Notes:
That didn’t last long.
The Yankees have released RHP Peter Strzelecki. They signed him to a minor league contract on May 23rd after he rejected an outright minor league assignment from the Brewers.
In six games for the Railriders, he posted a 7.71 ERA over 4.2 innings with a 9/2 K/BB.
I saw that the Rangers optioned former Yankees’ prospect, Josh Smith, to Triple-A.
In 2024 and 2025, Smith looked like the biggest “get” for the Rangers in the Joey Gallo trade. Over those two seasons, he hit .254/.336/.380 (109 OPS+) while playing several positions. He won the Silver Slugger Award for utility players in 2024. 2026 hasn’t been as kind, as he is hitting .218/.316/.248 (68 OPS+). He has -0.3 bWAR and fWAR.
On the flip side, after struggling mightily after a strong start to the 2023 campaign, Ezequiel Duran is hitting .278/.331/.435 with an increased walk rate (7.2% – for Duran, that’s good). He’s been slumping in June, however (.245/.298/.358 with a 29.8% K).
Scranton (36-36) (Split a doubleheader with Columbus)
Game 1 (Lost, 9-8, in eight innings. After scoring three in the top of the 8th, Columbus scored four in the bottom half. Ouch)
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, BB, 3 K
I liked him better when he hit two home runs yesterday.
2B Marco Luciano: 0-for-4, BB, K
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 4-for-5, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R
Cabrera’s first 4-hit effort in 2026.
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 1-for-5, HR (14), RBI, R, 2 K
Fernandez’s first June extra-base hit. May as well make it a loud one.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, K
DH Payton Henry: 3-for-4, RBI, R
LF Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 0-for-2, K
PR-LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-1, 2 R, 2 SB (30)
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 1-for-2, R, 2 SB (9), 2 BB, K
CF Kenedy Corona: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 3 RBI, R, SB (8)
RHP Adam Kloffenstein: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Angel Chivilli: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Yovanny Cruz: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Rafael Montero (L, 0-3): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
The winning run was scored on an inside-the-park home run by Bo Naylor. He allowed two of Cruz’s runs to score.
Game 2 (Won, 8-6. They were down 6-0 entering the top of the fifth in what was a slog to follow. They livened things up with a run in the 5th and seven runs in the 6th)
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 1-for-4, HR (6, grand slam), 4 RBI, R
Ornelas has been around for a while (752nd minor league game!) but hasn’t hit like this since his 2018 debut (in the rookie leagues). The 26-year-old played in 32 games with the Rangers and Braves from 2023 to 2025, but didn’t do much with those opportunities (11-for-53).
2B Marco Luciano: 2-for-4, R, K
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 1-for-4, HR (15), 3 RBI, R, K
Fernandez follows up his HR in Game 1 with another in Game 2. He’s hitting .249 with 15 homers and 42 RBI as one of the Yankees’ depth outfielders.
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 2-for-4, R, K
A 6-hit day for Cabrera, who is 22-for-57 (.386) in June.
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, BB
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB, K
C Payton Henry: 0-for-4, K
LF Kenedy Corona: 1-for-3, R, BB
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
Rough outing for Watson, who was needed to start because nobody else was available. It spikes his ERA to 5.70 ERA in 30 innings (27 H, 25 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 36 K).
RHP Carson Coleman: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Dylan Coleman: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Bradley Hanner: (W, 4-1) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
I can’t help but laugh – with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the 7th, Hanner was ejected from the game. This game refused to end.
RHP Cole Gabrielson: (S, 1) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
…so an outfielder had to come into the game to shut it down. This was his first-ever pitching appearance and he was throwing a decent 85-86 MPH.
Somerset (36-31) (Lost to Portland, 6-2. Portland climbs to 34-32. However, Hartford is trying to pull away as they are 38-28)
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, K
CF Garrett Martin: 3-for-4, 2B (14), HR (21), RBI, R
Martin, who is on a 6-game hitting streak (12-for-21), is hitting .270/.344/.568 in 291 PA (14 doubles, 21 HR, 54 RBI, 47 R, 17-for-21 SB, 8.9% BB, 23.0% K). He leads the Eastern League in home runs and RBI.
