who is somewhere on the depth chart.
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (3)
With Aaron Judge injured, it is interesting that he was pulled from this game – could very well be unrelated as Scranton was trying to tie up the game and McKinney may have been a better option. 
  PH Billy McKinney: 0-for-1
C Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, K
2B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SAC, SB (2)
A rare sacrifice bunt in the Yankees’ organization. They just don’t believe in it – and it wouldn’t surprise me if Difo was bunting for a hit.

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 1-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.12 ERA (8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 9 K). He is a 26-year-old who was drafted in the 17th round of the 2018 draft out of Arkansas. Another mid-to-late-round reliever who the Yankees are trying to cash in on.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (11-7) (Defeated Harrisburg, 7-5)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, BB, K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 BB
Dominguez has the OPS up over .700 (.707). This is mostly due to his OBP, but five of his six hits have gone for extra bases.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS, SB (8)
Once again, we would all love to see Lockridge get it going with the bat because he can field and run. It just hasn’t fully come together.
DH Eric Wagaman: 3-for-4, 2 2B (2), RBI, RS, SB (5)
10-for-30 with two doubles and a home run.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, CS (1)

RHP Will Warren: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Warren cruised through four innings before running into a little trouble in the 5th (partially due to an error). Season: 4.15 ERA (17.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 29 K). He is missing bats, and that is important.
RHP Zac Houston: 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Steven Jennings: (W, 1-1)  2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Indigo Diaz: (S, 1)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (12-5)

The game against Greenville was postponed due to rain. They will play two tomorrow.

Tampa (7-11) (Destroyed Jupiter, 12-2)

2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-3, 3B (1), SF, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
.254/.357/.322 in 71 PA. Patience has been his thing in his brief MILB career. If he can add some average to that…
CF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, RBI, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jared Serna: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (6), CS (3)
Serna’s first career 4-hit game. He is up to .320/.414/.380 in 58 plate appearances. Defensive distribution thus far: 2B – 6; SS – 5; 3B – 3. He had one career start at SS prior to 2023.
1B Omar Martinez: 3-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB
.222/.364/.378 in 55 plate appearances. The left-handed bat can catch in addition to play first base, though he has caught only two games thus far this season.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Rodriguez has done a little bit of everything, including three games at 3B and a game in LF.
3B Ronny Rojas: 3-for-5, 2B (2), HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Rojas has four career 3-hit games.

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 1-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 20 K). Very encouraging start for the 20-year-old, who has allowed two home runs in 66 career innings.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
9.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 15 K. College reliever should move to Hudson Valley soon enough, though he is only 21.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 4/26: Richard Fitts: 6 Scoreless IP

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-13) (Defeated Worcester, 4-1)

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2 K, 2 SB (7), CS (2)
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-3, BB
  CF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-1
DH Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, BB, K
LF Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, 2B (5), 2 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (5)
Bauers extends his hitting streak to seven.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Billy McKinney: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI, K
The veteran was only 11-for-59 (.186) entering tonight.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
C Jose Godoy: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 1-1) 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Tully is a depth arm who pitched in three games for the Indians in 2022.
LHP Matt Krook: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP D.J. Snelten (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Snelten (30) hadn’t pitched since 2018 entering this season. This is what you call perseverance.

Somerset (10-7) (Held off Harrisburg, 4-3)

DH Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
.264/.365/.377 in 63 PA with 12.7% BB and 23.8% K rates.
LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 2 2B (5), 2 RBI
Breaks out of his little 2-for-16 slump.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, 2 K
Burt’s first triple since 5/22/19.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, RBI, K
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS
His add-on solo HR in the 9th (giving Somerset a 4-0 lead) proved to be the game-winner. The 25-year-old set a career-best with his 13 home runs last season, including four at this level.
C Juan Crisp: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
The 22-year-old Crisp hasn’t played much since compiling 36 games down in the GCL back in 2019. It seems his role is that of an organizational backup catcher.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4, K

RHP Richard Fitts (W, 1-2): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
5.23 ERA (20.2 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 5 BB, 26 K). It is all about command (not control) for Fitts.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
8.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 10 K. Injuries have derailed the hard-throwing right-hander, who is now 24.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR

Hudson Valley (12-5) (Mauled Greenville, 16-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (7)
When will we see him in Somerset? In my opinion, the second half of the season at the latest – could be earlier if he starts to annihilate this level.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (4)
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, SB (13)
Durbin is second in stolen bases amongst all minor leaguers (Victor Scott (A+, St. Louis) has 16)
C Ben Rice: 2-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Rice has been a machine since Day 1. He entered tonight with a .627 OBP – so this performance will bring that number down.
DH Spencer Henson: 2-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Henson has 15 home runs in 84 games at this level and should probably be challenged in Somerset.
RF Anthony Garcia: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Garcia sets a new personal best with four runs scored. His ceiling is that of a three outcomes type – the issue is that one of those outcomes (strikeouts) is two extreme right now.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 4-for-5, 2 HR (5), 7 RBI, 3 RS, 2 SB (7)
This is what you call a career game. Palensky, a 24-year-old outfielder, has homered in three of his last four games. He hit 10 home runs in 77 games at this level last season. His previous high for RBI in a game was four.
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-5, 3 K

LHP Joel Valdez:  4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
5.54 ERA (13 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 10 BB, 14 K). Valdez was acquired along with T.J. Rumfield from the Phillies for Nick Nelson and Donny Sands last year.
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
8.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 12 K. The 24-year-old stands 6’8″ and is listed at 250 pounds – his career K-rate matches up to his size. Let’s see what he can do in the upper minors.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
The 23-year-old was signed last year as an undrafted free agent (out of George Washington)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The 24-year-old is back after missing all of 2022. In his debut 2021 season, he pitched to a 1.90 ERA in 52 innings with a 71/11 K/BB. He made five starts that season, so we will see if they explore that again.

Tampa (6-11) (Lost to Jupiter, 5-2)

3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, K
Games by position, 2023: SS – 7; 3B – 5; 2B – 2. I give him some of the spotlight because they have been leading him off all season.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-2, BB, K
He is following the typical rehab formula – he was the DH in the first game and caught a partial game in his second game back.
  C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1
DH Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
SS Dayro Perez: 0-for-4, 4 K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, RS
Medina has hit safely in 11 of his 13 starts this season (and has reached base safely in every start)
1B Jose Rodriguez: 0-for-4, RBI, K
CF Alan Mejia: 1-for-4, 3 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-3, K
2B Roberto Chirinos: 1-for-3, K, SB (1)

RHP Leonardo Pestana: (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.97 ERA (12.2 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 17 K). Pestana hasn’t pitched much since 2019 (two games in 2021; one game in 2022). He has 130 strikeouts in 91.2 innings (but has also walked 57)
RHP Shane Gray: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Gray was the Yankees’ 16th-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Evansville.
RHP Manny Ramirez:  1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
11.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K

Yankees MILB 4/25: Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones Go Off

News:

C Austin Wells has started his rehab stint down in Tampa. There is a chance he can help the MLB offense at some point in 2023, but we shouldn’t count on that happening…

Scranton (9-13) (Defeated Worcester, 8-6)

RF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (5)
CF Harrison Bader: 0-for-3, RS, BB, SB (1)
CF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-1
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, HR (8), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
Chaparro has 43 home runs in his last 810 plate appearances.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RS
DH Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Bauers hasn’t had any MLB success but he is off to a strong Triple-A start. Does that mean anything? Doubtful.
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, K
.295/.354/.591 in 48 plate appearances. He has some pop and can make it as an MLB backup, I think.
3B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2B (4), K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (W, 2-2) 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Deivi Garcia: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 15 K). This is the “can we squeeze anything out of him?” season for Garcia, who is out of options in 2024 (it was thought he was out of options this year, but that turned out to not be true)
RHP James Norwood (S, 2): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (9-7) (Defeated Harrisburg, 5-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-3, RS, BB
.286/.379/.408 in 58 plate appearances with five stolen bases.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (2), 3 RBI, RS
Dominguez needed this game. I love walks, but I want to see my prospects swing the bat (not saying they should go outside the strike zone – I just want them to get pitches to hit).  This gets his average over .100 (.116) – the next step is .200, etc.
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, 3 K
.220/.304/.380 in 56 plate appearances. He has struck out 22 times (39.3%)
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, BB
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, 2 2B (4), RS, BB, CS (1)
11-for-37 (.297/.409/.568) with six walks. Last year was the first time Narvaez didn’t hit for much average (.194), though he did set a personal best with 11 home runs.
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, K
DH Eric Wagaman: 2-for-3, RS, CS (1)

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 1-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
LHP Michael Giacone: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 10 K. Giacone has allowed two home runs in 60.1 career innings.
RHP Justin Wilson (S, 1):  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Wilson has pitched well coming off his injury (which caused him to miss all of 2022)

Hudson Valley (11-5) (Used a 5-run 9th to cruise past Greenville, 11-6)

