Yankees MILB 8/3: Oswald Peraza Homers Again

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (59-47) (Lost to Louisville, 8-2)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
When the big club plays well, there is less pressure to move Dominguez quickly. Let him get in as many plate appearances as he needs to get back into a groove. By the way, one of Dominguez’s outs was hit 407 feet at 106.2 MPH.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, BB, K
.246/.383/.377 in 271 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 31 R, 12.9% BB, 15.9% K, 12-for-17 SB)
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, HBP
A 394-foot/104 MPH HR for Peraza, who is hitting .239/.346/.347 in 261 PA for Scranton and has three home runs in his last seven games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
DH Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, HR (10), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Trammell has four home runs in his last six games. He is hitting .244/.366/.488 in 246 PA with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (15), 2 RS, K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
2B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, RS, 2 K
LF Josh VanMeter: 1-for-2, 2B (10), SF, 2 RBI, BB

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.03 ERA (58 IP, 41 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 7 HR, 34 BB, 64 K). It’s been a weird season for Gomez, who I expect the Yankees trade at some point before Opening Day, 2025.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (W, 3-1): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Burdi’s fastball maxed out at 96.3.
RHP Scott Effross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
A much-needed clean effort. For Scranton: 14.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 12 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (50-50) (Lead Bowie, 1-0, in the third inning. The game was suspended due to rain)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-1
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-1
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-1
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-1
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-1, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-1, HR (9), RBI, RS
Seigler will have two HR in his last four games once this becomes official.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-0

RHP Colby White: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (51-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 8-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-5, 2 K
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
C Antonio Gomez: 3-for-4, 2B (7), HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Gomez is 7-for-14 in his last four games.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
DH Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, K
LF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 6-3)  5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.02 ERA (80.2 IP, 74 H, 37 R, 36 ER, 4 HR, 29 BB, 71 K)
RHP Sean Boyle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Balboni’s organizational debut. The 24-year-old was the “other guy” in the Enyel De Los Santos – Brandon Lockridge transaction.

Tampa (43-56) (Split a doubleheader against Lakeland. They are now 18-15 in the second half)

Game 1 (Won, 4-3)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RS
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RS, BB
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-3
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, RBI
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3
Since promotion: .255/.317/.314 in 60 PA.
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-2, RS, SB (24), BB, 2 K
LF Joe Delossantos: 1-for-3, 2 K
Delossantos, their 10th-round pick out of William & Mary, earns his first professional hit. 

RHP Josh Grosz: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
For Tampa: 4.00 ERA (78.2 IP, 73 H, 50 R, 35 ER, 9 HR, 29 BB, 95 K). He made emergency starts for Hudson Valley and Somerset earlier this year which didn’t go well. He wasn’t ready for it. Since returning from the start for Somerset, he’s been dominant.
RHP Chris Kean: (W, 1-0)  0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
His Low-A debut wasn’t a long one, but he earned the win. He threw 24 pitches, maxing out at 94.4. He mixed in a slider and curve.
RHP Aaron Nixon (S, 4): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
4.09 ERA (50.2 IP, 31 H, 27 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 38 BB, 53 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 6-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, SB (30)
.232/.344/.348 in 366 PA (17 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 46 R, 30-for-34 SB, 12.8% BB, 24.0% K)
DH Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 3 K
.226/.321/.370 in 424 PA (15 doubles, 7 triples, 8 HR, 55 RBI, 58 R, 27-for-38 SB, 11.6% BB, 32.5% K). Lombard and Arias are within one point of each other in OPS. 
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-3, RBI, RS
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-1, RS, 2 SB (26), 2 BB
Your reminder that Morales stole one base in 104 college games.
C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-2, SB (1), BB, 2 K
The 23-year-old Cobb was drafted by the Padres in 2019 but did not sign (39th round, which no longer exists). After attending Stanford, the Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent this year. In 55 games for the Cardinal, he hit .320/.363/.500 with 7 homers and 33 RBI. In his five years, he hit .306/.353/.458 in 546 PA with 13 homers and 69 RBI. While he played other positions in his college career, he spent his entire 5th year at second base.

RHP Cade Smith: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
3.47 ERA (85.2 IP, 59 H, 39 R, 33 ER, 5 HR, 40 BB, 111 K). I am always nervous when a pitcher is pulled, but this is his debut season so they might be controlling his innings. Anyway, Smith is trying to build off a strong July (1.35 ERA; 20 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 8 BB, 28 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
2.49 ERA (50.2 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 26 BB, 59 K). Rodriguez wasn’t picked in the 2023 Rule 5 draft and it seems doubtful he will be picked in 2024, but you never know.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: (L, 1-1)  0.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Givin : 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-27) (Lost to DSL Mets Orange, 6-2)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
CF Isael Arias: 1-for-3, RBI
2B Jelson Coca: 1-for-2, 3B (2), RS, SB (3), BB

RHP Jorge Luna: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
2.04 ERA (35.1 IP, 23 H, 13 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 43 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

DSL Bombers (23-21) (Lost to DSL Mets Blue, 2-1)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-3, HBP, K
LF Richard Meran: 2-for-2, CS (2), HBP
RF David Carrera: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Only 17, Carrera is hitting .266/.404/.405 in 99 PA (debut season)

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
The 6’6″ RHP puts together a dominating performance. He owns a 4.45 ERA (30.1 IP, 17 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 0 HR, 28 BB, 50 K)

Yankees MILB 8/2: Francisco Vilorio Homers Twice

News:

Since the Olympics are front and center, the last few days with the “thrill of victory” (promotions) and the “agony of defeat” (releases). It’s the unfortunate reality of prospect-watching.

The releases are RHP Montana Semmel, RHP Nicio Rodriguez, RHP Nick Paciorek, 3B Beau Brewer, and CF Nelson Medina. There are other players down in the FCL/DSL, as well. You have seen me write about most of these players. Rodriguez hadn’t pitched since 2021 due to injuries. Paciorek pitched well in Hudson Valley in 2023 but was also a victim of the injury bug.

Hopefully, they can find jobs with other organizations or independent ball.

Veteran infielder Rougned Odor (who never appeared in a game after the Yankees signed him to a minor league deal) was also released.

With releases come promotions. I will report on them as they start playing.

Scranton (58-47) (Lost to Louisville, 4-2)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4, 3 K
Dominguez’s first full game in the field since coming back.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2B (8)
Vivas has four multi-hit efforts in his last seven games.
3B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, 2B (18), RS, BB
Since promotion: .291/.343/.470 in 329 PA (18 doubles, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 50 R, 6.7% BB, 17.6% K). He is on a 7-game hitting streak (9-for-30).
DH Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RBI, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
14-for-39 (.359) with four doubles and a homer since his promotion. He is 29 years old, but didn’t convert to catching until recently.
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, K

LHP Thomas Pannone (L, 5-9): 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Phil Bickford: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (50-50) (Lost to Bowie, 3-2)

2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2B (2), K
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 4 K
Yes, I get the frustration of fans who see Jones go on a run only to have a night like this. The Yankees love him and are willing to live through the growing pains. That could change if the right trade opportunity comes along this winter. Yes, signing Juan Soto long-term can be a factor.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RS
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-2, HR (6), RBI, RS, CS (1), 2 BB
Hardman has 32 home runs in 118 Double-A games.
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-2, 2 BB
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, RBI, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Hampton’s first Somerset appearance this season. I can see him finishing the year in Scranton if all goes well.
RHP Matt Sauer: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Danny Watson (L, 1-3): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
I mentioned Eric Reyzelman as the organization’s best relief prospect. A healthy Watson is high on the list, as well. I am not worried about his overall 2024 statistics.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (50-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 7-1, in a 7-inning game. The game started late due to rain, so they cut it short)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, RS, K
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-2, RS, BB
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, 2B (6), RBI, RS
I wish Gomez’s bat would develop, as he is one of the few catching prospects who has few questions about sticking there. 
DH Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, RS, SB (10), K
3B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS
Romero’s first home run since July 4th. 
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, BB
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
Hall has a pair of multi-hit efforts in his last three games. Hopefully, this is a sign that he will finish strongly.
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (W, 6-4) 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
2.60 ERA (86.2 IP, 60 H, 34 R, 25 ER, 7 HR, 38 BB, 108 K). Schlittler tied his personal best for strikeouts in a game and may be their most consistent minor league starter this season. 
RHP Kelly Austin:  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The organizational debut for Austin, who was acquired from the Houston Astros for Caleb Ferguson. He pitched to a 2.21 ERA in 36.2 innings for Houston’s Low-A/High-A clubs.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (41-56) (Lost to Lakeland, 4-3)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5, RS, SB (29), 2 K
Lombard Jr. is 29-for-33 (87.9%) in the stolen base department.
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RS, SB (27), BB
Arias is 27-for-38 (71.1%) in the stolen base department. That should improve with experience. His strikeout rate is 32.5%, which is an improvement over where he was earlier this season.
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RS, SB (2)
Jasso has three multi-hit efforts in his last six games.
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, BB, K
.255/.388/.407 in 327 PA. 
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-2, 2 BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, 2 K
   PH-DH Joe Delossantos: 0-for-1, BB, K
Delossantos is the first 2024 draftee to make his debut. He was their 10th-round pick, signing for a mere $7,500 (he had zero leverage). The right-handed hitting outfielder out of William & Mary is 23 years old, so it makes sense that they would place him here out of the shoot. He hit .330/.431/.584 in 57 games for the Tribe this season.

