Tag: Ben Cowles

Yankees MILB 7/13: Cade Smith Ks 10

News:

If you are wondering about the whereabouts of CF Spencer Jones and LHP Brock Selvidge, don’t worry. They were in Texas for this afternoon’s Futures Game.

Jones went 0-for-1 with a walk, stolen base, and a run scored. Selvidge didn’t appear in the game.

Scranton (48-42) (Lost to Syracuse, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, 2B (12), BB
DH T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5, HR (10), RBI, RS, K
Rumfield is hitting .295 in 266 PA since his promotion (15 doubles, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 41 R). You love seeing the power showing up, even in this souped up environment.
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, RS, SB (4), 2 BB
Since promotion: 13-for-70 (.186; 1 double, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 4-for-4 SB, 12 BB, 17 K). Remember that he had a 1-for-24 start. He is 12-for-46 (.261) since.
1B Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (18), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
Rojas has homered in back-to-back games. 
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-4, K
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, 2B (15), RBI
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Will Warren: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Warren was cruising into the 5th, where he allowed four runs.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Chasen Shreve (L, 1-1):  1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR

Somerset (43-43) (Mauled Erie, 10-3)

2B Ben Cowles: 3-for-6, 2B (24), 2 RBI, RS, SB (14)
Cowles has three 3+ hit efforts this month (14-for-45 overall). He is hitting .300/.379/.479 and I am fully invested in his chase for .300 this season.
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-6, RBI, RS, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, K
DH Elijah Dunham: 3-for-4, 2B (16), HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
In July, Dunham is 16-for-41 (.390/.432/.756) with 6 doubles and 3 home runs. Overall, he is hitting .280/.366/.517.
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Richardson is 9-for-30 in July.
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-5, K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-5, 2 RS, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, SB (3)
Vargas’ first game since 6/27 is a successful one. He is hitting .250/.281/.357 at this level.
  SS Max Burt: 0-for-1, K

RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
His second professional start (his first was in 2022).
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 4-1)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 8 K. Overall: 0.87 ERA (20.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 34 K)
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
2.84 ERA (31.2 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 45 K)

Hudson Valley (42-42) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 9-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, RS, K
Avina is hitting .275 with a .806 OPS. July has been a rough month but there is half a month remaining.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-1, K
   3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, K
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, K
3B-1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, 3 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, SB (10), K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 5-3)  5 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Stuart pitched well lately (1 R in 12.2 July innings), so we’ll toss this one.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
3.68 ERA (29.1 IP, 24 H, 18 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 42 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.13 ERA (37.1 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 36 K)

Tampa (31-53) (Destroyed Dunedin, 10-0)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-6, HR (4), RBI, RS
3 of Lombard’s 4 HR have come in July. There is a lot to be excited about.
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, RS, K
Arias has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games. He is hitting .217/.314/.358 in 366 PA.
3B Dylan Jasso: 4-for-4, 2 RS, HBP
Jasso’s first career 4-hit game. He is .226/.315/.387 in 336 PA.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.256/.384/.419 in 279 PA. 
CF Willy Montero: 3-for-5, 2B (15), 3 RBI, RS
After an insane June (32-for-85 with six doubles and four homers), Montero was slumping in July (3-for-30) before tonight.
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2B (2), SF, 2 RBI, 3 K
Gonzalez is 8-for-28 with a pair of doubles and five RBI since his promotion.
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K

RHP Cade Smith: (W, 5-6)  5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Smith has three 10+ strikeout efforts this season. He is pitching to a 3.73 ERA in 72.1 IP (52 H, 36 R, 30 ER, 5 HR, 35 BB, 95 K). He was slumping (plus had a short outing due to rain) recently but brought it tonight. He was their 6th-round selection in the 2023 draft.
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Smith left the game with the bases loaded and two outs. Fulgencio struck out Joey Votto (yes, that Joey Votto) to end the threat.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.38 ERA (41.2 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 50 K)

FCL (31-18) (Split a pair of games against the Phillies. The Tigers lost to one of the worst teams in professional baseball (11-38 Blue Jays). Hence, the Yankees have a 2.5-game lead over the Tigers and 3.5 over the Phillies)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

DH Brando Mayea: 1-for-2
Mayea played a partial game for the second day in a row. Predictably, he didn’t play in Game 2.
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, RS
1B Engelth Urena: 1-for-2, RS, BB
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 0-for-1, K
Ramirez was pulled early yesterday and batted only once today. He did not play in Game 2. This is something to monitor.
  3B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, CS (6)
Gomez with the big game off the bench. His 2-run single in the 6th was the game-winner.
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS
In 41 games, the 20-year-old is hitting .307/.412/.474 with 31 runs batted in.

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The division race is fun, but from a prospect perspective, seeing Henry Lalane and Lagrange get in some 2024 innings is more important.
RHP Chalniel Arias: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
All the talk about Lalane and Lagrange overshadows Arias, who was 15th on Fangraphs’ Yankees prospects list last winter. This is his second appearance of the season.
RHP Danny Flatt (W, 3-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
After receiving a taste of life in Low-A, the Yankees reassigned him. There is nothing wrong with that at this stage.

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1. After their comeback in Game 1, they allowed two in the top of the 7th to lose Game 2)

CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-3
.295/.386/.510 in 171 PA.
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, K
.295/.456/.403 in 182 PA. In 175 DSL plate appearances in 2023, he hit .259/.389/.317.
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, BB
.292/.411/.547 in 129 PA.
LF Joel Mendez: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB
After hitting .293/.363/.424 in 29 games here last year, Mendez (21) is hitting .311/.426/.585 in 38 games this year.

RHP Sabier Marte: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
It looks like it went 14 up, and 14 down for Marte. Standing 6’5″, he owns a 2.74 ERA in 46 IP (36 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 3 HR, 16 BB, 41 K)
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
17.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 23 K. You never know what an organization’s plan is, but I expect to see him in Tampa to close out the season.

DSL Yankees (11-17) (Defeated the DSL Twins, 6-2. The Yankees stole 12 bases without being caught)

SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-3, 4 SB (13), BB, K
This is one way to celebrate your recent 17-year-old birthday.
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (2), K
Matic is hitting .213/.318/.253 in 88 plate appearances with three doubles.
C Justin Capellan: 0-for-3, RS, SB (6), BB, K
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-4, K
You can’t steal first base, but it’s funny that one of the fastest players in organized baseball had zero stolen bases on a day like this.
LF Isael Arias: 1-for-2, 2 RS, SB (5), BB
RF Estivenzon Montero: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K
DH Diego Flores: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, HBP, K
The 17-year-old is 4-for-16. He is listed as a catcher.
2B Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (2), K
The 17-year-old is 4-for-20 with a double and a homer. This is his debut campaign.
1B Niurby Asigen: 2-for-2, 2 RBI, RS, 3 SB (4)
Asigen had 2 stolen bases in 38 career games before today.

RHP Jorge Luna: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
1.85 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 28 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez (W, 1-1): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Vasquez’s first professional win.

DSL Bombers (18-11) (Defeated the DSL Marlins, 5-2)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, CS (3), BB, K
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 SB (11), CS (8), 2 BB, K
I will assume you weren’t running all over the bases in a professional baseball league when you were 16.
LF Remy Veldhuisen: 1-for-4, 2B (3), SB (2), 2 K

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
4.22 ERA (21.1 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 21 BB, 30 K). The arm has potential but we see one thing he needs to work on.
RHP Anthony Mena (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
The 19-year-old’s first professional win.
RHP Joshua Leito: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
Leito continues to handle his transition to pitching well (5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K)
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 4): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 7/5: Ben Cowles’ Big Day

News:

RHP Phil Bickford rejected an outright assignment a few days ago. Today, he re-signed with the Yankees. Veterans often do this to earn extra money on minor league deals if they can’t secure an MLB opportunity elsewhere.