CF Spencer Jones: 4-for-5, 2B (6), 2 3B (2), 3 RS, 2 SB (6), K
This is one way to break out of a slump. This jumps his average right back up to .300 with a .960 OPS (started the night at .255 with a .815 OPS)
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, BB, K
Last 7 games: 8-for-29 (2 triples, 2 home runs, 5 walks, 2 stolen bases)
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 3 SB (12)
12-for-12 stealing bases this year after going 31-for-36 in 2022.
DH Ben Rice: 0-for-1, RS, 4 BB
Rice has reached base safely in all 11 games played this season. He has 17 walks in 11 games. He is a 24-year-old C/1B out of Dartmouth who should move to Somerset soon enough.
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-5, 2B (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
Perhaps Gomez has taken a step back in prospect circles – but catchers especially can develop at different rates. So far, he is hitting pretty well to start off 2023.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Richardson is off to a tough start, so it is nice to see him hit one out. He hit 16 home runs (including ten at this level) in 2022.
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-5, K
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-5, RS, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, HR
Hampton allowed four runs in the first inning before settling in. This is the 21-year-old’s first professional season and they are being aggressive with him. Thus far, he has struck out an impressive 24 batters in 13.2 innings. He was their 6th-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Texas Tech.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 13 K

Tampa (6-10) (Lost to Juniper, 3-2, in ten innings)

SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-5
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-4
He gets that first hit out of the way. Wells should get to Triple-A soon enough.
PH-DH Daury Arias: 0-for-1
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, BB
LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-3, RS, BB, CS (2)
.267/.377/.333 in 53 plate appearances. It will be interesting to see how much power his small frame can generate as he moves up levels.
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina: 2-for-3, SF, RBI
In 19 GCL games in 2022, Medina hit .311/.426/.622. So far this season, he is hitting .317/.396/.488. At 22 years old, he does need to move and he does need experience – but this is a starting point.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Hayden Merda: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
3.07 ERA (14.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 14 K). 17th round pick in the 2022 draft.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 1-1)  2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 11 K

Yankees MILB 4/23: Drew Thorpe Ks 10

Anthony Seigler was officially placed on the injured list by Somerset on 4/21. His injury history remains scary – even as his play improved in 2022.

Scranton (8-13) (Lost to St. Paul, 8-5)

RF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, 3B (1), K
6-game hitting streak
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, BB
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
It’s a shame that Chaparro is a corner infielder/DH who can’t play the outfield. 
DH Jake Bauers: 2-for-4, 2 HR (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Once a Top 100 prospect, Bauers hasn’t had much success at the big league level. This is his third multi-HR game this season (including a 3-HR game)
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, RS, K
C Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4
Gasper can catch and play first base. He is a left-handed bat who hit .266/.407/,453 in 70 games for Somerset last season. The downside? He is 27.
CF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Hermosillo has MLB experience but hasn’t hit much when given an opportunity.

RHP Randy Vasquez: (L, 0-3) 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, HR
It has been a bit of a bumpy ride for Vasquez, but this start is at least somewhat encouraging. Season: 7.48 ERA (21.2 IP, 27 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 28 K)
RHP Barrett Loseke: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Michael Gomez: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (8-7) (Defeated New Hampshire, 7-3)

LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-1, RS, 3 BB, K, SB (9)
15 walks in 55 plate appearances (27.3%). He is showing off his patience and perhaps Double-A pitchers are being extra careful despite his 3-for-39 start. Hopefully, he gets hot soon enough.
CF Harrison Bader: 0-for-3
See you soon! Hopefully you bring your playoff bat with you.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-0, SF, RBI
RF Jeisson Rosario: 3-for-4, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Rosario’s first career multi-HR game. Last year, he finished with 11 home runs after hitting ten total in his first four seasons.
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, SB (3)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, HBP
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, HBP
DH Eric Wagaman: 0-for-4
SS Max Burt: 1-for-3, HR (4), RBI, 2 RS, HBP, K, 2 SB (6)
Burt is one of those guys you root for to make an MLB appearance some day – he just grinds it out every year.  He is off to a 13-for-30 start (.433)
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-2, RS, HBP, K, SB (1)

RHP Blas Castano: (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HR
He allowed a 3-run HR in the first but settled in nicely.He pitched well for Hudson Valley in 2022.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
8.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 10 K. Santos is one of those big-armed guys who doesn’t always know where it is going. He was signed this off-season out of the Braves’ organization.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Diaz was acquired from the Braves as a part of the Lucas Luetge transaction. This season: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
RHP Steven Jennings: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
This is the 28-year-old’s organizational debut. He was an 11th round pick by the Tigers all the way back in 2016 and has shown off the strikeout touch in the minors (394 in 264 career innings). His control, however, has not been good.

