Month: August 2023

Yankees MILB 8/31: Drew Thorpe Ks 9

News:

Yesterday’s busy news day did not extend into today.

Scranton (64-63; 30-23 in the second half) (Defeated Rochester, 4-1, in ten innings. I won’t lie – with all the promotions to MLB and no big prospects replacing them, Scranton’s roster isn’t the most exciting in minor-league baseball. But they still have a playoff berth to chase)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Durham: 31-21 (game in progress)
Lehigh Valley: 32-22
Worcester: 31-22
Buffalo: 30-22
Norfolk: 31-23 (first-half champions – if they repeat, the second-place team in the second half gets the playoff berth)
Jacksonville: 30-23
Scranton: 30-23

CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, 2 BB, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, RS, BB, K, SB (5)
He is hitting .251 with a .777 OPS since his promotion. 
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-5, 3 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, 2B (20), RBI, RS
Chaparro adds 20 doubles to his 23 home runs. He is up to 79 RBI, which still is the top number in the organization.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
DH Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-5, 3 K, SB (9)
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (19)
When rosters used to expand to 40 max, a player like Difo would always find his way up – he can run and play several positions. I still think the MLBPA shouldn’t have given up the 40-man roster callups easily, even if it made some sense from a competition standpoint. 
LF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (19)
Lockridge has 36 stolen bases in 40 attempts between here and Somerset. He is having a solid season and can play all three outfield positions. I still see him as a Tim Locastro type (with the potential to have more of a hit tool), which is not a bad outcome – Locastro has been around for a while doing his craft. His best opportunity for playing time would be elsewhere, I am afraid. 

RHP Zach McAllister: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
He seemingly started instead of Randy Vasquez – given the bullpen usage in this game, one has to assume that Vasquez is a fresh arm on his way to Houston.
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
0.96 ERA (28 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 20 BB, 48 K)
RHP Greg Weissert: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Zac Houston: (W, 1-1)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Wilmer Difo: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Difo has appeared in enough games on the hill to qualify as the Triple-A Shohei Ohtani.

Somerset (75-47; 33-21 in the second half) (Defeated Portland, 5-2)

SS Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, RS, HBP, 2 SB (21)
Durbin has 36 stolen bases in 42 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. With Jasson Dominguez (40 SB) on his way to MLB, Durbin has a chance to take the SB crown. If he didn’t get hurt, the crown would have been his anyway.
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
Rice has a 6-game hitting streak (13-for-28; 2 doubles, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R). August: 38-for-110 (.345/.397/.700 (LOL); 7 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 24 R). Total season: .333/.442/.648 in 265 PA (13 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 52 R, 35 BB, 46 K, 10-for-11 SB)
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Since promotion: 3-for-15 with a homer and five runs batted in. 
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, RBI
Since promotion: .241/.305/.356 in 95 PA. He has a 6-game hitting streak going (9-for-24)
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
Let him finish his season in Triple-A.
2B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-4, K
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Seigler still has more walks (48; 20.1%) than strikeouts (44). He accomplished the same in 2022 (91 walks, 82 strikeouts)
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 4-0; 14-2 overall) 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Thorpe was a bit off tonight, but the outcome shouldn’t be disappointing. Since his promotion: 1.37 ERA in 26.1 IP (12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 39 K). Overall, Thorpe has an insane 177/38 K/BB over 135.1 innings. He has allowed one or fewer runs 12 times this season (zero runs eight times)
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.62 ERA (33.1 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). 
RHP Bailey Dees (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Since promotion: 13 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 13 K. Overall, Dees owns a 72/21 K/BB over 55.1 innings.

Hudson Valley (67-56; 28-29 in the second half) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-5)

RF Anthony Hall: 3-for-5, RBI, RS
Hall needed this. He is at .211/.309/.324 in 82 plate appearances at this level and .255/.365/.419 in 354 PA overall between here and Tampa. 
2B Jared Serna: 2-for-5, 2B (5), RS, K
Serna has a 10-game hitting streak.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, K
One has to assume that he won’t be rehabbing for long…
  1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-2, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (17), 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB, SB (2)
C Ramon Flores: 0-for-4
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner: 3-for-4, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Wegner is hitting .306/.419/.556 in 43 PA at this level. He was drafted this year but is 24 years old, so you would expect a kid with his college experience to hit well in the lower minors. 

RHP Yorlin Calderon: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Calderon’s High-A debut.
LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 3-7)  2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
At this level: 2.23 ERA (36.1 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 18 BB, 44 K). He allowed four runs in 1.2 innings in his fourth appearance at this level but has been very good since.

Tampa (58-63; 27-28 in the second half) (Defeated St. Lucie, 15-3)

SS George Lombard Jr: 1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
Lombard’s first Low-A hit. Including the FCL playoffs, he has reached safely in all nine of his professional games.
2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, K
At this level: 11-for-50 (2 doubles, 9 RBI, 10 R, 17 BB, 16 K). 
DH Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-2, HR (18), RBI, 3 RS, 3 BB
Martinez is hitting .259 with a .844 OPS in 411 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 62 BB (15.1%), 106 K (25.8%))
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Martinez and Moylan went back-to-back. Moylan is hitting .296 with a .806 OPS (18-for-60, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 13 BB, 17 K). As stated previously, Moylan was a sought-after non-drafted free agent this year. So far, he is doing well adjusting to the pro game.
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
For Tampa, Romero is at .205 with a .699 OPS in 94 plate appearances. He is a left-handed hitting corner infielder out of a big school (Arizona), so let’s see how he progresses.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-2, HBP, 2 K
Martin left the game after the HBP.
   PR-RF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, 2 RS, HBP, K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, 3B (3), 3 RBI
One of the most exciting (and rare nowadays) things in baseball is the bases-clearing triple.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-4, RBI

RHP Jackson Fristoe: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
An impressive Low-A debut for their 12th-round pick in the 2022 draft (Mississippi State). Since Low-A is a league that registers Savant data, I was able to get a look at Fristoe’s numbers. He averaged an impressive 96.1 on his 4-seam fastball, reaching as high as 98.1. His most used pitch (60%) was a cutter that averaged 91.1 (maxed out at 94.5). He mixed in a few sliders as well. Suffice to say, when you see a kid throwing this hard, you pay attention.  One issue he had in the FCL was his control (24 BB in 27.1 innings), so that is something to monitor as they work with him.
RHP Montana Semmel: (W, 4-1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 4.96 ERA (16.1 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 22 K). His line is skewed by a 0 IP, 4 R, 3 BB effort on August 6. Life as a relief pitcher.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.22 ERA (44.2 IP, 34 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 1 HR, 26 BB, 55 K)

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/30: Ben Rice Goes Off

News:

It looked like it might be a slow news day.

Late this afternoon, Bryan Hoch announced that the Yankees are calling up Jasson Dominguez and Austin Wells.

When we woke up on July 7th, Dominguez was staring at a .198/.341/.343 triple slash with a 94 wRC+ and 28.7% K. Since then (not including today), he has hit .364/.433/.543 (163 wRC+) with a 17.8% K.

Dominguez has the potential to be a star. The ceiling is just as enormous now as it was when he was signed. Ceilings are hard to achieve, but Dominguez is someone every fan should be excited about. Even his 75% outcome is All-Star level.

I won’t lie and tell you that Wells has played at a high level in 2023. His .240/.333/.442 line isn’t going to dazzle you.  That said, he has the power profile to take advantage of the porch and draws his share of walks. In 188 games between 2022-2023, Wells has 41 doubles, 37 home runs, and 104 walks (12.5%) in 831 plate appearances. This is what the Yankees are hoping for – enough average to go along with power and walks. Not everyone has to be a top-of-the-order stud. If Wells develops into a 6th-7th hitter, you take it. The other question that needs answering is his future position. He is athletic enough to play left field, but the Yankees are playing other youngsters out there. First base is another option, though that does raise the offensive bar. For 2023, he will get his time behind the plate and we’ll see what happens.

Fans just need to be patient because it is unlikely we will see another Gary Sanchez level of explosion. It can happen, but you can’t count on that. The important thing for 2023 is the experience.