RF DJ Gladney: 1-for-4, K
1B Nicholas Torres: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Coby Morales: 1-for-4, K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-4, R, K
DH Miguel Palma: 0-for-3, 3 K
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Owen Cobb: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RBI, K
RHP Chase Hampton: (L, 0-1) 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Hampton threw 64 pitches tonight. We haven’t seen the results (yet), but your reminder that he missed all of 2025 and tossed only 18.2 innings in 2024. His stuff may have declined, but we need more time for evaluation.
RHP Chase Chaney: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Hudson Valley (30-35) (Lost to Rome, 5-4)
2B Kaeden Kent: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
Kent slips below .300 (.299). He has 25 multi-hit games, 19 one-hit games, and 18 hitless efforts.
SS Core Jackson: 1-for-4, 2B (11), R, SB (18), K
Jackson is not hitting for average in June (.204), but is taking walks (.339 OBP) and showing off pop (.449 SLG).
DH Eric Genther: 0-for-3, R, BB
1B Kyle West: 0-for-3, RBI, R, SB (8), BB, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.252/.372/.407 in 265 PA (10 doubles, 4 triples, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 41 R, 13-for-16 SB, 15.5% BB, 19.6% K). The BB and K rates are exciting for a 21-year-old trying this level for the first time.
3B Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, R, K
Arias has put together a strong June: .340/.403/.642 (4 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R, 5-for-6 SB).
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Luis Durango: 2-for-3, SAC, SB (3)
LHP Allen Facundo: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
4.50 ERA (42 IP, 29 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 2 HR, 29 BB, 56 K). Including his time with Tampa, he owns a 3.63 ERA in 57 innings with an 81/36 K/BB. The 57 innings are already a career high.
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Andrew Landry (L, 0-1): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Tanner Bauman: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Landry started the fire. Bauman poured some gasoline on it.
Tampa (36-31) (Defeated Ft. Myers, 8-7)
SS Jackson Lovich: 2-for-5, HR (13), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
.295/.370/.552 in 238 PA. He was 0-for-12 to begin June but is 16-for-47 (.340) since.
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 0-for-4, K
1B Hans Montero: 0-for-4
LF Luis Puello: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, R, SB (1), HBP
Puello hit three home runs on June 16th. This was his first game since then, and he promptly hit another. “What does a kid need to do to get some playing time around here?”
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 2B (12), R, K
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-4, R, K
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, K
Escudero is on a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-13; 3 doubles, 5 RBI, 5 BB).
RF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, R, BB, K
LHP Henry Lalane: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, HR
Lalane’s previous four starts were dominant. Tonight, he needed to work for it and did well enough. He owns a 3.54 ERA in 48.1 innings (36 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 1 HR, 22 BB, 58 K). Lalane has allowed only ten home runs in 191.1 career innings (0.47 HR/9).
RHP Greysen Carter: (W, 4-0) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
3.58 ERA (27.2 IP, 18 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 22 BB, 32 K). He was doing better with the walks lately, but he was off tonight.
RHP Josh Tiedemann: (S, 5) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
FCL Yankees (18-17) (Lost two games to the 25-10 Blue Jays)
Game 1 (Lost, 9-2. This was the conclusion of the game I have been talking about. It was tied 2-2 when it was suspended. It didn’t end well.)
Since the numbers from this game were already recorded, and they only needed to play a few more innings, I am not going to waste your (my) time by posting a box score.
Game 2 (Lost, 15-8)
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3
Our FCL hero’s 34-game on-base streak comes to an end.
PH-1B Carlos Rondon: 0-for-1, BB
I am not sure why Matic was pulled from the game…
CF Wilberson De Pena: 1-for-3, 2 K
PR-CF Isael Arias: 0-for-2
I am not sure why De Pena was pulled, either. Maybe it’s encouraging that both were pulled because it could be for rest rather than an injury.
