Yankees MILB 7/24: Spencer Jones Launches 3 Home Runs
Notes:
RHP Cade Smith is off the injured list as he pitched for Hudson Valley tonight. Smith was ranked 18th in the recent Pipeline update (again, it wasn’t a full update – but rather a reshuffle for the Trade Deadline). He was drafted in the 6th round in 2023 after spending 2022 and 2023 as the ace of the Mississippi State squad. He was a key cog out of their bullpen as a freshman during their 2021 College World Series championship run. Known for the spin on his breaking pitches, we will see if his ultimate destination is that of a starter or reliever. For now, you keep a talent like this in the rotation for as long as possible.
Scranton (56-39; 18-5 in second half) (Lost to Rochester, 10-8)
DH Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-5
Rodriguez’s hitting streak reaches 12. He is hitting .311/.408/.406 in 338 PA at this level. By the way, ever since they traded Alex Jackson and signed Jeimer Candelario, Rodriguez has stopped playing third base (no games since July 5th).
CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-5, 3 HR (13), 4 RBI, 3 R, K
All three home runs traveled over 400 feet, with two to left-center and one to center. He is hitting .400/.457/.950 (that’s his SLG – not his OPS!) in 94 PA since his promotion (5 doubles, 13 HR, 25 RBI, 27 R, 6-for-6 SB, 10.6% BB, 25.5% K). Overall, he is hitting .314/.411/.706 (my goodness) in 302 PA (13 doubles, 29 HR, 57 RBI, 69 R, 16-for-18 SB, 13.9% BB, 31.1% K). So, what does one make of this? This is one of the most interesting dilemmas I have encountered in a while. In the spirit of full disclosure, he hit all three home runs off a 30-year-old who has yet to make it to MLB. However, you can’t dismiss his day based on only that fact. Last winter, I was for trading him. Now? Like most of you (probably), I would love to see how this plays out, even if there is still an element of high risk in his game. Tough, tough, tough (did I say TOUGH) call. By the way, while I don’t know what the Yankees’ minor league record is for homers (believe it or not, Tony Lazzeri hit 60 home runs in 197 PCL games in 1925), I have found some for Jones to chase if he isn’t called up: Shane Spencer (32 in 1996; 30 in 1997); Shelley Duncan (34 in 2005; 30 in 2009), Jorge Vazquez (32, 2011), and Dermis Garcia (31, 2021).
RF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, K
.257/.356/.522 in 295 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 19 HR, 52 RBI, 66 R, 8-for-9 SB, 11.9% BB, 29.8% K)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, 2B (25), BB
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 4-for-20 (1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 6 BB, 7 K)
3B Jeimer Candelario: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, K
2B Jose Rojas: 1-for-5, HR (18), RBI, R, K
SS Nick Lopez: 0-for-4, K
LF Duke Ellis: 3-for-4, 2B (4), R, SB (14), K
RHP Brendan Beck (L, 2-1): 4 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 4 HR
Beck, who has pitched well this season, had a tough time this morning. This spikes his Triple-A ERA to 5.93 (27.1 IP, 26 H, 18 R, 18 ER, 8 HR, 7 BB, 24 K). He allowed two home runs in 54.2 Double-A innings.
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Zach Messinger: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
As a reliever: 2.96 ERA (27.1 IP, 22 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 16 BB, 29 K)
Somerset (50-43; 15-9 in second half) (Won a dramatic game over Erie, 4-3)
RF Brendan Jones: 2-for-5, HR (5), 3 RBI, R, SB (10), K
With one out in the top of the 9th, Jones launched a 3-run home run to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. He is catching on to this level, including home runs in back-to-back games and four total in July. Additionally, he is 8-for-8 stealing bases this month and is 33-for-38 in 82 games between here and Hudson Valley. He was ranked 29th on the Pipeline list, and they were complimentary towards his ability to play all three outfield positions and “sneaky” pull pop. Can he enter the picture as a #4 outfielder at some point in 2026? Certainly.
2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, BB, K
Lombard Jr. has a 7-game hitting streak. It’s not one of those “Wow, he’s insanely hot!” kind of streaks (6 one-hit games), but it is still an encouraging stretch.
DH Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, 2B (10), K
Riggio is up to 19 extra-base hits (10 doubles, 9 HR) in 35 games since his promotion.
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, R, K
Jasso, a 23-year-old who has spent his entire campaign in Somerset, has back-to-back multi-hit efforts (three in his last six games). He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2 K
So far, Avina has held his own since his promotion (8-for-31; 1 double, 2 HR, 8 BB, 9 K).
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, R
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-2, 2B (7), RBI, R, SB (13), CI, BB, K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, SAC
RHP Carlos Lagrange: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Ranked #2 on Pipeline (and in the Top 100 overall), Lagrange owns a 3.54 ERA since his promotion (40.2 IP, 24 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 3 HR, 26 BB, 55 K). As I have said previously, the walks have spiked since his promotion (I can even claim I predicted this possibility – hey, give me a win in a sea of losses.). Overall, he owns a 119/38 K/BB over 82.1 innings and will be one of the most talked about prospects by other organizations at the deadline. Arms like his will cause drooling.
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Michael Arias: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Kelly Austin: (W, 3-1) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Hayden Merda (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
It’s been a tough road for the 6’6″ Merda since his promotion. However, he does have four consecutive scoreless outings to build from.
Hudson Valley (53-36; 16-10 second half) (Defeated Rome, 8-1)
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K
Jackson breaks his 0-for-15. He is now 16-for-57 (.281) with nine walks in July.
DH Dillon Lewis: 2-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, 3 R, BB
It would be so much fun if Lewis could end the season on a strong note.
