Tag: Austin Wells

Yankees MILB 5/18: Jasson Dominguez Homers

News:

RHP Tommy Kahnle started his rehab stint down in Tampa tonight. Meanwhile, RHP Will Warren made his Triple-A debut for Scranton. While he is not on the 40-man roster, Warren can be a piece to the puzzle sometime this season. It should be noted that he is not Rule 5 eligible until after 2024. The Yankees’ organization won’t hold him back for that reason alone, though. If he can help, he can help.

Scranton (20-22) (Defeated Charlotte, 8-3)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, HR (7), RBI, RS, 3 K
Florial has four home runs in his last five games.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, K
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-5, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
1B Billy McKinney: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
.253/.345/.444 in 113 PA. He is doing a nice job as a veteran presence down here.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-2, 2 RS, BB, CS (2)
RF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-4, RS, 2 SB (9)
The veteran owner of one World Series ring (2019 Nationals, though he wasn’t on the postseason roster) has four stolen bases in his last two games.

RHP Will Warren: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
Impressive Triple-A debut. As a side note, these are the first home runs he has allowed this season.
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.32 ERA (13.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 27 K, 2.00 GO/AO)
RHP Deivi Garcia: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (22-13) (Destroyed Reading, 10-3)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, CS (3)
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, HR (6), SF, 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
.212/.378/.433 in 135 plate appearances. After games of 4/23, he was hitting .077/.327/.179. He is rolling along now.
C Austin Wells: 2-for-3, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, SB (2)
Wells’ OPS at this level jumps to 1.066. He has homered in back-to-back games and is now 34-for-34 stealing bases in his professional career. He is up to 18 HR in 67 Double-A games. Dominance.
LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, K
Pereira is smoking. The triple slash has jumped to .263/.323/.509 in 124 plate appearances. He has homered five times in his last nine games, including home runs in back-to-back games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RS, BB
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 2B (5), HR (7), 5 RBI, RS, K
Hardman sets a new personal best for RBI in a game. Production is kind of his thing, as he drove home 81 runs last season. This season, he is now hitting .232/.322/.515 in 115 plate appearances. 
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, SB (7)
Durbin is now 22-for-24 stealing bases this season between here and Hudson Valley.
DH Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, BB, K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-4, 2B (1). RS, 2 K

RHP Richard Fitts: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
Fitts’ rough start to the season continues (6.21 ERA; 33.1 IP, 38 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 7 HR, 10 BB, 36 K). Home runs have been a problem.
RHP Shawn Semple: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Justin Wilson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
3.55 ERA (12.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 11 BB, 12 K)
LHP Michael Giacone: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (22-14) (Lost to Brooklyn, 6-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, K
When the top three go 0-for-12, it is typically hard to win!
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, BB, K
Flores increases his hitting streak to 8. He is hitting .327/.385/.418 in 109 plate appearances.
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-3, BB
CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, BB, K
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Cowles is seeing the ball well (five walks in his last two games).  He is hitting .368/.455/.526 in May.
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 2-for-3, BB
Sanchez is 6-for-13 in his last four games with three walks. 
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-4, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 0-2)  5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
2.23 ERA (36.1 IP, 28 H, 14 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 44 K). Messinger has put together a strong start to 2023.
RHP Harold Cortijo: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Danny Watson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.83 ERA (19.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 32 K). It is safe to say that Watson is pushing hard to get to Double-A.

Tampa (12-24) (Lost to Dunedin, 4-3)

SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, K
CF Daury Arias: 2-for-3, RS, BB, K
He is 13-for-44 (.295) in May after going 10-for-60 (.167) in April.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, K
Ramirez set a personal best with six home runs in 44 games for the GCL squad last year. He is the kid who drove home 51 runs in 44 games. The 51 RBI lead the league and second place wasn’t even close (34)
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RS, K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, K
2B Brett Barrera: 1-for-3, BB
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-4, K
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
RF Alan Mejia: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Tommy Kahnle: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
I would suspect that it won’t take Kahnle long to get ready for MLB action. As long as he is healthy, he should move right into a late-inning role and will probably get some closing opportunities.
LHP Brock Selvidge: 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, HR
Solid night for Selvidge. I am sure it is not easy to change your routine (even if it isn’t a major change) to accommodate a rehabbing player, but Selvidge did the job. Season: 3.74 ERA (33.2 IP, 34 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 36 K). The Yankees’ system isn’t overflowing with left-handed starting pitching prospects, so Selvidge is an interesting one to watch.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 2-2)  2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
1.62 ERA (16.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 26 K)

Yankees MILB 5/16: Offensive Explosion!

