Tag: Ben Rice

Yankees MILB 9/10: Estevan Florial: 2 HR, 6 RBI

News:

As I suspected, veterans Matt Bowman and Anthony Misiewicz were called up today. We’ll see if this is permanent or temporary. This is a good time to get Will Warren and Clayton Beeter some innings in MLB, even as long relievers.

Beeter may have the inside track as he needs to be protected this winter while Warren does not need to be.

Scranton (67-68; 33-28 in the second half) (Crushed Columbus, 13-2)

LF Estevan Florial: 3-for-5, 2 HR (28), 6 RBI, 4 RS, BB, 2 K
Florial has hit two home runs four times this season. He sets a new personal best with the six RBI and has 79 RBI this season. The 28 homers lead the organization. He is building up his resume for other teams to look at for 2024. Should he get AB instead of someone like Jake Bauers at this point? Of course. Just reward the kid for playing well while being stuck in purgatory all year.
1B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Chaparro is up to 83 RBI, which continue to lead the organization.
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-6, 2 RBI, K
DH Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, SF, HBP, RBI
3B Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, K
C Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
Breaux has 7 HR in 47 career Triple-A games.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, RS, BB
2B Wilmer Difo: 3-for-3, 4 RS, 2 BB, SB (20), CS (9)
SS Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-4, 2 RS, HBP, K

LHP Edgar Barclay: (W, 1-3)  5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Barclay’s best performance since his promotion. He ties his personal best for strikeouts in a game (previously done on 8/13/2021)
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Michael Gomez: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Zach McAllister: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (79-52; 37-26 in the second half) (Defeated Erie, 8-5. I have said a few times that their season ends today. Nope – they still have one regular season week before the playoffs)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K, SB (17)
Sweeney is 2-for-15 since coming off of the injured list. Could he still get to Scranton for a week? Maybe.
C Ben Rice: 2-for-4, HR (15), RBI, RS, BB, K
At this level: .343/.404/.674 in 198 PA (12 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 35 R). Overall, Rice has 19 homers and 65 RBI in 68 games. One can only imagine what kind of season he could have had if not for injury.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, 2B (13), RBI, RS, K
DH Grant Richardson: 3-for-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Richardson, who hit .204/.306/.389 with 13 HR for Hudson Valley, is 12-for-35 with three homers since moving to Somerset. The 16 HR tie his personal best, set last year.
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, RS
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS, K
.222/.360/.365 in 409 PA.
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, RS, K, SB (17)
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, BB

RHP Richard Fitts (W, 10-5): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
3.58 ERA (146 IP, 127 H, 59 R, 58 ER, 22 HR, 42 BB, 152 K). One could worry a bit about his HR rate as a right-handed arm trying to get to Yankee Stadium, but his overall profile in 2023 is a solid one. I think the homers come down to the reports that he sometimes loses his command inside the strike zone.
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo (S, 1): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (70-62; 31-35 in the second half)  (Lost to Jersey Shore, 10-9, in 11 innings. They begin their playoff journey on Tuesday)

RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-6, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-6, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, BB, K, 2 SB (6)
One of the reasons why they are likely moving him around the field is because he has some athleticism. This season, he stole 21 bases in 25 attempts between here and Tampa. You will see him in Somerset in 2024.
DH Antonio Gomez: 3-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K
Nice to see Gomez have a strong effort on the final day of the regular season.
  PH-DH Luis Santos: 0-for-0, BB
2B Ben Cowles: 3-for-5, 2B (18), 2 RS, SB (23)
After a big August, Cowles cooled off in September so this game is much-needed heading into the playoffs.
1B Spencer Henson: 2-for-6, HR (14), 3 RBI, RS, 3 K
Henson finishes the season with 17 doubles, 14 HR, and 48 RBI in 82 games.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, RS, BB, K
Flores tapped into some power towards the end of the season. It will be interesting to see if that continues into 2024.
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, RBI
  LF Kyle Battle: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
  Not a bad way to end your campaign. 
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, HBP, CS (2)
At this level: 9-for-34 with two doubles and a home run.
  PH Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-1, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
At this level: 3.58 ERA in 50.1 IP (44 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 46 K). Overall, Selvidge compiled a 137/35 K/BB over 127.2 innings. The improvement in the walk rate is very encouraging.
RHP Shane Gray: 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Rodriguez’s High-A debut. He will be here for the playoffs as well.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Juan Crisp: (L, 0-1)  1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Crisp isn’t a pitcher – this is life in the minors. You aren’t going to change your pitching plans just because it is a tied-up game in extras. This is part of the reason why the minors started using ghost runners years ago.

Tampa (61-69; 30-34 in the second half) (Lost to Lakeland, 3-1. Their season is over)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, RS, K
It is safe to say that his first exposure to professional pitching went well. Not including the FCL playoffs, he hit .311/.466/.356 in 58 plate appearances with 13 walks and 12 strikeouts. During the playoffs, he went 3-for-11 with an RBI and two runs scored. He won’t be 19 until next June.
RF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Castillo went 7-for-38 (.184) at this level with a homer and six runs batted in.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-4, 4 K
Romero hit .216/.350/.382 in 123 PA at this level with three home runs, 20 walks, and 38 strikeouts.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 3 K
Romero and Moylan certainly hoped for a better final day of the season. It will all be forgotten tomorrow. Moylan hit .241/.386/.313 in 101 PA with two homers, 16 walks, and 28 strikeouts.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4
Martinez’s first experience in a full-season league went well. In 105 games (444 plate appearances), the 21-year-old left-handed bat hit .251/.367/.445 (16 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 66 R, 67 BB (15.1%), 110 K (24.8%), 8-for-9 SB). 
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 3B (5), K
.224/.335/.296 in 476 PA (10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 57 R, 68 BB, 119 K, 21-for-27 SB)
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
CF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, K

RHP Jackson Fristoe: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Fristoe’s arm is tantalizing. As others have said, it may be more of a bullpen arm down the road but there is zero harm in trying to see if you can develop him into a starter. Between here and the FCL, he had a 45/28 K/BB over 36.2 IP. 
LHP Pablo Mujica: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz (L, 0-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/8: Ben Rice Has a Big Night

News:

Nada. The season is almost over so nobody is making headlines.

