Midseason Review/New Top 30 Prospects
Notes:
The Yankees signed first-round pick Hunter Dietz and second-round pick Sean Duncan to the same signing bonus ($2,497,500). For Dietz, that is below slot ($2,826,700). For Duncan, it is significantly over slot ($1,451,700). The only other overslot bonus in the first ten rounds went to high schooler Andrew Gonzalez. The 6th-round pick had a slot of $341,800. He signed for $375,000. It’s no coincidence that the two high school kids went over slot, as those are the draftees with the most leverage.
So, how did they pay so much for Duncan? That’s where the MLB draft gets silly. The 9th- and 10th-round picks (pitcher David Leslie and infielder Bayram Hot) signed for a combined $45,000 (Hot received $7,500!). The slots for those picks totalled $396,500. They also saved $106,000 on 4th-round pick Paul Contreras. Nothing against any of these kids, but some of them aren’t really players who belong in the first ten rounds. They are taken for the savings that they can use on others.
Picks 11 – 20 have $150,000 limits, but teams can use leftover money from the first ten rounds to sign them for more. That is what happened with 13th-round pick Lee Garcia, who signed for $300,000. You guessed it: Another high school player.
According to Spotrac, only two players are unsigned: 11th-round pick Anthony Potestio and 19th-round pick Tyce Armstrong. I thought they might have trouble with 14th-round pick Diego Castellanos, who Tennessee and possibly others were courting after entering the transfer portal from St. Mary’s. However, he signed for the standard $150,000.
I confused a few people yesterday when I made a note about Dax Kilby. The reason why people could be nervous is that he didn’t play at all yesterday. His Game 1 boxscore was from Friday. He was pulled before the game was suspended due to rain. It is possible Saturday was a scheduled day off. We’ll find out tomorrow.
Scranton (50-43; 13-6 in the second half) (Defeated Worcester, 5-4, on a walk-off home run!)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (13), R, CS (4), K
Lombard Jr. is hitting .244/.388/.415 in 206 PA since his promotion. Part of his profile is a solid 17.5% BB and 21.4% K. Including his two rehab games, he owns a 13-game hitting streak. I know people don’t want to “rush him,” but at what point is he not being rushed?
C J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, 2 2B (5), HR (4), 2 RBI, R, BB
Escarra provides the walk-off blast with one out in the 9th. That will earn him the #3 catcher role.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, 2B (12), R, BB, K
2B Marco Luciano: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Luciano is hitting .317/.378/.707 (!!) with four doubles and four home runs in July.
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 2-for-4, HR (10), RBI, R, SB (7)
Cabrera has three straight multi-hit efforts.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, K
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
LF Duke Ellis: 1-for-4, SB (38), 2 K
Ellis is 38-for-42 stealing bases. He’s only hitting .232/.306/.362.
RHP Alexander Cornielle: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
One of his pitches hit 98.4 MPH.
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Kean averaged 93 MPH with his 4-seamer and generated a pair of whiffs with his slider. Between here and Somerset, he owns a solid 45/7 K/BB over 36.2 innings.
RHP Bradley Hanner: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Hanner celebrates his placement on the 40-man roster.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Will Brian: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Zach Messinger: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Yovanny Cruz: (W, 7-3) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Cruz, who touched 100.1 MPH, was not on standby in New York for Game 2. Importantly, he struck out the side in a mid-July Triple-A game.
Somerset (45-45; 8-13 in the second half) (Lost to Portland, 2-1. The Somerset offense got off to a hot start this year but has sputtered. The early-season roster included George Lombard Jr., Tyler Hardman, Garrett Martin, and Marco Luciano.)
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, K
Castillo is 8-for-51 (.157) in July.
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4
It doesn’t help that Castillo and Avila have run into big slumps. While he has a 7-game hitting streak this month, he’s only 10-for-54 (.185). Six of those ten hits have gone for extra bases, at least.
3B Coby Morales: 2-for-4, HR (16), RBI, R
Morales prevented the shutout with a 9th-inning home run,
RF DJ Gladney: 1-for-4, SB (14), 2 K
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
McGinnis is one of the hot hitters in July (.346/.393/.635).
C Miguel Palma: 1-for-4, 2B (3)
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
DH Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, K
RHP Ben Hess: (L, 2-2) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
The 6’5″ Hess is hopefully finding his groove. The Yankees allowed him to throw 77 pitches, and he owns a 4.46 ERA in 40.1 innings with a 48/23 K/BB.
RHP Ben Grable: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 2.88 ERA (25 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 36 K (36.4%)). Since allowing three runs on May 19th: 1.02 ERA (17.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 28 K). Dominance.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Hudson Valley (43-45; 13-11 in the second half) (Swept Brooklyn in a doubleheader)
(Game 1 – Won, 14-2)
3B Roderick Arias: 3-for-3, 2B (15), 3B (2), 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Arias’ second 5-RBI effort this season.
