Yankees MILB 9/7: George Lombard Jr.: 2 Doubles
Notes:
Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)
“What happens when the season ends?”
I will provide some content, but not every day.
I will update the popular “Where are they now?” post. There will be a lot of new players to add to that. I will do a season recap. I don’t report on the Arizona Fall League every day (if you think people take minor league stats too seriously (include me on that list if you wish), the Arizona Fall League is ripe with overanalysis. However, I will provide updates from time to time.)
We are a while away from that, however. Hudson Valley and Tampa finished up today, but Scranton and Somerset still have games to play.
Scranton (81-54; 43-20 in second half) (Split a doubleheader against Worcester)
Syracuse lost to fall four games back. Others: Toledo (6 back), Indianapolis (7 back), Lehigh Valley (7.5 back). The season ends on September 21st. Lehigh Valley can make Scranton nervous with a sweep this week.
Game 1 (Lost, 6-5)
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 2B (17), R
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, BB
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-2, CS (1), 2 BB, K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, R, SB (13), K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, HR (8), RBI, R, BB, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, R, BB
Since promotion: .231/.329/.323 in 76 PA. Overall, in 421 plate appearances, he is hitting .227/.323/.367 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI. It is important to follow Martinez due to the lack of catching in the system. There are only three catchers ahead of him on the current depth chart (Austin Wells, Ben Rice, J.C. Escarra).
LF Duke Ellis: 2-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
.349/.394/.500 in 168 Triple-A plate appearances. He also has 33 stolen bases in 40 attempts.
RHP Erick Leal: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Brent Headrick: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Yerry De los Santos: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kervin Castro (L, 4-1): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
It’s rare to see Castro not shut things down, as Worcester scored two in the bottom of the 7th to win it. He owns a 1.69 ERA in 42.2 IP (24 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 19 BB, 50 K)
Game 2 (Won, 5-0)
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2B (18), R
“Vivas Doubles” (OK, that isn’t quite as catchy as Miggy Doubles) has swatted six two-baggers in his last ten games. He has five multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2B (31), RBI
Maybe Rumfield is getting past his struggles. This is his 10th 3+-hit game this season.
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, 3 K
Jones goes 2-for-8 with a double and five strikeouts in the doubleheader. He has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games but is only 10-for-44 with 28 strikeouts during this stretch.
DH Brennen Davis: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, HR (12), RBI, R
LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-0
3B Jeimer Candelario: 0-for-2, R, BB
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-2, HR (5), 2 RBI, R, BB, K
C Edinson Duran: 2-for-3, R, K
Duran’s first multi-hit game since June 1, 2024. As stated, he doesn’t get to play often.
RHP Sean Boyle: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.79 ERA (124 IP, 118 H, 73 R, 66 ER, 15 HR, 43 BB, 115 K)
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: (W, 3-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
If you do the Sporcle quiz after the season, remember that Sandridge had a cup of coffee with the big club this year!
RHP Ian Hamilton: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Somerset (70-62; 35-28 in the second half) (Defeated New Hampshire, 9-4. When you are given a not-so-good opponent, take advantage. The Patriots did just that, sweeping the 6-game series.)
Hartford lost and is now 3.5 games back. Portland lost and is 5.5 games out. A 3-3 finish prevents Hartford from overtaking them. Portland is on life support.
Somerset ends the season against Reading. Reading’s season hasn’t been much better than New Hampshire’s.
CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (12), R, 2 SB (21), BB, K
Jones ties Marshall Toole for the organization’s stolen base lead (44). Given that Toole and Juan Matheus played their final 2025 games today, it seems likely that Jones will take the crown. He is hitting .243/.364/.420 in 308 PA since his promotion and .240/.358/.396 in 517 plate appearances overall.
3B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 2B (22), RBI, 2 R, BB, K
Including his time with Hudson Valley, Lombard Jr. has 30 doubles and 33 stolen bases. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games (8-for-26; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 6 RBI).
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-3, 2B (23), HR (19), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Hardman has a week to join this year’s 20 HR club (Spencer Jones, Jose Rojas, Dillon Lewis).
DH Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-5, RBI, 2 R
Castillo is looking to finish strongly. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-15; 1 double, 1 HR, 3 BB, 1 K) that has improved his Double-A triple slash from .130/.216/.217 to .230/.319/.361.
