Yankees MILB 7/31: Jesus Rodriguez: HR, 4 RBI

News:

Brian Cashman said Jack Flaherty‘s medical records didn’t scare the Yankees. Without any evidence to support my theory, I think the Tigers and Yankees had a deal in place (whether the Cardinals were involved, who knows?). The Yankees saw the medicals and tried to amend the terms. The Tigers didn’t like the “secondary” prospects the Yankees switched to (which was confirmed by Bryan Hoch tonight I honestly wrote that sentence before Hoch’s tweet). If true, Cashman and Ken Rosenthal are at least partially telling the truth.

Regardless, the Yankees didn’t have a “wow” deadline. Hardly anyone did. Most of the best players rumored to be on the market went nowhere. While I wish the Yankees did more, this is a good thing. Why? Because I don’t think the Yankees would have been able to compete with other teams regarding prospect packages for top players. Do we think the Yankees had the chips for Tarik Skubal or Garrett CrochetI don’t.


Scranton (57-45) (Squeaked past Louisville, 2-1)

CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-3, RS, BB
Dominguez’s hitting streak ended yesterday but he still owns a 12-game on-base streak.
  RF Aaron Palensky0-for-0
2B Jorbit Vivas2-for-4, RBI, RS, CS (5)
Vivas is 8-for-24 (.333) in his last six games.
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-4, 2B (8), HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, K
.242/.348/.336 in 248 PA. Entering July, his triple slash was .216/.336/.256.
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, RS, K
Rumfield has a 5-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games (12-for-36). 
RF-CF Taylor Trammell1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS
1B J.C. Escarra0-for-1, 3 BB
3B Kevin Smith0-for-4, 3 K
DH Josh VanMeter0-for-2, RS, SB (4), 2 BB

LHP Josh Maciejewski2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
The Railriders’ pitching staff may be running on fumes soon. They’ve had to adjust over the past week. Luckily, Edgar Barclay gave them some length on Tuesday.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda (W, 6-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.71 ERA (51 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 28 BB, 64 K). Under the old rules (didn’t have to face three batters, rosters expanding to 40), Mosqueda would be a September call-up candidate. He is holding left-handed hitters to a .118 batting average.
RHP Nick Burdi1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Burdi has options, so they can place him here after his rehab stint ends.
LHP Victor Gonzalez0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (49-49) (Defeated Bowie, 13-12, in a crazy one. The Patriots had a 10-3 lead at one point)

3B Caleb Durbin0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
Durbin is 2-for-17 with four walks and two strikeouts since being placed here.
  3B Alexander Vargas0-for-1, K
CF Spencer Jones2-for-4, 2B (16), SF, 3 RBI, BB, K
.240/.323/.412 in 384 PA (16 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 51 R, 21-for-26 SB, 10.4% BB, 36.7% K). July: .203/.297/.392.
C Jesus Rodriguez2-for-6, HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 RS, SB (1)
Rodriguez has homered in back-to-back games. Over his last three games, he has played 1B/3B/C, showing us his unique versatility profile. 
1B Rafael Flores3-for-6, 2B (4), HR (6), RBI, RS, 3 K
Since promotion: .239/.325/.440 in 123 PA with 4 doubles and 6 homers (3 HR in last 7 games).
DH Tyler Hardman0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, HBP
LF Grant Richardson3-for-3, RS, SB (11), HBP, BB
Richardson’s 5th 3+ hit game this season. 
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Jared Wegner0-for-2, RBI, RS, 3 BB, 2 K
SS Max Burt1-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Bailey Dees4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
4.63 ERA (105 IP, 92 H, 59 R, 54 ER, 18 HR, 41 BB, 107 K). Dees’ gas tank may be closing in on empty. The reliever-to-starter transition isn’t easy.
RHP Jesus Liranzo (W, 5-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Colby White1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Eric Reyzelman (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
A performance like this stands out in a wild scorefest. At this level: 2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 15 K). With Jack Neely gone, Reyzelman is probably the top relief prospect in the system.


Hudson Valley (48-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-5. They scored 4 in the bottom of the 9th to win it)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-5, 2B (18), RS, K
RF Jace Avina0-for-3, K
   RF Nelson Medina0-for-0, RS, HBP, BB
3B Josh Moylan2-for-4, 2B (10), 3 RBI, BB
Moylan hit a game-winning 3-run single in the bottom of the 9th (the third run scored on an error). He is hitting .252/.372/.372 in 301 PA and has three straight multi-hit games. The most important thing is that his power is starting to show up.
C Omar Martinez1-for-3, 2B (11), BB
.229/.363/.399 in 331 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 37 R). 
DH Christopher Familia1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero1-for-4, RS
LF Anthony Hall1-for-4, RS, K
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.61 ERA (77 IP, 77 H, 57 R, 48 ER, 5 HR, 45 BB, 70 K). Last 3 starts: 15 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 15 K. Carr appears to be adjusting…
RHP Yorlin Calderon1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.15 ERA (54.1 IP, 46 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 20 BB, 66 K)
RHP Huey Morrill (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K


Tampa (41-55) (Split a doubleheader against Lakeland)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3
2B Roderick Arias1-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, K
1B Dylan Jasso2-for-3, 3B (2), RS
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-1, 2 BB
RF Willy Montero0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
3B Hans Montero1-for-3
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
LF Daury Arias0-for-1, RS, 2 BB

RHP Bryce Warrecker (W, 1-3): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Warrecker’s first career win- congrats (he has only 13 starts, and this was the first time they let him qualify for a win!)
RHP Matt Givin1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel (S, 6): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 12-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Lombard Jr. was in a 4-for-29 slump before his homer. He is hitting .232 with a .702 OPS and 4 of his 5 homers were hit in July.
2B Roderick Arias1-for-3, BB, K
Arias finishes 22-for-78 in July (.282) with five doubles and a pair of homers. He walked 13 times and struck out 20 times (41 strikeouts in June).
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jasso is tied for third (with Roderick Arias) in the FSL with 54 RBI.
DH Jackson Castillo0-for-3, 2 K
CF Willy Montero1-for-3, K
3B Hans Montero1-for-3, 2B (5), RS, K
C Josue Gonzalez1-for-3, RS
Gonzalez is 12-for-45 (.267) since his promotion. 
RF Coby Morales1-for-3, RS, 2 K
LF Daury Arias1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 2-6)  1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Luis, the cousin of Jared Serna (traded yesterday), left tonight’s game due to an injured elbow.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
2.59 ERA (48.2 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 7 HR, 25 BB, 59 K)
RHP Kristofer Bow0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Bow’s first appearance since June 15th. Tonight’s results aren’t what he wanted, but at least he is back.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K


FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.


DSL Yankees (15-25) (Defeated Padres Gold, 7-5)

DH Dexters Peralta2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS
Peralta has four multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.
C Luis Puello3-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS
.313/.421/.475 in 95 PA. He is 18 years old.
LF Gabriel Lara2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (13), CS (4), HBP
.228/.343/.293 in 108 PA. Will the hit tool develop? That’s the question.
RF Estivenzon Montero1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, RS, BB

RHP Alexander Almonte3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 17-year-old owns a 2.53 ERA in 21.1 IP (17 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 21 K)


DSL Bombers (23-19)

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 7/30: Spencer Jones Homers, Steals 2 Bases

News:

The Yankees released IF Jeter Downs today, allowing him to sign in Japan.  Downs hit .264/.360/.498 (117 wRC+) in 274 plate appearances for Scranton.

The Yankees signed Brett Phillips to a minor-league deal. They signed him as a pitcher, which could be fun. Phillips’ best attribute as a position player was his Immaculate Grid game, as he appeared in 393 games for five different clubs. He recently threw 97 MPH in an NBC World Series game, whatever that is (Update: The NBC World Series is an annual event going back to 1935! I never heard of it).

It will be fun to follow his progress.

Trades:

LHP Caleb Ferguson was traded to Houston for international bonus pool money and RHP Kelly Austin

The Yankees acquired a pair of left-handed relievers from the Dodgers over the winter, and neither panned out. Ferguson pitched to a 5.13 ERA (4.27 FIP) over 33.1 IP with a 26.5% K, 10.3% BB, and 1.35 HR/9. The Yankees acquired him because of his ability to miss bats, and his strikeout rate was his highest since 2020. However, he didn’t impress overall. The Yankees acquired him for LHP Matt Gage and RHP Christian ZazuetaThe Dodgers traded Gage to the Mets (he was called up yesterday) while Zazueta owns a 7.10 ERA in 41.1 innings for the Dodgers’ Rookie League/Low-A affiliates.

Austin (23) was signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The UCLA product owns a 2.21 ERA (3.60 FIP) over 36.2 IP between Low-A/High-A with impressive strikeout (31.1%) and walk (4.7%) rates.

IF Ben Cowles and RHP Jack Neely were traded to the Chicago Cubs for RHP Mark Leiter Jr.

Cowles and Neely have raised their stock in 2024, and the Yankees cashed in the chips. I sound like a broken record, but if you are a Yankees fan, your reality has to be that most prospects are built up as trade chips.

Leiter Jr. doesn’t throw hard, but he generates a ton of strikeouts, a need for the Yankees’ bullpen. A starter in the minors (he made some starts for the Phillies in 2017), Leiter has found a groove as a relief pitcher. Over the past three seasons, he owns a 3.85 ERA (3.62 FIP) over 168.1 innings with a 28.8% K and 8.8% BB. While his ERA is up in 2024 (4.21), his FIP (2.11) is the best of his career.  This season, he abandoned his 4-seam fastball while increasing his slider/sweeper usage. When pitchers move to the bullpen, they dump most of their pitches and concentrate on two or three. That isn’t the case with Leiter, who continues to throw a 5-pitch mix. In back-to-back games in late May, he allowed 7 runs while recording only three outs. Beyond that and a hiccup in mid-June, he has pitched well.

Cowles is hitting .294/.376/.472 (141 wRC+) in 378 plate appearances in Double-A. The University of Maryland product has played second, short, and third base. He could have been in the 2025 mix at second base/utility, but players of his ilk don’t typically make it to the Bronx. He will have an opportunity in Chicago.