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (18-22) (Crushed Charlotte, 14-5)

CF Estevan Florial: 3-for-5, 2 HR (6), 4 RBI, 4 RS, BB
Florial is up over .300 (.301; .978 OPS) and is 16-for-44 (.364) in May with 3 HR, 9 RBI, and 12 runs scored. He has six career 2-HR games (all have come since 2021)
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI
He was pulled after a rain delay – so it may just be a precaution (or he was done for the night regardless)
  PH-SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3
RF Kole Calhoun: 1-for-4, BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K
LF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-5, RS
DH Rodolfo Duran: 3-for-4, 2B (9), 2 HR (6), 4 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Duran is up to .317 with a 1.017 OPS (9 doubles, 6 HR, 18 RBI).
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-5, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Westbrook has been a nice depth signing. Hitting HR in the minors isn’t a foreign concept to him (105 career HR)
2B Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-5, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS

RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 2-2)  5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
That 0.1 IP/6 R start a few weeks ago will continue to haunt his stat line.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (21-12) (Outslugged Reading, 14-10)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-4, 2B (7), SF, 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Sweeney is up to .277/.414/.406 in 128 PA. He has 23 walks (17.97%) and 25 strikeouts (19.5%). 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-6, HR (5), 2 RBI, 4 RS, SB (13)
13-for-46 (.283) in May (1 double, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 13 R, 4-for-4 SB). Overall, he is up to .208/.389/.417.
C Austin Wells: 3-for-6, HR (5), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K
At this level: .261/.320/.652 (ridiculous) in 50 PA. He has 3 doubles, 5 HR, and 17 RBI in 11 games for Somerset (17 HR, 60 RBI in 66 games at this level going back to last year)
LF Everson Pereira: 3-for-5, 2B (8), 2 RBI, RS
The top of the order goes 11-for-21 with 11 RBI and 9 runs scored. Pereira is up to .245/.310/.453 in 116 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 12 R). 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, 2B (2), 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, RS, BB
11-for-37 with three home runs in May. 
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (6)
Durbin is 21-for-23 stealing bases (28 games).
DH Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (3)
RF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-2, 3B (3), 2 RS, 3 BB
Lockridge does a solid job setting things up for the top of the order. He is hitting a solid .306/.391/.486 as he continues to bounce back from last season.

RHP Luis Severino: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Will we see Severino in Cincinnati? Does Domingo German‘s ejection/suspension speed up that process?
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Justin Maese: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Tanner Myatt: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Myatt has been dominant most of the season – tonight, he was off his game a bit.
LHP Michael Giacone: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.69 ERA (16 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 21 K)

Hudson Valley (22-12) (Defeated Aberdeen, 9-6)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, K, SB (10)
Jones has four consecutive multi-hit games, raising his triple slash from .265/.302/.551 to .308/.341/.632. 
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
6-for-13 since his demotion from Somerset.
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-5, RS, 3 K
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K
6-game hitting streak (9-for-24). He is hitting .319/.376/.418.
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-3, HR (10), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Palensky ties his personal best for HR in a season (10 in 23 games this year; 10 in 77 games last season)
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RS, 2 K
Cowles has an 11-game on-base streak (15-for-40). He has at least one hit in ten of those games.
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, RS
Sanchez is 10-for-31 with three doubles and three triples in May.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K

LHP Joel Valdez: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
LHP Clay Aguilar (W, 2-0): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Tampa (12-21) (Outslugged Dunedin, 12-7. This is a nice bounceback after being no-hit on Sunday)

SS Jared Serna: 4-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 4 RS, SB (8)
.349/.423/.560 in 123 PA as he continues to show that his size isn’t going to limit the power. Of course, we’ll see more as he continues to move up.
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-3, 2B (4), HR (2), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB
.250/.360/.408 in 89 PA. He is 15-for-43 (.349) in May with seven walks.
  RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS
LF Daury Arias: 2-for-4, 3 RBI
25 doubles, 14 HR, 89 RBI, 88 runs in 123 career games (.248/.372/.406)
2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, K, SB (11)
40 career SB (117 games). He gets on base at a decent clip but must improve the average (hitting only .200 this season).
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (4)
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 K
.265/.390/.470 in 100 PA. The 21-year-old left-handed bat has shown off some offense in his brief career (.252/.391/.415 with 15 HR and 78 RBI in 135 games)
DH Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
3B Brett Barrera: 0-for-3, RS, K

RHP Hayden Merda: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Shane Gray: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
In a sea of offense, Ayers calms things down. He now owns a 4.40 ERA in 14.1 IP (13 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 17 K)

 

Yankees MILB 5/12: Spencer Jones Returns with a Bang

News:

Spencer Jones returned tonight, and the entire Internet rejoiced. Or something like that.

