Yankees MILB 6/2: Juan Carela Ks 10

News:

The Yankees made a (very very very very) minor trade today, sending C Jose Godoy to the Orioles for something. That something might be enough to buy a hot dog at Yankee Stadium. Godoy was on the Scranton Development Roster recently. When he did play for Scranton, he appeared in only 11 games, hitting .270/.341/.514 with three home runs. Godoy has 26 games of MLB experience with the Twins, Pirates, and Mariners. For the Yankees, he was signed for depth purposes but the catching position is logjammed in the minors. There simply wasn’t much playing time to distribute to him.

Scranton (27-28) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 6-3)

LF Estevan Florial1-for-5, 2B (8)
Florial now has a 12-game hitting streak and a 24-game on-base streak.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RS, BB, CS (2)
Peraza now has a 9-game hitting streak (tonight’s walk is his first during the streak)
C Ben Rortvedt1-for-2, 3 BB, K, SB (1)
Rortvedt is 13-for-39 with eight walks for Scranton. He is 3-for-3 stealing bases in his minor league career (388 games!)
3B Andres Chaparro1-for-5, RBI, K
Chaparro has at least one hit in nine of his last ten games.
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 2 K
DH Kole Calhoun0-for-3, RS, BB
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-2, 2 BB, K
CF Billy McKinney: 2-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, BB
The veteran has his OPS up to .899.
2B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4

RHP Randy Vasquez: (L, 1-6) 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Vasquez pitched well in his spot start for the Yankees. Down here, he shows signs that he still needs some seasoning.
RHP Aaron McGarity1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Michael Gomez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Greg Weissert1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (28-20) (Defeated Portland, 9-7)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-4, RS, HBP, K
Sweeney’s first multi-hit game since May 16th. The OBP is already established (.368) – if the hits start coming, his season is going to look very good.
LF Jasson Dominguez0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K
Dominguez has 12 multi-walk games this season. 
DH Austin Wells1-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-5, HR (10), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Hardman has homered in back-to-back games and has his slugging percentage up to .530 (it was .464 for Hudson Valley in 2022)
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, RS, BB
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (11)
Durbin’s first home run as a member of the Yankees’ organization. Power will likely never be a big part of his game – he is about contact and speed. That said, he did hit 8 home runs in 105 games in the Braves organization last year. Anyway, he has five multi-hit games in 18 games since his promotion and is 26-for-30 stealing bases between here and Hudson Valley.
C Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, SB (4)
Seigler’s BB% is 19.8. If he could just hit for a little bit of average, he can be a useful MLB ballplayer. 
CF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3, BB
RF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, SF, RBI

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 3-3) 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
RHP Shawn Semple1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Danny Watson (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Things were getting a little dicey late, but Watson was able to close the door.

Hudson Valley (27-22) (Lost to Aberdeen, 2-1, in 12 innings. The pitching has been there the past few nights, but the offense has gone silent)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K, CS (4)
.266/.313/.508 in 192 plate appearances. I bring up the K rate because I think that is important – but he is also slugging over .500. We have some good mixed with some not-so-good. We’ll see if good wins over evil.
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-5, 3 K
DH Josh Breaux0-for-5, 2 K
C Rafael Flores1-for-3, BB, K
  PR Kyle Battle0-for-0
  C Antonio Gomez1-for-1
1B Spencer Henson0-for-5, 3 K
LF Grant Richardson0-for-5, K
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-4, BB, 4 K, SB (10)
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-3, RS, SB (3)
2B Luis Santos0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Juan Carela7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, HR
The home run was inside-the-park. This is Carela’s first career 10+ strikeout game (four career 9-strikeout efforts entering tonight). He is pitching to an impressive 3.09 ERA in 43.2 IP (32 H, 20 R, 15 ER, 17 BB, 52 K, 2 HR) and is only 21 years old. Yep, put him firmly on your radar.
RHP Nick Paciorek2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.31 ERA (16.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 9 BB, 20 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson: (L, 1-3)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Not exactly a “fair” loss.
RHP Bailey Dees: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Tampa (21-28) (Used a 3-run 9th to defeat Bradenton, 7-6. They won on a walk-off wild pitch (after tying the game on a balk – baseball!)

SS Jared Serna: 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, CS (4)
Serna with back-to-back multi-hit games (14 multi-hit games in 43 games played). He is hitting .322/.387/.520 (8 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 30 R, 18 BB, 29 K, 11-for-15 SB)
CF Anthony Hall1-for-3, 3B (2), SF, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
Hall has his OPS up to .800. 
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-4, BB, K
DH Brenny Escanio0-for-4, K
LF Christopher Familia0-for-4
1B Jesus Rodriguez3-for-4, 3B (2), RS
Rodriguez, who hit .196 in May, starts June with back-to-back 3-hit efforts. Baseball!
2B Brett Barrera0-for-4, RBI, RS
3B Beau Brewer1-for-3, RS, BB
RF Felix Negueis0-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K

RHP Sean Hermann4 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
Teenagers in a full-season league will typically have their ups and downs.
RHP Luis Velasquez2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
1.05 ERA (25.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 15 BB, 33 K). Velasquez is having a strong start. He is 21 years old.
RHP Manny Ramirez1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert (W, 3-1): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.01 ERA (22.1 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 28 K)

Yankees MILB 6/1: Jasson Dominguez: 3-Run Boom!

News:

UTIL Oswaldo Cabrera was demoted to Scranton after the Yankees-Mariners game last night.

Cabrera was a high-energy catalyst last season for the Yankees. He hit .247/.312/.429 (108 OPS+; 111 wRC+) while playing strong defense at multiple positions (including the outfield, where he was a novice). This season, he couldn’t get anything going. Cabrera hit .195/.246/.292 (46 wRC+) with 3 home runs and 15 runs batted in. One encouraging sign is his 19.6% strikeout rate, but nothing else in his offensive profile was solid enough to make you think a turnaround was coming soon. The only position he is blocked at in the minors is shortstop (Oswald Peraza). That said, Peraza could slide over to other positions to give Cabrera some time at shortstop.

This isn’t the end of Cabrera’s story. He has things to work on, and Scranton is where he will work on them. The Yankees aren’t immune to injuries, so it is up to Cabrera to keep himself sharp so that he can be next in line when a need arises.

OF Kole Calhoun is opting out of his minor league deal. The Yankees have 72 hours to promote him or release him. The promotion seems doubtful.  He was in tonight’s lineup for Scranton, as the Yankees can still use him until the 72 hours are up. Including tonight, the 35-year-old is hitting .291/.396/.547 in 22 games for Scranton.

Scranton (27-27) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 5-3)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-5, 2 K
Florial’s hitting streak is up to 11 (19-for-52 (.365); 6 HR, 13 RBI, 12 runs). By the way, the last time Estevan Florial didn’t reach base in a game was back on April 30th (23-game on-base streak)
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-5, HR (10), RBI, RS
Peraza now has an 8-game hitting streak (13-for-38 (.342); 7 HR, 9 RBI, 10 runs). Hitting .342 during a hitting streak is strong – for Peraza, it has allowed him to maintain his .340 batting average for the season. By the way, Peraza hasn’t drawn one walk during the streak – when you are hitting for this much power, why would you want to walk? 
LF Kole Calhoun1-for-4
DH Andres Chaparro1-for-3, 2B (8), RS, BB, SB (3)
.257/.326/.482 in 215 plate appearances. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, RS, K
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-3, BB, K
1B Billy McKinney1-for-2, 2B (5), RBI, BB, HBP
3B Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, 2B (7)
Bastidas didn’t want May to end (.353/.443/.559), but he starts off June with an extra-base hit.
2B Wilmer Difo1-for-3, BB, K

