Tag: Brendan Beck

Yankees MILB 9/23: Scranton Wins Game 1

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

Updated look at the trade deadline.

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

Arizona Fall League Players

Pipeline announced its 2025 Double-A All-Star teams.

No current Yankees’ prospect was on the list. C Rafael Flores was listed for Somerset, since he spent most of his time with the Patriots. Flores is now on the Pirates roster and entered tonight 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles in his MLB career.

If you are wondering about Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz or Carlos Lagrange, I suppose they were considered “tweeners” who didn’t put in enough work in either High-A or Double-A to qualify for either All-Star team.

As for George Lombard Jr., there’s a difference between being a top prospect and someone who put together an All-Star season. It’s hard to argue for him as a Double-A All-Star.

Speaking of Rodriguez-Cruz, he was named the Yankees’ Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. If I had a vote, I would have voted for him as well.

One more Rodriguez-Cruz note: If you trust Andy Martino, the Orioles asked the Yankees for Rodriguez-Cruz in exchange for Charlie Morton. The Yankees laughed in their faces (at least they should have), and Baltimore ended up shipping him to Detroit for a minor league reliever. As you likely know by now, Morton was ultimately released by the Tigers.

There is nothing wrong with aiming high, but a ridiculous ask should always end with a laugh and a declaration of “No further discussion, since you aren’t taking this seriously.”

Injury Log

Scranton (Defeated Jacksonville, 5-4 (10 innings), to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. Game 2 is tomorrow. The Tacoma-Las Vegas series starts tonight (10:05 PM ET).

In case you are wondering, they still do the “runner on second base” thing in extra innings during minor league playoff games. I do not have an issue with that.

Former Yankees prospect (and a fan favorite amongst Yankees’ prospect followers) Jared Serna plays for Jacksonville. The once promising prospect had an awful 2025 campaign (.224/.310/.279 in 111 games). Serna was a part of the package that went to the Marlins for Jazz Chisholm Jr.  In case you are wondering how the biggest piece in the package is doing, Agustin Ramirez is hitting .234/.291/.424 (94 wRC+; 21 home runs) with bad (awful) defense. His fWAR is 0.1.

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, BB
   PR Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-0, R
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
Escarra drove home the winning run in the top of the 10th.
LF-RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-5, 3 K
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, R, HBP, BB, 3 K
When the top four hitters go 1-for-16, you don’t expect to win.
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, R, K
   LF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-1
DH Brennen Davis: 1-for-5, 2B (1), 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, R, K
Rumfield’s 3-run home run turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
3B Jeimer Candelario: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R, K
Candelario and Rumfield went back-to-back in the 4th inning.
SS Braden Shewmake: 2-for-3, 2 2B (2), HBP

RHP Brendan Beck: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Including this postseason start, Beck ends the season with 136 innings.  He was able to get through an entire season without any injury setbacks.
RHP Kervin Castro: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Brent Headrick: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Joel Kuhnel : 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
The bullpen was good tonight, but Kuhnel couldn’t hold a 4-2 lead in the 9th.
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: (W, 1-0)  0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ian Hamilton: (S, 1)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
That’s how you close out a game!

Somerset (73-65; 38-31 in the second half; lost in the first round of the playoffs)

Their season is over.

Hudson Valley (79-50; 41-24 in the second half) 

Their season is over.

Tampa (63-63; 27-34 in the second half)

Their season is over.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/17: Spencer Jones Hits 2 HR

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

Updated look at the trade deadline.

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

Arizona Fall League Players

The High-A All-Star teams were announced today.

In the South Atlantic League, two Yankees prospects were named.

RHP Huey Morrill – Morrill compiled a 0.42 ERA (2.77 FIP), 25.5% K, 8.1% BB, and 49.5% GB over 43.1 innings. The Angels drafted him in the 36th round in 2018, but he did not sign. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after spending a pair of seasons with Oklahoma State. He is one of the Yankees’ representatives in the Arizona Fall League and is Rule 5 eligible this winter.

LHP Kyle Carr – Carr didn’t just make the team; he won the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award. The third-round pick in the 2023 draft had a breakout campaign, compiling a 1.96 ERA (3.59 FIP) over 119.1 innings. Additionally, he owned a 21.7% K, 9.8% BB, and 51.7% GB. From June 3rd through August 28th, he compiled a 0.98 ERA over 82.1 innings. That earned him a promotion to Somerset, where he didn’t fare well over three starts. That shouldn’t bother anyone.

Injury Log

Scranton (85-58; 47-24 in second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 6-1)

Syracuse has a 4-2 lead in the 7th inning against Lehigh Valley. If they win, Scranton’s magic number is 2. If they lose, the magic number is 1.

A reminder that, in Triple-A, there’s only one round of playoffs in each league. If Scranton wins the second half, they will play Jacksonville for the International League title. The winner of that series will play the winner of the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A Championship Game (yes, only one game) in Las Vegas. Speaking of Las Vegas (ATH), they won the first half in the PCL and will likely play Tacoma (SEA) for the PCL Championship.

3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, 3B (1), 2 R, 2 BB, K
Vivas’ first non-double extra-base hit since June 11th (he compiled 14 doubles during this timeframe).
DH Brennen Davis: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, R, BB
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, R, K
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-3, 2 HR (19), 5 RBI, 2 R, BB
Jones’ 35th home run places him one ahead of Ryan Ward (LAD) for the minor league lead. He scores his 100th run, making him the first Yankees’ farmhand to score 100+ runs since Anthony Volpe (113) in 2021.  One blast went 427 feet at 1081. MPH, while the other went 376 feet at 104.2 MPH.  This is his 5th multi-HR effort, his five RBI are a season high, and he is the owner of a 19-game on-base streak. 
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4
1B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-4, 2B (17), 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-4, K
2B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Duke Ellis: 1-for-4, 3B (1), K

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 8-3) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Between Somerset and Scranton, Beck finishes the season 13-5 with a 3.36 ERA over 131.1 innings (103 H, 51 R, 49 ER, 14 HR, 36 BB, 123 K). Drafted in the second round in the 2021 draft, this is Beck’s first healthy campaign (his only professional experience before this season was the 34 innings he tossed in 2023).
LHP Brent Headrick: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
An efficient 8-pitch inning for Castro, who lowers his ERA to 1.57. 
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.33 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 33 K). His fastball/cutter combination is enticing, but you can’t walk that many hitters.
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset 

Day off. Their best-of-3 series against Binghamton resumes on Thursday. Somerset trails in the series, 1-0.

Hudson Valley (79-50; 41-24 second half) 

Their season is over.

Tampa (63-63; 27-34 in the second half)

Their season is over.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/11: Carlos Lagrange Leads Somerset to Playoffs

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

Updated look at the trade deadline.

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

Arizona Fall League Players

Injury Log

Scranton (82-56; 44-22 in second half) (Won a big game over Lehigh Valley, 3-2)

Lehigh Valley is now 6.5 games back.  Syracuse lost to drop four games back. The best Lehigh Valley can do is get it down to 3.5 games with six to play. That’s why tonight’s win was huge for the Railriders.

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, K
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, K
DH Jose Rojas: 2-for-4, HR (30), RBI, R, K
Rojas puts together his second career 30+ HR, 100+ RBI campaign. I get he isn’t a prospect, but it is still valid to say he is the first Yankees’ farmhand to drive in 100+ runs since Brandon Laird drove home 102 in 2010.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, R, 3 K
Jones keeps the minimalist hitting streak going. He has seven consecutive 1-hit efforts.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-3, K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, 2B (15), R, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
The veteran shortstop had a game-tying 2-run single in the bottom of the 7th.
LF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3

RHP Brendan Beck: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
For Scranton: 4.65 ERA In 71.2 IP (60 H, 37 R, 37 ER, 12 HR, 21 BB, 66 K). Overall, Beck owns a 118/33 K/BB over 126 innings after throwing 34 professional innings entering this season (all in 2023).
RHP Yerry De los Santos: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Kervin Castro: (W, 5-1) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Joel Kuhnel (S, 7): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (72-63; 37-29 in the second half) (Defeated Reading, 4-0, to clinch a playoff berth. This is their 4th consecutive playoff appearance, and they have run the gamut in the previous three: Championship in 2022, lost in the Division Series in 2023, lost in the championship series in 2024.)