Neely was the Yankees’ top relief prospect. The 24-year-old owns a 2.81 ERA in 41.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A with a 63/16 K/BB. He stands an impressive 6’8″ and will likely debut for the Cubs this season.

While I label Neely as their top relief prospect, the Yankees are good at building up relief prospects. As I stated the other day, the Yankees likely would have considered Neely if they couldn’t find someone on the market.

OF Brandon Lockridge was traded to the San Diego Padres for RHP Enyel De Los Santos and RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.

De Los Santos is a 28-year-old who misses bats (28.2% K). He also allows an insane number of home runs (2.45/9 this season). However, his home run rates were fine in 2022 and 2023. Unlike Leiter, he is traditional as he comes at hitters with a mid-90s fastball, a slider, and an occasional change-up. His profile doesn’t “wow” me, but the Yankees had an obvious objective to acquire relievers who can strike hitters out. If they feel his HR rate will normalize (20.9% HR/FB is ridiculous), maybe they have a diamond in the rough.

Balboni Jr. (it doesn’t appear that he has a relation to former Yankees’ first baseman Steve Balboni) was drafted by the Padres in the 15th round of the 2022 draft out of Northeastern. The 23-year-old pitched for Low-A Lake Eisinore this season, compiling a 4.46 ERA in 34.1 IP with a ridiculous 38.2% strikeout rate. However, he walks batters at a 12.7% clip.

Lockridge is a speedy grinder (34-for-38 stealing bases this year) with a 4th/5th outfielder profile. He hit .295/.405/.383 for Scranton this season. He is 27 years old and might be approaching minor league free agency.

Overall Deadline Thoughts:

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the headline move. How you think about this deadline is how you evaluate him (so far, so good). The Yankees did not add to their rotation but added a pair of strikeout arms to their bullpen (an obvious need).

The Dodgers pulled off a deal for RHP Jack Flaherty. The return included former Yankees’ farmhand Trey Sweeney. In theory, the Yankees could have beat the Dodgers offer.  However, it is hard to know how organizations value prospects. Hence, when people tweet “comparable packages” on Twitter, that is based on prospect rankings and values that may not (probably don’t) match the Tigers’ internal evaluations.

It wasn’t a bad deadline. I tend to agree that it feels incomplete.


Scranton (57-45) (Squeaked past Louisville, 2-1)

CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-2, SB (3), BB
When Dominguez starts playing full games in the field, the “call-up” clock starts. They won’t do it unless there is a clear path to playing time.
  LF Josh VanMeter0-for-1
2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-2, 2 BB
For Scranton: .244/.385/.381 in 221 PA. He owns a 14.9% BB rate at this level.
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-2, 2 BB, K
Peraza has a 13.1% BB rate for Scranton (9.7% in 2023)
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, RS
DH Oscar Gonzalez0-for-3, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra0-for-3
3B Kevin Smith2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS
Smith’s 2-run HR in the 7th won the game.
RF-CF Taylor Trammell0-for-3, K
LF-RF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, K

LHP Edgar Barclay6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
6.59 ERA (95.2 IP, 106 H, 75 R, 70 ER, 21 HR, 49 BB, 84 K). Last 3 starts: 16 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 6 BB, 14 K.
LHP Chasen Shreve (W, 2-1): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Phil Bickford (S, 5): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K


Somerset (48-49) (Lost to Bowie, 7-6)

DH Caleb Durbin1-for-4, RS, CS (1), BB, K
Durbin was CS in the top of the 9th, down by a run with no outs and Spencer Jones at the plate. Tsk, tsk.
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, HR (12), 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (21), BB, K
When he has nights like this, you become excited. I believe the Yankees were willing to deal Jones, but not for a rental starter. That would have taken him off the table for Jack Flaherty.
3B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Rodriguez is 6-for-31 (.194) since his promotion. He missed a month due to injury.
C Rafael Flores0-for-4, K
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson2-for-4, RS, K
2B Anthony Seigler2-for-4, HR (8), RBI, RS
Seigler had a home run binge earlier this season. This is his first since June 20th.
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Vargas is hitting a respectable .252 with a .676 OPS at this level.

RHP Trystan Vrieling5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
5.47 ERA (107 IP, 115 H, 68 R, 65 ER, 10 HR, 35 BB, 97 K). This season has been a learning experience for Vrieling. Here’s hoping he finishes strongly.
RHP Danny Watson1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
With Neely leaving the nest, Watson moves up the list of relief prospects. An injury delayed his progress in 2024, but six of his last seven appearances have been scoreless. 
RHP Luis Velasquez (L, 3-3): 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR


Hudson Valley (47-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-1)

2B Roc Riggio0-for-5
CF Jace Avina0-for-5, K
DH Omar Martinez0-for-4, 3 K
C Antonio Gomez2-for-3, 3 RS, 2B (4), HBP
1B Josh Moylan2-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
.248/.368/.366 in 296 PA. Last 6 games: 8-for-23 (1 double, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K).
RF Garrett Martin1-for-4, 2B (11), RS, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia2-for-3, 2B (4), 3 RBI, BB
.191/.277/.303 in 101 PA. Familia has struggled somewhat in High-A (.240/.313/.416) after annihilating Low-A pitching (.290/.368/.611).
3B Kiko Romero1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-3, RBI, BB, K

RHP Trent Sellers4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
2.56 ERA (59.2 IP, 34 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 30 BB, 73 K). As a starter (3 starts): 10.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K. 
RHP Sean Boyle (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Sebastian Keane2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
4.91 ERA (69.2 IP, 64 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 34 BB, 67 K). Keane was a starter until recently. I assume they are controlling his innings down the stretch.
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Tampa (39-54) 

Their game against Lakeland was postponed.


FCL (35-22)

I was wrong. Will wonders never cease? When the FCL squad lost to the Pirates on Saturday, their season ended. The semi-finals are single elimination.


DSL Yankees (14-25) (Destroyed Arizona Black, 12-1)

SS Dexters Peralta0-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (20), 2 BB, 2 K
While strong stolen base rates are common at this level, it impresses me that he is 20-for-23 given his inexperience.
DH Richard Matic1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
C Justin Capellan1-for-4, 2B (9), 3 RBI, RS, SB (7), 2 BB
CF Gabriel Lara2-for-5, RS, SB (12), BB, K
2B Jelson Coca2-for-5, 2B (2), 3B (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Coca entered the game 4-for-58. This was likely a relief for him!
1B Niurby Asigen2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K

RHP Edinzo Marquez (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
The 19-year-old owns a 1.99 ERA (31.2 IP, 24 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 36 K). Goal 1 for an international signee: Get off the island and come stateside. Marquez is likely earning that for 2025.
RHP Jesus Mejia2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 18-year-old owns a 1.88 ERA (14.1 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 11 K)


DSL Bombers (23-19) (Split a doubleheader against the DSL Rangers Red)

Game 1 (Won, 3-0)

CF Francisco Vilorio0-for-4, 2 K
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
SS Christofer Reyes1-for-3, RS, SB (13)
Still 16, Reyes is hitting .200/.313/.227 in 128 PA.
2B Luis Escudero2-for-2, 3B (4), RBI, RS, SB (23), BB
1B Carlos Villarroel2-for-3, RBI, SB (2), CS (3)

RHP Franyer Herrera (W, 2-1): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
2.34 ERA (34.2 IP, 29 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 44 K). Herrera hasn’t allowed an HR in 55 career IP.
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 6): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.10 ERA (16.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 20 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 6-5)

CF Browm Martinez1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, SB (17), 2 K
17-for-23 SB in 29 games.
DH Carlos Villarroel1-for-1, 2B (3), RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
  PR-DH Luis Escudero0-for-1
.303/.479/.472 in 121 PA with a 23-for-28 stolen base rate. He has 28 walks and 11 strikeouts.

Yankees MILB 7/28: Brandon Lockridge: 3 BB, 3 SB

News:

We are nearing August 1st and haven’t seen any “mass promotions” yet. That will likely happen after the deadline.

Because we no longer have short-season leagues, promotions come with cuts. It is a harsh reality. While Agustin Ramirez, Jared Sernaand Abrahan Ramirez were in no danger of being cut, Brian Cashman is considering many angles with his deals. The Rule 5 draft, the current 40-man roster, players they want to promote, etc.

As I said yesterday, it’s easy to get attached to prospects. If you read this report, I tend to have a positive slant while mixing in some reality (I think that is fair).

The best advice I can offer: The kids you love to follow will have better MLB opportunities elsewhere. Serna’s probability of making it to MLB increased when the trade was announced.


Scranton (56-45) (Lost to Worcester, 6-5)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, 3 SB (34), 3 BB, K
In 164 games over the last two seasons, Lockridge is 74-for-83 stealing bases.
DH Jasson Dominguez1-for-5, 2 K
He was out for a while, so I forgot about his hitting streak. He owns a 10-game hitting streak (16-for-42).
3B Jorbit Vivas1-for-4, RS, HBP
For Scranton: .247/.383/.385 in 217 PA. With the acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Vivas can concentrate on finishing strong here and see what opportunities arise in 2025.
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-4, RS, SB (15)
July: .275/.356/.413 (7-for-9 SB)
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Rumfield has 7 RBI in his last 6 games (zero RBI in the previous five games)
C J.C. Escarra2-for-4, RS
Escarra has four multi-hit efforts in eight games since his promotion (12-for-28)
2B Kevin Smith0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell2-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI, RS
LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Thomas Pannone5 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
One reason why you bring in Pannone: If you trade from your pitching depth, you have someone who can eat minor league innings. The Triple-A season is nearly as much of a grind as the MLB season, minus the insane travel.
RHP Nick Burdi1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi averaged 95.4 MPH with his 4-seamer (averaged 97.5 MPH in MLB this season)
RHP Alex Mauricio1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
For Scranton: 1.16 ERA (31 IP, 20 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 37 K). Mauricio allowed three runs in his second outing this season (April 11th). He’s been dominant since. He relies on a cutter/slider combination with a 4-seamer that he throws in the 92-93 range.
RHP Jack Neely: (L, 1-1) 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
Neely, a call-up candidate, didn’t have it today. Due to his small sample size at this level, this spiked his ERA from 0.93 to 3.38.
LHP Tim Mayza1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (48-48) (Lost to Portland, 4-2. Ever since I pointed out how well they are playing, their offense has gone into the tank)

3B Caleb Durbin0-for-3
Durbin is 1-for-10 since being placed here. He hasn’t struck out. He is still on a rehab stint that isn’t labeled that way – don’t place him on a “hug” watch because he was pulled.
  2B Anthony Seigler1-for-1, RS
CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, K
No need to place Rodriguez on a “hug” watch – he is still on the “rehab plan”. This is his first game at 1B this season (15 last season).
  RF Grant Richardson0-for-0, SF, RBI
C Rafael Flores0-for-3, BB, K
DH Tyler Hardman1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, 3 K
Hardman has 5 HR in 33 games for Somerset this year (31 in 110 games going back to last year). That is solid pop, though he has struggled with other aspects of his offensive game this year.
RF-1B Elijah Dunham1-for-3, BB, K
LF Jared Wegner1-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3
2B-3B Max Burt0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Ben Shields: (L, 1-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.08 ERA (21.2 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 23 K). Between here, Scranton, and Hudson Valley, Shields is up to 75.2 innings in his debut season.
RHP Matt Sauer1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP McKinley Moore1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Carlos Gomez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Kevin Stevens1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.48 ERA (36.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 52 K). Stevens has impressed and I would like to see him promoted to Scranton. That way, we can get some Savant data.


Hudson Valley (46-48) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-4)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.227/.357/.392 in 337 PA. Splits: .282/.417/.385 against LHP and .218/.347/.393 vs. RHP. He is a left-handed bat.
LF Garrett Martin1-for-5, RBI
C Omar Martinez0-for-4
DH Antonio Gomez0-for-4
Gomez is 10-for-68 (.147) since joining this level.
3B Josh Moylan2-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, K
Moylan has homered three times in his last five games. He is hitting .242/.360/.361 in 292 PA.
1B Kiko Romero0-for-2, 2 BB
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-3, RS, HBP
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), RBI, RS
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-2, SB (4), CS (2), 2 BB

RHP Baron Stuart: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
3.70 ERA (82.2 IP, 72 H, 36 R, 34 ER, 4 HR, 32 BB, 68 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: (W, 3-4)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.27 ERA (52.1 IP, 45 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 64 K). 
RHP Matt Keating1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.64 ERA (54.1 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 64 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Huey Morrill1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.78 ERA (33.1 IP, 32 H, 19 R, 14 ER, 6 HR, 10 BB, 37 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
3.90 ERA (32.1 IP, 27 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 20 BB, 46 K)
All these relievers likely have a case to go to Somerset, though it’s hard to find room for everyone. 


Tampa (39-54) (Defeated Clearwater, 3-2, in a rain-shortened game. Tampa improves to 16-12 in the second half and 9-1 in their last 10 games)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2
.235/.354/.349 in 345 PA (17 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 43 R, 28-for-32 SB, 13.6% BB, 24.1% K). He has 41 games at SS, 17 at 2B, and 9 at 3B.
2B Roderick Arias0-for-2
.222/.319/.365 in 405 PA (15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 55 R, 26-for-37 SB, 11.6% BB, 32.8% K). He has 55 games (51 starts) at SS, 30 at SS, and 2 at 3B. I have talked about his extreme splits, but he has improved somewhat against LHP. His average is higher against southpaws (.239 to .218) but everything else continues to show the extremeness.
3B Dylan Jasso1-for-1, RS, BB
CF Jackson Castillo1-for-2, 2B (17), RS
.258/.388/.414 in 317 PA (17 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 50 R, 16-for-20 SB, 17.4% BB, 19.6% K)
LF Willy Montero1-fo-2, 2 RBI, RS
His 2-run single in the bottom of the 4th tied the game at 2. He is hitting .243/.302/.360 in 348 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 45 R, 9-for-10 SB)
DH Hans Montero0-for-1, BB, K
1B Coby Morales1-for-2, K
C Diomedes Hernandez0-for-2, RBI, K
Little did he know that his RBI fielder’s choice would prove to be the game-winner. He is 3-for-11 since his promotion.
RF Daury Arias0-for-2

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (W, 4-7) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
Barbosa records his second complete game (neither was 9 innings, obviously). Season: 4.87 ERA (92.1 IP, 92 H, 54 R, 50 ER, 9 HR, 28 BB, 95 K). Barbosa features a 6-pitch mix, throwing five of those pitches 10%+ of the time today. Interestingly, his two most-used pitches are a slider and curve. 


FCL (35-22)

Day off. They must beat the Pirates tomorrow to force a Game 3 in the semi-finals.


DSL Yankees (13-25)

Scheduled day off.


DSL Bombers (22-17)

Scheduled day off. The Bombers are in third place, two games behind the Marlins. In the DSL, eight teams make the playoffs (6 division winners + 2 wild cards).

Yankees MILB 7/27: Josh Grosz Dominates

News:

Nothing to report.

Just kidding.

The Yankees acquired IF/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins today for three prospects – C/1B Agustin Ramirez, 2B/SS Jared Sernaand IF Abrahan Ramirez.

The most significant prospect is Agustin Ramirez, who blossomed into arguably the best Yankees minor league bat over the past two seasons. Between Somerset and Scranton this season, he hit .269/.358/.504 (136 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, and 69 RBI over 386 plate appearances. His numbers were suppressed by a tough start after his promotion, but he is on an 8-game hitting streak that improved his Triple-A triple slash to .224/.328/.364. His profile points to a player who could be an above-average MLB bat. His future position (Catcher? First base? DH?) remains a question. If you are a 1B/DH long-term, the offensive bar increases accordingly.

The Yankees like to target smallish infielders who require smallish bonuses on the international market. That description fits Serna, who stands only 5’7″. He packs a punch in his frame, given his .253/.341/.444 (120 wRC+) line in 393 plate appearances for High-A Hudson Valley this season. Like Ramirez, he doesn’t strike out much (15.3%). Serna’s future position is clearly defined. While he has played a lot of shortstop with the Yankees, most experts point to him as a second baseman long-term.

Most of these trades usually include a lottery ticket. That is where Abrahan Ramirez comes in. Only 19 years old, the infielder hit .348/.447/.513 (161 wRC+) in 189 plate appearances for the FCL squad this season. It was his first taste of the level after spending 60 games in the DSL between 2022 and 2023. While his stats are impressive, there is a long way to go before he is a viable prospect, never mind a viable MLB player.

By the way, Agustin Ramirez was on the 40-man roster while Serna is Rule 5 eligible for the second straight winter.

As for Chisholm, he isn’t a “perfect” player. However, any notion that he doesn’t improve a team is wrong. For Miami, he hit .249/.323/.407 (104 wRC+) with 13 home runs and 22 stolen bases. His 24.9% K rate is above the MLB average but shows improvement over previous seasons. While the Marlins have forced him into CF duty the past two seasons, his versatility should be useful. If he can handle CF, he should be able to handle the corners along with his experience at 2B. I wouldn’t be shocked if he is playable at SS and 3B. The Yankees must be creative in their usage if no other moves are made.

I don’t know how many times Yankees fans have complained about the Yankees needing versatility, athleticism, and speed. Chisholm provides that. Again, he’s not a perfect player. Not many are. Does he fit with the Yankees? I think so.

Bottom Line:

I am not giving this trade five stars out of five. It’s not an obvious, no-brainer. Not many trades are.

However, the Yankees acquired a good player with breakout potential and 2.5 years of control to reach that potential. I don’t think you can say “No” to that. Will it work? Time will tell.

As for the Marlins, I like their return. They received three legitimate prospects, one of whom has a Top 100 level bat. That’s the cost of doing business.

If I was the Yankees’ GM and this deal was offered to me, I would say “Yes.” That is how I have to judge it.


Scranton (56-44) (Defeated Worcester, 9-7, in 11 innings)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 4-for-6, RBI, 3 RS, SB (31), K
.298/.401/.386 in 254 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 37 R, 31-for-35 SB). He is 11-for-22 during his 5-game hitting streak.
2B Jorbit Vivas2-for-6, 2B (7), RBI, 3 RS, SB (12), K
Vivas is 5-for-14 with a double, 4 RBI, 5 runs, and 3 stolen bases in his last three games. He was slumping for a while but is back on track.
3B Oswald Peraza3-for-5, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, SB (14), HBP
Peraza walked it off with a 2-run homer. He is hitting .239/.345/.318 in 236 PA. He is 21-for-76 (.276) in July with two home runs. He has three 3-hit games this month.
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-5, 2B (17), 2 RBI
Rumfield is 16-for-61 (.262) in July with 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 10 RBI this month.
C J.C. Escarra0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
SS Kevin Smith1-for-5, RS, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell1-for-4, 2B (14), BB
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-4, SAC, 3 K
Palensky’s first Triple-A game this season (played 9 games here in 2023)
DH Josh VanMeter0-for-3, RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game tonight. That is an understatement.
RHP Art Warren1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
3.81 ERA (49.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). This ends his 10-game scoreless streak.
RHP Phil Bickford2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Scranton: 11.1 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 10 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 3-0): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K


Somerset (48-47) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, CS (5), BB, K
.234/.317/.400 in 369 PA. He is 11-for-67 (.164) in July with 8 walks and 34 strikeouts. He has at least one strikeout in ten straight games.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, 2 BB
Taking walks is a part of Flores’ game (12 in 109 PA since his promotion (11%) and 14.6% overall)
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham1-for-3, BB, K
LF Grant Richardson0-for-4, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner0-for-2, CS (5), HBP, K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3, K
3B Max Burt0-for-3, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 2-8) 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
3.76 ERA (107.2 IP, 88 H, 62 R, 45 ER, 7 HR, 36 BB, 106 K). Messinger might be the most snakebit pitcher in professional baseball history. He carries a decent 4.12 minor league ERA over 73 games (55 starts). His record? 4-26.
RHP Danny Watson1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Last 7 appearances: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Joey Gerber1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
White can strike hitters out (190 in 129.2 career IP). Walks have been an issue, including 27 in 26 IP this season.


Hudson Valley (45-48) (Lost to Wilmington, 2-1)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-4, 2B (17)
.226/.356/.394 in 332 PA (17 doubles, 4 triples, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 52 R, 17-for-22 SB). 
CF Jace Avina0-for-4, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez0-for-3, BB, K
.235/.370/.408 in 319 PA (17.2% BB, 22.9% K)
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan1-for-3, K
LF Christopher Familia0-for-2, SF, RBI
RF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer0-for-3, K

RHP Cam Schlittler (L, 5-4): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
2.64 ERA (81.2 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 24 ER, 7 HR, 37 BB, 99 K). This is the longest outing in his brief professional career.
RHP Luis Arejula1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.97 ERA (39.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 37 K)


Tampa (39-54) (Swept a doubleheader against Clearwater. They are playing better in the second half, as they are 15-12 and in the playoff race)

Game 1 (Won, 4-3, in 9 innings. They walked it off on a combination of events, none of which were pretty)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias0-for-4, K
3B Dylan Jasso2-for-4, RS
LF Jackson Castillo1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 K
It is a big 2-run single for Castillo, who continues his impressive campaign.
CF Willy Montero0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero0-for-4, K
1B Coby Morales0-for-3, RS, 2 K
C Tomas Frick2-for-3, 2B (11)
   PH Josue Gonzalez0-for-0, BB
RF Daury Arias0-for-4, RS, K

RHP Josh Grosz7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
4.19 ERA (73 IP, 69 H, 47 R, 34 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 93 K). He had a tough time in an emergency start for Somerset on 6/23. Since coming back: 0.397 ERA (22.2 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 25 K). That is dominance. Grosz throws primarily 4-seamers and sliders while mixing in a change.
RHP Matt Givin1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Givin (25) has missed most of the season due to injury. He is not technically here on a rehab stint, but that is what it is.
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
3.88 ERA (48.2 IP, 46 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 55 K)

Game 2 (Won, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2B (17), RS, HBP
Lombard Jr. has a .237/.708 OPS line. He owns a pair of 2-hit efforts in his last three games (five in his last ten games).
DH Roderick Arias1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Arias is at .223 with a .687 OPS.
3B Dylan Jasso0-for-3, K
LF Jackson Castillo0-for-2, BB
CF Willy Montero1-for-3, 3B (2), RS, K
2B Hans Montero1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
Montero brings in Montero for the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
C Josue Gonzalez0-for-3, 2 K
1B Coby Morales0-for-1, CS (3), 2 BB
RF Daury Arias0-for-3, K

RHP Cade Smith5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
3.48 ERA (82.2 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 32 ER, 38 BB, 109 K). Smith, their 2023 6th-round pick out of Mississippi State, is one of their most consistent 2024 performers. He is more of a mix guy than an overpowering type, but that is fine. We’ll see how it translates as he moves up.
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 3-2)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


FCL (35-22) (Lost Game 1 to the Pirates, 4-3. The semi-finals are best-of-3)

CF Brando Mayea1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Mayea took his share of walks and hit .281 in 35 games. He didn’t homer but don’t read into that. The power can come later. For example, Oswald Peraza hit one home run in 94 rookie league games. Three years later, he hit 18 as a 21-year-old in full-season leagues.
1B Engelth Urena2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, BB
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Marlins asked about Urena as the “lottery ticket”. Urena is impressive – he might be the next Agustin Ramirez-like riser. 
RF Joel Mendez1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, BB
3B-SS Santiago Gomez2-for-3, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Making the playoffs allowed Lagrange to add to his innings total. He needs more, given the late start to his campaign.
RHP Chris Kean2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
I expect Kean to go to Tampa once the FCL squad is done. He’s 22 years old and dominated during the regular season (1.31 ERA in 20.2 IP with a 27/3 K/BB).


DSL Yankees (13-25) (Defeated the DSL Bombers, 6-3. They are playing playoff spoiler against their own organization mates!)

SS Dexters Peralta2-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 SB (18), CS (3), K
.226/.299/.304 with 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. The triple slash may not jump out at you, but he just turned 17 years old.
3B Richard Matic0-for-0, 2 RS, SB (3), 2 BB
C Justin Capellan1-for-3, 2B (4), 4 RBI
Capellan’s first career multi-RBI game.
RF Louis Pierre0-for-1, RS, 2 SB (10), CS (2), 2 BB, K

RHP Jorge Luna4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
1.65 ERA (32.2 IP, 21 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 37 K)
LHP Ronald Tejada (W, 3-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.42 ERA (19 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). It is the 17-year-old’s debut season.


DSL Bombers (22-17) (Lost to the DSL Yankees, 6-3)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Kevin Verde1-for-2, 2B (7), 2 RS, SB (9), BB
The 18-year-old has 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 55 DSL games.

LHP Jose Ledesma1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 7/26: Agustin Ramirez is Heating Up

News:

Infielder Caleb Durbin returned to Somerset yesterday. Infielder Ben Cowles is heading to the injured list for Somerset today.

Cowles, who was HBP last night, is having a breakout season while playing three positions (2B/SS/3B). He is hitting .294/.376/.472 (140 wRC+) in 378 PA with 9 home runs, 51 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts. He owns a 10.3% BB and 17.7%. In 2023, he struck out at a 23.7% clip. With the MLB infield in flux, one could see him as an option for at least a utility role sometime in 2025.

Infielder Enmanuel Tejeda was moved to the full-season injured list for Tampa. Darn. Tejeda will finish the season with a .310/.353/.369 (108 wRC+) line for Low-A Tampa with a homer, 18 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 28 attempts.

OF Jasson Dominguez was activated today and assigned to Scranton. It isn’t a rehab assignment on paper, but it is in reality.

Scranton (55-44) (Defeated Worcester, 8-5)

DH Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 K
A good enough return for Dominguez. When will he be back with the Yankees? Let’s get him through a week or so of games before we speculate.
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-5, 4 K
2B Jorbit Vivas2-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (11), K
Hopefully, Vivas is heating up again. He has 12 stolen bases total this year after stealing 25 last season. The ability to steal bases could get lost in his profile, but it’s in his toolbox.
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
Ramirez has an 8-game hitting streak (11-for-34; .324). He is also on a 5-game RBI streak (hasn’t relied on a home run for any of the RBI)
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-5, RS, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge2-for-4, 2B (15), RS, 2 K
LF J.C. Escarra2-for-3, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Escarra is on a heater since his promotion (10-for-20, 3 doubles, 5 RBI). He is a left-handed bat who can play some positions, including catcher. 
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
RF Taylor Trammell1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, RS, K

LHP Tanner Tully4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Chasen Shreve0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 0.93 ERA (9.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 12 K). Neely should be on the list of possible reinforcements, but the Yankees are going to look for relievers with more experience. That’s fine, too.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (48-46) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

DH Caleb Durbin0-for-3, SB (2), BB
Durbin has stolen bases in back-to-back games and is 22-for-24 in 50 games this season. His ability to run should not be underestimated.
CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, 2B (15), 2 K
Jones’ 50th career double (222 games). I am honest: I can’t read who he is. I don’t think anyone knows what he will be.
C Jesus Rodriguez0-for-2, CS (1), BB,K
   PH-C Juan Crisp: 0-for-1, K
Rodriguez’s rehab will allow Crisp to get a little playing time.
1B Rafael Flores1-for-4, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson0-for-1, 2 BB
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3
Vargas has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-18).

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 4-6)  6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Dees is over the 100-inning mark. Season: 4.28 ERA (101 IP, 85 H, 53 R, 48 ER, 15 HR, 37 BB, 104 K). It isn’t a perfect stat line, but it is his first year as a starter. I am happy with what I see.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 13 K. He is an impressive relief prospect.


Hudson Valley (45-47) (Lost to Wilmington, 5-2)

CF Jace Avina1-for-4, RS
SS Jared Serna2-for-3, 2 2B (26), CS (8), BB
Serna has three doubles and a homer in his last four games, increasing his triple slash to .253/.341/.444. His 26 doubles rank second in the league. He is only 11-for-19 stealing bases after going 29-for-37 last year.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-4, RBI
Gomez is 9-for-60 since joining Hudson Valley.
1B Josh Moylan1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Moylan has an impressive 14.4% BB rate and has homered in two of his last three games. If the power starts to show up, the Yankees could have an interesting prospect who has played both infield corners.
RF Garrett Martin0-for-3, BB, K
3B Kiko Romero0-for-3, K
LF Anthony Hall0-for-3, K
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 1-2)  5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
LHP Joel Valdez2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.02 ERA (44.2 IP, 29 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 53 K). 
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K


Tampa (37-54) (Defeated Clearwater, 7-6)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (28), K
One of his hits was a “Little League home run.” He is 28-for-32 stealing bases.
SS Roderick Arias0-for-4, 3 K
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-4, K
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 SB (16), 3 BB, K
Castillo’s first career multi-stolen base game. He is 16-for-20 in that category this season and has an .800 OPS/17.5% BB.
RF Willy Montero1-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Hans Montero1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
C Josue Gonzalez1-for-3, RS
LF Coby Morales0-for-2, RBI, RS, BB
DH Tomas Frick0-for-2, SF, RBI, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Hampton topped out at 93.9 MPH (averaged 91.7) as he mixed in all his pitches. I doubt he will be in Tampa much longer.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Diaz was promoted today from the FCL (he had an earlier stint with Tampa this year)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
2.51 ERA (46.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 7 HR, 24 BB, 56 K). The home run ball has haunted him this year.
RHP Jordy Luciano (W, 2-3): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The Yankees signed the 25-year-old on June 11th (he made 6 appearances in the FCL before being promoted). He hadn’t pitched in an affiliated league since his 2019 stint with the Phillies’ GCL squad. Over the last several years, he has toiled in the Independent/Mexican/Winter leagues. According to Savant, he dialed it up to 96.4 with the 4-seamer and 96.1 with his sinker.


FCL (35-22)

The playoffs begin tomorrow against the Pirates. It’s been rainy/stormy lately, so I hope they can get these playoffs in without interruption.


DSL Yankees (12-25) (Split two games with DSL Mets Orange)

Game 1 (Won, 9-2. This was the conclusion of a game started on 7/19)

SS Dexters Peralta3-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, CS (2)
The 17-year-old’s (he started the season as a 16-year-old) first professional home run.
CF Gabriel Lara2-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB, SB (10)
LF Isael Arias2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (7), HBP
DH Louis Pierre0-for-1, RBI, BB
  PH-DH Niurby Asigen1-for-1, RS, 2 SB (6)

RHP Jorge Luna4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (28.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 31 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez (W, 2-1): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Rafael Arias0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Lost, 7-4)

SS Dexters Peralta0-for-3, RS, BB, K
He is hitting .214/.290/.277 in 124 PA with 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts.
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, SB (11), BB, 2 K
.202/.316/.274 in 98 PA (11-for-14 SB)
2B Geyber Blanco2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, K

RHP Emanuel Vargas2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR


DSL Bombers (22-16) (Lost to the DSL Rockies, 9-1)

CF Francisco Vilorio1-for-4, K
.204/.286/.323 in 105 PA in his debut season.
3B Luis Suarez3-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, SB (3)

RHP Mariano Salomon (L, 2-1): 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR

 

Yankees MILB 7/25: Roderick Arias: Grand Slam

News:

IF Caleb Durbin‘s rehab is already over (one plate appearance!) but it’s semantics. The Yankees moved him to Somerset today to continue rehabbing, though it won’t be labeled that way.

Scranton (54-44) (Defeated Worcester, 7-2)

3B Jorbit Vivas1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 HBP
Hopefully, this gets him back on track.
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
Ramirez has a 7-game hitting streak. At this level: .214/.317/.359 in 120 PA (3 doubles, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 13 R, 11.7% BB, 17.5% K). While in Somerset, he owned a 10.7% BB and 16.5% K. There is a lot to like.
2B Oswald Peraza0-for-4, RBI
DH T.J. Rumfield0-for-4, K
1B J.C. Escarra1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
Escarra is 8-for-17 with two walks and a strikeout since his promotion.
RF Oscar Gonzalez2-for-4, 2B (14), RS
Gonzalez is 7-for-14 with three doubles in his last four games.
CF Taylor Trammell0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Will Warren6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
6.11 ERA (95.2 IP, 99 H, 71 R, 65 ER, 18 HR, 35 BB, 115 K). July: 21.2 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 30 K. His miserable May is nearly impossible to overcome, but he has thrown pretty well for much of the season.
RHP Nick Burdi0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi was throwing hard in his first rehab appearance. Can he still be useful for the big club? Yes. Should they continue to look for upgrades in the bullpen? Yes. Even if Burdi is healthy, you worry about future injuries and lack of control/command.
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K


Somerset (48-45) (Lost a tough one to Portland, 7-6. Portland scored 3 in the top of the 9th)

DH Spencer Jones0-for-5, 4 K
Jones’ strikeout woes continue. Who would I trade him for? A deal for someone in the Jonathan India class isn’t bad. You don’t want to “give up” on a kid with his talent level, but the outcomes remain wide. When will Jones be a productive MLB player? It could be mid-2026 before he starts to figure it out. This is not an easy one because the Yankees need young, cheap talent if they end up signing Juan Soto. I see some people on social media who think he isn’t worth packaging for India, and I get it. India won Rookie of the Year in 2021 but followed that up with a .246/.323/.394 (97 OPS+) in 222 games between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he is playing back to his rookie level after nearly losing his full-time job. He has never played third base, which could be more of a need than 2B. I like him but I get the trepidation.
2B Caleb Durbin1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, SB (1)
Between here and Scranton, Durbin has 18 doubles and 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts over 48 games.
  2B Anthony Seigler0-for-0
3B Ben Cowles0-for-0, BB, HBP
No, he wasn’t pulled due to an impending trade. He left the game shortly after being HBP.
  3B Max Burt0-for-1, SF, RBI, K
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
C Rafael Flores2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Flores has homered in back-to-back games (5 HR in 23 games since his promotion). He has 20 doubles and 11 home runs this year (15 doubles and 8 home runs in 105 games last year). Interesting.
CF Elijah Dunham0-for-3, RS, SB (11), BB, K
LF Grant Richardson0-for-3, RS, BB, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, CS (4)
A grand slam for Vargas. Known for his defense, Vargas is 25-for-95 (.263/.290/.411) since joining Somerset.

RHP Trystan Vrieling5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
5.31 ERA (101.2 IP, 107 H, 63 R, 60 ER, 9 HR, 34 BB, 93 K). He was cruising until a 4-run 5th inning. He is pitching well overall in July and we must remember that he is spending his entire debut season in Double-A.
LHP Josh Maciejewski3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP McKinley Moore (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR


Hudson Valley (45-46) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-2)

2B Roc Riggio0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna1-for-4, RS, SB (11)
Serna’s first stolen base since 7/1. 
LF Jace Avina0-for-4, 2 K
Avina is in a 0-for-23 slump. Slumps happen. Now, he has to get himself out of it.
DH Omar Martinez2-for-3, HR (11), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.240/.373/.417 in 311 PA. Martinez has homered twice in his last four games. Between 2023 and 2024, he has 29 HR in 179 games. From 2019 to 2022, he hit 10 HR in 103 games.
C Antonio Gomez0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
RF Christopher Familia2-for-4, RS, K
1B Kiko Romero2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, RS, BB
.234/.363/.392 in 190 PA. He is 6-for-13 with a pair of doubles in his last four games.
3B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, SAC, RBI, K
CF Nelson Medina0-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.75 ERA (72 IP, 73 H, 55 R, 46 ER, 5 HR, 44 BB, 64 K). He is pitching better lately (5 hitless innings last time out). Carr entered the season with a buzz around him but initially struggled. Is he turning it around down the stretch?
RHP Sean Boyle2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At three levels (Hudson Valley, Somerset, Scranton): 1.89 ERA (47.2 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 43 K)


Tampa (36-54) (Split a doubleheader against Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Roderick Arias1-for-3, 2B (14)
Arias has struggled mightily as a right-handed hitter, so it is worth noting that he hit this double batting right-handed.
1B-3B Dylan Jasso0-for-3
2B Caleb Durbin0-for-1
  LF Daury Arias0-for-2
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-3
RF Willy Montero0-for-2
3B-2B Hans Montero0-for-3, K
LF-1B Coby Morales1-for-2, SB (23), K
Morales is 23-for-25 stealing bases.
C Tomas Frick0-for-2

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-3)  3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR
The 6’8″ Warrecker will need time. He has 35 professional innings, all this season.
RHP Aaron Nixon1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Montana Semmel2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Semmell dialed it up to 95.7 MPH. 

Game 2 (Won, 7-1)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K
Lombard Jr. is hitting .231 with a .697 OPS (16 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 41 R, 26-for-30 SB, 13.9% BB, 24.2% K)
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (15), HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Arias is hitting .228 with a .703 OPS (15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 55 R, 26-for-37 SB, 11.99% BB, 32.4% K). In July, his BB/K is 12/12. In June, he walked 7 times and struck out an incredible 41 times. Is something clicking? We’ll have to wait and see.
3B Dylan Jasso0-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
LF Jackson Castillo0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Willy Montero0-for-2, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero0-for-3
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, BB, K
Gonzalez is 10-for-36 (.278) since his promotion. He won’t turn 21 until October.
1B Coby Morales1-for-3, RBI, RS, K
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-2, 2 RS, HBP

RHP Luis Serna4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Serna’s first career 10+ strikeout game. He tossed 82 pitches (52 strikes). Season: 5.64 ERA (68.2 IP, 62 H, 44 R, 43 ER, 6 HR, 24 BB, 81 K). This is his first full start since July 10th (threw only one inning, due to rain, on 7/19). Serna doesn’t throw hard (though he did throw a 94 MPH sinker tonight), relying more on his 5-pitch mix to generate outs. His 17 whiffs tonight were distributed among his change (8), slider (5), and sinker (4).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (W, 2-2) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was able to strand one of his two inherited runners. Season: 3.97 ERA (47.2 IP, 46 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 12 BB, 55 K). The K/BB stands out. Last season, it was 49/29 over 53.2 IP.


FCL (35-22)

Their game against the Tigers was cancelled due to rain (they started it, but couldn’t get in enough innings). While the stats won’t count, LHP Henry Lalane tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out three.

Due to the cancellation, the Yankees win the division and go to the playoffs.

The other teams in the playoffs are the dominant Marlins (39-15), the Pirates (36-23), and the Wild Card Tigers (34-23). Today’s cancelation benefited the Tigers, who ended up percentage points ahead of the Rays and Red Sox.

The playoffs begin on Saturday. The Yankees will play the Pirates.

By the way, the FCL schedule is structured in a way where you only play division teams. So, the Yankees haven’t faced the Marlins or Pirates this season.


DSL Yankees (11-24) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 5-1)

LF Gabriel Lara0-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Michell Chirinos (L, 0-4): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Burgos2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old owns a 5.85 ERA in 20 IP (21 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 15 K)


DSL Bombers (23-15) (Defeated the DSL Yankees, 5-1)

DH Francisco Vilorio0-for-2, BB, K
C Queni Pineda1-for-3, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
.256/.458/.410 in 107 PA (26.2% BB, 20.6% K)
2B Luis Escudero0-for-2, RS, BB
1B Carlos Villarroel1-for-3, 2B (2), 3 RBI
.265/.346/.382 in 78 PA. 
3B Kevin Verde0-for-1, RS, SB (8), CS (2), 2 BB
LF Angel Ventura1-for-2, RS, SB (15), K

RHP Enixon Sanchez (W, 3-0): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (22.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 21 K). Not bad for a 17-year-old in his first season (he was 16 when the season started).
RHP Alexis Paulino2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 7/24: Rafael Flores Walks it Off

News:

The Yankees are signing their draftees. As always, some required extra money to sign while others required less. You can find a full list in many places. I don’t need to rehash it. New talent is coming to try to break their 18-year World Series drought in 2027.

Scranton (53-44) (Split a doubleheader against Worcester)

Game 1 (Won, 8-1)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (14), RBI, RS
2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-3, BB
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS, K
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, HR (11), RBI, RS, K
DH Taylor Trammell0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-2, 2B (13), 2 RS
3B Jeter Downs1-for-2, 2B (17), RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter2-for-3, 2B (9), 3 RBI

LHP Edgar Barclay: (W, 4-8) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Last 2 outings: 10 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 10 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.78 ERA (47.2 IP, 31 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 61 K). He extends his scoreless streak to ten games.
RHP Art Warren1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, CS (4), BB, 2 K
Lockridge is 7-for-20 with a pair of walks in his last five games.
2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-4, 2 K
Vivas, who didn’t play for a week because the Yankees brought him up only to not use him, is 3-for-24 since the All-Star Break. Smart move, geniuses.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
Ramirez has his Triple-A batting average over .200 (.214) thanks to a 6-game hitting streak (8-for-25, 6 RBI).
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-4, 2B (7), RS, 2 K
July: 17-for-62 (.274; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 11 R, 5-for-7 SB). Over a smaller sample (last five games): 9-for-20 with three walks. He started the month with a .592 OPS. It is now .653.
DH T.J. Rumfield3-for-4, 2 RBI, RS
Rumfield, who has five 3+ hit games since his promotion, is 5-for-10 in his last three games with a double, homer, and 3 RBI. While his average is down in July, he has homered three times in his last nine games.
C J.C. Escarra1-for-3
RF Oscar Gonzalez0-for-3, RS, K
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-3, 2B (9), RBI
LF Taylor Trammell0-for-3

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game in Game 2. Underwood has a history of starting, but not in recent years. Season: 2.50 ERA (36 IP, 26 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 35 K)
RHP Phil Bickford2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Tim Mayza1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Mayza’s organizational debut isn’t a memorable one.
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Scott Effross: (L, 1-1)  0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
Supposedly, the Yankees aren’t comfortable with where Effross’ stuff is. This would seem to confirm that discomfort. He missed a lot of time, so that is understandable. You hope it isn’t permanent.
LHP Chasen Shreve0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (48-44) (Defeated Portland, 6-4, in 12 innings. Last week, I said it looked doubtful that any full-season affiliate would make the playoffs. I guess the Patriots want to prove me wrong. They are now 16-7 in the second half (including five wins in a row), giving them the division lead by 2.5 games)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-2, RS, 4 BB (1 intentional), K
Jones’ first career 4 BB game. He is hitting .240/.323/.409 in 356 PA (36.8% K; 10.4% BB). 
C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-2
It’s his second game back from injury, so don’t be concerned that he was pulled.
  PH-C Juan Crisp1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Crisp is a seldom-used (heck, seldom-active) organizational catcher with 182 plate appearances from 2019 to 2024 (140 of those were compiled in 2019). It is fun when players like him earn professional hits.
SS Ben Cowles2-for-6, RBI
.294/.372/.472 in 376 PA. He is 19-for-68 (.279) in July (4 doubles, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 11 K).
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-6, 4 K
It’s all forgotten when your team wins!
DH Rafael Flores2-for-6, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Flores swats a walk-off 2-run HR with two outs in the 12th. Since promotion: .221/.309/.395 in 97 PA. Overall (including time with Hudson Valley): .265/.376/.444 in 330 PA with 20 doubles, 10 homers, and 46 RBI.
RF Grant Richardson0-for-5, K
LF Jared Wegner1-for-4, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, SAC, BB, K
3B Max Burt0-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K

RHP Luis Velasquez2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Velasquez has made a few starts recently, but I don’t think that indicates a role change (he tossed only one inning in his previous start).
RHP Danny Watson1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Joey Gerber2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 3.68 ERA (7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 11 K)
RHP Matt Sauer2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sauer needed this. Hopefully, he can finish the season strong.
RHP Kevin Stevens: (W, 4-0)  2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
2.55 ERA (35.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 50 K). Stevens was masterful at pitching around the ghost runner in extra innings.


Hudson Valley (44-46) (Lost to Wilmington, 4-1. An offensive spectacle, this was not)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-4, RBI, CS (6), K
Riggio increases his hitting streak to 6 (8-for-22; 1 triple, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB)
SS Jared Serna0-for-3
CF Jace Avina0-for-3, K
Avina is in a 0-for-19 slump (6-for-53 in July). He is hitting a respectable .257/.339/.417 in 330 PA.
C Omar Martinez0-for-3, K
.235/.368/.402 in 307 PA. While he hit .282 in the FCL (2022), most of his performance indicates a kid who isn’t going to hit for much average but draws walks and has some pop. As a left-handed hitting catcher, you hope he can develop into something.
3B Josh Moylan0-for-3
DH Garrett Martin0-for-3, K
RF Anthony Hall0-for-3, K
Hall is 3-for-41 at this level. High-A has given him trouble (as have injuries)
LF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, RS
1B Kiko Romero1-for-3, K

RHP Trent Sellers3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Sellers tossed 51 pitches as he retired all 11 batters he faced. He owns a 2.75 ERA (55.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 29 BB, 67 K). As for the short outing, he’s been a multi-inning reliever most of the season. This is only his second start. 
RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 6-7) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
They may be trying to control Keane’s innings the rest of the way, as this is his first relief appearance. He owns a 5.05 ERA (67.2 IP, 64 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 34 BB, 62 K).
RHP Matt Keating2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
4.73 ERA (53.1 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 63 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Diaz’s brief rehab assignment is over.


Tampa (35-53) (They tried to play two games against Clearwater, but it wasn’t meant to be)

Game 1 (They trail, 6-0, in the 3rd inning. This game was suspended and will be resumed tomorrow)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-1
2B Roderick Arias1-for-1, 2B (14)
Arias has struggled mightily as a right-handed hitter, so it is worth noting that he hit this double batting right-handed.
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-1
DH Caleb Durbin0-for-1
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-0
RF Willy Montero0-for-0
3B Hans Montero0-for-0
LF Coby Morales0-for-0
C Tomas Frick0-for-0

RHP Bryce Warrecker3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR

Game 2 (This game was postponed due to rain. I do not see a makeup date)


FCL (35-22)

Scheduled day off. The season ends tomorrow. If they beat the Tigers, they clinch the division. If they lose, I believe the Tigers have the tie-breaker.

If they lose, they need either the Pirates or Rays to lose to earn the Wild Card berth.


DSL Yankees (11-23)

Scheduled day off.


DSL Bombers (22-15) (Destroyed DSL Colorado, 15-1. This was the conclusion of a game started on July 22nd)

C Queni Pineda2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
SS Christofer Reyes1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS
2B Luis Escudero1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (21), BB, HBP
.286/.477/.429 in 107 PA. He has 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
LF-CF Angel Ventura2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
RF David Carrera3-for-4, 2 2B (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (7), BB
The 17-year-old is hitting .270/.427/.429 in 82 PA.

RHP Carlos Almonte (W, 1-0): 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Almonte’s first professional win. Congrats!

Yankees MILB 7/23: Spencer Jones Homers

News:

UTIL Caleb Durbin has started a rehab assignment in Tampa. He hasn’t played since May 23rd, so he missed two months after being HBP. Before that unfortunate injury, he hit .299/.413/.458 in 215 PA with 20 stolen bases in 22 attempts. Is there time for him to make an MLB impact? Sure, but I doubt the Yankees are counting on that.

OF Jasson Dominguez will begin another rehab stint with Scranton. He has missed so much time this season that I don’t know how much we should count on him, but the Yankees may not have much choice. Do they try to acquire a veteran outfielder or hope Dominguez is good to go by mid-to-late August?

C/Everything Jesus Rodriguez returned to the Somerset lineup tonight after missing a month due to an undisclosed injury.

Scranton (52-42) (Doubled Up Worcester, 8-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge2-for-5, 2B (13), 2 RBI
2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-4, BB, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-5, 3 RBI, CS (1), K
Ramirez has six 3+ RBI games this season. If the Yankees are willing to talk about Jasson Dominguez (I doubt they will trade him) and Spencer Jones (it will take a perfect deal), you can bet that they will discuss Ramirez.
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-4, RS, SB (13), BB, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, RS, SB (3), BB
Rumfield has struggled in July (9-for-40). Hopefully, this gets him going.
DH J.C. Escarra0-for-3, RBI, HBP
RF Oscar Gonzalez3-for-4, 2 RS
3B Kevin Smith1-for-4, RS, 2 K
LF Taylor Trammell1-for-2, 2B (12), RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB, K

LHP Thomas Pannone: (W, 1-0)  5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
A nice organizational debut for Pannone.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Mauricio0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Interestingly, they used Neely for one batter. Yes, that can be a development thing: Come in and air it out for one batter rather than come in for a full inning or two. Anyway, since his promotion: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (47-44) (Defeated Portland, 7-5)

CF Spencer Jones2-for-4, HR (11), 2 RBI, RS, SB (19), K
If you wonder why other organizations want Jones, this is why. He has unlimited power potential and speed. He has 30/30 type of potential but has rough edges to fix. I would trade him in the right deal, but that “right deal” isn’t for a random relief pitcher. He is hitting .241/.317/.412.
DH Jesus Rodriguez0-for-4, K
Rodriguez’s first game since June 22nd. It hurts that he missed a month, but at least he wasn’t done for the year. One of the organization’s best hitters before his injury, he is hitting .322/.406/.496 in 266 PA between here and Hudson Valley.
SS Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2B (25)
Cowles is second in the Eastern League in doubles.
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
C Rafael Flores0-for-4, 3 K
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Dunham has a 6-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 23 of his last 24 games.
LF Grant Richardson3-for-4, 2B (20), HR (6), 3 RBI, RS
Richardson has four 3+ hit games this season. Last year, he hit 7 doubles and 18 HR in 92 games. This year, he has 20 doubles and 6 HR in 69 games.
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (18), BB, K
Seigler is 18-for-20 in the stolen base department.
3B Alexander Vargas1-for-4, 3B (3), RBI, RS

LHP Ben Shields4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
A mixed-bag kind of night for Shields. Since promotion: 17 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 20 K. Minus a rough emergency appearance for Scranton, Shields has been one of the organization’s most consistent performers this season.
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 4-1)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Colby White1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (S, 2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K


