Category: Uncategorized

Yankees MILB 7/3: Agustin Ramirez Homers

News:

RHP Phil Bickford refused an outright assignment and is now a free agent. Further analysis is not required.

Scranton (46-36)  (Split a doubleheader against Lehigh Valley)

Game 1 (Lost, 4-2)

3B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, 2B (3), BB
Vivas has a 9-game hitting streak and a 14-game on-base streak.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, RS, SB (3), BB, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-2, SB (26), BB
Lockridge is tied for 3rd in the International League in stolen bases. He has played in many fewer games than those above him.
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-2, SB (6),BB
SS Jeter Downs: 1-for-1, RBI, HBP, BB
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Tanner Tully: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
How much more time does Effross need? Good question. They may use his entire rehab clock before deciding to bring him up (because he is coming back from an elbow injury, the Yankees will have the option to request more rehab time)
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (L, 2-1): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR

Game 2 (Won, 9-6)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-2, RS, CI, BB, 2 K
In case you are wondering: Catcher’s interference does not increase an on-base streak. So, he needed that walk to increase his on-base streak to 15.
2B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, RS, SAC
1B Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-2, HR (2), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Doubleheader: 2-for-5, HR, RBI, 3 R, SB, 2 BB, 2 K. That doesn’t light the world on fire, but he needed a day like this. Between here and Somerset, he has 18 HR, 55 RBI, 52 runs, and 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Another strong game for Rumfield.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-3, 2B (11), 2 RS, SAC, K
Lockridge is at .292 with a .798 OPS. He has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games. He was hitting .177 at the end of April.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, HBP, K
Narvaez entered tonight hitting .283/.333/.550 against LHP this season. Is that relevant for the MLB team? Hmmm.
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, 2 K
LF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, K
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RBI, K

RHP Matt Sauer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Sauer’s first start since being returned from the Royals.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
3.07 ERA (29.1 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 31 K)
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.39 ERA (41 IP, 29 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 24 BB, 58 K)
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez: (W, 1-0) 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Seriously – what happened to him? He wasn’t a star in Los Angeles but he was useful. 
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (39-39) (Defeated Reading, 5-4)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Jones extends his hitting streak to 7 (10-for-31, 5 doubles, 3 HR)
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 3 K
CF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RS
Dunham increases his hitting streak to 12.
3B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2B (17), RS, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 3-for-4, 2B (14), 3 RBI, RS, K
.224/.316/.398 in 228 PA. He has two 3-hit efforts in his last three games.
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, K

LHP Ben Shields: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
It was a solid Double-A debut for Shields, who continues his strong debut season.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Jesus Liranzo (W, 3-1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kevin Stevens (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.89 ERA (28 IP, 23 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 44 K). He is fun to watch, as he missed the entire 2023 season but has put together an eye-opening campaign in 2024.

Hudson Valley (39-37) (Lost to Brooklyn, 4-0. They didn’t score for the second straight night)

CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
He left the game early on Monday. It’s nice to see him back in the lineup tonight.
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB
Serna is in a little 2-for-16 slump. He tends to be streaky, I am finding out.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
.233/.379/.393 in 256 PA. He owns an 18.4% BB rate.
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, CI, K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2 K
3B Beau Brewer: 2-for-4, K
When the bottom of your order goes 4-for-8, you need to score runs!

LHP Kyle Carr: (L, 0-5) 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Carr pitched well tonight – with two outs in the 6th, he allowed a 2-run homer that tarnished his line. It’s one of those things that annoys prospect followers but doesn’t erase all the good that happened. Season: 5.95 ERA (59 IP, 64 H, 47 R, 39 ER, 5 HR, 37 BB, 53 K)
RHP Trent Sellers: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
3.59 ERA (46.2 IP, 33 H, 26 R, 19 ER, 2 HR, 31 BB, 59 K). It’s all about throwing more strikes, which is the case for so many prospects.

Tampa (27-47) (They were supposed to play two games against Lakeland. Game 1 was played, Game 2 was postponed due to rain)

Game 1 (Lost, 10-6)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, 2 RS
Lombard Jr’s power hasn’t shown itself much this season, but it’s there. His .332 SLG doesn’t jump out at you, but it is his 2024 high-water mark. I would not be shocked if he showed extra power for the last few months of the season. I can’t believe we are already talking about the last few months of the season!
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
I talk him up because I like prospects like this. He can play a lot of positions, make contact, steal bases, etc. His ceiling may be nothing more than Ronald Torreyes with added speed. If he becomes that, it is an organizational win.
2B Roderick Arias: 3-for-4
Arias has three 3-hit efforts this season (16 multi-hit games). 
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, 2B (13), RS
DH Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 3B (3), RS, K
LF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, 2B (14), SF, 2 RBI, RS, K
.253/.304/.368 in 276 PA. He starts July with a solid game after his .376/.404/.588 (32 hits) effort in June.
C Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-2, RBI, BB
Gonzalez is another interesting catching prospect in an organization filled with them.
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-3, K

RHP Luis Serna (L, 2-5): 3.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Serna cruised through three innings but allowed 8 runs in the 4th.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Cohen’s rehab stint continues. He made it as high as Double-A Somerset in 2023.

FCL (26-14)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Yankees (9-12)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (12-8)

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 6/26: Sebastian Keane Tosses 6 Scoreless Innings

News:

LHP Victor Gonzalez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Scranton. He couldn’t decline the outright. He will serve as depth for the remainder of 2024.

RHP Scott Effross will report to Scranton for the remainder of his rehab. Scranton’s game was postponed tonight, so expect him to get into one of tomorrow’s games. It shouldn’t be long before he is activated.

C/3B/OF/Everything Jesus Rodriguez was placed on the injured list for Somerset. Rodriguez is having a big season, hitting .327/.412/.504 with a 156 wRC+. He is the organizational leader in batting average and wRC+ among players in full-season leagues.

C/1B Rafael Flores was promoted from Hudson Valley to replace Rodriguez. The 23-year-old earned the promotion by hitting .285/.403/.466 (145 wRC+) in 233 PA. This was his second season at the level, but he only played four games in the FCL and skipped Low-A.