RHP Andrew Landry: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Last year’s 16th-round pick makes his Tampa debut. In the FCL, he tossed 9.1 innings, giving up two runs on nine hits with a 14/3 K/BB. He showed off a 6-pitch mix tonight, maxing out at 95.7 with his 4-seam fastball and 95 with his sinker. He mixed in a slider, curve, change, and cutter. The Yankees have a track record of success with mid-round pitching, so watch him.
LHP Will Brian: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
This is not the 25-year-old’s Tampa debut, as he appeared in 2022 and 2023. The 10th-round pick in 2022 out of Eastern Kentucky is 25 years old and features a sinker/curve combo. He generated an impressive ten whiffs tonight.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia (L, 3-3): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-26) (Lost to DSL Cardinals, 11-9. This was the TAME game down in the DSL today)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-5, 2 RS, SB (21), 2 K
Peralta has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games and is 21-for-24 in the stolen base category.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
C Luis Puello: 2-for-4, HR (4), RBI, 2 RS, K
.321/.424/.512 in 99 PA (4 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 16 R, 3-for-3 SB). He is only 18 years old.
2B Geyber Blanco: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS
LF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (5), 3 RBI, RS, K
CF Louis Pierre: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (12)
1B Niurby Asigen: 2-for-4, SB (7), K
DH Diego Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K
The 17-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder makes his professional debut.

DSL Bombers (23-20) (Lost to the DSL Twins, 21-19, in 13 innings. That isn’t a typo)

DH Francisco Vilorio: 3-for-7, 2B (7), 2 HR (3), 5 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
A big day for the bonus baby outfielder. This increases his triple slash from .190/.265/.295 to .205/.280/.366. He is only 17.
C Queni Pineda: 2-for-5, 2B (7), HR (3), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
The 17-year-old has a .245/.437/.415 line in 126 plate appearances.
SS Christofer Reyes: 3-for-7, 3 RS, SB (14), 1 BB, 3 K
2B-1B Luis Escudero: 1-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
1B Carlos Villarroel: 2-for-4, 2 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
LF David Carrera: 2-for-6, 3 RBI, RS, K
CF Angel Ventura: 2-for-7, RBI, 3 RS, CS (2), 2 K

RHP Mariano Salomon: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Yes, the game got out of hand after he left the game. They used nine total pitchers. Salomon (21) has a 1.75 ERA and 40/10 K/BB over 36 innings.

Yankees MILB 8/1: Zach Messinger Goes 7 Strong

News:

LHP Chasen Shreve was released from his contract for Scranton. Today is August 1st, so the odds are good that he had an opt-out. He pitched in ten games for Scranton, posting a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings.

As I pointed out yesterday, RHP Nick Burdi has options. Today, his rehab stint ended and he was optioned to Scranton. How far have the Yankees come? Jake Cousins, Michael Tonkin, and Tim Hill are blocking Burdi, who many saw as a potential key contributor when the season began. He still can be, but it will require an injury/implosion for him to get his next chance. If/when RHP Scott Effross is ready, he will join the mix.

Scranton (57-46) (Lost to Louisville, 10-8)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, BB, K
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, 2B (9), 2 RS, SB (16), K
Peraza is attempting to build on his .279/.367/.453 July.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, HR (12), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Rumfield is hitting .288 with a .803 OPS since his promotion. If Rumfield can combine batting average with home runs, there could be something to work with (before 2023, he was a decent batting average guy with little power. In 2023, he showed off power with a low batting average). 
CF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-2, 2B (16), HR (9), 2 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
Trammell has three homers in his last four games. 
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, RS, BB
Escarra is 14-for-38 (.371) with four doubles since his promotion.
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RBI
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, 3 K

LHP Tanner Tully: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.13 ERA (32 IP, 21 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 37 K). I hope Mauricio makes it to MLB. It’s been a grind going back to 2017.
RHP Art Warren: (L, 1-1) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Effross needs clean outings before he is considered for the big club.
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (50-49) (Defeated Bowie, 6-2)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, 2B (17), 3 RS, 3 BB, K
Jones’ OPS is .745. This is his highest number since May 3rd (.767). In his last 6 games, he is 7-for-21 (.333) with 3 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI, and 6 walks.
1B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (6)
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI, RS, BB
Flores’ power display has become serious. He has homered in back-to-back games and four times in his last eight games. Overall, he has 13 HR in 86 games between here and Hudson Valley. Last season, he hit 8 HR in 105 games.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-5, 2 K
Richardson has three straight multi-hit efforts.
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-3, CS (5), HBP
Vargas is 29-for-111 (.261/.297/.396) since his promotion. That may not jump out at you, but his defense provides additional value.
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Zach Messinger:  (W, 3-8) 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
3.61 ERA (114.2 IP, 95 H, 63 R, 46 ER, 7 HR, 38 BB, 110 K). Messinger is an interesting prospect who stands 6’6″. He might have that “bulldog” quality. Can he translate that to MLB? We’ll see.
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
His arm is worth investing development time in. But it’s going to take a lot of work.
RHP Kevin Stevens: (S, 7)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.37 ERA (38 IP, 28 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 55 K). He has impressed.

Hudson Valley (49-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 4-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, HR (8), RBI, RS
.223/.349/.394 in 351 PA. Much of Riggio’s profile is solid – his .254 BABIP is on the low side.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-3, HR (9), SF, 2 RBI, RS
Avina and Riggio went back-to-back. Avina needed the calendar change after going 7-for-73 in July.
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-4
It appears that Martinez is a “one level at a time” prospect. They didn’t move him away from Tampa in 2023 and may not move him away from Hudson Valley in 2024. There is nothing wrong with that. No two players are developed the same.
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), 2 K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, K
DH Christopher Familia:  0-for-2, RS, BB, K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2B (12), RBI, SB (11), K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, 2B (7), RS

RHP Blane Abeyta: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 4-2)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.71 ERA (34 IP, 28 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 20 BB, 48 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating (S, 3): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.50 ERA (56 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 66 K)

Tampa (41-55)

Their game against Lakeland was postponed. A lineup was never posted.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-25)

Their game against DSL Phillies Red was canceled due to a tropical rainstorm. It will not be made up.

DSL Bombers (23-19)

Their game against DSL Mets Orange was canceled due to a tropical rainstorm. It will not be made up.

Yankees MILB 7/31: Jesus Rodriguez: HR, 4 RBI

News:

Brian Cashman said Jack Flaherty‘s medical records didn’t scare the Yankees. Without any evidence to support my theory, I think the Tigers and Yankees had a deal in place (whether the Cardinals were involved, who knows?). The Yankees saw the medicals and tried to amend the terms. The Tigers didn’t like the “secondary” prospects the Yankees switched to (which was confirmed by Bryan Hoch tonight I honestly wrote that sentence before Hoch’s tweet). If true, Cashman and Ken Rosenthal are at least partially telling the truth.

