Notes:
With the DSL season starting on Monday, the Yankees have assigned several players there. Many of them are names I have never heard of. Their two big shortstop signings (Mani Cedeno, Stiven Marinez) will spend their second season at the level. Of course, we were all hoping Wandy Asigen would be making his debut, but the Yankees lost him to the Mets due to organizational turmoil surrounding Donnie Rowland.
The Yankees did end up signing several catchers, including Kenneth Melendez, who received $250,000, and Cesar Lopez, who signed for $150,000. Two shortstops (Abrahan Pichardo, Germayhoni Beltre) received $100,000 each. Typically known for handing out 7-digit and high 6-digit bonuses, these are the only four prospects who received $100,000+ from the Yankees. Again, due to the turmoil and Rowland’s firing.
They have over $4 million remaining in their 2026 bonus pool, which they can use through December. That is when they signed Marinez in 2024.
Like most organizations, the Yankees field two DSL squads.
Scranton (26-27) (Lost to Worcester, 6-5)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, R, SB (5), 2 BB, K
He is hitting .190/.354/.260 in 127 PA since his promotion (18.9% BB; 22.0% K). I don’t pay too much attention to defensive numbers in the minors, but it seems fair to point out that Lombard Jr. has commited six errors in 189.2 innings at shortstop since his promotion. In Somerset, he made zero errors in 106 innings at shortstop. Insert shrug emoji here.
RF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, HR (13), RBI, 2 R, BB, K
Jones’ home run was hit 395 feet at 105 MPH.
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 RBI, K
Hardman breaks out of his slump with a solid night. Between here and Somerset, he has 44 RBI in 48 games.
C Payton Henry: 0-for-4
LF Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 2-for-4, HR (9), RBI, R
.247/.318/.487 in 170 PA. He has struggled in May.
DH Ali Sanchez: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jonathan Ornelas: 1-for-4, SB (6)
CF Duke Ellis: 0-for-4
RHP Elmer Rodriguez: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
2.91 ERA (34 IP, 26 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 39 K). He’s been “off” on his two starts since being demoted.
RHP Dylan Coleman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
0.71 ERA (12.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 15 K)
RHP Yovanny Cruz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Cruz topped out at 99.4 MPH and he generated five whiffs on six swings.
RHP Rafael Montero: (L, 0-2) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry de los Santos: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Somerset (25-24) (Outlasted New Hampshire, 12-11)
RF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, K
Avina has a 27-game on-base streak. He has ten multi-hit efforts during the streak and is hitting .265/.353/.547 in 207 PA this season.
CF Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, 2B (9), HR (16), 3 RBI, 3 R, SB (10), 2 BB
.270/.335/.571 in 209 PA (9 doubles, 16 HR, 43 RBI, 35 R, 10-for-14 SB). Martin has reached double digits in home runs and stolen bases in three straight seasons.
3B Coby Morales: 3-for-3, 2 2B (11), 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Morales’ 15th multi-hit game this season. He is hitting .270/.350/.500 in 203 PA and has reached double digits in doubles (11), home runs (10), and stolen bases (11).
DH DJ Gladney: 1-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, 3 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-5, 2B (7), RBI, 2 R, SB (1), K
Finally, Castillo attempts a stolen base! He increases his hitting streak to six (9-for-26). In case you forgot, he started his campaign with a 14-game hitting streak.
C Manuel Palencia: 1-for-5, RBI, K
1B Abrahan Gutierrez: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R
Gutierrez has four multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.
SS Owen Cobb: 1-for-5, 2 K
2B Kevin Verde: 0-for-3, K
PH Nicholas Torres: 0-for-0, BB
PR-2B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-0, R
RHP Jack Cebert: 4 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 3 HR
Like Xavier Rivas yesterday, Cebert had a tough game tonight. New Hampshire and Somerset are two of the highest scoring teams in a souped up Eastern League, and it shows.
RHP Matt Keating: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Chris Kean: (W, 1-2) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Ben Grable: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 5.73 ERA in 11 IP (8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 14 K).