Hudson Valley (10-5) (Doubled up Rome, 10-5)

CF Spencer Jones 0-for-6, 4 K
22 K in 62 plate appearances (35.5%). 
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, 3B (2), 3 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (2)
Vargas has tripled in back-to-back games (hit 2 triples in 100 games in 2022)
C Ben Rice: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 4 BB, SB (3)
Rice is hitting .357 and has 13 walks (7 strikeouts) in 46 plate appearances. The walk rate is an absurd 28.3%. He can catch and play first base and bats left-handed.
RF Anthony Garcia: 2-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-6, 2B (3), RBI, RS
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-5, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS, K, 2 SB (5)
12-for-35 (.343) to start off his 2023 campaign.
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-5
2B Luis Santos: 1-for-4, SF, RBI

RHP Drew Thorpe: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
3.52 ERA (15.1 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 6 ER, 7 BB, 25 K). He has shown the ability to miss bats in what is his first professional season, which is encouraging. He can move quickly.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Watson, who stands at 6’7″, threw to a 4.01 ERA for Tampa last season. Walks were the issue (36 in 58.1 IP)
RHP Harold Cortijo: (W, 4-0) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Four wins? It is nice to be a middle reliever in the minors, where pitch counts rule the day. 8.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 13 K. Cortijo became a full-time reliever in 2022 – we’ll see what that means for him going forward.
RHP Enrique Santana: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (6-9) (Lost to Clearwater, 12-3, in an ejection-filled mess. I don’t have every detail, but a bit of a brawl broke up after a Tampa pitcher hit a Clearwater batter. Whatever)

2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
DH Ben Rortvedt: 3-for-4, 2 2B (2), 2 RS
Remember that Rortvedt missed spring training. He is still a while away from being where he needs to be – but this is an encouraging game.
PR/DH Nelson Medina: 0-for-1
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
.225/.326/350 in 46 plate appearance for the “other Arias.” (Roderick Arias is one of the organization’s most promising lower-level prospects – you will see him in the rookie leagues this summer)
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
Hall’s first career game in CF (only his fifth career game). He played all three OF positions in college.
SS Dayro Perez: 0-for-1, K (Ejected)
SS Roberto Chirinos: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-1, K (Ejected)
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-3, 2B (2), BB, 2 K
4-for-16 with a pair of doubles. Last year’s 15th-round pick struggled with the bat in his pro debut (.167/.286/.346 in 23 games)
3B Jose Rodriguez: 1-for-2, 2 BB
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4

RHP Justin Lange: (L, 0-2)  1 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Lange cruised through the first…only to start the second with five straight walks. He throws hard (reached 97 today) and is young (21) but he has some rawness to his game. This game skews the ERA as it jumps to 5.73 with a 20/6 K/BB over 11 innings. 
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (Ejected)
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
10.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K. He is 21 years old, and this is his first taste of a full-season league. He hit 97.6 on the gun today.
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The Yankees aren’t loaded with left-handed relief prospects, so there is room for a kid like Gilbert to stand out. He was their 13th round pick in 2022 out of Clemson.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 4/22: Juan Carela Dazzles

I’m back! Here’s hoping for a solid 2023 season down on the farm…This is the section where I will place news in the future. I have none tonight.

Scranton (8-12) (Lost to St. Paul, 11-6)
DH Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K, CS (1)
9-for-27 in nine games (5-game hitting streak)
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-5, 2B (1), K
CF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, 2 2B (6), 2 RS, BB, K
.273/.360/.409 in 75 plate appearances. He hit 25+ doubles in each of his first two seasons and is starting strong in that category once again. He played zero games in CF last season and has three starts there in 2023.
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB
.222/.273/.542 in 77 plate appearances with 7 home runs and 14 runs scored. He was 0-for-23 in his first six games.
LF Jake Bauers: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K 
C Rodolfo Duran: 2-for-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, HBP
With Ben Rortvedt on a rehab stint, Duran will drop a peg on the depth chart. He is 12-for-40 (.300) with four doubles and two home runs.
2B Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
The versatile Basitidas has a couple of home runs and stolen bases but is off to a slow start overall (11-for-58 with 21 strikeouts)
SS Wilmer Difo: 3-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Sean Boyle: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
6.61 ERA (16.1 IP, 20 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 6 BB, 16 K)
RHP Shawn Semple: (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Semple’s first appearance of 2023.
LHP Matt Krook: 2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
1.59 ERA (11.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 22 K). Nice K rate but the walk rate won’t fly. 
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (7-7) (Lost to New Hampshire, 3-1, in five innings)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-2, 2 K
Sweeney is off to a nice start (.304/.389/.435 in 54 plate appearances; 5-for-5 SB). The Yankees have kept him at SS despite rumors of 3B being in his future. So, why is that? Look at Oswald Peraza. The Yankees have him playing 3B right now despite never playing the position in the minors. These kids are athletic enough to pick up on third base rather quickly if needed.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-1, BB
The 3-for-38 start is ugly, though he does have 12 walks (a .294 OBP isn’t so bad when you are hitting .079!)
RF Everson Pereira: 0-for-2
Pereira played in 29 games here in 2022, hitting .283/.341/.504. Once he gets hot in 2023, he will probably be moved to Scranton.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, K
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-2, RS, SB (2)
Hardman was productive in 2022 (81 RBI in 111 games). He is off to a .194/.318/.472 start this season (3 HR, 7 RBI).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, 2 K
Rumfield is a corner player that likely won’t come with much power. I guess his ceiling would be a Dave Magadan type, which would be awesome for him if he gets to that level.
DH Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-2, 2B (2), RBI, SB (7)
Lockridge has speed to burn and can play anywhere in the OF. He should be an above-average MLB center fielder (they obviously will not play him there often with Dominguez here). It all comes down to bat development.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-2, K
C Juan Crisp: 0-for-2, 2 K