RHP Jhony Brito5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
He allowed a 3-run home run to former Yankees farmhand Jake Cave.
RHP James Norwood (L, 0-3): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP D.J. Snelten1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.80 ERA (23.2 IP, 13 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 29 K). Something tells me that just getting back on the mound is a big accomplishment for Snelten, who hadn’t pitched since 2019 (when he was with the independent Chicago Dogs). He pitched in four games for the San Francisco Giants back in 2018.
RHP Colten Brewer1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (27-20) (Scored 11 unanswered runs in an 11-7 comeback over Portland)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Sweeney is where he needs to be as he tries to break through with the bat. He has drawn walks all season but the hits aren’t coming consistently. I am confident they will.
CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, HR (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Dominguez had the SLG up to .433 after the games of 5/18. He slid a bit after that, but this blast has him over .400 (.404) to go along with his .365 OBP. 
C Austin Wells0-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Wells drew a pair of run-scoring walks. He is hitting .250/.347/.534 in 101 plate appearances at this level (he is 5-for-26 without a home run (but 6 walks) in his last seven games)
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-3, HR (9; Grand Slam), 5 RBI, BB, 2 K
The grand slam gave Somerset an 8-7 lead. Hardman has driven home five runs in a game twice this season. He is hitting .228/.306/.512 (5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 4-for-5 SB)
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2B (3), SF, RBI, K
RF Jeisson Rosario2-for-4
1B Eric Wagaman1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 SB (9)
Wagaman was 11-for-19 stealing bases in his career prior to this season (9-for-10 in 2023). 
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-1, 3 RS, 3 BB, SB (2)
Palensky is now 12-for-12 stealing bases between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Max Burt1-for-3, 2 RS, BB

RHP Gray Fenter3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Steven Jennings2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
An outstanding job by the bullpen to keep Portland (a good offensive squad) off the scoreboard. Jennings (24) has a 3.65 ERA in 24.2 IP (17 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 33 K)
RHP Justin Wilson: (W, 2-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.34 ERA (18.2 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 13 BB, 17 K). Wilson allowed four runs in one inning a few outings ago, which crushed his numbers a bit. Still, the walks are obviously high and control has always been his bugaboo. There is still time for the Yankees to work with him.
RHP Tanner Myatt1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (27-21) (Lost to Aberdeen, 1-0. They drew five walks (plus an HBP) but couldn’t get the big hit)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-5, 2B (16), 3 K, CS (3)
Jones’ 16 doubles rank second in the league (Wilfred Veras (Nationals) has 20).
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3, BB, K
Vargas didn’t have a great May (though he ended the month on a bit of a hot streak). Let’s see what June brings…
1B Rafael Flores0-for-3, BB
C Antonio Gomez1-for-3, BB, K
Gomez had two passed balls, giving him 9 on the season. Are his offensive struggles leading to defensive lapses? His defense has received rave reviews in the past and it is something they can probably clean up. 
DH Grant Richardson0-for-4, 3 K
2B Ben Cowles0-for-3, BB
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-2, BB, HBP, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-4
LF Kyle Battle0-for-4, 4 K
Battle’s first game since 4/14 didn’t go according to plan.

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 0-3): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
This is what you call a tough-luck loss. He sports a 2.78 ERA in 45.1 IP (39 H, 21 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 22 BB, 55 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Diaz was sent down here from Somerset, where he sported a 3.32 ERA in 19 innings with a 25/16 K/BB.
RHP Jack Neely2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.80 ERA (20 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 32 K). Neely has 124 strikeouts in 72.1 career innings, The walks aren’t ideal (38), but I am always a believer in moving college relievers as quickly as possible.

Tampa (20-28) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-2)

2B Jared Serna2-for-5, 2 K
Serna has at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games. However, only three of those games feature multiple hits, so his average has dropped from .325 to .310 (not exactly bad!). The strikeout rate has ticked up lately, thanks to eight strikeouts in his last four games (he didn’t reach eight strikeouts for the season until May 9th (his 22nd game)).
CF Anthony Hall1-for-5, RS, K
Hall hasn’t skipped many beats since his 4-for-33 April. He was dominant in May and is trying to carry that over to June.
DH Agustin Ramirez1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
Ramirez has been pretty consistent (especially in the walk column) since the start of the season (he now has 29 in 157 PA (19.1%)).
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-4, 3 K
LF Christopher Familia1-for-4, K
RF Tayler Aguilar0-for-3, BB, 2 K
C Jesus Rodriguez3-for-4, RBI, SB (6)
Rodriguez has two 3-hit games this season. He hit well in the rookie leagues, so let’s see how his first year in a full-season league goes.
1B Beau Brewer0-for-2, 2 BB, SB (1)
3B Ronny Rojas0-for-4, K

LHP Brock Selvidge6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
3.15 ERA (45.2 IP, 42 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 9 BB, 48 K). It is way too early to look at an innings load, but I will point out that Selvidge tossed 42.2 innings in the rookie leagues last season. 
RHP Ocean Gabonia1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Adam Stone: (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Stone’s professional debut. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last July out of Harvard. He stands 6’6″. Tonight, he pretty much only used his 91-93 cutter (20 of his 22 pitches)
RHP Alex Bustamante: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
The life of a reliever, where one performance can jump your ERA from 2.18 to 3.86.
RHP Shane Gray0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 5/31: Oswald Peraza: BOOM x 2!

News:

Nothing new or exciting to report.

Scranton (27-26) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 7-5, in ten innings)

CF Estevan Florial2-for-6, 3B (3), RBI, K
Florial is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak. He has five multi-hit games during the streak and has at least one extra-base hit in nine of the games. Overall, he is hitting .322/.432/.645.
SS Oswald Peraza: 3-for-6, 2 HR (9), 2 RBI, 3 RS
Peraza is now the owner of a 7-game hitting streak and has 8 HR in his last ten games. This is his 4th career multi-HR game (second this month). I have said since Spring Training that he has nothing to prove here. I don’t care about a logjam in MLB – Peraza does not belong here.  Anyway, he is hitting .347/.398/.663.
LF Elijah Dunham2-for-5, 2 K
.219/.347/.331 in 202 plate appearances. He started the season strong (.256/.378/.390 in April) but simply couldn’t get much going in May. 
3B Andres Chaparro0-for-5, 3 K
He finishes May 26-for-89 (.292) with 3 HR and 20 RBI. 
  PR-3B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-0, RS
RF Kole Calhoun2-for-5, 3B (2), 2 RBI, RS, K
DH Rodolfo Duran1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB
.283/.338/.542 in 130 plate appearances. 
1B Billy McKinney1-for-4, BB, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-2, RS, 3 BB, K
Since his promotion: 10-for-37 with 14 (!) walks and seven strikeouts. There is a catching logjam that will only get larger when Josh Breaux gets back here.
2B Jamie Westbrook1-for-4, BB, 2 K, CS (2)

RHP Mitch Spence: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
4.26 ERA (57 IP, 54 H, 32 R, 27 ER, 10 HR, 21 BB, 45 K). Spence compiled a 2.21 ERA in 36.2 May innings.
RHP Deivi Garcia: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
4.78 ERA (26.1 IP, 22 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 27 K). Simply put, you aren’t surviving in the big leagues with this kind of walk rate. Again, the Yankees have a free year of evaluation with Garcia, so may as well use it to see if anything clicks.
RHP Matt Bowman (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (26-20) (Defeated Portland, 4-2)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-3, BB, K
Sweeney walked 23 times in 24 May games (26 K). He hit .222/.383/.333 during the month.
CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, K
Dominguez finishes May at .237/.353/.412 after a .140/.380/.340 April. 
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, SF, RBI
Rumfield had a strong May, hitting .273/.383/.515 (4 doubles, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R)
3B Caleb Durbin1-for-4, RS
Since promotion: .254/.347/.333 in 72 plate appearances with 7 walks and only 2 strikeouts. The Braves recently DFA’s Lucas Luetge, the pitcher who the Yankees sent over for Durbin (and RHP Indigo Diaz)
LF Jeisson Rosario1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS
6 of Rosario’s 17 hits have gone over the fence. His BABIP is an insanely low .180.
C Anthony Seigler1-for-3
2B Max Burt1-for-3, K
RF Aaron Palensky0-for-2, HBP, SB (1)
Palensky is a perfect 11-for-11 stealing bases between here and Hudson Valley.
DH Mickey Gasper1-for-2, HR (1), RBI, 2 RS, HBP