Former Yankees prospect Armando Alvarez went 3-for-5 in his MLB debut for Oakland. Alvarez is a story you root for: He is 29 years old with 700 minor league games. He was with the Yankees from 2016 to 2022 after being drafted in the 17th round out of Eastern Kentucky. When looking at Baseball Reference, he is the 8th player from Eastern Kentucky to make MLB—his big night already jumped him to 3rd on the bWAR list. Alvarez is why minor league free agency exists. It allows him to shop his services around. He landed in Oakland after spending one season in the Giants organization. While he never appeared in a game for the Yankees, he should be considered a developmental/scouting success for the organization.

Scranton (43-32) 

Their game against Worcester was postponed.  They will try a Thursday doubleheader.

Somerset (34-36) (Scored four runs in the first inning and that was enough in a 4-3 win over Richmond)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 4 K
Jones is hitting better but the strikeouts remain at a less-than-ideal rate (35.2%). In 78 PA after his promotion last season, he struck out at a 28.2% rate. 
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, RS, SB (13)
Cowles now has a 7-game hitting streak. His June numbers are looking better (.256/.326/.378).
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
A nice Double-A debut for Flores.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, RS, BB
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
Seigler has 3 multi-RBI games in his last five games played.  He is hitting .201/.296/.374 in 203 PA. He hasn’t hit for average in June (.196) but is reaching base and showing some pop (.328 OBP/.446 SLG). I am not trying to convince you that he is a prospect again. I am simply highlighting a solid stretch of games.
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2B (10), 2 RBI
Wegner has 6 doubles in his last 8 games (4 in his first 42 games). Baseball randomness is fascinating.
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Selvidge struck out the final two batters he faced. Season: 3.75 ERA in 74.1 IP (64 H, 40 R, 31 ER, 4 HR, 36 BB, 72 K). The walks are on the high side (he has already walked more batters this year than last year (35 in 127.2 IP), but he keeps the ball in the ballpark (11 HR allowed in 248.1 career innings).
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
A much-needed clean inning for Watson. 
RHP Kevin Stevens (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.42 ERA (26 IP, 21 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 42 K). You know what? Minor league stats aren’t everything, but these stats still stand out.

Hudson Valley (36-34) (Shut down Wilmington, 5-0. The game was called in the 8th inning due to rain)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RS, K
Riggio has 6 extra-base hits in his last 9 games (13 in his first 43 games). On June 14th, he owned a .327 SLG. It is now .385.
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, HR (12), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Serna is putting that 0-for-20 in his rearview mirror. He is hitting .265/.361/.481 in 305 PA (20 doubles, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 47 R, 11.8% BB, 17.7% K). He continues to be impressively productive. As for a promotion, he played 107 games for Tampa before getting to Hudson Valley. He has played 94 games at this level. I don’t think it is far off.
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, 2B (20), RS, HBP
Avina has a 5-game hitting streak that features four extra-base hits (3 doubles, 1 home run). After solid efforts in April and May, he has slumped in June. Like Serna, perhaps he is breaking out of it.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Martinez is 7-for-24 (.292) with a homer and 4 RBI in his last 6 games. 
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, 3B (2), K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RS, BB
Moylan has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-18, 1 double, 2 HR).
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-1, SB (7), CS (3), HBP, BB
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, 2 K
DH Beau Brewer: 1-for-3, K

RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 6-5)  6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
4.55 ERA (63.1 IP, 59 H, 33 R, 32 ER, 6 HR, 29 BB, 60 K). Keane is pitching as expected, given this is his first full season of starting as a professional. I will note that, for the most part, he has kept his team in the game even on days he struggles.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The zeroes keep coming for Reyzelman (8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 14 K). Health is his only concern. He has the ability to move fast up the chain.
RHP Huey Morrill: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (26-44) (Lost a shootout to Fort Myers, 11-9)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, RS, SB (21), CS (2), BB
Lombard Jr. has reached base 9 times in his last three games (5-for-12, 2 doubles, 4 BB). Furthermore, in his last 10 games, he is 12-for-38 (.316) with 4 doubles, a homer, 6 walks, and a 6-for-7 SB rate. I won’t call this his breaking-out party, but one of the fascinating (often annoying) aspects of following prospects is the sudden breakout party. You never know when (or if) it will happen.
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-5, RS, SB (18)
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 3B (7), RBI, SB (19), CS (9), BB, K
His raw talent continues to carry him (10 doubles, 7 triples, 6 HR, 43 RBI in 67 games) while the rest of his game tries to develop (110 strikeouts in 308 PA).
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RS, SB (10), BB, K
The 21-year-old has played well while occupying center field (42 starts in 2024). If he is a true center fielder, he has prospect value.
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (5), HBP, 3 K
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Coby Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, 4 SB (19), K
I have pointed this out before, but it is worth repeating: Morales stole one base in college (plus one in a college summer league). Low-A baseball can be crazy, but 19 stolen bases (and four in one night) for Coby Morales? That goes beyond crazy.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
His development will be a process. Not only is he inexperienced, he stands 6’8″. Don’t expect him to fly through the system.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Montana Semmel: (L, 4-4)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

FCL (24-13)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Yankees (6-11)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (10-6)

Scheduled day off.

 

Yankees MILB 5/27: Oswald Peraza Homers Again

News:

C Josh Breaux began his rehab stint tonight down in Hudson Valley. He will join a crowded field of upper-level catchers when he eventually reports to Scranton.

Scranton (24-26) (Lost to Worcester, 11-7)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, BB, K
Florial continues to maintain his 1.000+ OPS (.312/.432/.616). He is now on a 7-game hitting streak that features a double and five home runs.
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS
Peraza’s Triple-A career: .273/.337/.469 in 547 PA (19 doubles, 26 HR, 68 RBI, 74 R, 40 BB, 119 K, 41-for-48 SB). Top prospects aren’t even supposed to linger in Triple-A. That isn’t how player development works.
RF Kole Calhoun: 0-for-4, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, RS, BB
1B Billy McKinney: 1-for-3, RS, K
  1B Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-0, BB
SS Jesus Bastidas: 3-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, RS, K
.269/.331//434 in 163 PA. The under-the-radar utility type is 23-for-64 (.359/.453/.578) in May (4 HR, 9 RBI, 16 R)
2B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K, SB (12)
Difo has seven stolen bases in his last six games.

