Yankees MILB 9/2: Sean Hermann Tosses 8 Shutout Innings

News:

C/1B/DH Josh Breaux is back up with Scranton. The Railriders are in need of bodies and Breaux is a logical prospect to promote. I think OF Elijah Dunham also belongs, but they are resisting that move for some reason.

Scranton (65-64; 31-24 in the second half) (Defeated Rochester, 7-2)

LF Estevan Florial1-for-4, 2B (21), SF, 3 RBI, K
Florial’s 9th game with 3+ RBI this season.
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro:  1-for-4, SF, RBI
Chaparro’s 80th RBI this season.
DH Franchy Cordero1-for-4, RS, BB, K, SB (6)
3B Jake Lamb: 2-for-5, 2B (6), RS, K
C Rodolfo Duran: 3-for-5, 2 2B (15), 2 RBI, K
.254/.325/.454 in 228 PA (15 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 22 R, 20 BB, 51 K)
RF Michael Hermosillo1-for-5, K
SS Wilmer Difo0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (21)
Lockridge, who is hitiing .294 with a .738 OPS at this level, is now 38-for-42 in the stolen base department between here and Somerset.

RHP Clayton Beeter: (W, 2-4; 8-6 overall) 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
At this level: 5.15 ERA in 50.2 IP (45 H, 30 R, 29 ER, 11 HR, 31 BB, 58 K). Beeter mostly features his fastball (52% tonight) and slider (42%). Some still think his future is out of the bullpen.
RHP Zach Greene2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (76-48; 34-22 in the second half) (Lost to Portland, 2-1)

SS Caleb Durbin0-for-4
Between here and Hudson Valley, Durbin’s K% is 6.2% in 275 PA. Amongst prospects with at least 250 plate appearances, that is second-best in all of minor league baseball (27-year-old Ernie Clement (AAA, Toronto) is at 4.9% entering today)
C Ben Rice1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, K
Rice has 33 extra-base hits (14 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR) in 62 games. Last year, he swatted 18 extra-base hits in 66 games.
CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, 2 K
3-for-22 since his promotion with a homer, three walks, and nine strikeouts. You may have heard about an article talking about how Spencer Jones “lacks athleticism.”  Anyone who writes or says that has no clue what they are talking about. His athleticism is what makes him such a tantalizing prospect despite some warts (K%, GB%). Some of the old-school writers are so desperate for attention that they are jumping on the “Yankees are dysfunctional” bandwagon and literally making stuff up. There is enough to complain about without the need to do that. 
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Mickey Gasper1-for-3, 2B (6), RBI
.256/.364/.369 in 239 PA (8 doubles, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 32 R, 28 BB (11.7%), 40 K (16.7%), 8-for-9 SB)
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-2, BB, K, SB (6)
RF Aaron Palensky0-for-3
Since promotion: .196/.336/.411 in 211 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 37 R, 28 BB, 49 K, 11-for-12 SB). 
LF Grant Richardson1-for-3, K, CS (1)
Since promotion: 7-for-20 with a pair of home runs. He has yet to walk and has eight strikeouts.
3B Max Burt0-for-3, K

RHP Blane Abeyta (L, 8-7): 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, HR
5.71 ERA in 116.2 IP (120 H, 77 R, 74 ER, 15 HR, 11 HR, 50 BB, 114 K)
RHP Jack Neely1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 15 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 20 K
RHP Tanner Myatt1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
2.96 ERA in 51.2 IP (30 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 36 BB, 62 K). Myatt is a “post-hype” prospect who is still only 25. 

Hudson Valley (68-57; 29-30 in the second half) (Defeated Wilmington, 8-5)

RF Anthony Hall1-for-5, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
Hall extends his hitting streak to six.
2B Jared Serna1-for-5, 3B (2), RBI
It isn’t often you see back-to-back triples. Serna is the owner of a 12-game hitting streak (16-for-51 (.314; 3 doubles, 2 triples)). 
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, RS
  1B Spencer Henson0-for-1, RS
C Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, RS, BB, SB (3)
Rodriguez is hitting .366 with a .993 OPS since his promotion. Overall, between here and Tampa, he has 18 stolen bases in 22 attempts. Why don’t you see his name prominently on the Yankees’ prospect lists? His overall profile is likely not “sexy” enough and he doesn’t have a set position (which may add to his future value, especially if he can play some catcher). Here is what I see: A kid who is hitting .314 in 198 career minor league games. It isn’t like he is old either (only 21). Bottom line? Who cares about prospect lists – just keep on hitting.
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-5, RS, 2 SB (15)
3B Ben Cowles0-for-4, SF, RBI, RS, K
His on-base streak ends at 41, but his night was still productive enough.
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, BB, K
61 RBI and 55 runs in 64 games between here and Tampa.
DH Rafael Flores1-for-4, RS, K
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, BB, 2 K

RHP Cam Schlittler0.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
This isn’t what someone dreams about in their first start after a promotion. That said, who cares? Move on to the next.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Since his promotion: 2.70 ERA (16.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 21 K). Overall, Ayers has an 85/23 K/BB over 63 IP.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 2-0) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Since his promotion: 2.73 ERA (33 IP, 23 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 37 K)
RHP Anderson Munoz: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
At this level: 0.93 ERA (9.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 15 K). Munoz is 25 and missed the entire 2022 season, so this is essentially a rehab year.
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (60-63; 29-28 in the second half) (Defeated St. Lucie, 2-1, in ten innings. The Tarpons won’t make the playoffs, but an over-.500 record is still within reach)

SS Brenny Escanio0-for-4
RF Jackson Castillo1-for-4
DH Omar Martinez0-for-4, K
.254/.368/.459 in 419 PA. This is his first taste of full-season ball and he is handling it fine. 
  PR Roc Riggio0-for-0, RS
1B Josh Moylan0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Dylan Jasso1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, K
Jasso’s first Low-A hit is a big one: A game-tying RBI double in the bottom of the 10th.
CF Nelson Medina0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar1-for-4, RBI, K
Walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. 
2B Jose Colmenares0-for-3, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia1-for-3, K
10-for-28 (.357) since his promotion with four RBI, two walks, and two strikeouts.

RHP Sean Hermann8 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Hermann only needed 71 pitches to get through eight innings. While there might be room for growth (he is only 20), Hermann’s ticket up the chain will rely more on efficiency than pure power. Between here and Hudson Valley (one start): 4.98 ERA (106.2 IP, 115 H, 68 R, 59 ER, 9 HR, 44 BB, 86 K)
RHP Luis Arejula: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/1: Matt Sauer Ks 11

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (64-64; 30-24 in the second half) (Lost to Rochester, 2-1, in ten innings)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-5, 2B (20), RS, 4 K
This is a pretty typical night for Florial. Anyway, he reaches the 20/20/20 club (doubles, HR, SB). 
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
Between here and Somerset: .250/.381/.406 in 339 PA (13 doubles, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 42 R, 53 BB, 86 K, 6-for-8 SB)
1B Andres Chaparro2-for-4, 2B (21)
.249/.338/.459 in 518 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 79 RBI, 73 R, 59 BB, 109 K). For the second year in a row, he is hitting enough to get your attention. Will another organization give him a chance?
RF Franchy Cordero1-for-4
DH Jamie Westbrook0-for-4, K
3B Jake Lamb0-for-3, BB
LF Michael Hermosillo0-for-3, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas0-for-4
2B Wilmer Difo0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Will Warren6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
At this level: 4.44 ERA in 77 IP (69 H, 48 R, 38 ER, 15 HR, 38 BB, 80 K). A 4.44 ERA in the offense-fest known as Triple-A is not so bad in 2023. In August, he pitched to a 3.67 ERA and 28/10 K/BB over 27 innings.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Nick Ramirez1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Michael Gomez (L, 1-5): 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (76-47; 34-21 in the second half) (Defeated Portland, 2-1)

2B Caleb Durbin2-for-4, 2B (10), HBP, 2 CS (7)
Durbin has a 5-game hitting streak (including three multi-hit games). He is hitting ..290/.368/.426 in 174 PA at this level and .305/.402/.416 in 271 PA overall (15 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 44 R, 26 BB, 36 K, 36-for-44 SB). After spending most of the season at 2B/3B, Durbin has mixed in a few games at SS lately.
DH Ben Rice0-for-5, 4 K
I don’t care if you are Ben Rice or Don Mattingly – this game always finds a way to humble you.
CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, BB
Since promotion: 3-for-18 with a homer, three walks and seven strikeouts. Overall, he is hitting .263/.334/.445 in 481 PA (28 doubles, 4 triples, 14 HR, 61 RBI, 65 R, 45 BB, 140 K, 36-for-45 SB)
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, RS, 2 K
.242/.303/.352 in 99 PA since his promotion. He is now on a 7-game hitting streak (10-for-28)
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 2B (12), RS, K
Scranton is playing with a short roster – I don’t know why Dunham hasn’t been promoted to fill one of those slots. He has 24 doubles, 15 HR, and 30 stolen bases between here and Scranton.
1B Mickey Gasper2-for-2, RBI, BB, SB (6), CS (1)
Gasper is another player who can easily fill in a slot at Triple-A. He plays C/1B and even has a few games at 2B under his belt this season.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K
3B Max Burt0-for-3, BB, K
SS Eduardo Torrealba1-for-3, K

RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 4-3) 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Sauer’s highest strikeout output since he struck out 17 on August 22, 2022. His season for Somerset: 3.68 ERA in 51.1 IP (39 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 6 HR, 21 BB, 65 K)
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (S, 1) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Between Hudson Valley/Somerset/Scranton: 1.93 ERA in 37.1 IP (31 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 42 K)

Hudson Valley (67-57; 28-30 in the second half) (Lost to Wilmington, 3-2)

DH Anthony Hall1-for-3, RS, BB, K
SS Jared Serna1-for-4, RS
Serna’s hitting streak reaches 11. He is hitting .289/.341/.373 in 91 PA since his promotion and .284/.348/.464 in 534 PA overall. His K% is 10.99 since his promotion so these pitchers are not fooling him. 
LF Christopher Familia1-for-4, RBI, K
Familia has 11 doubles, 21 HR, and 60 RBI in 63 games this season.
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-3, SF, RBI
2B Ben Cowles1-for-3, BB
Cowles has a 41-game on-base streak.
1B Spencer Henson1-for-4, K
CF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, HBP, K, CS (1)
RF Jared Wegner1-for-4, 2B (4), K
Wegner being 24 is what makes you nervous – if he continues to hit, you won’t worry about it as much. There are successful MLB careers that started late (Kevin Millar didn’t get his first extended look until he was 27, for example)
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-3, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 1-9) 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
4.31 ERA (96 IP, 81 H, 58 R, 46 ER, 13 HR, 52 BB, 113 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
2.48 ERA (40 IP, 28 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 58 K)
RHP Shane Gray1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (59-63; 28-28 in the second half) (Defeated St. Lucie, 7-5)

SS George Lombard Jr: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
Lombard is only 1-for-8 at this level (very small sample size!) but has drawn five walks. He has reached base in all 11 of his professional games.
2B Roc Riggio0-for-4, K
CF Jackson Castillo2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
Castillo’s first professional HR. He is only 20 years old.
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, K
3B Kiko Romero1-for-3, RS, BB, K
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-4
DH Nelson Medina2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
Medina is 4-for-11 with two triples, three RBI, and four runs scored since coming off of the IL.
RF Tayler Aguilar1-for-2, 2B (13), RS, 2 BB, SB (8)
LF Daury Arias0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, SB (11)

RHP Luis Gil: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Gil topped out at 98.5 in his first rehab appearance.
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Hayden Merda1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Adam Stone: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Bustamante (S, 3): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/31: Drew Thorpe Ks 9

News:

Yesterday’s busy news day did not extend into today.

Scranton (64-63; 30-23 in the second half) (Defeated Rochester, 4-1, in ten innings. I won’t lie – with all the promotions to MLB and no big prospects replacing them, Scranton’s roster isn’t the most exciting in minor-league baseball. But they still have a playoff berth to chase)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Durham: 31-21 (game in progress)
Lehigh Valley: 32-22
Worcester: 31-22
Buffalo: 30-22
Norfolk: 31-23 (first-half champions – if they repeat, the second-place team in the second half gets the playoff berth)
Jacksonville: 30-23
Scranton: 30-23

CF Estevan Florial0-for-4, 2 BB, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-5, RS, BB, K, SB (5)
He is hitting .251 with a .777 OPS since his promotion. 
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-5, 3 K
1B Andres Chaparro2-for-5, 2B (20), RBI, RS
Chaparro adds 20 doubles to his 23 home runs. He is up to 79 RBI, which still is the top number in the organization.
3B Jamie Westbrook0-for-4, RS, BB, K
DH Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-5, 3 K, SB (9)
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (19)
When rosters used to expand to 40 max, a player like Difo would always find his way up – he can run and play several positions. I still think the MLBPA shouldn’t have given up the 40-man roster callups easily, even if it made some sense from a competition standpoint. 
LF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (19)
Lockridge has 36 stolen bases in 40 attempts between here and Somerset. He is having a solid season and can play all three outfield positions. I still see him as a Tim Locastro type (with the potential to have more of a hit tool), which is not a bad outcome – Locastro has been around for a while doing his craft. His best opportunity for playing time would be elsewhere, I am afraid. 

RHP Zach McAllister2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
He seemingly started instead of Randy Vasquez – given the bullpen usage in this game, one has to assume that Vasquez is a fresh arm on his way to Houston.
LHP Matt Krook1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
0.96 ERA (28 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 20 BB, 48 K)
RHP Greg Weissert2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Zac Houston: (W, 1-1)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Wilmer Difo1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Difo has appeared in enough games on the hill to qualify as the Triple-A Shohei Ohtani.

Somerset (75-47; 33-21 in the second half) (Defeated Portland, 5-2)

SS Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, RS, HBP, 2 SB (21)
Durbin has 36 stolen bases in 42 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. With Jasson Dominguez (40 SB) on his way to MLB, Durbin has a chance to take the SB crown. If he didn’t get hurt, the crown would have been his anyway.
1B Ben Rice1-for-4, RS, 2 K
Rice has a 6-game hitting streak (13-for-28; 2 doubles, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R). August: 38-for-110 (.345/.397/.700 (LOL); 7 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 24 R). Total season: .333/.442/.648 in 265 PA (13 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 52 R, 35 BB, 46 K, 10-for-11 SB)
CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Since promotion: 3-for-15 with a homer and five runs batted in. 
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, RBI
Since promotion: .241/.305/.356 in 95 PA. He has a 6-game hitting streak going (9-for-24)
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
Let him finish his season in Triple-A.
2B Mickey Gasper0-for-4, K
DH Anthony Seigler1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Seigler still has more walks (48; 20.1%) than strikeouts (44). He accomplished the same in 2022 (91 walks, 82 strikeouts)
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 4-0; 14-2 overall) 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Thorpe was a bit off tonight, but the outcome shouldn’t be disappointing. Since his promotion: 1.37 ERA in 26.1 IP (12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 39 K). Overall, Thorpe has an insane 177/38 K/BB over 135.1 innings. He has allowed one or fewer runs 12 times this season (zero runs eight times)
RHP Alex Mauricio1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.62 ERA (33.1 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). 
RHP Bailey Dees (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Since promotion: 13 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 13 K. Overall, Dees owns a 72/21 K/BB over 55.1 innings.

Hudson Valley (67-56; 28-29 in the second half) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-5)

RF Anthony Hall3-for-5, RBI, RS
Hall needed this. He is at .211/.309/.324 in 82 plate appearances at this level and .255/.365/.419 in 354 PA overall between here and Tampa. 
2B Jared Serna2-for-5, 2B (5), RS, K
Serna has a 10-game hitting streak.
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, K
One has to assume that he won’t be rehabbing for long…
  1B Spencer Henson0-for-2, K
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2B (17), 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, BB, SB (2)
C Ramon Flores0-for-4
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner3-for-4, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Wegner is hitting .306/.419/.556 in 43 PA at this level. He was drafted this year but is 24 years old, so you would expect a kid with his college experience to hit well in the lower minors. 

RHP Yorlin Calderon3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Calderon’s High-A debut.
LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 3-7)  2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Luis Velasquez2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
At this level: 2.23 ERA (36.1 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 18 BB, 44 K). He allowed four runs in 1.2 innings in his fourth appearance at this level but has been very good since.

Tampa (58-63; 27-28 in the second half) (Defeated St. Lucie, 15-3)

SS George Lombard Jr: 1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
Lombard’s first Low-A hit. Including the FCL playoffs, he has reached safely in all nine of his professional games.
2B Roc Riggio2-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, K
At this level: 11-for-50 (2 doubles, 9 RBI, 10 R, 17 BB, 16 K). 
DH Jackson Castillo0-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
C Omar Martinez1-for-2, HR (18), RBI, 3 RS, 3 BB
Martinez is hitting .259 with a .844 OPS in 411 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 62 BB (15.1%), 106 K (25.8%))
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Martinez and Moylan went back-to-back. Moylan is hitting .296 with a .806 OPS (18-for-60, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 13 BB, 17 K). As stated previously, Moylan was a sought-after non-drafted free agent this year. So far, he is doing well adjusting to the pro game.
3B Kiko Romero1-for-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
For Tampa, Romero is at .205 with a .699 OPS in 94 plate appearances. He is a left-handed hitting corner infielder out of a big school (Arizona), so let’s see how he progresses.
RF Garrett Martin0-for-2, HBP, 2 K
Martin left the game after the HBP.
   