Scranton (47-37)  (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, SAC, CS (3)
.293/.406/.389 in 189 PA. I can’t wait until Lockridge makes his debut – it might not be with the Yankees, but I think someone is going to give him a shot.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, SB (8), BB
On a night when Gleyber Torres leaves the game, Vivas has another big effort. He is hitting .269/.409/.429 in 152 PA. As for his ability to play third base: The scouting reports aren’t favorable and the Dodgers scaled back his time last season. The Yankees have used him sparingly there, indicating that they think he can handle it to an extent. Perhaps a “break glass in case of emergency” type of deal. If you believe reports, if Vivas is going to make it, it will be as a second baseman.
2B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, K
Peraza, another option to call up, is hitting .201/.318/.236. I am a big Peraza fan. I wanted him to take over SS for the Yankees halfway through 2022. But I can’t justify him being called up. He has not earned that.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, K
Ramirez has homered three times in his last seven games.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, 2B (17), RS, CS (1), BB, K
Narvaez’s strong year continues: .269/.390/.454 in 292 PA (17 doubles, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 44 R). The 45 RBI are a personal best for RBI in a season. If the Yankees move on from Jose Trevino after 2024, Narvaez is a candidate to play with Austin Wells next season. We are a while away from worrying about that.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-3, 2B (11), HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
DH Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, RBI, RS
I have been asked about Downs. Given his name and prospect pedigree, fun story to follow. Do I think he is an MLB difference-maker at this stage? Probably not. But players figure things out at different rates. 
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RS, K

RHP JT Brubaker: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, HR
Once his rehab stint is over, the Yankees must add him to the 40-man roster. The good news is that he has options. He is an interesting depth piece because he can be a starter/reliever/swingman.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
For Scranton: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Yes, we want to see zeroes – but we are still in a stage where the work is the most important thing.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: (W, 5-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Neely needed 30 pitches to get through his first inning but was able to come out to record two more outs. Everything they ask him to do has a purpose. He has yet to do back-to-back days, but you don’t necessarily have to prove you can do that in the minors.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
7 pitchers were used tonight. Thankfully for them, the squad has Sunday and Monday off.

Somerset (41-39) (Won two games against Reading)

Game 1 (Won, 8-2, in the conclusion of last night’s suspended game. This one went the full 9 innings)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
SS Ben Cowles: 4-for-5, 2B (22), HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS, CS (2)
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RBI, CI, 2 K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, HBP, K
Flores has three doubles and two home runs in 9 games since his promotion.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, 2B (13), K
Dunham increases his hitting streak to 13.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, RS
RF Jared Wegner: 2-for-3, RS, BB
.248/.337/.393 in 205 PA.
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2B (15), RS, BB
This is Seigler’s third double in four July games.
3B Max Burt: 1-for-3, HR (4), SF, 2 RBI, RS, K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
At least he got three innings in before the rain started. Season: 5.67 ERA (85.2 IP, 94 H, 57 R, 54 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 83 K). His numbers were impacted greatly by his last two starts (8 IP, 22 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 BB, 9 K).
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (W, 1-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Won, 5-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 4 K
Once he starts to reel you in, he has a 0-for-8 doubleheader with 7 strikeouts. He has to move on to tomorrow. 
2B Ben Cowles: 3-for-3, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Have yourself a day, Ben Cowles!  His Game 1 homer was hit last night, but still – 7 hits in two games is insanity.  He entered the two games hitting .289/.367/.456 and is now hitting .306/.382/.493. 
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, K
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
DH Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, RS, BB
Dunham has a 14-game hitting streak. His grand slam was hit in the top of the 7th (final inning) with the team down 3-1. He owns a .267 average with a .838 OPS. Before the hitting streak, he was hitting .233/.344/.411 (.755 OPS).
3B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, 2B (16)
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
3.93 ERA (84.2 IP, 73 H, 42 R, 37 ER, 10 HR, 28 BB, 88 K). I love how he has taken to starting.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
After 16.1 scoreless innings, Reyzelman gives up his first run in 2024.
RHP Kevin Stevens (S, 5): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
The bottom of the 7th was an adventure, but he worked his way through it.

Hudson Valley (40-37) (Lost to Brooklyn, 8-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 RS, 3 SB (14), BB
This is the player the Yankees drafted – a pest who can play second base, has sneaky pop and can steal you a base. He owns a 21-game on-base streak.
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, K
LF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (22), RBI, RS, K
Avina has 30 extra-base hits (22 doubles, 8 HR) in 64 games. 
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, RBI, K
RF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, K
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, 2 K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 3-3)  4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
2.97 ERA (63.2 IP, 42 H, 29 R, 21 ER, 6 HR, 32 BB, 81 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Tampa (29-49) (Swept a doubleheader against Lakeland)

Game 1 (Won, 2-1)

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

RHP Steven Fulgencio: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Only his second career start.
RHP Cade Smith: (W, 4-6) 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
4.05 ERA (66.2 IP, 51 H, 36 R, 30 ER, 5 HR, 33 BB, 85 K)

Game 2 (Won, 7-6)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RS, SB (24), K
.233/.362/.330 with 24 stolen bases in 27 attempts. I like what I see.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-1
   Tejeda left the game due to an injury. Update: Virginia Yankee (on Twitter) said Tejeda was helped off the field. Ugh.
  PR-3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Tejeda’s replacement hits a huge 2-run HR in the bottom of the 6th to give Tampa the lead.
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (21), BB, K
Arias is 21-for-30 in the stolen base department. He started the season 5-for-10 and is 16-for-20 (80%) since. This is the type of potential Arias has – he can be disruptive on days when he doesn’t earn hits. There is a lot of work to do, I am not going to lie.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, 2B (20), RBI, K
LF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-2, 2B (14), RBI, RS, SB (11), BB
.256/.379/.420 in 253 PA (14 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 39 R, 11-for-15 SB). 
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K
Gonzalez is 5-for-10 with three RBI since his promotion.
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-3, SB (22), K
Once of the strangest stories in their system is the spike in stolen bases for Morales.
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (6), K

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
RHP Jordy Luciano: (W, 1-3)  2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Aaron Nixon: (S, 3)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL (27-15) (Defeated the FCL Phillies, 4-2. This was the conclusion of a game started on June 27th. They didn’t play a regularly scheduled game today, but will play two tomorrow).

We are rapidly approaching the end of the FCL season (July 25th). The Yankees own a 2.5-game lead over the Tigers for the division title. That is the easiest path to the playoffs.

RF Anthony Hall: 3-for-4, RBI, RS
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (9), 2 RBI
.395/.500/.588 in 145 PA (13 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 28 R, 6-for-7 SB). Before you ask: Everything in the boxscore is retroactive. That is why you see 9 doubles in the box score but 13 overall!

RHP Sabier Marte: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
One of the most-used pitchers thus far at this level, Marte owns a 2.65 ERA in 37.1 innings with a 33/16 K/BB.
RHP Andrew Landry: 2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
The 22-year-old was the Yankees’ 16th-round pick in 2023 out of Southeastern Louisiana. In his final year of college, he started full-time.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz (W, 4-0): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees (9-14) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 4-0)

LF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-4, SB (8)
C Luis Puello: 1-for-3
DH Diego Flores: 1-for-2, SB (1), BB
The 17-year-old catcher is 3-for-14 in his debut season.