Scranton (66-67; 32-27 in the second half) (Lost to Columbus, 10-5)

LF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 3 K, SB (25)
Estevan Florial, defined (OK, he isn’t going to hit .400…)
3B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2B (18), HR (21), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Westbrook has done a solid job as the veteran utility guy down here. You need these types in your system.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-5, 2 K
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RS, BB, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (9), RS, BB, 2 K
He will get an MLB shot at some point with some team – and I am intrigued to see what he does with it.
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, HBP, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K

RHP Clayton Beeter: (L, 2-5) 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
At this level: 5.89 ERA in 55 IP (53 H, 37 R, 36 ER, 13 HR, 35 BB, 62 K). It is very hard to evaluate this performance, given the offense in the International League – but it still isn’t ideal. The walks are way too high.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Zac Houston: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Gomez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (78-51; 36-25 in the second half) (Defeated Erie, 4-3, in 11 innings)

DH Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, BB, K
1B Ben Rice: 4-for-5, 2 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, BB, SB (7)
Rice walks it off with an RBI single in the 11th. This is his 4th 4-hit game this season and he is hitting .339/.399/.661 at this level (12 doubles, 14 HR, 44 RBI). What more is there to say? The question one needs to ask is where he fits in the Yankees’ plans.
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-3, 2 BB
Jones has his average up over .200 (.205; 8-for-39) since his promotion. He is 5-for-12 in his last three games. Can you see him in pinstripes next year? Well, you are seeing Jasson Dominguez this year, so don’t rule anything out. 
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (21)
Dunham has 33 stolen bases in 40 attempts between here and Scranton.
2B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB, SB (7)
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, 2 RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
5.58 ERA (122.2 IP, 122 H, 79 R, 76 ER, 16 HR, 51 BB, 122 K)
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
At this level: 1.64 ERA (38.1 IP, 18 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 43 K). Overall, he has an 82/25 K/BB in 62.2 IP. How much more development does he need? Perhaps nothing more than spring training games.
LHP Ryan Anderson: (W, 2-1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (69-60; 30-33 in the second half) 

Their game against Jersey Shore was postponed. They will try to play two tomorrow.

Tampa (61-67; 30-32 in the second half) (Squeaked past Lakeland, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-5, 3 K
This is the first time Lombard didn’t reach base in a professional game.
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, BB, K
Since promotion: 6-for-34 with a homer and five RBI.
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, 2B (6), RS, HBP
.234/.368/.415 in 114 PA at this level. He has a 7-game hitting streak (8-for-22; 3 doubles, 2 HR) 
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RBI
.251/.368/.447 in 440 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 66 R, 67 BB, 110 K, 8-for-9 SB)
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, K
DH Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, RS, K
Medina has homered in back-to-back games.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, 4 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, BB

RHP Sean Hermann: (W, 7-6) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
They could bring him up for the High-A playoffs, but I think they will shut him down now. His season: 4.79 ERA in 112.2 IP (118 H, 69 R, 60 ER, 10 HR, 45 BB, 91 K). Hermann is known for inducing ground balls – if he can start missing more bats, there is big potential here. If not, nothing wrong with being a ground ball machine if that trend continues as he moves up.
RHP Luis Arejula: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/30: Ben Rice Goes Off

News:

It looked like it might be a slow news day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Why make this trade?”

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

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

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

RF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, HR (24), RBI, 2 RS, K, 2 SB (23)
.285/.384/.556 in 432 PA. This was his first home run since July 30th (he was out of action from August 2 – August 16)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Dominguez has 40 stolen bases between here and Somerset. Overall stat line: .265/.377/.425 in 544 PA (22 doubles, 3 triples, 15 HR, 76 RBI, 89 R, 83 BB (15.3%), 133 K (24.4%), 40-for-48 SB). Last year, playing for Tampa, Hudson Valley, and Somerset, he hit .273/.375/.461 in 530 PA. I would have called you nuts back in June if you told me he was going to eventually approach his 2022 totals. Yet, here we are…
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, K
Since promotion: .254/.349/.452 in 146 PA with ten doubles, five home runs and a 23.3% K.
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5, RS, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-3, 2B (17), 2 RBI, K, SB (5)
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (17)
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, BB

LHP Edgar Barclay (L, 0-3): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
He left the game with the bases loaded and all three runners ended up scoring. Furthermore, a big error was the lighted match that turned into an inferno. At this level, he owns a bloated 7.88 ERA in 24 innings. Again, it is so hard to get a good read on pitchers in Triple-A this season.
RHP Zach Greene: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

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

LF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-5, 2B (11), 3 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (18)
Dunham has 23 doubles and 30 stolen bases between here and Scranton. I think he should take the place of Dominguez in Triple-A. 
C Ben Rice: 4-for-6, 2B (8), 2 HR (14), 5 RBI, 4 RS, SB (6)
Is this guy for real? Since his promotion, in a mere 34 games, he is hitting .343 with a 1.114 OPS (8 doubles, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 30 R, and 6 stolen bases).  It is kind of surprising that he is only on a 5-game hitting streak!
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, 3 K, SB (1)
Jones takes care of his first Double-A homer (a grand slam!) and first Double-A stolen base on the same night. He is 3-for-11 since his promotion and has 28 doubles, 4 triples, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases overall. I don’t know if he will be a stolen base machine in MLB, but his athleticism continues to shine in the minors. Rough edges to work out? Definitely. But the ceiling is tantalizing.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, CS (5)
Since returning from the IL: 14-for-41 (.341) with three walks and only two strikeouts. 
DH Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, RS, 4 K
SS Max Burt: 2-for-5, 2 RS, 2 K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/29: Agustin Ramirez Heating Up?

News:

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

To Hudson Valley:

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

To Tampa:

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

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

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

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

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

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-5, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, RS, BB, SB (2)
Dominguez has 39 stolen bases between Somerset and Scranton. Last season, he stole 37 bases in 44 attempts. Since his promotion, he is 12-for-27 with five walks and two strikeouts. I don’t know what the Yankees will do but what I thought was impossible entering the season (reaching MLB) is very much possible now. Yes, some of that is due to the fact that the Yankees have underperformed. 
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-4, BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, RBI
Chaparro drives home his organization-leading 78th run.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, BB, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, BB, CI
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 8-7) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
4.57 ERA (138 IP, 140 H, 77 R, 70 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 129 K)
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

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

2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, 2 2B (8), K
Durbin’s power will likely not develop above the doubles/triples line, and that is fine given everything else he can potentially provide. He is hitting .283/.350/.414 in 160 PA at this level (8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 22 R, 11 BB, 8 K, 19-for-23 SB). 
C Ben Rice: 2-for-5, RS, K
Rice is now 33-for-100 (.330) in August (6 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 8 BB, 19 K). For Somerset, he is hitting .328/.389/.664.
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS
Ramirez has three straight multi-hit games, raising his Double-A triple slash to .244/.314/.372 in 86 plate appearances. 
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-3, BB
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB
.212/.358/.349 in 384 PA. Drawing walks is not an issue (18.5%). 
SS Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, RS, BB

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
2.87 ERA in 53.1 IP (35 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). At the very least, if they determine he can’t do the 25-30 start thing, he can be a big-league bullpen option. His clock is ticking though for him to become something with the Yankees, however.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (W, 1-2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Maciejewski is doing his job as a “rover” (he has pitched at three levels this season). He owns a 2.06 ERA and 40/10 K/BB over 35 innings.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At this level: 3.10 ERA in 49.1 IP (29 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 32 BB, 59 K). Is there still something to unlock here? Teams rarely give up on good arms – though some run out of time and find their groove elsewhere.
LHP Ryan Anderson (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.42 ERA (19 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 20 K)