RHP Clayton Beeter (W, 3-2): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
2.66 ERA (44 IP, 35 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 3 HR, 25 BB, 52 K)
LHP Edgar Barclay1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Barclay’s first appearance of 2023 (and first in Double-A). He pitched to a 1.74 ERA and 33.5% K rate for Hudson Valley last season. He is someone to watch.
RHP Danny Watson1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
While he didn’t strike anyone out in his Double-A debut, he was a K machine for Hudson Valley.
RHP Zac Houston0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio (S, 2): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (27-20) (Lost to Aberdeen, 7-4)

CF Spencer Jones2-for-5, 2 2B (15), RS, 2 K
Jones has 21 doubles (35 extra-base hits) in 64 career games.
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-5, 2 K
C Josh Breaux3-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
One has to assume he will make his way to Scranton soon enough. That will place four catchers in Triple-A: Ben Rortvedt, Rodolfo Duran, Carlos Narvaez, and Breaux. I assume Narvaez will be the one on the way back to Somerset.
DH Spencer Henson2-for-5, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores2-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, BB
.328/.381/.403 in 147 plate appearances. A surprising early entry in the “race” for the organization’s batting crown.
2B Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2 K
He finishes May with a 5-game hitting streak and an overall .333/.400/.439 line.
LF Grant Richardson1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
He hit .203/.284/.329 in May. However, the good news is that he started very slow before coming on strong over the past few weeks.
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-3, BB, K, CS (2)
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-3, BB

RHP Tyrone Yulie (L, 1-3): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, HR
This is a “fascinating” stat line.
RHP Mason Vinyard1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Vinyard’s High-A debut (14 games of 3.33 ERA ball for Tampa)
RHP Carlos Gomez1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Maciejewski’s first appearance since 7/4/22. He pitched to a 2.88 ERA in 34.1 IP for Somerset last season (he had one rough start for Scranton, as well)

Tampa (20-27) (Defeated Bradenton, 2-1, in ten innings)

2B Jared Serna0-for-4, SF, RBI, 3 K
Serna’s 10-game hitting streak is snapped.
RF-CF Daury Arias1-for-5
Arias went 22-for-80 (.275) in May. He hit .167/.254/.250 in April.
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, 2 BB
Ramirez walks it off in the 10th. He has walked seven times in his last two games (18 times in May to go along with his 5 doubles and 4 home runs)
DH Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, BB, K, SB (2)
Hall goes 23-for-68 in May with 17 walks. Again, I can’t imagine him being here for too long.
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, BB, K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-1, RS, SB (7)
Medina has been solid thus far, so let’s hope that any injury he has suffered is short-term.
  PH-RF Felix Negueis0-for-3, 2 K
1B Omar Martinez1-for-4, K, SB (2)
LF Tayler Aguilar0-for-3, BB, K
3B Brett Barrera0-for-4, RS, K

RHP Kris Bow3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Bow’s most impressive outing to date (he struggled in his first two starts of 2023). His experience is limited but he seems to have some good stuff to work with (a mid-90s sinker is always a nice start)
RHP Yorlin Calderon2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
2.38 ERA (22.2 IP, 20 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 27 K). Calderon tossed a 7-inning no-hitter in his debut at this level last year. In 2023, they have kept him in the bullpen with solid results. 
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.14 ERA (21 IP, 16 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 26 K). Some have asked if he can be stretched out to start, given he did a little starting for Clemson. I am sure the Yankees will consider it as they have tried that path with many of their pitching prospects. 
RHP Matt Keating1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.11 ERA (21.1 IP, 16 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 32 K). Even after the promotion of Watson, strong arms remain down here in Tampa.
RHP Cole Ayers: (W, 1-1) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 5/30: Oswald Peraza >>> Triple-A

News:

Some promotions in the organization today, though the top prospects you hear about the most weren’t a part of this wave. I won’t get into all of them.

OF Aaron Palensky, who compiled an insane .352/.434/.744 (205 wRC+) for Hudson Valley, is now in Somerset. This is not his first taste of Double-A. In 2021, he was assigned there instantly after signing with the Yankees. He compiled an impressive 15.3% BB but only hit .216/.360/.378. That isn’t bad for a player who never played at any other professional level. That was likely done out of necessity though and he was appropriately placed in Hudson Valley to start 2022, where he hit .251/.369/.475.  He earned the chance to prove he can hit at the upper levels. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter.

Joining Palensky in Somerset are RHP Danny Watson, who compiled an impressive 39% K rate in Hudson Valley, and LHP Edgar Barclay, who hasn’t pitched in 2023. The 25-year-old compiled an impressive 1.74 ERA and 33.5% K rate for Hudson Valley in 2022. He is already Rule 5 eligible (some were scared that he might get selected last winter)

Unfortunately, with promotions typically come releases. The Yankees have released RHP Justin MaeseRHP Enrique Santana, and OF Alan Mejia. Mejia has his share of fans who look for deep sleepers, but he hasn’t been able to match his .314/.414/.569 line from 2019 (DSL). Maese is a former 3rd round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2015. He has never made it past Double-A.

Scranton (26-26) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 4-1)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, BB, K, SB (11), CS (6)
Florial is now the owner of a 9-game hitting streak (16-for-41; 2 doubles, 6 home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs). Tonight was the first game during the streak where he did not score a run. 
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP, K
Peraza has 6 home runs in his last 9 games. He is not having any struggles at this level.
LF Elijah Dunham0-for-5, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro1-for-4, 2B (7), RS
Chaparro increases his hitting streak to 7. Surprisingly, this is his first extra-base hit during the streak.
RF Kole Calhoun1-for-4, RBI
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-4, 2 K
DH Carlos Narvaez2-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2B (6), RS, CS (1)
2B Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, RBI
Bastidas is an impressive 24-for-68 (.353) in May after his 16-for-78 (.205) April performance.

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 5-1)  6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
3.52 ERA (46 IP, 57 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 4 HR, 11 BB, 44 K). The veteran has done his job, sporting a 2.61 ERA in 31 May innings.
RHP Michael Feliz0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
His organizational debut. He was signed to a minor league contract recently out of the Mexican League (he has plenty of MLB experience)
LHP Nick Ramirez1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Greg Weissert: (S, 5)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Somerset (25-20) (Lost to Portland, 3-1. The Sea Dogs are a challenge for Somerset, given that they are now 31-15)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, SB (8)
Sweeney’s first HR since 5/11. I think the double-digit power will show up. 
3B Josh Donaldson1-for-4
DH Giancarlo Stanton0-for-3, BB
A DH who can’t hit? Not a prospect.
CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-3, BB, K
Dominguez is hitting .237/.357/.419 in May. He was scorching earlier in the month but has since stabilized. 
C Austin Wells0-for-4, K
LF Everson Pereira1-for-1
He was pulled early from the game. Fingers and toes crossed.
   LF Aaron Palensky1-for-3
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin0-for-3, BB
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3

RHP Richard Fitts: (L, 2-4) 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
4.96 ERA (45.1 IP, 51 H, 25 R, 25 ER, 7 HR, 12 BB, 49 K). Back-to-back strong efforts for Fitts (6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K last time out)
RHP Tommy Kahnle1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
It’s all about health for Kahnle, who should be back with the Yankees soon enough.
LHP Lisandro Santos2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.08 ERA (26.1 IP, 12 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 29 K). The age-old question: If Santos improved his control, would that make him more hittable? That’s where the command conversation would start.