DH Queni Pineda: 2-for-5, HR (4), RBI, R, K
2B Leni Done: 0-for-2, R, SB (20), BB, K
1B-3B Diego Flores: 1-for-2, RBI
And now I am convinced that they were resting a few regulars during a blowout.
RF Jose Castro: 0-for-4, 2 R, SB (16), HBP
Castro has reached base safely in all 19 of his games (.368/.550/.684). He is 16-for-21 stealing bases.
LF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, R, HBP, 3 K
SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-4, HR (10), 2 RBI, R, K
Peralta has an annoying .999 OPS. Can’t we gift him .001 points? Anyway, he strikes out a lot and hits for a lot of power. That’s the story of his 2026.
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, R
1B-2B Christofer Reyes: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI, R, K
RHP Omar Gonzalez (L, 2-2): 3.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 4 HR
Unlike many rookie league pitchers, Gonzalez was having a solid campaign until today. Hopefully, he bounces back.
RHP Enixon Sanchez: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 8 BB, 1 K, HR
For $9,95, I will have this erased from your permanent record.
RHP Edinzo Marquez: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Marquez’s rehab assignment is over. The Yankees decided to assign him here rather than Tampa.
RHP Brian Arias: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Estivenzon Montero: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Montero is an outfielder who was needed to get the final two outs.
DSL Yankees (8-6) (A relatively mild 9-6 win over DSL Arizona Red. They have won seven in a row after a 1-6 start)
CF Isaias Castillo: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, R, BB, K
Despite a bit of a slump, he’s still hitting .328/.423/.820 over 71 PA. He has 21 RBI and 24 runs in 14 games.
DH Stiven Marinez: 1-for-2, HR (4, grand slam), 5 RBI, 2 SB (10), 3 BB
The bonus baby shortstop continues to prove that the DSL is no match for him. In 61 games at this level, he is hitting .300/.444/.467 over 268 PA. He is 32-for-38 stealing bases. He turns 19 in August, so I am a little surprised he is still here.
RF Yostin Pena: 0-for-4, SF, RBI
SS Juan Torres: 0-for-3, R, SB (8), 2 BB, 2 K
Torres will move up the prospect charts if he shows any plate discipline. He has three walks in his last two games (one in his first 12 games). He has only seven strikeouts (10.1%).
C Juan Martinez: 2-for-3, SB (4)
The 18-year-old is off to quite a start in his debut campaign: 14-for-30 with three doubles, five walks, and only one strikeout in 36 plate appearances (2.8%).
C Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-1, R, SB (1)
3B Abrahan Pichardo: 1-for-4, R, BB
1B Cesar Lopez: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
LF Eliezer Adames: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
2B Emmanuel Orozco: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Victor De Leon: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Yunior Jerez (W, 2-0): 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
RHP Varis Villarreal: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
DSL Bombers (6-8) (Continued their hot play with a 7-5 win over the DSL Rockies. They have won four in a row)
DH Mani Cedeno: 1-for-3, RBI, R, SB (3), 2 BB, K
While Marinez turns 19 in August, Cedeno will only turn 18. After a .183/.371/.305 debut campaign in 2025, he is hitting .275/.418/.510 this season. His strikeout rate (25.4%) is a massive improvement over last season (35.7%).
RF David Carrera: 2-for-3, R, BB, K
1B Poly Ojeda: 1-for-4, K
SS Germayhoni Beltre: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (8), CS (1), BB
Beltre’s fourth consecutive multi-hit effort. He was one of the Yankees’ biggest international signings in January, which wasn’t much ($100,000)
LF Sebastian Pinto: 2-for-4, 2 2B (2), 3 RBI, R
LHP Jose Sanchez: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Higor Requena: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
The 18-year-old has an interesting stat line: He has a 0.00 ERA but has allowed seven unearned runs in ten innings.