RHP Emanuel Vargas: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Vargas is 18 years old. If you think I know much about 99% of the players here, you give me too much credit.

DSL Bombers (13-9) (Defeated the DSL Yankees, 4-0)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, K
DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-2, 2B (5), RS, BB
The 17-year-old continues to be featured prominently in these reports. That is what a .264/.458/.472 line will do.
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, RS, SB (15), BB
15-for-17 stealing bases in 17 games. Despite how crazy that is, he ranks 8th in the league in stolen bases.
LF Angel Ventura: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, SB (8), K
The 18-year-old is hitting .182/.308/.212 with 8 stolen bases in 9 attempts.

RHP Mariano Salomon (W, 3-0): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
The 21-year-old owns a 2.50 ERA in 68.1 IP over the last two seasons (85/15 K/BB). That seems like enough for a promotion.
RHP Anthony Mena: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Richard Jimenez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 6/28: Agustin Ramirez Hits First Scranton Homer

News:

None.

Scranton (45-33) (Defeated Worcester, 7-5)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (6), BB
Vivas is hitting .255/.403/.388 in 126 PA for Scranton and is on a 6-game hitting streak. We talk about his good pop for a middle infielder, but he also can run a little. Last year, he stole 25 bases in 30 attempts.
2B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, 2 RS
Peraza is surging towards .200 (have to start somewhere). He is hitting .198/.324/.240 for Scranton. The lack of power stands out.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 K
Ramirez gets that first Triple-A homer. It’s his 17th HR overall (54 RBI)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, K
For Scranton: .294/.347/.466 in 242 PA. The power has shown up in June (.296/.337/.556 with 6 doubles and 5 homers). Rumfield with power is an interesting prospect. Yes, the “Triple-A is juiced up!” disclaimer applies.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
SS Jeter Downs: 1-for-2, 2B (13), 2 CS (6), BB, K, Ejection!
Busy night for Downs!
   SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-0

LHP Edgar Barclay: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 1-2) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Sauer has struggled since coming back. When you think about it, they are playing with house money since he couldn’t stick in Kansas City. Let’s see if he can get into a second-half groove.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (S, 5): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (36-36) (Defeated Richmond, 7-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, 3 K
Jones has doubled in back-to-back games. He has 11 strikeouts in his last four games. When you are ranked #1 or #2 on 99.9% of Yankees’ prospect lists, there will be a large microscope. 
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
Cowles has a 9-game hitting streak and is hitting .303/.382/.480 in 296 PA. This is the 24-year-old’s debut season at this level, so this performance is impressive. When will he get to Scranton? It doesn’t matter much – he needs at-bats, and they are more available here.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-5, 2B (2), 3 K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, HBP
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, RS, SB (9), 2 K
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, RS, SB (9), BB, K
3 multi-hit games in his last five games played.
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 SB (13), 2 BB
.199/.300/.370 in 207 PA (10 doubles, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 25 R, 13-for-14 SB, 12.6% BB, 20.3% K). Taking walks is one thing he has always done well offensively.
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, SB (12), BB
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, RS

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Carlos Gomez (W, 3-1): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
5.02 ERA (28.2 IP, 25 H, 24 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 24 BB, 37 K).
RHP Jesus Liranzo (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (37-34) (Defeated Wilmington, 6-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-3, 2B (13), BB
Riggio has doubled in four straight games and is up to .225/.368/.395 in 247 PA. He was taking walks but not hitting much. Now, the bat is starting to get going.
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4
LF Jace Avina: 1-for-4
Avina has a 7-game hitting streak (11-for-26, .423)
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, BB
.241/.377/.407. Martinez is a part of the impressive/improving catching pipeline.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, RS, K
Moylan has a 7-game hitting streak. I remember reading a lot from Yankees’ Twitter draft experts about how he was a nice undrafted signing. Perhaps the bat is heating up.
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-2, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
.221/.315/.450 in 154 PA. He has four homers in his last six games.
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
It’s been a slow start for Familia coming off his injury.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-4, K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

LHP Ben Shields: (W, 3-2)  5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K
For Hudson Valley: 2.75 ERA (52.1 IP, 35 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 5 HR, 10 BB, 71 K). This is an impressive debut season for the undrafted free agent. At 25, he is old for the level but his lack of experience tells me this is the appropriate spot for him. I assume he will be on the list of promotions to Somerset.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (27-45) (Defeated Ft. Myers, 9-2)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 3-for-5, RBI, 3 SB (22)
.320/.364/.387 at this level. Tejeda is impressing me in 2024. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 2B (12), RS
.249/.378/.418 in 233 PA.
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, 2B (8), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (20), K
Montero is 32-for-83 in June. Yes, collecting 30+ hits in a calendar month is not an easy feat.
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, RS, SB (1), BB, 2 K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, RS

RHP Josh Grosz: (W, 2-5) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Suggestion to the Yankees: I know that there are times when you need an emergency arm at other levels. However, I would keep Grosz here regardless of those needs. This is the level where he is undoubtedly most comfortable right now.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

FCL (24-13) (Their games against the FCL Phillies were postponed. The new date for yesterday’s suspended game is July 5th. I do not see a makeup day listed for today’s regularly scheduled game)

DSL Yankees (7-12) (Lost to DSL Arizona Black, 4-3. There is a reason for it (mainly location), but I still like that the DSL squads play more than three teams, unlike the FCL teams)

DH Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
.275/.370/.375 in 46 PA. This is the 17-year-old’s debut campaign.
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-3, RS, 2 SB (7), BB
.233/.340/.302 in 50 PA. Thus far, he isn’t showing off the power he displayed in 2023 (.411 SLG), but I am more locked into how he does on the basepaths.
C Luis Puello: 1-for-2, 2B (3), SB (1), BB

RHP Alexander Almonte: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
2.63 ERA in 13.2 IP for the 6’4″ 17-year-old. This is his de2but season.
RHP Luis Burgos: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers (11-7) (Lost to DSL Colorado, 6-4)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, K
Vilorio’s first game since 6/15. The millionaire bonus baby is hitting .269/.367/.346 in eight games.
  CF Browm Martinez: 1-for-1, RS, SB (11)
While I can’t say for certain, it is a reasonable assumption that Viliorio was pulled because he is coming back from injury.
DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-3, RS, SB (12)
A DSL classic line of .375/.563/.500 in 48 PA with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts.
1B Carlos Rondon: 1-for-2, 2 RS, BB
So many players down here are labeled as “catchers” (true of Rondon) and “shortstops” regardless of where they ultimately play. Anyway, Rondon is 3-for-16 with 8 walks and 7 strikeouts.
3B Rafael Martinez: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI

RHP Mariano Salomon: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The 21-year-old has a 1.56 ERA in 17.1 IP (12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 19 K)

 

 

Yankees MILB 6/25: Spencer Jones Homers, Drives in 4

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (42-33) (Lost to Worcester, 6-5)

SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (7), BB
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 RBI, BB
Last 11 games: 12-for-41 (.293). Vivas had a late start to his campaign but is heating up.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-5, 3 K
Ramirez is 1-for-21 with 7 strikeouts since his promotion.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5
Rumfield’s third straight 2-hit effort. He is hitting .300/.357/.467 since his promotion.
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-5, HR (9), RBI, RS
Narvaez’s last two games: 7-for-10 (1 double, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, SB, BB). Overall, he is hitting .274/.396/.470 with 15 doubles, 9 homers, and 42 RBI.
RF Jose Rojas: 3-for-5, RS, 2 SB (4)
3B Jeter Downs: 0-for-3, SB (14), BB, HBP, 2 K
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-5, 4 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2 2B (9), RBI, RS, K
Lockridge is 11-for-24 in June with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 7 RBI, and 6 stolen bases in 6 attempts.