Hudson Valley (27-19) (Lost to Aberdeen, 7-0)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, 2 K
Jones is 6-for-42 with 19 strikeouts in his last ten games.
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3, 2B (6), BB, K
Vargas now has a 6-game hitting streak (11-for-27). His triple slash has climbed from .220/.281/.432 to .255/.312/.462.
DH Josh Breaux0-for-4, K
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson1-for-4, K
RF Grant Richardson0-for-3, HBP, K
2B Ben Cowles1-for-3
Cowles is 22-for-65 (.338) in May. 
LF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-2, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3, K

LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 1-3)  3.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
RHP Bailey Dees2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.95 ERA (21.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 34 K). When will he join Watson in Somerset?
LHP Ryan Anderson2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Nick Paciorek1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Tampa (19-27) (Crushed Bradenton, 15-0)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (11)
Serna now owns a 10-game hitting streak. 
DH Daury Arias1-for-3, RBI, 3 RS, 3 BB
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-1, RBI, 2 RS, 5 BB, K
I am sure it has happened – but I don’t remember the last time a Yankees prospect walked five times in a game.
RF Anthony Hall2-for-4, 2B (5), 4 RBI, 2 BB
Hall should find his way up to Hudson Valley soon. He is 22-for-65 (.338) in May with more walks (16) than strikeouts (11).
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-6, 3 K
Escanio’s biggest asset is his ability to take walks – so, naturally, he goes 0-for-6 without a walk on a night that the team walks 16 times.
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
1B Omar Martinez1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB
LF Christopher Familia: 3-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
This is what you call an impressive 2023 debut. Familia hit .207/.295/.362 in 36 games at this level in 2022.
3B Brett Barrera2-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS, K

RHP Hayden Merda: (W, 1-2) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Merda’s has 12 scoreless innings in his last two starts. This is his first professional victory.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Manny Ramirez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Shane Gray1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 5/28: Estevan Florial is Scorching

News:

Mason Vinyard is now a member of the Hudson Valley Renegades, as he was promoted from the Tampa Tarpons according to the Hudson Valley Twitter feed.

Vinyard, a 23-year-old RHP, was signed as an undrafted free agent last year (Western Kentucky). For Tampa, he pitched to a 3.33 ERA in 24.1 innings with a 32/10 K/BB ratio.

RHP Yoendrys Gomez is back from the injured list. He is a 40-man roster guy with one minor league option left. We are nearing the “now or never” part of his career. The talent is there – the health hasn’t been.

Scranton (25-26) (Mauled Worcester, 11-4)

CF Estevan Florial3-for-5, 2B (6), HR (12), 2 RBI, 3 RS, K
Florial now has an 8-game hitting streak (15-for-38; 2 doubles, 6 home runs). He is hitting .322/.437/.643. He is the new organizational HR leader.
3B Josh Donaldson: 2-for-3, 2B (1), HR (1), 2 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
Once a rehabbing player starts playing full games in the field, you know the return is imminent.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RS, HBP, K
.329/.380/.576 in 92 plate appearances. 
LF Kole Calhoun0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, K
Chaparro is starting to feel it again. He is now hitting .263/.332/.492 with 11 home runs, 34 RBI, and 32 runs scored. His K% is a reasonable 20.8.
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 2B (10), RS, 3 K
C Rodolfo Duran1-for-4, RBI, RS
.295/.347/.571 in 121 plate appearances. He continues to maintain that batting average.
DH Carlos Narvaez1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, SB (1)
7-for-32 with ten walks since his promotion.
2B Jamie Westbrook1-for-4, RBI, 3 K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 2-1)  6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
A Donaldson error helped bring home a couple of runs. Warren allowed five HR in his first two Triple-A starts but kept the ball in the park today. He hit the mid-90s with his sinker today and sits just a bit below that. A legit prospect who I would say is nearly ready, but not quite there yet. Ask me again later in the year.
RHP Tommy Kahnle1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
See you soon!
RHP Colten Brewer2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (25-19) (Defeated Erie, 3-2. A nice rebound from the 17-3 loss last night. As they say, the way to take care of momentum in baseball is with the next day’s pitching)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-5, 3 K
Tough day – shake it off.  Sweeney is hitting .230/.366/.324 in 183 PA (8 doubles, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 27 R, 31 BB (16.9%), 41 K (22.4%), 7-for-10 SB)
LF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, 2 K
.207/.369/.400. I would love to see him go on a streak that will put the Mendoza line firmly in the rearview mirror.
CF Everson Pereira2-for-4, 2B (10), 2 K
.280/.346/.510 in 159 PA. He is 26-for-86 (.302/.365/.570) in May.
DH Austin Wells2-for-3, RS, BB
For Somerset (I don’t care about his rehab stint in Tampa): .272/.359/.580 in 92 plate appearances.
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-0
He was listed in the first lineup I saw – but isn’t listed at all in the boxscore. It could have been a GameDay error – but I will just leave it here anyway. Hardman is hitting .226/.300/.492 in 140 plate appearances. 
  PH-3B Max Burt0-for-4, K
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, RS, BB
.241/.331/.440 in 136 PA. His K% is currently 13.97%.
2B Caleb Durbin1-for-4, RS, K
He is now up to two strikeouts in 64 plate appearances since his promotion! His hitting streak is now at five (8-for-20 with two doubles and a triple)
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-4, 3 K
C Mickey Gasper1-for-3, 2B (1), 3 RBI, BB, SB (2)
Gasper obviously had the big knock of the day – a bases-clearing double with one out in the 6th.

RHP Yoendrys Gomez3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
An impressive performance for Gomez in his first appearance of 2023.
LHP Michael Giacone1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
2.21 ERA (20.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 25 K). As I keep saying, this system isn’t loaded with LHP, so pay close attention to the ones they do have.
RHP Justin Wilson: (W, 1-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.86 ERA (16.2 IP, 12 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 13 BB, 16 K). A nice outing after giving up four runs in one inning the last time out.
RHP Indigo Diaz1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: (S, 1)  1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (27-18) (Defeated Wilmington, 8-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (13), 2 RS, BB, SB (11)
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Vargas’ third straight multi-hit game (4th in his last five games). He is 10-for-24 during this stretch.
C Josh Breaux0-for-4, K
Breaux played seven defensive innings tonight.
  C Juan Crisp0-for-0, BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, K
Gomez has driven home at least one run in four straight games.
1B Spencer Henson1-for-5, 3 K
Henson is the proud owner of a 6-game hitting streak (12-for-29)
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-5, RS
LF Grant Richardson1-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS
Richardson is on a 9-game on-base streak (eight of those games feature at least one hit)
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-3, RS, BB
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Cabrera didn’t have a good season for Tampa last year, but he did hit 14 home runs. His issue is the strikeouts – a whopping 37.9% rate last year and a 36.2% rate this year.

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 3-1) 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
Thorpe allowed three runs in the first inning but was able to settle in from there. He owns a 3.92 ERA (43.2 IP, 42 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 18 BB, 52 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.65 ERA (12.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 9 BB, 18 K)
RHP Jack Neely: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.00 ERA (18 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 29 K). Neely’s last eight outs have been via the strikeout.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
1.48 ERA (24.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 39 K)

Tampa (18-27) (Defeated Palm Beach, 3-1)

2B Jared Serna1-for-5, 2 K, SB (10)
Serna is now the owner of a 9-game hitting streak (11-for-37; .297). It isn’t one of those “can’t get this guy out” streaks but it is allowing him to maintain his impressive triple slash: .318/.382/.539 in 170 plate appearances. 
CF Daury Arias1-for-5, 3 K, SB (6)
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-3, RS, BB, K, SB (4)
Of the three catcher types down here (Ramirez, Omar Martinez, Jesus Rodriguez), it is Ramirez who is typically hitting the highest in the lineup. He is hitting .248/.359/.410 in 142 plate appearances.
RF Nelson Medina1-for-4, RS, 2 K
Medina continues to hit well while floating under the radar: .282/.380/.462. He is 22 and plays every outfield position.
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, RS, BB, K
DH Omar Martinez2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI
.238/.370/.410 in 127 PA. Martinez has been slumping lately so he needed this.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-3, BB
3B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, 2 K
.239/.323/.312 in 125 PA. Of the three catcher types, Rodriguez is the one they use in more of a multi-position role (C, 1B, 3B, LF)
1B Ronny Rojas0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Leonardo Pestana1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Pestana’s first appearance since 5/10. 
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 2-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Baron Stuart: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Stuart pitches well in a “bulk” role today. In his two bulk role appearances: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 8 K. Too many walks, but he was struggling as a starter. Perhaps this role gets him on track.
RHP Alex Bustamante (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 5/26: Everson Pereira Homers

