Yankees MILB 5/9: Andres Chaparro Goes Off

News:

IF Caleb Durbin, acquired in the deal that sent LHP Lucas Luetge to Atlanta, was promoted to Somerset. Durbin was hitting .333/.464/.397 in 97 plate appearances for Hudson Valley, stealing 15 bases in 16 attempts. He struck out only nine times. You won’t find him on many (if any) prospect lists because the upside is limited – but if he can continue to get on base while maintaining his versatility, he should have some level of value.

As for Luetge, he did a solid enough job in lower-pressure situations for the Yankees. For the Braves, he owns an 8.10 ERA in five games. He is currently on the injured list.

Scranton (15-19) (Oliberated Omaha, 14-2. Omaha is known for being hitter-friendly, but don’t despair as these games are being played in Scranton)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 RS, K
.280/.412/.488 in 102 plate appearances. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (three straight multi-hit games)
LF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-3, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB
11-for-22 (3 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R). He is doing what a veteran should do here (though even this is a bit extreme)
1B Andres Chaparro: 5-for-5, 2B (5), HR (10, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
.281/.351/.587 in 134 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 13 BB, 31 K). This is his first career 5-hit game (he had a 4-hit game on 5/5/21). He is mostly a 1B/DH but he does have plenty of experience at 3B. His calling card will forever be his bat – if it translates to MLB, a team won’t care so much about his defensive limitations.
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-3, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB, HBP
DH Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, BB
.290/.347/.580 in 75 plate appearances. Is this a breakout or just a hot month?
C Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3-for-17 at this level.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
He is still waiting for that MLB chance. He came into this season with four straight double-digit home run seasons and can play multiple positions. 
2B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, HBP, CS (1)
SS Wilmer Difo: 3-for-5, 2 RS, K, SB (4)
The veteran utility player is hitting .235/.275/.282 in 92 plate appearances. His utility is his value – he will never be a bat.

RHP Mitch Spence: (W, 3-2) 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
5.40 ERA (33.1 IP, 34 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 8 HR, 14 BB, 29 K). Back-to-back strong efforts (6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K last time out)
RHP Matt Bowman: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (18-9) (Doubled up Portland, 8-4)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-2, RS, 3 BB, 2 K
.262/.394/.369 in 104 plate appearances. He owned a 12.99% BB rate in 2022. So far this year, it sits at 17.3%.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Dominguez is up to .184/.382/.408 in 102 plate appearances. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-20 with a double and two home runs). We are starting to see progress.
C Austin Wells: 2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K, SB (1)
Wells has homered in four straight games. He is 33-for-33 stealing bases in his career.
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-5, HR (2), RBI, RS, 3 K
The organization would love to see a Pereira hot streak.
2B Caleb Durbin: 3-for-5, 2B (1), RS, 3 SB (3), CS (1)
This is how you make a first impression. This lifts his total line to .349/.471/.422 with an 18-for-20 stolen base rate. He is on an 8-game hitting streak (15-for-31). Anytime you can average around two hits per game, that is a serious hitting streak!
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS, BB
Hardman has a modest 4-game hitting streak going. Most importantly, he has four extra-base hits in these games.
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (1), CS (1)
His OBP is up to .373 in 59 plate appearances.
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (13)
Lockridge is well on his way to his personal best in the stolen base category (22 in 2019)

RHP Blas Castano: (W, 3-0) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
1.77 ERA (20.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 23 K, 2 HR). Castano has been solid in his four starts, three of which are 5-inning affairs (5.1 innings in his other start)
RHP Steven Jennings: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Michael Giacone: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1.38 ERA (13 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.73 ERA (13.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 17 K). Keep it up, Tanner!

Hudson Valley (18-10) (Lost to Aberdeen, 11-0)

SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 4 K
Vargas can’t let this snowball on him.
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, CI, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
DH Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, K
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-2, CI, K
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, K
Cowles increases his hitting streak to six (10-for-22)
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 0-2)  4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Valdez was acquired alongside T.J. Rumfield from the Phillies for Donny Sands and Nick Nelson last year. He pitched well in six starts for Tampa in 2022 but is off to a tough start in 2023.
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
3.65 ERA (12.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 20 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.50 ERA (10 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Nick Paciorek: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (11-17) (Lost a tough one to Fort Myers, 8-7. They battled back from a 5-0 deficit to eventually take a 7-6 lead but were unable to hang on)

3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-5, 2 K
DH Daury Arias: 1-for-5, RS
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (3), HR (3), 2 RBI, RS
6-for-20 in May with three doubles and a pair of home runs.
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-5, 3 RS
7-game hitting streak (10-for-28). He was hitting .121 prior to the streak and is now up to .230.
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Serna’s fifth straight multi-hit game has raised his average to .378. All three of his home runs have come during this streak. Only 20 years old, I am not sure if they would consider Hudson Valley in 2023. However, if he keeps hitting like this, you start to worry about how much he is being challenged at this level. It is always a balancing act.
CF Nelson Medina: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Brett Barrera: 0-for-4
Barrera’s 2023 debut. He played 23 games at this level last season, hitting .274/.287/.381 with six doubles and a home run. Barrera was drafted in the 8th round of the 2022 draft out of Stanford.

RHP Hayden Merda: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Shane Gray: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
1.80 ERA (15 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP Cole Ayers (L, 0-1): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 5/7: Austin Wells Homers Again

News:

C/1B Ben Rice, a key cog in the Hudson Valley Renegades offense, has officially been placed on the injured list. He hasn’t played since April 29th.

Rice, a 24-year-old left-handed bat, is hitting .341/.559/.523 in 68 plate appearances with 18 walks and ten strikeouts. He has been a fixture at the top of my Monday leaderboards on Twitter, but will likely fall off this week as I doubt he will qualify. More importantly for him, he will probably reach the upper minors this year if he is healthy.

Scranton (14-19) (Knocked off Rochester, 8-6)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, 3B (2), RS, BB, 2 K
His BABIP is so extreme between 2022-2023. Is there an explanation? Not really – it is such an outlier that you expect the correction to come. He is hitting .269/.412/.487.
DH Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
The veteran is 9-for-19 with three doubles and a home run.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB
Hopefully, he is breaking out of his little slump.
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, 2B (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, SB (2)
You know he is feeling good when he starts stealing bases. Chaparro is all the way up to .250/.326/.534 (4 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HR, 22 RBI, 25 R, 13 BB, 31 K). 
RF Franchy Cordero: 3-for-5, 2B (2), 4 RBI, K
C Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-3, BB
Rortvedt is 3-for-13 with a walk and two strikeouts since joining Scranton.
  C Jose Godoy: 0-for-1
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Billy McKinney: 3-for-4, 2B (4), RS, SB (3)
The veteran is 5-for-7 in his last two games.
SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-4, RS, SB (3)

LHP Tanner Tully:  4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
3.70 ERA (24.1 IP, 28 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 27 K)
RHP Deivi Garcia: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
I fully support throwing Garcia in the bullpen to see what happens. It just hasn’t worked very well in the first month.
LHP D.J. Snelten: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Gomez : 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Greg Weissert (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
8.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. He is going to shuttle this season, it appears – at least until he is out of in-season options.

Somerset (17-9) (Bludgeoned Binghamton, 11-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-3, 2B (6), 3 RS, 2 BB, K, CS (2)
.268/.384/.378 in 99 plate appearances (6 doubles, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 15 R, 15 BB (15.2%), 20 K (20.2%), 5-for-7 SB). He hit 23 home runs in 143 games entering this season and I expect to see his power numbers go up this year.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5, 2B (3), 3 RBI
I love baseball! Dominguez was 0-for-4 entering the bottom of the 8th. He promptly saved his day with a 3-run double.
C Austin Wells: 1-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 K
Wells has homered in three straight games. Move him up!
RF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
.240/.313/.400 in 83 plate appearances. As I keep saying, he is doing fine enough. Would I love to see him destroy this level to turn himself into a viable MLB option sooner than later? Of course.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
Rumfield has a 6-game hitting streak going – exactly one hit in each game (6-for-20, 3 HR)
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Hardman, off to a tough start, has two doubles and a home run in his last two games. His line is now .206/.304/.426 in 79 plate appearances, so the power has been OK.
DH Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, RS, K
Seigler’s power hasn’t developed (he has never slugged over .400 in his career) so you have to hope that he continues to show good plate discipline and hits for some average. The power could still come – you just can’t count on it.
2B Max Burt: 1-for-4, RS
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, CS (2)
Lockridge, who snuck through the Rule 5 draft after a tough 2022 season, is hitting .322/.373/.492 in 67 plate appearances. He is repeating the level and that is important to note. Will they move him up at some point? Probably.

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 2-0)   6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
It was a grind, but Abeyta kept runs off the board.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
13.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 17 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (18-9) (Fell to Wilmington, 16-4)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-3, RS, BB
7-game hitting streak (12-for-26). He is also on a 15-game on-base streak and is hitting an impressive .333. What level of prospect is he? He plays the infield positions and has shown off some speed and contact ability. He is a bit on the smaller side but we’ll see what happens as he moves up.
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Palensky ties Andres Chaparro and Jake Bauers for the organization’s HR lead. He is hitting .379 with a 1.317 OPS. 
CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, K
5-game hitting streak (9-for-19; 1 double, 3 HR). Cowles has spent time at 2B/SS/3B this season.
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-4
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
C Juan Crisp: 0-for-3, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (L, 1-1) 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Everyone has a bad day. This spikes his ERA to 4.56 (25.2 IP, 26 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). 
RHP Nick Paciorek: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Carlos Gomez: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.63 ERA (13.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 26 K). Is he a “one level per season” guy (he pitched all year in Tampa last year) or will he be in line for a shot at Somerset? We shall see.
RHP Enrique Santana: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Harold Cortijo: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR

Tampa (11-16) (Outslugged Bradenton, 10-7)

2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Jared Serna: 2-for-5, 2B (6), 3B (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
I wondered just how “real” his 2022 season was. So far, he is proving that it was very much real – he may even be proving that it was just the appetizer. He is hitting .377/.473/.588 in 91 plate appearances (6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R, 13 BB, 7 K). He has four straight multi-hit games and eight multi-hit efforts in 21 games. 
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-2, SF, RBI, RS, BB, HBP
.246/.386/.369 in 83 plate appearances. He has started 14 games behind the plate.
CF Anthony Hall: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, K
6-game hitting streak (8-for-23). His triple slash has risen from .121/.237/.242 to .214/.313/.321 during this stretch.
SS Dayro Perez: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K
RF Nelson Medina: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-4, 2 RS, K
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-2, 2B (2), RBI, RS, SB (5)
.293/.391/.379 in 70 plate appearances. He has started five games behind the plate amongst many other responsibilities (1B/3B/LF (one game)). He stole eight bases in both 2021 and 2022, so he has some athleticism.
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K

RHP Baron Stuart: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
6.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 9 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert (W, 2-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.63 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 9 BB, 18 K)
RHP Manny Ramirez (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 5/6: Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells Homer

News:

Nothing to report. Eventually, something will come up.

Scranton (13-19) (Defeated Rochester, 7-3)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, RS, 2 K, SB (8)
.257/.402/.459 in 92 PA. He has drawn an impressive 18 walks (19.6%) but it comes with 31 strikeouts (33.7%). After a .398 BABIP in 2022, he is at .400 in 2023.
RF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RS, BB
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, HR (9), 4 RBI, RS
.239/.306/.522 in 124 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HR, 20 RBI, 23 R, 11 BB (8.9%), 31 K (25%), 1-for-1 SB)
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, CS (3)
.242/.364/.384 in 118 PA (8 doubles, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 19 R, 16 BB (13.6%), 27 K (22.9%), 5-for-8 SB). I am not worried about Dunham’s offense coming together.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-1, 3 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, RS, K, SB (3)
1B Billy McKinney: 2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB
DH Michael Hermosillo: 2-for-4, K
C Mickey Gasper: 0-for-4, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (W, 3-3) 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
Weber is eating some important innings down here with mixed results. When it comes to Weber, I am not even sure the results matter much. Pure definition of a shuttle arm.
RHP James Norwood: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (16-9) (Squeaked past Binghamton, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is up to .167. After games of 4/23, he was hitting .077. Since then, he is 8-for-27 (.296) with nine walks.
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
Wells has homered in back-to-back games and has 14 home runs in 61 Double-A games.
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, 2B (7)
Pereira has done enough to keep his head above water. He usually goes on a big tear at some point.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS
Rumfield has five home runs in 19 games (four career home runs in 84 games before 2023). He has homered in three straight games.
C Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3

RHP Gray Fenter: (W, 2-1) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
4.15 ERA (17.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, 2 HR)
RHP Indigo Diaz:  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
1.54 ERA (11.2 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 13 K)
LHP Michael Giacone: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.64 ERA (11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 15 K)
RHP Justin Wilson: (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
An odd play happened in the 9th that shut down GameDay for about ten minutes. Don’t ask me exactly what happened!

Hudson Valley (18-8) (Defeated Wilmington, 3-1, thanks to Alexander Vargas. After scoring runs by the bushel for most of the season, the Renegades have six in the last two days. The important thing? They won both games)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K
.277/.314/.574 (.888 OPS) in 102 plate appearances. 
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (5), 3 RBI, RS
Vargas with the big 2-out, 3-run HR in the 8th. He is hitting .263/.341/.553 in 85 plate appearances with eight walks (9.4%) and 20 strikeouts (23.5%). Last season, Vargas finished with an 8.1% BB and 28.5% K. Will he keep it up? Who knows? I will also note that he is hitting much better left-handed than he is right-handed, though his right-handed sample size is limited (2-for-14).
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, K
6-game hitting streak (10-for-23). He is hitting .320/.452/.387 in 93 plate appearances (5 doubles, 8 RBI, 19 R, 13 BB (13.9%), 9 K (9.7%), and a 15-for-16 stolen base rate)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4
DH Spencer Henson: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, RS, K
.254/.319/.524 in 69 PA. He has four multi-hit games in his last six games played.
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 2-for-3, 2 2B (3), RS, K
Not known for his extra-base hit power, Sanchez compiled two triples on Wednesday.

RHP Chase Hampton: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
3.86 ERA (18.2 IP, 16 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 33 K). Hampton, listed at 6’2″, 225 pounds, was drafted in the 6th round out of Texas Tech in 2022. Like many pitchers that the Yankees draft, Hampton has experienced a velocity jump. He went from 91-94 in college to the 94-96 range this spring. 
RHP Bailey Dees (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.38 ERA (11.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 18 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 1): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 21 K). Neely is 8-for-8 converting saves in his brief career.

Tampa (10-16) (Defeated Bradenton, 1-0, on an RBI walk. The pitching staff allowed only one hit)

2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
His RBI walk in the bottom of the 7th was the only run in the game.
CF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-1, 3 BB, K
Ramirez has 14 walks (12 strikeouts) in 77 plate appearances. This is his second career 3 BB game.
DH Anthony Hall: 1-for-4
Hall has a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-18)
SS Dayro Perez: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (3)
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-2, BB, K, SB (1)
Martinez has stolen one base per season in each of his last three seasons. Can he get to two? In his last eight games: 13-for-27 with six walks.
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, 2 BB, K

RHP Justin Lange: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 36 K). The 5.49 BB/9 rate is hardly strong but it shows improvement from last year (7.43). He is easily hitting over 98 MPH on the gun.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 2-1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Keating’s first career save. Congrats!

Yankees MILB 5/5: Clayton Beeter Ks 11

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (12-19) (Lost to Rochester, 4-1)

SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, CS (2)
LF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (1), K
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.232/.360/.347 in 114 plate appearances. He is drawing his walks but hasn’t been able to get into a consistent hitting groove (yet)
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
DH Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-4, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
McKinney, brought here for veteran depth, is hitting .194/.275/.319.
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-3, 2B (7), BB
Duran continues to show off the extra-base hit power: 7 doubles and 4 home runs in 70 plate appearances (.585 SLG)
3B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, 3 K

RHP Randy Vasquez: (L, 0-4)  5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
5.97 ERA (31.2 IP, 36 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 41 K). The strikeouts are nice – the rest of it needs plenty of work. 
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
12.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 14 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
17 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 5 BB, 23 K. Strong season so far.

Somerset (15-9) (Shut out Binghamton, 2-0)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, RS, K
Set up the big hit in the bottom of the 8th…
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
…which was a home run for Wells!  I seriously don’t think he should be here long. 
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, BB, K, CS (1)
It would be nice to see Hardman get it going, as he is only hitting .180 with a .344 SLG.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, K
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, K
Lockridge’s hitting streak reaches five.
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-3, K, 2 SB (7)
Wagaman was 3-for-3 stealing bases in 2022. He is being rather frisky this season while hitting .325/.349/.525 in 43 plate appearances.
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-2, BB

RHP Clayton Beeter:  6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K
Beeter sets a new personal best for Ks in a game. He is now the owner of a 1.35 ERA in 26.2 IP (19 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). The Yankees seem committed to him as a rotation arm (for now) and he is rewarding them.
RHP Steven Jennings (W, 2-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Tanner Myatt (S, 3): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.79 ERA (11.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 15 K). Cheap relief help is always in demand – if the hard-throwing (but injury prone) Myatt keeps this up, teams may look at him in this winter’s Rule 5.

Hudson Valley (17-8) (Defeated Wilmington, 3-2, on a walk-off wild pitch)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2 K
.289/.327/.600 in 98 plate appearances. His K% sits at 33.7%, which needs to come down (it should) but there isn’t mich to complain about here.
DH Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, K
This drops his triple slash all the way down to .397/.478/.897 over 67 plate appearances. 
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (1)
Henson scored on the walk-off wild pitch. I should note that he stole third base prior to that wild pitch. 
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, BB
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-2, BB, K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
.233/.303/.517 in 66 plate appearances. He hit 7 home runs in 355 plate appearances last season. He is a 23-year-old infielder out of the University of Maryland.
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Zach Messinger: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
2.08 ERA (26 IP, 17 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 31 K)
RHP Juan Carela: (W, 1-1) 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
4.79 ERA (20.2 IP, 21 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 28 K). Carela is typically a starter – this appears to be a “piggyback” game for him.

Tampa (9-16) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-6)

CF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, K
  CF Alan Mejia: 0-for-1, BB
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-3, 2B (5), HR (2), RBI, RS, 2 BB
Serna is on a ridiculous run. He is hitting .375/.477/.528 in 86 plate appearances (5 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 RBI, 8 runs, 13 BB, 6 K, 7-for-10 SB). Sheesh – how can one have a .477 OBP and only score eight runs in 20 games? If anything tells you how much “runs” and “RBI” are team dependent, that number should.
Anyway, Serna has nine hits in his last three games and 21 hits in his last 11 games.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5, 2B (2), RS, K
LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-2, 2B (3), RS, BB, HBP
He has hit safely in five of his last six games with a pair of doubles. As a college bat, you have to expect him to eventually dominate this level.
2B Dayro Perez: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
DH Nelson Medina: 0-for-4
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
.288/.420/.500 in 81 plate appearances. He is a 21-year-old left-handed bat who hit well in the GCL last year, so he is worth monitoring.
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, K

RHP Sean Hermann: (L, 1-3)  4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
5.47 ERA (24.2 IP, 28 H, 15 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 19 K), His last few outings have been rough, but remember he is only 19 years old.
RHP Shane Gray: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Gray owns an impressive 20/4 K/BB over 13.2 innings but has also allowed ten runs. His outings have been mixed – a few rough ones, a few dominant ones, etc. 
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2.25 ERA (12 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 16 K)

Yankees MILB 5/4: Will Warren Dominates

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (12-18) (Split a doubleheader with Rochester)

Game 1 (Won, 6-1)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, RS, SB (1)
Hopefully, Cordero stays down in Triple-A – but I have a feeling we will see him on the shuttle until everything settles down (or is that IF everything settles down?)
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-2, 2B (3), RBI, 2 RS, BB
LF Kole Calhoun: 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
As a veteran depth piece, I have no issues with Calhoun. 
C Ben Rortvedt: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS
Rortvedt, still considered to be on his rehab assignment, is 3-for-6 here and 7-for-18 with four doubles overall.
2B Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-2, RS, BB
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-2, HBP, K, SB (2)
DH Jose Godoy: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, SB (1)
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, K

RHP Mitch Spence: (W, 2-2) 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
It has been a rough start for the 24-year-old, so this is nice to see. Season: 6.49 ERA in 26.1 IP with 31 hits allowed and a 25/14 K/BB ratio. Spence has allowed seven home runs, so that is a big part of his bloated ERA.
RHP Greg Weissert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Lost, 9-6)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, HR (4), 3 RBI, RS
Westbrook, a 27-year-old with 1,038 career minor league hits (103 home runs), would be a nice story if he can finally reach MLB – whether it is here or elsewhere.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, RS, BB
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
He is over .230 (.231). Even though his slump is long past, it is still hard to get the numbers all the way up to norms. He hasn’t homered in eight games but is at least getting his share of hits (7-for-25 in his last seven games)
DH Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
C Rodolfo Duran: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI
Duran is up to .290 with 6 doubles, 4 home runs, and 13 RBI in 66 plate appearances.
LF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Hermosillo, who has MLB experience (but hasn’t hit when given a chance), is hitting only .141.
1B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 3-for-4, RS
Bastidas, off to a slow start, really need this game. His future comes down to whether the 27 home runs (662 plate appearances) between 2021-2022 is sustainable. If it is, he is a utility player with some pop. 

RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 1-2)  0.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Eeeek. Listen, Boyle is on the depth chart somewhere. An outing like this won’t help his MLB debut cause. That said, he has to spit it out and move on to the next.
LHP D.J. Snelten: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
13 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 14 K. This is the ultimate flyer, given that these are his first apperances since 2018.
RHP Deivi Garcia: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
3.44 ERA (18.1 IP, 16 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 18 K). He is doing an OK job at preventing runs – but the walks are just too darn high.
RHP James Norwood: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Shawn Semple: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (14-9) (Bludgeoned Binghamton, 10-0)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-4, RS, 2 BB, K
.267/.378/.373 in 90 plate appearances. It feels to me as if Sweeney has flown a bit under the radar so far – he isn’t crushing it in Somerset, but he isn’t dying on the vine either. 
DH Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
I commented on Twitter that I wanted to see him swing the bat more after his first walk tonight – I guess the baseball gods listened, as he ended up with a pair of hits. He is hitting .153/.393/.322 in 84 plate appearances. That is a crazy stat line.
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (3)
LF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-2, HR (4, GS), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Rumfield has tied his career-best in home runs in only 18 games. He probably would have hit more than four last year but only played in 57 games due to injury. Anyway, if he can spike his power numbers, he becomes a very intriguing left-handed hitting prospect. He is 22 years old.
RF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2 RS, HBP, K, SB (12)
Lockridge is up to .302/.350/.434 in 60 plate appearances. In his last five games, he is 8-for-15 with a double, two triples, five runs scored, and five stolen bases.
2B Max Burt: 1-for-2, 3B (2), SF, RBI, BB, HBP
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, SB (2)

RHP Will Warren: (W, 2-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
Absolutely brilliant. His ERA falls to 3.09 over 23.1 IP (22 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 37 K). He was always seen as a potential fast mover. He should get to Triple-A in his second professional season soon enough. And his MLB debut may not be long after that. Yes, I am bullish on Warren.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Michael Giacone: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
10 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 15 K. The 26-year-old has only been able to pitch in 33 career games. He has 90 strikeouts (27 walks) in 63.1 innings.

Hudson Valley (16-8) (Tripled up Wilmington, 6-2. The Renegades have been so good that scoring six runs is actually below their season average)

SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, RS, K, SB (5)
5-game hitting streak (9-for-17)
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (4)
DH Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, SB (15)
5-game hitting streak (8-for-19). If the Yankees can squeeze some value out of the Lucas Luetge deal, that would be nice (they also received Double-A reliever Indigo Diaz)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
.246/.333/.348 in 18 games. His power hasn’t really shown up, but he is still only 21 years old and catching in A+ ball. The best I can say is that we need to be patient to see if his game develops.
1B Spencer Henson: 3-for-4, 2 2B (5), RS
At 25 years old, Henson will need to start moving. He didn’t hit well here last year (.211/.312/.384) but is doing his job this year.
LF Aaron Palensky: 3-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS
Palensky is up to .407 with 8 home runs and 22 RBI in 63 plate appearances. That’s what you call a hot streak.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, K, CS (1)
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-3
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3, K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
6.11 ERA (17.2 IP, 15 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 14 BB, 17 K). His control has been an issue (110 walks in 167 career innings)
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 2-1) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
In his last 6.1 innings, Watson has 19 strikeouts. Correct – every out is via the strikeout. Overall, he owns a 2.84 ERA over 12.2 IP with a 25/8 K/BB ratio. He is one of those mid-round (15th) draft picks that the Yankees seem to strike some gold with. He is 22 years old, so his age is fine for this level.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Tampa (9-15) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-6)

SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, SB (8), CS (3)
.250/.358/.300 in 96 plate appearances. 
RF Daury Arias: 3-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS
Arias has six career 3-hit games (compiled five of those games in 2021 down in the silly DSL – silly in terms that you sometimes see crazy statistics down there)
3B Jared Serna: 4-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
Serna has seven hits in his last two games and is hitting .362/.457/.464 in 81 PA with a 7-for-10 stolen base rate. He has 11 walks and only six strikeouts. Just incredible.
LF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2B (2), BB
Hall was intentionally walked with two outs in the 9th. Personally, I hate that – it was the right strategic move, but don’t you want your pitching prospects to try to get the tough out? Isn’t that part of development?  Hall is only at .178/.275/.289 in a mere 51 plate appearances. That offense should improve.
2B Dayro Perez: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
This breaks a string of four straight multi-hit games, but he did reach base twice.
1B Ronny Rojas: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, SB (3)
CF Alan Mejia: 1-for-4, RBI, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 1-2) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
4.01 ERA (24.2 IP, 24 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 25 K). Selvidge pitched very well in the GCL and is off to a good enough start here. He is 20 years old (21 on 8/28, so he will pitch most of this season at 20)
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
11.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 8 BB, 15 K
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
1.93 ERA (14 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 16 K). Velasquez has allowed one home run in 73 career innings.
RHP Cole Ayers: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 5/3: Jared Serna: 3 Hits, HR

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (11-17) 

The game against Rochester was postponed. They will play a doubleheader tomorrow.

The lineup is posted below for entertainment purposes. Also because, typically speaking, they just put the same lineup in place for Game 1 of the doubleheader. Time saver!

CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-0
.242/.405/.468 in 79 PA with a 21.5% BB and 31.6% K.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-0
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-0
In an ideal world, he is Triple-A depth for the rest of the season.
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-0
Chaparro has a reverse split thing going.
vs. RHP: .280/.349/.653 (all eight home runs)
vs. LHP: 2-for-28 with a walk
LF Kole Calhoun: 0-for-0
DH Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-0
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-0
.276/.323/.569 in 62 PA (5 doubles, 4 home runs). 
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-0
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-0

RHP Mitch Spence: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (13-9) (Lost to Binghamton, 5-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4, 3 K
Don’t read into stuff you see on Twitter: Dominguez is not ready regardless of his walk rate.
C Austin Wells: 1-for-3, K
  C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-1, 2B (5), CS (2)
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4
DH Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
Seigler has eight walks in 48 plate appearances (16.7%). Last season, he compiled a 21.8% rate at Tampa/Hudson Valley.
RF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, K
1B Eric Wagaman: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-4

RHP Richard Fitts: (L, 1-3)  7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
He allowed all four runs in the first inning. Impressive recovery, though the offense couldn’t quite make a game of it. He owns a 5.20 ERA in 27.2 IP (27 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 6 BB, 33 K). Solid enough peripherals.
RHP Justin Wilson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.87 ERA (10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 13 K)

Hudson Valley (15-8) (Knocked down Wilmington, 9-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, 2B (7), 2 RBI, RS
He has broken out of his 4-for-33 slump nicely. He is 11-for-31 (.355) since with two doubles, three triples, and two home runs.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, HBP
Vargas started the season 1-for-13. He is 16-for-51 (.314) since with all nine of his extra-base hits.
3B Caleb Durbin: 3-for-5, 2 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, CS (1)
Durbin is now 14-for-15 in the stolen base department. He is 23 and played 32 games at this level (for the Braves organization) in 2022. Hence, I assume he will be on the promotion list early if he keeps this up. 
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, BB
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-0, BB
  RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, RBI, K
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB
2B Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, RS, K
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 2-for-3, 2 3B (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Triples are a lot of fun! Sanchez had two all of last year, which brings up another point: Triples are so unpredictable!

LHP Clay Aguilar: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
In his 2021 debut season (he missed all of 2022), Aguilar made five starts among his 22 appearances. We’ll see if they are attempting to stretch him out again.
RHP Harold Cortijo: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: (W, 1-1) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Enrique Santana: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
9 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 9 K

Tampa (9-14) (Defeated Bradenton, 6-2)

SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-5, 4 K
DH Daury Arias: 2-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, BB
2B Jared Serna: 3-for-4, 2B (4), HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (7)
.323/.421/.431 in 76 plate appearances. Serna did pop six home runs in 49 games last season, showing that there could be some pop in his smallish frame. He is a fun prospect to follow, given his ability to make a lot of contact (Only 6 strikeouts in 76 plate appearances (7.9%))
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-2, 2B (4), RS, SB (2)
   LF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, RS, BB
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 4 RBI
Martinez has four straight multi-hit games. This is not a personal best for RBI, as he drove home six in a game back on 8/19/21, when he was down in the DSL.
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K

RHP Leonardo Pestana: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
4.32 ERA (16.1 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 24 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 1-1) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Vinyard’s first professional win. Congrats!
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.46 ERA (12.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 17 K)

 

 

Yankees MILB 5/2: Austin Wells: 2-Run Double

News:

Austin Wells‘ rehab stint is over and he is now a member of the Somerset Patriots. Wells hit well at this level in 2022, so I assume it won’t be too long until he is up in Scranton…

Scranton (11-17) (Defeated Rochester, 3-1)

CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-3, K
His first Triple-A game this season. He is firmly entrenched as the #3 catcher whenever there is a need.
  C Mickey Gasper: 0-for-1
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (5)
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, RS
LF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI
Calhoun’s organizational debut. The 35-year-old has 1,196 career games in the big leagues, hitting .243/.316/.418 with 173 home runs in 4,814 plate appearances. During the shortened 2020 season, Calhoun hit 16 home runs in 54 games. He hasn’t done much of anything since.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-3, BB, SB (1)
DH Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-3
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, K

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 2-1) 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
4.43 ERA (20.1 IP, 24 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 23 K). The veteran lefty has back-to-back solid starts.
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.80 ERA (15 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 21 K). It would be a nice little story if the 28-year-old made it to MLB.
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (13-8) (Defeated Binghamton, 7-4)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-3, 2B (5), 2 RS, BB, CS (1)
.254/.363/.373 in 80 PA. 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, 2 RS, BB, HBP, SB (10)
Dominguez has 21 walks and 18 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances.
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB
A nice return for Wells.
RF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS
He hasn’t been turning heads this season but he also is not slumping hard. He is hitting a respectable .262/.328/.443.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-1, 2 BB, HBP, CS (1)
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB
Usually more of an average guy than a power guy, he is hitting .186 with three home runs in 13 games this season. Small sample size, for sure – but he is only one away from his season-best HR total.
C Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta:  1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Blas Castano: (W, 2-0) 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 17 K)
RHP Steven Jennings: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Indigo Diaz (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 10 K

Hudson Valley (14-8) (Lost to Wilmington, 5-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 3B (3), RBI, K
Jones had three career triples in college (all in his 2022 draft year)
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, BB, K, CS (1)
Vargas has eight extra-base hits in 15 games. He compiled only 24 in 100 games last season.
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4
.286/.438/.333 in 80 plate appearances with 14 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3
DH Anthony Garcia: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-3, RS

LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 0-1)  3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Bailey Dees: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 17 K)
RHP Jack Neely: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
1.35 ERA (13.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 19 K)
RHP Nick Paciorek: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
7.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. Yes, Hudson Valley has some high-strikeout arms to watch.

Tampa (8-14) (Lost to Bradenton, 5-2)

SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4
2B Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB, K
Serna’s 7-game hitting streak is snapped. His on-base streak is now 11 (he has reached base safely in 15 of his 17 games)
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (1), HR (2), RBI, RS, K
.259/.369/.389 in 65 plate appearances. His BB% and K% both are 15.4%.  Last year, Ramirez drove home 51 runs in 44 games for the GCL squad. 
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
DH Dayro Perez: 1-for-4, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, 2 K
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, RBI
Martinez has four straight multi-hit games (9-for-16; three doubles). Before the streak: .171/.320/.317. Now: .281/.406/.439.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez:  0-for-3

RHP Hayden Merda: (L, 0-2) 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 22 K). Last year’s 17th-round pick (Azusa Pacific)is off to a nice start in his pro debut.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

 

Yankees MILB 4/30: A Clinic in Hudson Valley

News:

Not much to report. I wish I could tell you that the second coming of Barry Bonds was ready to come up and save the Yankees, but sorry – not happening.