RHP Will Warren: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
6.53 ERA in 70.1 IP (75 H, 53 R, 51 ER, 16 HR, 28 BB, 79 K). June: 5 starts, 26 IP, 24 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 9 BB, 31 K
RHP Matt Sauer (L, 0-2): 0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
LHP Chasen Shreve: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Shreve’s first appearance since being signed. For now, he is depth.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR

Somerset (33-36) (Mauled Richmond, 12-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, HR (7), SF, 4 RBI, RS
.247/.331/.387 in 269 PA. Jones is getting closer to the .400 SLG barrier (it dropped to .295 on May 30th)
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, HR (6), SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, CS (1), BB
.299/.379/.485 in 282 PA. Cowles has homered in two of his last four games and is on a 6-game hitting streak. The slump may just be ending…
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, K
RF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2B (16), BB, K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, K
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
There is always someone who doesn’t join the hit parade, but he did draw a walk and score a run!
DH Jared Wegner: 3-for-4, 2B (9), 2 RS, BB
Wegner has a pair of 3-hit games in his last seven games played (five doubles in those seven games). He played in only 22 games between Low-A/High-A before being placed here.
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Seigler has 11 RBI in June (10 in April/May combined)
1B Max Burt: 3-for-4, HR (3), RBI, 3 RS

RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 3-4)  5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
They brought back Dees early after tossing only one inning (due to rain) in his last start. I don’t know if that impacted him here (he tossed 3 scoreless innings before running into trouble). He owns a 4.01 ERA in 74 IP (66 H, 37 R, 33 ER, 9 HR, 25 BB, 78 K).
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
For Somerset: 2.28 ERA in 23.2 IP (18 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 21 K). 
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (35-34) (Squeaked past Wilmington, 3-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (10), RS
.218/.368/.383 in 234 PA. He’s on a 14-game on-base streak.
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (20), RBI, RS
Serna ends his 0-for-20 slump…
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
Avina has at least one hit in seven of his last eight games.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-1, 3 BB
Flores has 17 walks in 22 June games. He owns a .403 OBP.
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
   LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-0
3B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-2, SF, RBI

RHP Baron Stuart: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
RHP Trent Sellers (W, 6-2): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.03 ERA (38 IP, 26 H, 23 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 25 BB, 47 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 1): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.99 ERA in 22.2 IP (14 H, 11 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 34 K)

Tampa (26-43) (Mauled Ft. Myers, 15-4)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (20), 3 BB
Lombard Jr. hadn’t drawn a walk in 7 straight games (but went 8-for-29 (.276) in those games). Maybe he is starting to put everything together…
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
DH Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Arias has 42 RBI in 66 games, including six 3+ RBI efforts.
3B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, 2B (19), 2 HR (8), 6 RBI, 3 RS, K
Jasso’s second 2-HR game this season as he sets a new best for RBI in a game. He is hitting .250/.344/.438 with 41 RBI in 63 games.
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, SB (1), K
   PH-C Oscar Silverio: 0-for-1, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 3 K
LF Hans Montero: 1-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, 2 RS, 2 K
June: 29-for-71 (.408) with 6 doubles, 4 HR, 9 RBI, and 15 runs scored. His triple slash is now .253/.306/.371.
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-5, 2 2B (7), RBI, 2 RS

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (W, 3-7) 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL (24-13)

Their game against the FCL Tigers was postponed. They will try to make it up on July 2nd.

DSL Yankees (6-11) (Lost to DSL Rangers Red, 11-1)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-4, 2 K
9-for-51 with a 7-for-8 SB rate.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
11-for-46 (.261; 3 doubles, 5 RBI, 9 BB, 16 K)
CF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-3, CS (2), BB, K
10-for-38 (.263; 1 HR, 3-for-5 SB)
C Luis Puello: 1-for-2, RS, K
14-for-30 (.467; 2 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI). He is repeating the level but is also only 18 years old.

RHP Rafael Arias: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
This was Arias’ (18) professional debut.

DSL Bombers (10-6) (Lost to DSL Nationals, 12-2)

DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-4, SB (5)
The 17-year-old is showing up a lot in my reports. He is hitting .270/.460/.486 in 50 PA with a pair of doubles and homers.
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-3, 2 SB (10), BB, K
Escudero has 13 walks and 3 strikeouts in 11 games (10-for-11 SB)
LF Remy Veldhuisen: 1-for-1, 2B (2), RS, BB
3B Luis Suarez: 2-for-4, RBI

 

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 6/5: Ben Rice Homers in Scranton Debut

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez surged into the Top 10 on Baseball America’s updated Top 100, but the Yankees took a hit overall. That was to be expected, as RHP Chase Hampton and LHP Henry Lalane haven’t pitched this season while Roderick Arias hasn’t played up to his hype. The Yankees system remains deep, which is important. If you have a deep system, the chances are good that Top 100 prospects will emerge. Plus, deep systems help in trade talks.

Anyway, there are plenty of games remaining. We’ll see how Arias and George Lombard Jr. adjust in the second half. We’ll see if Brando Mayea continues to play well in the FCL. Pitchers like Brock Selvidge, Trystan Vrieling, and Zach Messinger have pitched well enough in Somerset to give you hope that the pitching pipeline remains strong even if off-season trades and injuries depleted it.

C/1B Ben Rice was promoted to Scranton today. For Somerset, Rice hit .295/.392/.582 in 97 games (440 plate appearances). He hit 22 doubles, 28 home runs, and drove home 74. As a bonus, he went 15-for-18 in the stolen base department. Joining Rice is OF Elijah Dunham, taking Brandon Lockridge‘s spot. Dunham struggled in his first taste of Triple-A in 2023. The timing for him was bad as there was MLB playing time to claim.

As for the catching situation in Somerset, the Patriots activated Peter Serruto. “Who is that?” Good question. The 24-year-old was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2023. His career consists of one FCL game from last year, where he went 0-for-2. Essentially, the Yankees need another catcher in Double-A and don’t feel as if Jesus Rodriguez or Omar Martinez are ready for that climb.

Scranton (34-24) (Defeated Norfolk, 7-6)

DH Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, 2 K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
Vivas is 6-for-31 with five walks at this level.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Well, this is a nice first impression (his HR was a game-winner in the 7th inning). Rice has 13 HR in 50 games this season and 33 homers in 123 games over the last two seasons.
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-4, 2 RS
Narvaez has a 9-game hitting streak (three 2-hit efforts during the streak). His average has jumped from .225 to .255 during the streak. 
RF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 3 RBI, RS, K
Trammell hit a bases-clearing double in a 5-run first.
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (6)
CF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
3.19 ERA (36.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 20 BB, 44 K). We’ll see him in the Bronx again this year.
RHP Cody Morris: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: (W, 2-0) 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: (S, 3) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 17 K). I would put him back in the MLB bullpen (I don’t know why Dennis Santana is there), but it is what it is.