SS Core Jackson: 0-for-5, RBI, K
DH Eric Genther: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
1B Kyle West: 1-for-5, 2B (12), RBI, R, 2 K
CF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-4, R
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K949
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1, 3 R, 3 BB, K
RF Luis Durango: 1-for-1, 2 R, SAC, 2 BB
LF Robbie Burnett: 2-for-2, 2 2B (3), 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Burnett hasn’t played much this season, partially due to injury, but he also doesn’t get many ABs when healthy. Reaching base four times with five RBI is one way to try to get on the radar.
RHP Luis Serna: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Serna threw 77 pitches today. He owns a 4.06 ERA in a career-high 82 innings (65 H, 42 R, 37 ER, 7 HR, 31 BB, 94 K).
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Andrew Landry: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.94 ERA (29.2 IP, 21 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 35 K).
RHP Brandon Decker: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Game 2 (Won, 5-2)
3B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, 2 R, SB (27), BB, K
Arias stays hot, going 4-for-6 with a double, triple, 5 RBI, 4 R, a stolen base, and 3 BB in the doubleheader. He is hitting .270 with an .804 OPS (15 doubles, 2 triples, 11 HR, 57 RBI, 47 runs, and 27 stolen bases in 35 attempts (77.1%)).
SS Core Jackson: 3-for-4, 2B (15), HR (12), 3 RBI, 2 R
Jackson is hitting .250 with an .818 OPS (15 doubles, 2 triples, 12 HR, 44 RBI, 46 R, and 27 stolen bases in 34 attempts (79.4%)).
C Eric Genther: 1-for-3, RBI, K
1B Kyle West: 0-for-2
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-2, K
I am not sure why Rodriguez left the game. He left after striking out, which scares me, as that often can mean oblique or wrist, etc.
LF Robbie Burnett: 1-for-1
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, K
DH Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 3B (3), R, K
RF Luis Durango: 1-for-3, RBI
CF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3
LHP Allen Facundo: 4 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 2 K
Facundo didn’t have it today, but limited the damage. He owns a 4.31 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 45 walks in 62.2 innings since his promotion.
RHP Bryce Warrecker: (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.57 ERA (25.1 IP, 19 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 4 HR, 10 BB, 34 K)
RHP Wilmy Sanchez (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Tampa (53-37; 18-6 in the second half) (Defeated Bradenton, 7-2. Former Yankees’ prospect Edgleen Perez, a catcher they acquired in the David Bednar deal, is hitting .289/.379/.344 with a pair of home runs. During his minor league career, he has hit for a little average, taken his share of walks, but has flashed little power)
3B Jackson Lovich: 1-for-5, HR (18), 3 RBI, R, 3 K
Today’s home run was crushed 434 feet at 109.5 MPH. Lovich has flaws, but he also leads the FSL in home runs and is second in RBI (60). The leader (Beau Ankeney) has 61.
1B Hans Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (16), 2 R, 3 SB (30), CS (5), HBP
Montero joins the organization’s 30-SB club. He has four multi-hit performances in his last five games.
LF Luis Puello: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, K
At this level: .256/.330/.478 in 201 PA (12 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 29 R, 6-for-9 SB, 9.5% BB, 27.9% K). The 20-year-old C/LF has hit better than expected in his first 46 Tampa games.
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 1-for-4, 2 SB (31), K
Martin-Grudzielanek also joins the 30-SB club.
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (17), K
.275/.346/.461 in 301 PA. He has a 5-game hitting streak (9-for-19).
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, CS (1), BB
2B Christofer Reyes: 0-for-1, RBI
CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, 2 K
DH Greg Bozzo: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 R, HBP
Also 20, he isn’t having quite the year Puello is having (.169/.275/.247 in 193 PA)
RHP Sabier Marte: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
Nice improvement over his Tampa debut (1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 ER).
RHP Josh Tiedemann: (W, 1-2) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
This is one way to “earn” a win.
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
His sinker and 4-seamer both maxed at 98.8 MPH. He owns a 9.59 ERA in 25.1 innings. The talent is there; the control and command are not (21 walks).
LHP Jose Ledesma: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.91 ERA (25.1 IP, 23 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 28 K). He has nine straight scoreless appearances (11 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 11 K)
RHP Matthew Tippie: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Tippie has eight straight scoreless appearances (9 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 K)
LHP Parker Seay: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
FCL Yankees (29-26)
Day off.
DSL Yankees (21-12)
Day off.
DSL Bombers (15-19)
Day off.