DH Brendan Jones: 2-for-5, R, 3 SB (25)
Jones is attempting to reach 50 stolen bases – he is up to 48 (56 attempts) with three games remaining. Anthony Volpe, who stole 50 in 2022, was the last Yankees minor league player to accomplish the feat.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-3, 2B (23), RBI, R, BB
Lombard Jr. has five doubles in nine September games (10-for-34; .294). It’s an interesting Somerset profile: While he hasn’t had a period where he was insanely hot (though he did have a 7-game hitting streak), you can still see the consistent progression in his game. I can’t make any guarantees, but one can be optimistic that his batting average will tick up with experience.
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, BB
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, 2B (24), RBI, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, R
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, K
2B Jake Gatewood: 2-for-3, 2B (13), R, BB
The bottom two in the order do their jobs.

RHP Carlos Lagrange: (W, 7-6)  6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
When you combine his Somerset and Hudson Valley stats, Lagrange finishes the regular season with a 3.52 ERA in 120 innings (82 H, 51 R, 47 ER, 8 HR, 62 BB, 168 K). He had a lower ERA with Somerset (3.22 compared to 4.10). The 168 strikeouts lead the Yankees’ organization, two ahead of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, who likely has a start remaining.
LHP Will Brian: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
At this level: 2.55 ERA (35.1 IP, 28 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 36 K)
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (79-50; 41-24 second half) 

Their season is over.

Tampa (63-63; 27-34 in the second half)

Their season is over.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/30: Brendan Beck Strikes out 9

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

A question I received last night was about Hans Montero and Willy Montero and their prospect status.

Hans is one of the most expensive players in the system. He cost $1.7M and was handed the organization’s highest signing bonus in 2021. Montero was signed as a shortstop but hasn’t played there in 2025 (only two starts there in 2024). It’s never a good thing when an organization takes a player away from a premium position. Can he still make it as a multi-position player? I don’t rule anything out for a player as young as he is. He is hitting better in Tampa this year than he did last, but is still repeating the same level.

Willy doesn’t have the big bonus attached to him. Last night, I mentioned that power isn’t his thing (he hit his first home run of the season).  That is the issue because Montero’s power was often cited as one of his better attributes. In 2023, as an 18-year-old, he put his name on the map with a .331/.389/.436 campaign for the FCL squad. His stint in Low-A Tampa hasn’t been kind. Entering tonight, in 159 games, he was hitting .253/.314/.353 with 28 doubles and 8 home runs for Tampa.

A third Montero (Fidel Montero) was a mid-range international signing who lasted four seasons in the organization (2021-2024) before being released. The White Sox signed him and turned him into a pitcher.

A new Montero has also entered the chat. Estivenzon Montero is an 18-year-old outfielder with a .268/.375/.451 line in 77 DSL games. We should see him in the FCL in 2026.

That’s the Montero Update you never asked for.

Injury Log

Scranton (77-51; 39-17 in second half) (Lost to Syracuse, 2-0. Syracuse is now four games back in the second-half title race.)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-3, BB
It’s been an interesting month for Vivas, who is drawing walks (21; .392 OBP) but has shown little power (four doubles; .290 SLG). Unless he is about to go on a strikeout binge, he is likely to end his Scranton campaign with more walks (he has 57) than strikeouts (38). While he didn’t hit much in his first taste of MLB, his strikeout rate was reasonable (19.7%).
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, BB
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Jones is hitting .278/.347/.582 in 222 plate appearances for Scranton. There is no hiding that he hasn’t been good in August (.178/.250/.308 with 45 strikeouts and nine walks. His strikeout rate this month is 37.5%).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, 2 K
Rumfield is down to .290/.380/.465 in 518 PA. A solid season, obviously – just not quite where he was earlier this month.
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-4, K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, BB, K
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, K
LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

RHP Brendan Beck (L, 7-2): 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, HR
This is what you call a tough-luck loss. Beck, who pitched seven innings for the first time in his career, owns a 4.26 ERA in 61.1 innings since his promotion (47 H, 29 R, 29 ER, 12 HR, 17 BB, 53 K) and owns a 105/29 K/BB over 115.2 innings overall. As stated many times, Beck doesn’t throw hard for a modern pitcher (he can dial it up into the 93-94 range). If he can stay healthy, a bottom-of-the-rotation innings eater is somewhere he can settle in.
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
A rare hiccup for Cohen.

Somerset (64-61; 29-27 in second half) (Lost to Binghamton, 2-1)

Hartford lost to Portland, so both teams are 1.5 games behind Somerset in the race for a playoff berth.

Somerset’s season ends on September 14th.

2B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
The batting average isn’t there this month, but he has shown off some pop (6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR) and patience (19 walks). 
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, 2 K
Jasso has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.
CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (11), R, 2 K
Jones is at .250/.357/.436 in 280 PA at this level. He had a .362 SLG for Hudson Valley. 
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, 3B (4), RBI, BB, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, K
SS Jake Gatewood: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Manuel Palencia: 1-for-4, K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: (L, 5-6)  3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 6 K
Lagrange can be an adventure at times. He owns a 3.74 ERA in 67.1 innings at this level, which is fine, as are the 89 strikeouts. The issue? 47 walks.  I would place him somewhere on the 2026 depth chart but work is needed.
RHP Danny Watson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.29 ERA (51 IP, 58 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 6 HR, 8 BB, 50 K). His BABIP is an elevated .356 and he continues to show off impeccable control.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Arias: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (74-48; 36-22 second half) (Lost to Brooklyn, 5-4)

Greensboro lost and owns a 3-game lead over Hudson Valley for the second-half title. It would be nice to cut it to two games heading into next week’s season-ending series, but they definitely don’t want it to be four.

DH Dillon Lewis: 2-for-4, HR (13), RBI, R, 2 K
Lewis is hitting .242/.328/.457 at this level.  Since coming up to Hudson Valley, he isn’t showing any major split advantage (.246/.321/.469 vs. RHP and .242/.346/.451 vs. LHP)
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, BB, K
SS Kaeden Kent: 0-for-5, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-5, R, K
Moylan has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games. After a tough start to his campaign, he hit .281/.387/.422 in July and is hitting .272/.378/.420 in August.
   PR Owen Cobb: 0-for-0
CF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
The 23-year-old hasn’t shown much pop in his first 15 professional games, but does have a .350 OBP.
LF Luis Durango: 0-for-4, K
2B Connor McGinnis: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, 2 K
McGinnis earns his first professional extra-base hit (7-for-41).
RF Robbie Burnett: 1-for-4, RBI, K
C John Cristino: 1-for-4, 2B (3), 3 K

RHP Andrew Landry: (L, 2-4) 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
At this level: 4.58 ERA (37.1 IP, 29 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 2 HR, 23 BB, 31 K). For Tampa, he owned a 4.59 ERA in 68.2 innings.
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (60-61; 24-32 in the second half) (Defeated Bradenton, 9-4. They are making a strong run at .500)

Tampa’s season ends on September 7th.