PR-RF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, 2 RS, HBP, K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4, 3B (3), 3 RBI
One of the most exciting (and rare nowadays) things in baseball is the bases-clearing triple.
LF Tayler Aguilar1-for-4, RBI

RHP Jackson Fristoe3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
An impressive Low-A debut for their 12th-round pick in the 2022 draft (Mississippi State). Since Low-A is a league that registers Savant data, I was able to get a look at Fristoe’s numbers. He averaged an impressive 96.1 on his 4-seam fastball, reaching as high as 98.1. His most used pitch (60%) was a cutter that averaged 91.1 (maxed out at 94.5). He mixed in a few sliders as well. Suffice to say, when you see a kid throwing this hard, you pay attention.  One issue he had in the FCL was his control (24 BB in 27.1 innings), so that is something to monitor as they work with him.
RHP Montana Semmel: (W, 4-1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 4.96 ERA (16.1 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 22 K). His line is skewed by a 0 IP, 4 R, 3 BB effort on August 6. Life as a relief pitcher.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.22 ERA (44.2 IP, 34 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 1 HR, 26 BB, 55 K)

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/30: Ben Rice Goes Off

News:

It looked like it might be a slow news day.

Late this afternoon, Bryan Hoch announced that the Yankees are calling up Jasson Dominguez and Austin Wells.

When we woke up on July 7th, Dominguez was staring at a .198/.341/.343 triple slash with a 94 wRC+ and 28.7% K. Since then (not including today), he has hit .364/.433/.543 (163 wRC+) with a 17.8% K.

Dominguez has the potential to be a star. The ceiling is just as enormous now as it was when he was signed. Ceilings are hard to achieve, but Dominguez is someone every fan should be excited about. Even his 75% outcome is All-Star level.

I won’t lie and tell you that Wells has played at a high level in 2023. His .240/.333/.442 line isn’t going to dazzle you.  That said, he has the power profile to take advantage of the porch and draws his share of walks. In 188 games between 2022-2023, Wells has 41 doubles, 37 home runs, and 104 walks (12.5%) in 831 plate appearances. This is what the Yankees are hoping for – enough average to go along with power and walks. Not everyone has to be a top-of-the-order stud. If Wells develops into a 6th-7th hitter, you take it. The other question that needs answering is his future position. He is athletic enough to play left field, but the Yankees are playing other youngsters out there. First base is another option, though that does raise the offensive bar. For 2023, he will get his time behind the plate and we’ll see what happens.

Fans just need to be patient because it is unlikely we will see another Gary Sanchez level of explosion. It can happen, but you can’t count on that. The important thing for 2023 is the experience.

The Yankees have released RHP Spencer Howard. Howard, acquired for cash considerations at the deadline, was low on the 40-man roster totem pole He only pitched in three games for Scranton, allowing four runs in 3.1 innings.

“Why make this trade?”

The Yankees were taking a flyer on a former Top 30 prospect (as recent as 2021). When you have a 40-man roster opening, acquiring someone with a prospect pedigree isn’t a bad idea. No harm, no foul.

Scranton (63-63; 29-23 in the second half) (Lost to Rochester, 8-4)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-20 (Game not over)
Durham: 31-21
Lehigh Valley: 31-22
Scranton: 29-23

RF Estevan Florial1-for-5, HR (24), RBI, 2 RS, K, 2 SB (23)
.285/.384/.556 in 432 PA. This was his first home run since July 30th (he was out of action from August 2 – August 16)
LF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Dominguez has 40 stolen bases between here and Somerset. Overall stat line: .265/.377/.425 in 544 PA (22 doubles, 3 triples, 15 HR, 76 RBI, 89 R, 83 BB (15.3%), 133 K (24.4%), 40-for-48 SB). Last year, playing for Tampa, Hudson Valley, and Somerset, he hit .273/.375/.461 in 530 PA. I would have called you nuts back in June if you told me he was going to eventually approach his 2022 totals. Yet, here we are…
C Austin Wells0-for-4, K
Since promotion: .254/.349/.452 in 146 PA with ten doubles, five home runs and a 23.3% K.
1B Andres Chaparro1-for-5, RS, K
DH Franchy Cordero0-for-3, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook2-for-3, 2B (17), 2 RBI, K, SB (5)
3B Jake Lamb0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Wilmer Difo0-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (17)
CF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, BB

LHP Edgar Barclay (L, 0-3): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
He left the game with the bases loaded and all three runners ended up scoring. Furthermore, a big error was the lighted match that turned into an inferno. At this level, he owns a bloated 7.88 ERA in 24 innings. Again, it is so hard to get a good read on pitchers in Triple-A this season.
RHP Zach Greene0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Nick Ramirez1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Zac Houston1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (74-47; 32-21 in the second half) (Toyed with Portland, 13-6. They fell behind 5-2 and 6-3 before taking off)

LF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-5, 2B (11), 3 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (18)
Dunham has 23 doubles and 30 stolen bases between here and Scranton. I think he should take the place of Dominguez in Triple-A. 
C Ben Rice: 4-for-6, 2B (8), 2 HR (14), 5 RBI, 4 RS, SB (6)
Is this guy for real? Since his promotion, in a mere 34 games, he is hitting .343 with a 1.114 OPS (8 doubles, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 30 R, and 6 stolen bases).  It is kind of surprising that he is only on a 5-game hitting streak!
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, 3 K, SB (1)
Jones takes care of his first Double-A homer (a grand slam!) and first Double-A stolen base on the same night. He is 3-for-11 since his promotion and has 28 doubles, 4 triples, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases overall. I don’t know if he will be a stolen base machine in MLB, but his athleticism continues to shine in the minors. Rough edges to work out? Definitely. But the ceiling is tantalizing.
1B Agustin Ramirez1-for-5
3B Caleb Durbin1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, CS (5)
Since returning from the IL: 14-for-41 (.341) with three walks and only two strikeouts. 
DH Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-4, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson1-for-5, RS, 4 K
SS Max Burt: 2-for-5, 2 RS, 2 K

RHP Richard Fitts4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Fitts has been so good lately that we can toss this. As I have mentioned before, the one knock on him is that he sometimes loses his command within the strike zone. Tonight, he uncharacteristically allowed some walks. It happens. Season: 3.40 ERA (135 IP, 114 H, 52 R, 51 ER, 19 HR, 37 BB, 143 K). He is one of the few performing prospects who has stayed at one level all season. That is fine – just a random observation. He doesn’t ever need to step foot in Triple-A.
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 18 K). Overall, he has a 92/19 K/BB over 62.1 innings. He should be ready in 2024 – perhaps as early as Opening Day, though I wouldn’t bet money on it.
RHP Jesus Liranzo1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (67-55; 28-28 in the second half) (Knocked off Wilmington, 9-3)

RF Anthony Hall1-for-4, RS, BB
SS Jared Serna2-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
Serna increases his hitting streak to nine. He is hitting .284 since his promotion. Serna has only five extra-base hits in 18 games at this level, but his season has been so good that we won’t worry about that. As long as he isn’t overwhelmed at a more advanced level, that is a win.
DH T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, BB
Rumfield’s first rehab game. In Somerset earlier this season, he hit .224/.322/.463 with 17 home runs in 72 games. The power surge was unexpected. As for the average, his .218 BABIP may indicate some bad luck there.
C Jesus Rodriguez2-for-4, HR (2), SF, 3 RBI, RS, K
Rodriguez is hitting .359 (23-for-64) since his promotion (5 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 11 BB, 13 K). He has not stopped hitting all season.
2B Alexander Vargas1-for-5, RS, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles2-for-5, 2 RS, K
Cowles now has a 40-game on-base streak.
LF Christopher Familia1-for-4, RBI, RS
CF Cole Gabrielson2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
This is what you call making an impression in your High-A debut.
1B Rafael Flores2-for-4, RBI

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
It was a grind tonight for Selvidge, but he kept the damage at bay. At this level: 3.96 in 38.2 IP (35 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 37 K). Overall, Selvidge (just turned 21) is up to 116 innings after tossing 42.2 innings in 2022. Will they let him finish out the season, or is the end near? There isn’t too much time left.
RHP Anderson Munoz2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Harrison Cohen2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
6 outs, all via strikeout! That works.