RHP Aaron McGarity: (L, 4-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
McGarity, typically a reliever, was taking Randy Vasquez‘s slot today.
RHP James Norwood: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
Norwood, who has 48 games of MLB experience, has struggled this season. The one positive is the 29 K in 17.2 IP.
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
2.45 ERA (22 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 11 BB, 24 K)
RHP Matt Bowman: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Gomez: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.51 ERA (14.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 22 K)

Somerset (24-19) (Lost to Erie, 17-3)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, 2B (8), RS, 2 K
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Dominguez is 5-for-14 in his last four games with six walks.
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, 2B (4), BB
Wells has slowed down a tad after his insane hot streak – good to see him earn his first extra-base hit in five games.
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3B (1), RS, SB (10)
Durbin’s third straight multi-hit game. Between here and Hudson Valley, Durbin is 25-for-29 in the stolen base department. As for the “strikeout watch,” he now has one strikeout in 60 plate appearances since his promotion.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (4)
DH Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 2-3) 4.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 3 HR
RHP Steven Jennings: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
RHP Tanner Myatt:  0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, HR
Myatt was throwing pretty well this season but the walks finally catch up to him.
RHP Shawn Semple: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (26-18) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-5)

SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-5, 2B (4), 2 RS, K
Vargas has three multi-hit games in his last four games played (8-for-20). He is hitting .246/.297/.449.
LF Aaron Palensky: 3-for-4, 2B (9), RBI, RS, HBP, SB (10)
Palensky has seven 3+ hit games this season. This is his 5th consecutive multi-hit game (13-for-21; 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs)
DH Josh Breaux: 3-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K
A successful rehab game for Breaux.
  PR Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-0
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, BB
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, RS
Cowles, who was hitting .208 at the end of April, is up to .277 (.818 OPS) thanks to a 20-for-59 (.339) May. 
2B Luis Santos: 1-for-3, BB, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, 2 HR
3.15 ERA (34.1 IP, 27 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 5 HR, 13 BB, 59 K). Is the 22-year-old strikeout machine on a fast track to Somerset in his first professional season?
RHP Carlos Gomez (L, 2-2): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
3.18 ERA (14.2 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 21 K)

Tampa (17-27) (Lost a tough one to Palm Beach, 7-6. The Cardinals scored three in the bottom of the 9th to win)

DH Jared Serna: 1-for-4
Serna’s hitting streak has reached 8. He is hitting .322/.388/.550 in 165 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 15 BB, 21 K, 9-for-12 SB). He has been so good that his average has actually dropped slightly during his hitting streak.
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 BB, CS (2)
Hall is seeing the ball well here now and should get himself to Hudson Valley at some point. He is hitting .255/.386/.383 in 114 PA with 19 BB (16.7%) and 21 K (18.4%). In May, Hall is hitting .328/.461/.459.
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-4, HR (2, GS), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K
Arias hit 13 HR in 97 rookie league games, so he showed off some pop before reaching the world of a full-season league. 
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
.228/.366/.396 in 123 PA. This is his 7th start behind the plate (17 at first base)
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB
2B Brett Barrera: 0-for-4, K
3B Beau Brewer: 1-for-4, RS
LF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, K, CS (1)

RHP Justin Lange: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
I am hoping he was pulled due to the 41 pitches he tossed in the first inning.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.33 ERA (24.1 IP, 15 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 32 K). According to Savant, Vinyard throws a sinker, slider, and change. The sinker is in the 91-94 range.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Gilbert throws in the low 90s. Season: 2.25 ERA (20 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 26 K)
RHP Matt Keating (L, 3-3): 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Keating has been good this year, so we’ll just chalk this up to a bad day. Season: 2.21 ERA (20.1 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 29 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

 

Yankees MILB 5/24: Oswald Peraza Homers

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (22-25) (Walloped Worcester, 15-2)

LF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2 RS, BB, 2 K, SB (10)
His HR streak ends at four if you want one negative thing. Florial is up to .318/.440/.612 in 159 plate appearances (4 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 21 RBI, 29 R, 10-for-15 SB, 29 BB (18.2%), 51 K (32.1%)). He is an incredible 26-for-70 (.371) in May with seven home runs (.714 SLG). 
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
Yawn. We all know he doesn’t belong here.
DH Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Calhoun is mashing the way you expect a veteran like him to mash.
1B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 RS
.253/.326/.494 in 190 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 32 R, 19 BB, 40 K). It has been a season of streaks for Chaparro – hopefully, he is starting to heat up again.
RF Franchy Cordero: 3-for-4, 2 2B (9), HR (2), 4 RBI, 4 RS, BB, K, SB (2)
He is in his element…
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS
.286/.330/.571 in 112 plate appearances. For Somerset in 2022, he hit .222/.266/.414. This is why I say he has always shown some pop – if he is starting to show he can do more offensively, he is at least a high-level backup.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, 2B (5), RBI, 2 BB, HBP, K
CF Billy McKinney: 1-for-3, HR (6), 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
2B Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-5, K

LHP Tanner Tully (W, 4-1): 5.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
3.83 ERA (40 IP, 53 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 39 K). He is a veteran stabilizer.
LHP Matt Krook: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
1.04 ERA (17.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). Walks have always been an issue. The Yankees added him to the 40-man this past winter, and we all know that those slots are precious.
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (24-16) (Defeated Erie, 3-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, 2 K
.244/.380/.344 in 163 PA. As long as he is drawing those walks, I am fine with his start to the season. I do think power will come (he hit 16 HR in 2021)
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS, BB, SB (14)
A much-needed slump buster of a game for Dominguez, who is at .198/.356/.389 in 160 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 30 R, 14-for-16 SB, 31 BB (19.4%), 40 K (25%)). 
C Austin Wells: 2-for-3, BB
Offensively, he has nothing to prove here. Everyone, including the Yankees, knows this. That only leaves the possibility that they are holding him here to work on defense. In his 72 games at Double-A between last year and this year, he is hitting .264/.360/.514 (11 doubles, 1 triple, 19 HR, 63 RBI, 47 R, 9-for-9 SB, 38 BB, 76 K)
RF Everson Pereira: 0-for-0
Pulled from the lineup in the top of the first inning. I don’t know why.
 PH-RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, RBI
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, K
Rumfield is 15-for-48 (.313/.433/.625) in May (3 doubles, 4 HR, 11/8 BB/K)
3B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, RS
Since his promotion, Durbin is hitting .227/.346/.273 in 52 plate appearances. His .233 BABIP should improve. The most impressive number remains the 1 strikeout in those 52 plate appearances.
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2
I am not sure why Lockridge was pulled.
  LF Eric Wagaman: 0-for-2
2B Max Burt: 2-for-4, RBI, RS
DH Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K