RHP Gray Fenter: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Fenter is 27 years old. He was signed this winter to a minor league deal and will likely just be depth.
RHP Justin Wilson: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Wilson has a good arm, but he is now 26 and has an injury history. The time to move is now.

Hudson Valley (9-5) (Defeated Rome, 3-2, in ten innings)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K, SB (4)
Last year’s first-round pick got off to a scorching start but has now settled into a .286/.339/.571 line in 56 plate appearances. He has a 32.1% strikeout rate, so he will need to bring that down. 
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-5, RS, K
3B Caleb Durbin:  1-for-5, RBI, K, SB (9)
Acquired as a part of the Lucas Luetge deal, the versatile Durbin (he can play 2B/SS/3B) is off to a nice start (.273/.407/.318 with nine steals). 
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, HBP, 3 K, SB (2)
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 4 K
Garcia has only played RF this season after playing exclusively at 1B in 2022. It doesn’t matter where he plays – he needs more contact if he is going to advance.
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
A big season for Gomez, who is off to a .279/.380/.326 start (50 plate appearances)
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
12-for-29 this season and 18-for-43 (.419) in his very short career.
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (6)
Sanchez has speed and can play the three outfield positions, but power is lacking.
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, K

RHP Juan Carela: 5.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K
1.35 ERA (13.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 21 K). The Yankees allowed the 21-year-old to get his feet wet here in 2022, and he struggled (7.71 ERA in seven starts). This is why they let prospects get their feet wet even if the results aren’t desirable – they go into the offseason with some sense of what they are up against.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Jack Neely: (W, 1-0) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
The big (6’8″) 22-year old has 104 strikeouts in 61 career innings. The walks need help, but he is a legit relief prospect.
RHP Nick Paciorek (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
An injury derailed his 2022 campaign. He has pitched well in 5.2 innings this year.

Tampa (6-8) (Defeated Clearwater, 7-6 – walkoff style!)

SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2  RS, BB
We don’t hear too much about Escanio, but the 20-year-old switch hitter has consistently hit at the top of the Tampa lineup this season. He posted a .216 average in the FCL last season, but his ability to take walks allowed him to compile a .366 OBP.
C Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-2, HBP
While it is true to say that injuries have been a bugaboo, don’t count the latest as a part of that storyline – a numb feeling in his thumb turned out to be an aneurysm.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-1, SF, RBI
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
His first professional hit is a walk-off 2-run HR! Last year’s 4th round pick out of Oregon went 0-for-1 before being shut down due to injury. 
2B Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI
Perhaps the position prospect with the most buzz in Tampa to start 2023. Serna, who stands 5’6″, hit .302/.438/.527 in the FCL last season (7-for-39 in 12 games for Tampa). He is 11-for-42 this season with six walks and only four strikeouts.
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4
Medina may be a bit under the radar but he is hitting .306 (11-for-36)
DH Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-4, 3 K
LF Felix Negueis: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
He entered tonight’s game 1-for-29, so the home run must have felt good.
3B Roberto Chirinos: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K

RHP Sean Hermann: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
2.30 ERA (15.2 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 12 K). Hermann is only 19 years old (he will turn 20 in June). He was a 14th-round pick in 2021.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Vinyard was signed as a non-drafted free agent last August.
RHP Manny Ramirez: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR