Yankees MILB 6/18: Roc Riggio, Spencer Jones Homer
Notes:
Utilityman Pablo Reyes was outrighted to Scranton after clearing waivers.
As a general reminder, I am not a scout. I don’t work for the Yankees. When I hype up someone like Jesus Rodriguez, I can’t tell you how the Yankees feel about him internally. Guess what? Nobody who writes or talks about these guys has any idea either. I have never been afraid to admit that.
However, I will always share my personal opinions and try to discern trends. I will provide the statistical anecdotes and Savant readings when they are available.
When they promote prospects, there is a reason for it. When they don’t, there is a reason for it. Trying to read between the lines is fun for me, even if my opinion won’t always be correct.
“Anyone who claims they know everything about baseball prospects is lying”.
Scranton (36-32) (Lost to Louisville, 8-1. Louisville had two pitchers who hit 100+ MPH: Chase Burns (7 IP, 7 K) and Zach Maxwell)
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, 2 K
One concern with any prospect is how they react to velocity. You can’t tell anything by today alone, but he missed 100.1 and 98.7 MPH fastballs and grounded out (86.9 MPH) on a 99.1 MPH fastball. We can use that as a point of reference if nothing else.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, 2B (15), R
Rumfield has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-19; 2 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI).
3B CJ Alexander: 0-for-3, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, 2 K
.234/.292/.387 in 137 PA (4 doubles, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 17 R, 3-for-3 SB, 6.6% BB, 28.5% K)
DH Jose Reyes: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, 2B (7), K
Shewmake has an 11-game hitting streak. He is hitting .255/.350/.409 in 158 PA (.186/.307/.289 before the streak). No, he isn’t an Anthony Volpe replacement, even if you are tempted to ask.
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, CS (5)
RHP Erick Leal (L, 1-7): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 3 HR
RHP Zach Messinger: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
As reliever: 3.29 ERA (13.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 BB, 14 K). Overall: 6.05 ERA (41.2 IP, 46 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 3 HR, 27 BB, 40 K)
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Cohen reached 94.6 MPH with his 4-seamer, which he featured 70% of the time.
Somerset (31-34) (Swept a doubleheader against New Hampshire)
Game 1 (Won, 5-3)
2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, R, SB (2), K
Riggio takes over the organizational lead with his 13th home run (6 for Somerset, 6 for Hudson Valley, 1 in the FCL).
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (3), R, 2 K
Lombard Jr. has a double, triple, and homer in his last six games.
DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, RBI, SB (9), 2 BB, K
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, R, K
CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-2, 3B (1), RBI, CS (1), BB
Jones has four triples between here and Hudson Valley.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, R, SB (6), 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
RHP Marcus Stroman: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
With JT Brubaker activated today, it will be interesting to see how the Yankees handle Stroman when he is ready. Yerry De los Santos would be the most logical to go back to Scranton.
RHP Bailey Dees (W, 2-4): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
For Somerset: 4.53 ERA (49.2 IP, 45 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 7 HR, 26 BB, 62 K)
RHP Danny Watson (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Watson had a 16.71 ERA in April. Since: 4.11 ERA (15.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 14 K). He hasn’t allowed a walk in seven straight appearances.
Game 2 (Won, 6-1)
2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-3, RBI, R, 2 SB (4), K
Riggio doesn’t have blazing speed, but he is an aggressive baserunner. That allowed him to be an impressive 27-for-33 stealing bases in 2024, but he is only 6-for-11 in 2025.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, 2 R, SB (12), BB
Lombard Jr. is 23-for-27 stealing bases between here and Hudson Valley (66-for-80 (82.5%) in his career). The bat isn’t there yet. I remain confident it will get there.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, HR (13), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, K
Jones ties Riggio for the organizational home run lead. He has a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-19; 1 double, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB, 5 K) and owns a .943 OPS.
DH Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
Flores is in a 0-for-17 slump.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, 2B (10), 3 RBI
Jasso had a big bases-clearing double. He has an 8-game hitting streak (10-for-28) and is hitting .281/.346/.484 in 239 PA.
LF Brendan Jones: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Cam Eden: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Max Burt: 1-for-2, 2B (5), R
RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Slowly, but surely, building up the pitching count. He wasn’t efficient tonight (72), but I still consider him to be in spring training mode. For Somerset: 4.71 ERA (21 IP, 24 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 14 K).
LHP Ryan Anderson (W, 1-1): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Kelly Austin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Hudson Valley (38-26) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 9-2)
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, RBI, 3 R, SB (13), HBP, BB, K
DH Dillon Lewis: 1-for-5, HR (3; grand slam), 4 RBI, R, K
If you are only going to compile one hit, make it a special one. Between Tampa and Hudson Valley, he has ten doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 38 RBI, 39 runs, and 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts. There are warts (not hitting for much average) but he has dropped his K% since being promoted. Small sample blip or a trend?
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-5, HR (6), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Morales has six homers in 58 games (five in 123 games entering this season)
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, SB (8), BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R
LF Luis Durango: 1-for-3, R, CS (4), HBP
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, R, 2 K
RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 5-2) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
2.59 ERA (66 IP, 41 H, 22 R, 19 ER, 0 HR, 28 BB, 78 K). He wasn’t completely on his game tonight, but what a season. No home runs in 66 innings is ridiculous.
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
0.39 ERA (23 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 18 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Tampa (36-28) (Defeated Bradenton, 8-6)
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, 2B (6), 2 R, BB
Perez caught two runners out of six trying to steal. He is 13-for-82 (15.9%) this season. That is down considerably from his rookie league days (26% last season, for example), which is hardly surprising. As for the offense, he has a pair of doubles in his last three games.
CF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-5, 2 R, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB
Is Arias heating up? He has three multi-hit efforts in his last six games, increasing his triple slash from .152/.302/.239 to .181/.316/.263. I never claimed the jump was significant.
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-5, HR (6), 3 RBI, R, 3 K
Urena (20) ends an 18-game homerless streak. Power is his game (13 doubles, 11 HR in 51 rookie league games). Can he find it consistently as he navigates full-season leagues?
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, RBI
LF Tyler Wilson: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Wilson continues his incredible June (22-for-46; 2 doubles, 12 RBI, 12 R, 11 BB, 7 K). The 22-year-old is hitting .305/.389/.394 in 244 plate appearances as he tries to earn a promotion. The Florida State League leans towards pitching, so his .305 batting average ranks third.
1B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, K
RF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, CS (2)
.308/.408/.483 in 169 PA. Toole is playing well, though he doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify for rate statistic leader boards.
2B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-3, CS (1), HBP, K
RHP Brandon Decker: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Decker tossed 56 pitches (34 strikes), the most pitches he has thrown this year. This was his fifth consecutive start after starting his career with eight relief appearances. He owns a 2.97 ERA (30.1 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 30 K).
RHP Cole Zaffiro: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Brady Kirtner: (W, 4-2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Chris Veach: (S, 4) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
1.69 ERA (26.2 IP, 19 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). Veach is allowing a few too many walks, but is also missing bats. He generated ten whiffs on 13 swings, including six on his bread-and-butter changeup. I like the differential in his pitches (averaged 92.2 with his 4-seamer, 91.7 with his sinker, and 76.7 with his change).
FCL (16-17)
Day off.
DSL Yankees (4-7)
Day off.
DSL Bombers (5-6)
Day off.