Yankees MILB 6/21: Jace Avina Doubles, Homers

News:

RHP Yoendrys Gomez and Phil Bickford were promoted to MLB today. RHP Ron Marinaccio was demoted to Scranton while LHP Victor Gonzalez was designated for assignment. Gonzalez doesn’t have enough service time to refuse an outright assignment, nor has he been outrighted before. Hence, if he somehow clears waivers (unlikely), the Yankees could store him for depth. Gonzalez looked like a good replacement for Wandy Peralta, but it hasn’t worked out. In 27 games, he pitched to a 3.86 ERA (5.93 FIP) with an 11/13 K/BB ratio over 23.1 innings. His calling card (ground balls) was still a strength (52.9%)

I would like to see Gomez get an extended look. He is out of options in 2025, so the time is now for evaluation. That said, he threw a lot of pitches tonight. Will the Yankees replace him for tomorrow’s contest? It isn’t impossible, but I hope not.

When Bickford debuts, it will become his 4th MLB organization since 2020. Unlike other Yankees’ relievers, Bickford is not a ground ball pitcher (35.2% career GB). However, he can miss bats (26.6%). Last season, he pitched to a 4.62 ERA in 25.1 innings for the Mets.

Scranton (41-29) (Down to Buffalo, 11-0, in the third inning. This game is suspended and, unfortunately, will need to be completed)

2B Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-1, K
DH Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-1, K
3B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-1, K
1B Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-1, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-1
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-1
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-0
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-0
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-0

LHP Edgar Barclay: 2.2 IP, 12 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 3 HR
And you thought you had a bad day…
RHP Matt Sauer: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (32-35) (Lost to Erie, 8-2. I guess this game got a bit chippy, as an Erie pitcher was ejected in the 9th inning. Sounds like fun)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, BB, K
Jones has played well in June (21-for-73 (.288), 3 homers), though one still feels he hasn’t yet gone on a season-altering tear.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RS, HBP
Rodriguez is 3-for-11 since his promotion (0 K in 14 PA)
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Cowles has hit safely in three straight games after an 0-for-16 stretch. It’s a start!
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, BB
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, K
1B Max Burt: 0-for-3

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 2-4)  4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
3.89 ERA (74 IP, 61 H, 43 R, 32 R, 6 HR, 25 BB, 83 K). Messinger is a 6’6″ bulldog who is pitching well overall.  As of this writing, he leads the Eastern League in strikeouts.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Moore is a project with a low-to-medium probability, but one that is likely worth investing in.
RHP Aaron Palensky: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Palensky is a position player. This was his second pitching appearance in 2024 (washes away a not-so-great first appearance!)

Hudson Valley (33-33) (Lost to Greensboro, 10-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-4, K
Riggio has a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-18, 1 double, 2 HR). It’s nice to see him compile some hits.
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, K
Serna is 0-for-15 since missing a game due to a HBP.
DH Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, RS
.295/.406/.486 in 219 PA. He has 17 multi-hit games (54 games played).
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, RS
.237/.376/.390 in 218 PA.  He owns a 17.4% BB and 22.0% K. Last season, for Tampa, he hit .251/.367/.445 in 444 PA with a 15.1% BB and 24.8% K. He is fairly consistent, though his FB rate is down in 2024.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (18), HR (7), 3 RBI, RS, K
.271/.349/.457 in 241 PA. He has a pair of doubles and homers in his last five games and has shown signs of breaking out of his slump.
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
Familia is having trouble so far, as he is 4-for-26 without an extra-base hit since joining this level.  Remember: He got off to a late start due to injury.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, K
3B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 2B (3), 2 K

LHP Kyle Carr: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
I am not sure why Carr was pulled after only 40 pitches.
LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 1-2)  2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
2.54 ERA in 39 IP (30 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 47 K). 
RHP Trent Sellers: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR

Tampa (24-42) (Lead Palm Beach, 2-0, in the bottom of the 4th. The game was suspended due to lightning/rain. They will try to finish it up tomorrow)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-2
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, K
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-1, SB (18), BB
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-2, RS
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-1, RS, BB
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-2
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, SB (14)
C Oscar Silverio:  0-for-0, BB

RHP Luis Serna: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The weather cuts Serna’s start for the second consecutive time. While the stats aren’t official until the game concludes, this effort will lower his ERA below 4.00 (3.98 in 52 IP (37 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 61 K)). His ERA was 10.32 in his first three starts and 6.97 after five starts. He has been on quite a roll and is still under 20 (until July 20th).

FCL (22-13) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 8-1. I am still not sure how playing the same three teams is helpful, but I guess playing time is the most important thing)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 SB (15), CS (3), 2 BB
15 SB in 23 games. The league leader (Staryln Caba (PHI)) has 28 in 32 games.
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-2, RS, SB (3), 3 BB
2B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, 2 RS
Ramirez is hitting .400/.517/.589 in 119 PA. He leads the FCL in average, OBP, and OPS (third in slugging percentage). The Yankees signed him for $30,000.
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-5, 3B (3), 2 RBI, SB (11), 3 K
Sanchez is first in slugging percentage (.629) and second in OPS (1.071)
3B Luis Ogando: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, SB (8), K
SS Sebastian Gomez: 1-for-3, 2 SB (8), HBP
RF Fidel Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (3), BB, K

RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Rehab appearance for Cohen, who pitched to a 3.61 ERA in 52.1 IP between Tampa/Hudson Valley/Somerset in 2023.
RHP Danny Flatt (W, 1-0): 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
2.67 ERA (27 IP, 22 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 30 K). The 20-year-old is a candidate for Low-A Tampa when the promotions start happening.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Alejandro Gomez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

DSL Yankees (4-10) (Lost to the DSL Rockies, 6-1)

C Luis Puello: 3-for-3, 2B (2)
Puello had three of the team’s five hits. The 18-year-old is 10-for-22 (2 doubles, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K)
SS Ovandy Frias: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS
Frias hit one home run in 35 games last year. He has two in three games this year.

RHP Alexander Almonte: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
10 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 10 K. He is only 17.

DSL Bombers (8-5) (Defeated Mets Blue, 4-1)

SS Christofer Reyes: 2-for-4, RS, SB (6)
CF Richard Meran: 1-for-2, 2B (3), 2 RS, SB (1), HBP, BB

RHP Mariano Salomon (W, 2-0): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
A strong performance by the 21-year-old. I doubt it is common that both DSL starters go 5+ innings on the same day.

Yankees MILB 6/20: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits, RBI, SB, BB

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez will miss at least eight weeks due to an oblique injury. That pushes his return to mid-August, where he will undoubtedly be rusty. He can still be one of the September call-ups, but we must be realistic about 2024 expectations. He hasn’t played much and the Yankees will likely be cautious. As I said last night, it isn’t quite a lost season but it isn’t a productive one for his development either.

Scranton (41-29) (Lost to Buffalo, 9-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, SB (22), RS, BB, K
With Dominguez and Everson Pereira out, the #5 outfield slot is there for the taking. Known for his speed and defense, he is hitting .274/.404/.363 in 151 PA with 22 stolen bases in 24 attempts. 
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-1, RS, 4 BB
With Scranton, Vivas has 19 walks in 21 games (98 PA; 19.4%)
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, RBI, HBP
Many hitters never figure out how to hit in MLB. We don’t know if that will be true for Peraza. However, I am shocked at how badly he is slumping in Scranton. Unless something is bothering him, he should be crushing this level. He is at .176/.317/.216.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, HBP, K
Ramirez is off to a 1-for-9 start in Scranton. It was fun while it lasted…
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4
DH Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2B (14), K
Narvaez continues to show off his pop (14 doubles, 7 HR in 57 games; .431 SLG). 
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (14), RBI, RS, K
Rojas has 14 homers in 52 games. Impressive, but the 31-year-old owns a .188/.245/.339 triple slash in 83 MLB games (2021-2022). He spent 2023 in Korea (.253/.345/.474 with 19 homers)
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, 2 K
Downs has a 5-game hitting streak and is 14-for-35 (.400) in June with a 7-for-8 SB rate. 
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
Trammell has homered in two of his last three games.

LHP Tanner Tully: (L, 1-5) 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4 HR
RHP Jake Cousins: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Josh VanMeter: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kevin Smith: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
VanMeter and Smith are veteran utility players who received an inning on the hill tonight.

Somerset (32-34) (Lost to Erie, 9-7. Everyone in the lineup collected at least one hit)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, RBI, SB (17), BB, 3 K
June: 20-for-70 (.286; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 R, 5-for-6 SB). He entered June with a .641 OPS. It is now .704.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-6, RBI
Rodriguez earns his first Double-A hit. Congrats! Fans of the Patriots are getting a dose of his versatility: Third base in his Double-A debut, and catcher tonight. As for the multi-hit game, he has 22 in 58 games this season. Machine.
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, BB
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-5, RS, SB (12), 2 K
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, RS, SB (8), 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RS, 2 BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, 2B (10), HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Seigler is showing some pop and speed this year (10 doubles, 7 HR, 11-for-12 SB) but that doesn’t mean his prospect status is coming back (.198 with a .670 OPS). Anyway, the 7 HR ties his personal best, set in 2022.
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-5, 3B (2), RBI, RS, 2 K
Vargas is hitting .211 since his promotion. By most accounts, the glove is still MLB-quality – the bat just hasn’t developed. That sounds somewhat like Kyle Holder, but Vargas likely has more offense to tap into. That said, he has to prove it. In case you are wondering about Holder, he hasn’t played since 2022.

