Midseason Review/New Top 30 Prospects
Notes:
Plenty of notes today.
First, the Yankees have signed veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor league contract. In 428 career games with the Braves, Padres, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, and Cubs, he owns a .229/.259/.362 triple slash. His best season was 2022, when he hit .252/.283/.409 (99 wRC+) with 11 home runs. He followed that up with another 11-home-run season in 2023. For the Cubs Triple-A squad this season, he hit .262/.309/.466 with 11 home runs. Defensively, he’s always been strong at controlling the running game, at least up until his last MLB appearance in 2024. He has caught 31.4% of potential basestealers in his career (league average during that time is 23.5%).
Core Jackson joins fellow Hudson Valley infielder Kaeden Kent on the 7-day injured list. Both players looked like candidates to make it to Somerset this season, and that could still happen. Jackson is the 9th Top 30 Yankees prospect on the current list.
FCL Triple Crown winner Wilberson De Pena has been promoted to Tampa, along with DSL outfielder Yostin Pena. That may seem like an aggressive move for Pena, but he is hitting .375/.457/.646 (150 wRC+) with 57 RBI in 37 games. De Pena was acquired from the Angels last year for Oswald Peraza while the Yankees nabbed Pena after the Cardinals backed out of a deal due to age-related concerns. With the trade deadline approaching, this could be a showcase for both prospects.
By the way, Peraza has fallen apart for the Angels as his Savant page is filled with blue. His defense and speed are solid, but the offense has tanked. After hitting .200/.200/.275 in June, he is hitting .152/.194/.152 in July.
Other promotions include RHP Rory Fox going from Hudson Valley to Somerset (in his debut season) and Jackson Lovich moving from Tampa to Hudson Valley.
Scranton (54-46; 17-9 in the second half) (Defeated Iowa, 6-3. Was this a baseball game or a Hawkeyes football game?)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, HBP, K
Lombard Jr.’s hitting streak is snapped at 18.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-5, 2B (8), R
Does adding Bethancourt = Escarra being on the trade block? Makes sense, if so. The Yankees are not putting Ben Rice back behind the plate, so they had to secure a #3 catcher if they dangle Escarra out there.
2B Marco Luciano: 2-for-5, 2 K
Luciano has six multi-hit efforts in his last ten games.
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 3-for-5, 2 R
Cabrera hit a paltry .173 in April. Since then, he is hitting .336 (not including his MLB stint)
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 2-for-5, 2B (14), RBI, R,, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, R, HBP, BB, K
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 3-for-4, 3B (4), 4 RBI, R, SB (8), BB
LF Kenedy Corona: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, K
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-5
RHP Dom Hamel: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Carson Coleman: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 4-2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.17 ERA (41 IP, 31 H, 25 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)
RHP Yerry de los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Kervin Castro (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Somerset (50-46; 13-13 in the second half)
Their game against Richmond was postponed. They will try to play a pair tomorrow.
Hudson Valley (46-48; 16-14 in the second half)
Their game against Jersey Shore was postponed. They will try to play two on Thursday.
Tampa (57-40; 22-9 in the second half) (Held off Lakeland, 10-7)
SS Dax Kilby: 1-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, 2 K
Expect his name to come up often over the next six days. He is 5-for-16 with two doubles and a home run at this level (has hit safely in all four games)
RF Wilberson De Pena: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, 2 R, BB, 2 K
That’s how you make an early impression. It’s his 17th HR between here and the FCL. He kept the strikeouts in check in the FCL (19.8%), but his swinging strike percentage was poor (16.8%). Stuff to work on as he moves up the chain.
CF Yostin Pena: 2-for-5, 3B (1), RBI, R, K
The ball was jumping off of Pena’s bat, as he hit one ball 110.4 MPH and another 108.8 MPH.
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 3-for-4, 2B (17), RBI, R
Martin-Grudzielanek has three 3-hit efforts in his last six games. He is hitting .274/.381/.424 in 388 PA.
1B Hans Montero: 2-for-4, 2 HR (11), 4 RBI, 2 R
Montero’s second multi-HR game this season (hit three on May 23rd). The 11 home runs are a new personal best.
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
LF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, HR (4), RBI, R, 3 K
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, 2B (16), K
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-2, R, HBP, BB
RHP Travis MacGregor: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
MacGregor is here on a rehab assignment. “Who the heck is Travis MacGregor?” The Yankees signed him to a minor league contract in December. The 28-year-old has no MLB experience. Drafted by the Pirates in the second round in 2018 (out of high school), he last pitched for the Brewers’ organization in 2025.
RHP Edinzo Marquez: (W, 1-0) 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (ties personal best), HR
Marquez was also promoted here from the FCL today, though he tasted this level in 2025. Tonight, he generated an impressive 17 whiffs on 32 swings, including ten on 13 swings with his changeup. He averaged 94.7 (max: 96.5) with his 4-seamer and 81.8 with his changeup, so he gets good separation. He also features a slider, which generated five whiffs on seven swings.
RHP Matthew Tippie: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Parker Seay: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Austin Breedlove: 1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
He decided he wanted to make things interesting.
FCL Yankees (29-29)
Their season is over.
DSL Yankees (24-16) (Defeated the DSL Tigers, 8-7)
CF Isaias Castillo: 1-for-2, 2B (12), RBI, 3 R, 2 SB (22), 3 BB
Castillo’s 11th straight successful stolen base attempt.
DH Juan Martinez: 3-for-5, 2B (8), 3B (1), 3 RBI, R, SB (16)
The 18-year-old catcher is hitting .375/.466/.479 in 116 PA. It’s his debut campaign.
SS Stiven Marinez: 3-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, R, SB (29), BB
.307/.444/.507 in 187 PA (5 doubles, 5 triples, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 50 R, 29-for-33 SB, 17.6% BB, 13.9% K)
2B Juan Torres: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, R, BB
C Poly Ojeda: 0-for-4, R, BB
RF Alfiery Matos: 1-for-4, 2B (2), 2 RBI, 2 K
RHP Braulio Jaquez (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Varis Villarreal (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
DSL Bombers (18-23) (Lost to the DSL Marlins, 6-5, in ten innings)
CF Ruben Castillo: 1-for-4, 2B (1), R, K
SS Dariel Santana: 1-for-5, RBI, K
C Kenneth Melendez: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, K
1B Jesus Guerrero: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R
RHP Higor Requena: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
I find myself typing his name often, which is a good sign. The 18-year-old owns a 1.93 ERA over 28 innings with a 33/16 K/BB.