Notes:
RHP Ben Grable has been added to the Futures Game roster, replacing George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange. Yes, one player is replacing two.
Anyway, Grable’s rise has been amazing. An 11th-round pick in the 2025 draft out of Indiana, he has already ascended to Double-A. Known for his big fastball (he also features a developing slider), he owns a 40.2% strikeout rate, 13th in minor league baseball among pitchers with 30+ innings (teammate Hayden Merda is 7th with a 41.1% rate).
I have always said to be aggressive with relievers. Grable could be in the MLB bullpen picture as early as next spring, whenever that starts.
Scranton (47-41) (Put on an offensive display in a 9-1 win over Buffalo. Four hitters had three hits.)
C J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, 2 HR (3), SF, 3 RBI, 3 R
Escarra’s second career multi-HR game (September 4th, 2024).
RF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (9), BB
All he can do is perform and hope to get an extended MLB look at some point. Is that guaranteed to be with the Yankees? No.
2B Oswaldo Cabrera: 1-for-5, 2 R, K
DH Yanquiel Fernandez: 3-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, K
This is Fernandez’s third straight multi-hit effort. He is hitting .259/.311/.476 in 315 PA. Fernandez played in 52 games for the Rockies last year, but didn’t perform well (.225/.265/.348 with four home runs).
3B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Hardman has homered in three straight games (four home runs). Between here and Somerset, he has 17 doubles, 22 home runs, and 66 RBI in 83 games.
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 1-for-5, RBI, K
LF Kenedy Corona: 2-for-4, RBI, R, CS (2), BB, K
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, R, 2 K
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 0-for-5, 3 K
RHP Elmer Rodriguez: (W, 5-3) 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Rodriguez didn’t show any rust in his first appearance since July 2nd (I assume they held him back in case they decided to give him an MLB start). He owns a 2.85 ERA in 66.1 IP (52 H, 26 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 34 BB, 67 K).
RHP Bradley Hanner: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.04 ERA (39.2 IP, 29 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 50 K). The 27-year-old minor league veteran (no MLB experience) continues to throw well.
RHP Yerry de los Santos: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Dom Hamel: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Hamel was on the Development List. They swapped him back onto the roster in place of Alexander Cornielle. I was surprised to see Cornielle moved to the list. We’ll see if they swap them again.
Somerset (44-41) (Defeated Reading, 9-4)
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, SB (8), BB
Castillo is 53-for-61 (86.9%) stealing bases in his minor league career.
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, R, SB (7), 2 BB, K
RF DJ Gladney: 1-for-5, 2B (16), 3 RBI, 3 K
3B Coby Morales: 0-for-4, BB, K
2B Connor McGinnis: 4-for-5, 3B (1), 2 HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 R
McGinnis needed a double for the cycle, but decided to hit a second home run instead. I guess that is acceptable. This is both his first 4-hit game and his first multi-HR game.
C Miguel Palma: 3-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, 3 R
Palma is not much of a hitter historically, but he has a pair of 3-hit efforts in his last three games.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2B (6), 2 K
DH Manuel Palencia: 3-for-4, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, R, K
Palencia has a 5-game hitting streak (10-for-19; 3 doubles). The 23-year-old catcher has shown off the ability to hit for average, if nothing else (.281/.345/.339 in 250 career games).
SS Owen Cobb: 1-for-4, R, SB (11), K
RHP Ben Hess: (W, 2-1) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
His first win since his first start this season (4/3). This makes sense, as he has been handled with kid gloves since he returned from the injured list.
RHP Michael Arias: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Tony Rossi: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 3.86 ERA in 11.2 IP (13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 19 K). Rossi still hasn’t allowed a home run in 75.1 career innings.
Hudson Valley (40-43) (Lost to Rome, 8-3)
3B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, R, SB (21), 2 K
Arias is 11-for-33 with three doubles and three home runs in July. This follows a June in which he hit .367/.416/.633. An amazing run.
