Yankees MILB 4/16: Ben Hess Ks 9 (Again)

Notes:

A few days after activating Edinson Duran, Scranton placed the catcher on the Development List. This leaves them with Jesus Rodriguez and Ronaldo Hernandez as active catchers.

OF Grant Richardson was promoted to Scranton, while Somerset activated OF Christopher Familia off the Development List. Familia was a sensation in 2023, hitting .307/.378/.617 with 22 home runs in 68 games. In 2024, however, he hit .248/.320/.433 with six home runs in 45 games.


Scranton (10-6) (Lost to Durham, 4-3)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B-2B Jorbit Vivas1-for-4
.328/.414/.500 in 71 PA. Impressively, Vivas has a 5.6% K.
1B Dominic Smith0-for-3, BB, K
RF Everson Pereira: 2-for-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 R, HBP, K
Pereira crushed that one: 422 feet at 109.5 MPH. He has homered in back-to-back games (3 HR in last six games).
LF-3B Jose Rojas0-for-4
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, R, CS (1), HBP
Munguia is hitting .293 with a .727 OPS in 70 PA (3 doubles, 3 RBI, 11 R, 3-for-4 SB, 5 BB, 5 K)
DH Ronaldo Hernandez1-for-4, RBI, CS (1), 2 K
2B-SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 SB (6), BB
SS Braden Shewmake0-for-1, BB
  LF Duke Ellis0-for-1, K
  PH T.J. Rumfield0-for-1, K

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
2.00 ERA (18 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 18 K). He is a veteran, not a prospect – but he is pitching well thus far.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: (L, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 8 K
RHP Colten Brewer1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Wilking Rodriguez0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 6 K
RHP Geoff Hartlieb0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K


Somerset (5-6) (Lost to Altoona, 10-1)

2B Dylan Jasso0-for-3, R, HBP
Jasso’s second game at second base. I looked through his game log for New Mexico Junior College, and he played some second base while he was there. He is hitting .250/.314/.438 in 35 PA.
DH Spencer Jones0-for-3, SB (4), BB, 2 K
.231/.362/487 in 47 PA (1 double, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 4-for-4 SB, 14.9% BB, 36.2% K). Understanding that the K% is still too high doesn’t take a statistical genius. 
1B Rafael Flores0-for-4, 2 K
In 76 Double-A games: .267/.354/.502 in 319 PA (15 doubles, 17 HR, 41 RBI, 43 R, 8-for-8 SB, 10.7% BB, 27.9% K)
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez0-for-4, 3 K
Gomez’s Double-A debut won’t go on his career highlight film, but we all have to start somewhere…
LF Garrett Martin0-for-3, K
RF Jared Wegner1-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3, K
3B Max Burt0-for-3

RHP Bailey Dees (L, 0-1): 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Walks are an issue for the 6’8″ Dees (he lowered his BB% to 9.3 last year, which is still high). 
RHP Mason Vinyard1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Vinyard saved some earned runs for Dees by getting out of a 2-out, bases-loaded jam. 
LHP Ryan Anderson1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Jordany Ventura0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K


Hudson Valley (7-4) (Held off Wilmington, 10-7. Hudson Valley walked 13 times.)

LF Brendan Jones1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, 2 R, HBP, K
Jones hits a lead-off blast. He hit three HR in his debut 2024 season, including two at this level in 15 games.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, 2 R, SB (5), 2 BB, K
Lombard Jr. is hitting .333 with a 1.004 OPS (11-for-33; 1 double, 1 triple, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 11 R, 5-for-6 SB, 22.2% BB, 22.2% K)
RF Jackson Castillo0-for-2, R, SB (3), 3 BB, 2 K
Castillo has 11 walks in ten games. Last year, he had 66 BB in 415 PA (15.9%), so patience is part of his game.
CF Jace Avina0-for-3, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, K
C Omar Martinez2-for-5, RBI, R
A needed night for Martinez, as he ends a 1-for-16 slide.
SS Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB, K
Colmenares has a 4-game hitting streak (6-for-14; 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K)
1B Josh Moylan1-for-5, 2B (2), 4 RBI, K
Moylan sets a new personal record for RBI in a game.
3B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, SB (4), CS (1), HBP, BB, K
DH Coby Morales0-for-1, R, 3 BB

RHP Ben Hess: (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
According to the radio announcers, Hess was throwing some nasty curveballs tonight. That is his bread-and-butter pitch (he also throws a 4-seamer at varying speeds).  Hess has struck out 9 hitters in both professional starts and has yet to allow an earned run (9.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 18 K). Can he rise quickly this year?  A trip to Somerset is on the table, but the Yankees will take their time.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Tyrone Yulie1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Tampa (5-6) (Lost to St. Lucie, 5-1)

SS Roderick Arias1-for-4, 2B (3), R, SB (4), 2 K
On one hand, he is only 20 years old, and prospects can develop at different paces. On the other hand, he was highly touted and struggling at a level he is repeating. Do with that information what you will.
C Edgleen Perez0-for-3, SB (1), BB, K
When you have an 18-year-old catcher hitting .114/.244/.114 in his first 41 plate appearances, you worry about confidence. The Yankees (obviously) think he can handle the early struggles, but every player is impacted differently. To me, you stay the course – you didn’t put him here to pull the plug after 41 plate appearances. 
CF Brian Sanchez1-for-4, 2B (5), K
.275/.341/.500 in 44 PA (5 doubles, 2 triples, 4 RBI, 9.1% BB, 22.7% K). I don’t know if future HR power will come (he has four career HR in 92 games), but he is showing off some extra-base hit pop (28 doubles, 10 triples).
LF Dillon Lewis0-for-4, RBI, K
RF Austin Green0-for-4, 2 K
The switch-hitting 14th-round pick in 2024 (Texas Tech) is off to a slow start in his professional journey (7-for-47 without an extra-base hit). He has played 2B and RF.
2B Hans Montero1-for-3, SB (1), K
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-2, BB, K
1B Josue Gonzalez0-for-3, K
DH Duncan Pastore0-for-3, K

RHP Danny Flatt (L, 0-2): 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
The Yankees have yet to push Flatt in his brief career (has yet to throw five innings in his 16 appearances (12 starts)).
RHP Sean Hermann2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
He missed 2024 due to injury, so slack will be given. In 2023, he registered a 52.7% GB rate.  Today, Hermann threw 55% sinkers.
RHP Brady Kirtner1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Cade Austin2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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