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half)

Their game against St. Lucie was canceled due to Hurricane Idalia. They hope to resume play on Thursday.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/29: Agustin Ramirez Heating Up?

News:

I would need someone to publish my novel if I went into details about every player promoted today.

To Hudson Valley:

OF Cole Gabrielson (2023 non-drafted free agent)
RHP Yorlin Calderon (2018 International free agent. 22 years old)
RHP Cam Schlittler (2022 7th round pick out of Northeastern)

To Tampa:

RHP Kris Bow (2022 non-drafted free agent. He was with Tampa earlier this season)
RHP Jackson Fristoe (2022 12th-round pick out of Mississippi State)
RHP Sebastian Keane (2022 18th round pick out of Northeastern – the Yankees must like RHP out of Northeastern!)
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz (2018 International free agent. 22 years old)

The Yankees have shut down RHP Chase Hampton for the rest of the season. Hampton pitched to a 3.63 ERA (3.39 FIP) in 106.2 innings between Hudson Valley and Somerset (33.1% K, 8.4% BB). He is 21 years old and this is his first taste of professional baseball. In his two years in college (Texas Tech), Hampton tossed 101 innings. Hence, it is smart to shut him down now in anticipation of a higher innings load in 2024. If you are wondering about RHP Richard Fitts, he tossed 112 innings for Tampa/Hudson Valley last year and is up to 131 innings this year. He’s fine. Like Hampton, RHP Drew Thorpe is in his first professional season. The difference is that he tossed 104.2 innings for Cal Poly in 2022, after throwing 90.1 innings in 2021. They might still shut him down at some point, but his current 130 innings don’t put him in a danger zone.

Also, T.J. Rumfield will start a rehab assignment down in Hudson Valley. Rumfield was breaking out in the power department earlier this season before the injury bug got him.

Scranton (63-62; 29-22 in the second half) (Lost to Rochester, 2-1)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-20
Durham: 30-21 (game not over)
Scranton: 29-22
Lehigh Valley: 29-22 (game not over)

LF Estevan Florial0-for-5, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, RS, BB, SB (2)
Dominguez has 39 stolen bases between Somerset and Scranton. Last season, he stole 37 bases in 44 attempts. Since his promotion, he is 12-for-27 with five walks and two strikeouts. I don’t know what the Yankees will do but what I thought was impossible entering the season (reaching MLB) is very much possible now. Yes, some of that is due to the fact that the Yankees have underperformed. 
DH Austin Wells1-for-4, BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro2-for-4, RBI
Chaparro drives home his organization-leading 78th run.
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-3, BB, K
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-4, 3 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, BB, CI
3B Jake Lamb0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-4

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 8-7) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
4.57 ERA (138 IP, 140 H, 77 R, 70 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 129 K)
RHP Aaron McGarity1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (73-47; 31-21 in the second half) (Defeated Portland, 3-1)

2B Caleb Durbin2-for-5, 2 2B (8), K
Durbin’s power will likely not develop above the doubles/triples line, and that is fine given everything else he can potentially provide. He is hitting .283/.350/.414 in 160 PA at this level (8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 22 R, 11 BB, 8 K, 19-for-23 SB). 
C Ben Rice2-for-5, RS, K
Rice is now 33-for-100 (.330) in August (6 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 8 BB, 19 K). For Somerset, he is hitting .328/.389/.664.
CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, 3 K
DH Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, 2B (4), RS
Ramirez has three straight multi-hit games, raising his Double-A triple slash to .244/.314/.372 in 86 plate appearances. 
LF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, K
1B Mickey Gasper1-for-3, BB
RF Jeisson Rosario1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB
.212/.358/.349 in 384 PA. Drawing walks is not an issue (18.5%). 
SS Max Burt0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3, RS, BB

RHP Yoendrys Gomez4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
2.87 ERA in 53.1 IP (35 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). At the very least, if they determine he can’t do the 25-30 start thing, he can be a big-league bullpen option. His clock is ticking though for him to become something with the Yankees, however.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (W, 1-2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Maciejewski is doing his job as a “rover” (he has pitched at three levels this season). He owns a 2.06 ERA and 40/10 K/BB over 35 innings.
RHP Tanner Myatt1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At this level: 3.10 ERA in 49.1 IP (29 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 32 BB, 59 K). Is there still something to unlock here? Teams rarely give up on good arms – though some run out of time and find their groove elsewhere.
LHP Ryan Anderson (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.42 ERA (19 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 20 K)

Hudson Valley (66-55; 27-28 in the second half) (Lost to Wilmington, 6-3)

CF Anthony Hall1-for-4, K
Since promotion: .177/.282/.306 in 72 PA
2B Jared Serna1-for-4, RS, SB (7)
Serna has an 8-game hitting streak (10-for-32). He is 7-for-8 stealing bases in 17 games since his promotion and 26-for-33 overall.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-2, RS, BB, HBP, SB (1)
His first High-A stolen base but he is no stranger to the craft: He is now 16-for-20 stealing bases between Hudson Valley and Tampa. In August, he is 21-for-60 (.350) with 11 walks. His positional breakdown (starts): 3B (48), C (22), 1B (15), LF (10), DH (2)
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, K
3B Ben Cowles1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
39-game on-base streak (39-for-136 (.287) with 26 walks and three HBP. Heading into tonight (I don’t have the update number here), he had a 138 wRC+ during this streak.
DH Christopher Familia0-for-4, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP
Flores has homered in back-to-back games. Six of his seven home runs have come since July 19th (30 games)
RF Jared Wegner0-for-2, BB, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange: (L, 1-1) 3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 5.68 ERA (12.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). Overall, in 95 innings, Lange has allowed only 62 hits with a 131/63 K/BB. Someone teach this kid some control before he kills somebody.
RHP Cole Ayers2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Since promotion: 2.51 ERA (14.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 18 K). Overall, he owns an 82/22 K/BB over 60.2 innings.
RHP Mason Vinyard1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.93 ERA (30.2 IP, 23 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 34 K). Overall, he owns a 66/27 K/BB over 55 innings in his debut season.
RHP Shane Gray1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half)

Their game against St. Lucie was canceled due to Hurricane Idalia. They hope to resume play on Thursday.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/27: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits in Somerset Debut

News:

SS George Lombard Jr., 1B/3B Dylan Jasso, and OF Jackson Castillo were all moved up to Low-A Tampa after the FCL season concluded yesterday. All three were in today’s lineup.

Lombard (18) was the Yankees’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft while Jasso (20-year-old right-handed bat) and Castillo (20-year-old left-handed bat) both were signed as undrafted free agents after the draft.

“Is the Lombard promotion aggressive for the Yankees?” That question is impossible to answer. The most recent direct comparison (Anthony Volpe2019) played under a different system. He never played in the GCL (now FCL), instead going straight to short-season Pulaski after being drafted. We’ll never know what the exact plans for him were because he came down with an illness that wiped out his season after 34 games.

Jasso and Castillo are college kids – one should never be surprised to see college bats making their way to a full-season league quickly. Many start there.

Scranton (63-61; 29-21 in the second half) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 6-4. The Railriders took six out of seven in this series)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-19
Durham: 29-21 (game not yet completed)
Scranton: 29-21
Lehigh Valley: 29-22

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RBI, RS, SB (21)
Florial is a double away from a 20/20/20 season. He is hitting .290/.391/.561 in 422 PA.
LF Jasson Dominguez2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is 11-for-23 (.478/1.023 OPS) since his promotion with two doubles, one triple, and ten runs batted in. What, no home runs? He is right in the middle of the organization’s RBI title race, as he is up to 76 (Andres Chaparro leads with 77. Jared Serna also has 76). His triple slash now sits at .266/.376/.426. Remember when he was hitting under .200? It really wasn’t all that long ago. Yeah, a 20-year-old doing this in the upper minors deserves a ranking in the 80s, Pipeline. 
C Austin Wells1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Wells has eight doubles, five home runs, and 19 RBI in 23 August games. He is also in the middle of the RBI race, as he is up to 72 in 94 games.
3B Andres Chaparro0-for-4, K
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-4, K
DH Franchy Cordero0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-2, RS, BB
CF Brandon Lockridge0-for-2, SAC, K
Small ball Lockridge! He is hitting .300/.371/.425 in 283 PA between here and Somerset with 34 stolen bases in 38 attempts.
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-3, RBI, RS, K, SB (8)

RHP Clayton Beeter5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Beeter hit 96.1 MPH today. Breakdown: 66% 4-seam; 31% slider; 2% curve; 1% changeup. At this level: 5.32 ERA (45.2 IP, 40 H, 28 R, 27 ER, 11 HR, 27 BB, 55 K). Overall, Beeter has a 131/58 K/BB over 106.1 innings.
LHP Nick Ramirez: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Matt Krook1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Greg Weissert (S, 10): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (72-47; 30-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 7-6)