Hudson Valley (44-45) (Lost to Wilmington, 5-4)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-2, 2 RS, 2 SB (17), 2 BB
Riggio, at his best, is a pest. He is hitting .229/.364/.401 in 320 PA and is on a 5-game hitting streak.
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (24), HR (13), 3 RBI, RS
Serna’s first home run in July (17-game drought overall). Serna tends to hit in spurts, so we’ll see if this is the start of one. He’s hitting .252/.340/.442 in 382 PA. He is second in the league in doubles and tied for the league lead in RBI.
CF Jace Avina0-for-4, 2 K
DH Omar Martinez0-for-4, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez0-for-4, 3 K
1B Josh Moylan1-for-3, HR (4), RBI, RS, BB, K
.239/.363/.339 in 278 PA. He has a 14.7% BB and 24.8% K.
RF Garrett Martin0-for-4, 3 K
LF Christopher Familia0-for-3, BB, K
3B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Baron Stuart5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
3.77 ERA (71.2 IP, 67 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 3 HR, 26 BB, 61 K). That stat line doesn’t include an impressive emergency start for Scranton (7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K). 
RHP Huey Morrill1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Cole Ayers (L, 2-4): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR


Tampa (35-53) (Their game against Clearwater was postponed due to rain)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-0
After spending the weekend at 3B, Lombard Jr. was scheduled to return to SS tonight.
2B Roderick Arias0-for-0
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-0
DH Caleb Durbin0-for-0
He missed a lot of time, so expect them to take their time with Durbin.
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-0
RF Willy Montero0-for-0
3B Hans Montero0-for-0
LF Coby Morales0-for-0
C Tomas Frick0-for-0

RHP Bryce Warrecker0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K


FCL (35-22) (Lost to the Phillies, 5-3. The Yankees’ lead over the Tigers is one game with one game remaining. That game is against the Tigers. By my count, and I could be wrong, the teams have split 20 games this season. If I am correct, whoever wins on Thursday wins the division title. There is also a wild card slot open)

FYI: The Tigers played tonight, but the game ended in a 1-1 tie due to rain. The FCL does not require games to finish for playoff purposes. Hence, while the stats count, the game will go down as a meaningless tie.

CF Brando Mayea0-for-4, 2 SB (19), 3 K
.281/.370/.326 in 154 PA. He is 19-for-22 stealing bases (41-for-51 in 73 career games)
C Edgleen Perez0-for-3, BB, K
1B Engelth Urena0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Brian Sanchez2-for-4, 2 2B (16), RBI, RS, K
.306/.394/.514 in 198 PA. He is tied for second in the FCL with 16 doubles.
SS Juan Matheus2-for-2, RBI, RS, BB
.321/.429/.488 in 196 PA. He has 40 RBI and 30 runs scored.
2B Abrahan Ramirez1-for-1, RBI
I am not sure why Ramirez left the game. He is hitting .348/.447/.513 in 189 PA.

RHP Sunayro Martina3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Alejandro Gomez2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K


DSL Yankees (11-23) (Lost to DSL Miami, 10-2)

SS Dexters Peralta1-for-4, RS, 2 SB (16), K
Recently turned 17, Peralta is hitting .208/.286/.248 in 112 PA with 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts.
DH Richard Matic1-for-2, 2B (5), RBI, BB
The 16-year-old (turns 17 on 7/26) is hitting .226/.330/.280 in 109 PA.

RHP Alexander Almonte2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 17-year-old owns a 2.95 ERA in 18.1 IP with an 18/8 K/BB.
RHP Ismael Delgadillo2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K


DSL Bombers (20-15) (Lost to Phillies Red, 3-1)

CF Francisco Vilorio2-for-4, 2B (6), K
Vilorio has hit safely in six of his last seven games. He has four doubles during this streak (he increased his triple slash from .180/.242/.279 to .214/.287/.345).

LHP Franyer Herrera4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The 19-year-old owns a 2.79 ERA in 29 IP with a 38/11 K/BB.

Yankees MILB 7/21: Cade Smith Ks 8 in 5 Innings

News:

We are closing in on the trade deadline. I will watch closely to see if any prospect gets pulled out of a game over the next week. Today, I noted on Twitter that George Lombard Jr. has played third base and Roderick Arias has played shortstop in all three games since the All-Star Break. Is this a “weekend showcase” for scouts, or a coincidence?

Scranton (51-42) (Defeated Buffalo, 4-0)

CF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, BB, K
3B Jorbit Vivas1-for-4, RBI
For Scranton: .255/.394/.414 in 183 PA (15.8% BB, 21.9% K, 9-for-13 SB). 
1B Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, SB (5)
Since promotion: .186/.304/.349 in 102 PA with a 12.7% BB and 17.6% K. Earlier this season, his BABIP was lagging – eventually, he ended up with a normal .292 mark for Somerset. For Scranton, it is .185. There is likely another correction coming.
2B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-4, RBI, RS, 3 SB (12)
Peraza has reached base 8 times in the last two games, increasing his triple slash from .210/.325/.251 to .234/.348/.286.
DH T.J. Rumfield0-for-4, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez1-for-3, RS, BB
C J.C. Escarra2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
Escarra is 6-for-9 in two games since his promotion. That pace should be easily maintained.
SS Kevin Smith0-for-3, RBI
LF Taylor Trammell0-for-3

LHP Tanner Tully4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Scott Effross: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Effross’ 4th straight scoreless appearance (4 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K). He relies on command to generate outs, so the Yankees will wait until they are satisfied that his command is back. It looks like it is heading in that direction.
LHP Chasen Shreve1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.86 ERA (46.2 IP, 31 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 60 K). He has a 9-game scoreless streak (11.1 IP).
RHP Ron Marinaccio1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.57 ERA (35 IP, 25 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 35 K)


Somerset (46-44) (Squeaked past Altoona, 3-2)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Jones is hitting .238 with a .716 OPS
SS Ben Cowles1-for-4, HR (9), RBI, RS, K
Cowles, who has already set a personal best in doubles, is one away from his best in home runs (10, set last year).
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-3, BB, 2 K
C Rafael Flores0-for-2, RS, BB, K
LF Elijah Dunham1-for-3
Dunham has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games
RF Grant Richardson0-for-2, SAC
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-2, CS (2), BB
DH Jared Wegner0-for-2, SF, RBI
3B Max Burt1-for-3, 2B (5), RS, K

RHP Zach Messinger5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
3.90 ERA (101.2 IP, 85 H, 59 R, 44 ER, 7 HR, 34 BB, 103 K).
RHP Joey Gerber: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Sauer1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kevin Stevens (S, 6): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2.76 ERA (32.2 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 46 K)


Hudson Valley (44-44) (Defeated Rome, 3-1)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-3, BB
.227/.359/.400 in 316 PA. Last 4 games: 6-for-16 (1 triple, 2 HR). 
SS Jared Serna0-for-4, K
.248/.339/.429 in 378 PA. He is 10-for-50 (.200) in July with only three extra-base hits (all doubles). That said, he has struck out only four times. Following him over the last few years, I have noticed a streaky trait in his profile.
C Omar Martinez1-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS, 2 K
In his last two seasons, Martinez has 28 HR, 103 RBI, and 119 walks in 744 PA (15.99%).
LF Garrett Martin0-for-3, K
DH Christopher Familia2-for-3
Familia is 13-for-77 (.169/.256/.286) at this level with a pair of home runs.
RF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, RS
1B Kiko Romero1-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (9)
3B Beau Brewer1-for-3, RBI
CF Nelson Medina0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (W, 5-3)  5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
For Hudson Valley: 2.77 ERA (74.2 IP, 48 H, 31 R, 23 ER, 6 HR, 37 BB, 94 K). He had a tough emergency start for Scranton earlier this year, but I am not concerned about that.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Cohen’s rehab stint is over and he was assigned here. I thought they might place him in Somerset (where he finished in 2023).
LHP Joel Valdez (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.16 ERA (42.2 IP, 29 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 50 K). In 2023, he allowed 10 HR in 78.2 IP. In his 172 other career innings, he has allowed 4 HR.


Tampa (35-53) (Defeated Bradenton, 9-6)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 HBP, K
July: 16-for-60 (.267/.343/.483; 4 doubles, 3 HR, 5 BB, 18 K, 4-for-5 SB).  Season: .237/.358/.356 in 324 PA. 
SS Roderick Arias2-for-4, RBI, 3 RS, SB (26), BB
July: 16-for-52 (.308/.431/.365; 12 BB, 12 K, 12 R, 7-for-9 SB). I won’t ignore the warts but I will point out that July has been a good month for him.
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, 2B (22), 2 RBI, K
Jasso leads the FSL in doubles (22) and is second in RBI (52).
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
July: 15-for-51 (.294/.403/.431; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, 9 K, 3-for-3 SB). The 21-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Nevada in 2023 and is overachieving. He owns a 16.8% BB and 19.2% K.
LF Willy Montero: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (9), 2 BB
.245/.298/.361 in 329 PA (15 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 40 R, 9-for-10 SB, 6.7% BB, 22.5% K). Montero is a free-swinging type.
2B Hans Montero0-for-4, RS, SB (10), BB
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2 RS, BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, SF, RBI, HBP
Gonzalez is 9-for-34 (.265) since his promotion. He has three doubles and six RBI.
DH Tomas Frick1-for-4, RS
Frick’s first game since July 4th. He was never placed on the injured list.

RHP Cade Smith: (W, 6-6) 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
3.61 ERA (77.1 IP, 53 H, 37 R, 31 ER, 5 HR, 36 BB, 103 K). July: 14.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 22 K. Last year’s 6th-round pick out of Mississippi State (the Yankees love SEC pitchers nowadays!) doesn’t throw exceptionally hard (averaged 91.4 with the 4-seamer) but generates whiffs with his slider. He also mixes in a curveball.
RHP Gabriel Barbosa (S, 1): 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
It looks like they went the “tandem start” route today. In other words, I wouldn’t be concerned about Smith being pulled after five innings with a low pitch count. Barbosa has a 4.95 ERA (87.1 IP, 86 H, 52 R, 48 ER, 8 HR, 28 BB, 89 K)


FCL (34-21)

Scheduled day off.


DSL Yankees (11-22)

Scheduled day off.


DSL Bombers (20-14)

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 7/20: Pitching Rules!

News

RHP Cody Morris cleared waivers and was outrighted to Scranton.