The Yankees have released RHP Spencer Howard. Howard, acquired for cash considerations at the deadline, was low on the 40-man roster totem pole He only pitched in three games for Scranton, allowing four runs in 3.1 innings.

“Why make this trade?”

The Yankees were taking a flyer on a former Top 30 prospect (as recent as 2021). When you have a 40-man roster opening, acquiring someone with a prospect pedigree isn’t a bad idea. No harm, no foul.

Scranton (63-63; 29-23 in the second half) (Lost to Rochester, 8-4)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-20 (Game not over)
Durham: 31-21
Lehigh Valley: 31-22
Scranton: 29-23

RF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, HR (24), RBI, 2 RS, K, 2 SB (23)
.285/.384/.556 in 432 PA. This was his first home run since July 30th (he was out of action from August 2 – August 16)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Dominguez has 40 stolen bases between here and Somerset. Overall stat line: .265/.377/.425 in 544 PA (22 doubles, 3 triples, 15 HR, 76 RBI, 89 R, 83 BB (15.3%), 133 K (24.4%), 40-for-48 SB). Last year, playing for Tampa, Hudson Valley, and Somerset, he hit .273/.375/.461 in 530 PA. I would have called you nuts back in June if you told me he was going to eventually approach his 2022 totals. Yet, here we are…
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, K
Since promotion: .254/.349/.452 in 146 PA with ten doubles, five home runs and a 23.3% K.
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5, RS, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-3, 2B (17), 2 RBI, K, SB (5)
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (17)
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, BB

LHP Edgar Barclay (L, 0-3): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
He left the game with the bases loaded and all three runners ended up scoring. Furthermore, a big error was the lighted match that turned into an inferno. At this level, he owns a bloated 7.88 ERA in 24 innings. Again, it is so hard to get a good read on pitchers in Triple-A this season.
RHP Zach Greene: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (74-47; 32-21 in the second half) (Toyed with Portland, 13-6. They fell behind 5-2 and 6-3 before taking off)

LF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-5, 2B (11), 3 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (18)
Dunham has 23 doubles and 30 stolen bases between here and Scranton. I think he should take the place of Dominguez in Triple-A. 
C Ben Rice: 4-for-6, 2B (8), 2 HR (14), 5 RBI, 4 RS, SB (6)
Is this guy for real? Since his promotion, in a mere 34 games, he is hitting .343 with a 1.114 OPS (8 doubles, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 30 R, and 6 stolen bases).  It is kind of surprising that he is only on a 5-game hitting streak!
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, 3 K, SB (1)
Jones takes care of his first Double-A homer (a grand slam!) and first Double-A stolen base on the same night. He is 3-for-11 since his promotion and has 28 doubles, 4 triples, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases overall. I don’t know if he will be a stolen base machine in MLB, but his athleticism continues to shine in the minors. Rough edges to work out? Definitely. But the ceiling is tantalizing.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, CS (5)
Since returning from the IL: 14-for-41 (.341) with three walks and only two strikeouts. 
DH Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, RS, 4 K
SS Max Burt: 2-for-5, 2 RS, 2 K

RHP Richard Fitts: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Fitts has been so good lately that we can toss this. As I have mentioned before, the one knock on him is that he sometimes loses his command within the strike zone. Tonight, he uncharacteristically allowed some walks. It happens. Season: 3.40 ERA (135 IP, 114 H, 52 R, 51 ER, 19 HR, 37 BB, 143 K). He is one of the few performing prospects who has stayed at one level all season. That is fine – just a random observation. He doesn’t ever need to step foot in Triple-A.
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 18 K). Overall, he has a 92/19 K/BB over 62.1 innings. He should be ready in 2024 – perhaps as early as Opening Day, though I wouldn’t bet money on it.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (67-55; 28-28 in the second half) (Knocked off Wilmington, 9-3)

RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, BB
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
Serna increases his hitting streak to nine. He is hitting .284 since his promotion. Serna has only five extra-base hits in 18 games at this level, but his season has been so good that we won’t worry about that. As long as he isn’t overwhelmed at a more advanced level, that is a win.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, BB
Rumfield’s first rehab game. In Somerset earlier this season, he hit .224/.322/.463 with 17 home runs in 72 games. The power surge was unexpected. As for the average, his .218 BABIP may indicate some bad luck there.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, HR (2), SF, 3 RBI, RS, K
Rodriguez is hitting .359 (23-for-64) since his promotion (5 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 11 BB, 13 K). He has not stopped hitting all season.
2B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, 2 RS, K
Cowles now has a 40-game on-base streak.
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, RBI, RS
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
This is what you call making an impression in your High-A debut.
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, RBI

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
It was a grind tonight for Selvidge, but he kept the damage at bay. At this level: 3.96 in 38.2 IP (35 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 37 K). Overall, Selvidge (just turned 21) is up to 116 innings after tossing 42.2 innings in 2022. Will they let him finish out the season, or is the end near? There isn’t too much time left.
RHP Anderson Munoz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
6 outs, all via strikeout! That works.

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half)

Their game against St. Lucie was canceled due to Hurricane Idalia. They hope to resume play on Thursday.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/29: Agustin Ramirez Heating Up?

News:

I would need someone to publish my novel if I went into details about every player promoted today.

To Hudson Valley:

OF Cole Gabrielson (2023 non-drafted free agent)
RHP Yorlin Calderon (2018 International free agent. 22 years old)
RHP Cam Schlittler (2022 7th round pick out of Northeastern)

To Tampa:

RHP Kris Bow (2022 non-drafted free agent. He was with Tampa earlier this season)
RHP Jackson Fristoe (2022 12th-round pick out of Mississippi State)
RHP Sebastian Keane (2022 18th round pick out of Northeastern – the Yankees must like RHP out of Northeastern!)
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz (2018 International free agent. 22 years old)

The Yankees have shut down RHP Chase Hampton for the rest of the season. Hampton pitched to a 3.63 ERA (3.39 FIP) in 106.2 innings between Hudson Valley and Somerset (33.1% K, 8.4% BB). He is 21 years old and this is his first taste of professional baseball. In his two years in college (Texas Tech), Hampton tossed 101 innings. Hence, it is smart to shut him down now in anticipation of a higher innings load in 2024. If you are wondering about RHP Richard Fitts, he tossed 112 innings for Tampa/Hudson Valley last year and is up to 131 innings this year. He’s fine. Like Hampton, RHP Drew Thorpe is in his first professional season. The difference is that he tossed 104.2 innings for Cal Poly in 2022, after throwing 90.1 innings in 2021. They might still shut him down at some point, but his current 130 innings don’t put him in a danger zone.

Also, T.J. Rumfield will start a rehab assignment down in Hudson Valley. Rumfield was breaking out in the power department earlier this season before the injury bug got him.

Scranton (63-62; 29-22 in the second half) (Lost to Rochester, 2-1)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-20
Durham: 30-21 (game not over)
Scranton: 29-22
Lehigh Valley: 29-22 (game not over)

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-5, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, RS, BB, SB (2)
Dominguez has 39 stolen bases between Somerset and Scranton. Last season, he stole 37 bases in 44 attempts. Since his promotion, he is 12-for-27 with five walks and two strikeouts. I don’t know what the Yankees will do but what I thought was impossible entering the season (reaching MLB) is very much possible now. Yes, some of that is due to the fact that the Yankees have underperformed. 
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-4, BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, RBI
Chaparro drives home his organization-leading 78th run.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, BB, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, BB, CI
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 8-7) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
4.57 ERA (138 IP, 140 H, 77 R, 70 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 129 K)
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (73-47; 31-21 in the second half) (Defeated Portland, 3-1)

2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, 2 2B (8), K
Durbin’s power will likely not develop above the doubles/triples line, and that is fine given everything else he can potentially provide. He is hitting .283/.350/.414 in 160 PA at this level (8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 22 R, 11 BB, 8 K, 19-for-23 SB). 
C Ben Rice: 2-for-5, RS, K
Rice is now 33-for-100 (.330) in August (6 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 8 BB, 19 K). For Somerset, he is hitting .328/.389/.664.
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS
Ramirez has three straight multi-hit games, raising his Double-A triple slash to .244/.314/.372 in 86 plate appearances. 
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-3, BB
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB
.212/.358/.349 in 384 PA. Drawing walks is not an issue (18.5%). 
SS Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, RS, BB

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
2.87 ERA in 53.1 IP (35 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). At the very least, if they determine he can’t do the 25-30 start thing, he can be a big-league bullpen option. His clock is ticking though for him to become something with the Yankees, however.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (W, 1-2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Maciejewski is doing his job as a “rover” (he has pitched at three levels this season). He owns a 2.06 ERA and 40/10 K/BB over 35 innings.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At this level: 3.10 ERA in 49.1 IP (29 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 32 BB, 59 K). Is there still something to unlock here? Teams rarely give up on good arms – though some run out of time and find their groove elsewhere.
LHP Ryan Anderson (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.42 ERA (19 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 20 K)

Hudson Valley (66-55; 27-28 in the second half) (Lost to Wilmington, 6-3)

CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, K
Since promotion: .177/.282/.306 in 72 PA
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, SB (7)
Serna has an 8-game hitting streak (10-for-32). He is 7-for-8 stealing bases in 17 games since his promotion and 26-for-33 overall.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-2, RS, BB, HBP, SB (1)
His first High-A stolen base but he is no stranger to the craft: He is now 16-for-20 stealing bases between Hudson Valley and Tampa. In August, he is 21-for-60 (.350) with 11 walks. His positional breakdown (starts): 3B (48), C (22), 1B (15), LF (10), DH (2)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
39-game on-base streak (39-for-136 (.287) with 26 walks and three HBP. Heading into tonight (I don’t have the update number here), he had a 138 wRC+ during this streak.
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP
Flores has homered in back-to-back games. Six of his seven home runs have come since July 19th (30 games)
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange: (L, 1-1) 3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 5.68 ERA (12.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). Overall, in 95 innings, Lange has allowed only 62 hits with a 131/63 K/BB. Someone teach this kid some control before he kills somebody.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Since promotion: 2.51 ERA (14.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 18 K). Overall, he owns an 82/22 K/BB over 60.2 innings.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.93 ERA (30.2 IP, 23 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 34 K). Overall, he owns a 66/27 K/BB over 55 innings in his debut season.
RHP Shane Gray: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half)

Their game against St. Lucie was canceled due to Hurricane Idalia. They hope to resume play on Thursday.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/27: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits in Somerset Debut

News:

SS George Lombard Jr., 1B/3B Dylan Jasso, and OF Jackson Castillo were all moved up to Low-A Tampa after the FCL season concluded yesterday. All three were in today’s lineup.

Lombard (18) was the Yankees’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft while Jasso (20-year-old right-handed bat) and Castillo (20-year-old left-handed bat) both were signed as undrafted free agents after the draft.

“Is the Lombard promotion aggressive for the Yankees?” That question is impossible to answer. The most recent direct comparison (Anthony Volpe, 2019) played under a different system. He never played in the GCL (now FCL), instead going straight to short-season Pulaski after being drafted. We’ll never know what the exact plans for him were because he came down with an illness that wiped out his season after 34 games.

Jasso and Castillo are college kids – one should never be surprised to see college bats making their way to a full-season league quickly. Many start there.

Scranton (63-61; 29-21 in the second half) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 6-4. The Railriders took six out of seven in this series)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-19
Durham: 29-21 (game not yet completed)
Scranton: 29-21
Lehigh Valley: 29-22

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RBI, RS, SB (21)
Florial is a double away from a 20/20/20 season. He is hitting .290/.391/.561 in 422 PA.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is 11-for-23 (.478/1.023 OPS) since his promotion with two doubles, one triple, and ten runs batted in. What, no home runs? He is right in the middle of the organization’s RBI title race, as he is up to 76 (Andres Chaparro leads with 77. Jared Serna also has 76). His triple slash now sits at .266/.376/.426. Remember when he was hitting under .200? It really wasn’t all that long ago. Yeah, a 20-year-old doing this in the upper minors deserves a ranking in the 80s, Pipeline. 
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Wells has eight doubles, five home runs, and 19 RBI in 23 August games. He is also in the middle of the RBI race, as he is up to 72 in 94 games.
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, K
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, RS, BB
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, SAC, K
Small ball Lockridge! He is hitting .300/.371/.425 in 283 PA between here and Somerset with 34 stolen bases in 38 attempts.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K, SB (8)

RHP Clayton Beeter: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Beeter hit 96.1 MPH today. Breakdown: 66% 4-seam; 31% slider; 2% curve; 1% changeup. At this level: 5.32 ERA (45.2 IP, 40 H, 28 R, 27 ER, 11 HR, 27 BB, 55 K). Overall, Beeter has a 131/58 K/BB over 106.1 innings.
LHP Nick Ramirez: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Greg Weissert (S, 10): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (72-47; 30-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 7-6)

SS Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, RS, SB (19)
The injury didn’t slow him down. Durbin is 11-for-33 (.333) since returning with two walks, only one strikeout, and five stolen bases.  His season numbers between here and Hudson Valley: .298/.393/.399 in 252 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 42 R, 25 BB, 16 K (6.3%), 34-for-39 SB)
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-5, HR (12), RBI, RS, K
Rice has 12 home runs in 32 games since his promotion (.326/.389/.674 in 144 insane plate appearances)
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, RS
Jones starts his Double-A journey with a multi-hit game. He has 27 multi-hit games down in Hudson Valley (100 games)
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, BB, SB (2)
Back-to-back multi-hit games for Ramirez, who is now 17-for-74 (.230) with three doubles and two home runs since his promotion. Overall, he is at .284/.382/.484 in 435 PA with 20 doubles, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 67 runs, 58 walks, 71 strikeouts, and 11 stolen bases.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, RS
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Richardson has homered in back-to-back games and has 15 home runs overall between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3, 2B (5), RS, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.41 ERA in 32 IP (16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 38 K). In 117.1 career innings, Watson has allowed only 76 hits while striking out 145. He will allow his share of walks but the overall profile is a dominant one.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 3-1) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bailey Dees: (S, 1) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 12 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. In 113 career innings, Dees has allowed only 69 hits while striking out 147 (48 walks). There are some fun relievers in the minors who are getting closer to their big-league dreams.

Hudson Valley (66-54; 27-27 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 4-2. Poor Renegades have lost most of the players who helped them earn a playoff berth in the first half. Life as a High-A affiliate!)

SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
The hard way to increase your on-base streak to 38.
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, BB, CS (1)
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, K
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
Wegner is 8-for-30 at this level with six walks. 
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, K, CS (2)
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3
CF Kyle Battle: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, SB (2)
Battle is only 1-for-24 this season, which has (obviously) been interrupted by injury. He has speed to kill (20 SB in 51 games in 2022) but the rest of the game hasn’t yet developed.
C Juan Crisp: 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
Crisp started in the system back in 2018, and this is his 98th career game. His last home run came exactly four years ago: 8/27/2019.

RHP Baron Stuart: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
At this level: 3.54 ERA in 28 IP (21 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 20 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.65 ERA in 37.1 IP (27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 55 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez (L, 3-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half) (Lost to Palm Beach, 12-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, BB
At this level: 9-for-45 (.200/.429/.222) with a double, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts.
SS George Lombard, Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Lombard’s first career hitless game – but at least he got on base!
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, 2B (4), BB, K
.200/.326/.300 in 89 PA with four doubles, a triple, and a home run. 
DH Brenny Escanio: 1-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (20)
.223/.337/.290 in 449 PA with 20 stolen bases in 26 attempts. He has a 14.7% BB and 25.4% K.
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K, SB (8)
  CF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, K
At this level: 9-for-51 (.176/.250/.275) with three doubles and a triple. 