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 3-6)  5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 3 HR
RHP Danny Watson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but Watson is likely still in “get back into a groove” mode after a long-term injury.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Somerset: 2.57 ERA (21 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 20 K)
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (33-32) (Lost to Greensboro, 4-2)

LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4
Since being hit by a pitch and missing a game, Serna is 0-for-11. It could be a coincidence. I hope that it is.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
.212/.305/.372. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RS
.222/.357/.284 in 199 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 23 R, 15.6% BB, 23.1% K).  So far, the power hasn’t shown up (.313 SLG in 24 games in Tampa last year). 
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer: 1-for-3, RBI
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, K

RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 5-5) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR
Keane allowed three runs in the first inning but worked it out. Season: 5.02 ERA (57.1 IP, 55 H, 33 R, 32 ER, 6 HR, 29 BB, 55 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.29 ERA (19.2 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 31 K)
RHP Luis Arejula: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.46 ERA (26 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 27 K)

Tampa (24-42) (Lost to Palm Beach, 5-2)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4, RS, CS (4)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (10), RS, K
.228/.360/.321 in 225 PA (10 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 17-for-18 SB). He is on a 6-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games. Before this 10-game stretch, his triple slash was .207/.359/.269. His OBP has barely moved, but his SLG is up 52 points.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (17), CS (8), K
.209/.301/.364 in 289 PA (9 doubles, 6 triples, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 35 R, 17-for-25 SB). He has eight extra-base hits and 19 RBI in June, which is good. However, the strikeouts remain prominent.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, HBP, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, BB
.241/.298/.366 in 245 PA (13 doubles, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R, 8-for-9 SB). Entering June, his triple slash was .207/.288/.283.
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-2, 2B (9), BB
.270/.391/.400 in 138 PA. Frick is doing a nice job in his debut season.
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Warrecker’s Tampa debut (he appeared in a game earlier this season for Hudson Valley). He pitched well through 4 innings but ran into trouble in the 5th. The 22-year-old out of Cal Poly (drafted in the 20th round in 2023) is an interesting prospect. The Yankees are good at converting these pitchers into something valuable.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
3.96 ERA (38.2 IP, 26 H, 21 R, 17 ER, 1 HR, 29 BB, 39 K). He hit 95 MPH with his 4-seamer, which they should be able to work with. You don’t need me to tell you that control is an issue.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Standing 5’10”, the 22-year-old Luciano packs a punch, maxing out at 96 MPH with his heater. His issue? Control. He has walked 30 batters in 33.1 innings this year and 76 in 82.1 innings in his career.

FCL (21-13) (Squeaked past the Phillies, 3-2)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, 2 K
Mayea is hitting .270/.356/.303 in 101 PA, which isn’t so bad. The K% is 27.7%, borderline but not in the “red alert” zone. Another metric I like to look at is Swinging Strike %. Entering today’s action, Mayea’s was at 22.9%, which will raise an eyebrow or two. Anyway, let’s see what happens as he gets more reps.
DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-2, 3B (2), RS, BB
Is Ramirez going to become the latest obsession? He is hitting .396/.518/.582 in 115 PA and has seven multi-hit efforts in his last eight games. That’s not easily done at any level of baseball, folks.
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, 2B (12), RBI, RS
Sanchez has 17 extra-base hits (12 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR) in 27 games. Additionally, he has 20 RBI, 23 runs, and 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-3, 2 RBI

RHP Hansel Rosario: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
LHP Michael Peres (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Castellanos (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

DSL Yankees (4-9) (Lost to the Rangers Blue, 7-1)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, RS, SB (7), BB, K
CF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-3, CS (1), BB
When you have a speedster like Lara, you want him running all the time in minor league games as he attempts to turn raw speed into base-stealing ability.

RHP Varis Villarreal: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers (7-5) (Defeated the FCL Tigers 1, 4-3)

C Queni Pineda: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
The 17-year-old is 8-for-27 (9 walks, 5 strikeouts)
RF Browm Martinez: 1-for-3, K
CF David Carrera: 1-for-3, RBI, K
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS
1B Jesus Marquez: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
The 17-year-old is listed as a catcher but has only played 1B/DH thus far (only five games).

RHP Alexis Paulino: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
Well, that is what you call dominance. He is 21 and in his third season down here.
RHP Ismael Delgadillo (S, 1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 19-year-old earns a save in his first professional appearance.

Yankees MILB 6/19: George Lombard Jr. Hits First Pro HR

News:

There was a flurry of moves today, some of which were prompted by the promotion of Ben Rice to the Yankees from Scranton.

The Yankees promoted C/1B Agustin Ramirez from Somerset to replace Rice.

Ramirez’s ascent has been fun and fast. While he performed well as a 17-year-old in the DSL (18.9% K rate was telling), nothing in his triple slash suggested a monster was about to be born (.239/.300/.374 with 4 home runs). Like every minor leaguer, he missed a development year in 2020. In 2022, he spent the entire year in the FCL as a 20-year-old. Do you see where I am going with this? Prospects develop at different rates and you never know when one will explode.

With Ramirez leaving Somerset, the Patriots needed a catcher. Enter Hudson Valley’s Jesus Rodriguez. a multi-positional player who carries a big stick. In his minor league career, he is hitting .319/.407/.483 in 1,077 plate appearances including a .339/.428/.515 line in 81 High-A games. He has seen time at catcher (101 games), first base (53; none in 2024), second base (3; all in 2024), third base (68), and left field (23).  Additionally, he played 16 games in right field during the 2023-2024 Venezuelan Winter League season. Despite the offense, Rodriguez hasn’t appeared on many Yankees prospect lists. I think that would change if he continues to rake in Somerset.

The train stopped there, as the Yankees didn’t promote anyone from Tampa to Hudson Valley. Rather, they activated Juan Crisp off of the development list. Crisp has been in the organization since 2019 but has only appeared in 60 games.

Unrelated to those moves, top relief prospect Jack Neely was promoted from Somerset to Scranton. In 33 Double-A games between 2023-2024, Neely pitched to a 2.59 ERA in 48.2 innings with an impressive 77/15 K/BB. I don’t see the 6’8″ Neely staying in Scranton for long – he is being fast-tracked to the Yankees, in my opinion. Unlike many Yankees relievers, Neely is not a groundball specialist (33.8%) but he does miss bats, which is needed.

Scranton (41-28) (Defeated Buffalo, 8-2)

2B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5
Not the sexiest Triple-A debut, but he gets that first hit out of the way.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Rumfield has four doubles and three homers in his last nine games.
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4, RS, K
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-3, 2B (11), HR (9), SF, 2 RBI, RS
Downs has two doubles and three home runs in his last four games. He is hitting .276/.371/.546.

RHP Will Warren: (W, 5-4)  6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
6.65 ERA (66.1 IP,70 H, 51 R, 49 ER, 16 HR, 26 BB, 72 K). Warren allowed 15 HR in 99.2 IP at this level last season, so 31 HR allowed in 166 Triple-A innings. It’s a juiced-up environment, but that still stands out. If you want good news: Warren seems to be over his May blues. In 22 June innings, he has allowed seven runs on 19 hits with a 24/7 K/BB.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Liranzo dialed it up to 97.4 MPH. Despite what is a good arm, the 29-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut.
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Neely hit 98.1 MPH with his fastball. He could come to MLB quickly.

Somerset (32-33) (Lost to Erie, 11-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, RS, HBP, BB
Rodriguez reaches base a pair of times in his Double-A debut.
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, 2B (21)
Cowles, trying to break out of a slump, hits his 21st double in 61 games.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2B (8), RBI, BB
Wegner has four doubles in his last four games.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jordan Groshans: 0-for-3
1B Max Burt: 1-for-3, 2 K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 6-5) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
He pitched well through four innings but was roughed up in the fifth. Season: 3.95 ERA (68.1 IP, 57 H, 38 R, 30 ER, 4 HR, 34 BB, 70 K)
RHP McKinley Moore: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Moore was moved up here today.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR

Hudson Valley (33-31) (Lost to Greensboro, 8-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-2, 2B (9), 2 BB
.210/.358/.364 in 218 PA. He has reached base safely in 10 straight games (10-for-40, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 7 BB)
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.272/.373/.490 in 284 PA. Whether he is a long-term shortstop or not, they are getting a long look at him there (53 starts in 2024, 52 starts in 2023). Letting him play shortstop is also a showcase for opposing scouts.
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-4
.272/.352/.446 in 233 PA. It’s been a slow June for Avina, but a correction was likely after his incredible start. 
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, K
Flores is hitting .297/.412/.497 in 211 PA. Given all his High-A experience (157 games, 645 PA), he likely was also in consideration for the Somerset promotion.  He likely will get there this year regardless.
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RS, K
The Yankees have never moved Martinez up a level during a season. That doesn’t mean he is stuck here for 2024, but trends sometimes have meaning. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2B (10), 2 RBI, K
Gabrielson’s 2-run double broke up the shutout in the 9th, preventing back-to-back shutouts.
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 4-2)  4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, HR
Stuart sets a new personal best with the 10-strikeout performance. 
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Reyzelman hasn’t allowed a run in 10.2 IP between here and the FCL (3 H, 3 BB, 17 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
Keating struck out the side in order in his first inning of work. Season: 3.63 ERA (39.2 IP, 27 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K). The 23-year-old struck out 93 batters in 65.1 innings for Low-A Tampa in 2023.