Regardless, the Yankees didn’t have a “wow” deadline. Hardly anyone did. Most of the best players rumored to be on the market went nowhere. While I wish the Yankees did more, this is a good thing. Why? Because I don’t think the Yankees would have been able to compete with other teams regarding prospect packages for top players. Do we think the Yankees had the chips for Tarik Skubal or Garrett Crochet? I don’t.

Scranton (57-45) (Squeaked past Louisville, 2-1)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, RS, BB
Dominguez’s hitting streak ended yesterday but he still owns a 12-game on-base streak.
  RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-0
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, CS (5)
Vivas is 8-for-24 (.333) in his last six games.
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, 2B (8), HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, K
.242/.348/.336 in 248 PA. Entering July, his triple slash was .216/.336/.256.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RS, K
Rumfield has a 5-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games (12-for-36). 
RF-CF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-1, 3 BB
3B Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-2, RS, SB (4), 2 BB

LHP Josh Maciejewski: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
The Railriders’ pitching staff may be running on fumes soon. They’ve had to adjust over the past week. Luckily, Edgar Barclay gave them some length on Tuesday.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda (W, 6-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.71 ERA (51 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 28 BB, 64 K). Under the old rules (didn’t have to face three batters, rosters expanding to 40), Mosqueda would be a September call-up candidate. He is holding left-handed hitters to a .118 batting average.
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Burdi has options, so they can place him here after his rehab stint ends.
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (49-49) (Defeated Bowie, 13-12, in a crazy one. The Patriots had a 10-3 lead at one point)

3B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
Durbin is 2-for-17 with four walks and two strikeouts since being placed here.
  3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-1, K
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (16), SF, 3 RBI, BB, K
.240/.323/.412 in 384 PA (16 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 51 R, 21-for-26 SB, 10.4% BB, 36.7% K). July: .203/.297/.392.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-6, HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 RS, SB (1)
Rodriguez has homered in back-to-back games. Over his last three games, he has played 1B/3B/C, showing us his unique versatility profile. 
1B Rafael Flores: 3-for-6, 2B (4), HR (6), RBI, RS, 3 K
Since promotion: .239/.325/.440 in 123 PA with 4 doubles and 6 homers (3 HR in last 7 games).
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, HBP
LF Grant Richardson: 3-for-3, RS, SB (11), HBP, BB
Richardson’s 5th 3+ hit game this season. 
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 3 BB, 2 K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
4.63 ERA (105 IP, 92 H, 59 R, 54 ER, 18 HR, 41 BB, 107 K). Dees’ gas tank may be closing in on empty. The reliever-to-starter transition isn’t easy.
RHP Jesus Liranzo (W, 5-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Eric Reyzelman (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
A performance like this stands out in a wild scorefest. At this level: 2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 15 K). With Jack Neely gone, Reyzelman is probably the top relief prospect in the system.

Hudson Valley (48-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-5. They scored 4 in the bottom of the 9th to win it)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, 2B (18), RS, K
RF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, K
   RF Nelson Medina: 0-for-0, RS, HBP, BB
3B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, 2B (10), 3 RBI, BB
Moylan hit a game-winning 3-run single in the bottom of the 9th (the third run scored on an error). He is hitting .252/.372/.372 in 301 PA and has three straight multi-hit games. The most important thing is that his power is starting to show up.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, 2B (11), BB
.229/.363/.399 in 331 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 37 R). 
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, RS
LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.61 ERA (77 IP, 77 H, 57 R, 48 ER, 5 HR, 45 BB, 70 K). Last 3 starts: 15 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 15 K. Carr appears to be adjusting…
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.15 ERA (54.1 IP, 46 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 20 BB, 66 K)
RHP Huey Morrill (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (41-55) (Split a doubleheader against Lakeland)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-3, 3B (2), RS
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-1, 2 BB
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB

RHP Bryce Warrecker (W, 1-3): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Warrecker’s first career win- congrats (he has only 13 starts, and this was the first time they let him qualify for a win!)
RHP Matt Givin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel (S, 6): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 12-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Lombard Jr. was in a 4-for-29 slump before his homer. He is hitting .232 with a .702 OPS and 4 of his 5 homers were hit in July.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, BB, K
Arias finishes 22-for-78 in July (.282) with five doubles and a pair of homers. He walked 13 times and struck out 20 times (41 strikeouts in June).
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jasso is tied for third (with Roderick Arias) in the FSL with 54 RBI.
DH Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RS, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RS
Gonzalez is 12-for-45 (.267) since his promotion. 
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 2-6)  1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Luis, the cousin of Jared Serna (traded yesterday), left tonight’s game due to an injured elbow.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
2.59 ERA (48.2 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 7 HR, 25 BB, 59 K)
RHP Kristofer Bow: 0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Bow’s first appearance since June 15th. Tonight’s results aren’t what he wanted, but at least he is back.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-25) (Defeated Padres Gold, 7-5)

DH Dexters Peralta: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS
Peralta has four multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.
C Luis Puello: 3-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS
.313/.421/.475 in 95 PA. He is 18 years old.
LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (13), CS (4), HBP
.228/.343/.293 in 108 PA. Will the hit tool develop? That’s the question.
RF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, RS, BB

RHP Alexander Almonte: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 17-year-old owns a 2.53 ERA in 21.1 IP (17 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 21 K)

DSL Bombers (23-19)

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 7/30: Spencer Jones Homers, Steals 2 Bases

News:

The Yankees released IF Jeter Downs today, allowing him to sign in Japan.  Downs hit .264/.360/.498 (117 wRC+) in 274 plate appearances for Scranton.

The Yankees signed Brett Phillips to a minor-league deal. They signed him as a pitcher, which could be fun. Phillips’ best attribute as a position player was his Immaculate Grid game, as he appeared in 393 games for five different clubs. He recently threw 97 MPH in an NBC World Series game, whatever that is (Update: The NBC World Series is an annual event going back to 1935! I never heard of it).

It will be fun to follow his progress.

Trades:

LHP Caleb Ferguson was traded to Houston for international bonus pool money and RHP Kelly Austin

The Yankees acquired a pair of left-handed relievers from the Dodgers over the winter, and neither panned out. Ferguson pitched to a 5.13 ERA (4.27 FIP) over 33.1 IP with a 26.5% K, 10.3% BB, and 1.35 HR/9. The Yankees acquired him because of his ability to miss bats, and his strikeout rate was his highest since 2020. However, he didn’t impress overall. The Yankees acquired him for LHP Matt Gage and RHP Christian Zazueta. The Dodgers traded Gage to the Mets (he was called up yesterday) while Zazueta owns a 7.10 ERA in 41.1 innings for the Dodgers’ Rookie League/Low-A affiliates.

Austin (23) was signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The UCLA product owns a 2.21 ERA (3.60 FIP) over 36.2 IP between Low-A/High-A with impressive strikeout (31.1%) and walk (4.7%) rates.

IF Ben Cowles and RHP Jack Neely were traded to the Chicago Cubs for RHP Mark Leiter Jr.

Cowles and Neely have raised their stock in 2024, and the Yankees cashed in the chips. I sound like a broken record, but if you are a Yankees fan, your reality has to be that most prospects are built up as trade chips.

Leiter Jr. doesn’t throw hard, but he generates a ton of strikeouts, a need for the Yankees’ bullpen. A starter in the minors (he made some starts for the Phillies in 2017), Leiter has found a groove as a relief pitcher. Over the past three seasons, he owns a 3.85 ERA (3.62 FIP) over 168.1 innings with a 28.8% K and 8.8% BB. While his ERA is up in 2024 (4.21), his FIP (2.11) is the best of his career.  This season, he abandoned his 4-seam fastball while increasing his slider/sweeper usage. When pitchers move to the bullpen, they dump most of their pitches and concentrate on two or three. That isn’t the case with Leiter, who continues to throw a 5-pitch mix. In back-to-back games in late May, he allowed 7 runs while recording only three outs. Beyond that and a hiccup in mid-June, he has pitched well.

Cowles is hitting .294/.376/.472 (141 wRC+) in 378 plate appearances in Double-A. The University of Maryland product has played second, short, and third base. He could have been in the 2025 mix at second base/utility, but players of his ilk don’t typically make it to the Bronx. He will have an opportunity in Chicago.