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Talk about an undeserved loss in a game like this! That’s baseball, Suzyn. At this level: 5.21 ERA in 19 IP (23 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Luis Arejula: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Adam Stone: 0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
5.06 ERA (48 IP, 44 H, 33 R, 27 ER, 4 HR, 26 BB, 43 K)

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/26: Jasson Dominguez…Again

News:

Two people independently contacted me tonight from Somerset, claiming that they spotted OF Spencer Jones in the dugout. Given Jones’ size, he is easy to spot, so I believe it to be true. Jones has not played the last two nights for Hudson Valley.

Assuming he isn’t there for a wedding (hey, you never know), this promotion would be earned. The strikeout rate needs to come down for him to reach his full potential, but I am not going to complain about a .268/.337/.450 (113 wRC+) line with 28 doubles, 13 homers, and 35 stolen bases. The strikeout percentage sits at 29% and he does need to get the ball in the air more (46% ground ball). To me, these numbers show that there is monster potential – look what he is doing as is. Now imagine more balls in the air and at least a slight drop in the strikeouts.

Scranton (62-61; 28-21 in the second half) (Swept a doubleheader against Lehigh Valley)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, one of the teams they are chasing for the second-half title.
Up to the second:
Worcester: 30-19
Durham: 30-20
Lehigh Valley: 29-21
Scranton: 28-21

Game 1 (Used a 7-run first inning to cruise to a 7-4 victory)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
This was the appetizer…
C Austin Wells: 2-for-4, 2B (10), RS
At this level: .263/.356/.456 in 132 PA with ten doubles, four homers, and 18 RBI. Overall, he is hitting .242/.335/.443 in 415 PA (24 doubles, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 45 R, 46 BB, 94 K). Today, Aaron Boone mentioned that Wells may see some reps at first base. The Yankees have yet to play him at any other position but catcher in the minors, despite concerns that he may not be able to stick there. The main reason for this is probably value – Wells as a catcher has more market value than Wells the first baseman. That said, it doesn’t harm his value at all to give him some work at first base. Some players are able to adapt quickly when presented a new position, so we’ll see what happens.
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, SB (4)
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-3, HR (19), 4 RBI, RS, BB
Westbrook hits a grand slam. He ties his personal best for home runs in a season, set back in 2018.
1B Jake Lamb: 1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, BB
RF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-3, HR (12), RBI, RS, 2 K
Scranton hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the first inning.
SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, RS

RHP Will Warren: (W, 6-4)  6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 3 HR
At this level: 4.82 ERA (71 IP, 68 H, 48 R, 38 ER, 15 HR, 36 BB, 74 K). His ERA is lower than the league average in this crazy league, so keep that in mind. Overall, Warren is 9-4 in 23 starts between here and Somerset with a 4.13 ERA in 100.1 IP (94 H, 58 R, 46 ER, 15 HR, 48 BB, 113 K)
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-3)

DH Estevan Florial: 0-for-1, RBI, RS, 3 BB
.288/.390/.558 in 418 PA. He is only 7-for-35 in August, though he has drawn 11 walks.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-4, 2B (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS
…this was the main course. He is now 9-for-20 (.450) since his promotion with eight runs batted in and only one strikeout. This is exactly what the Yankees ordered. Overall, he is hitting .263/.374/.420 in 530 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 86 R, 80 BB (15.1%), 131 K (24.7%), 38-for-46 SB). 
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, RBI, K
.246/.339/.461 in 496 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 77 RI, 71 R, 59 BB (11.9%), 107 K (21.6%), 4-for-4 SB). Chaparro is in the mix for the organization’s HR and RBI crowns (he leads in RBI).
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
.252/.380/.416 in 321 PA. A fascinating Rule 5 case this winter. It is hard to give up catching depth – every team needs it, and you don’t even want to give up a potential backup catcher for free.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, 2 BB
1B Jake Lamb: 2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, RS, BB
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB

RHP Randy Vasquez: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
Vasquez tossed only 63 pitches. He owns a 4.59 ERA at this level with a 96/40 K/BB over 80.1 innings. As I always say, once I see some success in MLB, I don’t pay quite as much attention to MILB numbers. The probability is high that the MLB coaching staff is asking him to work on specific things in the minors.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (W, 3-0): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Zach McAllister: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Somerset (71-47; 29-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 3-1)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, RS, BB, SB (18)
Durbin is up to 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. He has accomplished that in 59 games.His up-to-the-minute K% is 6.5%. That is elite-level stuff.
C Ben Rice: 3-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (5)
Rice is 30-for-90 (.333) in August (6 doubles,1 triple, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 17 R, 8 BB, 16 K, 5-for-6 SB) and has four 3+ hit games this season. He isn’t typically frisky on the basepaths, but let him have his fun. 
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
Ramirez is 15-for-71 (.211/.606 OPS) since his promotion. Overall, he has 19 doubles, 18 homers, and 66 RBI in 100 games between here, Hudson Valley, and Tampa. There is nothing to worry about at all – he continues to make a lot of contact here and the results will follow.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, BB
CF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-4, K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-3, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 3-3) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 K
4.03 ERA (44.2 IP, 36 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 6 HR, 21 BB, 54 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
At this level: 3.21 ERA (47.2 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 32 BB, 56 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 11.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 15 K. Overall, he has an 89/19 K/BB over 60.1 IP.

Hudson Valley (66-53; 27-26 in the second half) (Defeated Aberdeen, 4-2)

SS Jared Serna: 1-for-5
Serna now has a 7-game hitting streak.
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Since promotion: 10-for-58 (.172) with five doubles, a homer, nine walks, and 22 strikeouts.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, 2 K
Rodriguez is 19-for-55 (..345/.921 OPS) in 15 games since his promotion. He has four doubles, a homer, 11 RBI, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts.
DH Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 4 K
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS
Familia continues to rake. He has 21 HR and 58 RBI in 59 games between here and Tampa. Over the last two years, he has 32 HR and 99 RBI in 116 games. In 38 games since his promotion, he is hitting .267/.344/.500 in 163 PA (4 doubles, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 29 R, 16 BB, 34 K). He will find himself in Somerset in 2024.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
.262/.344/.363 in 392 PA (15 doubles, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 44 R, 43 BB, 101 K)
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
4.29 ERA (92.1 IP, 78 H, 55 R, 44 ER, 13 HR, 48 BB, 111 K). The 23-year-old is doing a good enough job in his first full season of starting (he made 16 starts in his 31 appearances last year)
RHP Anderson Munoz: (W, 1-0)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: (S, 1) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
Following this game on GameDay, I got the feeling that Cohen (who tossed 36 pitches) was fighting his way through the 9th. Anyway, he has a 3.76 ERA in 38 IP at this level (29 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)

Tampa (57-62; 26-27 in the second half) 

They played two games against Palm Beach on Friday. No game today.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs) (Lost to the Braves, 9-1. The Braves take the championship series, 2-0, as the Yankees season comes to an end. Overall, this was a successful season in the FCL as many prospects performed more than well enough to earn a shot in Tampa. That could come next week or next season. I assume it will be next week for a few of them)

2B Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4
Delgado followed up his .293/.414/.485 regular season with a 4-for-12 (including two doubles) postseason.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4
Lombard hit safely in every game he played in (four regular season games, and three playoff games). Combined, he went 8-for-23 (.348) with a double, seven walks, and four strikeouts.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS, BB
In 20 regular season/postseason games, Jasso went 26-for-72 with two home runs and 23 runs batted in. He walked 12 times and struck out six times. A candidate to go to Tampa next week.
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4
Montero burst onto the scene last year and did not disappoint this year, hitting .331/.389/.436 in 203 PA while spending a lot of time in CF (27 starts in CF, 18 starts in RF). He followed that up with a 4-for-12 postseason. 
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4
Tejeda was one of the most consistent players at this level. After hitting .307/.465/.458 in the regular season, he went 5-for-13 with three RBI in the postseason.
RF John Cruz: 0-for-4, K
Cruz went 1-for-9 in the postseason, but that doesn’t lessen his productive regular season.
DH Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-3, 2 K
  PH Joel Mendez: 0-for-1, K
C Edinson Duran: 0-for-4

RHP Carlos Lagrange (L, 0-1): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The 6’7″ 20-year-old did enough in the rookie leagues this year to earn his shot at Low-A in 2024. 
LHP Edwar Polimir: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The 22-year-old Polimir made his Low-A debut already (8/10) but it was only for a game.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
LHP Pablo Mujica: 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/25: Drew Thorpe Dominates Again

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (60-61; 26-21 in the second half) (Walked it off over Lehigh Valley, 6-5)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title.

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 K, SB (20)
The challenge system played a huge role in this game. They challenged a strike 3 call to Florial in the 9th and won it. He ended up walking and eventually scoring the winning run.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, RBI, K, SB (1)
Since promotion: 5-for-13, 1 double, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K. Dominguez has 38 stolen bases between here and Somerset.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Wells is at .255/.352/.445 at this level. Good to see him taking his walks.
DH Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, RS, HBP, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB
Cordero with the walk-off single in the 9th.
1B Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, RS, BB
3B Jake Lamb: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4, RBI, K

LHP Edgar Barclay: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
Barclay continues to struggle at this level. After allowing one home run for Somerset, he has allowed eight in 19.2 innings here. The ball is lively here so that is probably a part of it. I hate to blame all struggles on the ball (just like I hate to credit all successes by hitters to the ball)
RHP Zach Greene: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: (W, 5-3) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (70-47; 28-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 8-1)

2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS
Durbin is one of those kids who can become an instant fan favorite. He makes a lot of contact, can steal bases, etc. He has played SS in the past but the Yankees have not asked him to do it in 2023, instead giving him time at 2B and 3B. It makes you wonder if he can be a future DJ LeMahieu with some added speed. It’s a fascinating profile because the Yankees aren’t known for carrying kids with his profile (remember, he wasn’t drafted by the organization – he was a part of the Lucas Luetge trade with Atlanta)
DH Ben Rice: 2-for-4, 2B (7), RS, BB
The one knock on Rice right now is that he isn’t great against LHP. It is a legitimate concern, as he is 7-for-39 against LHP in 2023 (12-for-60 in 2022; 1-for-12 in 2021). Combined, that is 20-for-111 (.180) with three extra-base hits (one double, 2 HR), 14 walks, and 27 strikeouts.. One thing you notice in that profile is the sample size – it isn’t much. Without enough reps, it is hard to develop the skill.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
Ramirez is hitting .194 (13-for-67) since his promotion with six runs batted in and ten runs scored. An encouraging sign is that the strikeout rate isn’t spiking much – he is at 17.6%. (17.7% in Tampa, 14% in Hudson Valley).
CF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, 2B (10), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB, K
Even in the offensive environment up in Triple-A, Dunham had issues there this year. Since being sent to Somerset, he seems to have figured things out. I will continue to push for him to get back up to Scranton to close out the season. There is room there, as Franchy Cordero continues to receive consistent playing time after Everson Pereira‘s promotion.
1B Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
RF Grant Richardson: 3-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Richardson puts together a big effort in his second Double-A game. Between here and Hudson Valley, he has 14 homers in 79 games after launching 16 homers in 90 games last season. Power has never been the concern…
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, BB, K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-4, RS, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 3-0) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Since promotion: 1.29 ERA in 21 IP (9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 30 K). Overall: 13-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 130 IP (93 H, 41 R, 37 ER, 12 HR, 35 BB, 168 K). The 13 wins and (more importantly) 168 strikeouts are the top numbers in all of minor-league baseball. There is nothing to dislike in his profile. They can give him a taste of the offensively souped-up International League (Triple-A) before the season comes to a close.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.16 ERA (42.2 IP, 38 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 41 K). He hasn’t allowed a run in 8.2 August innings.

Hudson Valley (65-53; 26-26 in the second half) (Held off Aberdeen, 6-5)

SS Jared Serna: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (6)
Serna now has a 6-game hitting streak and has 34 multi-hit games in 110 games played this season. He is still looking for that elusive first High-A home run, which could give him a 20/20/20 season (doubles, homers, stolen bases)
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
DH Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, RS, BB
2B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, RS, BB
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
.233/.289/.325 in 321 PA. The 32.1% K rate remains troublesome as well.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, RBI
Familia is up to 57 RBI in 58 games between here and Tampa. I think he is answering the challenge at this level just fine.
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, SB (1)
Wegner’s first professional stolen base – congrats! He is 7-for-27 at this level.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-3, RBI, BB, SB (5)

RHP Leonardo Pestana: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Joel Valdez: (W, 3-6) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Shane Gray: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 1): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Old school save!

Tampa (57-62; 26-27 in the second half) (Swept by Palm Beach in a low-scoring doubleheader)

Game 1 (Lost, 3-0)

3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, K
.194/.318/.306 in 85 PA.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, K
Moylan increases his hitting streak to five (8-for-22)
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-2, K
Medina’s first game since June 6th. The 22-year-old is hitting .275/.373/.443 in 153 PA with four home runs and a 7-for-8 SB rate. 
   CF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-1, K
DH Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, SB (19)
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, K
SS Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, K
2B Beau Brewer: 0-for-2, K

RHP Ryan Harvey: (L, 1-2) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
At this level: 4.26 ERA (25.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 18 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 5.40 ERA (15 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 20 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1)

SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, K
His hitting streak is snapped. Moylan is hitting .281/.400/.333 in 70 PA with 12 walks and 16 strikeouts.
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 3 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI
Five of Martin’s ten hits are doubles.
3B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-2, 2B (4), BB, K
2B Beau Brewer: 1-for-2, BB
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3

RHP Yorlin Calderon: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
3.07 ERA (73.1 IP, 64 H, 28 R, 25 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 91 K). Most of the top performers have received promotions this year – two Tampa players (Martinez, Calderon) stand out a bit as players who have stuck to one level. In the case of Calderon, it can be justified as they built him up to return to the rotation.
RHP Matt Keating: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: (L, 5-3) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-1 in the playoffs) (Lost to the Braves, 3-2, in Game 1 of the championship series. They must win the next two to claim back-to-back titles. The last time that happened was in 2014-2015 when the Red Sox accomplished the feat. The Yankees, who have the most league titles with 13, last won back-to-back crowns in 2004-2005)

SS Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, 2 K, SB (1), CS (1)
Including the regular season, Delgado has 14 doubles and 37 stolen bases in 51 games.
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, BB, K, CS (1)
Delgado and Lombard Jr. were both caught stealing in the top of the 6th, a key moment in the contest.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, K
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
RF John Cruz: 0-for-2, BB
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-2, K
  PH Joel Mendez: 0-for-1, K
In the regular season, you rarely see “strategic” pinch-hitting. Even in the rookie leagues, managers are a little more strategic in the playoffs.
  3B Dayro Perez: 0-for-0
C Edinson Duran: 0-for-3, K

LHP Henry Lalane (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Lalane, who recently signed with Scott Boras, pitched to a 4.57 ERA in 21.1 IP during the regular season (17 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, 34 K). The fact that he is 6’7″ and is able to keep the walks at bay is encouraging. 
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Keane is a 22-year-old drafted in the 18th round in 2022. He predictably pitched well this year and hopefully will get a taste of Low-A next week.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/24: Richard Fitts Tosses 6 Scoreless Innings

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (59-61; 25-21 in the second half) 

The game against Lehigh Valley was postponed due to wet grounds.

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title. They are currently 3.5 games behind both Lehigh Valley and Worcester. Durham (0.5 games back), Buffalo (3 games back), and Jacksonville (3 games back) are also ahead of Scranton.

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-0
.289/.385/.566 (131 wRC+) in 343 PA. Florial is staring at minor league free agency this winter. The Yankees can definitely add him to the 40-man early in the offseason and look to deal him rather than lose him for nothing. Either way, it has been quite a journey for the kid. You may not love him as a prospect, but I will maintain that he deserves a chance. 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-0
Dominguez is 20 – and a young 20 as he won’t turn 21 until February. This is an unusual year with the big club so anything can happen – but I would still be surprised to see him make his MLB debut. One thing Dominguez can do is put together a strong 2-3 weeks and make the Yankees think about it.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-0
Wells is hitting .262/.350/.458 (100 wRC+) at this level. The fact he has a .808 OPS and a 100 wRC+ tells you what you need to know about the souped-up conditions in Triple-A. There is nothing Wells can do about that – he just has to keep on hitting.
DH Andres Chaparro: 0-for-0
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-0
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-0
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-0
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-0
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-0

RHP Randy Vasquez: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Personally, I give Vasquez the ball in the majors every five days and see what happens. The Yankees would rather not do that for their own reasons, so I guess I have to accept that.

Somerset (69-47; 27-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 2-1)

C Ben Rice: 0-for-4, K
No home run tonight? Disappointing (yes, I am kidding – sheesh)
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
If you read this space enough, you already know that I am not concerned at all about Ramirez struggling here. They have been aggressive with him in his first taste of full-season ball and perhaps he has run into a wall. Or, maybe he has a hot month coming up to close the season. Who knows? The kid is a 21-year-old catcher – these types don’t typically fly through the minors like this. PATIENCE!
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, HR (9), RBI, RS, BB, SB (16)
His home run to lead off the 9th inning tied the game. Between here and Scranton, Dunham has 21 doubles, 15 homers, and 28 stolen bases.
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-3, BB, K
CF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Walk-off RBI single in the 9th.
SS Max Burt: 1-for-2
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-2

RHP Richard Fitts: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (101 pitches)
Fitts is a bulldog. His ERA falls to 3.16 in 131 IP (110 H, 47 R, 46 ER, 18 HR, 34 BB, 139 K). His August line is insane: 24.1 IP, 14 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 21 K. He goes deep into most games, so it is also impressive that he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a game since May 10th. After that game ended, his ERA was 6.07. A remarkable year for someone I think can be an innings-eating #3-#4 guy in MLB. The issue you hear about is that his command sometimes fails him inside the strike zone. That can certainly be developed.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 1-1) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 11.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 12 K. Overall, he owns a 71/21 K/BB over 53 innings pitched. When I say that the Yankees can afford to trade a few of their MLB relievers, it is because of relievers like Dees, Danny Watson, and Jack Neely at this level + several others at other levels. They have a pipeline of potential.

Hudson Valley (64-53; 25-26 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, K, CS (9)
Jones increases his hitting streak to five (7-for-20). 
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4
Overall, between here and Tampa, he is at .281/.350/.468 in 506 plate appearances. The power hasn’t shown up yet at this level, but I think it will.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, 2B (15), RS
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (16), RBI, SB (1)
Gomez stole five bases in 2021, but that has been the extent of his base-stealing prowess. Before all these other catchers started emerging, Gomez looked like the future guy. Defensively, he may still grade better than most of them.
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
Cowles has a 36-game on-base streak (thanks to the Hudson Valley Renegades official Twitter account – I hadn’t picked up on this). 
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, K
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 2-1) 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
Between here and Tampa: 3.49 ERA in 111 IP (100 H, 49 R, 43 ER, 5 HR, 30 BB, 125 K). In 2022, Selvidge walked 3.59 hitters per nine innings. This season, the number is 2.43. Major improvement there. Furthermore, he has allowed only seven home runs in 157.1 career innings. That number could go up as he moves up the chain, but it is encouraging. Oh, and he is only 20 (21 in four days)
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 1.99 ERA (31.2 IP, 18 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 36 K). 

Tampa (57-60; 26-25 in the second half) (Defeated Palm Beach, 8-7, in ten innings)

SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-5
Roc Riggio was in the original lineup but was pulled late. Hopefully, it is something minor in nature.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-5, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
.263/.376/.471 in 396 PA with 17 homers and 69 RBI. Martinez has done enough to earn a promotion and maybe he’ll get some time up in Hudson Valley in September/playoffs.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
.294/.422/.353 in 64 PA (12 walks, 14 K). Moylan is doing what you want to see college bats do in their first taste of professional ball. 
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K, SB (2)
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-5, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, 2 RS, HBP
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2 RS
I said a few weeks ago that I don’t know much about him, and that hasn’t changed. That said, he is 9-for-22 at this level with only one strikeout. He is still looking for his first extra-base hit. Maybe I should do some reading…

RHP Sean Hermann: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Between here and Hudson Valley: 5.29 ERA (98.2 IP, 110 H, 68 R, 58 ER, 9 HR, 44 BB, 83 K). Hermann is even younger than Selvidge (won’t be 21 until next June), so keep that in mind. 
RHP Alex Bustamante: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Adam Stone: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel: (W, 3-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 15 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, 15 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-0 in the playoffs) (Defeated the Pirates, 7-6, in a sudden death game. They move on to meet the Braves in a 3-game series for the championship. The Yankees are defending their title from 2022)

2B Keiner Delgado: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB, K
Delgado hit 12 doubles in 49 games during the regular season. I would be stunned if he doesn’t get to Tampa next week.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
No complaints about his small sample size.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Jasso’s 2-out, 2-run HR in the bottom of the 6th turned a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead.
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, RS, BB
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, HBP
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, RS
Tejeda had one 4-hit game in the regular season as well. He drove in the deciding 7th run.
RF John Cruz: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Edinson Duran: 0-for-2, BB, HBP

RHP Luis Serna: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Serna struck out the side in the second. In the third, sloppy play (including his own error on a pickoff attempt) turned out to be his downfall.
LHP Allen Facundo: (W, 1-0)  4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Facundo did a fabulous job calming this game down.
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
LHP Miguel Pozo (S, 1): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Pozo picks a good time to pick up his first professional save.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/23: Ben Rice Homers Again

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (59-61; 25-21 in the second half) (Split a doubleheader against Lehigh Valley)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title. It is a logjam, however, as four teams are between Lehigh Valley and Scranton in the standings.

Game 1 (Won, 4-3, in eight innings)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, 2B (18), RBI, RS, BB, K
DH Austin Wells: 2-for-4, 2 RS, CS (1)
Wells’ first career caught stealing (he is now 39-for-40 stealing bases)
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, RBI
Narvaez walks it off with an RBI single in the 8th.
3B Mike Lamb: 2-for-3, RS
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-1, 2 HBP
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-1, BB, SAC
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-2
  PH Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-0, BB (intentional)
  SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-0

RHP Mitch Spence: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
4.59 ERA (133.1 IP, 131 H, 75 R, 68 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 125 K). August: 25.2 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 33 K. This is Spence’s first career 10+ strikeout effort.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 6-0)

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, BB
Dominguez has 79 walks in 517 plate appearances (15.3%). 
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-3
There is talk that Wells could be promoted to the big club. He has multiple hits in three of his last five games and is 20-for-77 (.260) in August with seven doubles, four homers, and 17 runs batted in.
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-3, K
.246/.340/.467 in 483 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 70 R, 59 BB, 104 K, 3-for-3 SB). Chaparro’s first season in the organization was back in 2016, so I believe he could be staring at minor league free agency this winter. Just like with the Rule 5, the Yankees can “block” that free agency by adding him to the 40-man roster. For example, they did that a few years ago with Donny Sands before they traded him to the Phillies. 
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-3
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-3
RF Michael Hermosillo: 2-for-2, SB (7)
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-1, HBP, SB (7)
Bastidas was called back up here for today’s doubleheader. 