RHP Richard Fitts (W, 2-3): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
5.26 ERA (39.1 IP, 43 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 7 HR, 11 BB, 41 K). I use the term “much-needed” very often – and that term applies to Richard Fitts’ start today.
RHP Alex Mauricio: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
4.50 ERA (10 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 9 K).
RHP Steven Jennings (S, 1): 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (24-17) (Blew a 7-0 lead. They eventually lost to Wilmington, 10-9, in ten innings)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, RS, HBP, 2 K
Jones has one hit in each of his last three games as he tries to break out of a bit of a slump. He has struck out multiple times in six of his last seven games.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-6, RS
.234/.290/.445 in 138 PA (3 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R, 7-for-10 SB, 9 BB (6.5%), 35 K (25.4%)). His K% was 28.5 last season.
LF Aaron Palensky: 3-for-4, HR (11), RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB
.321/.406/.679 in 128 PA. This may just all be a “second taste of the level” fluke, but I think the Yankees need to see if there is more to it than that. His 11 HR are tied for the organizational lead with Andres Chaparro.
1B Spencer Henson: 4-for-6, 2 2B (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Henson’s first career 4-hit game. He is hitting .263/.351/.518 in 134 plate appearances. Like with Palensky, you at least have to think about moving him up at some point to see what is real and what isn’t.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
A 6-game hitting streak has raised Richardson’s triple slash from .110/.198/.205 to .172/.267/.280. Hey, it’s a start.
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-5, RBI, 2 K
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-5, 2 K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, HR
6.00 ERA (33 IP, 29 H, 25 R, 22 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 41 K(
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Nick Paciorek: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Tampa (15-25)

The game against Palm Beach was postponed.

Yankees MILB 5/23: Estevan Florial = Fire

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (21-25) (Lost to Worcester, 13-3)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, HR (10), RBI, RS, 3 K
Last 8 games: 17-for-39 (.436; 7 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB, 11 K). Florial has homered in four straight games. As for the strikeouts, he now has a 32% rate.
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, K
RF Kole Calhoun: 1-for-2, 2 RS, BB, K
1B Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Duran is hitting .290 with 7 HR and 20 RBI. He has never hit for much average in the minors – he has typically been all about the pop. We’ll see if he can keep the hits coming.
DH Franchy Cordero: 1-for-4, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
2B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2 K
6-game hitting streak (9-for-21)

RHP Will Warren: (L, 1-1)  1.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
After a solid Triple-A debut last time out, he throws up a clunker tonight. Go get them next time.
RHP Barrett Loseke: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
1.86 ERA (19.1 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 21 K)
RHP Michael Gomez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
LHP D.J. Snelten: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR

Somerset (23-16) (Lost to Erie, 7-3)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-5, 3 K
Dominguez is back down to .189, as his slump is now 3-for-26. He has 11 strikeouts during the slide.
DH Austin Wells: 0-for-4, BB, 3 K
LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, BB, K
Pereira extends his hitting streak to 7 (13-for-26)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2B (4), RBI
Rumfield is up to .240, thanks to a 10-for-26 (.385) stretch.
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, HR (8), RBI, RS, 2 K
Hardman has 30 home runs and 99 RBI in 142 games between last year and this year.
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS
Durbin has one strikeout in 48 plate appearances since his promotion. Wow.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Seigler increases his BB streak to seven straight games. He has 15 walks in 13 May games. To be completely fair, he only has five hits (zero for extra bases) this month.

RHP Blas Castano: (L, 3-2)  3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
4.34 ERA (29 IP, 22 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 28 K). 
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.35 ERA (23 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 28 K). Without even looking, I am going to assume that a 0 BB/0 K night is a rare occurrence in Santos’ career.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
1.45 ERA (18.2 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 13 BB, 20 K)
RHP Shawn Semple: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (24-16) (Shut down Wilmington, 4-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (12), RS, 2 K
Jones is hitting .282 and has 22 extra-base hits in 33 games. The problem remains the strikeouts – he has 52 in 152 PA (33.5%).
SS Alexander Vargas: 3-for-4, 3B (3), RBI, RS, CS (3)
A much-needed night for Vargas, who has been in a malaise lately. He is hitting .238/.295/.459 in 132 PA. The power is nice and definitely stands out (he compiled a .311 SLG in Tampa last year)
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, 2 K, SB (8)
Palensky is hitting .306 with a 1.033 OPS (5 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 28 RBI, 20 R, 8-for-8 SB). Palensky is 24 years old and played here in 2022. It may be time to send him to Somerset.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, RS, K
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4
Flores has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, K

LHP Joel Valdez: (W, 1-2)  6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
5.87 ERA (30.2 IP, 28 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 19 BB, 28 K). A much-needed performance by Valdez, who was acquired from the Phillies (alongside T.J. Rumfield) back in 2021.
RHP Bailey Dees: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.50 ERA (18 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 28 K). He should get to Somerset this season.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (15-25) (Defeated Palm Beach, 2-0, in 11 innings)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-5, RS, K
CF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, RBI, RS
Ramirez has three straight 2-hit games.
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, BB
.264/.379/402 in 103 PA. He has hit safely in 14 of 15 games in May (19-for-54; .352)
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, BB, 3 K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
DH Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-5, 2B (7), 2 K
7 of Aguilar’s 13 hits have gone for two bases (he has one home run)
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-4

RHP Hayden Merda: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
5.29 ERA (32.1 IP, 28 H, 22 R, 19 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 34 K). Last year’s 17th round pick puts together his best professional performance.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.00 ERA (18 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 22 K). He has only pitched out of the bullpen this season.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.80 ERA (21.1 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 30 K). The 23-year-old out of Western Kentucky was signed as an undrafted free agent last year.
RHP Matt Keating: (W, 3-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.45 ERA (18.2 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 29 K). Last year’s 9th round pick should not be here for long.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Gilbert’s first professional save. He owns a 2.37 ERA in 19 IP with a 24/11 K/BB.

Yankees MILB 5/22: A Look at the Traded Prospects

A look at the prospects the Yankees have dealt away over the past few years.

The Jameson Taillon deal:

RHP Roansy Contreras – Contreras has settled into the Pirates’ rotation. In nine starts this season, he boasts a 4.50 ERA (4.63 FIP) over 50 innings with a 16.4% K, 10.8% BB, and 35.1% GB. Suffice it to say, it isn’t easy for a pitcher to survive with both a low K% and GB%. It will be hard for Contreras to ascend to the upper part of a rotation without improvement in those areas.