Somerset (25-28) (Lost to Hartford, 9-3)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
Jones’ on-base streak is snapped at 17. As I have stated, he wasn’t “hot” during that streak (though he had a few strong games). We have to keep hoping that something clicks over the next few weeks.
C Agustin Ramirez: 3-for-4, BB
Ramirez’s 12th multi-hit game, and he is hitting .274 with a .916 OPS. He hasn’t homered in a while (17 games) but he hasn’t stopped hitting/taking walks.
SS Ben Cowles: 3-for-5, 2B (19), K
19 doubles (26 extra-base hits) in 50 games. Last year, he hit 18 doubles (30 extra-base hits) in 109 games. On top of that, he had a 28.0% K rate in 2023. This season? 17.1%. One can’t help but to be intrigued.
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-5
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Jared Wegner: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RS, K
3B Jordan Groshans: 2-for-4, RBI, RS
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RBI

RHP Yorlin Calderon: (L, 0-1)  2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
Calderon’s first start in 2024. Last season, he pitched out of the bullpen until August 10th. He finished the season making five straight starts. We’ll see if this is a permanent move or a one-off.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
2.79 ERA (19.1 IP, 16 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 BB, 29 K). I don’t claim to know much about the 26-year-old, but that is an impressive strikeout rate. This is only his 20th career appearance.
RHP Colby White: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Peter Serruto: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
I doubt he expected his Double-A debut to be on the hill. The Rutgers/Indiana product didn’t pitch in college and I haven’t read anything about the Yankees converting him to a pitcher. Hence, I assume he pitched because they ran out of pitchers.

Hudson Valley (26-24) (Defeated Wilmington, 4-2, in a rain-shortened game. This was Game 1 of a doubleheader. Game 2 was postponed. They will try to make that one up tomorrow)

CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 2 K
.303/.394/.500 in 180 PA (15 doubles, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 4-for-4 SB, 11.1% BB, 26.1% K). Avina had a 29.6% K rate in 2023, so he has brought that down a tad. He turns 21 tomorrow.
SS Jared Serna: 3-for-4, 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, CS (6)
Serna has six 3-hit games this season and is hitting .255/.366/.490 in 232 PA (12 doubles, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 38 R, 7-for-13 SB, 13.8% BB, 18.1% K).  He is first in the league in homers, second in RBI, and runs scored. As for the stolen base rate, it is hard to explain (he was 29-for-37 (78.4%) last year). Remember that the minors are for learning – part of that learning is the art of base stealing.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3
.324/.411/.497 in 207 PA (12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 33 R, 12.6% BB, 13.5% K). Since his promotion to this level last year, he is hitting .335/.429/.509 in 72 games. The Yankees promoted him after playing 84 games in Low-A if you want a barometer for a potential promotion to Somerset.
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (15), 2 RBI, K
Flores has a 10-game hitting streak. He is hitting .303/.411/.485 in 158 PA (15 doubles, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 16 R, 15.2% BB, 22.2% K). Flores (23) never played in Low-A, so I don’t have a barometer for him. He has played 144 games at this level (.270/.363/.397). While Rodriguez has played many positions (including catcher), Flores is a C/1B.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, K
.239/.384/.423 in 177 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 18 R, 18.6% BB, 22.6% K). He is a 22-year-old switch-hitter who has prospect chops.
3B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, K
.228/.377/.413 in 114 PA. 
RF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, K
2B Beau Brewer: 2-for-2, 2 RS, BB
  PR Roc Riggio: 0-for-0, RS

RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Between here and Scranton: 3.70 ERA (41.1 IP, 35 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 1 HR, 21 BB, 26 K). 
RHP Cole Ayers: (S, 3)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.93 ERA (32.2 IP, 23 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 39 K). Ayers is 24 and has appeared in 30 games here dating back to last year. He should make his way up to Somerset soon enough.

Tampa (19-34) (Lost to Fort Myers, 9-3)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
.215/.358/.274 in 165 PA (16.97% BB, 23.0% K; 14-for-15 SB). There is something to work with here. The strikeout rate isn’t terrible and his walk rate is strong. 
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, 3B (5), BB, 2 K
.205/.314/.323 in 229 PA (12.7% BB, 35.4% K). As of this writing, he is tied for the Florida State League lead with five triples.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, RBI, K
DH Max Burt: 0-for-3, BB
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, CS (3), BB
Castillo has a 5-game hitting streak.
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 SB (11), K
Morales stole one base in 104 collegiate games.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3

RHP Josh Grosz: (L, 1-4)  5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Cade Austin: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
3.19 ERA (36.2 IP, 28 H, 16 R, 13 ER, 6 HR, 8 BB, 39 K)
RHP Montana Semmel: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Semmel reached 95 MPH today. He owns a 2.03 ERA in 26.2 IP (18 H, 10 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 23 K)

FCL (13-10)

They had a scheduled day off. By the way, last night’s game (which I stopped writing about at 8-8) ended up as a 17-13 victory in 12 innings.

DSL Yankees (1-1) and DSL Bombers (0-1)

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 5/31: Spencer Jones Breaks Out

News:

The Mets, in their neverending quest to buy a championship, acquired C Luis Torrens from the Yankees for $100,000. This move hurts the Yankees’ catching depth, but Torrens was #4 on the depth chart behind Jose Trevino, Austin Wells, and Carlos Narvaez. They aren’t hurting in this department. The Yankees weren’t stopping a veteran toiling in the minors from an MLB opportunity. As for the minor league depth, Scranton has Narvaez and Josh Breaux. The Yankees could assign Ben Rice or Agustin Ramirez to the level and maneuver others around to fill in rosters.

As a correction to my report yesterday: RHP Cody Poteet is not starting for Scranton on Saturday. He’s heading to San Francisco to pitch for the Yankees instead. His injury was a blister, often problematic for pitchers but better than most potential ailments.

Scranton (34-21) (Lost to Toledo, 1-0)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, BB
3B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, SB (4), K
For Scranton: 7-for-41 with 9 walks and 12 strikeouts.
1B Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, SB (2), HBP, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, 2B (11), BB, K
With Torrens gone, Narvaez is the no-doubt #3 catcher. 
DH Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-4, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-4, K
SS Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, 2B (8), 2 K
.242/.350/.470 in 161 PA.
2B Kevin Smith: 0-for-3
RF Greg Allen: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Josh Maciejewski: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Maciejewski was promoted to Scranton today.
RHP Art Warren: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Clayton Andrews (L, 0-3): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (24-25) (Crushed Bowie, 13-5)

CF-RF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, HR (3), RBI, 4 RS, SB (12), BB, K
Jones’ first HR since April 23 as he extends his on-base streak to 14 (his triple slash has gone down during this stretch!) But maybe, just maybe, tonight is the start of something bigger as we head into June. He is hitting .220/.314/.327 with 12 stolen bases in 15 attempts. 
DH-CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-5, HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (1)
For Somerset: 11-for-33 (.333) with 3 HR, 7 RBI, and 6 runs scored.  He is on a 6-game hitting streak (11-for-25).
1B Ben Rice: 3-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS, BB, K
.249/.373/.497 in 205 PA. In his last 10 games, he is 11-for-36 with 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI.
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (9), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Ramirez’s 11th multi-hit game. This season, he is hitting .271/.376/.554 in 197 PA. 9 of his 12 home runs came in April, but 8 of his 9 doubles came in May. His BABIP, so low to start the season, now sits at .273.
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, 2B (17), 3B (3), 2 RBI, RS, K
.319/.402/.534 in 194 PA. With all the big shots here, who would have thought that Cowles would be outshining them in OPS?  He is one double away from his season best (he hit 18 in 2022 and 2023).
RF-LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, 3 K
3B Jordan Groshans: 1-for-4, CS (1), BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, 3 K
  P Jesus Liranzo: 0-for-0
2B Anthony Seigler: 3-for-4, 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (7)
Seigler has 3 HR in his last 2 games. This is his first multi-HR game since July 27th, 2021.