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

CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, K
Since promotion: .177/.282/.306 in 72 PA
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, SB (7)
Serna has an 8-game hitting streak (10-for-32). He is 7-for-8 stealing bases in 17 games since his promotion and 26-for-33 overall.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-2, RS, BB, HBP, SB (1)
His first High-A stolen base but he is no stranger to the craft: He is now 16-for-20 stealing bases between Hudson Valley and Tampa. In August, he is 21-for-60 (.350) with 11 walks. His positional breakdown (starts): 3B (48), C (22), 1B (15), LF (10), DH (2)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
39-game on-base streak (39-for-136 (.287) with 26 walks and three HBP. Heading into tonight (I don’t have the update number here), he had a 138 wRC+ during this streak.
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP
Flores has homered in back-to-back games. Six of his seven home runs have come since July 19th (30 games)
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange: (L, 1-1) 3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 5.68 ERA (12.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). Overall, in 95 innings, Lange has allowed only 62 hits with a 131/63 K/BB. Someone teach this kid some control before he kills somebody.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Since promotion: 2.51 ERA (14.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 18 K). Overall, he owns an 82/22 K/BB over 60.2 innings.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.93 ERA (30.2 IP, 23 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 34 K). Overall, he owns a 66/27 K/BB over 55 innings in his debut season.
RHP Shane Gray: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

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

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

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

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

News:

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

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

“Is the Lombard promotion aggressive for the Yankees?” That question is impossible to answer. The most recent direct comparison (Anthony Volpe, 2019) played under a different system. He never played in the GCL (now FCL), instead going straight to short-season Pulaski after being drafted. We’ll never know what the exact plans for him were because he came down with an illness that wiped out his season after 34 games.

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

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

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

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RBI, RS, SB (21)
Florial is a double away from a 20/20/20 season. He is hitting .290/.391/.561 in 422 PA.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is 11-for-23 (.478/1.023 OPS) since his promotion with two doubles, one triple, and ten runs batted in. What, no home runs? He is right in the middle of the organization’s RBI title race, as he is up to 76 (Andres Chaparro leads with 77. Jared Serna also has 76). His triple slash now sits at .266/.376/.426. Remember when he was hitting under .200? It really wasn’t all that long ago. Yeah, a 20-year-old doing this in the upper minors deserves a ranking in the 80s, Pipeline. 
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Wells has eight doubles, five home runs, and 19 RBI in 23 August games. He is also in the middle of the RBI race, as he is up to 72 in 94 games.
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, K
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, RS, BB
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, SAC, K
Small ball Lockridge! He is hitting .300/.371/.425 in 283 PA between here and Somerset with 34 stolen bases in 38 attempts.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K, SB (8)

RHP Clayton Beeter: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Beeter hit 96.1 MPH today. Breakdown: 66% 4-seam; 31% slider; 2% curve; 1% changeup. At this level: 5.32 ERA (45.2 IP, 40 H, 28 R, 27 ER, 11 HR, 27 BB, 55 K). Overall, Beeter has a 131/58 K/BB over 106.1 innings.
LHP Nick Ramirez: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Greg Weissert (S, 10): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

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

SS Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, RS, SB (19)
The injury didn’t slow him down. Durbin is 11-for-33 (.333) since returning with two walks, only one strikeout, and five stolen bases.  His season numbers between here and Hudson Valley: .298/.393/.399 in 252 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 42 R, 25 BB, 16 K (6.3%), 34-for-39 SB)
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-5, HR (12), RBI, RS, K
Rice has 12 home runs in 32 games since his promotion (.326/.389/.674 in 144 insane plate appearances)
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, RS
Jones starts his Double-A journey with a multi-hit game. He has 27 multi-hit games down in Hudson Valley (100 games)
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, BB, SB (2)
Back-to-back multi-hit games for Ramirez, who is now 17-for-74 (.230) with three doubles and two home runs since his promotion. Overall, he is at .284/.382/.484 in 435 PA with 20 doubles, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 67 runs, 58 walks, 71 strikeouts, and 11 stolen bases.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, RS
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Richardson has homered in back-to-back games and has 15 home runs overall between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3, 2B (5), RS, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.41 ERA in 32 IP (16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 38 K). In 117.1 career innings, Watson has allowed only 76 hits while striking out 145. He will allow his share of walks but the overall profile is a dominant one.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 3-1) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bailey Dees: (S, 1) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 12 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. In 113 career innings, Dees has allowed only 69 hits while striking out 147 (48 walks). There are some fun relievers in the minors who are getting closer to their big-league dreams.

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

SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
The hard way to increase your on-base streak to 38.
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, BB, CS (1)
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, K
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
Wegner is 8-for-30 at this level with six walks. 
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, K, CS (2)
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3
CF Kyle Battle: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, SB (2)
Battle is only 1-for-24 this season, which has (obviously) been interrupted by injury. He has speed to kill (20 SB in 51 games in 2022) but the rest of the game hasn’t yet developed.
C Juan Crisp: 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
Crisp started in the system back in 2018, and this is his 98th career game. His last home run came exactly four years ago: 8/27/2019.

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

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

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

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

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/26: Jasson Dominguez…Again

News:

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

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

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

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

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

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
This was the appetizer…
C Austin Wells: 2-for-4, 2B (10), RS
At this level: .263/.356/.456 in 132 PA with ten doubles, four homers, and 18 RBI. Overall, he is hitting .242/.335/.443 in 415 PA (24 doubles, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 45 R, 46 BB, 94 K). Today, Aaron Boone mentioned that Wells may see some reps at first base. The Yankees have yet to play him at any other position but catcher in the minors, despite concerns that he may not be able to stick there. The main reason for this is probably value – Wells as a catcher has more market value than Wells the first baseman. That said, it doesn’t harm his value at all to give him some work at first base. Some players are able to adapt quickly when presented a new position, so we’ll see what happens.
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, SB (4)
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-3, HR (19), 4 RBI, RS, BB
Westbrook hits a grand slam. He ties his personal best for home runs in a season, set back in 2018.
1B Jake Lamb: 1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, BB
RF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-3, HR (12), RBI, RS, 2 K
Scranton hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the first inning.
SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, RS

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

Game 2 (Won, 6-3)