RF Garrett Martin: 2-for-5, R
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, R, BB, K
We all know the catching depth took a hit at the deadline. It opened up playing time for the 23-year-old Palencia, who hit for a high average in the rookie leagues (.306 in 123 DSL/FCL contests) and Low-A (.290 in 39 games). I wouldn’t label him a prospect, but he fills in well.
2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, BB, K
RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (W, 4-3): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
Since promotion: 2.56 ERA (56.1 IP, 40 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 67 K). Overall: 10-7, 2.38 ERA (140 IP, 92 H, 46 R, 37 ER, 3 HR, 54 BB, 166 K). Rodriguez-Cruz pushes back ahead of Carlos Lagrange (163 strikeouts) for the organization’s strikeout crown. Each pitcher should get one start next week. I don’t want to read too much into the insanely low home run rate, but it’s better than giving them up in bushels!
RHP Hayden Merda: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.84 ERA (6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 K).
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.09 ERA (53 IP, 59 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 6 HR, 8 BB, 53 K). Second half: 2.54 ERA (28.1 IP, 29 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 26 K)
RHP Kelly Austin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
LHP Will Brian (S, 2): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Things became a bit dicey in the 9th, but Brian shut it down.
Hudson Valley (79-50; 41-24 second half) (Lost to Greensboro, 4-1)
Hudson Valley entered this week needing to go 5-1 against Greensboro to win the second-half crown. They end up going 4-2. Their .612 overall winning percentage is impressive. It’s the second-best winning percentage in the South Atlantic League (behind Greensboro), but you must win a half to get to the playoffs, and they couldn’t pull it off.
A great season for the Renegades comes up just short. Their season was highlighted by many prospects who leaped to Somerset (George Lombard Jr., Brendan Jones, Jace Avina, Jackson Castillo, Ben Hess, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Carlos Lagrange, Kyle Carr).
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, BB
Matheus ends the season on an 8-game hitting streak (14-for-31; .452). After his promotion: .287/.381/.398 in 126 PA. Overall, between here and Tampa, he hit .275/.365/.376 in 520 PA (32 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 56 RBI, 61 R, 40-for-51 SB (78.4%), 12.3% BB, 18.5% K). Reps are important for prospects, and Matheus finishes 4th in the organization in plate appearances. While he played 2B (rarely)/SS/3B this season, he only played third base after his promotion.
CF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-2, R, SB (13), 2 BB
After his promotion: .228/.320/.426 in 332 PA. Overall, like Matheus, he received a lot of reps (527 PA), hitting .237/.321/.445 (21 doubles, 5 triples, 22 HR, 79 RBI, 72 R, 26-for-28 SB, 10.2% BB, 23.5% K). One impressive part about his campaign was the reduction in strikeouts upon his promotion (from 28.2% to 20.8%).
2B Core Jackson: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
As we know, drafting Jackson turned into a controversial decision. He didn’t do much hitting (.183/.287/.280 in 108 PA with seven doubles and a triple).
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
The team’s second-half lineup was different than the first half, as 2025 draftees started to filter into the lineup alongside Matheus and Lewis. Moylan, a 23-year-old in his second campaign at this level, had a big second half to help keep the Renegades in the playoff race.
SS Kaeden Kent: 2-for-4, RBI
Speaking of 2025 draftees, Jeff Kent‘s son hit .186/.217/.265 in 116 PA (2 doubles, 2 HR, 17 RBI). Included in that stat line was an impressive 5-for-5 day on August 27th.
RF Camden Troyer: 1-for-3, BB, K
Their 12th-round pick goes 19-for-75 (.253/.356/.320) with a pair of doubles and a home run. He walked 12 times while striking out 13 times.
DH Connor McGinnis: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
An 0-for-5 finish knocked the 10th-round pick’s average below .200 (.196/.297/.250). His (brief) season included a 6-game hitting streak.
PH-DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-1
Seen as a power prospect entering the season, Urena struggled for Tampa/Hudson Valley, hitting .198/.318/.305 in 490 PA (17 doubles, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 62 R, 13.3% BB, 19.2% K). The strikeout rate is solid, and his .231 BABIP indicates some bad luck. 2026 will be a key season.
C John Cristino: 0-for-4, 3 K
The 25-year-old was signed to a minor league contract in March and predictably destroyed the FCL. Life wasn’t as easy here (.167/.233/.258 in 21 games).
LF Luis Durango: 0-for-4
Chosen in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft (Cleveland), Durango battled injuries (only played in 45 games). In 40 games here, he showed off on-base skills (.351 OBP) and speed (17 stolen bases), but little pop (.268 SLG). You can’t expect a full package from a minor league Rule 5 pick!