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 3-4) 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HR
He left with two runners on and two outs, and both scored. Such is life. Season: 4.79 ERA (56.1 IP, 52 H, 32 R, 30 ER, 3 HR, 17 BB, 56 K).
RHP Jesus Liranzo (S, 1): 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (24-22) (Mauled Aberdeen, 10-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
.211/.364/.358 in 154 PA. April and May were similar: .213/.356/.383 in April; .211/.368/.342 in May.
SS Jared Serna: 3-for-4, HR (10), SF, 3 RBI, RS, BB, K
.253/.371/.489 in 213 PA (11 doubles, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 34 R). After hitting .211/.344/.352 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in April, he hit .282/.390/.583 with 8 HR and 29 RBI in May. It isn’t easy to drive home 29 runs in one month (he played in 25 May games)
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, 2 BB
.310/.395/.521 in 167 PA. It wasn’t quite Serna, but Avina drove home 21 runs in May.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-2
After an awkward play in the field, Rodriguez left the game.
   PH-RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2B (8), 2 RS
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
.244/.391/.437 in 169 PA. He hit .242/.367/.424 in April and .246/.411/.449 in May.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
Flores thrived in May (.361/.474/.508; 9 doubles; current 6-game hitting streak). He hit .211/.308/.404 in April. 
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-5, 3 K
RF Kyle Battle: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Like with Vrieling, Carr left with two runners on, and both scored.
RHP Luis Arejula (W, 3-3): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Joel Valdez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (18-31) (Lost to Palm Beach, 4-3. They loaded the bases in the top of the 9th, but couldn’t score. Oh well)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RS, BB
.220/.374/.280 in 147 PA.  A .237/.438/.271 April was followed up with a .203/.299/.288 May. There was an injury mixed in between the two months.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, RBI
.201/.316/.318 in 212 PA (.214/.327/.381 in April; .189/.307/.263 in May). I keep saying it because it is true: We must be patient. And that patience comes without knowing whether or not he will develop. That’s life when you track prospects.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, BB, K
.263/.358/.446 in 204 PA. Jasso drove in 20 runs in May (8 in April).
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, RS
April: .200/.273/.333. May: .267/.420/.480 with 7 of his 9 doubles. Lombard Jr. and Arias are teenagers. Castillo isn’t old, but he is 21. That can make all the difference.
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, BB, K
.187/.255/.247 in 184 PA. He was better in May, but still needs to find his groove. 
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-5, 3 K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-4, K
3B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB

RHP Ryan Harvey: (L, 2-3) 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Kris Bow: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Bow wasn’t throwing a high-90s sinker tonight (peaked at 95.2). That said, he did not issue any walks, either. Season: 3.00 ERA (21 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 25 K).
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.50 ERA (24 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 13 BB, 26 K). Even in these short outings, he will use his 5-pitch mix. I don’t know if the Yankees still think he can start (he’s never started a professional game…), but they haven’t asked him to focus on 2-3 pitches.
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

FCL (12-8) (Lost to the Tigers, 4-1. Do they get tired of playing the Blue Jays, Phillies, and Tigers all the time?)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-3, SB (5), BB, 2 K
.333/.436/.394 in 39 PA (5-for-5 SB). Mayea has an 8-game hitting streak.
DH Christopher Familia: 2-for-4
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, K
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
19-for-55 (.345/.446/.636; 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R, 6-for-7 SB)

RHP Chris Kean (L, 0-1): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
6.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. He should get to Tampa soon enough.

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 5/24: Allen Facundo Ks 11

News:

IF Caleb Durbin, who has put his name on the map the past two years, was placed on the 7-day IL today after being hit by a pitch last night.

Durbin is hitting .299/.413/.458 in 215 PA with 17 doubles, 3 home runs, 36 RBI, 34 runs, and 20 stolen bases. He has played 2B/SS/3B/LF/CF.

A non-contact injury cost him a big chunk of the 2023 season (he played only 69 games).

Depth arm Cody Poteet is also on the injured list. The Yankees are in a pitching depth crisis, losing Poteet and Clayton Beeter recently. Additionally, Will Warren and Edgar Barclay are struggling.

At this point in the season, you must make do with what you have. Brian Cashman could look to make a minor deal for minor-league depth, but the Yankees aren’t the only team that treasures veteran minor-league pitching depth.

RHP Yoendrys Gomez was promoted to the Yankees with Nick Burdi back on the injured list. Gomez’s time could be short once Ian Hamilton is ready. The Yankees hate giving up pitching depth, which is likely why they continue to hold on to Dennis Santana and Michael Tonkin. I have seen more than I need to see.

There were several promotions today – I don’t feel any of them are in the “significant” category because I think they were done based on needs more than anything. For example, RHP Trent Sellers and LHP Ben Shields were promoted to Scranton, where they need arms. Hudson Valley was short arms (especially since Baron Stuart was needed in Scranton yesterday), so RHP Josh Grosz was promoted there from Tampa. Grosz is talented, but I am not sure if a 7.06 ERA/5.76 FIP guy is a promotion that will “stick” once the dust settles (if it settles).

Scranton (32-17) (Their pitching is decimated but is hanging tough. Tonight, they defeated Syracuse, 7-3)

DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-5, RS, K
2B Oswald Peraza: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 SB (2), 2 K
4-for-20. All he can do is stay ready and perform at a high level. 
1B Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, RS, K
.231/.371/.396 in 170 PA. His performance is on par with his minor league career (.238/.361/.370). The Yankees are high on him, likely as a backup catcher who can play some first base.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, K
Gonzalez has an 8-game hitting streak and is hitting .328/.397/.590 in 68 plate appearances for Scranton.
C Luis Torrens: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, SB (17), BB, K
.247/.376/.340 in 117 PA with 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts.

RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
De Los Santos pitches well in his first start (minors or majors) since 2015. 
RHP Trent Sellers: (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Yesterday, it was Baron Stuart – today, it is Trent Sellers. That is, pitchers they called up from Hudson Valley because they need arms. This is his first professional season. For Hudson Valley, he pitched to a 2.82 ERA in 22.1 innings with a 30/16 K/BB.
RHP Art Warren: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Every injury moves veterans like Bickford up on the depth chart.

Somerset (21-22) (Squeaked past New Hampshire, 8-7)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (11), BB, 3 K
He is not out of his slump, but he has drawn four walks in his last three games and has three stolen bases in his last four games. 
DH Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, K
Dominguez is 2-for-13 since joining Somerset.
C Agustin Ramirez: 3-for-4, 2 2B (7), SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (11), K
Back-to-back multi-hit efforts and his 4th 3+ hit game this season.  He is hitting .286/.400/.593 in 170 incredible plate appearances.
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-5, RBI, RS
Rice is on a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-18). He has 8 RBI in his last six games.
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-1, HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB, HBP
Cowles is at .329/.419/.545 (15 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 29 R). He has been a machine since Game 1.
3B J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, 2 2B (9), 3 RBI
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4

RHP Bailey Dees: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
4.15 ERA (43.1 IP, 39 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 47 K).  Dees hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs in a game since the season opener (where he allowed 8). Tonight wasn’t perfect, but the Yankees must be thrilled with his season, given he was converted to a starter this year.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Jack Neely (S, 5): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Neely is 19-for-21 converting saves in his career. This season, he owns a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 IP (12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 33 K). A prospect doesn’t need to stay in Triple-A for long but the Yankees are likely still considering sending him to Scranton.