DH Estevan Florial: 0-for-1, RBI, RS, 3 BB
.288/.390/.558 in 418 PA. He is only 7-for-35 in August, though he has drawn 11 walks.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-4, 2B (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS
…this was the main course. He is now 9-for-20 (.450) since his promotion with eight runs batted in and only one strikeout. This is exactly what the Yankees ordered. Overall, he is hitting .263/.374/.420 in 530 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 86 R, 80 BB (15.1%), 131 K (24.7%), 38-for-46 SB). 
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, RBI, K
.246/.339/.461 in 496 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 77 RI, 71 R, 59 BB (11.9%), 107 K (21.6%), 4-for-4 SB). Chaparro is in the mix for the organization’s HR and RBI crowns (he leads in RBI).
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
.252/.380/.416 in 321 PA. A fascinating Rule 5 case this winter. It is hard to give up catching depth – every team needs it, and you don’t even want to give up a potential backup catcher for free.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, 2 BB
1B Jake Lamb: 2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, RS, BB
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB

RHP Randy Vasquez: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
Vasquez tossed only 63 pitches. He owns a 4.59 ERA at this level with a 96/40 K/BB over 80.1 innings. As I always say, once I see some success in MLB, I don’t pay quite as much attention to MILB numbers. The probability is high that the MLB coaching staff is asking him to work on specific things in the minors.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (W, 3-0): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Zach McAllister: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

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

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, RS, BB, SB (18)
Durbin is up to 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. He has accomplished that in 59 games.His up-to-the-minute K% is 6.5%. That is elite-level stuff.
C Ben Rice: 3-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (5)
Rice is 30-for-90 (.333) in August (6 doubles,1 triple, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 17 R, 8 BB, 16 K, 5-for-6 SB) and has four 3+ hit games this season. He isn’t typically frisky on the basepaths, but let him have his fun. 
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
Ramirez is 15-for-71 (.211/.606 OPS) since his promotion. Overall, he has 19 doubles, 18 homers, and 66 RBI in 100 games between here, Hudson Valley, and Tampa. There is nothing to worry about at all – he continues to make a lot of contact here and the results will follow.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, BB
CF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-4, K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-3, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, 2 K

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

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

SS Jared Serna: 1-for-5
Serna now has a 7-game hitting streak.
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Since promotion: 10-for-58 (.172) with five doubles, a homer, nine walks, and 22 strikeouts.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, 2 K
Rodriguez is 19-for-55 (..345/.921 OPS) in 15 games since his promotion. He has four doubles, a homer, 11 RBI, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts.
DH Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 4 K
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS
Familia continues to rake. He has 21 HR and 58 RBI in 59 games between here and Tampa. Over the last two years, he has 32 HR and 99 RBI in 116 games. In 38 games since his promotion, he is hitting .267/.344/.500 in 163 PA (4 doubles, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 29 R, 16 BB, 34 K). He will find himself in Somerset in 2024.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
.262/.344/.363 in 392 PA (15 doubles, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 44 R, 43 BB, 101 K)
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
4.29 ERA (92.1 IP, 78 H, 55 R, 44 ER, 13 HR, 48 BB, 111 K). The 23-year-old is doing a good enough job in his first full season of starting (he made 16 starts in his 31 appearances last year)
RHP Anderson Munoz: (W, 1-0)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: (S, 1) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
Following this game on GameDay, I got the feeling that Cohen (who tossed 36 pitches) was fighting his way through the 9th. Anyway, he has a 3.76 ERA in 38 IP at this level (29 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)

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

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

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

2B Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4
Delgado followed up his .293/.414/.485 regular season with a 4-for-12 (including two doubles) postseason.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4
Lombard hit safely in every game he played in (four regular season games, and three playoff games). Combined, he went 8-for-23 (.348) with a double, seven walks, and four strikeouts.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS, BB
In 20 regular season/postseason games, Jasso went 26-for-72 with two home runs and 23 runs batted in. He walked 12 times and struck out six times. A candidate to go to Tampa next week.
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4
Montero burst onto the scene last year and did not disappoint this year, hitting .331/.389/.436 in 203 PA while spending a lot of time in CF (27 starts in CF, 18 starts in RF). He followed that up with a 4-for-12 postseason. 
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4
Tejeda was one of the most consistent players at this level. After hitting .307/.465/.458 in the regular season, he went 5-for-13 with three RBI in the postseason.
RF John Cruz: 0-for-4, K
Cruz went 1-for-9 in the postseason, but that doesn’t lessen his productive regular season.
DH Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-3, 2 K
  PH Joel Mendez: 0-for-1, K
C Edinson Duran: 0-for-4

RHP Carlos Lagrange (L, 0-1): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The 6’7″ 20-year-old did enough in the rookie leagues this year to earn his shot at Low-A in 2024. 
LHP Edwar Polimir: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The 22-year-old Polimir made his Low-A debut already (8/10) but it was only for a game.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
LHP Pablo Mujica: 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/23: Ben Rice Homers Again

News:

Nothing new.

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

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

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

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, 2B (18), RBI, RS, BB, K
DH Austin Wells: 2-for-4, 2 RS, CS (1)
Wells’ first career caught stealing (he is now 39-for-40 stealing bases)
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, RBI
Narvaez walks it off with an RBI single in the 8th.
3B Mike Lamb: 2-for-3, RS
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-1, 2 HBP
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-1, BB, SAC
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-2
  PH Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-0, BB (intentional)
  SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-0

RHP Mitch Spence: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
4.59 ERA (133.1 IP, 131 H, 75 R, 68 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 125 K). August: 25.2 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 33 K. This is Spence’s first career 10+ strikeout effort.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 6-0)

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, BB
Dominguez has 79 walks in 517 plate appearances (15.3%). 
DH Austin Wells: 1-for-3
There is talk that Wells could be promoted to the big club. He has multiple hits in three of his last five games and is 20-for-77 (.260) in August with seven doubles, four homers, and 17 runs batted in.
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-3, K
.246/.340/.467 in 483 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 70 R, 59 BB, 104 K, 3-for-3 SB). Chaparro’s first season in the organization was back in 2016, so I believe he could be staring at minor league free agency this winter. Just like with the Rule 5, the Yankees can “block” that free agency by adding him to the 40-man roster. For example, they did that a few years ago with Donny Sands before they traded him to the Phillies. 
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-3
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-3
RF Michael Hermosillo: 2-for-2, SB (7)
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-1, HBP, SB (7)
Bastidas was called back up here for today’s doubleheader. 

