Yankees MILB 8/28: Kyle Carr: Cheat Code?
Notes:
Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)
After allowing a pair of runs but striking out three in the first inning last night, RHP Trent Sellers was pulled from the game. Today, he was placed on the 7-day injured list. Sellers, signed in 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State, has been a solid contributor in the Somerset Patriots’ rotation. He has a 3.92 ERA in 96.1 innings with a 26.9% K, 12.1% BB, and 36.1% BB. The Yankees have not asked him to stretch out often (his 96.1 innings are over 22 starts), though this is his first professional season as a full-time starter. He was also a starter in his one season for Oregon State.
Jonathan Loaisiga‘s season is over. It is likely true that his Yankees career is also over, though they would likely not turn down a bargain.
A solid find by the scouting department, health has never been on his side. He made 193 appearances in eight seasons for the Yankees, with 107 of those occurring between 2021 and 2022.
His overall career has been rather solid: A 3.54 ERA (3.86 FIP) over 294.1 innings with a 54.4% ground ball rate (the MLB average during this time is 42.4%).
He will only be 31 to begin the 2026 season, and there is little doubt that a team will take a flyer on him. He’s cheap, and you never know when a player will have a random healthy campaign. The Yankees, however, are probably ready to move on.
Scranton (76-50; 38-16 in second half) (Lost to Syracuse, 11-8. A much-needed win for Syracuse as they cut the Railriders’ lead to four.)
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 3B (1), R, 2 K
Jones, who compiled six triples in 2024, fills in the column for the first time in 2025.
DH J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB, K
LF Brennen Davis: 2-for-4, HR (11), 4 RBI, R, BB, K
Davis now has 11 home runs and 23 RBI in 21 Triple-A games. It isn’t often that a minor league signing works his way onto the 40-man roster over the winter. Might the Yankees consider it? He can elect free agency if he isn’t added.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-5, K
RF Jose Rojas: 4-for-5, 2 2B (34), 2 HR (26), 2 RBI, 3 R
Rojas’ third multi-HR game (the other two were 3-HR efforts) and fifth multi-double game. He is up to an organization-leading 90 RBI.
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB
Fun trivia: Shewmake was selected before Anthony Volpe in the 2019 draft.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, BB, K
2B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-5, 2 K
RHP Kenta Maeda: (L, 4-6) 3 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
I hope that the Yankees won’t need him in the final month of the season. With injuries and promotions and all that jazz, they likely will keep Maeda around to eat some Triple-A innings, though he didn’t do much of that tonight either.
RHP Bailey Dees: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 0.87 ERA (10.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 11 K)
RHP Joel Kuhnel: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Somerset (63-60; 28-26 in second half) (Lost to Binghamton, 7-5)
Hartford lost, so Somerset maintains their 0.5-game advantage.
Somerset’s season ends on September 14th.
CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-5, 2 R, SB (15), K
Jones continues his hitting ways. He is hitting .250/.358/.439 in 271 PA. He is hitting .272/.404/.420 this month.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
LF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (8), R
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Jasso sets a new personal best for RBI in a season (68 in 112 games; 67 in 120 games last year). He has at least one RBI in six of his last seven games.
RF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-2, HR (18), RBI, R, 2 BB
Hardman is within range of his third career 20+ home run campaign.
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, BB
RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (L, 3-3) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
A rare bump in the road for Rodriguez-Cruz. He owns a 3.18 ERA for Somerset (45.1 IP, 37 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 51 K). Overall, he owns a 2.58 ERA in 129 innings with a 150/52 K/BB. He tossed 89.2 innings in 2024, just as a reference point.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Zach Messinger: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2K
Messinger was sent back here from Scranton.
RHP Kelly Austin: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Duncan Pastore: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Playoff race or not: If you are out of available pitchers, you will still use a position player in a close game!
Hudson Valley (72-47; 35-21 second half) (Defeated Brooklyn, 7-1)
Greensboro won again and owns a 4-game lead over Hudson Valley. They face each other in the last week of the season (next week). Hudson Valley will need a nice weekend to keep their hopes alive.
CF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-5, 2 K
You don’t expect Hudson Valley to score seven runs without a Dillon Lewis contribution. Baseball!
SS Core Jackson: 2-for-4, 2B (6), 2 R, BB, 2 K
.234/.338/.359 in 74 PA.
DH Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, 2 SB (4), HBP, BB
Matheus has 39 stolen bases in 48 attempts.
3B Kaeden Kent: 0-for-4, K
Kent goes 0-for-4 the night after he goes 5-for-5. Baseball!
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, R
Urena has struggled mightily since his promotion. This was a much-needed evening.
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-1, CI
Wilson left the game after reaching base on catcher’s interference.
PR-1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-1, R, BB, K
RF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K
LF Luis Durango: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3 RBI, R, SB (15), K
2B Connor McGinnis: 1-for-4, RBI, R, K
LHP Kyle Carr: (W, 8-6) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
I will venture to guess there aren’t many professional pitchers on the roll Carr is currently on. First of all: His 1.96 ERA ranks 4th amongst all full-season league pitchers (former teammate Griffin Herring is third). Secondly, his ERA was 4.14 on May 27th. Since then: 0.98 ERA (82.1 IP, 50 H, 16 R, 9 ER, 30 BB, 79 K).
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
2.09 ERA (51.2 IP, 31 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 56 K).
Tampa (58-61; 22-32 in the second half) (Defeated Bradenton, 4-2)
Tampa’s season ends on September 7th.
SS Dax Kilby: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (10), K
Kilby’s fourth straight multi-hit game (6th in his last seven games). He also extends his stolen base streak to six (at least one in nine of his last ten games). He is hitting .348/.434/.435 in 12 games. A reminder that he went 0-for-9 and 2-for-17 to start his career.
3B Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, 2B (14), 3B (13), R
Toole has missed a little bit of time lately. Tonight, he was back to his old tricks. He is hitting .306/.406/.495 in 342 PA (14 doubles, 13 triples, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 61 R, 42-for-47 SB, 13.7% BB, 20.5% K). He is the only player in the Florida State League hitting over .300 (the only qualifier above .290) and is second in OBP and SLG. As I always state: Yes, some good-to-great prospects have indeed moved on from this level and no longer qualify (Pittsburgh’s 19-year-old phenom Konnor Griffin hit .338/.396/.536 in 50 games before going to High-A). However, it’s not a season to dismiss for Toole, whom I am intrigued to see in the upper levels.
2B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 1-for-3, BB
LF Eric Genther: 0-for-3, HBP
DH Richie Bonomolo Jr.: 1-for-4, RBI
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-4
1B Hans Montero: 3-for-3, 2 R
Still only 21, he is having a decent season (.269/.355/.433 in 308 PA). Signed as a shortstop (it’s the only position he played in 2021 and 2022), it’s one of the few positions he hasn’t played in 2025 (1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF, RHP).
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RBI, R, K
RHP Mariano Salomon: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Fristoe gave them much-needed length. He owns a 4.58 ERA in 55 innings (46 H, 32 R, 28 ER, 9 HR, 32 BB, 44 K)
RHP Sean Hermann: (S, 3) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
FCL (28-30)
Their season is over.
DSL Yankees (24-32)
Their season is over.
DSL Bombers (31-25)
Their season is over.