SS Dax Kilby: 0-for-4, R, BB
Kilby has reached base safely in 11 straight games.
3B Roderick Arias: 0-for-5, K
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, 2 R, HBP, K
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
Toole is hitting .309 with a .902 OPS. Last five games: 9-for-20.
2B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 1-for-4, 2B (2), 3 RBI, R
Martin-Grudzielanek has been productive (14 RBI in 19 games). He has hit well with RISP in his brief career.
LF Richie Bonomolo Jr.: 0-for-3, RBI, R, BB
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB
C Ediel Rivera: 0-for-3, RBI, R, SB (5), HBP, K
1B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, HR (10), 3 RBI, R, SB (23), BB, K
Well, if Hans wants to have nights like these, he will jump back on the radar. This is his first career double-digit home run campaign.

LHP Henry Lalane: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
1.88 ERA (14.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 16 K)
RHP Sunayro Martina: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP Franyer Herrera: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 8.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
RHP Ty Boudreau: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Veach: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/23: Ben Hess Ks 9

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

No other news today.

Injury Log

Scranton (73-49; 35-15 in second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 10-3)

Syracuse has fallen two games behind the pace (33-17) while Toledo (31-19) has surged past Indianapolis (30-20). These are the four teams currently in the mix for the second-half title. Whoever has the best record will take on Jacksonville for the International League championship for a spot in Las Vegas to play the PCL winner for the overall Triple-A title.

2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-5, RBI, R, K
DH J.C. Escarra: 2-for-5
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, HR (16), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Jones has 16 HR in 198 PA for Scranton (16 in 208 PA for Somerset) and is again at the top of the minor league leaderboard (Ryan Ward (LAD) and 20-year-old Lazaro Montes (SEA) have 31). He has hit safely in six of his last seven games (8-for-30; 2 doubles, 2 HR). 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, R, K
LF Brennen Davis: 2-for-3, 2 HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 R, K
Davis has launched nine home runs in 18 games at this level and 14 home runs in 32 games overall. This is his second multi-home run effort in his last five games (though the other game was on June 21st!)
   LF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-1, K
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-4, R
   RF Duke Ellis: 0-for-0
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
Canderlario has homered in back-to-back games.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R
Martinez launches his first Triple-A home run (12th overall). 
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-4, R, 2 K

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 7-1)  5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
At this level: 4.64 ERA (54.1 IP, 46 H, 28 R, 28 ER, 11 HR, 16 BB, 44 K). Overall, he has tossed 108.2 innings after entering 2025 with only 34 innings to his name (2023). As a fun sidenote, he is tied for the overall minor league lead with 12 wins. Will a healthy season make him more enticing in the 2025 Rule 5 draft, if he isn’t protected or traded?
RHP Allan Winans: (S, 1): 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
1.25 ERA (79 IP, 59 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 22 BB, 86 K)

Somerset (62-57; 27-23 in second half)  (Won a big game against Hartford, 5-3. They take a 1.5-game lead in the second-half standings)

LF Brendan Jones: 0-for-5, K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB
At this level: .212/.332/.346 in 383 PA (17 doubles, 4 triples, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 58 R, 18-for-21 SB, 13.1% BB, 25.1% K). 
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, HBP
Avina’s first blast since July 22. 
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-2, 2B (16), RBI, R, K
Jasso left the game early. He made a defensive play in the top of an inning before being pinch-hit for in the bottom half of the inning.  Related? No idea.
   PH-2B Duncan Pastore: 1-for-2, 2B (2)
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
RF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, K
DH Coby Morales: 1-for-4
2B-3B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, 3 K
C Tomas Frick: 2-for-4, 2B (2)

RHP Ben Hess: (W, 1-1) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Since promotion: 2.70 ERA (20 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 24 K). This is his fourth 9-strikeout game this season (first for Somerset). Hess can put himself on the radar for a 2026 MLB debut. 
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Gilbert makes his Double-A debut. 
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Arias (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR

Hudson Valley (71-44; 33-18 second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 8-3)

DH Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, R, K
SS Kaeden Kent: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, K
Kent’s first multi-hit game as a professional.
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, K
Matheus’ 29th double between here and Tampa (he has 37 stolen bases)
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4, K
CF Camden Troyer: 3-for-4
Troyer, their 12th-round pick out of Liberty, compiles his first career 3-hit game. He is 11-for-34 (.324) with a double, four walks, and only two strikeouts.
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Robbie Burnett: 1-for-3, R, K
C John Cristino: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Andrew Landry: (L, 2-3)  4.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Jack Cebert: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Their 15th-round pick in the 2025 draft (Texas Tech) makes his professional debut.
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Tony Rossi: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
At this level: 2.18 ERA (33 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 22 BB, 43 K). In his debut campaign, he hasn’t allowed a homer in 40.2 innings.

Tampa (56-60; 20-31 in the second half)

Their game against Fort Myers was postponed. They will try to play a doubleheader tomorrow.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/5: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Dominates

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

The Yankees promoted 2024 first-round pick Ben Hess to Somerset. The 22-year-old pitched to a 3.51 ERA and 94/33 K/BB over 66.2 innings for Hudson Valley. The Renegades have three active starters (Kyle Carr, Andrew Landry, and Cade Smith) on their roster. They will figure that out. You don’t stall a prospect’s development because of the void he will leave behind.

2025 draftees Kaeden Kent and Connor McGinnis were assigned to Hudson Valley today. In their debuts tonight, Kent played shortstop while McGinnis played second base.

The Yankees promoted C Engelth Urena to Hudson Valley. To replace him in Tampa, 19-year-old Ediel Rivera was promoted from the FCL. Urena wasn’t having a special year in Tampa (.208/.329/.331). This is likely a situation where they think Urena will start 2026 in Hudson Valley, so they want to give him a taste now.

With all this activity usually comes releases, which is the unfortunate part of the business.  Somerset outfielders Jared Wegner and Cam Eden were both released today.  Wegner, their 9th-round pick in 2023 (Arkansas), was hitting only .168/.262/.242 with two home runs in 47 games this season. Eden, who played in five games for the 2023 Blue Jays, was in his second year with the organization. In 26 games for Somerset, he hit .176/.247/.270. He was 6-for-9 stealing bases.

The Yankees signed RHP Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal. Signing Maeda to a 2-year, $24 million contract didn’t work out well for the Tigers, as he went 3-7 with a 6.21 ERA (5.04 FIP) over 120.1 innings. The Yankees are only on the hook for the prorated league minimum. After trading Carlos Carrasco and choosing to go with Cam Schlittler over Marcus Stroman, their pitching depth took a hit. Maeda will fill that void.

As for the demotion of Jake Bird, that’s how it goes sometimes. A few rough outings + having options + needing to find room for a returning pitcher makes that decision easier than you may think. While disappointing since he was recently acquired, the Yankees also see him as a long-term asset with enough relief depth to make this move now. We’ll see if the Yankees make any changes while he is away. Judging by his 3-game sample with the big club, it already appears as if the pitching gurus are going to ask him to emphasize his slider more. He used that pitch more than 50% of the time after he was acquired. I can’t tell you that Bird will become a worthwhile asset down the line. I can tell you that it’s impossible to know based on only three games.

Somerset, Hudson Valley, and Tampa played the Mets’ affiliates today and went 3-0.

Injury Log

Scranton (64-41; 26-7 in second half) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 7-1)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, R, K
Vivas had zero extra-base hits in his last 25 games entering tonight.
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-2, 2 R, SB (11), HBP, 2 BB, K
Since promotion: 11.4% BB, 25.2% K, 11-for-12 SB.  For Somerset this season, he had a 15.4% BB and 33.7% K.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, R, BB
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3 RBI, R, BB
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-4, 2B (10), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, K
De La Cruz was designated for assignment on July 31st. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Scranton.
   RF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-1
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-4
LF Duke Ellis: 2-for-4, R, K
Ellis’ crazy run continues. He has a 9-game hitting streak (19-for-32; .594). 