Hudson Valley (20-20) (Lost to Brooklyn, 7-1)

LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, BB, K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, SB (5), 2 K
Serna now owns a 22-game on-base streak. He is hitting .250/.377/.459 in 183 PA (10 doubles, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 29 R). He was nearly a 20/20 player in 2023 (19 HR/29 SB).  He will need to get on a roll to challenge that again in 2024, but his season has taken off after a slow start.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RS, K
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, K
Martinez now has a 9-game hitting streak. 
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, BB, K
RF Garrett Martin:  1-for-3
   PH-RF Nelson Medina: 0-for-1
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2B (7), SB (3), BB, K

LHP Kyle Carr: (L, 0-3) 4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
A grand slam ruined his evening. Carr has struggled to put things together this season (7.34 ERA in 8 starts (30.2 IP) with a 26/25 K/BB). That said, it is his debut season and he skipped straight to High-A. One thing he has is time.
LHP Joel Valdez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.00 ERA (27 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 29 K)

Tampa (16-27) (Shut Down Jupiter, 1-0)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
Positional breakdown: Shortstop: 15 games; Second base: 5 games; Third base: 4 games. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, RS, SB (10), BB, K
.209/.333/.342 in 189 PA. He has 34 extra-base hits and 37 stolen bases in 99 career games. That’s the raw talent shining through. The rawness also comes through with the high strikeout rates, etc. I continue to sit back and be patient as I don’t think anyone can tell you where his career is going.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH Hans Montero: 1-for-4, RBI, K
.305/.379/.500 in 66 PA. An interesting dilemma could present itself whenever Enmanuel Tejeda returns. There will be enough playing time for everyone, though.
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-2, SB (9), 2 BB, 2 K
3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
C Edinson Duran: 1-for-4, K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, K

LHP Allen Facundo: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K
Facundo ties his best for strikeouts in a game (set in 2021). The 6’0″ 21-year-old has a 2.40 ERA (30 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 38 K). He mainly featured his 4-seam fastball and slider, generating 17 whiffs with the slider.
RHP Montana Semmel: (W, 3-2) 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.19 ERA (22.2 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 18 K). The Yankees liked Semmel enough to give him a maximum bonus ($125,000) in 2020 to sign. In 2020, the rule was that any player drafted after the 10th round had a maximum bonus of $125,000 (anything higher than that would have counted towards a team’s draft allotment for the first ten rounds). Nowadays, the maximum bonus for these players is $150,000.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (S, 2): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.79 ERA (20.2 IP, 23 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 24 K). Gabonia had a 49/29 K/BB in 53.2 innings last year, so he is doing a nice job keeping the walks at bay in 2024.

FCL (8-7) (Lost to the Phillies, 20-8, in a 7-inning game)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (1), K
5-for-13
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, HBP, K
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-2, 2B (1), HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 3 BB
Urena is 5-for-20. He missed all of 2023 due to injury.
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
His strong start continues (15-for-40, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI, 9 R, 6-for-6 SB)
2B Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB
.316/.447/.500 in 48 PA with 11 runs batted in.
1B Diomedes Hernandez: 2-for-3, RS, HBP
3B Luis Ogando: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI
SS Santiago Gomez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, HBP
RF Ramiro Altagracia: 1-for-3, RS, BB

RHP Bryce Warrecker (L, 0-2): 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 5/22: Caleb Durbin Walks it Off

News:

There is no news that is fit for print.

Scranton (30-16) (Walked it off against Syracuse, 12-10. They came back from 6-1 and 10-6 deficits. Triple-A is insane. No lead should ever be considered safe)

2B Caleb Durbin: 4-for-5, 2B (16), HR (3), 4 RBI, 3 RS, SAC
Durbin walked it off with a 2-run HR with two outs in the 9th. It’s his second 4-hit game and third 4-RBI game this season. He is hitting .301/.413/.457 in 210 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 33 R, 14.3% BB, 10% K, 20-for-22 SB). As of this writing, he is tied for first in doubles and stolen bases in the International League. 
DH Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, RBI
Peraza is 2-for-13 since joining Scranton.
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, 3 K
.230/.377/.397 in 162 PA (17.3% BB, 27.8% K)
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, 2 K
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-4, 2B (7), HR (6), RBI, RS, SB (5), CS (3), BB, K
A little bit of everything. Downs got the 9th-inning rally started with a solo home run.
C Luis Torrens: 2-for-5, 2B (6), HR (3), RBI, 2 RS
.272/.340/.435 in 103 PA. When the Yankees need someone in the short term, it will be Narvaez, as he doesn’t require a 40-man move. If a long-term need occurred (let’s hope not), I don’t know who they would choose between Narvaez and Torrens. 
CF Greg Allen: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (7), 2 BB
.241/.413/.397 in 76 PA. He is 11-for-34 (.324) in May. If the Yankees moved on from Trent Grisham, Allen could at least be a temporary fill-in. The organization (obviously) likes him, as he keeps coming back.
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RS, SB (7), BB, 2 K
LF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, RS, SB (16)
I am not sure why Lockridge left the game.
  LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-1, 2 RS, BB
Trammell reached on an error with two outs in the 9th. It scored Allen to tie the game, followed by Durbin’s heroics.

LHP Edgar Barclay: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
6.59 ERA (41 IP, 44 H, 33 R, 30 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 40 K).  Simply put, it will be hard for Barclay to succeed with that many walks. He doesn’t have the overpowering stuff to compensate.
RHP Cody Morris: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Morris’ ERA spikes to 2.95.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda (W, 4-0): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Durbin is the headline hero, but Misiewicz and Mosqueda deserve credit too. 

Somerset (20-20) (Revenged yesterday’s 10-2 loss with a 11-2 win over New Hampshire)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RS, SB (10), BB, 2 K
It is hardly a “breakout” but he has hit safely in his last three games. We have to look for the small things right now.
DH Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-5, K
Patience will be required as he gets his stroke back.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, 3 RS, SB (9), BB, HBP, K
That’s a lot of activity for an 0-for-3 afternoon. Season: .265/.391/.576 in 161 PA (5 doubles, 12 HR, 29 RBI, 32 R, 16.1% BB, 18.6% K, 9-for-9 SB). In his last 6 games, he is 3-for-19 with four walks and six runs. A good hitter can contribute even when the hits aren’t falling in.
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-2, 2 HR (10), 4 RBI, 4 RS, 2 SB (7), HBP, 2 BB
Wow. This insane day increases his triple slash to .245/.373/.496 in 170 PA (14.7% BB, 22.4% K). He isn’t a big base stealer in volume, but he is efficient: 7-for-7 this season and 23-for-27 (85.2%) in his career.  This is his third multi-HR game in the last two years, all with Somerset (86 games played). Most importantly, it appears Rice is breaking out of his malaise.
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, 2B (15), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Cowles hasn’t stopped hitting, as his triple slash is now .326/.410/.533 in 161 PA.  He has 12 multi-hit games and is 2nd in the Eastern League in doubles, 4th in runs (Ramirez and Rice are 1st and 3rd) and RBI (Ramirez is 2nd). 
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
.296/.364/.509 in 121 Double-A plate appearances this year and .311/.385/.553 in 182 Double-A plate appearances over the last two years.
3B Jordan Groshans: 1-for-4, 2B (2), 3 RBI, BB
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-5
RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, BB

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 4-2) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K
3.07 ERA (44 IP, 32 H, 20 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 47 K). His control has betrayed him in his last two starts (9 BB in 14 IP), but he limited the damage today (both runs allowed were scored after he left the game). With injuries and ineffectiveness at the upper levels, Selvidge could find himself somewhere on the MLB depth chart – I wouldn’t get your hopes up on a 2024 debut, but the Yankees have a depth issue right now.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Both walks came at the end of his outing – may have been tiring. Season: 1.29 ERA (21 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 32 K). 
LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Neely seemingly ran out of gas late. Anderson did a nice job saving the inherited runners.

Hudson Valley (19-19) (Lost to Brooklyn, 3-1. The offense has only two runs in the first two games of the series)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, SB (7), HBP, K
.211/.346/.358 in 133 PA (15.8% BB, 17.3% K; 7-for-9 SB).
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Serna extended his on-base streak to 20 in his last plate appearance of the day.
3B-C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RS
.312/.384/.496 in 159 PA (9 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 25 R, 10.06% BB, 14.5% K). 
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, BB, K
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, RBI, K
12 doubles, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 17 runs, and 4 stolen bases in 28 games.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-1
Flores left the game due to an apparent injury.
  3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, 2B (3), K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-2, K
His first game since April 25th.
   RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-2
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-2, SB (7), BB, 2 K

RHP Jackson Fristoe: (L, 0-2)  3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
5.40 ERA (20 IP, 18 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 24 K). The Yankees haven’t yet asked him to stretch out much. While you can’t prove it caused any issues, Fristoe walked three straight batters after Flores left the game.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
2.52 ERA (25 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 33 K). Ayers pitched in 11 games at this level in 2023, with similar dominant results. We should see him in Somerset soon enough. He turns 25 in August.
RHP Luis Arejula: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Tampa (14-27) (Lost to Jupiter, 5-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, K
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RS, K
In his last four games, Arias has three extra-base hits (2 doubles, 1 triple). He is hitting .215 with a .697 OPS (7 doubles, 4 triples, 2 home runs, 17 RBI, 22 R, 15.1% BB, 35.2% K)
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, 2B (14), RBI
Jasso has four doubles in his last four games and has 17 RBI in May. He has 25 starts at 1B and 13 at 3B. 
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, BB
Castillo increases his on-base streak to 14. 
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, K
Montero is hitting .309 with a .914 OPS in 62 plate appearances. One has to love how he has taken advantage of his opportunity.
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2 K
DH Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-3

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 2-3) 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Pitch distribution: 41% changeups (9 whiffs), 31% sinkers (91.4 MPH average); 23% sliders, 5% curve. Season: 4.78 ERA (32 IP, 25 H, 17 R, 17 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 38 K). The 19-year-old had a 10.32 ERA in 11.1 April innings. It is 1.74 in May.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
3.57 ERA (22.2 IP, 17 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 19 BB, 23 K). Walks were also an issue in college.  The Yankees are hoping to clean that up.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.86 ERA (19.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 20 K). He has pitched well, though he isn’t dominating. 

FCL (7-6)

Scheduled day off.

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 5/17: Sebastian Keane’s Big Effort

News:

I have nothing to offer you.

Scranton (28-13) (Lost a pitcher’s duel to Worcester, 9-8. How did these two teams play a 1-0 game earlier this week?)

2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (20)
Durbin has 56 stolen bases in 111 games since joining the organization. 
CF Everson Pereira: 2-for-5, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
.261/.341/.516 in 176 PA. 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, RBI, RS
Rumfield has a 6-game hitting streak.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-5, 2 K
LF Oscar Gonzalez: 3-for-4, 2B (4), 3B (1), 2 RS, BB
Gonzalez came up with a runner on second and two outs in the 9th, giving himself a shot at a dramatic cycle. It wasn’t meant to be.
RF Jose Rojas: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
3B Jeter Downs: 0-for-2, 2 SF, 2 RBI
Productive Outs!
C Luis Torrens: 3-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 2 K

LHP Tanner Tully: 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Clayton Andrews: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Phil Bickford: (L, 2-1)  0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (18-18) (Defeated Portland, 9-4)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RS, SB (8), K
3B DJ LeMahieu: 1-for-2
Hopefully, he comes out of this feeling healthy.
   2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, RS, SB (5), BB
C Ben Rice: 0-for-4, K
Rice is down to .238/.365/.454 in 157 PA. He is only 10-for-49 in May with a .286 SLG, his calling card. Everyone goes through slumps!
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, 2 2B (13), RBI, 2 RS, BB
.331/.410/.545 in 144 PA (13 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 21 R, 11.8% BB, 15.3% K, 5-for-5 SB). He is floating under the radar a bit, but what a start to 2024.
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-5, 2B (11), HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Speaking of under-the-radar, Richardson is at .294/.348/.490 (11 doubles, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 16 R, 6.3% BB, 25% K). Yeah, Richardson is a bit of a free-swinging type.
1B J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, RBI, RS
2B-3B Jordan Groshans: 1-for-3, RS, HBP
RF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-2, RS, SB (3), 2 BB
.273/.391/.468 in 92 PA. Dunham is 9-for-24 (.375/.531/.458) in May. He conquered this level in 2022, but struggled in Scranton in 2023.
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, RBI, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (W, 2-2) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
3.83 ERA (44.2 IP, 32 H, 26 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 15 BB, 48 K). Last 4 starts: 2.08 ERA (21.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 21 K). Is he figuring things out? 
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (19-15) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, K
LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, K
Avina’s 11-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
  PR-DH Kyle Battle: 0-for-0
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Flores is now 11-for-28 with 8 RBI in May. He plays 1B/C.
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-2, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (4), 2 BB, K
Romero has a .231 BA with a .851 OPS. He has 10 walks in 9 May games.
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, 4 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K

RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 2-3) 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Keane needed only 80 pitches to get 21 outs in his longest career outing. Season: 5.06 ERA (32 IP, 32 H, 18 R, 18 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 29 K). Remember that he was a relief pitcher in his 2023 debut season. The Yankees drafted him in 2022 out of Northeastern (he was a starter there).
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (12-25) (Defeated Bradenton, 5-2)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (4)
The double was crushed (106.4 MPH/406 feet). Lombard also lined out at 107.4 MPH.
DH Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, RS, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-3, 2 2B (7), RBI, RS, BB
.278/.422/.528 in 90 PA. He is 14-for-42 (.333) in May with 5 doubles, 3 HR, 6 RBI, and 12 runs scored. A switch suddenly turned on.
LF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Montero, who is 13-for-44 (.295/.367/.455) since his promotion, hit 5 HR in 53 games during his breakout in the FCL last season.
RF Coby Morales: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Morales has six walks in his last three games.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-4, K
This is the first time he hasn’t reached base this season (17th game)

LHP Allen Facundo: (W, 1-1)  5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
2.88 ERA (25 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 27 K). A lefty who can touch 96.7 MPH (which he did tonight) is worth watching.
RHP Cade Austin: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
RHP Montana Semmel: (S, 1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.40 ERA (19.1 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 16 K)

FCL (4-6) (Lost to the Phillies, 7-3, in a 7-inning game)

CF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-2, 2B (2), RS, SB (3), BB
3B Luis Ogando: 0-for-2, RS, SB (2), BB, K

RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
His rehab stint continues…
LHP Brady Rose (L, 0-1): 3.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Diaz compiled a 6.35 ERA in 11.1 IP for Low-A Tampa (14 BB/12 K)

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!