Tampa (24-41) (Defeated Palm Beach, 3-2)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-3, 2B (6), RS, SB (17), BB
Back-to-back multi-hit efforts (15th on the season)
2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (17)
Lombard Jr. launches his first professional home run. He is on a 5-game hitting streak.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-1, BB
Gomez’s rehab assignment moved up to Tampa today.
  C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-4, RS
.253/.383/.420 in 201 PA. Castillo has three 3-hit efforts (two this month)
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4
LF Willy Montero: 2-for-3, RBI, BB
Montero walks it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the 9th.
RF Coby Morales: 0-for-3, K

RHP JT Brubaker: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Brubaker needs only 22 pitches in his first rehab appearance to get through three innings.
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Effross maxed out at 90.2 MPH with his sinker (remember that he isn’t a velocity guy!). Hopefully, he can get to New York soon enough.
RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (W, 2-7)  5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
A nice piggyback night for Barbosa. Season: 5.63 ERA (62.1 IP, 68 H, 40 R, 39 ER, 7 HR, 18 BB, 63 K). 

FCL (20-13)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Yankees (4-8)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (6-5) (Lost to the DSL Pirates, 7-6)

SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (5), K
DH Browm Martinez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (9)
Martinez runs wild. He has 8 hits, 2 walks, 1 HBP, and 9 stolen bases.
RF Richard Meran: 1-for-3

LHP Franyer Herrera: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Mauricio Vargas: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The 17-year-old’s second career appearance.

Yankees MILB 6/18: Trystan Vrieling’s Masterful Performance

News:

RHP JT Brubaker and Scott Effross will begin their rehab stints in Tampa on Wednesday.

Effross hasn’t pitched since October 2, 2022. Acquired from the Cubs for Hayden Wesneski, he pitched to a 2.54 ERA (2.46 FIP) in 2022 with a 27.1% K and 44% GB. While he isn’t a traditional “blow it past you” reliever, he does miss bats.

Brubaker is a starter acquired from the Pirates over the winter for infield prospect Keiner Delgado. Brubaker hasn’t dazzled in his MLB career (4.99 ERA/4.43 FIP), but he does feature slightly above-average GB (44.1%) and strikeout (23.3%) rates. We’ll see if the Yankees try to use him in a relief role or use him for starter depth. He is under team control through 2025.  As for Delgado, the 20-year-old is playing for Pittsburgh’s Low-A affiliate, hitting .242/.324/.411 in 139 PA. He is playing well in June (.268/.412/.561 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homers).

As for today’s roster moves, Ben Rice earned his promotion to MLB. The Yankees will not open a roster spot for RHP Jack Neely unless it is a permanent move. Hence, I am OK with adding Anthony Misiewicz and Clayton Andrews. Both pitchers are easy to DFA once a 40-man roster slot is needed.

In Tampa, RHP Ryan Harvey and Kristofer Bow were placed on the injured list. Harvey is a starter while Bow’s turbo-sinker has been used out of the bullpen. The Tampa transactions page doesn’t yet list replacements.

As I mentioned on Twitter, the Yankees don’t have great outfield depth in the minors. If Aaron Judge requires IL time, you are looking at players like Taylor Trammell, Oscar Gonzalez, Brandon Lockridge, and Jose Rojas. Trammell has a “prospect pedigree” while Gonzalez was successful in Cleveland in 2022 (.296/.327/.461 in 91 games). Lockridge is a speed/defense guy while Rojas is a veteran without much MLB success.

In other words, hopefully, Judge is OK.

Scranton (40-28) (Outslugged Buffalo,11-10)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (3), BB, K
Vivas, who reached double digits in HR between 2021-2023, hits his first homer as a member of the Yankees’ organization (27th game)
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-5, RS, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, RS, BB
Rumfield’s 7-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Narvaez is hitting .251 with a .804 OPS. His personal best for HR is 12, set last year.
DH Jose Rojas: 2-for-4, HR (13), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Rojas has always been an offensive force in the minors, reaching 31 homers and 107 RBI in 2019 (yes, it was the PCL). However, MLB hasn’t been kind to him.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 2 RS
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, K
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-1, 2B (10), RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (12), CS (4), 3 BB
A nice night (understatement) for Downs, who has performed well this season. That does not mean his prospect status is back, but perhaps he can still grind out an MLB career.

LHP Josh Maciejewski: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Art Warren: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Phil Bickford: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.93 ERA (27.2 IP, 23 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 35 K)
RHP Matt Sauer: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR

Somerset (32-32) (Knocked off Erie, 6-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
This jumps his OPS to .712 as he compiles his 4th 3-hit game this season. Next up is a march towards .800!  Jones is 18-for-61 (.295/.362/.525) in June.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (14), 2 RBI, K
Ramirez has four doubles in his last six games. He is hitting .339/.359/.613 (5 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI) in June.
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
Hardman has homered in back-to-back games and has 28 homers in 85 Double-A contests.
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-0
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, 3 K
Cowles went 2-for-8 in his first two games this season. That was the last time he was under .300 until tonight (.295).
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (7), K
.260/.326/.410 in 193 PA. Richardson has struggled in June, but he has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
DH Jared Wegner: 2-for-4, 2 2B (7), 2 RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RS

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 7-4)  7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
4.58 ERA (74.2 IP, 70 H, 40 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 22 BB, 72 K). This is an impressive Double-A showing for a kid in his debut season. I don’t remember the last time the Yankees started a pitching prospect’s career in Double-A. 
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (33-30) (Lost to Greensboro, 2-0)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, K
Thankfully, Serna missed only one game after the HBP.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (17), K
After a bit of a slump, Avina has hit safely in six of his last seven games (8-for-31).
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
.302/.415/.506 in 207 PA. 
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, CI, 3 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2B (9), BB

RHP Jackson Fristoe: (L, 1-3)  5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
3.58 ERA (37.2 IP, 27 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 27 BB, 40 K). This is the second time in his last three starts where he has limited walks (0 BB in 6 IP on 6/4). As I like to say, it is something to build on.
RHP Huey Morrill: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.63 ERA (37.2 IP, 29 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 44 K). Expect a lot of movement among the relief prospects when the Yankees start promoting guys.

Tampa (23-41) (Lost to Palm Beach, 4-0)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, K
For Tampa: .328/.379/.395 in 133 PA. This comes with a .422 BABIP, so things will likely “normalize”. Remember that he is only 19 and performing well in a full-season league. 
2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, HBP, K
.222/.359/.295 in 217 PA. He owns a 23.96% K rate, which isn’t great but won’t scare off evaluators, given it is his first full professional season. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
Arias’ “hot streaks” are attributed to his athleticism. The raw skill is so high that he can live off that in the lower minors. Heck, Estevan Florial has lived off that throughout his minor-league career. He is still young and has time on his side. However, improving your ability to make contact is one of the hardest things for a hitter to learn.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
DH Hans Montero: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, HBP, K
Montero’s 12-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, K

RHP Cade Austin: (L, 1-3) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Austin’s first professional start (he started only 3 games in college). This was an emergency start.
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.72 ERA (31.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 35 K).  Rodriguez hit 96.8 MPH with his 4-seam fastball tonight and generated whiffs with his 4-seamer, sinker, changeup, and cutter.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Gabonia maxed out at 95.3 MPH with his sinker. I look for things that the Yankees can build on. Season: 4.64 ERA (33 IP, 38 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 39 K). His BABIP is .368.
RHP Montana Semmel: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL (20-13) (Won two games over the Phillies)

Game 1 was the conclusion of a game from 6/11. They won, 10-4

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-5, 2B (2), RBI, RS, K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, K
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, RS
2B Gabriel Terrero: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS
RF Joel Mendez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 3 K

RHP Sabier Marte (W, 4-0): 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
You don’t see FCL pitchers throw this many innings often (his previous best was five).

Game 2 (Won, 7-6)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-4, CS (2), K
The power has yet to show up, but he is hitting .271/.361/.306 in 97 PA with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts. He has eight multi-hit efforts in 21 games.
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, 2 K
.271/.457/.400 in 116 PA. He has 20 RBI in 27 games.
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-3, 2B (7), 2 RS, BB
The 19-year-old has six multi-hit efforts in his last seven games. He is hitting .382/.505/.551 in 112 PA, placing himself firmly on the list of potential promotions.
LF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, 2B (11), 2 RBI, RS
Sanchez, hitting .360/.457/.629, has 11 doubles in 26 games.
SS Juan Matheus: 3-for-3, 2B (6), RBI, RS
Matheus is hitting .303/.406/.461 in 106 PA. He is playing well enough to think about a promotion, but Low-A Tampa is loaded with infield prospects.
2B Gabriel Terrero: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K

RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
With a couple of injuries announced for Low-A Tampa, Kean is a solid candidate to earn a promotion there.