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-5, RBI, R, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 2-for-3, HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (12), 2 BB
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, RBI, SB (6), BB, K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 SB (2)
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, SB (10), 2 BB, 2 K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, R, K
RHP Cade Smith: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Smith is unlikely to ramp up fully for a while.
RHP Matt Keating: (W, 2-1) 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Keating did a nice job as a multi-inning reliever today, as I guess they didn’t have anyone available to piggyback. He owns a 3.03 ERA in 32.2 IP (25 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 37 K).
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Jordany Ventura: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Tony Rossi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.90 ERA (23.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 15 BB, 30 K)
Tampa (45-44; 9-15 in the second half) (Tied with Dunedin, 0-0, in the 5th. This game was suspended due to rain)
Lineup below without notes – not that there would be anything exciting to add.
C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-1, BB
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-2
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-2
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-2
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-1
RF Marshall Toole: 0-for-1, K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-1, K
1B Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-1, 2B (7)
RHP Brandon Decker: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
At least he was able to get in four innings of work before the rain ruined the night. Once this game becomes official, he will own a 3.10 ERA in 49.1 IP (43 H, 24 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 22 BB, 49 K)
FCL (28-30) (Ended their season with a 9-2 loss to the FCL Tigers. The FCL Yankees are typically good enough to make the playoffs, but it isn’t the case in 2025.)
Since this is it for 2025, I will post the full lineup:
SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, BB, K
.157/.253/.221 in 162 PA. As stated many times this season, Peralta got off to a miserable start. He had no chance to fully recover from it, but he did hit .255/.328/.412 in July.
RF Joe Delossantos: 0-for-2, BB, K
The 24-year-old was their 10th-round pick in 2024. He hit .286/.419/.371 in 86 plate appearances for Low-A Tampa last season but this was his first appearance in 2025. Since their season is over, he’s likely going to Tampa tomorrow.
1B Johan Contreras: 0-for-1
CF Isael Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Ediel Rivera: 0-for-3, SB (12), BB
Rivera, a 19-year-old catcher signed as an undrafted free agent, finishes at .229/.346/.346 in 185 PA. All of his defensive games were at catcher. He started 13 games at designated hitter.
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-3, SB (13), BB, K
1B-LF Santiago Gomez: 0-for-3, CS (4), HBP, K
LF-RF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-4, R, K
.277/.312/.486 in 109 PA. Known for his speed, Lara only went 4-for-9 stealing bases.
3B Kevin Verde: 0-for-3, K
C Luis Puello: 1-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, R, K
Like Rivera, he is also 19 years old. Unlike Rivera, he wasn’t asked to do much catching (only two starts). Most of his starts were in RF (14 starts). He hit .227/.290/.361 in 131 plate appearances (3 HR, 19 RBI).
RHP Jose M Rodriguez (L, 1-5): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
RHP Josh Tiedemann: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Injuries have been an issue for the 13th-round pick in 2023. He has appeared in only seven games, with not-so-good results. The positive is 18 strikeouts in ten innings. The biggest negative is…ten career innings.
RHP Chance Nolan: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
The quarterback-turned-pitcher (a shot for every time I said that this year) finishes his season with a 1.50 ERA in 18 IP (13 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 12 K).
LHP Franyer Herrera: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Stanly Alcantara: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
DSL Yankees (14-23) (Lost to the DSL Rockies, 11-2. The Rockies are 28-9.)
CF Francisco Vilorio: 2-for-4, CS (2)
.291/.408/.350 in 142 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 28 R, 5-for-7 SB, 14.8% BB, 27.5% K)
SS Mani Cedeno: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Carlos Bello: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
3B Richard Matic: 2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, BB
The team is having a rough season, but Matic isn’t. He is hitting .356/.489/.564 in 133 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 27 R, 5-for-10 SB, 19.5% BB, 23.3% K). Negative: He is repeating the level. Positive: He was 16 years old last year, so the negative isn’t too negative.
DH Estivenzon Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB
1B Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-4
RHP Jhosneyker Colina (L, 1-2): 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
The 17-year-old owns a 4.02 ERA (31.1 IP, 27 H, 19 R, 14 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 23 K
DSL Bombers (20-17) (Outslugged the DSL Cardinals, 10-8)
SS Stiven Marinez: 0-for-5, K
It is always annoying when you see that a team scored ten runs, but one of the top prospects at the level didn’t contribute to it.
CF Ruben Castillo: 1-for-4, 2 R, SB (15), BB, K
.211/.322/.382 in 143 PA
2B Juan Torres: 1-for-4, CS (6), BB
Torres has a 7-game hitting streak and is 15-for-39 (.385/.422/.487) in July.
LF Jose Castro: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB
C Carlos Villarroel: 2-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
.245/.374/.468 in 115 PA (3 doubles, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R). The 18-year-old has eight homers in 64 career games.
C Carlos Rondon: 1-for-1, 2B (4), RBI
DH Christofer Reyes: 2-for-5, RBI, R, 2 K
3B Leni Done: 0-for-1, 3 R, SB (9), 3 HBP
Interesting day for Done. His teammates took full advantage by converting the three HBP into runs.
1B Remy Veldhuisen: 1-for-3, 2B (6), 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
.321/.455/.395 in 101 PA (4-for-5 SB)
RHP Cesar Acosta (W, 1-3): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
I don’t get to see too many “wins” for starters at this level, so this was a pleasant surprise. The 18-year-old (debut season) owns a 6.20 ERA in 24.2 IP. Like many pitchers down here, control has failed him. It didn’t today.
LHP Kevin Centeno (S, 2): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K