Neely was the Yankees’ top relief prospect. The 24-year-old owns a 2.81 ERA in 41.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A with a 63/16 K/BB. He stands an impressive 6’8″ and will likely debut for the Cubs this season.

While I label Neely as their top relief prospect, the Yankees are good at building up relief prospects. As I stated the other day, the Yankees likely would have considered Neely if they couldn’t find someone on the market.

OF Brandon Lockridge was traded to the San Diego Padres for RHP Enyel De Los Santos and RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.

De Los Santos is a 28-year-old who misses bats (28.2% K). He also allows an insane number of home runs (2.45/9 this season). However, his home run rates were fine in 2022 and 2023. Unlike Leiter, he is traditional as he comes at hitters with a mid-90s fastball, a slider, and an occasional change-up. His profile doesn’t “wow” me, but the Yankees had an obvious objective to acquire relievers who can strike hitters out. If they feel his HR rate will normalize (20.9% HR/FB is ridiculous), maybe they have a diamond in the rough.

Balboni Jr. (it doesn’t appear that he has a relation to former Yankees’ first baseman Steve Balboni) was drafted by the Padres in the 15th round of the 2022 draft out of Northeastern. The 23-year-old pitched for Low-A Lake Eisinore this season, compiling a 4.46 ERA in 34.1 IP with a ridiculous 38.2% strikeout rate. However, he walks batters at a 12.7% clip.

Lockridge is a speedy grinder (34-for-38 stealing bases this year) with a 4th/5th outfielder profile. He hit .295/.405/.383 for Scranton this season. He is 27 years old and might be approaching minor league free agency.

Overall Deadline Thoughts:

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the headline move. How you think about this deadline is how you evaluate him (so far, so good). The Yankees did not add to their rotation but added a pair of strikeout arms to their bullpen (an obvious need).

The Dodgers pulled off a deal for RHP Jack Flaherty. The return included former Yankees’ farmhand Trey Sweeney. In theory, the Yankees could have beat the Dodgers offer.  However, it is hard to know how organizations value prospects. Hence, when people tweet “comparable packages” on Twitter, that is based on prospect rankings and values that may not (probably don’t) match the Tigers’ internal evaluations.

It wasn’t a bad deadline. I tend to agree that it feels incomplete.

Scranton (57-45) (Squeaked past Louisville, 2-1)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, SB (3), BB
When Dominguez starts playing full games in the field, the “call-up” clock starts. They won’t do it unless there is a clear path to playing time.
  LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-1
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-2, 2 BB
For Scranton: .244/.385/.381 in 221 PA. He owns a 14.9% BB rate at this level.
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
Peraza has a 13.1% BB rate for Scranton (9.7% in 2023)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RS
DH Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS
Smith’s 2-run HR in the 7th won the game.
RF-CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, K
LF-RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, K

LHP Edgar Barclay: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
6.59 ERA (95.2 IP, 106 H, 75 R, 70 ER, 21 HR, 49 BB, 84 K). Last 3 starts: 16 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 6 BB, 14 K.
LHP Chasen Shreve (W, 2-1): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Phil Bickford (S, 5): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (48-49) (Lost to Bowie, 7-6)

DH Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, RS, CS (1), BB, K
Durbin was CS in the top of the 9th, down by a run with no outs and Spencer Jones at the plate. Tsk, tsk.
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, HR (12), 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (21), BB, K
When he has nights like this, you become excited. I believe the Yankees were willing to deal Jones, but not for a rental starter. That would have taken him off the table for Jack Flaherty.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Rodriguez is 6-for-31 (.194) since his promotion. He missed a month due to injury.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, RS, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, HR (8), RBI, RS
Seigler had a home run binge earlier this season. This is his first since June 20th.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Vargas is hitting a respectable .252 with a .676 OPS at this level.

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
5.47 ERA (107 IP, 115 H, 68 R, 65 ER, 10 HR, 35 BB, 97 K). This season has been a learning experience for Vrieling. Here’s hoping he finishes strongly.
RHP Danny Watson: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
With Neely leaving the nest, Watson moves up the list of relief prospects. An injury delayed his progress in 2024, but six of his last seven appearances have been scoreless. 
RHP Luis Velasquez (L, 3-3): 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR

Hudson Valley (47-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-5
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-5, K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-3, 3 RS, 2B (4), HBP
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
.248/.368/.366 in 296 PA. Last 6 games: 8-for-23 (1 double, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K).
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RS, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-3, 2B (4), 3 RBI, BB
.191/.277/.303 in 101 PA. Familia has struggled somewhat in High-A (.240/.313/.416) after annihilating Low-A pitching (.290/.368/.611).
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K

RHP Trent Sellers: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
2.56 ERA (59.2 IP, 34 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 30 BB, 73 K). As a starter (3 starts): 10.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K. 
RHP Sean Boyle (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Sebastian Keane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
4.91 ERA (69.2 IP, 64 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 34 BB, 67 K). Keane was a starter until recently. I assume they are controlling his innings down the stretch.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (39-54) 

Their game against Lakeland was postponed.

FCL (35-22)

I was wrong. Will wonders never cease? When the FCL squad lost to the Pirates on Saturday, their season ended. The semi-finals are single elimination.

DSL Yankees (14-25) (Destroyed Arizona Black, 12-1)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (20), 2 BB, 2 K
While strong stolen base rates are common at this level, it impresses me that he is 20-for-23 given his inexperience.
DH Richard Matic: 1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, 2B (9), 3 RBI, RS, SB (7), 2 BB
CF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-5, RS, SB (12), BB, K
2B Jelson Coca: 2-for-5, 2B (2), 3B (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Coca entered the game 4-for-58. This was likely a relief for him!
1B Niurby Asigen: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K

RHP Edinzo Marquez (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
The 19-year-old owns a 1.99 ERA (31.2 IP, 24 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 36 K). Goal 1 for an international signee: Get off the island and come stateside. Marquez is likely earning that for 2025.
RHP Jesus Mejia: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 18-year-old owns a 1.88 ERA (14.1 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 11 K)

DSL Bombers (23-19) (Split a doubleheader against the DSL Rangers Red)

Game 1 (Won, 3-0)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-3, RS, SB (13)
Still 16, Reyes is hitting .200/.313/.227 in 128 PA.
2B Luis Escudero: 2-for-2, 3B (4), RBI, RS, SB (23), BB
1B Carlos Villarroel: 2-for-3, RBI, SB (2), CS (3)

RHP Franyer Herrera (W, 2-1): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
2.34 ERA (34.2 IP, 29 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 44 K). Herrera hasn’t allowed an HR in 55 career IP.
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 6): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.10 ERA (16.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 20 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 6-5)

CF Browm Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, SB (17), 2 K
17-for-23 SB in 29 games.
DH Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-1, 2B (3), RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
  PR-DH Luis Escudero: 0-for-1
.303/.479/.472 in 121 PA with a 23-for-28 stolen base rate. He has 28 walks and 11 strikeouts.

Yankees MILB 7/28: Brandon Lockridge: 3 BB, 3 SB

News:

We are nearing August 1st and haven’t seen any “mass promotions” yet. That will likely happen after the deadline.

Because we no longer have short-season leagues, promotions come with cuts. It is a harsh reality. While Agustin Ramirez, Jared Serna, and Abrahan Ramirez were in no danger of being cut, Brian Cashman is considering many angles with his deals. The Rule 5 draft, the current 40-man roster, players they want to promote, etc.

As I said yesterday, it’s easy to get attached to prospects. If you read this report, I tend to have a positive slant while mixing in some reality (I think that is fair).

The best advice I can offer: The kids you love to follow will have better MLB opportunities elsewhere. Serna’s probability of making it to MLB increased when the trade was announced.