DSL Yankees (4-8) (Defeated the Rockies, 6-3)

DH Dexters Peralta: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, RBI
Matic is 10-for-31 (.323) with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.
2B Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, K
Jimenez (17) is only 2-for-15 but the two hits are a double and a homer. He hit the home run in his second career game.
RF Dilan Medina: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS
The 18-year-old is 5-for-14 with a double in his debut season.
1B Johan Contreras: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, RS

RHP Keninson Diaz (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Mejia (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
In his first professional game, the 18-year-old records a save. Congrats!

DSL Bombers (6-4) (Defeated Mets Blue, 5-3)

C Queni Pineda: 2-for-3, SB (3), CS (2), K
Pineda (17) is 8-for-24 (.333) with a pair of doubles and a home run.
2B Luis Escudero: 2-for-3, 2B (1)
LF David Carrera: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS, K
The 17-year-old is 6-for-21 with four doubles and a triple.
3B Kevin Verde: 0-for-2, RS, SB (5), BB
RF Angel Ventura: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 SB (6)
The 18-year-old has 6 stolen bases in 6 games.

RHP Joshawn Lampson (W, 2-1): 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 1): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Ledesma is 20, but this is his debut season.

Yankees MILB 6/17: Where are they now?

A look at the prospects the Yankees have traded/lost over the last several years. This list is comprehensive (in my opinion) but not complete.

The Jameson Taillon deal:

RHP Roansy Contreras – The “big fish” in the deal for Pittsburgh, Contreras struggled to the point where the Pirates designated him for assignment, eventually trading him to the Angels for cash. So far in Los Angeles, he owns a 4.66 ERA in 7 games. While still only 24, he is reaching that “crossroads” point in his career.

RHP Miguel Yajure – Yajure compiled an 8.69 ERA in 39.1 innings for the Pirates before moving to the Giants’ organization. Last year, he pitched at three levels, compiling a 6.07 ERA in 65.2 innings. He elected free agency at the end of the campaign and signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. In 11 games (67.1 innings), he is 4-5 with a 3.07 ERA and 43/23 K/BB.

OF Canaan Smith-Njigba – Still a member of the Pirates organization, Smith-Njigba is hitting .224/.354/.347 in 51 games for Triple-A Indianapolis.

IF Maikol Escotto – The lottery ticket in the deal has thus far not matched any numbers in the Powerball drawing. He is in High-A Greensboro for the second year in a row, hitting .216/.255/.373 in 31 games.

While Taillon didn’t stand out (he had his moments), the Yankees aren’t regretting this trade.

The Joey Gallo deal:

RHP Glenn Otto – Now a member of the Padres organization, the 28-year-old Otto is on a rehab assignment in the ACL (the West Coast’s equivalent to the FCL).

UTIL Ezequiel Duran – Duran has played in 52 games for the Rangers this season, hitting .258/.297/.326 with a pair of homers. After an impressive first half in 2023 (.308/.344/.526), it appears the league adjusted and Duran hasn’t been able to change back.

UTIL Josh H. Smith – Smith was a multi-position player without any hint of offense for the 2023 championship club. Times have changed, as Smith is enjoying a .294/.384/.436 (136 OPS+) breakout in 2024. While he can still move around the field, third base has become his primary residence. A high-contact hitter who is enjoying the fruits of a .358 BABIP, one would expect Smith’s numbers to “normalize,” but he is one of the surprise 2024 stories.

UTIL Trevor Hauver – Hauver’s bat hasn’t developed. In 2024, he is hitting .209/.325/.313 in 161 plate appearances for Triple-A Round Rock in the PCL. Furthermore, he no longer plays the infield and is stationed in LF/RF. A corner outfielder with little pop and speed isn’t valuable.

The Rangers are likely happy with the Duran/Smith pieces to the trade. The Yankees could probably use Smith in 2024, but let’s be realistic: He looked like Tyler Wade without the speed in 2023.

The Anthony Rizzo deal:

RHP Alexander Vizcaino – After failing to report to the Cubs last year, Vizcaino resurfaced in the Dominican Winter League, where he pitched to a 2.70 ERA in five games. I have no idea what his plans are.

OF Kevin Alcantara – Now 21, Alcantara is steadily climbing in the Cubs’ organization. So far, he is performing adequately as he tries to clear the Double-A hurdle, hitting .261/.305/.388 with 54 strikeouts in 200 PA (27%). He had a blistering stretch at the end of May but cooled off in June. Baseball America left him off their preseason Top 100, but MLB Pipeline (65th) and Baseball Prospectus (80th) continued to show him some love.

The Andrew Heaney deal:

RHP Janson Junk – Junk has since moved on to the Brewers, where he is a shuttle guy. In five games (five innings) with the big club, he has allowed five runs on 13 hits.

RHP Elvis Peguero – Peguero has developed into a solid bullpen arm for the Brewers, compiling a 2.89 ERA (3.40 FIP) in 27 games (28 innings) this season. He relies heavily on keeping the ball on the ground (51.9% GB) and in the ballpark (0.8% HR).

The Yankees traded a pair of spare parts for Heaney, both of whom were traded as a package (again) to the Brewers. I don’t think the Yankees regret is, regardless of Heaney’s performance.

The Clay Holmes deal:

UTIL Hoy Park – Now with Oakland, Park had a strong spring training but didn’t make the squad. In Triple-A, he is hitting .286/.401/.429 in 57 games. Hitting well in Triple-A made him desirable to the Pirates in the Holmes transaction, so this is hardly a surprise.

UTIL Diego Castillo – Castillo bounced around waivers during the spring, even landing with the Yankees at one point. Eventually secured by the Orioles, he was traded to the Twins for cash. He is hitting .289/.395/.406 in 215 Triple-A plate appearances.

This trade didn’t look like much, but the Yankees struck gold.

The Jose Trevino deal:

LHP Robby Ahlstrom – Ahlstrom, who never pitched an inning for the Yankees organization, owns a 2.17 ERA in 29 innings for the Rangers’ Double-A club in Frisco.He turns 25 this week.

The Andrew Benintendi deal:

RHP Beck Way – Way is no longer starting. The 24-year-old is pitching well for Kansas City’s Double-A affiliate in Northwest Arkansas. He owns a 2.54 ERA in 23 games with a 31/15 K/BB and 47.1% GB over 28.1 innings.

RHP Chandler Champlain – The 6’5″ Champlain is now in Triple-A, where he owns a 4.73 ERA in five starts for Omaha. While he impressed with a 48/7 K/BB in 36 Double-A innings, the numbers have fallen to 18/14 in 26.2 Triple-A innings.

LHP T.J. Sikkema – While Way tries to gain traction as a reliever and Champlain finds himself a step away from MLB, Sikkema has struggled. Now with the Reds organization (chosen in the minor league phase of the Rule 5), Sikkema has a 5.95 ERA in 19.2 innings for High-A Dayton. He has spent time on the injured list due to rotator cuff soreness.

The Royals are trying to squeeze some juice out of Way/Champlain. Both still have MLB potential.

The Scott Effross deal:

RHP Hayden Wesneski – Is the 26-year-old coming into his own? He owns a 2.84 ERA in 18 games (3 starts) for the Cubs with a 34/9 K/BB over 38 innings. While that is impressive, the Cubs haven’t worked him much. Perhaps they are doing a permanent bullpen conversion and taking it slowly.

The bullpen is likely where Wesneski belongs. The Cubs must be happy with their return.

The Frankie Montas deal:

LHP Ken Waldichuk – Waldichuk is out for the season. He won’t appear in any games at any level in 2024. Here’s hoping for a full recovery.

RHP Luis Medina – Medina missed a good chunk of the early season due to injury. Since returning for Oakland, he owns a 5.87 ERA in three starts (15.1 IP) with a 10/8 K/BB. So much still needs to go right for Medina to become a productive MLB pitcher.

LHP JP Sears – Sears continues to eat innings in the Oakland rotation. He leads MLB with 15 starts, covering 82.2 innings. He owns a 4.25 ERA (4.75 FIP) in those innings with a 15.8% K/8.1% BB/37.1% GB. He is serving his purpose in Oakland, though the reduction in his K rate (21.9% in 2023) is cause for concern.

IF Cooper Bowman – Bowman is at Double-A Midland, hitting .266/.360/.429 with 25 stolen bases in 28 attempts. Dating back to last season, he has appeared in 127 Double-A games, so a promotion is due.

Oakland received four decent prospects for Montas. I don’t think they are complaining.

The Greg Allen deal:

RHP Diego Hernandez – Hernandez missed all of 2023. In 2024, he has appeared in four FCL games, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 10 walks. As of now, the Yankees don’t have to worry about this being the steal of the century.

The Keynan Middleton deal:

RHP Juan Carela – Carela remains in High-A, where he owns a 3.48 ERA in 10 starts (44 IP) with a 39/24 K/BB. He is only 22, but spending parts of three seasons at one level raises a red flag or two. Hopefully, he gets to Double-A in 2024.

Carela isn’t an upside pitcher, but the White Sox did fine in acquiring him for a rental reliever.

The Alex Verdugo deal:

RHP Richard Fitts – Fitts has pitched OK in Triple-A Worcester, where he owns a 4.20 ERA (4.02 FIP) in 55.2 IP with a 50/23 K/BB. When he was with the Yankees, I considered him a safe bet to make it to MLB. I remain confident in that.