With Josh Maciejewski demoted to Scranton, my guess is that Yoendrys Gomez will get the call. That is a guess, but he is rested and conveniently on the 40-man roster. It appears the Yankees are not ready to promote Scott Effross.

Scranton (50-42) (Defeated Buffalo, 8-3, in 11 innings)

CF Brandon Lockridge2-for-5, 3 RBI, RS, BB
Yesterday, Lockridge went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. I love baseball. 
2B Jorbit Vivas1-for-5, RS, SB (9), HBP, K
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-6, RBI
Ramirez is 15-for-81 (.183) since his promotion. He is not ready to be a “savior,” and they don’t have a position for him anyway. If he played 3B, we would be having a discussion…
SS Oswald Peraza: 3-for-4, 2 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS, CS (4), 2 BB, K
Peraza reaches base five times. A few years ago, that would have created a buzz but much of his buzz is gone, and I am not sure who to blame for that. 
DH T.J. Rumfield0-for-5, RS
3B Jeter Downs1-for-3, SF, RBI, SAC
1B J.C. Escarra4-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS
Escarra was promoted here from Somerset. He will serve as a backup to Agustin Ramirez in addition to his 1B/3B duties. While this is his Scranton debut, it wasn’t his Triple-A debut. He played in 58 games for Triple-A Norfolk in 2021 before heading to the independent/Mexican leagues for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
RF Oscar Gonzalez1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP
LF Taylor Trammell0-for-4, SB (10), BB, 2 K

RHP Will Warren5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
6.42 ERA (89.2 IP, 97 H, 70 R, 64 ER, 17 HR, 34 BB, 107 K). Two starts ago, he struck out 11 in six innings (1 R, 2 H). We’ll see if he is starting to find a groove. Left-handed batters have, to put it mildly, torched him this season (.315/.408/.566 entering today). 
RHP Art Warren1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
0.93 ERA (29 IP, 19 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 33 K). He has been masterful this season.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: (W, 3-2)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Phil Bickford1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (45-44) (Squeaked past Altoona, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, 2B (14), 2 K
.238/.316/.403 in 342 PA (14 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 48 R, 18-for-22 SB, 9.6% BB, 37.1% K).  Is he the CF version of Oneil Cruz? That isn’t a bad comparison on paper, but Cruz reached Double-A at 20 (to be fair, Jones was still in college!) and struck out 25.7% of the time. That remains the one thing I can’t get over. Striking out 37.1% of the time in Double-A is a massive red flag. So, I do think Cruz is a good comparison when you factor in size and athleticism. I don’t think Jones is progressing as well as Cruz did.
3B Ben Cowles0-for-4, 3 K
1B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, RS, K
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
How do you fix an 0-for-3, 3 K night? By hitting a walk-off RBI single!
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, RS, K
Dunham has hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games. He is 21-for-51 (.412) in July. 
RF Grant Richardson1-for-3, 2B (19), K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, RBI
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3, K

RHP Bailey Dees6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
4.26 ERA (95 IP, 79 H, 50 R, 45 ER, 14 HR, 36 BB, 99 K). Due to the break, Dees hadn’t started since July 12th. I think he needed the time off and it paid dividends tonight.
RHP Danny Watson1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Watson’s overall numbers aren’t spectacular, but I think much of that was due to his return from injury. He has put together six scoreless outings in his last seven, lowering his ERA from 10.13 to 7.47. 
RHP Luis Velasquez: (W, 3-2)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.75 ERA (36 IP, 31 H, 27 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 51 K)


Hudson Valley (43-44) (Lost, 4-3, in 11 innings)

2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-5, 3B (4), RS, 2 K
Riggio has two home runs and a triple in his last three games. 
SS Jared Serna1-for-4, SF, 2 RBI
.252/.342/.435 in 374 PA (23 doubles, 12 HR, 55 RBI, 49 R, 10.4% BB, 15.8% K, 10-for-17 SB). 
CF Jace Avina0-for-5, 3 K
.263/.347/.427 in 323 PA (22 doubles, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 38 R, 9.6% BB, 26.3% K, 4-for-5 SB). 
DH Omar Martinez1-for-4, 2B (10), BB
.242/.378/.404 in 296 PA. 
C Antonio Gomez0-for-5, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, SB (2), BB
LF Christopher Familia1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, HBP
  LF Cole Gabrielson0-for-0, BB
RF Anthony Hall0-for-5, 3 K
1B Kiko Romero2-for-4, RS, 2 SB (8)

RHP Blane Abeyta5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.88 ERA (50 IP, 41 H, 20 R, 16 ER, 3 HR, 18 BB, 59 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
3.56 ERA (30.1 IP, 24 H, 18 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 43 K). 
RHP Matt Keating2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
4.73 ERA (51.1 IP, 39 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 7 HR, 22 BB, 62 K)
RHP Luis Arejula: (L, 3-4)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
3.05 ERA (38.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 36 K)


Tampa (34-53) (Won two games against Bradenton)

Game 1 (Won, 2-1, in the conclusion of yesterday’s game. This game went 10 innings and was won on a walk-off error)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-3, RS, SB (26), 2 BB, K
This is Lombard Jr.’s third straight 2-hit effort.
SS Roderick Arias0-for-2, SF, RBI, SB (25), 2 BB, K
Arias has nine walks in his last seven games. 
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-4, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-4
RF Willy Montero1-for-4
2B Hans Montero0-for-4, 3 K
DH Coby Morales1-for-4, K
C Josue Gonzalez0-for-4, RS
LF Daury Arias0-for-4, K

RHP Chase Hampton3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Hampton retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced (hit a batter) and averaged 92 MPH (94 max). He threw 45 pitches (30 strikes) and should be coming to Somerset shortly.
RHP Aaron Nixon0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Nixon was used as a “bridge” between Hampton and Serna.
RHP Luis Serna1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
That bridge will be meaningless, as Serna did not return to this game.
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
4.20 ERA (45 IP, 45 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 11 BB, 53 K). 
RHP Osiel Rodriguez (W, 1-2): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
2.42 ERA (44.2 IP, 22 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 6 HR, 22 BB, 53 K). 

Game 2 (Won, 7-0)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B (16), RBI, RS, K
Lombard’s OPS is up to .717. He owns a .360 slugging percentage. On June 9th, his SLG was .268. His progress is one of the highlights this season.
SS Roderick Arias1-for-3, K
He leads the FSL in triples (7), is 4th in RBI (45), and third in stolen bases (25).
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-3, RBI
CF Jackson Castillo1-for-3, 2B (16), RBI, K
Castillo has a .811 OPS in 70 games. It is fair to say that he has been one of the system’s biggest surprises this year.
DH Willy Montero0-for-3, 2 K
2B Hans Montero1-for-3, RS, SB (9), 2 K
RF Coby Morales: 3-for-3, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI, 3 RS
Morales’ first career multi-HR game. 
C Diomedes Hernandez2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS
The 19-year-old’s first Low-A extra-base hit.
LF Daury Arias0-for-3, RS

RHP Josh Grosz: (W, 3-5)  5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Last three starts: 15.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 17 K. This stretch comes after a tough emergency outing for Somerset. He could have easily been discouraged by that, but he has instead turned it up a notch. Season (for Tampa): 4.64 ERA (66 IP, 65 H, 47 R, 34 ER, 26 BB, 85 K). This is his debut season.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Luciano (22) can dial it up into the mid-90s.


FCL (34-21) (Split a doubleheader with the FCL Tigers, essentially chopping two games off the schedule. They own a 1.5-game lead with three games left. Note: They don’t “make up” games in the FCL. If the Yankees win the division by 0.5 games over the Tigers, the Tigers don’t get to make up a game)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-3)

CF Brando Mayea2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
DH Edgleen Perez0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 BB
C Engelth Urena: 3-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, CS (2)
His 8th HR in 37 games.
LF Brian Sanchez1-for-3, BB
SS Juan Matheus1-for-4, RBI

RHP Sean Boyle1.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
The 27-year-old Boyle is down here on a rehab stint. He made only 9 starts for Scranton last year.
LHP Will Brian1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Their 10th-round pick in 2022 (Eastern Kentucky) makes his first rehab appearance.

Game 2 (Won, 17-5)

CF Brando Mayea2-for-6, 3B (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Mayea, who has five 2-hit games in July (8 games played), is hitting .297/.384/.344 in 146 PA with a 25.3% K. He has a pair of doubles and triples and is 16-for-19 stealing bases. In my opinion, the 18-year-old is doing enough to get to Low-A Tampa, whether that is to finish this year or to start 2025.
C Edgleen Perez1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.289/.452/.384 in 208 PA. Perez has more walks (44) than strikeouts (33).
1B Engelth Urena0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB
Urena is hitting .315/.429/.591 in 154 PA (11 doubles, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 32 R, 14.9% BB, 11.7% K). He is second in the league in OPS and third in home runs (he has played 15 fewer games than leader Jhonny Severino, who has 10 HR). He is a legitimate prospect with the bat. We’ll see what he is long-term with the glove.
LF Brian Sanchez1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
.291/.384/.485 in 190 PA with 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts.
SS Juan Matheus3-for-5, 2 2B (9), 4 RBI, RS
.312/.418/.478 in 189 PA.  He is third in the league with 38 RBI.
DH Gabriel Terrero2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (14), BB
2B Abrahan Ramirez3-for-4, 2B (14), RBI, 2 RS, BB
.351/.454/.519 in 184 PA. He has slowed down (.255/.321/.392 in July) but we didn’t expect him to hit .400 this season, right? He still ranks second in batting average.
RF Joel Mendez2-for-4, 3B (4), 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.301/.417/.569 after hitting .293/.363/.424 here last year. Likely not a top prospect, but he has done enough to get to Low-A.
3B Santiago Gomez2-for-4, HR (2), 5 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
The 20-year-old ties his best for RBI in a game. He is hitting .333/.438/.440 in 89 PA. If you haven’t figured it out, the FCL Yankees are good offensively.

RHP Carlos Lagrange1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
He only has 6.2 innings during his rehab and the FCL season ends next week. If they don’t move him to Tampa, he will need to get some innings this fall/winter.
RHP Hansel Rosario (W, 2-0): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR


DSL Yankees (11-22)

Scheduled day off.


DSL Bombers (20-14)

Scheduled day off.