I am surprised that Spencer Jones was demoted to make room for Jose Caballero. Jones wasn’t producing, as he didn’t compile any extra-base hits after his promotion. However, he is an outfielder with power potential. With Max Schuemann and Caballero, you are betting more on defense and speed. As for Anthony Volpe, the plan is to give him reps at second base. After the Yankees drafted Volpe, they went “all in” on making him an everyday shortstop. They tend to move infield prospects around the field, but Volpe’s minor league career consisted of 261 starts at shortstop (this includes 2026), three at third base, and two at second base.
The Yankees have a versatile roster. Caballero, Schuemann, and Amed Rosario can play all over the field. Rosario is the best hitter of the three, but he is only 5-for-23 with a pair of doubles in May. Volpe can slide into shortstop whenever Caballero is needed elsewhere, and there is value in that. Of course, Schuemann can play shortstop as well.
Even if he is getting reps at second base, it is hard seeing Volpe as a bench player. We’ll see how Aaron Boone navigates this.
Scranton (25-21) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 6-5, in ten innings)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI, R, K
Lombard Jr. has three doubles in his last four games. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th, his error allowed the winning run to score. I think he is ready for the Bronx.
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 2-for-5, HR (13), 2 RBI, R, SB (1), K
Fernandez is not known for basestealing ability. This is his eighth career stolen base, five of which came in 2022.
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 0-for-4, BB, K
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
DH Seth Brown: 1-for-5, 3 K
2B Jonathan Ornelas: 2-for-5, R, SB (5), K
.342/.400/.500. He has eight hits in his last four games.
C Payton Henry: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-2, R, 3 SB (20), SAC, BB, K
LF Kenedy Corona: 0-for-3, R, SB (2), 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Carlos Lagrange: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
A struggle for Lagrange tonight. He wasn’t humming quite as much , but still topped out at 101.2 MPH. His ERA spikes to 4.78 (43.1 IP, 37 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 7 HR, 24 BB, 57 K). The home run rate is up considerably.
RHP Yerry de los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
We finally get some Savant data. Reyzelman averaged 96.3 MPH (topped out at 98.1) with his 4-seam fastball, using it 73% of the time (used his sweeper the other 27% of the time). He generated a pair of whiffs on 12 swings. Hopefully, he keeps up his bounce back season.
RHP Danny Watson: (L, 3-2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
It just feels wrong for Watson to get the loss next to his name in this one.
Somerset (21-22) (Defeated Chesapeake, 8-2)
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, 2B (12), 2 R, BB, 2 K
Avina has 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 29 RBI, and 37 runs in 39 games.
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-5, 2B (7), 2 RBI
Martin has 7 doubles, 14 home runs, and 35 RBI in 39 games.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-5, RBI, R, K
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-5, HR (13), 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 K
Hardman, who is hitting .300, has 8 doubles, 13 home runs, and 40 RBI in 42 games.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (3), 2 K
Morales has 9 doubles, 9 home runs, and 37 RBI in 42 games.
DH DJ Gladney: 1-for-4, RBI, R, 3 K
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2 K
2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-1
PH-2B Connor McGinnis: 1-for-2, 2B (1), RBI, BB, K
SS Owen Cobb: 0-for-4, R, SB (4)
RHP Jack Cebert: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HR
Since promotion: 4.12 ERA (19.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 4 HR, 8 BB, 26 K). I like the strikeouts. Missing bats at a higher level can be a challenge. The rest, he can work on. That’s why he’s here.
LHP Will Brian: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.38 ERA (21.1 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 6 BB, 32 K)
RHP Ben Grable: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Grable tasted adversity for the first time in his professional career the last two times out, so it is nice to see this bounce back.
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Hudson Valley (21-22) (Somehow lost to Brooklyn, 10-3. When I say Brooklyn has one of the worst offenses since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders and the 2026 New York Yankees, I am not joking. They aren’t even hitting .200 as a team and have the fewest walks and the most strikeouts in the entire league. How do you let this team score 10 runs? Funny thing is that Hudson Valley is nothing special offensively either, but they dwarf the Cyclones…)
SS Kaeden Kent: 1-for-4
DH Eric Genther: 1-for-3, BB
1B Kyle West: 1-for-4, 2B (6), R, K
West has three doubles in his last four games.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4
He hasn’t hit much since his promotion, but he is making contact (16.3% K).