SS Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, RS, SB (19)
The injury didn’t slow him down. Durbin is 11-for-33 (.333) since returning with two walks, only one strikeout, and five stolen bases.  His season numbers between here and Hudson Valley: .298/.393/.399 in 252 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 42 R, 25 BB, 16 K (6.3%), 34-for-39 SB)
1B Ben Rice1-for-5, HR (12), RBI, RS, K
Rice has 12 home runs in 32 games since his promotion (.326/.389/.674 in 144 insane plate appearances)
CF Spencer Jones2-for-4, RS
Jones starts his Double-A journey with a multi-hit game. He has 27 multi-hit games down in Hudson Valley (100 games)
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, BB, SB (2)
Back-to-back multi-hit games for Ramirez, who is now 17-for-74 (.230) with three doubles and two home runs since his promotion. Overall, he is at .284/.382/.484 in 435 PA with 20 doubles, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 67 runs, 58 walks, 71 strikeouts, and 11 stolen bases.
RF Elijah Dunham0-for-4
DH Josh Breaux1-for-4, RS
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Richardson has homered in back-to-back games and has 15 home runs overall between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3, 2B (5), RS, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.41 ERA in 32 IP (16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 38 K). In 117.1 career innings, Watson has allowed only 76 hits while striking out 145. He will allow his share of walks but the overall profile is a dominant one.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 3-1) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bailey Dees: (S, 1) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 12 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. In 113 career innings, Dees has allowed only 69 hits while striking out 147 (48 walks). There are some fun relievers in the minors who are getting closer to their big-league dreams.

Hudson Valley (66-54; 27-27 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 4-2. Poor Renegades have lost most of the players who helped them earn a playoff berth in the first half. Life as a High-A affiliate!)

SS Ben Cowles0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
The hard way to increase your on-base streak to 38.
DH Antonio Gomez0-for-4, 2 K
1B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-3, BB, CS (1)
LF Christopher Familia0-for-4, K
RF Jared Wegner1-for-3, BB, 2 K
Wegner is 8-for-30 at this level with six walks. 
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-4, K, CS (2)
2B Luis Santos0-for-3
CF Kyle Battle0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, SB (2)
Battle is only 1-for-24 this season, which has (obviously) been interrupted by injury. He has speed to kill (20 SB in 51 games in 2022) but the rest of the game hasn’t yet developed.
C Juan Crisp1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
Crisp started in the system back in 2018, and this is his 98th career game. His last home run came exactly four years ago: 8/27/2019.

RHP Baron Stuart: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
At this level: 3.54 ERA in 28 IP (21 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 20 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.65 ERA in 37.1 IP (27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 55 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez (L, 3-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half) (Lost to Palm Beach, 12-1)

2B Roc Riggio0-for-4, BB
At this level: 9-for-45 (.200/.429/.222) with a double, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts.
SS George Lombard, Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Lombard’s first career hitless game – but at least he got on base!
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, 3 K
LF Jackson Castillo0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-4
3B Kiko Romero1-for-3, 2B (4), BB, K
.200/.326/.300 in 89 PA with four doubles, a triple, and a home run. 
DH Brenny Escanio: 1-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (20)
.223/.337/.290 in 449 PA with 20 stolen bases in 26 attempts. He has a 14.7% BB and 25.4% K.
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K, SB (8)
  CF Daury Arias0-for-1, K
RF Cole Gabrielson1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, K
At this level: 9-for-51 (.176/.250/.275) with three doubles and a triple. 

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Talk about an undeserved loss in a game like this! That’s baseball, Suzyn. At this level: 5.21 ERA in 19 IP (23 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)
RHP Nolberto Henriquez1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Luis Arejula: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Adam Stone0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
5.06 ERA (48 IP, 44 H, 33 R, 27 ER, 4 HR, 26 BB, 43 K)

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/26: Jasson Dominguez…Again

News:

Two people independently contacted me tonight from Somerset, claiming that they spotted OF Spencer Jones in the dugout. Given Jones’ size, he is easy to spot, so I believe it to be true. Jones has not played the last two nights for Hudson Valley.

Assuming he isn’t there for a wedding (hey, you never know), this promotion would be earned. The strikeout rate needs to come down for him to reach his full potential, but I am not going to complain about a .268/.337/.450 (113 wRC+) line with 28 doubles, 13 homers, and 35 stolen bases. The strikeout percentage sits at 29% and he does need to get the ball in the air more (46% ground ball). To me, these numbers show that there is monster potential – look what he is doing as is. Now imagine more balls in the air and at least a slight drop in the strikeouts.

Scranton (62-61; 28-21 in the second half) (Swept a doubleheader against Lehigh Valley)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, one of the teams they are chasing for the second-half title.
Up to the second:
Worcester: 30-19
Durham: 30-20
Lehigh Valley: 29-21
Scranton: 28-21

Game 1 (Used a 7-run first inning to cruise to a 7-4 victory)

CF Estevan Florial2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jasson Dominguez1-for-3, RBI, BB
This was the appetizer…
C Austin Wells2-for-4, 2B (10), RS
At this level: .263/.356/.456 in 132 PA with ten doubles, four homers, and 18 RBI. Overall, he is hitting .242/.335/.443 in 415 PA (24 doubles, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 45 R, 46 BB, 94 K). Today, Aaron Boone mentioned that Wells may see some reps at first base. The Yankees have yet to play him at any other position but catcher in the minors, despite concerns that he may not be able to stick there. The main reason for this is probably value – Wells as a catcher has more market value than Wells the first baseman. That said, it doesn’t harm his value at all to give him some work at first base. Some players are able to adapt quickly when presented a new position, so we’ll see what happens.
3B Andres Chaparro1-for-4, SB (4)
DH Franchy Cordero0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Jamie Westbrook1-for-3, HR (19), 4 RBI, RS, BB
Westbrook hits a grand slam. He ties his personal best for home runs in a season, set back in 2018.
1B Jake Lamb1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, BB
RF Michael Hermosillo1-for-3, HR (12), RBI, RS, 2 K
Scranton hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the first inning.
SS Wilmer Difo1-for-3, RS

RHP Will Warren: (W, 6-4)  6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 3 HR
At this level: 4.82 ERA (71 IP, 68 H, 48 R, 38 ER, 15 HR, 36 BB, 74 K). His ERA is lower than the league average in this crazy league, so keep that in mind. Overall, Warren is 9-4 in 23 starts between here and Somerset with a 4.13 ERA in 100.1 IP (94 H, 58 R, 46 ER, 15 HR, 48 BB, 113 K)
RHP Zac Houston1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-3)

DH Estevan Florial0-for-1, RBI, RS, 3 BB
.288/.390/.558 in 418 PA. He is only 7-for-35 in August, though he has drawn 11 walks.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-4, 2B (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS
…this was the main course. He is now 9-for-20 (.450) since his promotion with eight runs batted in and only one strikeout. This is exactly what the Yankees ordered. Overall, he is hitting .263/.374/.420 in 530 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 86 R, 80 BB (15.1%), 131 K (24.7%), 38-for-46 SB). 
3B Andres Chaparro1-for-4, RBI, K
.246/.339/.461 in 496 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 77 RI, 71 R, 59 BB (11.9%), 107 K (21.6%), 4-for-4 SB). Chaparro is in the mix for the organization’s HR and RBI crowns (he leads in RBI).
RF Franchy Cordero2-for-4, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
.252/.380/.416 in 321 PA. A fascinating Rule 5 case this winter. It is hard to give up catching depth – every team needs it, and you don’t even want to give up a potential backup catcher for free.
2B Jamie Westbrook1-for-2, 2 BB
1B Jake Lamb2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, RS, BB
SS Jesus Bastidas0-for-1, RS, 2 BB

RHP Randy Vasquez4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
Vasquez tossed only 63 pitches. He owns a 4.59 ERA at this level with a 96/40 K/BB over 80.1 innings. As I always say, once I see some success in MLB, I don’t pay quite as much attention to MILB numbers. The probability is high that the MLB coaching staff is asking him to work on specific things in the minors.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (W, 3-0): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Zach McAllister1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Somerset (71-47; 29-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 3-1)

DH Caleb Durbin0-for-3, RS, BB, SB (18)
Durbin is up to 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. He has accomplished that in 59 games.His up-to-the-minute K% is 6.5%. That is elite-level stuff.
C Ben Rice: 3-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (5)
Rice is 30-for-90 (.333) in August (6 doubles,1 triple, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 17 R, 8 BB, 16 K, 5-for-6 SB) and has four 3+ hit games this season. He isn’t typically frisky on the basepaths, but let him have his fun. 
1B Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
Ramirez is 15-for-71 (.211/.606 OPS) since his promotion. Overall, he has 19 doubles, 18 homers, and 66 RBI in 100 games between here, Hudson Valley, and Tampa. There is nothing to worry about at all – he continues to make a lot of contact here and the results will follow.
RF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-4, K
2B Anthony Seigler1-for-3, BB
CF Jeisson Rosario2-for-4, K
SS Max Burt1-for-3, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 3-3) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 K
4.03 ERA (44.2 IP, 36 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 6 HR, 21 BB, 54 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
At this level: 3.21 ERA (47.2 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 32 BB, 56 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 11.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 15 K. Overall, he has an 89/19 K/BB over 60.1 IP.

Hudson Valley (66-53; 27-26 in the second half) (Defeated Aberdeen, 4-2)

SS Jared Serna1-for-5
Serna now has a 7-game hitting streak.
CF Anthony Hall1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Since promotion: 10-for-58 (.172) with five doubles, a homer, nine walks, and 22 strikeouts.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, 2 K
Rodriguez is 19-for-55 (..345/.921 OPS) in 15 games since his promotion. He has four doubles, a homer, 11 RBI, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts.
DH Alexander Vargas0-for-4, 4 K
2B Ben Cowles0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Christopher Familia2-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS
Familia continues to rake. He has 21 HR and 58 RBI in 59 games between here and Tampa. Over the last two years, he has 32 HR and 99 RBI in 116 games. In 38 games since his promotion, he is hitting .267/.344/.500 in 163 PA (4 doubles, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 29 R, 16 BB, 34 K). He will find himself in Somerset in 2024.
C Rafael Flores1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
.262/.344/.363 in 392 PA (15 doubles, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 44 R, 43 BB, 101 K)
1B Spencer Henson1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
LF Kyle Battle0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
4.29 ERA (92.1 IP, 78 H, 55 R, 44 ER, 13 HR, 48 BB, 111 K). The 23-year-old is doing a good enough job in his first full season of starting (he made 16 starts in his 31 appearances last year)
RHP Anderson Munoz: (W, 1-0)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: (S, 1) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
Following this game on GameDay, I got the feeling that Cohen (who tossed 36 pitches) was fighting his way through the 9th. Anyway, he has a 3.76 ERA in 38 IP at this level (29 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)

Tampa (57-62; 26-27 in the second half) 

They played two games against Palm Beach on Friday. No game today.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs) (Lost to the Braves, 9-1. The Braves take the championship series, 2-0, as the Yankees season comes to an end. Overall, this was a successful season in the FCL as many prospects performed more than well enough to earn a shot in Tampa. That could come next week or next season. I assume it will be next week for a few of them)

2B Keiner Delgado1-for-4
Delgado followed up his .293/.414/.485 regular season with a 4-for-12 (including two doubles) postseason.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4
Lombard hit safely in every game he played in (four regular season games, and three playoff games). Combined, he went 8-for-23 (.348) with a double, seven walks, and four strikeouts.
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-3, RS, BB
In 20 regular season/postseason games, Jasso went 26-for-72 with two home runs and 23 runs batted in. He walked 12 times and struck out six times. A candidate to go to Tampa next week.
CF Willy Montero2-for-4
Montero burst onto the scene last year and did not disappoint this year, hitting .331/.389/.436 in 203 PA while spending a lot of time in CF (27 starts in CF, 18 starts in RF). He followed that up with a 4-for-12 postseason. 
LF Jackson Castillo0-for-3, BB
3B Enmanuel Tejeda0-for-4
Tejeda was one of the most consistent players at this level. After hitting .307/.465/.458 in the regular season, he went 5-for-13 with three RBI in the postseason.
RF John Cruz0-for-4, K
Cruz went 1-for-9 in the postseason, but that doesn’t lessen his productive regular season.
DH Wilson Rodriguez0-for-3, 2 K
  PH Joel Mendez0-for-1, K
C Edinson Duran0-for-4

RHP Carlos Lagrange (L, 0-1): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The 6’7″ 20-year-old did enough in the rookie leagues this year to earn his shot at Low-A in 2024. 
LHP Edwar Polimir3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The 22-year-old Polimir made his Low-A debut already (8/10) but it was only for a game.
RHP Jordy Luciano0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
LHP Pablo Mujica2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/25: Drew Thorpe Dominates Again

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (60-61; 26-21 in the second half) (Walked it off over Lehigh Valley, 6-5)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title.

LF Estevan Florial0-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 K, SB (20)
The challenge system played a huge role in this game. They challenged a strike 3 call to Florial in the 9th and won it. He ended up walking and eventually scoring the winning run.
CF Jasson Dominguez2-for-5, RBI, K, SB (1)
Since promotion: 5-for-13, 1 double, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K. Dominguez has 38 stolen bases between here and Somerset.
C Austin Wells0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Wells is at .255/.352/.445 at this level. Good to see him taking his walks.
DH Andres Chaparro1-for-3, RS, HBP, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB
Cordero with the walk-off single in the 9th.
1B Carlos Narvaez2-for-3, RS, BB
3B Jake Lamb2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-4, K
SS Wilmer Difo0-for-4, RBI, K

LHP Edgar Barclay4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
Barclay continues to struggle at this level. After allowing one home run for Somerset, he has allowed eight in 19.2 innings here. The ball is lively here so that is probably a part of it. I hate to blame all struggles on the ball (just like I hate to credit all successes by hitters to the ball)
RHP Zach Greene1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: (W, 5-3) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (70-47; 28-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 8-1)

2B Caleb Durbin2-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS
Durbin is one of those kids who can become an instant fan favorite. He makes a lot of contact, can steal bases, etc. He has played SS in the past but the Yankees have not asked him to do it in 2023, instead giving him time at 2B and 3B. It makes you wonder if he can be a future DJ LeMahieu with some added speed. It’s a fascinating profile because the Yankees aren’t known for carrying kids with his profile (remember, he wasn’t drafted by the organization – he was a part of the Lucas Luetge trade with Atlanta)
DH Ben Rice2-for-4, 2B (7), RS, BB
The one knock on Rice right now is that he isn’t great against LHP. It is a legitimate concern, as he is 7-for-39 against LHP in 2023 (12-for-60 in 2022; 1-for-12 in 2021). Combined, that is 20-for-111 (.180) with three extra-base hits (one double, 2 HR), 14 walks, and 27 strikeouts.. One thing you notice in that profile is the sample size – it isn’t much. Without enough reps, it is hard to develop the skill.
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
Ramirez is hitting .194 (13-for-67) since his promotion with six runs batted in and ten runs scored. An encouraging sign is that the strikeout rate isn’t spiking much – he is at 17.6%. (17.7% in Tampa, 14% in Hudson Valley).
CF Elijah Dunham1-for-2, 2B (10), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB, K
Even in the offensive environment up in Triple-A, Dunham had issues there this year. Since being sent to Somerset, he seems to have figured things out. I will continue to push for him to get back up to Scranton to close out the season. There is room there, as Franchy Cordero continues to receive consistent playing time after Everson Pereira‘s promotion.
1B Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
RF Grant Richardson3-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Richardson puts together a big effort in his second Double-A game. Between here and Hudson Valley, he has 14 homers in 79 games after launching 16 homers in 90 games last season. Power has never been the concern…
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-4, BB, K
SS Max Burt0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-4, RS, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 3-0) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Since promotion: 1.29 ERA in 21 IP (9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 30 K). Overall: 13-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 130 IP (93 H, 41 R, 37 ER, 12 HR, 35 BB, 168 K). The 13 wins and (more importantly) 168 strikeouts are the top numbers in all of minor-league baseball. There is nothing to dislike in his profile. They can give him a taste of the offensively souped-up International League (Triple-A) before the season comes to a close.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.16 ERA (42.2 IP, 38 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 41 K). He hasn’t allowed a run in 8.2 August innings.

Hudson Valley (65-53; 26-26 in the second half) (Held off Aberdeen, 6-5)

SS Jared Serna2-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (6)
Serna now has a 6-game hitting streak and has 34 multi-hit games in 110 games played this season. He is still looking for that elusive first High-A home run, which could give him a 20/20/20 season (doubles, homers, stolen bases)
CF Anthony Hall0-for-3, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
DH Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, RS, BB
2B Alexander Vargas0-for-3, RS, BB
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
.233/.289/.325 in 321 PA. The 32.1% K rate remains troublesome as well.
1B Rafael Flores0-for-4, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia2-for-4, RBI
Familia is up to 57 RBI in 58 games between here and Tampa. I think he is answering the challenge at this level just fine.
RF Jared Wegner1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, SB (1)
Wegner’s first professional stolen base – congrats! He is 7-for-27 at this level.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-3, RBI, BB, SB (5)

RHP Leonardo Pestana2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Joel Valdez: (W, 3-6) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Shane Gray2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 1): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Old school save!