Scranton (56-45) (Lost to Worcester, 6-5)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, 3 SB (34), 3 BB, K
In 164 games over the last two seasons, Lockridge is 74-for-83 stealing bases.
DH Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5, 2 K
He was out for a while, so I forgot about his hitting streak. He owns a 10-game hitting streak (16-for-42).
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, RS, HBP
For Scranton: .247/.383/.385 in 217 PA. With the acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Vivas can concentrate on finishing strong here and see what opportunities arise in 2025.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RS, SB (15)
July: .275/.356/.413 (7-for-9 SB)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Rumfield has 7 RBI in his last 6 games (zero RBI in the previous five games)
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, RS
Escarra has four multi-hit efforts in eight games since his promotion (12-for-28)
2B Kevin Smith: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI, RS
LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Thomas Pannone: 5 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
One reason why you bring in Pannone: If you trade from your pitching depth, you have someone who can eat minor league innings. The Triple-A season is nearly as much of a grind as the MLB season, minus the insane travel.
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi averaged 95.4 MPH with his 4-seamer (averaged 97.5 MPH in MLB this season)
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
For Scranton: 1.16 ERA (31 IP, 20 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 37 K). Mauricio allowed three runs in his second outing this season (April 11th). He’s been dominant since. He relies on a cutter/slider combination with a 4-seamer that he throws in the 92-93 range.
RHP Jack Neely: (L, 1-1) 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
Neely, a call-up candidate, didn’t have it today. Due to his small sample size at this level, this spiked his ERA from 0.93 to 3.38.
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (48-48) (Lost to Portland, 4-2. Ever since I pointed out how well they are playing, their offense has gone into the tank)

3B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3
Durbin is 1-for-10 since being placed here. He hasn’t struck out. He is still on a rehab stint that isn’t labeled that way – don’t place him on a “hug” watch because he was pulled.
  2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-1, RS
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, K
No need to place Rodriguez on a “hug” watch – he is still on the “rehab plan”. This is his first game at 1B this season (15 last season).
  RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-0, SF, RBI
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, K
DH Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, 3 K
Hardman has 5 HR in 33 games for Somerset this year (31 in 110 games going back to last year). That is solid pop, though he has struggled with other aspects of his offensive game this year.
RF-1B Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3
2B-3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Ben Shields: (L, 1-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.08 ERA (21.2 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 23 K). Between here, Scranton, and Hudson Valley, Shields is up to 75.2 innings in his debut season.
RHP Matt Sauer: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP McKinley Moore: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.48 ERA (36.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 52 K). Stevens has impressed and I would like to see him promoted to Scranton. That way, we can get some Savant data.

Hudson Valley (46-48) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-4)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.227/.357/.392 in 337 PA. Splits: .282/.417/.385 against LHP and .218/.347/.393 vs. RHP. He is a left-handed bat.
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-5, RBI
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4
Gomez is 10-for-68 (.147) since joining this level.
3B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, K
Moylan has homered three times in his last five games. He is hitting .242/.360/.361 in 292 PA.
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, 2 BB
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-3, RS, HBP
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), RBI, RS
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-2, SB (4), CS (2), 2 BB

RHP Baron Stuart: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
3.70 ERA (82.2 IP, 72 H, 36 R, 34 ER, 4 HR, 32 BB, 68 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: (W, 3-4)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.27 ERA (52.1 IP, 45 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 64 K). 
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.64 ERA (54.1 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 64 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.78 ERA (33.1 IP, 32 H, 19 R, 14 ER, 6 HR, 10 BB, 37 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
3.90 ERA (32.1 IP, 27 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 20 BB, 46 K)
All these relievers likely have a case to go to Somerset, though it’s hard to find room for everyone. 

Tampa (39-54) (Defeated Clearwater, 3-2, in a rain-shortened game. Tampa improves to 16-12 in the second half and 9-1 in their last 10 games)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2
.235/.354/.349 in 345 PA (17 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 43 R, 28-for-32 SB, 13.6% BB, 24.1% K). He has 41 games at SS, 17 at 2B, and 9 at 3B.
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-2
.222/.319/.365 in 405 PA (15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 55 R, 26-for-37 SB, 11.6% BB, 32.8% K). He has 55 games (51 starts) at SS, 30 at SS, and 2 at 3B. I have talked about his extreme splits, but he has improved somewhat against LHP. His average is higher against southpaws (.239 to .218) but everything else continues to show the extremeness.
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-1, RS, BB
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-2, 2B (17), RS
.258/.388/.414 in 317 PA (17 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 50 R, 16-for-20 SB, 17.4% BB, 19.6% K)
LF Willy Montero: 1-fo-2, 2 RBI, RS
His 2-run single in the bottom of the 4th tied the game at 2. He is hitting .243/.302/.360 in 348 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 45 R, 9-for-10 SB)
DH Hans Montero: 0-for-1, BB, K
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-2, K
C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-2, RBI, K
Little did he know that his RBI fielder’s choice would prove to be the game-winner. He is 3-for-11 since his promotion.
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-2

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (W, 4-7) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
Barbosa records his second complete game (neither was 9 innings, obviously). Season: 4.87 ERA (92.1 IP, 92 H, 54 R, 50 ER, 9 HR, 28 BB, 95 K). Barbosa features a 6-pitch mix, throwing five of those pitches 10%+ of the time today. Interestingly, his two most-used pitches are a slider and curve. 

FCL (35-22)

Day off. They must beat the Pirates tomorrow to force a Game 3 in the semi-finals.

DSL Yankees (13-25)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (22-17)

Scheduled day off. The Bombers are in third place, two games behind the Marlins. In the DSL, eight teams make the playoffs (6 division winners + 2 wild cards).

Yankees MILB 7/27: Josh Grosz Dominates

News:

Nothing to report.

Just kidding.

The Yankees acquired IF/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins today for three prospects – C/1B Agustin Ramirez, 2B/SS Jared Serna, and IF Abrahan Ramirez.

The most significant prospect is Agustin Ramirez, who blossomed into arguably the best Yankees minor league bat over the past two seasons. Between Somerset and Scranton this season, he hit .269/.358/.504 (136 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, and 69 RBI over 386 plate appearances. His numbers were suppressed by a tough start after his promotion, but he is on an 8-game hitting streak that improved his Triple-A triple slash to .224/.328/.364. His profile points to a player who could be an above-average MLB bat. His future position (Catcher? First base? DH?) remains a question. If you are a 1B/DH long-term, the offensive bar increases accordingly.

The Yankees like to target smallish infielders who require smallish bonuses on the international market. That description fits Serna, who stands only 5’7″. He packs a punch in his frame, given his .253/.341/.444 (120 wRC+) line in 393 plate appearances for High-A Hudson Valley this season. Like Ramirez, he doesn’t strike out much (15.3%). Serna’s future position is clearly defined. While he has played a lot of shortstop with the Yankees, most experts point to him as a second baseman long-term.

Most of these trades usually include a lottery ticket. That is where Abrahan Ramirez comes in. Only 19 years old, the infielder hit .348/.447/.513 (161 wRC+) in 189 plate appearances for the FCL squad this season. It was his first taste of the level after spending 60 games in the DSL between 2022 and 2023. While his stats are impressive, there is a long way to go before he is a viable prospect, never mind a viable MLB player.

By the way, Agustin Ramirez was on the 40-man roster while Serna is Rule 5 eligible for the second straight winter.

As for Chisholm, he isn’t a “perfect” player. However, any notion that he doesn’t improve a team is wrong. For Miami, he hit .249/.323/.407 (104 wRC+) with 13 home runs and 22 stolen bases. His 24.9% K rate is above the MLB average but shows improvement over previous seasons. While the Marlins have forced him into CF duty the past two seasons, his versatility should be useful. If he can handle CF, he should be able to handle the corners along with his experience at 2B. I wouldn’t be shocked if he is playable at SS and 3B. The Yankees must be creative in their usage if no other moves are made.

I don’t know how many times Yankees fans have complained about the Yankees needing versatility, athleticism, and speed. Chisholm provides that. Again, he’s not a perfect player. Not many are. Does he fit with the Yankees? I think so.

Bottom Line:

I am not giving this trade five stars out of five. It’s not an obvious, no-brainer. Not many trades are.

However, the Yankees acquired a good player with breakout potential and 2.5 years of control to reach that potential. I don’t think you can say “No” to that. Will it work? Time will tell.

As for the Marlins, I like their return. They received three legitimate prospects, one of whom has a Top 100 level bat. That’s the cost of doing business.

If I was the Yankees’ GM and this deal was offered to me, I would say “Yes.” That is how I have to judge it.