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (24-25) (Defeated Worcester, 5-2)

CF Elijah Dunham1-for-5, HR (3), RBI, RS, 3 K
Dunham’s first home run since May 6th. He is hitting .225/.361/.344. I like the walk rate (14.8%) and hopefully the rest of his offense will start rounding into form. 
DH Josh Donaldson0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-5, SB (6)
Peraza is 15-for-39 (.385) since coming back down here with two doubles and five home runs.
LF Kole Calhoun0-for-2, 2 BB, K
3B Andres Chaparro1-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Chaparro is now the proud owner of a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-19). 
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-1, RS, 3 BB
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, K
1B Billy McKinney1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS
McKinney has homered in back-to-back games.
2B Jesus Bastidas2-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB
.255/.321/.404 in 159 PA. After the games of May 14th, his triple slash was .223/.268/.321.

RHP Jhony Brito: (W, 1-0)  5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
I always like to see a kid do well after a demotion. It isn’t easy to go back down to the minors when you get a taste of the majors.
RHP Deivi Garcia2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
3.91 ERA (25.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 19 BB, 26 K)
LHP D.J. Snelten (S, 2): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

Somerset (24-18) (Lost to Erie, 10-4. The Patriots compiled 8 hits and walked 7 times, but couldn’t keep up with Erie, who benefitted from a couple of Somerset errors (five unearned runs))

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Sweeney now has 21 walks in 20 May games. He is hitting .239/.382/.333 in 173 plate appearances.
LF Jasson Dominguez1-for-2, RBI, 3 BB
Dominguez has six walks in his last three games (he has three 3-walk games this season and 11 multi-walk games) 
C Austin Wells0-for-5
CF Everson Pereira1-for-5, HR (7), RBI, RS
Pereira’s hitting streak reached 9 (15-for-35; 2 doubles, 3 HR)
3B Tyler Hardman2-for-5, 2 RBI, 3 K
.233/.309/.508 in 136 PA
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-5, 2B (5)
8-for-17 in his last four games with three doubles and a home run.
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH Anthony Seigler0-for-3, BB
Seigler increases his walk streak to nine games.
2B Max Burt1-for-4, RS

RHP Gray Fenter: (L, 2-2) 4.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
RHP Justin Maese1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Lisandro Santos1.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
RHP Zac Houston1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Houston’s first appearance since 4/27.

Hudson Valley (26-17) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-2)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, BB, 2 K
Jones has run into a brick wall – it shouldn’t last, but sometimes we (“we” includes “me”) have to realize that sometimes there is a reason why a player stays at a particular level.
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 HBP, SB (4)
LF Aaron Palensky2-for-4, 2B (8), 3B (2), RBI, RS, BB, K
.339/.420/.736 in 138 PA. Palensky has earned at least one extra-base hit in four straight games (4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs)
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS, BB, K
1B Spencer Henson3-for-5, HR (8), RBI, RS, K
.282/.361/.540 in 144 plate appearances. Henson is 9-for-16 in his last three games.
C Rafael Flores1-for-5, 2 K
Flores is now on a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-22)
RF Aldenis Sanchez2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI
.253/.333/.400 in 113 PA. He is 15-for-50 in May.
SS Ben Cowles1-for-2, 2B (6), RS, BB, HBP
Cowles is 18-for-55 (.327) in May with four doubles and a home run.
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Juan Carela: (W, 2-2) 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
3.44 ERA (36.2 IP, 29 H, 19 R, 14 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 42 K). Only one of his starts is truly bad (3.1 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 8 ER on 4/29)
LHP Ryan Anderson1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Bailey Dees (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.32 ERA (19 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 30 K)

Tampa (17-26) (Played two and won two against Palm Beach)

Game 1 (Won, 6-2)

2B Jared Serna1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, K
LF Anthony Hall0-for-3, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-3, RS, BB, K
CF Nelson Medina3-for-4, HR (4), RBI, RS, SB (6)
Medina’s second 3-hit game of 2023, as he sets a new personal best for HR in a season.
C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, RS, K
DH Omar Martinez0-for-2, BB, 2 K
.227/.370/.402 in 119 PA. 
3B Brett Barrera1-for-3, 2 RBI, K
Barrera, last year’s 8th-round pick, is only 2-for-24 this season. Hence, I am sure he was relieved to get that 2-run single.
1B Ronny Rojas2-for-3, 2 RS, SB (4)
RF Felix Negueis1-for-2, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB, K
Given that Negueis is an impossible-to-fathom 3-for-54 this season, this double was a welcome sight. His BABIP is an unsightly .065. Suffice it to say, an “unlucky” BABIP is nearly 200 points higher than his.

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 2-3) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.40 ERA (39.2 IP, 38 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 40 K). Selvidge walked 3.59/9 last season. This season, the rate is 1.59/9.
RHP Alex Bustamante1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.37 ERA (19 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 22 K)

Game 2 (Won, 5-2)

2B Jared Serna1-for-4, 2 RS, K, SB (9)
Serna is on a 7-game hitting streak (9-for-28). 9-for-28 doesn’t do anything for Serna’s average, as he is hitting .324 (he was hitting .325 when the streak began)
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, BB
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, HR (5), 4 RBI, RS
Ramirez had a 6-RBI game on 6/14/22.
LF Anthony Hall1-for-3, K, CS (1)
DH Daury Arias0-for-2, BB, K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-3, RS, K
Medina is hitting .283 in 133 PA (7 doubles,1 triple, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 14 R, 18 BB, 43 K)
RF Tayler Aguilar1-for-3, 2B (8), RBI, 2 K
Aguilar has eight doubles in 92 plate appearances. 
3B Beau Brewer0-for-3
1B Ronny Rojas0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (5)

RHP Sean Hermann: (W, 3-4)  5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
5.31 ERA (39 IP, 41 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 32 K). He tossed five scoreless innings his last time out, so maybe he is starting to get into a groove.
RHP Manny Ramirez: (S, 2)   2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 5/25: Estevan Florial Hits a Slam

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (23-25) (Walloped Worcester (the Red Sox affiliate) again, 10-1)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-5, HR (11, GS), 4 RBI, RS, 4 K
If this night doesn’t describe Estevan Florial, what does? He is hitting .313/.433/.619 in 164 PA (4 doubles, 2 triples, 11 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 29 BB (17.7%), 55 K (33.5%), 10-for-15 SB). He has eight home runs in his last ten games. That is absurd.
3B Josh Donaldson1-for-3
The rehab begins.
  PH-3B Wilmer Difo1-for-2, RBI
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-5, HR (5), RBI, RS, 2 K
Peraza has homered in back-to-back games and has four home runs in his last five games. He is hitting .333/.385/.583.
RF Kole Calhoun2-for-5, 3 RS, K
DH Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, HBP
Chaparro is back up to .260/.335/.497 in 194 plate appearances. He is 7-for-16 in his last four games, though it (surprisingly) comes without an extra-base hit.
LF Elijah Dunham3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS
He is starting to collect some hits, but most of the games have been 1-for types. Tonight’s 3-hit effort was much needed.
C Rodolfo Duran: 2-for-3, 2B (10), 2 RBI, RS, HBP
.296/.345/.583 in 116 plate appearances (10 doubles, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 14 R, 6 BB, 23 K). Duran hit .202 in 2021 and .222 last season.
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-4, K
1B Carlos Narvaez1-for-2, 2B (1), 2 RS, 2 BB
Narvaez is 5-for-23 (.217) since his promotion, but that comes with 8 walks (.419 OBP)