RHP Miguel Yajure – In two years with the Pirates, Yajure tossed 39.1 innings of 8.69 ERA ball. Claimed by the San Francisco Giants off of waivers this winter, Yajure recently started a rehab assignment.

OF Canaan Smith-Njigba – Smith was optioned back to Triple-A in late April after a 4-for-32 start. In 14 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, he is hitting .220/.339/.440.

IF Maikol Escotto – About to turn 21, Escotto is in High-A Greensboro, where he is hitting .229/.273/.339 in 128 plate appearances. He has split time between second base and shortstop. The Pirates targeted him as a teenage lottery ticket coming off of a .315/.429/.553 season in 2019.

Overall, the Pirates made out OK with this deal but nobody has emerged to make it a slam dunk winning package.

The Joey Gallo deal:

RHP Glenn Otto – Otto has yet to make his 2023 debut as he is coming back from a sprained shoulder capsule and lat injuries. Last season, he pitched to a 4.64 ERA over 135.2 innings with an 18.2% K and 10.6% BB.

UTIL Ezequiel Duran – Duran’s rookie season was more “get your feet wet” than it was productive, as he hit .236/.277/.365 in 208 plate appearances. That experience seems to have helped him in 2023, as he is off to an impressive .308/.348/.526 start over 141 plate appearances. One of the fears early in his journey was that he had a hard time recognizing breaking pitches. That doesn’t seem to be much of a problem anymore, as his 22.7% K rate is around league average. You aren’t looking at a kid who is ever going to draw many walks, so keeping the average up with solid power will be how he makes the big bucks down the road.

UTIL Josh H. Smith –  So far, Smith is all about drawing walks, as evidenced by his 11.3% BB rate in 345 career plate appearances. He plays several different positions, so he will have value even with a below-average bat (we are not yet at the point to say his bat is below average, as his OPS+ is an encouraging 116 this season).

1B/OF Trevor Hauver – Hauver is now in Double-A, where he is hitting .231/.359/.337 in 128 plate appearances. He is Rule 5 eligible this coming winter, so the clock is ticking for him to start making an impression.

Overall, the Rangers have to be ecstatic with this return – especially if Duran continues to rake.

The Anthony Rizzo deal:

RHP Alexander Vizcaino – He is currently a free agent. Last year, he essentially failed to report to the Cubs and didn’t pitch at all. Once considered an intriguing prospect to follow, it appears his career may just be over after making only six appearances with the Cubs’ organization after the deal.

OF Kevin Alcantara – Alcantara started appearing on Top 100 lists this season, but he isn’t yet backing it up with good play. Thus far, the 20-year-old is hitting only .225/.262/.362 (75 wRC+) in 149 plate appearances for the Cubs’ High-A affiliate in South Bend. His BB% has crashed while his power has disappeared, but the fact remains that he is only 20 and trying this level for the first time. We’ll have to revisit him later this season.

The Andrew Heaney deal:

RHP Janson Junk – Junk is now in Milwaukee, where he pitches for their Triple-A club in Nashville. He made one start for the Brewers earlier this year (4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 2 K).

RHP Elvis Peguero – Peguero has also made his move to Milwaukee (funny how Junk and Peguero have been packaged together twice in trades). In 12.2 innings for the big club, he boasts a 1.42 ERA (3.15 FIP) with a 50% GB rate. He will have to induce those ground balls, because he doesn’t do enough in the strikeout department.

The Angels didn’t expect much for the struggling Heaney. Their received two nearly-ready MLB arms who haven’t done much with their MLB chances to date (though Peguero is taking advantage of his opportunity thus far this year)

The Clay Holmes deal:

UTIL Hoy Park – One thing that Park can boast about is that he is one of only a few bonus babies from that famed Yankees class several years ago to make it to the big leagues. This season, he was traded to the Braves, where he is hitting .267/.405/.389 in 30 games for their Triple-A affiliate. Hitting in the minors has never been much of an issue. The issue is the .201/.291/.346 MLB triple slash over 68 games.

UTIL Diego Castillo – Castillo made his MLB debut in 2022, where he hit .206/.251/.382 in 283 plate appearances for the Pirates. He did reach double digits in home runs (11). He is now a member of the Diamondbacks organization, where he is hitting .341/.429/.428 in 38 games for their Triple-A affiliate in hitter-friendly Reno.

The Pirates weren’t getting much out of Holmes, so they converted him into a couple of utility types. They have since traded both of them.

The Jose Trevino deal:

LHP Robby Ahlstrom – Already 24, Ahlstrom is pitching for the Rangers’ High-A affiliate. In 9 games (12.1 innings), he owns an 8.76 ERA with a 16/13 K/BB ratio. If his name doesn’t sound familiar at all, it is because Ahlstrom was traded away before he made one appearance for the Yankees’ organization.

The Andrew Benintendi deal:

RHP Beck Way – Now 23, Way has ascended to Double-A. That’s the good news. The bad news? He currently owns a 12.18 ERA in 17 innings. He threw well for their High-A affiliate in 2022 (just as he did for the Yankees’ in High-A), but can’t yet get his footing at perhaps the most important of all levels. He was ranked 12th on the Royals’ preseason prospect list (MLBPipeline).

RHP Chandler Champlain – Champlain is pitching well in his second taste of High-A ball, pitching to a 2.56 ERA over 38.2 IP with a 40/10 K/BB ratio. This is after posting a 9.84 ERA at the same level after the trade.  Champlain, who came in at #26 on the Royals’ list, has enough tools in the shed to reach his potential as a back-end starter or multi-innings reliever.

LHP T.J. Sikkema – While Way had his share of buzz and Champlain was always seen as a “safe” prospect, it was Sikkema who had the most prospect credibility at the time of the trade. He is currently ranked below Way (23rd in the organization) and his time at Double-A has been a mixed bag in 2023 (4.94 ERA in 23.2 IP with a 30/15 K/BB). If he can iron things out around the edges and stay off the IL, I see the potential in him as a multi-innings reliever over a starter.

The Royals traded a rental OF for three arms with legitimate MLB potential, even if none of them seem to have an extraordinarily high ceiling. I think they are more than happy netting three of their Top 30 prospects, though that is graded on a curve. The Royals have one of the least respected farm systems in the game.