Scranton (56-44) (Defeated Worcester, 9-7, in 11 innings)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 4-for-6, RBI, 3 RS, SB (31), K
.298/.401/.386 in 254 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 37 R, 31-for-35 SB). He is 11-for-22 during his 5-game hitting streak.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-6, 2B (7), RBI, 3 RS, SB (12), K
Vivas is 5-for-14 with a double, 4 RBI, 5 runs, and 3 stolen bases in his last three games. He was slumping for a while but is back on track.
3B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, SB (14), HBP
Peraza walked it off with a 2-run homer. He is hitting .239/.345/.318 in 236 PA. He is 21-for-76 (.276) in July with two home runs. He has three 3-hit games this month.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, 2B (17), 2 RBI
Rumfield is 16-for-61 (.262) in July with 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 10 RBI this month.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, 2B (14), BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, SAC, 3 K
Palensky’s first Triple-A game this season (played 9 games here in 2023)
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game tonight. That is an understatement.
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
3.81 ERA (49.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). This ends his 10-game scoreless streak.
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Scranton: 11.1 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 10 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 3-0): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (48-47) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, CS (5), BB, K
.234/.317/.400 in 369 PA. He is 11-for-67 (.164) in July with 8 walks and 34 strikeouts. He has at least one strikeout in ten straight games.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, 2 BB
Taking walks is a part of Flores’ game (12 in 109 PA since his promotion (11%) and 14.6% overall)
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, CS (5), HBP, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 2-8) 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
3.76 ERA (107.2 IP, 88 H, 62 R, 45 ER, 7 HR, 36 BB, 106 K). Messinger might be the most snakebit pitcher in professional baseball history. He carries a decent 4.12 minor league ERA over 73 games (55 starts). His record? 4-26.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Last 7 appearances: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
White can strike hitters out (190 in 129.2 career IP). Walks have been an issue, including 27 in 26 IP this season.

Hudson Valley (45-48) (Lost to Wilmington, 2-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (17)
.226/.356/.394 in 332 PA (17 doubles, 4 triples, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 52 R, 17-for-22 SB). 
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB, K
.235/.370/.408 in 319 PA (17.2% BB, 22.9% K)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cam Schlittler (L, 5-4): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
2.64 ERA (81.2 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 24 ER, 7 HR, 37 BB, 99 K). This is the longest outing in his brief professional career.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.97 ERA (39.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 37 K)

Tampa (39-54) (Swept a doubleheader against Clearwater. They are playing better in the second half, as they are 15-12 and in the playoff race)

Game 1 (Won, 4-3, in 9 innings. They walked it off on a combination of events, none of which were pretty)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RS
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 K
It is a big 2-run single for Castillo, who continues his impressive campaign.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, RS, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 2-for-3, 2B (11)
   PH Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-0, BB
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, RS, K

RHP Josh Grosz: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
4.19 ERA (73 IP, 69 H, 47 R, 34 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 93 K). He had a tough time in an emergency start for Somerset on 6/23. Since coming back: 0.397 ERA (22.2 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 25 K). That is dominance. Grosz throws primarily 4-seamers and sliders while mixing in a change.
RHP Matt Givin: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Givin (25) has missed most of the season due to injury. He is not technically here on a rehab stint, but that is what it is.
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
3.88 ERA (48.2 IP, 46 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 55 K)

Game 2 (Won, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2B (17), RS, HBP
Lombard Jr. has a .237/.708 OPS line. He owns a pair of 2-hit efforts in his last three games (five in his last ten games).
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Arias is at .223 with a .687 OPS.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, BB
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, 3B (2), RS, K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
Montero brings in Montero for the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-1, CS (3), 2 BB
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cade Smith: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
3.48 ERA (82.2 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 32 ER, 38 BB, 109 K). Smith, their 2023 6th-round pick out of Mississippi State, is one of their most consistent 2024 performers. He is more of a mix guy than an overpowering type, but that is fine. We’ll see how it translates as he moves up.
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 3-2)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22) (Lost Game 1 to the Pirates, 4-3. The semi-finals are best-of-3)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Mayea took his share of walks and hit .281 in 35 games. He didn’t homer but don’t read into that. The power can come later. For example, Oswald Peraza hit one home run in 94 rookie league games. Three years later, he hit 18 as a 21-year-old in full-season leagues.
1B Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, BB
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Marlins asked about Urena as the “lottery ticket”. Urena is impressive – he might be the next Agustin Ramirez-like riser. 
RF Joel Mendez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, BB
3B-SS Santiago Gomez: 2-for-3, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Making the playoffs allowed Lagrange to add to his innings total. He needs more, given the late start to his campaign.
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
I expect Kean to go to Tampa once the FCL squad is done. He’s 22 years old and dominated during the regular season (1.31 ERA in 20.2 IP with a 27/3 K/BB).

DSL Yankees (13-25) (Defeated the DSL Bombers, 6-3. They are playing playoff spoiler against their own organization mates!)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 SB (18), CS (3), K
.226/.299/.304 with 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. The triple slash may not jump out at you, but he just turned 17 years old.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-0, 2 RS, SB (3), 2 BB
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 4 RBI
Capellan’s first career multi-RBI game.
RF Louis Pierre: 0-for-1, RS, 2 SB (10), CS (2), 2 BB, K

RHP Jorge Luna: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
1.65 ERA (32.2 IP, 21 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 37 K)
LHP Ronald Tejada (W, 3-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.42 ERA (19 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). It is the 17-year-old’s debut season.

DSL Bombers (22-17) (Lost to the DSL Yankees, 6-3)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-2, 2B (7), 2 RS, SB (9), BB
The 18-year-old has 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 55 DSL games.

LHP Jose Ledesma: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 7/26: Agustin Ramirez is Heating Up

News:

Infielder Caleb Durbin returned to Somerset yesterday. Infielder Ben Cowles is heading to the injured list for Somerset today.

Cowles, who was HBP last night, is having a breakout season while playing three positions (2B/SS/3B). He is hitting .294/.376/.472 (140 wRC+) in 378 PA with 9 home runs, 51 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts. He owns a 10.3% BB and 17.7%. In 2023, he struck out at a 23.7% clip. With the MLB infield in flux, one could see him as an option for at least a utility role sometime in 2025.

Infielder Enmanuel Tejeda was moved to the full-season injured list for Tampa. Darn. Tejeda will finish the season with a .310/.353/.369 (108 wRC+) line for Low-A Tampa with a homer, 18 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 28 attempts.

OF Jasson Dominguez was activated today and assigned to Scranton. It isn’t a rehab assignment on paper, but it is in reality.

Scranton (55-44) (Defeated Worcester, 8-5)

DH Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 K
A good enough return for Dominguez. When will he be back with the Yankees? Let’s get him through a week or so of games before we speculate.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, 4 K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (11), K
Hopefully, Vivas is heating up again. He has 12 stolen bases total this year after stealing 25 last season. The ability to steal bases could get lost in his profile, but it’s in his toolbox.
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
Ramirez has an 8-game hitting streak (11-for-34; .324). He is also on a 5-game RBI streak (hasn’t relied on a home run for any of the RBI)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (15), RS, 2 K
LF J.C. Escarra: 2-for-3, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Escarra is on a heater since his promotion (10-for-20, 3 doubles, 5 RBI). He is a left-handed bat who can play some positions, including catcher. 
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, RS, K

LHP Tanner Tully: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Chasen Shreve: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 0.93 ERA (9.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 12 K). Neely should be on the list of possible reinforcements, but the Yankees are going to look for relievers with more experience. That’s fine, too.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (48-46) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, SB (2), BB
Durbin has stolen bases in back-to-back games and is 22-for-24 in 50 games this season. His ability to run should not be underestimated.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (15), 2 K
Jones’ 50th career double (222 games). I am honest: I can’t read who he is. I don’t think anyone knows what he will be.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, CS (1), BB,K
   PH-C Juan Crisp: 0-for-1, K
Rodriguez’s rehab will allow Crisp to get a little playing time.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-1, 2 BB
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3
Vargas has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-18).

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 4-6)  6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Dees is over the 100-inning mark. Season: 4.28 ERA (101 IP, 85 H, 53 R, 48 ER, 15 HR, 37 BB, 104 K). It isn’t a perfect stat line, but it is his first year as a starter. I am happy with what I see.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 13 K. He is an impressive relief prospect.