RHP Mitch Spence: (W, 4-2)  5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
4.86 ERA (50 IP, 52 H, 32 R, 27 ER, 10 HR, 19 BB, 42 K)
RHP Tommy Kahnle: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
One has to assume he will be back in the Bronx soon.
RHP James Norwood0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colten Brewer1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (24-17) (Lost to Erie, 7-6)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (7)
Sweeney has 19 walks in May. He is 17-for-71 during this stretch (.239)
CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K
.194/.358/.380 in 165 plate appearances. One had to expect some ups and downs at this level – he’ll get hot again.
RF Everson Pereira1-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (7)
Obviously, whatever the reason for him being pulled in the first inning last night was no big deal. Pereira extends his hitting streak to eight (14-for-30). His triple slash has improved from .228/.297/.436 to .282/.349/.504 during the streak.
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, 3B (2), RBI, K
15 of Hardman’s 26 hits have gone for extra bases (.226/.305/.513)
2B Caleb Durbin2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, CS (3)
Durbin now has one strikeout in 56 plate appearances since his promotion (1.8%) and ten in 153 PA overall (6.5%). All the contact is finally leading to some results for Durbin, who has back-to-back multi-hit games and is now hitting .250 for Somerset.
C Anthony Seigler0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
Seigler has walked in eight straight games (11 walks). He is only 2-for-23 in those games.
LF Jeisson Rosario1-for-4, K
DH Max Burt0-for-4, 3 K
1B Eric Wagaman2-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS
Wagaman does have some pop, evidenced by hitting 13 home runs in 69 games last season. He has seven home runs in 35 career Double-A contests.

RHP Clayton Beeter5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
3.03 ERA (38.2 IP, 32 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 49 K). To reach his full potential, he will need to bring that BB rate down. That said, the strikeout rate remains strong.
RHP Indigo Diaz1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
3.12 ERA (17.1 IP, 17 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 15 BB, 25 K)
RHP Justin Wilson (L, 0-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP Michael Giacone1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.86 ERA (19.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 25 K). He has 100 strikeouts in 72.2 career innings.

Hudson Valley (25-17) (After a brutal 10-9 loss last night, they score three in the final two innings to win 10-8 tonight)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
Jones is down to .272/.313/.530 in 163 PA. He is 5-for-34 in his last eight games with 17 strikeouts.
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-5, RBI, RS, K, CS (4)
I was wondering how he might react to his extended slump. So far, he is 6-for-15 in his last three games. 
LF Aaron Palensky: 3-for-5, 2 2B (7), HR (12), 3 RBI, 3 RS, 2 K, SB (9)
His ridiculous triple slash is up to .333/.414/.718 in 133 plate appearances. Palensky is 9-for-17 in his last four games with three doubles and two home runs. 
C Antonio Gomez1-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, RS
It has been a struggle for Gomez, but his double in the top of the 9th gave Hudson Valley the 9-8 lead.
DH Spencer Henson2-for-5, RS
This is a nice follow-up to his four-hit game yesterday. These two games alone have improved his triple slash from .241/.336/.491 to .269/.353/.513.
1B Rafael Flores4-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, K
Flores has a pair of 4-hit games this year (in addition to two 3-hit contests). He is hitting .333/.388/.410 in 134 plate appearances. His BABIP is high, as you may suspect (.444)
RF Grant Richardson2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Richardson now has a 7-game hitting streak (10-for-24). He is getting closer and closer to breaking the .200 barrier (.188).
3B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-5, 2 K
2B Ben Cowles2-for-5, RS, 2 K, SB (4)
Cowles is 17-for-53 (.321) in May after an 11-for-53 (.208) line in April.

RHP Zach Messinger4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
3.12 ERA (40.1 IP, 36 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 18 BB, 46 K). Back-to-back less-than-ideal efforts, but one has to expect that from Messinger, who is still a newbie in the world of being a starting pitcher.
RHP Enrique Santana2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Danny Watson (W, 3-1): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
1.54 ERA (23.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 39 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.16 ERA (16.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 25 K). Both Watson and Neely are legitimate relief prospects who should find themselves in Double-A soon enough.

Tampa (15-26) (Lost to Palm Beach, 6-5, in ten innings ) – Due to a late start to Game 1, Game 2 was postponed. Hence, Game 1 was converted into a 9-inning game instead of a 7-inning game. Tomorrow, they will try to play two. Got it? Good.

SS Jared Serna2-for-5, 2B (7), HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Serna is up to .328 (7 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 24 R, 15 BB, 19 K, 8-for-11 SB). He is on a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-20; 3 HR) and all eight of his home runs have come in May (19 games)
DH Brenny Escanio1-for-5, 2 K
CF Daury Arias2-for-4, BB, K
Arias is 8-for-26 (.308) with four walks in his last seven games.
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-5, 3 K
LF Tayler Aguilar1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Omar Martinez0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-5, RS
2B Beau Brewer1-for-5
RF Alan Mejia1-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 K
His two-run single in the 8th tied the game at five. After an encouraging 2021 season in the DSL, he hasn’t been able to get much going since moving to the States.

RHP Kris Bow1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
Bow is still getting his feet wet after a late start to his season.
RHP Shane Gray2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
4.73 ERA (13.1 IP, 15 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 15 K). Gabonia hasn’t allowed a home run in 34.1 professional innings.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.63 ERA (17.1 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 22 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez: (L, 0-1)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Ghost runner was moved to third and scored on a sac fly.

Yankees MILB 5/21: Drew Thorpe: 6 Scoreless Innings

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (21-24) (Lost to Charlotte, 4-2)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-4, HR (9), RBI, RS, BB
Florial has homered in three straight games (6 HR in the last 7 games). He is up to .311/.439/.605.
DH Kole Calhoun:  1-for-5, 3B (1), RS
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, RBI, K
Chaparro’s first multi-hit game since his 5-for-5 night on 5/9.
LF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, BB, 2 K
Dunham has ten walks in his last ten games.
RF Franchy Cordero2-for-5, 2 2B (7)
He has seven doubles in 15 games since his demotion.
C Rodolfo Duran1-for-4, K
1B Billy McKinney0-for-3, BB, 3 K
2B Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, 2 K, CS (4)
Bastidas’ hitting streak reaches five and he has reached base at least once in all 14 May contests.
SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, HBP, SB (11)
Difo has six stolen bases in his last four games.

RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 2-3) 2.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Deivi Garcia1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
4.24 ERA (23.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 17 BB, 21 K)
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Matt Krook1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 12 BB, 29 K). He should make his MLB debut at some point this season.
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (23-15) (Lost to Reading, 3-1)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-5, RS, 3 K
A little 2-for-23 slump has dropped his line to .246/.386/.352. I think some power will show up as the season goes along.
LF Jasson Dominguez:  1-for-5, 2 K, CS (2)
A little 3-for-21 slump has dropped his line to .197/.360/.393. 
DH Austin Wells1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
In addition to his 7 HR in 14 games at this level, he has also driven home 19 runs and scored 13 runs.
CF Everson Pereira3-for-4, SB (6)
Pereira has two 3-hit games in his last six games played. He is 21-for-67 (.313) in May with four doubles and five home runs. On the season, he is up to .282/.331/.508 in 137 plate appearances. After games of 5/4, he was at .232/.303/.391.
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin0-for-3, BB
Durbin has struck out once in 44 plate appearances since his promotion (2.3%)
RF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, BB
Lockridge is on a 7-game hitting streak (8-for-21; 7 BB)
C Anthony Seigler0-for-3, BB, K
1B Eric Wagaman1-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 2-2)  5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
5.79 ERA (32.2 IP, 29 H, 21 R, 21 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 30 K). Last 3 starts: 3.57 ERA (17.2 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 18 K)
LHP Michael Giacone1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
1.96 ERA (18.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 23 K)
RHP Justin Wilson1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Indigo Diaz1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.65 ERA (16.1 IP, 14 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 23 K)