The Scott Effross deal:

RHP Hayden Wesneski – Wesneski made the Cubs’ rotation right out of spring training but struggled. He owns a 5.03 ERA (6.19 FIP) with an astronomical 2.29 HR/9 rate. Couple that with a 19.1% K rate, and you can see why the Cubs sent him back to the minors to get himself straightened out. He tossed five hitless innings in his first (thus far, only) Triple-A start, though he did walk four.

Instead of quantity, the Cubs are trying to hit a home run with one kid. Wesneski has legitimate middle-of-the-rotation upside but showed that he wasn’t yet ready for the spotlight.

The Frankie Montas deal:

LHP Ken Waldichuk – Waldichuk is having a tough time getting going in 2023. Thus far, he has posted a 6.85 ERA (6.27 FIP) over 46 innings with a 17.7% K and 12.7% BB, That depressed K% is glaring – and nearly 5% off from last year, when Oakland gave him seven MLB starts. Is his future that of a two-pitch reliever? Oakland has the benefit of plenty of time to figure that out.

RHP Luis Medina – One of the biggest arms in the entire system during his time with the Yankees, Medina simply was never able to harness it. The Athletics, desperate to lose as many games as possible, have him starting MLB games. In three starts, he owns a 6.88 ERA over 17 innings with a 20.6% K and 6.9% BB (if he can keep the BB% at that level long-term, there is certainly something to tap into here). I will note that he has back-to-back quality starts (6 IP, 3 R) after a rough debut. It is hard to believe he will keep the BB% at 6.9, but player development is always filled with twists and turns.

LHP JP Sears – The Yankees likely sold a bit high on Sears with this deal, but he is doing an OK enough job for Oakland. Thus far, he is pitching to a 4.99 ERA (5.00 FIP) over 48.2 IP with solid K (25.1%) and BB (4.9%) rates. The big issue is the long ball (11 HR/2.0 HR/9). Sears recently put together a strong effort against the Astros (6 IP, 2 R, 7 K).

IF Cooper Bowman – The 23-year-old is going through his first season at Double-A, where he is hitting .214/.338/.376 (95 wRC+) with a perfect 18-for-18 SB rate (he was a perfect 12-for-12 after being acquired, as well). His K% has dipped while his BB% is remaining strong. He is a legitimate MLB prospect, though perhaps not a long-term starter.

If you are Oakland, how can you be disappointed? All three pitchers are in their rotation and the infielder is making strides. You just have to remember that Waldichuk/Sears/Medina wouldn’t be 3/5 of probably every other rotation in baseball.

Yankees MILB 4/28: Austin Wells Goes Yard

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-15) (Lost to Worcester, 4-2)

LF-CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-4, K
3-for-16 during his rehab stint.
  P Aaron McGarity: 0-for-0
They lost the DH after they took Bader out of the game (McKinney had to move into the field)
  PH Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-1
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
Dunham, one of my favorite under-the-radar type prospects, is in a bit of a slump (0-for-14; 2-for-28)
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, RS, BB
Tale of two halves of the month:
Started: 0-for-20; 2 walks, 10 strikeouts.
Since: 21-for-63 (.333); 2 doubles, 8 home runs, 6 BB, 14 K
DH-LF Billy McKinney: 0-for-4, RS, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, RBI
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (2)
Gasper is off to a slow 9-for-54 start. 
C Jose Godoy: 1-for-3, BB, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4, K

RHP Sean Boyle: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
The starting pitching depth underneath MLB isn’t great right now – Boyle is a part of that depth. He has been struggling to start the season, but this is a nice outing to get himself going.
RHP Shawn Semple: (L, 0-2)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 19 K). Solid start to the season for McGarity, who is 28 years old. He was drafted by the Yankees all the way back in 2017 out of Virginia Tech.

Somerset (11-7) 

The game against Harrisburg was postponed. They will try to play a pair tomorrow, though the forecast isn’t great.

Hudson Valley (13-6) (Split a doubleheader with Greenville)

Game 1 (Won, 7-4)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K, CS (1)
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.395/.480/.907 (not a typo) in 50 plate appearances. He has 16 home runs in 88 games at this level. He is certainly not a top prospect or anything, but why not just place him in Somerset to see if he can be an overachieving type? Note: He actually has experience in Somerset. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he started his professional career in Somerset in 2021 – skipping all levels. 
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-4
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, K
Back-to-back games with a home run.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
Like many at this level, Flores has started strong: 16-for-39 (.410/.455/.487). In his brief professional career, he is hitting .415/.448/.604 in 58 plate appearances.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-4, RS
.200/.280/.356 in 50 plate appearances. After hitting for a solid average in the DSL in 2019 (a league that is hard to take seriously – but everyone has to start somewhere), he hasn’t been able to replicate that since moving to the States. As you may suspect, much of that is due to a too-high K rate.
CF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, CS (1)
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
2.14 ERA (21 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 26 K). Messinger struck out 112 batters in 83.2 innings down in Tampa last year. The 13th-round pick (Virginia) back in 2021 has an intriguing arm to follow. It should be noted that he didn’t start much in college (11 of his 51 games pitched), so this is still a relatively new thing for him.
RHP Jack Neely (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
11 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. Another intriguing arm to follow – like many, it comes down to cutting down the walk rate.
RHP Nick Paciorek (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Injuries have slowed down the 7th-round pick from the 2019 draft.

Game 2 (Lost, 9-1. They mustered only one hit)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, 2 K
.278/.325/.542 in 80 plate appearances. He does have those 28 strikeouts (35%) that he will need to clean up (he was solid in this category last year)
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-0, RS, 3 BB, SB (14)
11 walks in 68 plate appearances (16.2%). If he can walk and steal some bases while maintaining his defensive flexibility, there could be an MLB player here. We are still a while away from knowing that.
DH Ben Rice: 1-for-3, RBI
Of course the only hit would be off of Rice’s bat. This game drops the OBP below .600 (.375/.594/.575 in 64 PA). He has started the season on a 14-game on-base streak.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-1, BB, K, HBP
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Wake up tomorrow and just pretend this was a bad nightmare.
RHP Harold Cortijo: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
0.84 ERA (10.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 14 K)
RHP Enrique Santana: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (7-12) (Lost to Jupiter, 9-8)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-5
.309/.397/.364. 6-game hitting streak (11-for-25; .440). Low-A pitchers aren’t knocking the bat out of his hands, and that is nice to see. His size will always put him under a microscope as he tries to handle tougher and more advanced pitching.
C Austin Wells: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
He is probably ready to rake up in Somerset/Scranton.
  C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1, RS
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-5
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, K
SS Dayro Perez: 1-for-5, 3B (1), RS, 2 K
The speedy Perez didn’t triple in 38 games last season. He had 7 in his first 104 games (2019, 2021). Baseball!
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K
He has an impressive .392 career OBP (477 plate appearances). Martinez is a 21-year-old left-handed C/1B.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-5, 2B (3), HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
He is 6-for-29 in eight games this season. A big issue is the strikeouts (18)
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (3)
3B Roberto Chirinos: 0-for-0
Dunno why he was pulled.
  3B Ronny Rojas: 2-for-3, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (2)
Rojas wasn’t even supposed to play today…

RHP Sean Hermann (L, 1-2): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
3.60 ERA (20 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 16 K). We talk a lot about the “quick rise” prospects in this system – Hermann may take a bit more time to marinate (he doesn’t turn 20 until June).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2020 (the year when MLB had a shortened draft). He is 21 years old.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. They are keeping him in the bullpen to begin 2023. If you don’t remember (and why would you?), Calderon tossed a 7-inning no-hitter in his Tampa debut last season.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Yankees MILB 4/27: Jared Serna: 4 Hits

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-14) (Lost to Worcester, 5-4)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, HR (3), RBI, RS, 3 K
I don’t think it is traceable – but I would love to know how many leadoff home runs Florial has in his MILB career. Anyway, this game is Florial in a nutshell – strong performance but it comes with the three strikeouts.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, RS, BB
.218/.284/.517 in 95 plate appearances. I am not concerned about the average, given how poorly he started. Everything should continue to come together.
LF Jake Bauers: 1-for-4
A potential call up if Aaron Judge requires IL time – or not.
DH Rodolfo Duran: 2-for-5, 2B (5), K
.306/.358/.592 in 53 plate appearances. Strong start for Duran, who is somewhere on the depth chart.
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (3)
With Aaron Judge injured, it is interesting that he was pulled from this game – could very well be unrelated as Scranton was trying to tie up the game and McKinney may have been a better option. 
  PH Billy McKinney: 0-for-1
C Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, K
2B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SAC, SB (2)
A rare sacrifice bunt in the Yankees’ organization. They just don’t believe in it – and it wouldn’t surprise me if Difo was bunting for a hit.

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 1-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.12 ERA (8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 9 K). He is a 26-year-old who was drafted in the 17th round of the 2018 draft out of Arkansas. Another mid-to-late-round reliever who the Yankees are trying to cash in on.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (11-7) (Defeated Harrisburg, 7-5)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, BB, K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 BB
Dominguez has the OPS up over .700 (.707). This is mostly due to his OBP, but five of his six hits have gone for extra bases.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS, SB (8)
Once again, we would all love to see Lockridge get it going with the bat because he can field and run. It just hasn’t fully come together.
DH Eric Wagaman: 3-for-4, 2 2B (2), RBI, RS, SB (5)
10-for-30 with two doubles and a home run.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, CS (1)

RHP Will Warren: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Warren cruised through four innings before running into a little trouble in the 5th (partially due to an error). Season: 4.15 ERA (17.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 29 K). He is missing bats, and that is important.
RHP Zac Houston: 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Steven Jennings: (W, 1-1)  2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Indigo Diaz: (S, 1)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (12-5)

The game against Greenville was postponed due to rain. They will play two tomorrow.

Tampa (7-11) (Destroyed Jupiter, 12-2)

2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-3, 3B (1), SF, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
.254/.357/.322 in 71 PA. Patience has been his thing in his brief MILB career. If he can add some average to that…
CF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, RBI, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jared Serna: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (6), CS (3)
Serna’s first career 4-hit game. He is up to .320/.414/.380 in 58 plate appearances. Defensive distribution thus far: 2B – 6; SS – 5; 3B – 3. He had one career start at SS prior to 2023.
1B Omar Martinez: 3-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB
.222/.364/.378 in 55 plate appearances. The left-handed bat can catch in addition to play first base, though he has caught only two games thus far this season.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Rodriguez has done a little bit of everything, including three games at 3B and a game in LF.
3B Ronny Rojas: 3-for-5, 2B (2), HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Rojas has four career 3-hit games.

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 1-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 20 K). Very encouraging start for the 20-year-old, who has allowed two home runs in 66 career innings.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
9.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 15 K. College reliever should move to Hudson Valley soon enough, though he is only 21.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 4/26: Richard Fitts: 6 Scoreless IP

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-13) (Defeated Worcester, 4-1)

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2 K, 2 SB (7), CS (2)
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-3, BB
  CF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-1
DH Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, BB, K
LF Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, 2B (5), 2 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (5)
Bauers extends his hitting streak to seven.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Billy McKinney: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI, K
The veteran was only 11-for-59 (.186) entering tonight.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
C Jose Godoy: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 1-1) 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Tully is a depth arm who pitched in three games for the Indians in 2022.
LHP Matt Krook: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP D.J. Snelten (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Snelten (30) hadn’t pitched since 2018 entering this season. This is what you call perseverance.

Somerset (10-7) (Held off Harrisburg, 4-3)

DH Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
.264/.365/.377 in 63 PA with 12.7% BB and 23.8% K rates.
LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 2 2B (5), 2 RBI
Breaks out of his little 2-for-16 slump.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, 2 K
Burt’s first triple since 5/22/19.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, RBI, K
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS
His add-on solo HR in the 9th (giving Somerset a 4-0 lead) proved to be the game-winner. The 25-year-old set a career-best with his 13 home runs last season, including four at this level.
C Juan Crisp: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
The 22-year-old Crisp hasn’t played much since compiling 36 games down in the GCL back in 2019. It seems his role is that of an organizational backup catcher.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4, K

RHP Richard Fitts (W, 1-2): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
5.23 ERA (20.2 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 5 BB, 26 K). It is all about command (not control) for Fitts.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
8.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 10 K. Injuries have derailed the hard-throwing right-hander, who is now 24.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR

Hudson Valley (12-5) (Mauled Greenville, 16-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (7)
When will we see him in Somerset? In my opinion, the second half of the season at the latest – could be earlier if he starts to annihilate this level.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (4)
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, SB (13)
Durbin is second in stolen bases amongst all minor leaguers (Victor Scott (A+, St. Louis) has 16)
C Ben Rice: 2-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Rice has been a machine since Day 1. He entered tonight with a .627 OBP – so this performance will bring that number down.
DH Spencer Henson: 2-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Henson has 15 home runs in 84 games at this level and should probably be challenged in Somerset.
RF Anthony Garcia: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Garcia sets a new personal best with four runs scored. His ceiling is that of a three outcomes type – the issue is that one of those outcomes (strikeouts) is two extreme right now.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 4-for-5, 2 HR (5), 7 RBI, 3 RS, 2 SB (7)
This is what you call a career game. Palensky, a 24-year-old outfielder, has homered in three of his last four games. He hit 10 home runs in 77 games at this level last season. His previous high for RBI in a game was four.
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-5, 3 K

LHP Joel Valdez:  4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
5.54 ERA (13 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 10 BB, 14 K). Valdez was acquired along with T.J. Rumfield from the Phillies for Nick Nelson and Donny Sands last year.
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
8.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 12 K. The 24-year-old stands 6’8″ and is listed at 250 pounds – his career K-rate matches up to his size. Let’s see what he can do in the upper minors.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
The 23-year-old was signed last year as an undrafted free agent (out of George Washington)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The 24-year-old is back after missing all of 2022. In his debut 2021 season, he pitched to a 1.90 ERA in 52 innings with a 71/11 K/BB. He made five starts that season, so we will see if they explore that again.

Tampa (6-11) (Lost to Jupiter, 5-2)

3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, K
Games by position, 2023: SS – 7; 3B – 5; 2B – 2. I give him some of the spotlight because they have been leading him off all season.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-2, BB, K
He is following the typical rehab formula – he was the DH in the first game and caught a partial game in his second game back.
  C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1
DH Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
SS Dayro Perez: 0-for-4, 4 K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, RS
Medina has hit safely in 11 of his 13 starts this season (and has reached base safely in every start)
1B Jose Rodriguez: 0-for-4, RBI, K
CF Alan Mejia: 1-for-4, 3 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-3, K
2B Roberto Chirinos: 1-for-3, K, SB (1)

RHP Leonardo Pestana: (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.97 ERA (12.2 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 17 K). Pestana hasn’t pitched much since 2019 (two games in 2021; one game in 2022). He has 130 strikeouts in 91.2 innings (but has also walked 57)
RHP Shane Gray: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Gray was the Yankees’ 16th-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Evansville.
RHP Manny Ramirez:  1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
11.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K

Yankees MILB 4/25: Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones Go Off

News:

C Austin Wells has started his rehab stint down in Tampa. There is a chance he can help the MLB offense at some point in 2023, but we shouldn’t count on that happening…

Scranton (9-13) (Defeated Worcester, 8-6)

RF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (5)
CF Harrison Bader: 0-for-3, RS, BB, SB (1)
CF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-1
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, HR (8), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
Chaparro has 43 home runs in his last 810 plate appearances.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RS
DH Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Bauers hasn’t had any MLB success but he is off to a strong Triple-A start. Does that mean anything? Doubtful.
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, K
.295/.354/.591 in 48 plate appearances. He has some pop and can make it as an MLB backup, I think.
3B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2B (4), K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (W, 2-2) 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Deivi Garcia: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 15 K). This is the “can we squeeze anything out of him?” season for Garcia, who is out of options in 2024 (it was thought he was out of options this year, but that turned out to not be true)
RHP James Norwood (S, 2): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (9-7) (Defeated Harrisburg, 5-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-3, RS, BB
.286/.379/.408 in 58 plate appearances with five stolen bases.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (2), 3 RBI, RS
Dominguez needed this game. I love walks, but I want to see my prospects swing the bat (not saying they should go outside the strike zone – I just want them to get pitches to hit).  This gets his average over .100 (.116) – the next step is .200, etc.
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, 3 K
.220/.304/.380 in 56 plate appearances. He has struck out 22 times (39.3%)
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, BB
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, 2 2B (4), RS, BB, CS (1)
11-for-37 (.297/.409/.568) with six walks. Last year was the first time Narvaez didn’t hit for much average (.194), though he did set a personal best with 11 home runs.
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, K
DH Eric Wagaman: 2-for-3, RS, CS (1)

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 1-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
LHP Michael Giacone: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 10 K. Giacone has allowed two home runs in 60.1 career innings.
RHP Justin Wilson (S, 1):  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Wilson has pitched well coming off his injury (which caused him to miss all of 2022)

Hudson Valley (11-5) (Used a 5-run 9th to cruise past Greenville, 11-6)

CF Spencer Jones: 4-for-5, 2B (6), 2 3B (2), 3 RS, 2 SB (6), K
This is one way to break out of a slump. This jumps his average right back up to .300 with a .960 OPS (started the night at .255 with a .815 OPS)
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, BB, K
Last 7 games: 8-for-29 (2 triples, 2 home runs, 5 walks, 2 stolen bases)
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 3 SB (12)
12-for-12 stealing bases this year after going 31-for-36 in 2022.
DH Ben Rice: 0-for-1, RS, 4 BB
Rice has reached base safely in all 11 games played this season. He has 17 walks in 11 games. He is a 24-year-old C/1B out of Dartmouth who should move to Somerset soon enough.
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-5, 2B (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
Perhaps Gomez has taken a step back in prospect circles – but catchers especially can develop at different rates. So far, he is hitting pretty well to start off 2023.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Richardson is off to a tough start, so it is nice to see him hit one out. He hit 16 home runs (including ten at this level) in 2022.
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-5, K
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-5, RS, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, HR
Hampton allowed four runs in the first inning before settling in. This is the 21-year-old’s first professional season and they are being aggressive with him. Thus far, he has struck out an impressive 24 batters in 13.2 innings. He was their 6th-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Texas Tech.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 13 K

Tampa (6-10) (Lost to Juniper, 3-2, in ten innings)

SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-5
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-4
He gets that first hit out of the way. Wells should get to Triple-A soon enough.
PH-DH Daury Arias: 0-for-1
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, BB
LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-3, RS, BB, CS (2)
.267/.377/.333 in 53 plate appearances. It will be interesting to see how much power his small frame can generate as he moves up levels.
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina: 2-for-3, SF, RBI
In 19 GCL games in 2022, Medina hit .311/.426/.622. So far this season, he is hitting .317/.396/.488. At 22 years old, he does need to move and he does need experience – but this is a starting point.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Hayden Merda: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
3.07 ERA (14.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 14 K). 17th round pick in the 2022 draft.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 1-1)  2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 11 K