Hudson Valley (45-47) (Lost to Wilmington, 5-2)

CF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, RS
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-3, 2 2B (26), CS (8), BB
Serna has three doubles and a homer in his last four games, increasing his triple slash to .253/.341/.444. His 26 doubles rank second in the league. He is only 11-for-19 stealing bases after going 29-for-37 last year.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, RBI
Gomez is 9-for-60 since joining Hudson Valley.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Moylan has an impressive 14.4% BB rate and has homered in two of his last three games. If the power starts to show up, the Yankees could have an interesting prospect who has played both infield corners.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, K
LF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, K
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 1-2)  5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
LHP Joel Valdez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.02 ERA (44.2 IP, 29 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 53 K). 
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (37-54) (Defeated Clearwater, 7-6)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (28), K
One of his hits was a “Little League home run.” He is 28-for-32 stealing bases.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 SB (16), 3 BB, K
Castillo’s first career multi-stolen base game. He is 16-for-20 in that category this season and has an .800 OPS/17.5% BB.
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RS
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, BB
DH Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Hampton topped out at 93.9 MPH (averaged 91.7) as he mixed in all his pitches. I doubt he will be in Tampa much longer.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Diaz was promoted today from the FCL (he had an earlier stint with Tampa this year)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
2.51 ERA (46.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 7 HR, 24 BB, 56 K). The home run ball has haunted him this year.
RHP Jordy Luciano (W, 2-3): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The Yankees signed the 25-year-old on June 11th (he made 6 appearances in the FCL before being promoted). He hadn’t pitched in an affiliated league since his 2019 stint with the Phillies’ GCL squad. Over the last several years, he has toiled in the Independent/Mexican/Winter leagues. According to Savant, he dialed it up to 96.4 with the 4-seamer and 96.1 with his sinker.

FCL (35-22)

The playoffs begin tomorrow against the Pirates. It’s been rainy/stormy lately, so I hope they can get these playoffs in without interruption.

DSL Yankees (12-25) (Split two games with DSL Mets Orange)

Game 1 (Won, 9-2. This was the conclusion of a game started on 7/19)

SS Dexters Peralta: 3-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, CS (2)
The 17-year-old’s (he started the season as a 16-year-old) first professional home run.
CF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB, SB (10)
LF Isael Arias: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (7), HBP
DH Louis Pierre: 0-for-1, RBI, BB
  PH-DH Niurby Asigen: 1-for-1, RS, 2 SB (6)

RHP Jorge Luna: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (28.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 31 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez (W, 2-1): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Rafael Arias: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Lost, 7-4)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
He is hitting .214/.290/.277 in 124 PA with 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts.
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, SB (11), BB, 2 K
.202/.316/.274 in 98 PA (11-for-14 SB)
2B Geyber Blanco: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, K

RHP Emanuel Vargas: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR

DSL Bombers (22-16) (Lost to the DSL Rockies, 9-1)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, K
.204/.286/.323 in 105 PA in his debut season.
3B Luis Suarez: 3-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, SB (3)

RHP Mariano Salomon (L, 2-1): 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR

 

Yankees MILB 7/25: Roderick Arias: Grand Slam

News:

IF Caleb Durbin‘s rehab is already over (one plate appearance!) but it’s semantics. The Yankees moved him to Somerset today to continue rehabbing, though it won’t be labeled that way.

Scranton (54-44) (Defeated Worcester, 7-2)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 HBP
Hopefully, this gets him back on track.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
Ramirez has a 7-game hitting streak. At this level: .214/.317/.359 in 120 PA (3 doubles, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 13 R, 11.7% BB, 17.5% K). While in Somerset, he owned a 10.7% BB and 16.5% K. There is a lot to like.
2B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, RBI
DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, K
1B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
Escarra is 8-for-17 with two walks and a strikeout since his promotion.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (14), RS
Gonzalez is 7-for-14 with three doubles in his last four games.
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Will Warren: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
6.11 ERA (95.2 IP, 99 H, 71 R, 65 ER, 18 HR, 35 BB, 115 K). July: 21.2 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 30 K. His miserable May is nearly impossible to overcome, but he has thrown pretty well for much of the season.
RHP Nick Burdi: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi was throwing hard in his first rehab appearance. Can he still be useful for the big club? Yes. Should they continue to look for upgrades in the bullpen? Yes. Even if Burdi is healthy, you worry about future injuries and lack of control/command.
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Somerset (48-45) (Lost a tough one to Portland, 7-6. Portland scored 3 in the top of the 9th)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, 4 K
Jones’ strikeout woes continue. Who would I trade him for? A deal for someone in the Jonathan India class isn’t bad. You don’t want to “give up” on a kid with his talent level, but the outcomes remain wide. When will Jones be a productive MLB player? It could be mid-2026 before he starts to figure it out. This is not an easy one because the Yankees need young, cheap talent if they end up signing Juan Soto. I see some people on social media who think he isn’t worth packaging for India, and I get it. India won Rookie of the Year in 2021 but followed that up with a .246/.323/.394 (97 OPS+) in 222 games between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he is playing back to his rookie level after nearly losing his full-time job. He has never played third base, which could be more of a need than 2B. I like him but I get the trepidation.
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, SB (1)
Between here and Scranton, Durbin has 18 doubles and 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts over 48 games.
  2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-0
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-0, BB, HBP
No, he wasn’t pulled due to an impending trade. He left the game shortly after being HBP.
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Flores has homered in back-to-back games (5 HR in 23 games since his promotion). He has 20 doubles and 11 home runs this year (15 doubles and 8 home runs in 105 games last year). Interesting.
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, RS, SB (11), BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, CS (4)
A grand slam for Vargas. Known for his defense, Vargas is 25-for-95 (.263/.290/.411) since joining Somerset.

RHP Trystan Vrieling:  5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
5.31 ERA (101.2 IP, 107 H, 63 R, 60 ER, 9 HR, 34 BB, 93 K). He was cruising until a 4-run 5th inning. He is pitching well overall in July and we must remember that he is spending his entire debut season in Double-A.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP McKinley Moore (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Hudson Valley (45-46) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, SB (11)
Serna’s first stolen base since 7/1. 
LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 2 K
Avina is in a 0-for-23 slump. Slumps happen. Now, he has to get himself out of it.
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (11), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.240/.373/.417 in 311 PA. Martinez has homered twice in his last four games. Between 2023 and 2024, he has 29 HR in 179 games. From 2019 to 2022, he hit 10 HR in 103 games.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
RF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, RS, K
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, RS, BB
.234/.363/.392 in 190 PA. He is 6-for-13 with a pair of doubles in his last four games.
3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, SAC, RBI, K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.75 ERA (72 IP, 73 H, 55 R, 46 ER, 5 HR, 44 BB, 64 K). He is pitching better lately (5 hitless innings last time out). Carr entered the season with a buzz around him but initially struggled. Is he turning it around down the stretch?
RHP Sean Boyle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At three levels (Hudson Valley, Somerset, Scranton): 1.89 ERA (47.2 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 43 K)

Tampa (36-54) (Split a doubleheader against Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, 2B (14)
Arias has struggled mightily as a right-handed hitter, so it is worth noting that he hit this double batting right-handed.
1B-3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
  LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-2
3B-2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, K
LF-1B Coby Morales: 1-for-2, SB (23), K
Morales is 23-for-25 stealing bases.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-3)  3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR
The 6’8″ Warrecker will need time. He has 35 professional innings, all this season.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Montana Semmel: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Semmell dialed it up to 95.7 MPH. 

Game 2 (Won, 7-1)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K
Lombard Jr. is hitting .231 with a .697 OPS (16 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 41 R, 26-for-30 SB, 13.9% BB, 24.2% K)
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (15), HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Arias is hitting .228 with a .703 OPS (15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 55 R, 26-for-37 SB, 11.99% BB, 32.4% K). In July, his BB/K is 12/12. In June, he walked 7 times and struck out an incredible 41 times. Is something clicking? We’ll have to wait and see.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, BB, K
Gonzalez is 10-for-36 (.278) since his promotion. He won’t turn 21 until October.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-2, 2 RS, HBP

RHP Luis Serna: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Serna’s first career 10+ strikeout game. He tossed 82 pitches (52 strikes). Season: 5.64 ERA (68.2 IP, 62 H, 44 R, 43 ER, 6 HR, 24 BB, 81 K). This is his first full start since July 10th (threw only one inning, due to rain, on 7/19). Serna doesn’t throw hard (though he did throw a 94 MPH sinker tonight), relying more on his 5-pitch mix to generate outs. His 17 whiffs tonight were distributed among his change (8), slider (5), and sinker (4).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (W, 2-2) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was able to strand one of his two inherited runners. Season: 3.97 ERA (47.2 IP, 46 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 12 BB, 55 K). The K/BB stands out. Last season, it was 49/29 over 53.2 IP.