RHP Zach McAllister: (L, 1-1) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
McAllister’s first start as a member of the Yankees’ organization since August 17th, 2010.
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Matt Krook: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Krook, who has a 1.04 ERA in 26 innings at this level, makes his first appearance since July 18th.
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Wilmer Difo: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Difo, a utility infielder, with his 4th pitching appearance this season (3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K)

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

3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2 SB (17)
Durbin has 32 stolen bases (37 attempts) in 57 games between here and Hudson Valley. He is hitting .298/.395/.400 in 238 PA with 24 walks (10.1%) and 16 strikeouts (6.7%). 
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, RS
Rice has 11 home runs in 28 games at this level. Overall, he is hitting .319/.441/.623 in 236 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 44 R, 34 BB (14.4%), 42 K (17.8%), 8-for-9 SB). Rice is 24 and you wonder just how much more development he needs. 
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, RS
Since promotion: 12-for-59 (1 double, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 5 BB, 11 K) 
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB (15)
Dunham has 28 stolen bases in 35 attempts between here and Scranton.
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, K
CF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
Richardson’s Double-A debut. I am not sure if this is permanent or a “we need a body” situation. Anyway, he hit .204/.306/.389 in 304 PA for Hudson Valley (13 HR, 37 RBI). He was 10-for-33 in August with three homers and seven runs batted in.
SS Max Burt: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
The oft-injured Gomez with his longest outing since August 22, 2019. He owns a 3.14 ERA in 48.2 IP (34 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 25 BB, 56 K). We have seen extra option years handed out in the past. If Gomez doesn’t qualify, this is his final option year,  so a very interesting winter/spring is shaping up for him. 
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: (L, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Watson allowed Anderson’s run to score in the 9th. Given his season, I think we can let this one go!

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

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RS, K
August: 19-for-74 (.257) with four doubles, a home run, and 12 runs scored.
DH Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 4 K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-2, 3B (1), SF, RBI, RS, BB, CS (1)
At this level: 14-for-51 (.275/.356/.373; 3 doubles, 1 triple). Serna has hit safely in four straight games. 
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI
Rodriguez with the walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th. At this level: 17-for-44 (.386/.491/.523; 3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 8 BB, 9 K). He has three 3-hit games since his promotion.
2B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, CS (4)
August: 19-for-54 (.352) with 15 walks and 15 strikeouts.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Justin Lange: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Lange’s second start since his promotion (5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K in his first start). Lange has a 128/59 K/BB over 82.1 innings between here and Tampa.
LHP Clay Aguilar: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.80 ERA (35.1 IP, 27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 52 K). Aguilar is 24 and was signed as an undrafted free agent after the shortened 2020 COVID draft.
RHP Anderson Munoz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The 25-year-old puts together an impressive night. I guess his rehab is over as he is now listed as active. While he didn’t pitch well during his stint in Tampa, he has tossed 3.1 hitless innings here with a 7/0 K/BB.
RHP Harrison Cohen (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 3.79 ERA (38 IP, 29 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K)

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

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (2)
.220/.692 OPS (12-for-57; 12 runs scored)
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, RBI
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, BB
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, RBI, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
DH Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, 2 K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, RS

RHP Hayden Merda: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
6.32 ERA (94 IP, 100 H, 74 R, 66 ER, 10 HR, 53 BB, 94 K)
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Arejula (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22)

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/22: Jasson Dominguez Crushes His Triple-A Debut

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (58-60; 24-20 in the second half) (Destroyed Lehigh Valley, 14-1)

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

LF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, 2B (17), 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Florial is at .291 with 17 doubles, 4 triples, 23 HR, 62 RBI, and 66 runs scored.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-6, 2B (1), 3 RBI, RS, CS (1)
Dominguez hit balls 109.2, 107.4, and 103.9 MPH in his Triple-A debut.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB
DH Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, 3 RS, BB
2B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
1B Jake Lamb: 2-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
RF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB
Lockridge is hitting .303 at this level in 46 games.
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Clayton Beeter: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 8 K
At this level: 5.85 ERA (40 IP, 38 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 10 HR, 24 BB, 50 K). Overall Beeter has 126 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. 
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (W, 3-0) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Maciejewski entered the game with the bases loaded and one out. He allowed only one of the runners to score.
RHP Zac Houston: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (68-46; 26-20 in the second half) (Walked it off against Hartford, 4-1, in ten innings)

2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4
  2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-1
C Ben Rice: 2-for-4, HR (10), 4 RBI, RS
Walk-off grand slam! Rice is hitting .324 since his promotion with ten home runs and 33 RBI in 27 games. Overall, Rice has 14 homers and 53 RBI in 52 games. His bat has been off-the-charts awesome this year. I can only imagine where he would be if he didn’t have a long-term injury.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, BB
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, HBP, K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RS, BB
1B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, RS, BB
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Since promotion: 4.37 ERA (59.2 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 8 HR, 21 BB, 68 K). Overall, Hampton has a 145/37 K/BB in 106.2 innings.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely: (W, 1-1)  3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Forget about that run, as it was the ghost runner. Since promotion: 2.53 ERA (10.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 13 K). Overall, Neely owns an 87/19 K/BB over 59.1 innings.

Hudson Valley (63-52; 24-25 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 3-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI
.268/.339/.454 in 451 PA (28 doubles, 4 triples, 13 HR, 56 RBI, 61 R, 42 BB (9.3%), 131 K (29.0%), 35-for-43 SB). I am being truthful when I say I didn’t expect him to do much more than this. I think his season has been a successful one.
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 K
Hall is 9-for-45 (.200) since his promotion.
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4
Serna is 13-for-49 (.265) since his promotion with three doubles, four walks, and only seven strikeouts (12.7%).
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-2, BB, K
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-2, RS, BB
Since promotion: .259/.342/.489 in 152 PA. He started 3-for-22 at this level.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 2-2) 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
This is a hard-luck loss. At this level: 3.52 ERA (23 IP, 18 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 15 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Shane Gray: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Tampa (55-60; 24-25 in the second half) (Lost to Palm Beach, 8-4)

SS Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 RS, BB
8-for-37 with 16 walks (nice) and 14 strikeouts. He has eight runs scored.
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-5, 2B (3), RS, 2 K
13-for-61 with three doubles and 13 walks. 
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, 2B (16), 2 RBI, RS, BB
.264/.376/.475 in 388 PA with 17 homers and 66 RBI. We’ll see if they give him some High-A time.
DH Josh Moylan: 3-for-5, RBI
.292/.407/.354 in 59 PA. This is his first career 3-hit game.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-4, K
2B Beau Brewer: 2-for-4
Brewer has a 6-game hitting streak and is 18-for-43 (.419) in August.

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-1)  4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, HR, 0 BB, 7 K
A mixed bag, but when you are dealing with a young pitcher in his debut season, it is important to see the positives. In this case, 7 strikeouts and no walks in four innings is a positive!
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
3.47 ERA (57 IP, 54 H, 28 R, 22 ER, 5 HR, 30 BB, 83 K). He is certainly getting a lot of work in this season.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 13.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 18 K. He allowed four of those runs (without recording an out) in one of his outings.

FCL Yankees (35-22) (Lost the season finale to the Tigers, 7-6. They are in the playoffs, which start on Thursday and continue into the weekend. If anyone is going to be promoted, it would happen next week)

SS Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.293/.414/.485 in 239 PA with eight home runs and 36 stolen bases. Last year, in the DSL, he hit .310/.504/.506 in 238 PA with three home runs and 34 stolen bases. You can’t complain about either season and I hope they give him a taste of Low-A to close out the season.
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Lombard (5-for-12, 5 BB, 2 K) hit safely in all four of his games.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
Castillo’s first career SB. He is 8-for-29 (11 walks, 10 strikeouts) in nine games
1B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, 4 RBI
.377/.486/.574 (23-for-61, 7 doubles, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB, 5 K). The 20-year-old definitely earned a chance to move up to Tampa.
RF John Cruz: 1-for-5, K, CS (4)
.294/.376/.531 in 202 PA (6 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 28 R, 22 BB, 44 K, 9-for-13 SB). Cruz is only 17 (18 on 8/29) so I don’t know if they will move him to Tampa.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 3-for-4, RBI, BB, SB (24)
.307/.465/.458 in 217 PA (4 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 37 R, 44 BB, 44 K, 24-for-30 SB). While Delgado is 19, Tejeda is 18. I have no problem moving any prospect up to Tampa if they have earned it, regardless of age.
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-5, 2 K, SB (17)
.257/.419/.404 in 234 PA (6 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 41 R, 44 BB, 48 K, 17-for-18 SB). The bonus baby from a few years ago started hot in 2023 but cooled off. The overall stat line is solid and encouraging, however.
CF Wilson Rodriguez: 0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K
.220/.360/.439 (9-for-41, 3 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 5 R, 8 BB, 13 K). The left-handed bat is 18, drafted in the 17th round in this year’s draft. There is no chance they are sending him to Tampa – this season was all about getting his feet wet.
C Peter Serruto: 0-for-2
The Yankees signed the 23-year-old Indiana graduate (he also went to Rutgers) on August 2nd. This is his debut.
  PH-C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-0, RS, 2 BB
The 18-year-old didn’t play much in 2023 (3 games; 1-for-5). 

LHP Edwar Polimir (L, 4-1): 1.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 17 K. Diaz is 22 and has been in the system since 2019. That said, he has barely pitched (this was only his 26th career game)
LHP Pablo Mujica: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1.71 ERA (26.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 35 K). The 22-year-old predictably pitched well here and should make his way to Tampa.
LHP Miguel Pozo: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their game against Mets Orange was canceled due to a tropical storm. The game won’t be made up, and their season is over. They missed out on the division title by 0.5 games and a wild-card spot by one game in the loss column.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their game against the DSL Marlins was canceled due to a tropical storm. The game won’t be made up, and their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/10: Ben Rice: 4 Hits, HR, 3 RBI

News:

There will be no report on Friday, August 11th. Please hold back your tears.

That was fast: RHP Deivi Garcia was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox were among the first teams to get a crack at him. That ends his frustrating Yankees tenure, a tenure that included a start (for one inning) in an important playoff game and a complete collapse in 2022 that makes no sense to this day.

In the regular season, Garcia posted a 4.84 ERA (90 ERA+) over 48.1 IP with a 43/14 K/BB ratio. Good luck, and don’t fall asleep in the bullpen.

Baseball America updated its Top 100 Prospects list today, with seven Yankees prospects making the list. All of them are in the lower 50, but that makes sense as the system is more about its strong depth than having that one stud player who is about to invade MLB. That doesn’t mean we have a bunch of quality players and no future superstars. You never know when someone will surge and become a consistent MLB All-Star. The important thing, for now, is seeing the recognition.

Late update: MLB Pipeline wasn’t as favorable to Yankees prospects, listing only three prospects – all of whom are in the 79-81 range (Spencer Jones, Jasson Dominguez, Everson Pereira)

Scranton (51-57; 17-17 in the second half) (Lost to Syracuse, 10-1)

SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4
C Austin Wells: 1-for-3, 2B (7), K
Wells has seven doubles in 17 games since his promotion.
  C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-1, 2B (13)
I am not sure why Wells left the game – it was 9-0, so that hopefully explains it.
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, 2 K
.324/.372/.559 in 111 PA since his promotion. I get it: Triple-A is souped up. What is Pereira supposed to do about that, exactly? All he can do is hit under the conditions before him. And he is doing that.
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-4
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, HR (16), RBI, RS, K
1B Jake Lamb: 1-for-4, 2B (3)
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Clayton Beeter: (L, 1-3) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Since promotion: 6.25 ERA (31.2 IP, 32 H, 23 R, 22 ER, 9 HR, 16 BB, 37 K). There is no sugarcoating how rough of a line that is – Triple-A is souped up big time and we are seeing some pitchers having trouble adjusting (Will Warren also fits in that category)
RHP Michael Gomez: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Zach Greene: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Zac Houston: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Wilmer Difo: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
The utility guy gets on the hill.

Somerset (61-42; 19-16 in the second half) (Destroyed Binghamton, 14-0)

LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, 2 RS, SB (36)
Dominguez has a 9-game hitting streak (17-for-39, 8 stolen bases) and has multiple hits in five straight games. He was on the verge of reaching.250 tonight but settles in at .247/.365/.396.
C Ben Rice: 4-for-5, 2B (3), HR (6), 3 RBI, 4 RS
Rice, who has a pair of 4-hit games this season (both of which were a triple away from the cycle), has a 1.049 OPS in 78 PA since his promotion (3 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 15 R, 8 BB, 12 K, 4-for-5 SB). Overall, he has 41 RBI and 37 runs scored in 42 games. At 24, I can see the Yankees giving him a late-season taste of Triple-A. He is likely a hit-first type of prospect, and the bar goes up if he is more of a first baseman than a catcher. We’ll see.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K
His first multi-hit game since his promotion. I can’t emphasize enough how big of a season this kid is having. Anyway, tonight was his first career start at first base. It doesn’t hurt to get him experience there.
CF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-5, HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (14), CS (3)
Personally, I would get Dunham back up to Scranton. If the idea to send him back down to Somerset was to allow him to regain some confidence, it has worked. He has 6 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 27 games. Overall, he has 12 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 32 attempts.
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2 SF, 2 RBI, K
The master of productive outs.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-5, RBI, K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-4, SF, RBI, RS, K
2B Max Burt: 1-for-4, 2B (10), RBI, RS, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS

RHP Richard Fitts: (W, 9-5) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
3.38 ERA (119.2 IP, 101 H, 46 R, 45 ER, 17 HR, 30 BB, 130 K). Tremendous season and I hope he gets to Scranton before too long.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (57-46; 18-18 in the second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, RS, BB
I am going to be fascinated to see what he does when he gets to the Double-A level. His season has been a tad uneven – but the end results are still encouraging. He is a big kid and goes through the stuff big kids go through. Patience will be key.
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RBI
Serna’s first RBI since his promotion and 72nd overall.
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, 2B (16), BB
.261/.352/.409 in 355 PA, He has hit safely in every August game (8; 11-for-28, 3 doubles)
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Yulie’s stay on the IL wasn’t too long. He owns a 4.86 ERA in 82.2 IP with a 91/45 K/BB ratio.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 2.59 ERA (24.1 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 29 K). You may think that all organizations are filled with big-arm relief prospects. That isn’t really true – the Yankees are above average in this category. You don’t need too many of them to pan out.
LHP Clay Aguilar: (L, 3-2): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (49-56; 18-21 in the second half) (Lost a doubleheader to Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 12-4)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (1), K
Riggio’s first career extra-base hit.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, BB
DH Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, 3 K
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS
.216/.335/.285 in 404 PA.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RS, K
Gabrielson’s first Low-A hit.
CF Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-3, 2 HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Aguilar has two career 2-HR games – on 8/10/22 and 8/10/23. 
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3
1B Beau Brewer: 1-for-3, K

RHP Hayden Merda: (L, 2-6) 3.2 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
LHP Edwar Polimir: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The Low-A debut for the 22-year-old. He pitched to a 4.43 ERA in 20.1 FCL innings with a 26/10 K/BB ratio.
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The Low-A debut for the 23-year-old. These promotions are likely doubleheader related.

Game 2 (Lost, 3-1)

DH Roc Riggio: 0-for-2, BB, K
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, 2B (12), 2 K
.263/.376/.478 in 343 PA.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, K
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RS
5-for-22 with three doubles and three runs batted in
CF Daury Arias: 0-for-2, BB, K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-2, K

RHP Kris Bow: (L, 2-5)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
3.45 ERA (62.2 IP, 57 H, 27 R, 24 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 77 K)
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.35 ERA (48.1 IP, 34 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 1 HR, 31 BB, 53 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
3.53 ERA (51 IP, 48 H, 26 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 72 K)

FCL Yankees (26-19) (Doubled up the Phillies, 6-3)

SS Keiner Delgado: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
.277/.385/.452 in 195 PA. Delgado has more career walks (84) than strikeouts (54) and has stolen 60 bases in 73 tries (82.2%).
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS, SB (21)
.311/.475/.452 (21-for-27 SB) in 179 PA after hitting .289/.463/.493 (11-for-17 SB) in 188 PA down in the DSL in 2022. This is exactly what you want to see.
RF Willy Montero: 3-for-4, 3B (2), 3 RBI, SB (5)
.325/.373/.435 in 169 PA. Montero hit .262/.396/.382 in 235 PA down in the DSL in 2022.
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, 2 K
DH John Cruz: 0-for-4, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS
8-for-18 with four doubles and three runs batted in.
CF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-3, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Since top pick George Lombard Jr. has yet to make an appearance, Rodriguez is taking over as the high school draftee to drool over (8-for-20, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB)

RHP Jackson Fristoe: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
4.88 ERA (24 IP, 17 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 3 HR, 22 BB, 26 K). Last year’s 12th-round pick hasn’t allowed a run in his last three appearances (9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 9 K). Five of those six walks occurred in one of the starts.
LHP Allen Facundo (W, 5-0): 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
If you want to win a lot of games, find a job as a middle-inning reliever in the rookie leagues. The starters don’t typically get to five innings, which opens the door!  Facundo has a 1.91 ERA in 28.1 IP with a 37/12 K/BB

DSL Yankees (27-15) (Lost to Phillies White, 6-0)

CF Brando Mayea: 0-for-4
RF Jose Castro: 1-for-4, K, SB (15)
19 RBI, 19 R, 15-for-16 SB in 27 games in his debut season.
C Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-3, 2B (12), BB
It just feels as if hitting is contagious amongst many of the organization’s catchers in 2023. Gonzalez (who is 19 and repeating the level, which is important to note) is hitting .367/.556/.620 in 117 PA

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.32 ERA in 33.1 IP (28 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 3 HR, 15 BB, 31 K). He is 17 so the goal is to get his feet wet and hope he can stay healthy.
LHP Pedro Rodriguez: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
The pure definition of a DSL pitching line.

DSL Bombers (21-23-1) (Defeated Mets Blue, 7-6)

CF Gabriel Lara: 3-for-5, 2B (6), RS
Lara’s fourth 3-hit game this season. The most impressive thing for me is the hit tool he is showing, as he is at .269/.401/.423 in 162 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 28 R, 15-for-21 SB). The immense speed is there. The defense will benefit from the immense speed. If there is a bat to tap into, he can be a top prospect in the system within a few years. We will not get ahead of ourselves, though.
LF Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Ramirez has 27 walks and 16 strikeouts in 116 PA.
2B Geyber Blanco: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, RS
.344/.418/.479 in 110 PA for the 17-year-old.
3B Adrian Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI

RHP Mariano Salomon: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
The 21-year-old has three 8-strikeout games this season (58 in 42 IP to go along with his 3.43 ERA)
RHP Jose Julian Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Only the second career appearance for the 19-year-old.

Yankees MILB 8/8: Jasson Dominguez: 3 More Hits

News:

The Yankees have released three prospects. Outfielders Anthony Garcia and Aldenis Sanchez are no longer members of the Hudson Valley Renegades, while RHP Blas Castano is gone from the Somerset Patriots. Additionally, the Yankees have designated RHP Deivi Garcia for assignment. Because we are beyond the trade deadline, Garcia is not eligible to be traded. If he clears waivers, he can be outrighted to the minors or released.

Anthony Garcia showed off his three outcome chops in 2022, as he hit .195/.372/.369 (121 wRC+) over 384 PA with 15 home runs. This season, in his first taste of High-A, his walk rate dropped from 21.6% to 15.1%. His wRC+ dropped to 85.

Sanchez, acquired for Mike Ford, is a speedy outfielder who hasn’t been able to develop the hit tool. He is hitting only .225/.300/.352 (79 wRC+) with 14 stolen bases.

Castano was ranked as the Yankees’ #26 prospect by Fangraphs prior to 2023. For Somerset this season, he pitched to a 4.76 ERA (4.66 FIP) over 45.1 innings with a 12.5% BB and 21% K. The walk rate is the big thing in this profile, as he was known for his ability to throw strikes in the lower minors.

The Yankees tried to convert Deivi Garcia to a full-time reliever in 2023, and it hasn’t gone well. Once regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the system, he fell off a few years ago with plenty of rumors as to why.

There are so many promotions today that I could write an entire entry on them alone. I won’t dig into that deeply up here – you will see blurbs below as they make their debuts at new levels.

Scranton (50-56; 16-16 in the second half) (Lost to Syracuse, 3-0. They were no-hit through 8 innings before Brandon Lockridge broke it up)

SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, K
DH Austin Wells: 0-for-4
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-3, K
.330/.375/.553 in 112 PA at this level. He has 30 strikeouts (26.8%). To me, it comes down to this: Are you willing to accept the warts in his game in exchange for him getting some MLB playing time? Eventually, MLB pitchers will find the areas to exploit. That happens to the best of the best, after all. Player development is a balancing act. My opinion is clear: Get him some playing time in 2023, whether that is a week from now or a few weeks from now. 
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, BB, K
LF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-2, BB, SB (13)
At this level: .295/.363/.384 in 124 PA. Overall: .303/.378/.442 in 238 PA with 30 stolen bases. He has elite speed and can cover all three outfield positions. If he can show any kind of stick in MLB, he will earn himself some playing time. I don’t know if that will happen here, as he is Rule 5 eligible (again) and having success in the upper minors. He is the type who can be selected and stick.
2B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, K, CS (5)

LHP Edgar Barclay: (L, 0-1)  5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
He improved from his first start at this level last time out.
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Spencer Howard: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Somerset (60-41; 18-15 in the second half) (Lost to Binghamton, 9-7)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-5, 2B (13), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Dominguez has hit safely in all seven August games (13-for-30), including a pair of 3-hit efforts. He has his triple slash up to .243/.364/.392 in 451 PA (13 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 71 R, 72 BB, 118 K, 33-for-40 SB). After the games of July 6, Dominguez was hitting .198/.341/.343. 
C Ben Rice: 3-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (3)
Since promotion: .295/.377/.607 in 61 plate appearances. His injury earlier this season was unfortunate, but he hasn’t stopped hitting all season when healthy.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-5, 2 K
Ramirez, a 21-year-old catcher, reaches his third level in 2023. After hitting .245/.387/.397 (117 wRC+) in 232 plate appearances for Tampa, he turned it up several notches for High-A Hudson Valley, hitting .384/.430/.714 (203 wRC+) in 121 plate appearances. Given that he is in Somerset now, it is a near certainty that he will be protected in this winter’s Rule 5.
RF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, 2 2B (9), 3 RBI, BB
At this level: .277/.364/.532 in 110 plate appearances. Here is hoping he can find his way back to Scranton, where he struggled earlier this season.
1B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-5, K, SB (5)
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 4 K
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 RS

RHP Chase Hampton: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 4.99 ERA (48.2 IP, 44 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 7 HR, 20 BB, 56 K). He isn’t the first prospect to run into a little wall in Double-A and won’t be the last. Now, it is all about the adjustments. I will continue to note that this is Hampton’s debut season.
RHP Jack Neely: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Promoted today from Hudson Valley, the tall (6’8″) right-hander pitched to a 2.03 ERA in High-A with a 39.2% K and 9.0% BB. Along with Ryan Anderson (6’6″ LHP), Bailey Dees (6’8″), and Danny Watson (6’7″), they form a rather tall (and I would guess intimidating) Double-A bullpen.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 14.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 17 K. 
RHP Danny Watson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Since promotion: 1.38 ERA (26 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 29 K)

Hudson Valley (57-44; 18-16 in the second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 5-3)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (25), RBI, SB (27)
Jones is hitting .265 with a .792 OPS. He has 11 3+ hit games this season.
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, K
Serna’s High-A debut after hitting .283/.350/.483 (124 wRC+) in 443 plate appearances down in Tampa (19 HR, 71 RBI, 72 R, 19 SB). He is on the smaller side (5’6″) but is a legitimate prospect. 
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-3, RS, BB
Familia has hit safely in all five of his August games. He is having a crazy offensive season and has done more than enough to earn a shot at the upper levels, whether that is later in 2023 or 2024. Not every prospect reaches that point.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI, K
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Cowles extends his hitting streak to six and has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, BB, K
Rodriguez’s High-A debut after hitting .297/.378/.426 (122 wRC+; 10.9% BB, 14.9% K) in 348 plate appearances down in Tampa. He was used at C/1B/3B/LF at that level.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, K
Hall’s High-A debut after hitting .269/.382/.449 (128 wRC+) in 272 plate appearances down in Tampa. He was the Yankees’ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft and likely gets here earlier if not for injury.
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K

RHP Brendan Beck: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
At this level: 1.17 ERA (23 IP, 18 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 25 K)
RHP Shane Gray: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: (L, 0-1) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
High-A debut. Ayers pitched to a 4.08 ERA in 46.1 IP for Tampa with a 64/17 K/BB
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (49-53; 18-18 in the second half) (Lost to Clearwater, 10-4)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
This year’s 4th round pick was promoted here after five games in the FCL. All indicators point to Riggio being a fast-rise prospect. 
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-5, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K
Martinez didn’t get promoted today, which is a little surprising but there are a lot of catchers up and down the system right now. He just turned 22 in July. Does the fact he wasn’t promoted mean the organization is down on him? Not necessarily. If they feel a kid needs more time at a level, that’s perfectly fine. There is still some time left for him to get to High-A as well – today was a big promotion day but not necessarily a final promotion day.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
4-for-13 with a home run and three runs batted in. He has four walks and four strikeouts.
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, K
The 23-year-old earns his first professional RBI. Congrats!
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
5-for-20 with a pair of doubles and a home run.
CF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-4, 2B (12)
DH Daury Arias: 0-for-4, K

RHP Justin Lange: (L, 1-4)  3.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K, HR
4.58 ERA (72.2 IP, 50 H, 48 R, 37 ER, 8 HR, 55 BB, 115 K). He was coming off of a few strong outings lately. There is definitely some Dellin Betances/Luis Medina here. You just hope something clicks to keep him in the rotation or that he can become a dominant reliever down the line.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 7 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 11 K. Whether he struggles or not, this is where he belongs. Too good for the FCL.

FCL Yankees (25-19) (Lost to the FCL Phillies, 6-4)

DH Keiner Delgado: 2-for-5, RBI, K, SB (25)
.282/.384/.460 in 190 PA with a league-leading 25 stolen bases.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K, CS (6)
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, HBP
SS Hans Montero: 0-for-5, 3 K
Montero is off to a slow 2-for-14 start to August.
LF John Cruz: 2-for-3, RS, BB, SB (7)
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-3, 2B (3), 2 RS, BB
Jasso is 6-for-14 with eight walks to start his professional career.
C Edinson Duran: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB

RHP Luis Serna: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
4.32 ERA (16.2 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 20 K). He allowed 6 ER in his first 2.1 innings this season and two in his last 14.1 IP.

DSL Yankees (27-14) (The game against the DSL Royals B was suspended. It is 1-1 in the 7th inning)

CF Brando Mayea: 0-for-3, K

RHP Christian Zazueta: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, HR
Zazueta sets a new personal best for strikeouts in a game.
RHP Orvis Fernandez: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

DSL Bombers (20-23) (Lost to Rangers Red, 6-0, in a 7-inning game)

2B Gabriel Terrero:  0-for-3, 2 K
LF-CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-3, K

RHP Sunayro Martina: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K