Hudson Valley (23-16) (Split a doubleheader with Brooklyn)

Game 1 (Lost, 6-0)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, 3 K
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3, SB (7)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, K
.208/.286/.274 in 121 plate appearances (4 doubles, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, 11 BB (9.1%), 41 K (33.9%))
DH Rafael Flores0-for-3, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson0-for-3, K
LF Grant Richardson1-for-2, BB, SB (5)
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-3, SB (3)
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-3, K
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-2, K

RHP Chase Hampton: (L, 1-1) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
3.10 ERA (29 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 49 K). A 15.21 K/9 works (as does the 40%+ K rate). 
RHP Nick Paciorek0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.92 ERA (12.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 15 K)
RHP Jack Neely0.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
2.30 ERA (15.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 22 K)
RHP Harold Cortijo0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.20 ERA (19.2 IP, 17 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 25 K)

Game 2  (Won, 3-2, in 9 innings)

DH Spencer Jones1-for-4, RS
Jones is hitting .285 with a .882 OPS
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-4, RBI, RS
C Rafael Flores1-for-4, K
He broke up the perfect game in the 5th inning.
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, K
CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
Walk-off RBI single.
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-3, RS, K, SB (9)
3B Ben Cowles0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
2B Luis Santos1-for-3, 2B (1), K

RHP Drew Thorpe6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
3.55 ERA (38 IP, 36 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 16 BB, 45 K)
RHP Danny Watson1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
1.69 ERA (21.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 9 BB, 35 K). He is having one of the best seasons amongst relievers in the Yankees’ system.
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 2-1)  1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (14-25) (Defeated Dunedin, 9-1)

2B Jared Serna1-for-4, RS, BB
.331/.406/.559 in 143 PA. He is 24-for-69 (.348) in May with all seven of his home runs. 
CF Daury Arias1-for-5, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.240/.363/.390 in 124 plate appearances.
DH Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
.253/.367/.398 in 98 plate appearances. He is 17-for-50 in May with nine walks. I expect him to get to Hudson Valley at some point this season.
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (4), SF, RBI, K
RF Nelson Medina0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar1-for-4, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, 3 RS, BB
.256/.333/.344 in 103 plate appearances. He now has 7 games at catcher, 10 games at first base, 7 games at third base, and 2 games in left field.
1B Ronny Rojas2-for-4, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS

RHP Tommy Kahnle1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Kahnle hit 96.6 on the gun.
RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 1-2)  3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Stuart’s first professional win – congrats!
RHP Luis Velasquez1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.29 ERA (21 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 22 K). Batters are hitting .101 against him and he owns a 3.56 GO/AO.
RHP Manny Ramirez2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.50 ERA (18 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 22 K). He has yet to allow a home run in 23 professional innings.

Yankees MILB 5/20: Austin Wells Homers

News:

The Yankees have signed RHP Michael Feliz to a minor league deal.

Feliz, soon to be 30, has 228 games of MLB experience, recording a 17-9 record with one save and an ugly 5.29 ERA over 250 innings. His calling card is his ability to miss bats, given his 29.9% career strikeout rate. However, he also owns a 1.5 HR/9 and walks batters at a 9.9% rate. He had enough talent for the Pirates to take him as a part of the package from the Astros for Gerrit ColeWhile he was never ranked on a Top 100 Prospects list, he did make it to the Futures Game in 2014.

This season, he pitched down in the Mexican League, where he allowed one run in 8.1 innings with a 13/2 K/BB ratio. For now, Feliz is depth, but he has the type of arm that could tantalize the Yankees enough to give him a chance if a need arises.

Scranton (21-23) (Lost to Charlotte, 7-5)

LF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-5, 2B (3), RS
Peraza has a 10-game Triple-A hitting streak and is 10-for-20 in his last five games. He is hitting .362/.413/.569 in 14 games.
1B Andres Chaparro0-for-4, BB, K, SB (3)
First 7 games:  0-for-27
Next 25 games: 34-for-94 (.362), 10 HR
Latest 9 games:  4-for-36 (.111), 1 HR
RF Franchy Cordero1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
3B Jesus Bastidas2-for-3, 2 BB, CS (3)
Bastidas has at least one hit in ten of his last 11 games (he drew a walk in the other game)
C Carlos Narvaez3-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Narvaez was 0-for-15 since his promotion entering tonight. If you are going to break out, this is how you do it.
  PR Wilmer Difo: 0-for-1, RS, SB (10)
Difo has five stolen bases in his last three games.
CF Billy McKinney1-for-3, BB, K
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-2, 2 BB, K
DH Michael Hermosillo1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K

RHP Mitch Spence6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Spence did a nice job settling in after a 4-run second inning. Season: 5.28 ERA (44.1 IP, 45 H, 31 R, 26 ER, 10 HR, 17 BB, 39 K). In May: 3.00 ERA (24 IP, 21 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 20 K)
RHP Barrett Loseke1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.50 ERA (18 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 10 BB, 18 K). Loseke is already Rule 5 eligible and is auditioning for a job here – both for the Yankees’ system and elsewhere.
RHP James Norwood (L, 0-2): 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Somerset (23-14) (Lost to Reading, 6-5)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-5
CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
C Austin Wells: 2-for-5, HR (7), RBI, RS, K
Wells is up to 19 HR in 69 games at the Double-A level. Complete dominance.
RF Everson Pereira1-for-3, 2B (9), SF, RBI, K
He now owns a 5-game hitting streak. In his last seven games: 11-for-24 with two doubles and three home runs. He is hitting .267/.331/.508.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, 2B (3), HR (6), 2 RBI, RS, K
.219/.322/.438 in 115 plate appearances. His BABIP is .200 and his strikeout rate is only 15.7%.
3B Caleb Durbin1-for-3, BB, 2 SB (9)
If this kid makes it to MLB, he has “fan favorite” kind of potential. He makes a lot of contact (7.3% K between here and Hudson Valley), steals bases (24), and can play multiple positions. 
LF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, BB, K
He hit 12 HR in 2019, 13 HR in 2021, and 14 HR in 2022. He will need to get on a hot streak in the power department to keep the pattern going (remember, there wasn’t a season in 2020)
2B Max Burt0-for-4, 2 K
DH Mickey Gasper0-for-3, HBP, K

RHP Gray Fenter3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
3.96 ERA (25 IP, 18 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 31 K)
RHP Justin Maese2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Steven Jennings: (L, 2-2) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.63 ERA (8 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 9 K)

Hudson Valley (22-15) 

The game against Brooklyn was postponed. They posted the lineup prior to the postponement, so I will throw a few notes in below.

CF Spencer Jones0-for-0
At some point, the Yankees will determine that Jones needs to be moved to Somerset regardless of his less-than-ideal strikeout rate. I continue to think they will do so once he cuts down the strikeout rate (33.6%) to a more reasonable level. In case you are wondering, Aaron Judge compiled a 25.3% K rate in 66 High-A games back in 2014 and never saw the level again (.283/.411/.442).
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-0
His 95 wRC+ is a vast improvement over 68 wRC+ from last year. I just need to see him break out of his recent slump. 
C Antonio Gomez0-for-0
Gomez’s glove has never been an issue. Last season, he gunned down 30.6% of base stealers. In 2023, the number is 27.8%. In 2023, the MLB average is 21%, which happens to be the rate that Yankees’ catchers are at. So, defense shouldn’t be an issue. The offense is where Gomez must find an above-average trait. Last season, he compiled a 103 wRC+, a number that would be fine as a defense-first MLB catcher. Of course, Gomez did that in the low minors and hasn’t been able to get into any kind of groove in 2023 (57 wRC+)
DH Rafael Flores0-for-0
Flores catches and plays first base. He is off to a .333/.389/.422 start in 102 plate appearances.
1B Spencer Henson0-for-0
LF Grant Richardson0-for-0
2B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-0
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-0
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-0

RHP Chase Hampton0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Hampton’s first professional season has been successful, thus far. In 23.2 innings, he has posted a 3.04 ERA (2.53 FIP) with a 41.6% K rate and 8.9% BB rate. I wouldn’t rush him up to Double-A, but sometimes players force the issue.

