Notes:
The number of Top 30 prospects (Pipeline) on the injured list has been reduced from seven to six, as LHP Henry Lalane has been activated.
The Yankees’ demotion of Luis Gil is notable, though they don’t need a #5 starter this week. I assume we will see Yerry de los Santos come up, as that appears to be his role. He didn’t pitch in today’s doubleheader. Kervin Castro, another candidate since he is on the 40-man roster and was amongst the last cuts this spring, did pitch today.
The FCL season is coming fast, as Opening Day is May 2nd. A few years ago, they moved the FCL season away from the second half of the year. It used to be a first stop for recent draftees, but the schedule doesn’t line up as well for that anymore. The final game of the season is July 23rd. The MLB draft takes place between July 11th and 12th. Enough time for quick signees to get into a few games, but it’s not really the purpose anymore. Prospects who are “ready” will go to Tampa (in some cases, Hudson Valley). Others (typically pitchers) will be held back until 2027.
Scranton (14-12) (Split a doubleheader with Rochester)
Game 1 (Won, 6-1)
SS Anthony Volpe: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R
During his entire rehab stint: .308/.333/.423 with a home run, walk, and seven strikeouts over 27 plate appearances. I have seen some of the video that shows some less-than-ideal defensive play. Hopefully he is just shaking off some rust. I can’t go much further than that.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-3
CF Max Schuemann: 1-for-3, R, SB (6)
RF Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, R, SB (5), BB
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-for-2, BB, K
DH Paul DeJong: 1-for-2, HR (6), 2 RBI, R, BB
Half of his hits have gone over the wall. I will let you figure out how many hits he has. He is hitting .203/.347/.542.
1B Seth Brown: 1-for-3, K
C Payton Henry: 1-for-2, 2B (2), R, BB
.167/.286/.333 in 56 PA.
2B Jonathan Ornelas: 1-for-3, R
RHP Dom Hamel (W, 1-3): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Carson Coleman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.48 ERA (10.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 12 K)
Game 2 (Lost, 9-4)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Dominguez is hitting .326/.415/.478 (.893 OPS). The OPS has taken a bit of a hit since he doesn’t have an extra-base hit (one walk) in his last five games, though he is 6-for-20.
DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, BB
.221/.352/.465 in 105 PA. He has 26 RBI in 25 games. A zero-strikeout day reduces his rate to 33.3%.
2B Max Schuemann: 0-for-2, HBP, BB
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 0-for-4, K
Fernandez hasn’t homered in 15 games (hit five HR in his first seven games).
SS Paul DeJong: 1-for-2, R, CS (1), BB
OK, the math changed a bit in Game 2.
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 1-for-3, R, K
C Ali Sanchez: 0-for-2, R, BB
.304/.385/.500 in 52 PA. He is outperforming Henry in the race to be the next man on the MLB depth chart.
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 1-for-2, K
PH Seth Brown: 0-for-0
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-for-0
.143/.207/.238 in 92 PA. Oof.
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, R, SB (8)
RHP Brendan Beck: (L, 2-2) 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
5.70 ERA (30 IP, 29 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 7 HR, 7 BB, 33 K). If you get the feeling that he needs to be precise to be effective, your feeling matches mine.
RHP Bradley Hanner: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Rafael Montero: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Montero had visa issues which caused him to have a late start to his campaign. The 35-year-old has a long MLB career on his resume, dating back to 2014 when he was a hyped starting prospect in the Mets’ organization. He won a World Series ring with the 2022 Astros and owns a 3.16 lifetime postseason ERA. As for recent times, he spent the 2025 campaign with the Astros, Braves, and Tigers, pitching to a 3.12 ERA in 23 games (26 innings) with a 23.3% K and 15.5% BB. He’s a depth piece with middling overall results – doing enough to sustain a professional career.
Somerset (7-13) (Lost to Richmond, 4-3, in ten innings. Luckily for Somerset, Richmond (17-3) is in the other division. That said, they are still in last place in their division and have an uphill battle if they want to win the first-half title)
3B-SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (8), R, BB, K
.324/.414/.595 in 87 PA (8 doubles, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 18 R, 4-for-7 SB, 13.8% BB, 20.7% K). As of this writing, he is 10th in the Eastern League in OPS. What is going on in this league? Last season, the highest qualifying OPS was .937 and the 10th highest OPS was .779. Did they infuse this league with the leftover MLB balls from a few years ago?
DH Garrett Martin: 1-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, R, K
.232/.289/.449 in 76 PA.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Morales’ 1.037 OPS is 7th in the Eastern League. Was I imagining things when the YES Network said Lombard Jr. leads the organization in OPS?