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 4-1)  6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, HR
At this level: 4.35 ERA (39.1 IP, 33 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 9 HR, 10 BB, 34 K). Overall, Beck has tossed 93.2 innings between here and Somerset (Due to injuries, he pitched only 34 career innings before 2025, all in 2023.)
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (56-47; 21-13 in second half) (Defeated Binghamton, 3-2. This was a battle between two pitchers who have shown off strikeout stuff this year. Binghamton starter Jonah Tong is the minor league leader in strikeouts. Somerset starter Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz entered the day 10th. Neither starter allowed a run.)

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
Since promotion: .247/.352/.457 in 193 PA (7 doubles, 3 triples, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 30 R, 10-for-13 SB, 14.5% BB, 19.2% K). Overall, he has 33 stolen bases in 40 attempts.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, SB (16), 2 K
Since promotion: .203/.320/.327 in 316 PA (12 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 46 R, 16-for-19 SB, 12.7% BB, 25% K). Remember when some on social media were clamoring for him to make the roster out of spring training? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, BB, K
.283/.348/.467 in 399 PA (15 doubles, 6 triples, 13 HR, 54 RBI, 55 R, 0-for-2 SB, 7.5% BB, 21.3% K). 
DH Jace Avina: 1-for-4, 2B (4), 2 K
Since promotion: .228/.353/.404 in 68 PA. He has four doubles and a pair of home runs. 
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, CS (3), BB, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, R, 2 K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
C Tomas Frick: 2-for-3
Since promotion: 7-for-22 (.318) with a double and a home run.
2B Max Burt: 0-for-1, R, SAC, BB, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (W, 2-1): 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Since promotion: 1.73 ERA (26 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 23 K). Overall: 2.13 ERA (109.2 IP, 69 H, 35 R, 26 ER, 2 HR, 43 BB, 122 K). Strikeouts, ground balls, keeping the ball in the ballpark. Three things you love to see.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson (S, 5): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
6.23 ERA (39 IP, 49 H, 28 R, 27 ER, 6 HR, 7 BB, 41 K). Watson’s BABIP is high (.384). He has not allowed a walk in his last 26.2 innings (25 strikeouts)

Hudson Valley (62-38; 24-12 second half) (Defeated Brooklyn, 4-2)

CF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, HR (10), 2 RBI, R
Lewis has homered in back-to-back games and has five homers in his last 15 games. He is one home run away from a 20/20 campaign.
SS Kaeden Kent: 0-for-4, K
Kent’s professional debut. As a 21-year-old college bat (chosen in the third round), it isn’t a shock that they moved him straight to this level.
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-4
Urena’s High-A debut.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-3, HBP
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-3, BB, K
McGinnis’s professional debut. The Yankees drafted the 22-year-old left-handed bat in the 10th round out of Houston.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, R
DH Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, R, K
Moylan has homered in back-to-back games.
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-3, 2B (7), R

RHP Cade Smith: 3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Smith tossed 61 pitches tonight as he continues to build himself back up.
RHP Carson Coleman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
2.59 ERA (31.1 IP, 23 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 45 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (W, 5-2)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Gabonia got off to a rough start (4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER in April) but has been solid since, allowing only six earned runs in 24.2 IP (2.19 ERA).
RHP Tony Rossi (S, 6): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
At this level: 2.00 ERA (27 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 18 BB, 34 K)

Tampa (48-51; 12-22 in the second half)  (Held off St. Lucie, 5-4)

3B Juan Matheus: 3-for-5, 2B (23), 2 RBI, 2 R
Matheus, who is on an 8-game hitting streak (13-for-35), has 24 multi-hit efforts in 2025, including six 3+-hit games.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-5, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, K
Arias is once again knocking on the .200 door (.197/.312/.302). It’s a number he hasn’t reached once this season.
LF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, 2 K
Montero is hitting .291/.317/.354 in 82 plate appearances.
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2 K
C Ediel Rivera: 0-for-4, 2 K
Rivera’s Low-A debut. The 19-year-old hit .229/.346/.346 in 185 FCL plate appearances. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Puerto Rico in 2024.
1B Tyler Wilson: 2-for-3, 2B (9), R, BB
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-4, R, 3 K
DH Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (8), R, K

LHP Henry Lalane: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Lalane tossed 45 pitches tonight, showing off incredible efficiency.  He maxed out at 95 MPH, which is an encouraging sign (I don’t have full StatCast data, as Tampa doesn’t have that technology in their temporary home.)
RHP Jack Sokol: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.44 ERA (36.2 IP, 36 H, 21 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 30 K)
RHP Cade Austin: (W, 5-1) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.79 ERA (42 IP, 35 H, 20 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 18 BB, 44 K). He is up to 88.1 innings at this level after being drafted in the 19th round in the 2023 draft out of South Carolina.
RHP Chris Veach: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Jackson Fristoe (S, 2): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (20-26) (Lost to the DSL Cardinals, 10-2)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, BB
Vilorio is off to a slow August start (3-for-17) after a strong July (.309/.378/.420).
SS Mani Cedeno: 0-for-4, R, SB (20), BB, K
2B Carlos Bello: 3-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, R, K
Bello, a 17-year-old in his debut season, has three 3+-hit efforts.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-2, HBP, BB, K
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, K
DH Isaias Castillo: 0-for-2, SB (11), 2 BB, K

RHP Jose Vargas: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.86 ERA (11.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 8 K). Vargas is 17 years old.

DSL Bombers (25-21) (Defeated DSL Colorado, 7-3)

SS Stiven Marinez: 2-for-5, R, K
.259/.413/.343 in 184 PA (7 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 34 R, 20-for-26 SB, 20.1% BB, 23.4% K). To me, he’s done enough to get to the FCL in 2026.
2B Christofer Reyes: 2-for-3, 2B (6), R, 2 SB (24), CS (4), 2 BB, K
.252/.336/.330 in 131 PA
LF David Carrera: 2-for-3, SF, RBI, R, CS (6)
DH Richard Meran: 0-for-2, CS (5), 2 BB, K
3B Leni Done: 1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, SB (11), CS (3), BB
.263/.392/.424 in 143 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 28 R, 11-for-14 SB)
RF Angel Ventura: 1-for-4, 3B (2), R, 3 K
C Carlos Rondon: 2-for-4, RBI, R, K

RHP Diego Carrillo (W, 4-0): 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.60 ERA (30 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 23 K)
RHP Christopher Vasquez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 7/30: Brendan Beck Tosses 6 Scoreless Innings

Notes:

A boring day for minor league news overall.

Trade analysis links:
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

Injury Log

Scranton (60-40; 22-6 in second half) (Squeaked past Nashville, 1-0)

DH Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4
Rodriguez increases his hitting streak to 17 (24-for-72 (.333); 2 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R, 10 BB, 10 K).  He is hitting .317/.409/.430 since his promotion.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, SB (9)
RF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, 2 SB (8), HBP, K
Jones reminds us that he can run, too!  He is 18-for-20 stealing bases this season. He stole 25 bases last year and 43 in 2023.
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-2, HBP, BB
Pereira is 22-for-77 (.286; 7 HR, 18 RBI, 23 R, 13 BB, 15 K) in July. 
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, 2 BB
Flores has 11 walks in ten games since his promotion (30 in 87 games for Somerset).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, BB
Rumfield has a 7-game hitting streak.
3B Jeimer Candelario: 0-for-4, R, K
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, SB (9), K
SS Nicky Lopez: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, K

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 3-1) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 4.86 ERA (33.1 IP, 29 H, 18 R, 18 ER, 8 HR, 8 BB, 26 K). This is a nice bounce-back after allowing eight runs in four innings his last time out.
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Reyzelman reached 95.4 MPH and generated three whiffs on three swings with his sweeper. His ERA is 3.83 (40 IP, 25 H, 17 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 39 BB, 43 K). The best I can say right now is that he owns a 12/3 K/BB over his last 8.1 innings.
RHP Joel Kuhnel (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (53-45; 18-11 in second half) (Defeated Richmond, 5-3)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
Since promotion: .210/.325/.343 in 295 PA (12 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 45 R, 14-for-17 SB, 12.9% BB, 24.1% K).  What do I think about his first taste of Double-A? I won’t try to convince you that he is dominating the level, as the proof is in the performance. However, given his age, I am not concerned. He has shown enough “signs” to keep me satisfied.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (3), K
Avina has reached base in 12 of 13 games since his promotion. 
   RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-0
2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-3, BB
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, 2B (14), 2 R
.279/.344/.460 in 378 PA (14 doubles, 6 triples, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 53 R, 7.4% BB, 21.2% K). He is on an 8-game hitting streak that includes five multi-hit games.
RF-CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, R, CS (3)
Since promotion: .238/.331/.449 in 172 PA.  His OPS here (.780) is higher than his number in Hudson Valley (.739). 
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, K
Frick’s first Double-A hit goes over the fence. He is an organizational catcher type, which always has value (and some of them make it to MLB, since they are catchers with a pulse.)
LF Cam Eden: 1-for-3, CS (3), K
DH Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2 K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
4.50 ERA (46 IP, 52 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 6 HR, 18 BB, 42 K). He finishes July with a 2.41 ERA (7.27 in June)
LHP Ryan Anderson (W, 2-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Indigo Diaz (S, 3): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (59-36; 22-10 second half) (Defeated Wilmington, 4-3)

CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-3, 2B (16), 2 R, BB
.247/.346/.348 in 382 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 44 RBI, 47 R, 19-for-20 SB). He is hitting .303/.404/.474 in July.
DH Dillon Lewis: 1-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI, R, BB, 2 K
Lewis is the owner of an 11-game hitting streak (18-for-52 (.346); 4 doubles, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R). He is now hitting .246/.310/.455 in 185 PA since his promotion and is approaching a 20/20 campaign overall (17 HR/20 SB).
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-4
Colmenares is on a 7-game hitting streak. This was the first game that didn’t feature an extra-base hit.
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, 2 K
Moylan is on a 5-game hitting streak and is 18-for-64 (.281) in July.
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4
C John Cristino: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, K

RHP Cade Smith: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
Smith threw 57 pitches today as he continues his rehab (though it isn’t technically a rehab stint!)
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 4-2): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Huey Morrill (S, 6): 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
At this level: 0.24 ERA (37.1 IP, 13 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 30 K). As you may suspect, this comes with a low BABIP (.151)

Tampa (46-49; 10-20 in the second half)  (Split a doubleheader agaisnt Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 12-5)

3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, R, K
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
C Engelth Urena: 2-for-4
.206/.330/.324 in 385 PA. Urena, known for his extra-base hit potential, has only one (a double) in his last nine games. He is 13-for-67 (.194/.280/.284) in July.
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-3
Rodriguez left the game due to injury.
   RF Marshall Toole: 0-for-0, R, HBP
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, R, 2 K
LF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-1, HR (1), RBI, R, 3 BB
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, RBI, K
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Brandon Decker (L, 1-4): 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
The results haven’t been great, but he did hit 97.1 MPH. It’s an arm you want to see develop while understanding that having a good arm is only a piece of the puzzle.
RHP Sean Hermann: 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Juan Sanchez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Sanchez, listed as a catcher, makes his Low-A debut as a pitcher. Given he wasn’t even reaching 70 MPH, this isn’t a “conversion” situation – they were out of pitchers with a second game on tap.

Game 2 (Won, 5-1)

SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-3
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, 2B (8), K
Perez has a modest 5-game hitting streak (5-for-19). That said, it may be modest, but he was in a deep slump before it started.
DH Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, K
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, R
Yesterday: “He’s a good bat-to-ball guy without much pop.”  Today: Hits a double and a homer during a doubleheader.
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-2, RBI, R, K
LF Hans Montero: 1-for-2, 2B (9), 2 RBI, R, K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-1, BB, K

RHP Jose M. Rodriguez (W, 1-0): 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
Rodriguez, making his Low-A debut, reached 94.9 MPH. The 21-year-old pitched to a 2.25 ERA in 44 innings for the FCL, striking out 45 while walking 27.
RHP Gus Hughes: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-24)

Day off.

DSL Bombers (21-19)

Day off.

Yankees MILB 7/18: Brendan Beck: 5 Hitless Innings

Notes:

In case you missed it (or you want to read it for the 50th time), I wrote up a mid-season review of the Yankees’ system.

OF Spencer Jones was missing from tonight’s Scranton lineup. That raises an eyebrow because the Railriders just had four days off. As I said last week, being out of a lineup doesn’t mean a trade is coming. Something is up because there isn’t a reason to give him five days off. If it is injury-related, I hope it isn’t the same injury that caused him to miss weeks of action earlier this season.

The Yankees signed several undrafted free agents to minor league deals:

OF Eric Genther
RHP Tommy O’Rourke
OF Robbie Burnett

The left-handed hitting Genther spent his entire collegiate career (that still happens?) with Rhode Island. This season, at age 23, he hit .361/.478/.584 with ten homers and 53 RBI in 60 games. While he has experience in LF and CF, he spent the entire 2025 season in right field.

Burnett, who also hits lefty, spent the 2025 season at the University of Georgia (transferred from UNC Asheville). He hit 307/.477/.693 with 20 homers, 66 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 56 games. When a hitter does that in the SEC, you notice. While listed as an outfielder, he played 20 games at second base in addition to 34 games in right field, four games in left field, and two games in center field.

O’Rourke is a 23-year-old who spent 2025 pitching for Vanderbilt. It was his first action since 2022, when he threw for Stanford. This year, he posted a 4.02 ERA in 15.2 innings with an 18/6 K/BB. The fact that he caught Stanford’s eye in the first place tells you he had talent coming out of high school.

By the way, in addition to drafting Jeff Kent‘s son (Kaeden Kent), the Yankees drafted Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, son of Mark Grudzielanek, in the latest example of how old I am getting. He was drafted in the 20th (final) round out of USC.

Plenty of the 2025 draftees were assigned to the FCL. That doesn’t mean they will make their debuts immediately, but we might see a few of them before the FCL season ends on July 24th. Some may get playing time for Tampa. In 2024, many of the draftees/undrafted free agent signings went that route, including Brendan Jones, Marshall Toole, and Parks Harber. As you may suspect, pitchers are less likely to debut.