Tampa (13-25)

They had this afternoon off (which is why they played a doubleheader yesterday)

Yankees MILB 5/19: Oswald Peraza Goes Off

News:

The Yankees have acquired some outfield depth tonight, as they acquire old friend Greg Allen from the Red Sox for minor league RHP Diego Hernandez. Allen hit .186/.260/.271 in 46 games for the Pirates in 2022 with an 8-for-10 stolen base rate. In Pawtucket this season, he hit .250/.407/.388 in 151 plate appearances with a perfect 23-for-23 stolen base rate. If you recall, Allen played in 15 games for the offensively-challenged 2021 Yankees, hitting .270/.417/.432 with four doubles. While that is an impressive small sample line, it doesn’t match up to his .232/.299/.336 career line. He brings a lot of speed – essentially he is up there with someone like Tim Locastro

Allen invoked a clause in his contract that stated that they needed to either promote him or trade him if another organization was offering him an MLB roster spot. So, expect him to make a trip out to Cincinnati.

Hernandez is a young pitcher (18) who pitched to a 2.10 ERA in 12 games (five starts) for the DSL squad last year.

Scranton (21-22) (Mauled Charlotte, 17-4)

CF Estevan Florial: 4-for-5, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Florial is hitting .313/.441/.591 in 143 plate appearances. He has five home runs in his last six games. Wow.
SS Oswald Peraza: 4-for-5, 2 HR (3), 5 RBI, 4 RS, BB
What is he doing here?  He is hitting .358/.414/.566 in 13 games at this level with 11 RBI. I know it is hard to fit him into the MLB infield, but wow – he already proved last year that he was beyond Triple-A.
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, 2 BB
Dunham reaches base three times as he tries to get his season going. 
LF Kole Calhoun2-for-4, HR (4), 4 RBI, 3 RS, 2 HBP
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
It can be very easy for a player who tastes MLB to come down here and sulk. Cordero is hitting .370 with a 1.016 OPS.
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-6, K
There is always one player who misses the party. Do something big tomorrow!
1B Billy McKinney2-for-3, RBI, RS, 3 BB
3B Jamie Westbrook0-for-6, RS, K
2B Jesus Bastidas2-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, 4 RS, BB, HBP, K
.246/.307/.385 in 137 plate appearances. He is 5-for-10 in his last three games with two home runs and eight (yes, eight) runs scored.

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
LHP D.J. Snelten2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Aaron McGarity2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
The line may not impress – but he did what you want a pitcher to do in this spot – throw strikes.

Somerset (23-13) (Squeaked past Reading, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Sweeney continues to draw a lot of walks from the top of the lineup. He owns a .259/.406/.375 triple slash over 143 plate appearances with 27 walks (18.9%). 
LF Jasson Dominguez0-for-5, RBI, 2 K
DH Austin Wells0-for-4, BB, K
CF Everson Pereira1-for-3, 2 BB
.265/.333/.504 in 129 plate appearances. He is not a walking machine (this is his first multi-BB game of the season) but he does own a decent enough 9.3% BB.
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, BB
Rumfield walks it off with a sacrifice fly. 
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin2-for-3, 2 RS, BB, CS (2)
I think it is accurate to think of Durbin as a pesky type of hitter. He is hitting .200 (6-for-30) since his promotion but has walked four times with only one strikeout (He has ten strikeouts in 133 PA between here and Hudson Valley)
C Anthony Seigler1-for-2, 2 BB
.212/.376/.242 in 85 interesting plate appearances. While power doesn’t appear to be a big part of his game, he does need something better than a .242 SLG!
RF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K

RHP Clayton Beeter: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
3.48 ERA (33.2 IP, 31 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 3 HR, 18 BB, 43 K). His last two starts haven’t been sharp after his big 6 IP, 11 K performance on 5/5.
RHP Tanner Myatt1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.62 ERA (16.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 20 K). His season isn’t just an audition for the Yankees.
LHP Lisandro Santos (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
2.49 ERA (21.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 28 K). This pretty much matches up with his career before coming here – a lot of strikeouts, a lot of walks. 

Hudson Valley (22-15) (Lost to Brooklyn, 6-1)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-5, 3 K
.292/.329/.589 in 140 plate appearances. The biggest blemish is the 8/47 BB/K ratio.
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4
Vargas is down to .225/.289/.450 in 121 plate appearances after a red-hot start. He is 2-for-23 in his last five games. This is the big test – can he rebound from an extended slump?
C Antonio Gomez0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores2-for-4, 2 K
Flores increases his hitting streak to 9. He is hitting an impressive .333/.389/.422 in 113 plate appearances.
DH Spencer Henson0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS
Richardson is off to a tough start (.138/.225/.263) after hitting 16 home runs and slugging .445 in 90 games last season. Maybe this night will get him going.
3B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-4
2B Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2 K
Cowles increases his on-base streak to 14.

RHP Juan Carela: (L, 1-2)  5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
4.15 ERA (30.1 IP, 26 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 39 K). The 21-year-old is pitching fine thus far. 
RHP Enrique Santana0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since moving to Hudson Valley: 8 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 9 K
LHP Clay Aguilar1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.97 ERA (11.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 18 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (13-25) (Split a doubleheader with Dunedin)

Game 1 (Lost, 4-3, in eight innings)

SS Jared Serna1-for-4
This was just the appetizer for his Game 2 performance…
LF Anthony Hall1-for-4, RS, K
.250/.355/.400 in 93 plate appearances. In May, he is 16-for-47 (.340/.436/.511). He is catching on to this level, which was expected.
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, RS
.229/.353/.385 in 119 plate appearances.  He has 19 walks and 19 strikeouts (15.97% in each category)
PR Brett Barrera0-for-0
DH Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RBI, RS
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4, 2 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, K
RF Tayler Aguilar0-for-2, RBI, BB, K
2B Beau Brewer0-for-2, RBI, BB
1B Ronny Rojas0-for-2, BB

RHP Justin Lange4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
3.81 ERA (28.1 IP, 15 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 0 HR, 19 BB, 53 K). There is a lot to digest in his stat line – but I will keep hammering home the point that this kid has rawness in his game that needs to be ironed out. That’s why the minor leagues exist.
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
5.56 ERA (11.1 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 13 K). 
RHP Shane Gray (L, 0-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
5.03 ERA (19.2 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 30 K). The strikeouts standout as the highlight.

Game 2 (Won, 2-1)

DH Jared Serna: 2-for-2, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
The first HR was a leadoff home blast and this is his first career multi-HR game. Serna has the potential to develop into a leadoff type of hitter – we are still a while away from that, of course. On the year, he is now hitting .333/.406/.569 in 138 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 20 R, 14 BB, 16 K, 8-for-11 SB). The seven home runs are a new personal best (he hit six last year)
CF Daury Arias1-for-3, 2B (6)
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-1, 2 BB
.202/.314/.244 in 141 plate appearances with 11 stolen bases in 14 attempts. 
RF Nelson Medina0-for-3, 2 K
.280/.371/.460 in 116 plate appearances (7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 20 RBI, 12 R, 14 BB, 37 K, 5-for-6 SB)
1B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3
C Omar Martinez0-for-1, 2 BB
.253/.393/.448 in 107 plate appearances. He has a .391 career OBP in 524 plate appearances.
2B Brett Barrera0-for-3
3B Beau Brewer0-for-2
LF Felix Negueis0-for-2

RHP Sean Hermann: (W, 2-4)  5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
5.56 ERA (34 IP, 37 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 28 K). What do I expect from a 19-year-old at this level? An improvement as the season goes on. I don’t expect him to become a pitching prodigy who flies up the system. 
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
2.50 ERA (18 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 23 K)
RHP Cole Ayers (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.11 ERA (15.1 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 19 K)