RHP Zach McAllister: (L, 1-1) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
McAllister’s first start as a member of the Yankees’ organization since August 17th, 2010.
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Matt Krook: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Krook, who has a 1.04 ERA in 26 innings at this level, makes his first appearance since July 18th.
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Wilmer Difo: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Difo, a utility infielder, with his 4th pitching appearance this season (3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K)

Somerset (68-47; 26-21 in the second half) (Lost to Hartford, 3-2)

3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2 SB (17)
Durbin has 32 stolen bases (37 attempts) in 57 games between here and Hudson Valley. He is hitting .298/.395/.400 in 238 PA with 24 walks (10.1%) and 16 strikeouts (6.7%). 
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, RS
Rice has 11 home runs in 28 games at this level. Overall, he is hitting .319/.441/.623 in 236 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 44 R, 34 BB (14.4%), 42 K (17.8%), 8-for-9 SB). Rice is 24 and you wonder just how much more development he needs. 
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, RS
Since promotion: 12-for-59 (1 double, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 5 BB, 11 K) 
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB (15)
Dunham has 28 stolen bases in 35 attempts between here and Scranton.
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, K
CF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
Richardson’s Double-A debut. I am not sure if this is permanent or a “we need a body” situation. Anyway, he hit .204/.306/.389 in 304 PA for Hudson Valley (13 HR, 37 RBI). He was 10-for-33 in August with three homers and seven runs batted in.
SS Max Burt: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
The oft-injured Gomez with his longest outing since August 22, 2019. He owns a 3.14 ERA in 48.2 IP (34 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 25 BB, 56 K). We have seen extra option years handed out in the past. If Gomez doesn’t qualify, this is his final option year,  so a very interesting winter/spring is shaping up for him. 
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: (L, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Watson allowed Anderson’s run to score in the 9th. Given his season, I think we can let this one go!

Hudson Valley (64-52; 25-25 in the second half) (Defeated Aberdeen, 3-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RS, K
August: 19-for-74 (.257) with four doubles, a home run, and 12 runs scored.
DH Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 4 K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-2, 3B (1), SF, RBI, RS, BB, CS (1)
At this level: 14-for-51 (.275/.356/.373; 3 doubles, 1 triple). Serna has hit safely in four straight games. 
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI
Rodriguez with the walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th. At this level: 17-for-44 (.386/.491/.523; 3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 8 BB, 9 K). He has three 3-hit games since his promotion.
2B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, CS (4)
August: 19-for-54 (.352) with 15 walks and 15 strikeouts.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Lange’s second start since his promotion (5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K in his first start). Lange has a 128/59 K/BB over 82.1 innings between here and Tampa.
LHP Clay Aguilar: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.80 ERA (35.1 IP, 27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 52 K). Aguilar is 24 and was signed as an undrafted free agent after the shortened 2020 COVID draft.
RHP Anderson Munoz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The 25-year-old puts together an impressive night. I guess his rehab is over as he is now listed as active. While he didn’t pitch well during his stint in Tampa, he has tossed 3.1 hitless innings here with a 7/0 K/BB.
RHP Harrison Cohen (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 3.79 ERA (38 IP, 29 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)

Tampa (56-60; 25-25 in the second half) (Defeated Palm Beach, 4-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (2)
.220/.692 OPS (12-for-57; 12 runs scored)
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, RBI
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, BB
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, RBI, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
DH Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, 2 K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, RS

RHP Hayden Merda: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
6.32 ERA (94 IP, 100 H, 74 R, 66 ER, 10 HR, 53 BB, 94 K)
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Arejula (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22)

The playoffs begin on Thursday. As I suspected, they will play the Pirates in the semifinals, which is only one game.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/22: Jasson Dominguez Crushes His Triple-A Debut

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (58-60; 24-20 in the second half) (Destroyed Lehigh Valley, 14-1)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title. It is a logjam, however, as four teams are between Lehigh Valley and Scranton in the standings.

LF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, 2B (17), 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Florial is at .291 with 17 doubles, 4 triples, 23 HR, 62 RBI, and 66 runs scored.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-6, 2B (1), 3 RBI, RS, CS (1)
Dominguez hit balls 109.2, 107.4, and 103.9 MPH in his Triple-A debut.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB
DH Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, 3 RS, BB
2B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
1B Jake Lamb: 2-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
RF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB
Lockridge is hitting .303 at this level in 46 games.
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Clayton Beeter: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 8 K
At this level: 5.85 ERA (40 IP, 38 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 10 HR, 24 BB, 50 K). Overall Beeter has 126 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. 
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (W, 3-0) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Maciejewski entered the game with the bases loaded and one out. He allowed only one of the runners to score.
RHP Zac Houston: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (68-46; 26-20 in the second half) (Walked it off against Hartford, 4-1, in ten innings)

2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4
  2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-1
C Ben Rice: 2-for-4, HR (10), 4 RBI, RS
Walk-off grand slam! Rice is hitting .324 since his promotion with ten home runs and 33 RBI in 27 games. Overall, Rice has 14 homers and 53 RBI in 52 games. His bat has been off-the-charts awesome this year. I can only imagine where he would be if he didn’t have a long-term injury.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, BB
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, HBP, K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RS, BB
1B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, RS, BB
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Since promotion: 4.37 ERA (59.2 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 8 HR, 21 BB, 68 K). Overall, Hampton has a 145/37 K/BB in 106.2 innings.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely: (W, 1-1)  3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Forget about that run, as it was the ghost runner. Since promotion: 2.53 ERA (10.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 13 K). Overall, Neely owns an 87/19 K/BB over 59.1 innings.

Hudson Valley (63-52; 24-25 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 3-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI
.268/.339/.454 in 451 PA (28 doubles, 4 triples, 13 HR, 56 RBI, 61 R, 42 BB (9.3%), 131 K (29.0%), 35-for-43 SB). I am being truthful when I say I didn’t expect him to do much more than this. I think his season has been a successful one.
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 K
Hall is 9-for-45 (.200) since his promotion.
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4
Serna is 13-for-49 (.265) since his promotion with three doubles, four walks, and only seven strikeouts (12.7%).
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-2, BB, K
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-2, RS, BB
Since promotion: .259/.342/.489 in 152 PA. He started 3-for-22 at this level.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 2-2) 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
This is a hard-luck loss. At this level: 3.52 ERA (23 IP, 18 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 15 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Shane Gray: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Tampa (55-60; 24-25 in the second half) (Lost to Palm Beach, 8-4)

SS Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 RS, BB
8-for-37 with 16 walks (nice) and 14 strikeouts. He has eight runs scored.
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-5, 2B (3), RS, 2 K
13-for-61 with three doubles and 13 walks. 
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, 2B (16), 2 RBI, RS, BB
.264/.376/.475 in 388 PA with 17 homers and 66 RBI. We’ll see if they give him some High-A time.
DH Josh Moylan: 3-for-5, RBI
.292/.407/.354 in 59 PA. This is his first career 3-hit game.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-4, K
2B Beau Brewer: 2-for-4
Brewer has a 6-game hitting streak and is 18-for-43 (.419) in August.

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-1)  4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, HR, 0 BB, 7 K
A mixed bag, but when you are dealing with a young pitcher in his debut season, it is important to see the positives. In this case, 7 strikeouts and no walks in four innings is a positive!
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
3.47 ERA (57 IP, 54 H, 28 R, 22 ER, 5 HR, 30 BB, 83 K). He is certainly getting a lot of work in this season.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 13.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 18 K. He allowed four of those runs (without recording an out) in one of his outings.

FCL Yankees (35-22) (Lost the season finale to the Tigers, 7-6. They are in the playoffs, which start on Thursday and continue into the weekend. If anyone is going to be promoted, it would happen next week)

SS Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.293/.414/.485 in 239 PA with eight home runs and 36 stolen bases. Last year, in the DSL, he hit .310/.504/.506 in 238 PA with three home runs and 34 stolen bases. You can’t complain about either season and I hope they give him a taste of Low-A to close out the season.
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Lombard (5-for-12, 5 BB, 2 K) hit safely in all four of his games.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
Castillo’s first career SB. He is 8-for-29 (11 walks, 10 strikeouts) in nine games
1B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, 4 RBI
.377/.486/.574 (23-for-61, 7 doubles, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB, 5 K). The 20-year-old definitely earned a chance to move up to Tampa.
RF John Cruz: 1-for-5, K, CS (4)
.294/.376/.531 in 202 PA (6 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 28 R, 22 BB, 44 K, 9-for-13 SB). Cruz is only 17 (18 on 8/29) so I don’t know if they will move him to Tampa.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 3-for-4, RBI, BB, SB (24)
.307/.465/.458 in 217 PA (4 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 37 R, 44 BB, 44 K, 24-for-30 SB). While Delgado is 19, Tejeda is 18. I have no problem moving any prospect up to Tampa if they have earned it, regardless of age.
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-5, 2 K, SB (17)
.257/.419/.404 in 234 PA (6 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 41 R, 44 BB, 48 K, 17-for-18 SB). The bonus baby from a few years ago started hot in 2023 but cooled off. The overall stat line is solid and encouraging, however.
CF Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K
.220/.360/.439 (9-for-41, 3 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 5 R, 8 BB, 13 K). The left-handed bat is 18, drafted in the 17th round in this year’s draft. There is no chance they are sending him to Tampa – this season was all about getting his feet wet.
C Peter Serruto: 0-for-2
The Yankees signed the 23-year-old Indiana graduate (he also went to Rutgers) on August 2nd. This is his debut.
  PH-C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-0, RS, 2 BB
The 18-year-old didn’t play much in 2023 (3 games; 1-for-5). 

LHP Edwar Polimir (L, 4-1): 1.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 17 K. Diaz is 22 and has been in the system since 2019. That said, he has barely pitched (this was only his 26th career game)
LHP Pablo Mujica: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1.71 ERA (26.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 35 K). The 22-year-old predictably pitched well here and should make his way to Tampa.
LHP Miguel Pozo: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their game against Mets Orange was canceled due to a tropical storm. The game won’t be made up, and their season is over. They missed out on the division title by 0.5 games and a wild-card spot by one game in the loss column.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their game against the DSL Marlins was canceled due to a tropical storm. The game won’t be made up, and their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/21: Promotions!

News:

The Yankees have promoted top prospect Jasson Dominguez from Somerset to Scranton for the final month of the season. Remember that the Yankees did the same with Anthony Volpe last season and he took over the shortstop role for the big club in 2023. Can Dominguez make a similar jump? I wouldn’t rule it out. With Harrison Bader a free agent and left field still in shambles (more on that in a second), there can be a path for Dominguez.

Dominguez, who was hitting .198/.341/.343 after games of July 6th, has certainly turned it on since. He is hitting .350/.415/.535 (159 wRC+) in 36 games (176 plate appearances) since that date with a 10.2% BB and 19.9% K. He was first in the Eastern League in runs (83), fourth in RBI (66), third in stolen bases (37), and sixth in BB% (15.2%). The International League is known for its offense, but there could still be an adjustment period for Dominguez. He will be the second 20-year-old to make his debut in the International League this season, joining Tampa prospect Carson Williams. Williams joined the league on August 15th.

Speaking of the left field position, there is another candidate who is going to try to take the job. The Yankees have called up OF Everson Pereira from Triple-A Scranton. The 22-year-old has split time between Somerset and Scranton this season, hitting .300/.373/.548 in 343 plate appearances. Pereira’s BB% is OK (9.3%), but it is the K% we will need to watch. He has a 28.6% rate in 2023 and it has been an issue his entire minor league career. He is aggressive with a lot of power to tap into. I wouldn’t expect that to translate into a .300 hitter in MLB, but he has the bat speed and power to hit 25+ homers. Don’t be surprised if MLB pitchers feed him a steady stream of curves and sliders to see if they can take advantage of his aggressiveness.

Both of these moves make sense. Pereira deserves a chance to get accustomed to MLB pitching, and Dominguez has demonstrated that Double-A pitching is no longer giving him enough of a challenge.

In addition, the Yankees are bringing back IF Oswald Peraza. Everyone who is reading this knows his story so I don’t need to discuss it too much. I thought he was ready in 2022, and he did nothing to disprove that last September. He hasn’t performed at a high level in MLB in 2023, but it is time for him to get a consistent look.

As for others who may appear in 2023, it is hard to say. This is a year where the Yankees probably wish that rosters could expand to more than 28. C Austin Wells will be a talked-about name but I don’t think it is criminal if he sticks in Triple-A. They would need to find a 40-man slot for him, but they need to do that this winter anyway.

Scranton (57-60; 23-20 in the second half)

Day off. The Railriders have a hill to climb if they wish to make the playoffs. They are only four games behind Lehigh Valley for the second-half title, but there are four other teams ahead of them.

Somerset (67-46; 25-20 in the second half)

Day off. Somerset is already in the playoffs, courtesy of their first-half title. That said, the Patriots are in first place in the second half as well. If they pull off the Daily Double, the playoff berth will go to whoever comes in second place in the second half.

Hudson Valley (63-51; 24-24 in the second half) 

Day off. Hudson Valley is already in the playoffs, courtesy of their first-half title.

Tampa (55-59; 24-24 in the second half) 

Day off. Tampa isn’t going to make the playoffs in 2023, as they are seven games out of first place in the second half.

FCL Yankees (35-21) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 11-9)

2B Keiner Delgado: 3-for-5, HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (36), CS (7)
The FCL ends this week, so we’ll see if they send Delgado to Tampa after that. He is hitting .294/.415/.490 in 234 PA with 35 walks, 30 strikeouts, and a 36-for-43 stolen base rate. He has 14 stolen bases in August.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, RS, BB, 2 SB (2)
Lombard is 4-for-8 with a pair of stolen bases and four walks. I tend to doubt they will send him to Tampa after this week.
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, 3B (1), HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS
.357/.478/.571 in 69 plate appearances for the 20-year-old. The undrafted free agent is another candidate for Tampa.
LF John Cruz: 4-for-5, 2B (6), RBI
Cruz is on the list of prospects that had little hype entering the season and put himself squarely on the prospect map. He is hitting .297/.381/.541 in 197 PA with ten home runs and 47 runs batted in. He will be 18 on August 29th and could debut in Tampa at that age in 2024.
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 3 BB, CS (1)
Montero is a bonus baby who is being asked to hit 8th. That is how insanely deep this roster is. He is hitting .264/.428/.416 in 229 plate appearances.

RHP Chalniel Arias: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Since his promotion: 8.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 8 BB, 7 K
RHP Kris Bow (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees (33-19) (Split two games with the DSL Marlins)

Game 1 (Lost, 5-3)

CF Brando Mayea: 3-for-3, RS, BB, SB (22), CS (7)
.276/.382/.400 in 170 PA with 22 walks and 27 strikeouts. He has a pair of 3-hit games this month.
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-2, BB
.324/.517/.529 in 147 PA with 38 walks and 21 strikeouts.
3B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (20)
The 19-year-old is hitting .284/.467/.403 in 184 PA (31 BB, 33 K, 20-for-23 SB)
SS Luis Suarez: 0-for-2, BB, K, SB (22)

RHP Orvis Fernandez: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Game 2 (Won, 4-1)

SS Luis Suarez: 1-for-3, 3B (4), RS, 2 K
.212/.333/.342 in 174 PA (5 doubles, 4 triples, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 31 R, 21 BB, 51 K, 22-for-24 SB)
C Edison Vivas: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS
.219/.318/.247 in 85 PA. He is 9-for-28 in August.
3B Anthony Pena: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, SB (5)
.247/.344/.383 in 93 PA. He has five doubles and a pair of home runs.

RHP Christian Zazueta: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.29 ERA (52 IP, 41 H, 21 R, 19 ER, 6 HR, 16 BB, 50 K). A solid year for the 18-year-old.
RHP Keninson Diaz (W, 5-0): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

DSL Bombers (27-26) (Squeaked past the Twins, 8-7)

2B Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K, CS (6)
.299/.407/.533 in 162 PA (9 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 33 R, 22 BB, 35 K, 14-for-20 SB)
C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-4, 2B (8), RS, K, 2 SB (5)
3B Kevin Verde: 2-for-4, 2B (9), HR (4), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K
.258/.316/.433 in 133 PA for the 17-year-old. This is Verde’s debut season and he is certainly holding his own.
RF Ramiro Altagracia: 2-for-4, RS, K

RHP Sunayro Martina: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
3.86 ERA (28 IP, 19 H, 21 R, 12 ER, 1 HR, 23 BB, 34 K). This is a fairly typical DSL line.