Scranton (10-17) (Shut down by Worcester (featuring James Paxton), 5-0)

CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, K
.254/.413/.492 in 75 plate appearances.
DH Harrison Bader: 0-for-4, K
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, 3 K
I was intrigued to see what he would do against James Paxton, a left-hander who we know has MLB success on his resume. Chaparro didn’t do well, but it’s one game in a sea of several good ones lately.
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, 2B (8), BB, K
.247/.373/.376 in 102 plate appearances. His minor-league approach has allowed him to compile his share of doubles. 
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3
7-game hitting streak (9-for-26)
3B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (L, 2-3) 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Barrett Loseke: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 11 K). The Yankees bullpen is doing well so there isn’t much room for a guy like Loseke, but he can at least get himself on the radar.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (12-8) (Game with Harrisburg was canceled due to rain. It will not be made up)

Some early season numbers:

OF Jasson Dominguez is hitting .140/.380/.340 (114 wRC+) in 71 plate appearances with a 28.2% BB rate and 25.4% K rate. His .161 BABIP will eventually normalize (and you expect the strikeout rate to start to drop somewhat)…OF Everson Pereira (on the 40-man roster) is hitting .246/.317/.421 (109 wRC+) in 51 plate appearances. The triple slash is OK but he will need to normalize the 36.5% K rate…OF Brandon Lockridge is trying to bounce back from a tough 2022. This season, he is hitting .289/.333/.444 (114 wRC+) with ten stolen bases and a nice 19.6% K rate. The defense and speed will play in MLB. It is all about the bat…SS Trey Sweeney is at .234/.342/.344 (101 wRC+) in 76 plate appearances. He is in a bit of a slump recently…C Carlos Narvaez has impressed, hitting .256/.373/.488 in 51 plate appearances. Narvaez didn’t hit for any average last year (.194) but still walked at a 15% clip. If he can even hit in the .230-.240 range with that discipline and some pop, he will make MLB…Veteran utility player Max Burt has a 235 wRC+.

RHP Will Warren owns a 4.15 ERA, thanks mostly to an insane .462 BABIP. His FIP is 1.01 with a 38.7% K and 9.3% BB. He has yet to allow a home run…RHP Richard Fitts is also pitching in some bad luck, as his 5.23 ERA is accompanied by a 3.24 FIP. He owns a 31% K and 6% BB…On the reverse side of the spectrum, RHP Clayton Beeter is the owner of a 1.74 ERA/3.58 FIP (which isn’t exactly bad). I think there are simply a lot of sample size issues going on with these pitchers…

Hudson Valley (14-7) (Destroyed Greenville, 15-2)

SS Alexander Vargas: 3-for-6, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 RS
First career multi-HR game. Prospects develop at different rates – that said, if Vargas suddenly has things click, it would be quite a nice surprise. While he did set a career-high with eight home runs in 2022, it came with a .203/.271/.311 triple slash. Let’s see how this season evolves.
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-4, 2B (3), HR (7), RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Palensky has homered in four straight games (five HR in those four games) and has six HR in his last six games. Yeah, he will be all over tomorrow’s leaderboard data dump on Twitter.
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
  PH-3B Luis Santos: 1-for-2, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Santos has hit exactly 2 home runs per season between 2019-2022 (remember, 2020 didn’t exist in MILB)
CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Gomez has hit safely in 13 of his 15 games this season. There isn’t much power sprinkled in (three doubles) + only three of the games are multi-hit efforts, but we’ll what we can get from a prospect who is trying to regain some shine.
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS
Flores is hitting .404 (19-for-47) with five doubles and ten runs batted in. He is 25-for-61 (.410) in his brief career.
DH Anthony Garcia: 0-for-5, 2 K
2B Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Cowles’ first career multi-HR game. 
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 1-0) 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
2.86 ERA (22 IP, 20 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 29 K). First professional win.
RHP Danny Watson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, HR
11 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 20 K, 1 HR

Tampa (8-13) (Lost to Jupiter, 8-6)

2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K, SB (7)
.250/.358/.309 in 82 plate appearances. Escanio, who was acquired from the Brewers as a part of the J.P. Feyereisen trade, doesn’t show up anywhere on prospect lists. However, the Yankees continue to lead him off which could be a sign of some faith that there is something to tap into.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, K
3-for-17 during his rehab stint (the numbers don’t even matter – it is all about getting his swings in)
 C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1, RBI
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-5, K
DH Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, BB, 3 K, SB (2)
.296/.371/.537 in 16 gqmes. I have no information about what his signing bonus was back in 2017, so just assume it was small.
SS Dayro Perez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
The average has jumped from .078 to .156 over the last three games – hey, you have to start somewhere.
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS
Rodriguez isn’t a big kid (5’9″) but he has shown off some versatility (including the ability to catch). Offensively, he is hitting .283/.371/.358 in 15 games. He has always hit for average in the short-season leagues.
3B Ronny Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Rojas has homered in three straight games.
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 0-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Staurt’s professional debut. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent (out if Pitt) last season. His college numbers don’t jump out at you (he did have a strikeout boost last year), which is something that fascinates me about scouting. They look beyond the raw numbers to see if there is something interesting about the kid – someone liked him, and here he is.
RHP Shane Gray: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
10.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 15 K. This is his debut season and he throws left-handed – which automatically puts him on the radar.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
12.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 14 K. This is the 21-year-old’s first taste of full-season ball.

 

Yankees MILB 4/29: Spencer Jones Homers Twice

News:

C Anthony Seigler was activated today by the Somerset Patriots.

Scranton (10-16) (Lost to Worcester, 7-6, in 11 innings)

DH-CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K
CF Harrison Bader: 0-for-5, K
  P D.J. Snelten: 0-for-0
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5
.232/.298/.505 in 104 plate appearances. Once the plate appearances reach triple digits, I really start to pay closer attention to the stat lines.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, 2B (7), RBI, RS, 2 BB, HBP, K, CS (2)
This is a much-needed performance by Dunham as he tries to break out of a recent malaise.
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-5, HR (4), RBI, RS
Power is his calling card and what makes him intriguing as a potential backup MLB catcher. 
2B Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-5
.205/.235/.333 in 85 plate appearances. Bastidas showed off some pop in 2022, which put him on my radar as a potential utility-type player for someone. 
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
1B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB
A 6-game hitting streak has improved his line from .118/.231/.118 to .193/.292/.281. When you get off to a tough start, it takes some time to get the numbers up to where you want to see them.
SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K, CS (1)

RHP Randy Vasquez: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
6.08 ERA (26.2 IP, 30 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 33 K). It would be nice to see Vasquez get on a roll because they might just need him.
RHP Deivi Garcia: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
3.86 ERA (16.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 17 K). Walks, walks, walks, walks…
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP James Norwood: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP D.J. Snelten (L, 0-1): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
A modern-day stat line, as the ghost runner scores in both of his innings. 

Somerset (12-8) (Split a doubleheader with Harrisburg)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RS
DH Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, HBP
He is still on his rehab stint – it has simply been moved up to Somerset.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-2, BB
LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, RBI, K, CS (1)
.246/.317/.421 in 63 plate appearances.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, 2 BB
.185/.297/.370 in 64 PA. It is still a small sample and Hardman was very productive in 2022.
  PR Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-0, RS, SB (9)
  3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-0
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (1)
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3
2B Max Burt: 2-for-3, 2B (3)

RHP Clayton Beeter: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, HR
1.74 ERA (20.2 IP, 16 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 23 K). Too many walks in his last two starts, but his dominant stuff allows him to keep the runs in check. That does get harder as you get closer to the big leagues, but his overall start to the season has been strong.
LHP Michael Giacone (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
9 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 12 K
RHP Tanner Myatt (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 11 K. If he can stay healthy, he has the power stuff you like for a short reliever (I think his days as a starter are long gone). I should note that I am not sure if that power stuff has held up through all the injuries.

Game 2

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-3, RS, BB
Sweeney’s double in Game 1 snapped an 0-for-13, which is now a 1-for-20. Everyone goes through slumps.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Dominguez has 20 walks (28.2%) and 18 strikeouts (25.4%) in 71 PA.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Rosario is making the most of his hits (8-for-55 with four home runs). He has drawn 16 walks.
C Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, RS
Given his injury history, I am happy to see that this one wasn’t long-term.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RS, K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 3-for-3, 2 3B (2), RBI, BB, SB (10)
This boosts his average to .289 (he entered the day at .238 – early-season baseball!) He has ten stolen bases in 17 games this season after stealing 18 in 108 games last season.
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
The minor league veteran is up to .390.
1B Eric Wagaman: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3

RHP Gray Fenter: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
LHP Lisandro Santos: (L, 0-1)  1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
As I have mentioned a few times:  Great arm, doesn’t always know where the ball is going.
RHP Justin Wilson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 26-year-old was signed as a minor league free agent in February. He is yet another guy who came from the Braves organization (like Santos above). Maese was drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round back in 2015 out of high school. 

Hudson Valley (13-7) (Lost a forgettable game to Greenville, 17-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
.286/.329/.610 in 85 plate appearances. This is his second multi-HR game of the season.
SS Alexander Vargas: 3-for-4, 2B (1)
Vargas has three multi-hit games in his last five games played (7-for-19 with a double, triple, and home run. He has also walked five times)
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, 2B (3), K
Durbin has a .444 OBP in 16 games. His ability to get on base has been his calling card in professional ball – let’s see if he can keep it up in the upper minors.
C Ben Rice: 0-for-4, 2 K
Rice’s season-starting 14-game on-base streak is snapped.
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 K
After his 10-game hitting streak was snapped yesterday, he starts up a new one today.
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-1, K
  PH-1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS, K, SB (1)
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Juan Carela: (L, 0-1)  3.1 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The conundrum you face in the minors: You need your pitchers to get their work in, but you don’t want to hang them out to dry. Carela tossed 80 pitches, so they went down the “get the work in” route, and that’s fine. Carela is a solid prospect who will just have to put this one out of his mind.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (8-12) (Knocked off Jupiter, 9-5)

3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-5, RS, BB, 2 K
DH Austin Wells: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Wells is 3-for-13 with a home run and three walks during his rehab stint.
SS Dayro Perez: 4-for-5, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, SB (2)
Perez stole 16 bases in 20 tries last season down in the GCL (he compiled 56 stolen bases in 104 games down in the DSL). This was a much-needed performance as he entered the game 5-for-56.
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Serna has a 7-game hitting streak (12-for-28, so this is far from a cheap streak!)
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-5, RS, K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-5, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, 3 K
Medina is hitting .300 with a .908 OPS
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RS
Martinez is hitting .264 with a .834 OPS.
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, RS, BB, K, SB (4)
Rodriguez had four 3-hit games in 2022 (GCL)
LF Alan Mejia: 2-for-5, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange:  3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
4.91 ERA (14.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 26 K). The walks and strikeouts = shortened outings (this was his 4th start – so he is averaging under four innings per start)
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
RHP Matt Keating: (W, 2-1) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
1.74 ERA (10.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 14 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: (S, 2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 4/28: Austin Wells Goes Yard

News:

Nothing to report.

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

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

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

Somerset (11-7) 

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

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

Game 1 (Won, 7-4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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