RHP Brandon Decker: (L, 2-2) 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Decker wiggled his way through five today after tossing five shutout innings against Greensboro on Tuesday. At this level: 4.26 ERA (31.2 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). Overall, he finishes his first season with a 3.61 ERA in 84.2 innings (75 H, 43 R, 34 ER, 3 HR, 42 BB, 92 K).
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The 23-year-old finishes with a 3.48 ERA in 41.1 innings (35 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 37 K). He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
RHP Jack Cebert: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
Cebert hadn’t allowed a run in his (very) brief career before today (6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 11 K). He was their 15th-round pick this year.
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Warrecker’s impressive campaign (assuming he doesn’t go to Somerset) comes to an end with a 2.05 ERA in 57 innings (35 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 61 K). Used as a starter in all 19 of his 2024 appearances (5.79 ERA in 65.1 innings with a 46/30 K/BB), the Yankees put him in the bullpen this season, and he flourished. He will go to Somerset in 2026, where we will see just how viable he is as a relief prospect. This was step 1.
Tampa (63-63; 27-34 in the second half)
The drama of whether they will finish above or below .500 ends with the worst plot twist since the ending of How I Met Your Mother. Today’s game against Clearwater was canceled, so they finished at .500 on the nose!
Outfielder Marshall Toole finishes the season as the only qualified Florida State League player over .300, hitting .305/.406/.479 (148 wRC+; yes, this can change depending on what happens elsewhere today, but it wouldn’t change by much.) with 14 doubles, 13 triples, five home runs, 48 RBI, 66 runs, and 44 stolen bases in 50 attempts. Additionally, he walked 14% of the time while striking out at a 19.6% rate. Last year’s 15th-round pick will find himself in Hudson Valley in 2026.
First-round pick Dax Kilby adjusted quickly to professional baseball, hitting .353/.457/.441 (159 wRC+) in 18 games. He walked more than he struck out (13 – 11) while stealing 16 bases in 17 attempts. He didn’t play any other position than shortstop, but don’t read into that. We have no idea what the Yankees think when it comes to future position, but they will keep him at shortstop for as long as possible. Other positions can be learned. As for 2026, he will likely start the season here. George Lombard Jr. didn’t move up to Hudson Valley until halfway through his second campaign. No two prospects are alike, but why wouldn’t he follow a similar path? Meanwhile, Jackson Lovich‘s stay was short-lived due to an injury, but he went 14-for-22 with four doubles and two triples.
On the flip side, Roderick Arias‘ prospect status is likely in the trash bin. After a decent 2024 campaign at this level (.233/.335/.393; 111 wRC+), Arias crashed and burned to the tune of .208/.325/.315 (89 wRC+). His walk rate climbed while his strikeout rate fell. That means little. This was his second full season in Low-A, and he failed. His only trade market value is as a sweetener for a team that will buy low on a project.
On the pitching side, RHP Greysen Carter showed off his elite fastball and not-so-elite control before ending his season in the FCL. He will be a fun project for the player development team.
Relievers Chris Veach (2.53 ERA; 30.5% K) and Cade Austin (3.08 ERA; 25.1% K) spent the entire season here, as did Jack Sokol, who relies more on groundballs (54.1%) than strikeouts (19.7%).
They likely did enough to start 2026 in Hudson Valley. LHP Allen Facundo caught my attention with his velocity after his promotion here. He pitched to a 2.14 ERA (3.07 FIP) in 33.1 innings with a 26.5% K and 10.6% BB. LHP Henry Lalane was hurt most of the season, making six late starts (only 16.1 innings). Hopefully, he can be healthy for the full 2026 campaign. Potential won’t be realized from the injured list.
Most prospects don’t “stick” here for a full season. Outfielder Dillon Lewis lasted 46 games (after playing 14 games in 2024) before being bumped to Hudson Valley.
The “fun” story for 2025 was the repackaging of Antonio Gomez. Once considered one of the best all-around catching prospects in the system, the Yankees converted him into a pitcher. He was pumping 100 MPH+ fastballs upon making his debut, but didn’t last long before ending up on the Injured List. Hopefully, they shut him down due to a minor ailment rather than a serious issue.
FCL (28-30)
Their season is over.
DSL Yankees (24-32)
Their season is over.
DSL Bombers (31-25)
Their season is over.