RHP Nicholas Judice – The 23-year-old made his professional debut recently in the FCL. So far, his career consists of two games, so not much I can say about that.

RHP Greg Weissert – Weissert is in the Red Sox bullpen, where he has performed well. The 29-year-old owns a 2.87 ERA in 31 games (31.1 innings) with a 35/8 K/BB. If he can keep the walks in check, he has a chance to become a medium-to-high-leverage pitcher. At 29, the window isn’t a big one.

The Juan Soto deal:

RHP Drew Thorpe – Thorpe was moved to the White Sox, where he recently made his MLB debut. His first two starts haven’t stood out (8.1 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 4 K) as evaluators watch to see if his changeup (which devastated minor league hitters) can translate in MLB.

RHP Jhony Brito – Brito has received steady work in the Padres’ bullpen, compiling a 3.62 ERA in 22 games (37.1 IP). He isn’t striking anybody out (14.2%) but he has done a nice job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. His 48.4% GB is above MLB average.

RHP Randy Vasquez – Vasquez has made 8 starts for the Padres, going 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA (5.21 FIP) over 38.1 innings. Like Brito, missing bats is an issue (15.4%) though he somewhat makes up for that with impeccable control (4.1% BB). I like a good, old-fashioned command/control type, but does Vasquez have enough of an arsenal to get away with that?

RHP Michael King – King is 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA (4.16 FIP) over 83 innings. While he doesn’t allow many hits (68), his 13 HR allowed leads the National League. The good news is that he continues to miss bats (27.1% K). King has been a solid pickup for the Padres and has been red-hot as of late (7 runs allowed in 28.2 IP over his last five starts with a 34/8 K/BB. The Yankees knew what they were giving up. They just couldn’t justify haggling when the return was Juan Soto.

The Victor Gonzalez/Jorbit Vivas deal:

SS Trey Sweeney – Sweeney is hitting .238/.327/.419 in 303 PA in the PCL. In that juiced-up league, that is good for an 83 wRC+. While he has played 2 games at third base, the Dodgers have followed the Yankees’ lead of playing him at shortstop. Unlike other prospects, the Yankees never played Sweeney at any other position.

The Caleb Ferguson deal:

RHP Christian Zazueta – Only 19, Zazueta has earned his way to Low-A, where he owns a 3.52 ERA in only 7.2 innings. His K/BB is an impressive 11/1 in that small sample size.

The Jon Berti deal:

OF John Cruz – The Marlins aggressively moved the 18-year-old to Low-A, where he has been overmatched (.160/.254/.211 in 225 PA). Some prospects learn from aggressive placement. Others lose confidence and die on the vine. We’ll see what happens.

The Clayton Andrews deal:

RHP Joshua Quezada – The 20-year-old has made two DSL starts, covering only 8.1 innings.

The Cody Morris deal:

OF Estevan Florial – Florial flopped for Cleveland, hitting .173/.264/.367 in 111 plate appearances. After being designated for assignment, he went unclaimed and outrighted to Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate. He is 0-for-12 since joining the squad.

Others:

RHP Mitch Spence – Chosen in the Rule 5 by Oakland, Spence is not coming back. He owns a 3.95 ERA (3.34 FIP) in 57 innings with a 18.8% K and 6.1% BB. His 49.1% GB rate is solid. A good job by Oakland securing him.

RHP Matt Sauer – Sauer was chosen by the Royals in the Rule 5, but has since been returned. The Royals’ surprising start likely made it harder for them to justify keeping Sauer at the bottom of the bullpen barrel.

RHP Carson Coleman – Coleman, chosen in the Rule 5 by the Rangers, hasn’t taken the hill since 2022. Once an intriguing relief prospect in the Yankees organization, it is hard to know exactly where his career goes from here.

LHP Matt Krook – Krook is on Baltimore’s 40-man roster but hasn’t appeared for them this year. In Triple-A Norfolk, he owns a 3.00 ERA over 24 innings with a 28/13 K/BB. As always, the GB% is strong (58.9%).

UTIL Oliver Dunn – Dunn is living the dream in Milwaukee, hitting .221/.282/.316 in 104 plate appearances. The Brewers have used him primarily at third base (1 inning at first base, 2 innings at second base).

1B Eric Wagaman – Wagaman is in Double-A Rocket City (Angels), where he is hitting .264/.329/.452 in 228 plate appearances.

C/1B Mickey Gasper – Taken by the Red Sox in the minor league phase, the 28-year-old has split time in Double-A/Triple-A, hitting .305/.429/.500 in 205 plate appearances. He’s an older prospect but one can see him making MLB.

RHP Michael Gomez – Taken by the Rays in the minor league phase, Gomez has struggled at their Triple-A affiliate (5.63 ERA in 24 innings)

3B Marcos Cabrera – Taken by the Pirates in the minor league phase, Cabrera was released by the organization on April 25th and hasn’t appeared anywhere else.

1B/3B Andres Chaparro – Lost to minor league free agency, Chaparro landed in Arizona, where he is hitting .301/.384/.530 (125 wRC+) over 284 PA for their Triple-A affiliate.. Hitting has never been an issue for Chaparro in the minors, but he has yet to make his MLB debut. He recently turned 25.

Yankees MILB 6/16: George Lombard Jr. Triples, Drives in 3

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez is back on the injured list. According to Aaron Boone, he felt something in his side while swinging. That instantly makes one think of oblique, but we’ll wait until testing is complete.

Dominguez, who was pulled early last night, has consistently hit the ball hard since returning from his injury. This was significant, as one of the early signs of his arm injury was how the ball came off his bat.

Any setback is not good news as Dominguez needs as much playing time as possible. In 2024, Dominguez has only 94 plate appearances and 72.2 innings in the field.

At this point, if you think Dominguez will be an MLB option before the All-Star Break, you are a “glass is full” person. Not half-full. Full. I don’t see it.

Depth OF Greg Allen is also on the injured list. The Railriders activated OF Brandon Lockridge.

In Hudson Valley, one day after leaving a game due to a HBP, Jared Serna was out of the lineup. He is not currently on the injured list but that should be monitored. Hopefully, with Monday off, they decided it would be prudent to give him today off. Serna is hitting .280/.380/.504 (145 wRC+) with 19 doubles, 11 homers, 48 RBI, and 44 runs. Entering today, he is second in the South Atlantic League in homers and runs scored. His wRC+ ranks 8th. Assuming all is OK, he should get to Somerset this season.

Scranton (40-28) (Lost to Rochester, 7-3)

DH Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4
C Ben Rice: 0-for-3, BB
Rice is 2-for-15 in his last four games. Is that a cause for alarm? No.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, 2B (13)
Rumfield has a 7-game hitting streak (14-for-31). When you can average 2 hits per game during a hitting streak, you are doing something right. While his power is questioned, he has 18 extra-base hits in 47 games for Scranton.
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, K
.230/.360/.521 in 203 PA.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K
.276/.331/.431 in 133 PA (for Scranton)
CF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, SB (3)
The three players above represent the current outfield depth (along with Lockridge). Hopefully, Alex Verdugo/Aaron Judge/Juan Soto can remain healthy.
3B Jeter Downs: 2-for-3, HR (8), RBI, RS, SB (9)
.264/.354/.509 in 190 PA. After a 12-game homerless streak, Downs has homered in back-to-back games.
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, K
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-3, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: (L, 2-3)  4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
3.13 ERA (46 IP, 28 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 26 BB, 54 K). He tossed 72 pitches today. I still don’t know what the plan is for Gomez. They may be using starting in the minors to prepare him for a long-man/swingman type in MLB. Or, the best way to showcase him is through starting!
RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Jake Cousins: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (31-32) (Lost to Binghamton, 7-2. Somerset has been toiling around .500 all season)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
.232/.321/.372 in 237 PA (7 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 35 R, 16-for-20 SB, 10.97% BB, 33.8% K). In 2023, his K% was 28.9% between Hudson Valley and Somerset (28.2% in 78 PA after his promotion).
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
.290/.374/.571 in 257 PA (13 doubles, 1 triple, 16 HR, 47 RBI, 46 R, 13-for-14 SB, 10.9% BB, 16.3% K). He checks every box you want to be checked offensively. Defensively? He needs work.
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
Hardman is 6-for-11 with a double and homer since joining Somerset. While his rehab stint is over, they are not giving him full games in the field.
  1B Max Burt: 0-for-1
DH J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (7)
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, 3 K
3B Jordan Groshans: 1-for-3
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3
13-for-66 (.197/.229/.303) in 23 games since joining Somerset.

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 2-4)  5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
This is the first time Dees allowed 4+ earned runs since his first start (11 straight starts of 3 earned runs or less). Season: 3.86 ERA (67.2 IP, 60 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 9 HR, 24 BB, 74 K). He is likely exceeding expectations as a starter. 
RHP Danny Watson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Dees left the game with two runners on base and nobody out. Watson stranded them both. Due to injury, the 6’7″ Watson has only 7 innings this season (8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (33-29) (Defeated Brooklyn, 8-7, in 10 innings)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, HR (4), RBI, 2 RS, SB (9), 2 BB, 2 K
Riggio has homered in back-to-back games. So far, he has shown strong plate discipline (15.7% BB) while not hitting for much average or power. Maybe things are beginning to click.
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, HR (6), SF, 3 RBI, RS, BB
Avina’s first home run since May 27th. His sac fly in the bottom of the 10th won the game.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, RS, BB
4-for-16 since joining Hudson Valley.
  PR-LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-0
DH Garrett Martin: 2-for-5, 2B (7), RBI, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, 2B (6), HBP
RF Nelson Medina: 0-for-5, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-5, 2B (2), RBI, 2 RS, SB (1), K
Escanio’s double in the bottom of the 10th tied the game.

RHP Cam Schlittler: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
2.32 ERA (54.1 IP, 31 H, 21 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 28 BB, 71 K). His 2.32 ERA leads the South Atlantic League.
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.37 ERA (19 IP, 12 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 29 K). He turns 25 in a week, so he should be making his way up the chain.
RHP Trent Sellers: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
3.21 ERA (35.1 IP, 24 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 24 BB, 43 K)
RHP Matt Keating: (W, 1-1)  2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
2.87 ERA (37.2 IP, 25 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 15 BB, 44 K)

Tampa (23-40) (Lost to Clearwater, 4-3)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4, RS, SB (16)
For Tampa: .322/.375/.391 in 129 PA (6.98% BB, 22.5% K). 
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 3B (2), 3 RBI, K
13 of his 21 RBI have come in four games. He is hitting .220/.357/.295 in 213 PA. Lombard Jr. is looking for that elusive first home run.  His triple was hit 378 feet.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
Despite the 0-for-4, Arias hit balls at 102.3 MPH and 103.9 MPH. Season: .216/.310/.378 in 277 PA (11.2% BB; 36.5% K). He has over 100 strikeouts (101). I have mentioned it all season: The raw talent stands out – positively and negatively.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB
His June hasn’t been as hot as May, but he is generating walks (11 this month; 22 in May).
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-4
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, RS
Montero increases his hitting streak to 12.  Before the streak: .182/.250/.241. Now: .235/.285/.364. The 19-year-old (20 on August 4th) is showing progress but is a lottery ticket type. That’s not a knock – lottery tickets have value.
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-3, 3 K
C Tomas Frick: 2-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RS
Frick had two of Tampa’s four hits. He is hitting .278/.400/.407 in 130 PA. This is his debut season.

RHP Josh Grosz: (L, 1-5) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Between here and Hudson Valley: 6.37 ERA (53.2 IP, 64 H, 52 R, 38 ER, 10 HR, 28 BB, 69 K). There is a lot to dissect in that stat line. Your reminder that he is 21 and in his debut season. He topped out at 95.9 MPH and generated 12 whiffs (5 with his fastball, 7 with his slider).
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

FCL (18-12)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Yankees (3-7)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (5-4) 

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 6/15: Agustin Ramirez Stays Hot

News:

I have nothing to report.

Scranton (40-28) (Lost to Rochester, 7-3)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-2, SB (2), HBP, BB, K
2B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, RS, SB (2), 2 K
I am not sure why Dominguez was pulled. He has been playing full games recently, which can raise a red flag. Still, I wouldn’t read anything into it unless they give us a reason to read something into it.
  CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-1
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, CS (1)
Rice is 14-for-39 (.359) since joining Scranton. He has 10 RBI in 10 games.
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, 2B (13), RBI, RS, BB, K
You should feel comfortable knowing that Narvaez is the #3 catcher.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RBI
Rumfield has a 6-game hitting streak (multiple hits in the first five). He is hitting .304/.360/.453 in 200 PA for Scranton.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, K
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-3

LHP Edgar Barclay: (L, 3-5)  5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, HR
LHP Clayton Andrews: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Matt Sauer: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sauer has struggled since returning…
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Somerset (31-31) (Defeated Binghamton, 6-4, in 10 innings)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, CS (4), 2 K
Jones is 14-for-53 (.264) in June with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 11 runs, 6 walks, and 18 strikeouts.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, HR (16), RBI, RS, HBP
Ramirez has multiple hits in four straight games as he takes over sole possession of first place in the organizational HR race.
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, BB
DH Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, SB (11), BB
Seigler is 11-for-12 stealing bases.
RF Jared Wegner: 3-for-5, 2B (5), RS, K
Wegner has five hits in his last two games.
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, HR (1), SF, 3 RBI, RS, K
Palensky hit 22 HR in 103 games in 2023.
3B Max Burt: 1-for-5, HR (2), RBI, RS, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
3.50 ERA (69.1 IP, 55 H, 38 R, 27 ER, 5 HR, 22 BB, 78 K)
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Tremendous effort by Calderon. For Somerset: 2.89 ERA in 18.2 IP (14 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 19 K).
RHP Jack Neely: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Neely didn’t have it tonight. He owns a 2.61 ERA in 31 IP (23 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 51 K). He has 243 strikeouts in 149.2 career innings.
RHP Jesus Liranzo:(W, 2-1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (32-29) (Lost to Brooklyn, 8-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, K
.204/.343/.341 in 204 PA (8 doubles, 3 triples, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 34 R, 8-for-10 SB). It was his first HR since May 8th.
DH Jared Serna: 1-for-2, RS, SB (9), HBP, K
Serna has a 9-game hitting streak. However, he didn’t come back to the plate after the HBP.
   PH-DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-1, BB
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (17), HR (6), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
.305/.409/.515 in 198 PA. He is 17-for-49 (.347) with three doubles and four home runs in June. 
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
LF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K

LHP Ben Shields: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
3.21 ERA (42 IP, 30 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 5 HR, 9 BB, 53 K)
RHP Huey Morrill: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 1-1) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
In 9 innings between here and the FCL: 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 16 K. The talent level is there for him to be a legitimate relief prospect. Walks were an issue when he pitched for the University of San Francisco (36 in 50.1 IP). He transferred to LSU, where he walked 18 in 42.2 IP. 

Tampa (23-39) (Lost a doubleheader to Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 9-4, in the conclusion of last night’s game. This game went a full 9 innings)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RS, 2 K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-2, 2B (9), RBI, SB (16), 2 BB
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, RS, 2 K
Arias’ 8th extra-base hit (2 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR) in 12 June games.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, K
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, K
Montero owns a 10-game hitting streak.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, SB (5), BB, K

RHP Luis Serna: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
This was a wasted start for Serna, but that isn’t a big deal. Season: 4.31 ERA (48 IP, 35 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 56 K).
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
LHP Rafelin Nivar: (L, 0-1)  1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel: 1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.88 ERA (28.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 15 BB, 34 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 5-4, in 10 innings. This was a scheduled 7-inning game, so extra innings = 3 innings)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, RS, SB (15), BB, 2 K
He has 17 stolen bases between here and the FCL (where he went on a rehab stint). His personal best is 24, set last year.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5, 3 K
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-5, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-5, HR (5), RBI, RS, 3 K
.252/.386/.430 in 189 PA. 
DH Hans Montero: 1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (4), BB, 2 K
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, K
Montero increases his hitting streak to 11 (19-for-43, 6 doubles, 4 HR, 8 RBI). Overall, his triple slash is up to .235/.286/.366 in 231 PA.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, BB, K
C Oscar Silverio: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, HBP, K

RHP Cade Smith: 4 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Smith retired the first ten batters he faced but quickly lost it. Season: 3.28 ERA (57.2 IP, 40 H, 27 R, 21 ER, 3 HR, 28 BB, 74 K)
RHP Kristofer Bow: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Don’t be thrown off by his name – this is Kris Bow, who had his name updated. Season: 2.51 ERA (28.2 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 32 K).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
RHP Juan Sanchez (L, 0-1): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Sanchez has done nothing but pitch in 2024 (four games). I guess they are transitioning him to the role.

FCL (18-12) (Lost a game they will forever wish to forget, 17-0, to the DSL Tigers. While they walked 8 times. they only had 1 hit and committed 6 errors)

CF Brando Mayea: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, BB, K
Gomez is still on his rehab stint.
3B-SS Abrahan Ramirez and LF-CF Brian Sanchez each went 0-for-3 with a walk.

RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Gerber is a 27-year-old on a rehab stint. He has 17 games of MLB experience, with Seattle in 2020 (4.02 ERA with a 6/5 K/BB over 15.2 IP)

DSL Yankees (3-7) (Defeated the DSL Bombers, 9-3)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, 3 RS, 3 SB (6), BB
The 16-year-old switch-hitter is 6-for-28 (.214) with a double, 8 runs scored, and a 6-for-6 SB rate.
3B Richard Matic: 2-for-5, 2B (2), 3 RBI, RS, K
The 16-year-old is 9-for-24 (.375) with a pair of doubles and 7 walks.
C Justin Capellan: 2-for-3, 2 2B (2), RBI, RS, SB (3), K
The 17-year-old is 5-for-20. The two doubles are his first career extra-base hits.
1B Luis Puello: 2-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, K

RHP Jorge Luna: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Keninson Diaz (W, 1-0): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Christopher Vasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

DSL Bombers (5-4) (Lost to the DSL Yankees, 9-3)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-2
He left the game early, but it isn’t uncommon for players in the DSL to split time.
  PH-CF Browm Martinez: 1-for-1, RS, 2 SB (8), BB
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
DH Carlos Villarroel: 2-for-3, RBI
6-for-12 with a home run.

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
The norm for tall pitchers (he is 6’6″) is spotty control. The key is whether or not they can figure it out.
RHP Andry Javier: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Luis Suarez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 6/14: Kyle Carr’s Strong Effort

News:

I have nothing to report.

Scranton (40-27) (Lost to Rochester, 2-1)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-5, 3 K
Vivas is 11-for-60 (.183) with 18 strikeouts for Scranton (he also has 11 walks)
3B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-2, SB (5), 2 BB
Last 9 games: 8-for-34 (.235) with a double, homer, and 8 walks. 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, BB
For Scranton: .394/.412/.667 in 34 PA (3 doubles, 2 HR, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 SB). His single tonight was another scorcher – he seems to hit everything hard.
1B Ben Rice: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Rice is 0-for-8 in his last two games, ending the speculation on whether he can hit .500 in Triple-A.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, K
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, SB (2), BB, 2 K
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS, 2 SB (8)
.256/.349/.487 in 187 PA (9 doubles, 3 triples, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R, 8-for-11 SB, 11.2% BB, 26.7% K). He’s receiving a decent amount of playing time, especially with Caleb Durbin out. 

RHP Gerrit Cole: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Cole tossed 70 pitches tonight, as he struck out 10+ batters for the first time in his minor league career (that isn’t a typo!). Will he throw 90 pitches against Baltimore/Atlanta next time or will have one more rehab start? I would bring him back to New York, personally.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.09 ERA (33 IP, 23 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 19 BB, 51 K). Mosqueda has 12 strikeouts in his last 5.1 IP. 
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
1.52 ERA (23.2 IP, 14 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 14 BB, 26 K). He allowed two of those four runs in his first appearance.
RHP Phil Bickford: (L, 2-2)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (29-31) (Lost to Binghamton, 9-7)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
Jones has drawn five walks in his last four games (one in his first eight June games). Before this stretch, he homered in three of four games. Furthermore, he has 15 RBI this month. It’s an encouraging stretch for him to build on.
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (13), RS, 2 K
Ramirez has six multi-hit efforts in his last 12 games. He has doubled in three straight contests.
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-5, K
Cowles’ June hasn’t been great (.265/.308/.327). A slump was inevitable as all players have slumps. He is still hitting .307/.382/.486.
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RS, SB (1), 2 K
  2B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-1, HR (1), RBI, RS
Vargas tied the game with one out in the top of the 9th. He isn’t the most likely of sources for a game-tying blast, but he hit 9 HR in 103 games for Hudson Valley last year. 
CF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
LF J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, RBI, BB, K
Escarra is on a ridiculous 3-game run. He has three consecutive 3-hit games (9-for-14, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 9 RBI)
2B-3B Jordan Groshans: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, RS, SAC, 2 K
1B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
RHP Luis Velasquez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: (L, 2-1)  2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR

Hudson Valley (32-28) (Lost a heartbreaker to Brooklyn, 4-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-3, BB
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Serna has an 8-game hitting streak (14-for-32; 7 doubles). He has 48 RBI and 43 runs in 59 games. One can’t help but be impressed.
LF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, 2 K
Avina has hit safely in four straight contests after an 0-for-19 stretch.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, K
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-3, K
  PR-DH Brenny Escanio: 0-for-0
  PH Omar Martinez: 0-for-0, BB
  PR Nelson Medina: 0-for-0
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-2, RS, BB

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
An impressive night for Carr, who lowers his ERA to 6.07 (46 IP, 51 H, 39 R, 31 ER, 3 HR, 33 BB, 44 K). The 8 strikeouts are a new personal best (this is his first season). The Yankees were aggressive placing him at this level. Will it pay off? It is still too early to tell.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.75 ERA (24 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 25 K). 
RHP Cole Ayers (L, 2-3) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (23-37) (Their game against Clearwater was suspended in the top of the 3rd. They will try to resume it tomorrow)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-2, K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-0, 2 BB
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-1, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-1
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-1, K
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-1
Montero will have a 10-game hitting streak when this game finishes.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-1
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-1, K
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-0, BB

RHP Luis Serna: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
It is a wasted start for Serna, but that isn’t a big deal. Season: 4.31 ERA (48 IP, 35 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 56 K). OK, I am jumping the gun – nothing counts if this game is never concluded.

FCL (18-11) (Outlasted the Blue Jays, 13-9, in 10 innings. This squad seemingly plays the Blue Jays (6-23) every other day. I don’t know how that aids development, but who am I?)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-6, 2 RS, 2 SB (12), CS (1), 2 K
.257/.342/.300 in 79 PA. 
DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-2, 2B (6), SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (2), 3 BB, 1 K
.292/.475/.444 in 99 PA with more walks (23) than strikeouts (16)
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 RS, HBP, 2 BB, K
1B Engelth Urena: 2-for-6, 2 RBI, RS
Urena, who missed all of 2023, is 8-for-46 (.174) with a pair of homers and 11 RBI.
LF Brian Sanchez:  4-for-5, 2B (9), HR (3, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (10), BB, K
Sanchez hit a walk-off grand slam, as he sets new personal bests for hits and RBI in a game. This is a stat line that most players will never put up in their careers. Season: .378/.427/.676 in 88 PA (9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 20 R, 10-for-11 SB, 14.8% BB, 22.7% K)
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (6), BB, K
3B Luis Ogando: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, SB (7), BB, K
Ogando increases his hitting streak to five.
SS Santiago Gomez: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, BB, K
RF Ramiro Altagracia: 2-for-3, HR (1), SF, 2 RBI, RS, HBP

RHP Danny Flatt: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
3.13 ERA (23 IP, 21 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 27 K)
RHP Chris Kean (W, 1-1): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Kean’s first career win. Congrats!

DSL Yankees (2-7) (Lost to the DSL Tigers 2 (how creative), 3-2)

CF Louis Pierre:  1-for-3, 2B (1), RS
C Luis Puello: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI

RHP Alexander Almonte: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Almonte is only 17 years old (debuted last year at 16). Standing 6’4″, he appears small for a Yankees’ pitching prospect!

DSL Bombers (5-3) (Defeated DSL Colorado, 9-3)

LF Browm Martinez: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, 2 SB (6), 2 K
CF David Carrera: 1-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
5-for-14 with three doubles, a triple, and five RBI.
C Carlos Villarroel: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
The 17-year-old’s first professional home run. Congrats!
2B Luis Escudero: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (8), HBP
8 SB in 6 games (4 in 31 games in 2023)
SS Kevin Verde: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RS, SB (4)
6-for-16 with 5 RBI (4-for-4 SB)

RHP Mariano Salomon: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Yankees MILB 6/13: Brock Selvidge Ks 9

News:

OF Everson Pereira was placed on the full-season injured list by Scranton. As you might be able to guess, that means he is done for the year.

Pereira will end the season at .265/.346/.512 (118 wRC+) in 182 PA for Scranton. He swatted 10 home runs and drove in 27. However, his strikeout rate was up (32.4%).

Injuries are a part of his story, but he accumulated 448 plate appearances in 2022 and 446 in 2023.

Pereira likely had trade value. That is no longer the case. With Jasson Dominguez‘s rehab stint over, Pereira’s value as big-league depth was lower, but you never want to lose depth.

Hopefully, Pereira can get back on the field in 2025.

Scranton (40-26) (Lost to Rochester, 5-4)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (1), CS (4), BB
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-5, 2 K
C Ben Rice: 0-for-5, 2 K
So much for the Ben Rice Experiment…seriously, this is the first time he hasn’t reached base in eight Triple-A games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, RS, BB
For Scranton: .305/.362/.458 in 196 PA. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (multiple hits in all games: 12-for-23).
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Narvaez has a .376 OBP (16.2% BB)
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (12), 3 RBI, RS, K
Rojas has 12 homers and 42 RBI. A mostly unnoticed transaction last week was that he opted out of his contract, only to be re-signed. This likely means the Yankees offered him a little extra money to re-sign (and he couldn’t find an MLB opportunity)
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Greg Allen: 2-for-3, 2B (7), RS, HBP
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4

RHP Will Warren: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
Warren was cruising along until a 3-run homer in the 6th. His ERA is still north of 7.00 (7.01) but has shown signs of breaking out of his slump (he owns a 2.81 ERA in 16 June innings).
RHP Matt Sauer: (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Clayton Andrews: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (29-30) (Bombarded Binghamton, 12-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (16), K
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, SB (13)
Ramirez is hitting .289/.374/.569 in 243 PA (12 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 44 R, 13-for-14 SB). He is making his share of errors at first base, but that is the learning process. 
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, 2 RS, SB (11), 2 BB, K
.314/.390/.498 in 241 PA. 
DH Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Hardman was promoted here today. This is where he spent 2023.
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, 2 2B (13), HR (3), 4 RBI, 3 RS
Back-to-back 4-RBI efforts for Escarra. Yes, I know he is a 29-year-old non-prospect. I like to highlight strong performances. As for catching, he has never done it before 2024.
RF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-4, 2B (6), HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, SB (10), BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, RS, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, HR
3.25 ERA (63.2 IP, 48 H, 31 R, 23 ER, 4 HR, 32 BB, 66 K). 
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
3.38 ERA (6.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K). Watson is still in “rehab” mode even if he was never on an official rehab assignment.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.66 ERA (23.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 28 K). Anderson compiled a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 IP (27/12 K/BB) at this level in 2023. If he continues to perform, someone will give him a shot. This is not a knock on the Yankees.
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (32-27) (Squeaked past Brooklyn, 6-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (19), 2 RBI, K
In his last seven games, Serna has seven doubles. He is hitting .274/.375/.504 in 269 PA (19 doubles, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 43 R, 8-for-14 SB, 13.0% BB, 17.5% K). The presence of Riggio has pushed Serna to shortstop for most of the season. As I like to write about, that increases value. However, most “experts” see him as a second baseman long-term. He should get to Somerset when they start to promote players.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RS
Rodriguez increases his hitting streak to 6 (10-for-24). I wouldn’t be able to tell you if you asked me to find his fatal flaw. That said, he must prove this is real in the upper minors. That is how you get noticed for a player who doesn’t appear on many prospect lists.
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
.308/.416/.503 in 190 PA. He is 15-for-41 in June with a pair of doubles and three home runs.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B (7)
RF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 RS, K
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS

RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 5-4) 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
4.85 ERA (52 IP, 51 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 48 K). That may not overwhelm you, but remember that Keane was a reliever in 2023.
RHP Trent Sellers: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.60 ERA (17.1 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 26 K)
RHP McKinley Moore: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (23-37) (Lost to Clearwater, 7-3, in a rain-shortened game)

2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (14), K
For Tampa: .330/.383/.398 in 116 PA (14-for-17 SB). 
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
DH Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, 3 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-0, HBP
  PH-3B Hans Montero: 0-for-1, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Montero has four home runs in his last six games. The 19-year-old hit .331/.389/.436 in 203 plate appearances in the FCL last season. He started slow in 2024 and is still recovering but is up to .229 with a .644 OPS.
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-2, 3B (1), RS
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2, 2 K
C Oscar Silverio: 1-for-2, 2B (1), RBI
Silverio finally gets to the plate (he played in five games before tonight without receiving a plate appearance, pitching in three of them!)

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: 5 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
On the bright side, this goes in the record books as a complete game.

FCL (17-11) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 5-4)

C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RS, SB (4), K
CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-4, K
He is still hitting .348/.451/.609 after today’s effort. Sanchez is a candidate for Low-A when promotions start happening. He turns 20 on the 4th of July.
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 SB (5), 2 K
.274/.379/.411 in 87 PA. He has started 21 games, 20 at shortstop. That gets my attention. He is 20 years old (won’t be 21 until next April).
LF Joel Mendez: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
A 21-year-old in his second FCL season should crush this level, and he is.
2B Sebastian Gomez: 2-for-3, 2B (1), CS (3), BB
RF Fidel Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

DSL Yankees (2-6) (Lost to the DSL Twins, 7-2)

LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 3 SB (3)
Lara is one of the few DSL prospects that has my attention.  Before you ask, this isn’t because I think the level lacks talent. Rather, many players at this level are interchangeable. Lara has a top-tier tool (80-grade speed) to build on.

RHP Michell Chirinos: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
RHP Josue Silvestre: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
The professional debut for the 6’7″ 19-year-old. 

DSL Bombers (4-3) (Defeated the Phillies Red, 12-7 (12 runs, 5 hits (all singles), 9 walks, 5 HBP. I “love” the DSL….)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 4 SB (4), BB, K
Besides Lara, Vilorio has my attention because he is a bonus baby. The 17-year-old is 7-f0r-21.
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-3, 2 RS, SB (4), 2 RS, HBP
RF Richard Meran: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 2 HBP
3B Andry Javier: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB

LHP Jose Ledesma (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Ledesma’s first professional win – congrats!

Yankees MILB 6/12: Agustin Ramirez’s 4-Hit Night

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez‘s rehab stint is over. The Yankees activated him off the 60-day injured list today and assigned him to Scranton. To make room on the 40-man roster, IF Jon Berti was moved to the 60-day injured list.

Dominguez’s bat is ready now, in all likelihood. I am not sure where he is with his throwing, but he is playing full games in the field now.

Scranton (40-25) (Shut down Rochester, 3-0)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5
Another hurdle cleared: Dominguez played the field last night and this afternoon. He is 12-for-30 (.400) since joining Scranton and finishes 29-for-81 (.358) on his rehab stint.
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-5
Rice is 12-for-27 (.444) since joining Scranton. He has compiled multiple hits in five of his seven games and reached base in every game.
2B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4
On June 4th, he owned a .137/.290/.137 line. He now owns a .179/.326/.231 line. It isn’t impressive but it is a start.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2 K
.247/.373/.412 in 225 PA. 
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-4
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 3B (2), 2 RS, K
For Scranton: .304/.361/.473 in 122 PA
LF Greg Allen: 2-for-4, 2 2B (6), 2 RBI, RS
.250/.373/.420 in 137 PA (8-for-9 SB)
3B Jeter Downs: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
SS Kevin Smith: 2-for-3, SB (8), BB

LHP Josh Maciejewski: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.26 ERA (31.2 IP, 22 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 19 BB, 48 K). Left-handed hitters are 5-for-50 (.100) against him with two extra-base hits.
RHP Jake Cousins: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Cousins, who made a few appearances with the big club earlier this season, was activated off the IL today.
RHP Cody Morris: (W, 5-0)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Scranton’s good luck charm owns a 3.29 ERA in 27.1 IP (34/17 K/BB)
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: (S, 4)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (29-30) (Doubled up Binghamton, 10-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 3 RS, 2 SB (15), BB, HBP, K
.232/.321/.384 in 218 PA. It’s nice to see the OPS over .700 – it is time to build it from there. He is 58-for-73 stealing bases in 165 games over the last two seasons.
C Agustin Ramirez: 4-for-6, 2B (11), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Ramirez’s second 4-hit night this season and third 3+ hit game in June (he is 14-for-40 during the month). He is hitting .286/.374/.568 in 238 PA.
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (10), HBP, K
.319/.390/.505 in 236 PA. He has four multi-hit games in his last seven games played.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, 2B (15), RS, K
1B J.C. Escarra: 3-for-5, 4 RBI
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, 2 BB
DH Jared Wegner: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
3B Max Burt: 1-for-5, RS, SB (2), 2 K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 6-4)  5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.92 ERA (67.2 IP, 65 H, 39 R, 37 ER, 6 HR, 20 BB, 68 K). As I said last week, not much to complain about when you factor in that this is his debut season.
RHP Colby White: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.08 ERA (30.1 IP, 21 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 49 K). He continues to dazzle.

Hudson Valley (31-27) (Shut down Brooklyn, 6-0)

CF Jace Avina: 1-for-5, 2B (16), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
.275/.357/.445 in 210 PA (16 doubles, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 26 R, 4-for-5 SB). Avina has slumped in June (today’s double was his first extra-base hit after he compiled 15 in May), but he is young (21) and having a solid overall season.
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-3, 2B (18), BB
Serna has 6 doubles in his last 6 games. He is hitting .270/.374/.500 in 265 PA. Since May 1st, his slugging percentage is .569. It took him a while to discover his extra-base power at this level, but that is an issue no longer.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RBI
5-game hitting streak (9-for-20; 1 double, 2 triples, 8 RBI). He is hitting .333/.414/.512 in 239 PA. I have no information on Rodriguez’s signing bonus, so he was likely dirt cheap. He was signed in 2018.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Tyler Hardman: 2-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, RS, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, RS, 2 HBP, K
Moylan has a .374 OBP, but the rest of his offensive game hasn’t shown up yet.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-4, RBI, RS
2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS
Escanio’s High-A debut. There was an infield logjam in Tampa so Escanio was moved up. 

RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 4-1)  6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (personal best)
Between here and Scranton (1 start): 3.23 ERA (47.1 IP, 37 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 1 HR, 22 BB, 34 K). 
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Reyzelman’s High-A debut. Injuries have been an issue for the 22-year-old (this is his 14th career game going back to 2022), but if he can stay healthy, the arm is electric and MLB-quality. 
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (23-36) (Defeated Clearwater, 7-6)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (12), HBP, BB
Tejeda has a Tejeda-like night in his first game back off of his rehab assignment.
2B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, RS, 2 K
Back-to-back multi-hit games as he tries to get back on track.
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
.227/.326/.387 in 261 PA and a 7-game hitting streak (at least one extra-base hit in six games). His strikeouts remain high (36%), but has shown off his pop in June (2 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 16 RBI). The whole puzzle is a work in progress, but this is still encouraging.
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, 2B (17), 2 RBI, 3 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, RS, SB (8), K
Montero’s hitting streak reaches 8. Before the streak: .182/.250/.241. Now: .227/.281/.345. 
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Ryan Harvey: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 2-1) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Kris Bow (S, 1): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.73 ERA (26.1 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 31 K).  Bow topped out at 97.3 MPH with his sinker. The pitching gurus in this organization likely drool over this kid.

FCL (16-11) 

Scheduled day off.

DSL Yankees (2-5) and DSL Bombers (3-3)

Scheduled day off.