Tampa (57-62; 26-27 in the second half) (Swept by Palm Beach in a low-scoring doubleheader)

Game 1 (Lost, 3-0)

3B Kiko Romero0-for-3, K
.194/.318/.306 in 85 PA.
1B Josh Moylan1-for-3, K
Moylan increases his hitting streak to five (8-for-22)
C Omar Martinez1-for-3
CF Nelson Medina0-for-2, K
Medina’s first game since June 6th. The 22-year-old is hitting .275/.373/.443 in 153 PA with four home runs and a 7-for-8 SB rate. 
   CF Tayler Aguilar0-for-1, K
DH Brenny Escanio1-for-3, SB (19)
LF Garrett Martin0-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias1-for-3, K
SS Jose Colmenares0-for-3, K
2B Beau Brewer0-for-2, K

RHP Ryan Harvey: (L, 1-2) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
At this level: 4.26 ERA (25.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 18 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 5.40 ERA (15 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 20 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1)

SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, K
1B Josh Moylan0-for-3, K
His hitting streak is snapped. Moylan is hitting .281/.400/.333 in 70 PA with 12 walks and 16 strikeouts.
DH Omar Martinez0-for-3, 3 K
CF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K
LF Garrett Martin1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI
Five of Martin’s ten hits are doubles.
3B Jose Colmenares1-for-2, 2B (4), BB, K
2B Beau Brewer1-for-2, BB
C Manuel Palencia0-for-3

RHP Yorlin Calderon5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
3.07 ERA (73.1 IP, 64 H, 28 R, 25 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 91 K). Most of the top performers have received promotions this year – two Tampa players (Martinez, Calderon) stand out a bit as players who have stuck to one level. In the case of Calderon, it can be justified as they built him up to return to the rotation.
RHP Matt Keating0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: (L, 5-3) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-1 in the playoffs) (Lost to the Braves, 3-2, in Game 1 of the championship series. They must win the next two to claim back-to-back titles. The last time that happened was in 2014-2015 when the Red Sox accomplished the feat. The Yankees, who have the most league titles with 13, last won back-to-back crowns in 2004-2005)

SS Keiner Delgado1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, 2 K, SB (1), CS (1)
Including the regular season, Delgado has 14 doubles and 37 stolen bases in 51 games.
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, BB, K, CS (1)
Delgado and Lombard Jr. were both caught stealing in the top of the 6th, a key moment in the contest.
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, K
CF Willy Montero1-for-4
LF Jackson Castillo1-for-4
2B Enmanuel Tejeda1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
RF John Cruz0-for-2, BB
3B Hans Montero0-for-2, K
  PH Joel Mendez0-for-1, K
In the regular season, you rarely see “strategic” pinch-hitting. Even in the rookie leagues, managers are a little more strategic in the playoffs.
  3B Dayro Perez0-for-0
C Edinson Duran0-for-3, K

LHP Henry Lalane (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Lalane, who recently signed with Scott Boras, pitched to a 4.57 ERA in 21.1 IP during the regular season (17 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, 34 K). The fact that he is 6’7″ and is able to keep the walks at bay is encouraging. 
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
RHP Sebastian Keane2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Keane is a 22-year-old drafted in the 18th round in 2022. He predictably pitched well this year and hopefully will get a taste of Low-A next week.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/24: Richard Fitts Tosses 6 Scoreless Innings

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (59-61; 25-21 in the second half) 

The game against Lehigh Valley was postponed due to wet grounds.

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title. They are currently 3.5 games behind both Lehigh Valley and Worcester. Durham (0.5 games back), Buffalo (3 games back), and Jacksonville (3 games back) are also ahead of Scranton.

LF Estevan Florial0-for-0
.289/.385/.566 (131 wRC+) in 343 PA. Florial is staring at minor league free agency this winter. The Yankees can definitely add him to the 40-man early in the offseason and look to deal him rather than lose him for nothing. Either way, it has been quite a journey for the kid. You may not love him as a prospect, but I will maintain that he deserves a chance. 
CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-0
Dominguez is 20 – and a young 20 as he won’t turn 21 until February. This is an unusual year with the big club so anything can happen – but I would still be surprised to see him make his MLB debut. One thing Dominguez can do is put together a strong 2-3 weeks and make the Yankees think about it.
C Austin Wells0-for-0
Wells is hitting .262/.350/.458 (100 wRC+) at this level. The fact he has a .808 OPS and a 100 wRC+ tells you what you need to know about the souped-up conditions in Triple-A. There is nothing Wells can do about that – he just has to keep on hitting.
DH Andres Chaparro0-for-0
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-0
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-0
3B Jake Lamb0-for-0
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-0
SS Wilmer Difo0-for-0

RHP Randy Vasquez0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Personally, I give Vasquez the ball in the majors every five days and see what happens. The Yankees would rather not do that for their own reasons, so I guess I have to accept that.

Somerset (69-47; 27-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 2-1)

C Ben Rice0-for-4, K
No home run tonight? Disappointing (yes, I am kidding – sheesh)
DH Agustin Ramirez0-for-4, K
If you read this space enough, you already know that I am not concerned at all about Ramirez struggling here. They have been aggressive with him in his first taste of full-season ball and perhaps he has run into a wall. Or, maybe he has a hot month coming up to close the season. Who knows? The kid is a 21-year-old catcher – these types don’t typically fly through the minors like this. PATIENCE!
LF Elijah Dunham2-for-3, HR (9), RBI, RS, BB, SB (16)
His home run to lead off the 9th inning tied the game. Between here and Scranton, Dunham has 21 doubles, 15 homers, and 28 stolen bases.
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Aaron Palensky1-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Mickey Gasper1-for-3, BB, K
CF Jeisson Rosario1-for-3, RBI, K
Walk-off RBI single in the 9th.
SS Max Burt1-for-2
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-2

RHP Richard Fitts6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (101 pitches)
Fitts is a bulldog. His ERA falls to 3.16 in 131 IP (110 H, 47 R, 46 ER, 18 HR, 34 BB, 139 K). His August line is insane: 24.1 IP, 14 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 21 K. He goes deep into most games, so it is also impressive that he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a game since May 10th. After that game ended, his ERA was 6.07. A remarkable year for someone I think can be an innings-eating #3-#4 guy in MLB. The issue you hear about is that his command sometimes fails him inside the strike zone. That can certainly be developed.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 1-1) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 11.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 12 K. Overall, he owns a 71/21 K/BB over 53 innings pitched. When I say that the Yankees can afford to trade a few of their MLB relievers, it is because of relievers like Dees, Danny Watson, and Jack Neely at this level + several others at other levels. They have a pipeline of potential.

Hudson Valley (64-53; 25-26 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, K, CS (9)
Jones increases his hitting streak to five (7-for-20). 
RF Anthony Hall0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jared Serna1-for-4
Overall, between here and Tampa, he is at .281/.350/.468 in 506 plate appearances. The power hasn’t shown up yet at this level, but I think it will.
C Jesus Rodriguez0-for-4, K
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-4, 2B (15), RS
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2B (16), RBI, SB (1)
Gomez stole five bases in 2021, but that has been the extent of his base-stealing prowess. Before all these other catchers started emerging, Gomez looked like the future guy. Defensively, he may still grade better than most of them.
3B Ben Cowles0-for-2, BB, 2 K
Cowles has a 36-game on-base streak (thanks to the Hudson Valley Renegades official Twitter account – I hadn’t picked up on this). 
1B Rafael Flores1-for-3, K
LF Jared Wegner0-for-3, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 2-1) 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
Between here and Tampa: 3.49 ERA in 111 IP (100 H, 49 R, 43 ER, 5 HR, 30 BB, 125 K). In 2022, Selvidge walked 3.59 hitters per nine innings. This season, the number is 2.43. Major improvement there. Furthermore, he has allowed only seven home runs in 157.1 career innings. That number could go up as he moves up the chain, but it is encouraging. Oh, and he is only 20 (21 in four days)
RHP Cole Ayers1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Velasquez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 1.99 ERA (31.2 IP, 18 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 36 K). 