RHP Chris Veach (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 3 K. Both Grable and Veach were dominant for Hudson Valley. Double-A is always one of the biggest hurdles to clear. This is not to say they are cooked. It is to say that they need to adjust to the tougher competition.
Hudson Valley (22-26) (Outlasted by Bowling Green, 13-10)
SS Kaeden Kent: 3-for-4, 4 R, BB
Kent has five 3-hit efforts this season. He is back up to .299 with a .784 OPS. He has scored 34 runs in 46 games.
DH Core Jackson: 1-for-3, 2B (7), 2 RBI, 2 R, HBP, BB
Jackson is hitting .261 with an .805 OPS.
C Eric Genther: 3-for-4, HR (3), SF, 5 RBI, R, SB (3)
Genther has two 5-RBI efforts this season.
1B Kyle West: 0-for-4, R, SB (6), BB, 2 K
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-5, SB (9), 2 K
3B Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, CS (4), 2 BB, 2 K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-5, 3 K
LF Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K
RHP Rory Fox: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, HR
Not the outing he wanted after tossing a 7-inning shutout his last time out.
RHP Tony Rossi: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.04 ERA (17.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 24 K)
RHP Aaron Nixon: 0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Well, it will take a while for his ERA to recover from this one.
LHP Tanner Bauman: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Jackson Fristoe: (L, 2-2) 0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Fristoe left the game after the dreaded “Injury Delay”….
RHP Wilmy Sanchez: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Tampa (24-24) (Defeated Daytona, 7-1, in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Game 2 was postponed due to rain. They will try to play two tomorrow.)
3B Jackson Lovich: 1-for-4, 2B (10), R
Lovich in May: 26-for-73 (.356/.429/.781; 3 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 22 R, 8-for-9 SB).
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 2-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 3 R, CS (4), BB
Martin-Grudzielanek has four home runs in his last seven games and is on a 12-game on-base streak. He is hitting .283/.397/.441 in 184 PA with 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, R, BB
C Luis Puello: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, R, SB (9), K
Montero is on a 6-game hitting streak (10-for-24).
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
.197/.378/.318 in 172 PA. He has a whopping 20.9% BB rate, which has become his best tool as we wait/hope for the power to develop.
CF Luis Durango: 0-for-3, K
1B Austin Green: 1-for-2, HR (1), RBI, R, BB, K
RF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-3, RBI
RHP Mac Heuer (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Hauer earns his first professional win. He owns a 3.93 ERA over 18.1 innings with a 21/13 K/BB.
RHP Jose Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.08 ERA (21.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 32 K)
LHP Parker Seay: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Pedro Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
FCL Yankees (10-9) (Lost to the Tigers, 8-2. Dax Kilby did not play, which is in line with what the Yankees do with rehabbing players. Expect him back tomorrow.)
3B Richard Matic: 2-for-4, 3B (1), R
Matic is on a 6-game hitting streak (10-for-23; 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR). He is hitting .342/.468/.526 with more walks (18) than strikeouts (17) and leads the FCL in runs (26).
CF Wilberson De Pena: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, K
De Pena continues to crush it and has four home runs in his last five games. He leads the FCL in home runs, RBI (29; next highest has 19), and SLG (.756). Additionally, he is 5th in average (.385), 15th on OBP (.442), and second in OPS (1.198).
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, K
C Carlos Rondon: 0-for-1
SS Leni Done: 0-for-4
DH David McCann: 1-for-4, 2B (1), K
2B Dexters Peralta: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-4, K
Montero has a 5-game hitting streak (9-for-19).
1B Justin Capellan: 0-for-4, K
CF Isael Arias: 1-for-3, SB (5)
RHP Omar Gonzalez (L, 2-1): 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
The 20-year-old continues to pitch well (2.57 ERA in 21 innings with a 28/3 K/BB).
RHP Enixon Sanchez: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Ouch.
RHP Austin Breedlove: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Marco Manzano: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K