Scranton (16-21) (Lost to Omaha, 3-2)

LF Kole Calhoun: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4
.273/.347/.561 in 147 PA.
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (6)
1B Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-4, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RS, BB
DH Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-2, HR (1), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
If Rortvedt can stay healthy and become a productive MLB catcher (whether as a starter or a backup), that could be the positive we see from the trade with the Twins.
  PR Wilmer Difo: 0-for-0
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, RBI, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3

RHP Randy Vasquez: (L, 0-5) 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Vasquez has pitched better as of late to get his ERA down to 5.50. Before this stretch (which covers four starts), he owned an 8.62 ERA,
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
For as long as he can hang on to the 40-man roster spot, he will be on the shuttle.

Somerset (19-11) (Lost to Portland, 10-5. The offense walked 12 times but couldn’t get that big hit, as they compiled only three hits)

LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, RS, 3 BB, K
Dominguez’s second 3-BB game of 2023. He owns a 28/26 BB/K ratio.
DH Austin Wells: 2-for-5, 2B (3), 3 RBI, RS, K
I remain stern in my stance that Wells needs to be moved from this level very soon.
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-5, 2 K
.223/.291/.415 in 103 PA. His 33% K rate is concerning (last season, his rate was 27.7%)
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, SB (4)
Between here and Hudson Valley, Durbin is 19-for-21 stealing bases. His BB/K ratio is 15/9. His versatility, ability to make contact, and steal some bases (he was 31-for-36 last season) can certainly make him an MLB player.
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, RBI, 3 BB, SB (2)
Rosario continues to draw his walks (.333 OBP despite a .130 BA). One has to assume that his .135 BABIP will start to normalize.
C Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB (1)
1B Eric Wagaman: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-4, RS

RHP Clayton Beeter: 2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
Beeter’s ERA spikes from 1.35 to 3.14, which is still impressive enough. In 28.2 innings, he has allowed 25 hits with a 38/15 K/B ratio.
LHP Michael Giacone: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
1.84 ERA (14.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 9 BB, 19 K). As I always say, it is a good idea to watch left-handed arms,
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
1.26 ERA (14.1 IP, 13 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 10 BB, 18 K). BB rate was an issue in the Braves organization as well, so they will need to iron that out.
RHP Justin Maese: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Justin Wilson: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Hudson Valley (19-12) (Battled back to beat Aberdeen, 9-7)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (8), HR (6), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB, 2 K
A nice return for Jones! He is hitting .275 with a .903 OPS (8 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 7-for-8 SB; 7 BB, 33 K)
DH Alexander Vargas: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
What looked like a tough night turned into a good one for Vargas. His 2-run single in the top of the 9th gave Hudson Valley the lead.
1B Spencer Henson: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K
Henson has three 3-hit games this season.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, K
After a hot start to the season, Flores was only 3-for-28 in May entering tonight. In April, he was 19-for-47 (.404).
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, 2 RS, 2 K
9-for-23 (.391) in May.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-3, K, SB (2)
  PH-3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-0, RS, BB
2B Luis Santos: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Juan Carela: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
4.68 ERA (25 IP, 23 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 33 K). There are things to like in the 21-year-old’s profile.
RHP Bailey Dees: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.21 ERA (14 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 7 BB, 21 K)
RHP Enrique Santana: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Nick Paciorek: (W, 3-0) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Tampa (11-19) (Lost to Ft. Myers, 12-1)

SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, 3 K
Serna’s first multi-strikeout game in 2023. It is only the second time in his career that he has struck out three times in a game (124 games). By the way, Serna has played nine games at shortstop this season (one career game at shortstop prior to 2023)
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, BB, K
Hall extends his hitting streak to 9 (12-for-33 with five walks). His average has jumped from .121 to .242 during the streak.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4
CF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, 2 K
The 21-year-old has his share of ups and downs this season but is 9-for-32 (.281) in May with three doubles and a triple.
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 4 K
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3
3B Brett Barrera: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-1, BB

RHP Sean Hermann: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
A tough game for Hermann, who sees his ERA spike to 6.52. His last three starts have been subpar, but I will remind you that he is only 19 years old.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Manny Ramirez: 0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Shane Gray: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
5.29 ERA (17 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 28 K). One has to love that K/BB ratio.
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

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 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