SS Core Jackson: 0-for-1, R, 2 SB (26), HBP, 2 BB
.253/.361/.465 in 288 PA (14 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 43 R, 26-for-33 SB, 11.8% BB, 20.5% K). Entering tonight, he had a 13.7% Swinging Strike. In MLB, that would be considered below average (anything above 13%). However, it is hard to ignore the offensive profile overall. He’s having a good season.
C Eric Genther: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, CS (1)
1B Kyle West: 1-for-4, 2 K
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 2B (13), K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4
DH Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, BB
CF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3, BB, K
LF Luis Durango: 1-for-4, R
LHP Henry Lalane: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
Lalane puts together a solid Hudson Valley debut. He tossed 87 pitches (52 strikes).
RHP Brandon Decker: (L, 3-1) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Andrew Landry: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Hansel Rincon: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
3.71 ERA (26.2 IP, 17 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 17 BB, 44 K). He has struck out at least one hitter in 23 of his 24 appearances.
Tampa (47-37)
Their game against Clearwater was postponed due to rain. They will try to play two tomorrow.
FCL Yankees (25-25) (Defeated the FCL Tigers, 7-6, in extra innings (scheduled to go seven innings, went eight))
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3, 2 R, BB, K
Matic is flirting with dipping below .300 (.301/.416/.466). He is 6-for-31 (.194) in July.
RF Wilberson De Pena: 3-for-3, 2B (17), HR (15), 3 RBI, 3 R, SB (19), BB
It’s highly unlikely, but De Pena has a shot at a 20/20 season in a short-season league. That’s crazy. He is hitting .342/.398/.679 over 216 PA (58 RBI, 40 R, 7.4% BB, 18.98% K). At the very least, he should make his way to Tampa when the FCL season concludes.
C Queni Pineda: 0-for-3, R, BB
2B Leni Done: 2-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, R, CS (8)
Done launched the walk-off 2-run home run. He is hitting .291/.400/.464 in 215 PA.
DH Jose Castro: 1-for-3, RBI, K
CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, K
LF Estivenzon Montero: 0-for-3, K
1B Justin Capellan: 0-for-2, BB
RHP Enixon Sanchez: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
LHP Marco Manzano: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Rafael Arias: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Brian Arias (W, 2-0): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
DSL Yankees (17-10) (Destroyed their DSL Bombers counterparts, 10-1. The poor Bombers catcher went 0-for-9 throwing out basestealers. Mean!)
CF Isaias Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
SS Stiven Marinez: 2-for-4, RBI, R, 4 SB (22), BB
Marinez is hitting .295/.426/.552 with more walks (22) than strikeouts (18). He is 22-for-29 stealing bases.
RF Yostin Pena: 1-for-3, 2B (7), SF, RBI, SB (21), K
2B Juan Torres: 2-for-4, 2 2B (15), 2 R, SB (13), BB
Torres has four straight multi-hit efforts (9 in his last 11 games). He is hitting .394/.465/.706.
C Juan Martinez: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 SB (11), BB
Young catchers are so cute when they steal bases.
1B-C Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, K
3B Adrian Feliz: 1-for-2, 2 R, SB (5), 2 BB
LF-CF Kendry Diaz: 1-for-4, HR (1, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 R, K
His first professional home run is a slam!
RHP Victor De Leon: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Freddy Lopez (W, 3-0): 3.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
RHP Luis Ilarraza: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
DSL Bombers (13-16) (Lost to the DSL Yankees, 10-1)
2B Dariel Santana: 0-for-4, SB (14), CS (1), BB, 4 K
DH Mani Cedeno: 0-for-4, BB, K
1B Stalen Ramirez: 1-for-2, RBI
LF-RF Sebastian Pinto: 2-for-4, 2B (7), K
The 18-year-old is hitting .306/.455/.510 in 66 PA. This is his debut campaign.
LHP Andre Avila: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K