2B Marco Luciano: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R
Castillo is 5-for-11.
RF DJ Gladney: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.322/.364/.441 in 66 PA. He reached double digits in home runs from 2022 through 2025, but has yet to go yard in 2026.
CF Kenedy Corona: 1-for-4
.271/.353/.458 in 68 PA. He is 6-for-6 stealing bases.
C Manuel Palencia: 1-for-4
SS Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, K
PH-3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-1
RHP Chase Chaney: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.32 ERA (8.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 6 BB, 9 K)
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.04 ERA (8.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 15 K). I may take the “cautiously” out of the “cautiously optimistic” statements I have been making about Reyzelman.
RHP Matt Keating (L, 1-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Hudson Valley (12-8) (Split a doubleheader against Brooklyn)
Game 1 (Lost, 6-2)
SS Kaeden Kent: 2-for-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, R, BB
Kent has a 7-game hitting streak.
DH Core Jackson: 0-for-4, SB (8), K
1B Kyle West: 0-for-3
C Eric Genther: 0-for-2
3B Roderick Arias: 0-for-2, SB (9), BB, 2 K
The stolen bases are nice, but the rest of his game continues to feel as if he is walking in quicksand.
RF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-2, SB (4), BB
LF Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3, K
.207/.254/.362 in 63 PA.
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-2, R, BB
RHP Sean Paul Linan (L, 0-3): 3.2 P, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
4.73 ERA (13.1 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 3 HR, 2 BB, 22 K). One has to love the K/BB.
RHP Hansel Rincon: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Jack Sokol: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Game 2 (Won, 7-2. They went 7-for-7 in the stolen base category after going 3-for-3 in Game 1)
SS Kaeden Kent: 2-for-4, R, 2 SB (6)
Kent has an 8-game hitting streak (14-for-32; 2 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI). He has five multi-hit efforts during the streak. Overall, he is at .338/.414/.481 in 87 PA after hitting .186/.217/.265 in 106 PA during his debut 2025 campaign.
3B Core Jackson: 0-for-3, SB (9), BB, 2 K
DH Eric Genther: 0-for-3, SB (2), BB, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-3, R, 2 SB (4), BB, K
Rodriguez has an impressive 15/12 BB/K as he tries to shake off the BABIP gods (.200 BABIP entering today).
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, 2 R, SB (5), BB, K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-2, RBI, R, BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 2B (2), 2 RBI, R
Power has been his tool so far this year (five of his eight hits have gone for extra bases). He owns a .409 SLG.
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-2, HBP
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, HR (1), 3 RBI, R
LHP Franyer Herrera: (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
3.60 ERA (15 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 8 BB, 20 K)
LHP Tanner Bauman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry Rodriguez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Tampa (8-13) (Defeated Lakeland, 10-7)
CF Luis Durango: 1-for-4, R
Durango’s 2026 debut. The 23-year-old was plucked from Cleveland during the Triple-A phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft. He played in 40 games (112 plate appearances) for Hudson Valley in 2025, compiling a .258/.351/.268 triple slash with 17 stolen bases in 24 attempts. Once his rehab stint is over, he will return to the Renegades.
PH-RF Santiago Gomez: 0-for-1
3B Jackson Lovich: 1-for-5, 2B (6), 2 R, SB (3)
.237/.318/.441 in 66 PA (6 doubles, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 10.6% BB, 30.3% K).
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, R, 2 BB
The 8-game hitting streak is snapped, but a productive day nevertheless. He is hitting .242/.420/.394 in 89 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 15 R, 7-for-10 SB, 23.6% BB, 22.5% K)
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, BB
LF JoJo Jackson: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (4), 2 BB, 2 K
RF-CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 2 R, SB (4), BB
1B Hans Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3B (2), 4 RBI, R, BB
Montero ties his personal best for RBI in a game (5/13/25; 6/10/23). After increasing his utility last season (played 1B/2B/3B/LF/RF), he has only played 1B/2B thus far in 2026.
DH Kevin Verde: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K
LHP Henry Lalane: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Lalane averaged 92.9 MPH with his 4-seamer and his sinker. He tossed 40 pitches (20 strikes).
RHP J.T. Etheridge (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Etheridge maxed out at 96.9 MPH in his second 2026 appearance.
LHP Pedro Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K. The 23-year-old’s first taste of full-season ball has gone well.
RHP Brian Arias: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Josh Tiedemann (S, 2): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR