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.