FCL (35-22)

Their game against the Tigers was cancelled due to rain (they started it, but couldn’t get in enough innings). While the stats won’t count, LHP Henry Lalane tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out three.

Due to the cancellation, the Yankees win the division and go to the playoffs.

The other teams in the playoffs are the dominant Marlins (39-15), the Pirates (36-23), and the Wild Card Tigers (34-23). Today’s cancelation benefited the Tigers, who ended up percentage points ahead of the Rays and Red Sox.

The playoffs begin on Saturday. The Yankees will play the Pirates.

By the way, the FCL schedule is structured in a way where you only play division teams. So, the Yankees haven’t faced the Marlins or Pirates this season.

DSL Yankees (11-24) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 5-1)

LF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Michell Chirinos (L, 0-4): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Burgos: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old owns a 5.85 ERA in 20 IP (21 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 15 K)

DSL Bombers (23-15) (Defeated the DSL Yankees, 5-1)

DH Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
.256/.458/.410 in 107 PA (26.2% BB, 20.6% K)
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-2, RS, BB
1B Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-3, 2B (2), 3 RBI
.265/.346/.382 in 78 PA. 
3B Kevin Verde: 0-for-1, RS, SB (8), CS (2), 2 BB
LF Angel Ventura: 1-for-2, RS, SB (15), K

RHP Enixon Sanchez (W, 3-0): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (22.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 21 K). Not bad for a 17-year-old in his first season (he was 16 when the season started).
RHP Alexis Paulino: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 7/24: Rafael Flores Walks it Off

News:

The Yankees are signing their draftees. As always, some required extra money to sign while others required less. You can find a full list in many places. I don’t need to rehash it. New talent is coming to try to break their 18-year World Series drought in 2027.

Scranton (53-44) (Split a doubleheader against Worcester)

Game 1 (Won, 8-1)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (14), RBI, RS
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, BB
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS, K
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (11), RBI, RS, K
DH Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-2, 2B (13), 2 RS
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-2, 2B (17), RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter: 2-for-3, 2B (9), 3 RBI

LHP Edgar Barclay: (W, 4-8) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Last 2 outings: 10 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 10 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.78 ERA (47.2 IP, 31 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 61 K). He extends his scoreless streak to ten games.
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, CS (4), BB, 2 K
Lockridge is 7-for-20 with a pair of walks in his last five games.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, 2 K
Vivas, who didn’t play for a week because the Yankees brought him up only to not use him, is 3-for-24 since the All-Star Break. Smart move, geniuses.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
Ramirez has his Triple-A batting average over .200 (.214) thanks to a 6-game hitting streak (8-for-25, 6 RBI).
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RS, 2 K
July: 17-for-62 (.274; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 11 R, 5-for-7 SB). Over a smaller sample (last five games): 9-for-20 with three walks. He started the month with a .592 OPS. It is now .653.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, RS
Rumfield, who has five 3+ hit games since his promotion, is 5-for-10 in his last three games with a double, homer, and 3 RBI. While his average is down in July, he has homered three times in his last nine games.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-3, RS, K
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-3, 2B (9), RBI
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game in Game 2. Underwood has a history of starting, but not in recent years. Season: 2.50 ERA (36 IP, 26 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 35 K)
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Mayza’s organizational debut isn’t a memorable one.
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Scott Effross: (L, 1-1)  0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
Supposedly, the Yankees aren’t comfortable with where Effross’ stuff is. This would seem to confirm that discomfort. He missed a lot of time, so that is understandable. You hope it isn’t permanent.
LHP Chasen Shreve: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (48-44) (Defeated Portland, 6-4, in 12 innings. Last week, I said it looked doubtful that any full-season affiliate would make the playoffs. I guess the Patriots want to prove me wrong. They are now 16-7 in the second half (including five wins in a row), giving them the division lead by 2.5 games)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-2, RS, 4 BB (1 intentional), K
Jones’ first career 4 BB game. He is hitting .240/.323/.409 in 356 PA (36.8% K; 10.4% BB). 
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-2
It’s his second game back from injury, so don’t be concerned that he was pulled.
  PH-C Juan Crisp: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Crisp is a seldom-used (heck, seldom-active) organizational catcher with 182 plate appearances from 2019 to 2024 (140 of those were compiled in 2019). It is fun when players like him earn professional hits.
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-6, RBI
.294/.372/.472 in 376 PA. He is 19-for-68 (.279) in July (4 doubles, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 11 K).
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-6, 4 K
It’s all forgotten when your team wins!
DH Rafael Flores: 2-for-6, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Flores swats a walk-off 2-run HR with two outs in the 12th. Since promotion: .221/.309/.395 in 97 PA. Overall (including time with Hudson Valley): .265/.376/.444 in 330 PA with 20 doubles, 10 homers, and 46 RBI.
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-5, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, SAC, BB, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K

RHP Luis Velasquez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Velasquez has made a few starts recently, but I don’t think that indicates a role change (he tossed only one inning in his previous start).
RHP Danny Watson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 3.68 ERA (7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 11 K)
RHP Matt Sauer: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sauer needed this. Hopefully, he can finish the season strong.
RHP Kevin Stevens: (W, 4-0)  2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
2.55 ERA (35.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 50 K). Stevens was masterful at pitching around the ghost runner in extra innings.

Hudson Valley (44-46) (Lost to Wilmington, 4-1. An offensive spectacle, this was not)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (6), K
Riggio increases his hitting streak to 6 (8-for-22; 1 triple, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB)
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, K
Avina is in a 0-for-19 slump (6-for-53 in July). He is hitting a respectable .257/.339/.417 in 330 PA.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, K
.235/.368/.402 in 307 PA. While he hit .282 in the FCL (2022), most of his performance indicates a kid who isn’t going to hit for much average but draws walks and has some pop. As a left-handed hitting catcher, you hope he can develop into something.
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3
DH Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, K
Hall is 3-for-41 at this level. High-A has given him trouble (as have injuries)
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RS
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, K

RHP Trent Sellers: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Sellers tossed 51 pitches as he retired all 11 batters he faced. He owns a 2.75 ERA (55.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 29 BB, 67 K). As for the short outing, he’s been a multi-inning reliever most of the season. This is only his second start. 
RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 6-7) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
They may be trying to control Keane’s innings the rest of the way, as this is his first relief appearance. He owns a 5.05 ERA (67.2 IP, 64 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 34 BB, 62 K).
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
4.73 ERA (53.1 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 63 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Diaz’s brief rehab assignment is over.

Tampa (35-53) (They tried to play two games against Clearwater, but it wasn’t meant to be)

Game 1 (They trail, 6-0, in the 3rd inning. This game was suspended and will be resumed tomorrow)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-1
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-1, 2B (14)
Arias has struggled mightily as a right-handed hitter, so it is worth noting that he hit this double batting right-handed.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-1
DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-0
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-0
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-0
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-0
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-0

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR

Game 2 (This game was postponed due to rain. I do not see a makeup date)

FCL (35-22)

Scheduled day off. The season ends tomorrow. If they beat the Tigers, they clinch the division. If they lose, I believe the Tigers have the tie-breaker.

If they lose, they need either the Pirates or Rays to lose to earn the Wild Card berth.

DSL Yankees (11-23)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (22-15) (Destroyed DSL Colorado, 15-1. This was the conclusion of a game started on July 22nd)

C Queni Pineda: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (21), BB, HBP
.286/.477/.429 in 107 PA. He has 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
LF-CF Angel Ventura: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
RF David Carrera: 3-for-4, 2 2B (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (7), BB
The 17-year-old is hitting .270/.427/.429 in 82 PA.

RHP Carlos Almonte (W, 1-0): 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Almonte’s first professional win. Congrats!