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 Gasper1-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 Bowman1.2 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 Sweeney0-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 Dominguez0-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 Pereira0-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 Rosario0-for-2, K
3B Tyler Hardman1-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. Rumfield0-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 Lockridge1-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 Torrealba0-for-2, K
C Juan Crisp0-for-2, 2 K

RHP Gray Fenter4.2 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 Wilson0.1 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 Jones1-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 Richardson0-for-4, HBP, 3 K, SB (2)
RF Anthony Garcia0-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 Gomez1-for-3, BB, 2 K
A big season for Gomez, who is off to a .279/.380/.326 start (50 plate appearances)
1B Rafael Flores2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
12-for-29 this season and 18-for-43 (.419) in his very short career.
LF Aldenis Sanchez1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (6)
Sanchez has speed and can play the three outfield positions, but power is lacking.
2B Ben Cowles0-for-4, K

RHP Juan Carela5.2 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 Gomez1.1 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 Rortvedt0-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 Ramirez0-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 Serna2-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 Martinez0-for-4, 3 K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4
Medina may be a bit under the radar but he is hitting .306 (11-for-36)
DH Tayler Aguilar1-for-4, 3 K
LF Felix Negueis1-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 Hermann5 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