Tampa (57-60; 26-25 in the second half) (Defeated Palm Beach, 8-7, in ten innings)

SS Brenny Escanio1-for-5
Roc Riggio was in the original lineup but was pulled late. Hopefully, it is something minor in nature.
3B Kiko Romero0-for-5, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
.263/.376/.471 in 396 PA with 17 homers and 69 RBI. Martinez has done enough to earn a promotion and maybe he’ll get some time up in Hudson Valley in September/playoffs.
1B Josh Moylan1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
.294/.422/.353 in 64 PA (12 walks, 14 K). Moylan is doing what you want to see college bats do in their first taste of professional ball. 
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K, SB (2)
RF Garrett Martin1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar0-for-5, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares1-for-3, 2 RS, HBP
C Manuel Palencia2-for-4, 2 RS
I said a few weeks ago that I don’t know much about him, and that hasn’t changed. That said, he is 9-for-22 at this level with only one strikeout. He is still looking for his first extra-base hit. Maybe I should do some reading…

RHP Sean Hermann5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Between here and Hudson Valley: 5.29 ERA (98.2 IP, 110 H, 68 R, 58 ER, 9 HR, 44 BB, 83 K). Hermann is even younger than Selvidge (won’t be 21 until next June), so keep that in mind. 
RHP Alex Bustamante0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Adam Stone1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel: (W, 3-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 15 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, 15 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-0 in the playoffs) (Defeated the Pirates, 7-6, in a sudden death game. They move on to meet the Braves in a 3-game series for the championship. The Yankees are defending their title from 2022)

2B Keiner Delgado2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB, K
Delgado hit 12 doubles in 49 games during the regular season. I would be stunned if he doesn’t get to Tampa next week.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
No complaints about his small sample size.
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Jasso’s 2-out, 2-run HR in the bottom of the 6th turned a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead.
CF Willy Montero1-for-4, RS, BB
LF Jackson Castillo0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, HBP
DH Enmanuel Tejeda4-for-5, 2 RBI, RS
Tejeda had one 4-hit game in the regular season as well. He drove in the deciding 7th run.
RF John Cruz1-for-3, RBI, BB
3B Hans Montero0-for-4, 2 K
C Edinson Duran0-for-2, BB, HBP

RHP Luis Serna2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Serna struck out the side in the second. In the third, sloppy play (including his own error on a pickoff attempt) turned out to be his downfall.
LHP Allen Facundo: (W, 1-0)  4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Facundo did a fabulous job calming this game down.
RHP Jackson Fristoe1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
LHP Miguel Pozo (S, 1): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Pozo picks a good time to pick up his first professional save.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/23: Ben Rice Homers Again

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (59-61; 25-21 in the second half) (Split a doubleheader against Lehigh Valley)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title. It is a logjam, however, as four teams are between Lehigh Valley and Scranton in the standings.

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

CF Estevan Florial1-for-3, 2B (18), RBI, RS, BB, K
DH Austin Wells2-for-4, 2 RS, CS (1)
Wells’ first career caught stealing (he is now 39-for-40 stealing bases)
1B Andres Chaparro1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
RF Franchy Cordero1-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-4, RBI
Narvaez walks it off with an RBI single in the 8th.
3B Mike Lamb: 2-for-3, RS
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-1, 2 HBP
LF Brandon Lockridge0-for-1, BB, SAC
SS Wilmer Difo0-for-2
  PH Jasson Dominguez0-for-0, BB (intentional)
  SS Jesus Bastidas0-for-0

RHP Mitch Spence7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
4.59 ERA (133.1 IP, 131 H, 75 R, 68 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 125 K). August: 25.2 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 33 K. This is Spence’s first career 10+ strikeout effort.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 6-0)

LF Estevan Florial0-for-3, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-2, BB
Dominguez has 79 walks in 517 plate appearances (15.3%). 
DH Austin Wells1-for-3
There is talk that Wells could be promoted to the big club. He has multiple hits in three of his last five games and is 20-for-77 (.260) in August with seven doubles, four homers, and 17 runs batted in.
1B Andres Chaparro0-for-3, K
.246/.340/.467 in 483 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 70 R, 59 BB, 104 K, 3-for-3 SB). Chaparro’s first season in the organization was back in 2016, so I believe he could be staring at minor league free agency this winter. Just like with the Rule 5, the Yankees can “block” that free agency by adding him to the 40-man roster. For example, they did that a few years ago with Donny Sands before they traded him to the Phillies. 
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-3
3B Jake Lamb0-for-3, K
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-3
RF Michael Hermosillo: 2-for-2, SB (7)
SS Jesus Bastidas0-for-1, HBP, SB (7)
Bastidas was called back up here for today’s doubleheader. 

RHP Zach McAllister: (L, 1-1) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
McAllister’s first start as a member of the Yankees’ organization since August 17th, 2010.
RHP Matt Bowman1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Matt Krook0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Krook, who has a 1.04 ERA in 26 innings at this level, makes his first appearance since July 18th.
LHP Nick Ramirez1.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Wilmer Difo0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Difo, a utility infielder, with his 4th pitching appearance this season (3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K)

Somerset (68-47; 26-21 in the second half) (Lost to Hartford, 3-2)

3B Caleb Durbin1-for-4, 2 SB (17)
Durbin has 32 stolen bases (37 attempts) in 57 games between here and Hudson Valley. He is hitting .298/.395/.400 in 238 PA with 24 walks (10.1%) and 16 strikeouts (6.7%). 
1B Ben Rice1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, RS
Rice has 11 home runs in 28 games at this level. Overall, he is hitting .319/.441/.623 in 236 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 44 R, 34 BB (14.4%), 42 K (17.8%), 8-for-9 SB). Rice is 24 and you wonder just how much more development he needs. 
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, RS
Since promotion: 12-for-59 (1 double, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 5 BB, 11 K) 
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB (15)
Dunham has 28 stolen bases in 35 attempts between here and Scranton.
DH Josh Breaux1-for-4, RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-4, K
CF Jeisson Rosario0-for-2, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson0-for-3, 2 K
Richardson’s Double-A debut. I am not sure if this is permanent or a “we need a body” situation. Anyway, he hit .204/.306/.389 in 304 PA for Hudson Valley (13 HR, 37 RBI). He was 10-for-33 in August with three homers and seven runs batted in.
SS Max Burt0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
The oft-injured Gomez with his longest outing since August 22, 2019. He owns a 3.14 ERA in 48.2 IP (34 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 25 BB, 56 K). We have seen extra option years handed out in the past. If Gomez doesn’t qualify, this is his final option year,  so a very interesting winter/spring is shaping up for him. 
RHP Carlos Gomez1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: (L, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Watson allowed Anderson’s run to score in the 9th. Given his season, I think we can let this one go!

Hudson Valley (64-52; 25-25 in the second half) (Defeated Aberdeen, 3-2)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, RS, K
August: 19-for-74 (.257) with four doubles, a home run, and 12 runs scored.
DH Anthony Hall0-for-4, 4 K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-2, 3B (1), SF, RBI, RS, BB, CS (1)
At this level: 14-for-51 (.275/.356/.373; 3 doubles, 1 triple). Serna has hit safely in four straight games. 
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI
Rodriguez with the walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th. At this level: 17-for-44 (.386/.491/.523; 3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 8 BB, 9 K). He has three 3-hit games since his promotion.
2B Alexander Vargas0-for-3, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, CS (4)
August: 19-for-54 (.352) with 15 walks and 15 strikeouts.
C Rafael Flores0-for-3, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia0-for-3, K
RF Jared Wegner0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Lange’s second start since his promotion (5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K in his first start). Lange has a 128/59 K/BB over 82.1 innings between here and Tampa.
LHP Clay Aguilar2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.80 ERA (35.1 IP, 27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 52 K). Aguilar is 24 and was signed as an undrafted free agent after the shortened 2020 COVID draft.
RHP Anderson Munoz1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The 25-year-old puts together an impressive night. I guess his rehab is over as he is now listed as active. While he didn’t pitch well during his stint in Tampa, he has tossed 3.1 hitless innings here with a 7/0 K/BB.
RHP Harrison Cohen (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 3.79 ERA (38 IP, 29 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)

Tampa (56-60; 25-25 in the second half) (Defeated Palm Beach, 4-1)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (2)
.220/.692 OPS (12-for-57; 12 runs scored)
1B Kiko Romero1-for-3, RBI
C Omar Martinez0-for-1, SF, RBI, BB
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, RBI, K
CF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar1-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
DH Jose Colmenares1-for-3, 2 K
3B Beau Brewer0-for-3, RS

RHP Hayden Merda4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
6.32 ERA (94 IP, 100 H, 74 R, 66 ER, 10 HR, 53 BB, 94 K)
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Arejula (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22)

The playoffs begin on Thursday. As I suspected, they will play the Pirates in the semifinals, which is only one game.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.