3B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (2), K
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, K
LF Josh Moylan: 3-for-4, HR (4), RBI, R, K
A nice night for Moylan, who has struggled for most of the season.
RF Camden Troyer: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, R
Troyer has homered in back-to-back games. Before these two games, his last home run was May 5th (which was also the second of back-to-back games with a home run).
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, K
RHP Sean Paul Linan: (L, 1-5) 4.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
4.18 ERA (32.1 IP, 25 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 47 K). He had three double-digit strikeout efforts in 2025, topping out at 11.
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Warrecker’s rehab is over. As long as he stays healthy, a trip to Somerset feels probable in 2026.
RHP Hansel Rincon: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Wilmy Sanchez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Andrew Landry: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Every reliever has their “ouch” game.
RHP Brandon Decker: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.57 ERA (21 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 22 K)
Tampa (21-22) (Defeated Clearwater, 5-4)
3B Jackson Lovich: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K
Lovich’s OPS stays above 1.000 (1.005)
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 2-for-4, 2B (5), HR (4), RBI, 2 R, SB (15), 2 K
Quietly hitting .271/.377/.398 in 159 PA (5 doubles, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 25 R, 15-for-17 SB, 13.2% BB, 22.6% K). He is in the midst of a 7-game hitting streak and is 20-for-64 (.313) in May.
C Luis Puello: 1-for-4, 2 K
Puello has hit safely in seven of eight games since his promotion.
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K
LF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, HR (4), RBI, R, SB (7), BB
Montero’s personal best for home runs in season is seven.
RF JoJo Jackson: 1-for-3, 2B (6), BB, K
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-3, BB
CF Luis Durango: 1-for-3, RBI, R, 3 SB (15), CS (5), HBP
Durango is hitting .352 and has 15 stolen bases in 19 games. He doesn’t walk a lot, so he relies on his contact and speed to make a living.
1B John Cristino: 0-for-2, HBP, BB, K
RHP Mac Heuer: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Heuer topped out at 97.1 MPH with his cutter (Savant shows that he didn’t throw any 4-seam fastballs).
RHP Jose Martinez (W, 1-0): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.18 ERA (20.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 30 K).
RHP Brian Arias: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Parker Seay (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 23 K). He has allowed one run in eight innings in May.
FCL Yankees (8-7) (Defeated the Phillies, 5-4)
1B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, R, BB
Matic hit five home runs in 46 DSL games last year (zero in 46 games during his 2024 debut campaign). He is hitting .298/.444/.421 in 72 plate appearances with more walks (15) than strikeouts (14).
CF Wilberson De Pena: 2-for-4, 2B (6), R, SB (8)
De Pena has an 8-game hitting streak that features four multi-hit efforts. To take it a little further, he has hit safely in 13 of his 14 games played this season.
CF Isael Arias: 0-for-0
C Queni Pineda: 0-for-3, SB (4), BB, K
3B Leni Done: 1-for-4, K
Done has a 5-game hitting streak.
DH David McCann: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, R, SB (6), BB, 3 K
RF Estivenzon Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Christofer Reyes: 2-for-3, RBI, R, 3 SB (3), BB, K
Reyes (18) makes his FCL debut. Interestingly, this is his first career game in the outfield. Don’t be surprised by the stolen bases. It is the fourth time in his career that he has stolen at least three bases in a game. His personal best is four.
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
RHP Omar Gonzalez (W, 2-0): 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
He’s only 20, but has been in the rookie leagues for five seasons. This year, he owns a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings as he hopes to escape these leagues.
RHP Jorge Luna: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Alexander Almonte: 2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Almonte appeared on some top prospect lists this season (including mine), but has struggled to start his campaign (9 runs on 14 hits with eight walks and six strikeouts in 6.2 innings).
RHP Rafael Arias (S, 1): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 10 K