Injury Log

Scranton (53-37; 15-3 in second half) (Defeated Worcester, 11-3)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, SB (13), CS (7), BB
He will likely have to tone down that baserunning. Anyway, Rodriguez has a 10-game hitting streak (12-for-38; .316) and is hitting .313/.413/.411 at this level.
DH Jose Rojas: 3-for-4, 2B (23), HR (14), RBI, 2 R, BB, K
RF Everson Pereira: 1-for-5, HR (16), 2 RBI, 2 R
Pereira is 14-for-39 (.359; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 13 R) in July and has 16 homers in 61 games. Over his minor league career, he has 82 homers in 1,720 plate appearances (392 games).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-5, HR (11), 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
Rumfield has a 6-game hitting streak and has compiled six multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. In those nine games, he is 17-for-38 (.447; 4 doubles, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 8 R). His triple slash has climbed from .281/.365/.462 to .302/.380/.493.
3B Jeimer Candelario: 2-for-5, 2B (5), 2 RBI, K
2B Nicky Lopez: 1-for-5, R, 2 K
LF Ismael Munguia: 2-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, R, SB (21)
SS Andrew Velazquez: 2-for-3, 2B (12), RBI, R, SB (23), BB
CF Duke Ellis: 0-for-3, SAC, K

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 2-0)  5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K (new personal best)
Beck throws 79 pitches in a dominant effort. This drops his Scranton ERA to 3.89 (23.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 HR, 3 BB, 22 K). A healthy Beck has “modern day bulldog” potential, given that he can keep the walks low. The keyword in that sentence is “healthy”. While Beck is not a consistently hard thrower, he did dial up to 94.2 MPH today and generated 12 whiffs with his slider/curve combo.
RHP Baron Stuart: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The Yankees probably like his mid-90s sinker, though swing-and-miss is an issue (zero strikeouts in six innings since his promotion). 
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
4.17 ERA (36.2 IP, 22 H, 17 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 39 BB, 36 K).
RHP Joel Kuhnel: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Zach Messinger: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
5.16 ERA (52.1 IP, 56 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 4 HR, 34 BB, 51 K). As reliever: 2.59 ERA (24.1 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 15 BB, 25 K)

Somerset (48-40; 13-6 in second half) (Defeated Hartford, 8-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5, 2B (9), K
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 K
Flores has 28 multi-hit efforts this season. 
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, 2B (12), RBI, 2 R, 3 K
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, R, BB, K
Avina’s first Double-A homer (9th HR overall this season).
CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-3, R, SB (8), 2 BB, K
Jones started slow here but is now 13-for-40 (.325; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R, 6-for-6 SB, 9 BB, 10 K) in July.
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB, K
Since promotion: .260 (13-for-50).
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, HR (14), 3 RBI, R, 2 K
Hardman has four doubles and three home runs in 11 July games. His trade value isn’t much, but if Andres Chaparro and Eric Wagaman can find MLB jobs, perhaps Hardman can too.
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-2, 2 BB
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Luis Gil: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
Gil allowed a 2-run homer to the third batter he faced before settling in. He threw 57 pitches tonight and likely has a few more rehab starts to get through.
RHP Hayden Merda: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Merda was used as a bridge tonight.
LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 2-2)  4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Selvidge piggybacked off of Gil and put together a strong effort. At this level: 3.07 ERA (29.1 IP, 19 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 19 BB, 25 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (52-34; 14-8 second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 9-3. Former Yankees’ farmhand Gabriel Barbosa got some revenge on his former organization by tossing five hitless innings)

LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
CF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-4, RBI
Lewis collects their only two hits. He owns a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-19; 1 double, 2 HR). 
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
DH Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, K

LHP Griffin Herring: (L, 3-2) 4 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
One of the Yankees’ biggest 2025 success stories couldn’t find a groove in his first start out of the break, though damage was limited. He required 90 pitches to get those 12 outs. Since promotion: 2.22 ERA (44.2 IP, 32 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 20 BB, 44 K). Overall, he has passed the 100 strikeout mark (102/36 K/BB over 89.1 innings)
RHP Matt Keating: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.52 ERA (23 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 21 K)
RHP Chris Kean: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (45-41; 9-12 in second half) (Lost to Dunedin, 4-3)

C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, R, 2 K
CF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-1
I am not sure why he left the game.
   CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, R, BB
Toole is the proud owner of a 10-game hitting streak (15-for-34 with two doubles and five triples. How often do you see five triples during a 10-game hitting streak?)  His triple slash has climbed from .287/.388/.443 to .313/.418/.502.
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-2, R, 2 SB (22), 2 BB, K
Broken record. I am not sure why he left the game.  If you want some positive news for their struggling bonus baby, he has hit fairly well in July (.244/.358/.467; 1 double, 3 HR).
  1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1, K
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, CS (2), 2 BB, K
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-4, SB (3)
Since promotion: 9-for-36 (1 double, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3-for-3 SB, 4 BB, 4 K)
1B-2B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, 3 K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-0, SB (8), BB
More broken records: I am not sure why he left the game. 
   PH-2B-SS Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, K

LHP Allen Facundo: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Facundo continues to hum. Tonight, he reached 99.7 MPH and averaged 96.4…with his sinker. His 4-seam fastball “only” reached 98.4. He also uses a slider (his top pitch tonight – 40%). Signed for an undisclosed amount, his main issue is health. Including tonight, he has tossed 121.1 innings in his career (which traces back to 2021). He has the talent – can he harness it and stay healthy?
RHP Gus Hughes: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Sean Hermann: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.96 ERA (41.1 IP, 24 H, 16 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 27 BB, 35 K). One loves a reliever who can keep the ball in the ballpark. The walks have come down considerably since April, but remain something he needs to work on.
RHP Justin Lange (L, 1-1): 0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
That didn’t go according to plan.
RHP Cade Austin: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL (25-29 – they have no shot at the playoffs) (Lost to the FCL Tigers (35-20), 7-6)

DH Dexters Peralta: 2-for-5, R
After a miserable start (he was hitting .097 on July 1st), Peralta is 10-for-30 (.333). That’s enough to raise his average to .154.
C Ediel Rivera: 2-for-3, SB (9), CS (4), K
   RF Luis Puello: 1-for-2, HR (3), 2 RBI, R
1B-C John Cristino: 3-for-5, HR (4), RBI, 2 R, SB (6)
Cristino is 30-for-90 (.333/.396/.544) with four homers, 16 RBI, and 20 runs.
LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-4, R
.287/.326/.437 in 92 PA.
SS Kevin Verde: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 3 RBI

RHP Omar Gonzalez: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 3 K
I think this is known as a “bend-don’t-break” performance/

DSL Yankees (14-20) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 10-4)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, BB, 2 K
.279/.406/.327 in 128 PA (5 doubles, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 26 R, 5-for-6 SB)
SS Mani Cedeno: 0-for-3, R, 2 SB (7), 2 BB, 2 K
.176/.364/.235 in 132 PA (2 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 26 R, 7-for-8 SB). Reps, reps, reps.
2B Carlos Bello: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (2), BB
.260/.405/.438 in 121 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 25 R, 7-for-9 SB). Impressive for a 17-year-old in his debut campaign.
3B Richard Matic: 2-for-3, R, 2 BB, K
.341/.475/.560 in 120 impressive plate appearances. How crazy is this league? Not only is Matic not in the top ten in any category, but there is a hitter at this level (Cristian Arguelles (COL)) who is hitting .463/.561/.720 with 12 doubles and 45 RBI in 33 games.
C Edgar Jimenez: 2-for-4, R, K
.324/.378/.441 in 37 PA.

DSL Bombers (17-17) (Knocked off the DSL Yankees, 10-4)

SS Stiven Marinez: 2-for-5, 2B (4), RBI, 2 R, SB (19), 2 K
Marinez is hitting .250/.431/.313 in 130 PA. This season will be considered a success for the 17-year-old.
CF Ruben Castillo: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (12), BB
Castillo’s debut season has its ups and downs. He has back-to-back multi-hit games to build on.
LF Jose Castro: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB (10), BB, K
28-for-32 stealing bases in 50 career games.
C Carlos Villarroel: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K
2B Juan Torres: 1-for-2, SF, 3 RBI, R, SB (10), BB
Torres is having an under-the-radar debut campaign, hitting .333/.398/.457 in 93 plate appearances. He is 17.
3B Leni Done: 0-for-3, RBI, SB (7), BB, 2 K

RHP Carlos Hampshire (W, 2-2): 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
RHP Diego Carrillo: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 6/22: Another Strong Effort for Griffin Herring

Notes:

I have concluded that we aren’t receiving accurate roster updates from Hudson Valley. Today, they announced that OF Jace Avina was activated off the injured list. The problem? From what I can find, it was never announced that he was ever on the list.

Keep that in mind while you wonder what the heck happened to RHP Ben Hess (last year’s first-round pick ), who hasn’t pitched since the end of May, and infielder Parks Harber. There is a good chance that both are currently on the injured list. We just haven’t been told about it.

By the way, I am not complaining. They don’t have to tell us anything. But I assume they have to submit the transactions, so perhaps it is milb.com that is missing in action.

What do we know? That RHP Brendan Beck has been promoted to Scranton. RHP Allan Winans, who was promoted to the Yankees to take LHP Ryan Yarbrough‘s spot in the rotation, was scheduled to pitch today. Beck took his place. Is this permanent? Unknown. I don’t think Jesus Rodriguez‘s promotion was supposed to be permanent, but he forced the issue.

Either way, Beck earned this chance by posting a 1.82 ERA (2.54 FIP) over 54.1 innings. He owns a 24.8% K, 5.7% BB, and 37.2% GB.

Injury Log

Scranton (38-34) (Defeated Louisville, 3-2)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2B (8), 2 RBI, SB (8)
.306/.420/.442 in 183 PA (8 doubles, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 28 R, 8-for-13 SB, 13.1% BB, 7.1% K). Vivas had a 20.8% K in his brief MLB tenure.
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, BB, K
.246/.340/.470 in 212 PA. What do I think of his MLB chances? He has the power to hit home runs at the big league level. I am confident there.  I am skeptical about his swing-and-miss, and there is a fine line between a player who develops into an everyday player vs. someone like Bryan De La Cruz.
DH-1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4
.278/.366/.474 in 268 PA. As I often say, the Yankees seemingly don’t have faith in his ability to play in the big leagues (and nobody else bit during the Rule 5 draft). However, I expect him to get a shot in MLB.
LF Brennen Davis: 0-for-1, K
Davis was taken out of the game after a play in left field to close out the third inning.
  PH-LF Ismael Munguia: 2-for-3, R
He wasn’t expecting to play, but ended up having a good day.
1B CJ Alexander: 1-for-4
Alexander is 6-for-25 since joining the organization.
  P Zach Messinger: 0-for-0
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, RBI, K
C Alex Jackson: 1-for-4, 2B (6), R, K
Off to a hot start, Jackson has since settled in to be…well, Alex Jackson. He is hitting .237/.310/.468 and is 4-for-43 in June.
2B Braden Shewmake: 1-for-4, 2B (8), R
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 1-0)  6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Well, if this was only supposed to be an emergency start, he did his best to make it a difficult decision to move him back down! One thing today gives us is Savant data! Beck used mostly a 3-pitch mix (4-seamer, slider, curve) with a cutter mixed in. Savant also picked up on one change-up, which may be a misread. His fastball maxed at 93.7 and didn’t generate a whiff. His slider, however, generated five. I don’t think Beck was ever projected as a big strikeout guy, and he could be used as trade bait next month. For now, I am impressed that he has looked so good given how much time he has missed.
LHP Brent Headrick: 1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Zach Messinger: (S, 1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Messinger earns his fourth career save.  As a reliever: 2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). Today, he maxed out at 96.5 MPH as he featured mostly his fastball (50%)/slider (48%) combo.

Somerset (35-34) (Knocked off New Hampshire, 12-5, to get above .500)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, R, K
Riggio is 18-for-67 with four doubles and six home runs since his promotion. You did know the home run surge would end at some point, right? He has one in his last nine games.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, RBI, K
Lombard Jr. started June 3-for-21. He is 15-for-53 (.283) since. It seems he is reaching a comfort level, which is what we want to see.
DH Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, HR (15), RBI, 2 R, K
Perhaps he deserved the headline for the third day in a row, but I went for variety. Given that Jones missed so much time, being only four home runs behind the minor league leader is impressive. Last ten games: 17-for-36 (.472; 2 doubles, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R, 2-for-2 SB). He has three straight multi-hit games, and his OPS is an Eastern League-leading .994. His SLG, which also leads the Eastern League, is just a tad below .600 (.59876). Jones is Rule 5 eligible this winter, which only means he will be on the 40-man roster if he isn’t traded.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, 2 2B (18), RBI, 2 R, 3 K
Flores has 32 doubles and 27 home runs in 133 Double-A games. 
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, BB, K
Jasso is hitting .284 with a .844 OPS (10 doubles, 4 triples, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 38 R). He has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. He has been one of the system’s most consistent bats since Opening Day.
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, SF, RBI
CF Brendan Jones: 3-for-5, 2 2B (3), HR (1), 3 RBI, 3 R, K
Jones is up to .241 with a .682 OPS since his promotion. This is due to an 11-for-32 (.344) surge over his last eight games. 
1B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-5, 2B (13), HR (11), 3 RBI, 2 R
Hardman had two shots at the cycle but couldn’t get that elusive triple. Given he only has five in 371 minor league games, that is hardly a surprise.
RF Cam Eden: 0-for-3, SB (2), 2 BB, 2 K

RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The “trickle down” effect – they needed Winans in MLB and Beck in Scranton, so someone had to start for Somerset. This was Vinyard’s first start since who knows when, as he was nothing but a reliever in college as well.
RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 3-4)  2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Danny Watson: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Baron Stuart: (S, 1)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Stuart’s first professional save.

Hudson Valley (40-27) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 3-1)

LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
CF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, K
Between here and Tampa: .233/.295/.462 in 275 PA (11 doubles, 4 triples, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 42 R, 15-for-16 SB, 7.6% BB, 26.9% K). He has cut down on the strikeouts in Hudson Valley (23.8%), and his lower batting average (.195) could be attributed to the .204 BABIP.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-1, R, SB (11), 3 BB, K
Morales’ stolen bases were a fun storyline last year, though I have dropped it this year. He has 45 stolen bases in 174 games over the past two seasons after going 1-for-3 in 104 collegiate contests.
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, SB (5), BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Luis Durango: 0-for-2, BB
Durango is 12-for-42 (.286/.345/..286) since returning from his rehab stint.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, 3 K
DH Duncan Pastore: 0-for-3, K

LHP Griffin Herring: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Since his promotion: 0.76 ERA (23.2 IP, 16 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 20 K). Overall: 1.05 ERA (68.1 IP, 40 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 23 BB, 78 K). Herring has the lowest ERA among qualified minor league pitchers at every full-season level (including the FCL and DSL would be foolish).  Can he make it to Somerset this year? That likely wasn’t the plan, but plans often change. I think it was smart not to push him there today, though there was a need. But at some point in the second half?  Sure.
RHP Josh Grosz: (L, 4-5)  3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
3.55 ERA (63.1 IP, 44 H, 29 R, 25 ER, 3 HR, 27 BB, 73 K). His profile shows a lot of promise, including a solid strikeout rate. Additionally, he has cut down on the home run rate this year. The walks? Still needs some work there.

Tampa (37-31) (Lost to Bradenton, 5-3)

C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, R, BB
.194/.353/.223 in 266 PA (6 doubles, 0 HR, 19 RBI, 29 R, 4-for-5 SB, 18% BB, 21.4% K). I told myself at the beginning of the season not to worry much about his numbers, and I will stick to that…for now.
LF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
All of Sanchez’s homers have come in the last ten games. He has seven in 128 career games. Baseball!  He is hitting .273/.352/.443 in 210 plate appearances.
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-4
.182/.310/.261 in 210 PA (11 doubles, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 25 R, 18-for-23 SB, 15.2% BB, 27.6% K). In a sea of disappointing “stuff” on his profile, the one that strikes me the most is the power. He is showing nothing in that department.
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, HBP, BB
.212/.344/.342 in 282 PA (9 doubles, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 41 R, 5-for-6 SB, 14.2% BB, 18.4% K). He has eight HBP – ouch. 
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, R, SB (20), BB
Matheus is third (behind Brendan Jones (25) and George Lombard Jr. (24)) in the organization in stolen bases.
RF Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 3 K
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-4, SB (20)
See the note on Juan Matheus. 
1B Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, HBP, K
2B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-4

RHP Andrew Landry: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.26 ERA (57 IP, 61 H, 34 R, 27 ER, 4 HR, 21 BB, 56 K). June: 4 starts, 2-0, 0.82 ERA, 22 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 19 K. His ERA was 6.43 entering this month.  Landry is trying to be the latest mid-to-late round pick (16th round is now considered “late”) who the Yankees turn into something valuable.
RHP Gus Hughes (L, 4-2): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cade Austin: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.96 ERA (27.1 IP, 26 H, 16 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 30 K). 
RHP Jack Sokol: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.00 ERA (24 IP, 23 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 18 K). He has six straight scoreless appearances.

FCL (17-19)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (5-9)

Day off.

DSL Bombers (6-8)

Day off.

Yankees MILB 6/15: Brennen Davis Homers Again

Notes:

SS Santiago Gomez was promoted from the FCL to Tampa today.

The 21-year-old (yes, he was old for the FCL) was hitting .273/.356/.325 with a homer and 12 RBI in 90 plate appearances. Additionally, he stole 13 bases in 14 attempts. Last season, in 95 plate appearances, he put together a .321/.421/.420 line. From what I can tell, he signed for $10,000 in 2022.

While listed as a shortstop, Gomez plays multiple positions. Over his career, he has played 54 games at third base, 36 at shortstop, 33 at second, four in left field, and four in right field. He figures to use that utility in Tampa, as Roderick Arias will get the bulk of the time at shortstop. I see no indication that Arias will be promoted to Hudson Valley, nor should he be.

I will also note that Austin Green, who has played a lot of second base in 2025, has appeared in only one game since June 7th.

DH Giancarlo Stanton missed his second straight game today. It’s soggy and cold in New Jersey, and that is the likely reason. It looks like it won’t impact his return date, though.

Injury Log

Scranton (35-31) (Held off Syracuse, 8-6. The Railriders sweep the 6-game series)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, R, K
Rodriguez has reached base safely in all 12 of his June games. When you are 15-for-46 (.326) during a month and it brings your batting average down, you know you are having a great season. 
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (7), CS (5), BB, K
All we know about Vivas is that Triple-A isn’t presenting a challenge, but MLB is. It is too early to call him a “AAAA” player, even if you are tempted.
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
.255/.346/.485 in 191 PA (5 doubles, 11 HR, 33 RBI, 41 R, 5-for-6 SB, 11.5% BB, 32.5% K). 
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB
LF Brennen Davis: 1-for-4, HR (5), 3 RBI, R
Davis has five home runs in ten games since his promotion (10 HR in 24 games overall. Again, that includes three in six FCL rehab games.) He is hitting .405/.463/.892 in Triple-A. Completely sustainable.
3B CJ Alexander: 1-for-3, R, SB (1), BB, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (11), 2 RBI, R
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, R, 2 SB (9), BB
Shewmake has a 9-game hitting streak and is 5-for-5 stealing bases this month.

RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 5-5)  5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
4.50 ERA (64 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 32 ER, 8 HR, 21 BB, 63 K)
LHP Brent Headrick: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Jayvien Sandridge (S, 2): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Sandridge did allow two inherited runners to score in the 9th.

Somerset (29-34) (Defeated Portland, 3-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 3B (3), 2 K
.208/.340/.296 in 153 PA here. .256/.405/.372 in 264 PA overall. If you still want to see the home run power show up, that is understandable.
2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, 3 K
After his barrage of extra-base hits, he is 1-for-14 in his last four games. Baseball!
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, R, BB
.277/.333/.475 in 264 PA. 
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, R, BB
.282/.349/.488 in 235 PA (9 doubles, 4 triples, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 35 R, 6.8% BB, 21.3% K). He isn’t a walk machine, but there is no denying his consistency this year. Have the Yankees found a hidden gem amongst the Junior College ranks?
  PR Cam Eden: 0-for-0
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-0
CF Brendan Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, R, SB (2)
Jones earns his first Double-A multi-hit game. Like anyone of his ilk, getting on base is key. He is 25-for-29 stealing bases in 55 games.
LF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (13), K
Martin has five hits in his last two games (5-for-28 in June before these two games)
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Brendan Beck: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
1.82 ERA (54.1 IP, 38 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 52 K). He tossed 80 pitches, which is their limit for him (his season high is 81). That’s to be expected given his history of injuries.
RHP Indigo Diaz: (W, 4-1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Baron Stuart: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Will Brian:   1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
At this level: 2.75 ERA (19.2 IP, 16 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 23 K)
RHP Kelly Austin (S, 4): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.29 ERA (19.2 IP, 16 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 17 K). Austin is a perfect 7-for-7 closing games in his career—a random, useless stat.

Hudson Valley (36-24) (Lost to Greenville, 8-4)

RF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-5, HR (2), RBI, R
Lewis swats his 11th home run this year (to go with his ten doubles and 15 stolen bases). His strikeout percentage is 19.7% since his promotion (28.2% for Tampa).
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, R, SB (12)
It is a little surprising that Castillo’s power isn’t showing up (he slugged .426 last season, including .514 in 21 games at this level). This year, his SLG is .314. On the bright side, he is a perfect 12-for-12 stealing bases.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2B (12), R, HBP, K
Morales is 15-for-52 (.288) in June. 
LF Duke Ellis: 2-for-4, SB (1), K
I know it’s just a rehab stint, but it’s still funny to see Ellis in the cleanup spot.
  LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-1, 2B (5)
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, HBP, K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-4, 2B (7), R, SB (7), BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, RBI, K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-1, SB (2), 2 HBP, BB

LHP Kyle Carr: (L, 1-5)  4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
A rough afternoon for Carr. Season: 3.35 ERA (53.2 IP, 40 H, 25 R, 20 ER, 26 BB, 41 K)
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The ERA is back under 1.00 (0.98; 27.2 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 34 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.50 ERA (18 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 20 K). Keating had a full season (40 games, 69.1 IP) at this level last year.
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 0 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Yulie has handled his transition to the pen well – today wasn’t his day.
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Yulie didn’t give him much to work with, but he did allow all three inherited runners to score.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Hayden Merda: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (34-28) (Split a doubleheader with Clearwater. They end the weekend 0.5 games ahead of Clearwater and two games behind Lakeland in the first-half title chase)

Game 1 (Lost, 6-3)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-2, R, BB
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, K
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-3, RBI, R, K
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
RF Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (5), 2 RBI, K
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-3, K
2B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-2, HBP
Gomez’s Low-A debut.

LHP Xavier Rivas: (L, 0-1)  4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 3.65 ERA (12.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 10 BB, 8 K)
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
5.28 ERA (30.2 IP, 32 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 6 HR, 21 BB, 23 K)

Game 2 (Won, 4-3, in eight innings)

SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K
.171/.310/.257 in 184 PA. He is up to 163 Low-A games (736 PA) with a .218/.329/.360 triple slash. That is hardly inspiring.
CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-3, 2B (5), BB, K
Perez has ten multi-hit efforts this season.
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-4
Urena has eight multi-hit efforts this season.
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, BB
.275/.352/.355 in 233 PA (14 doubles, 1 triple, 0 HR, 27 RBI, 31 R, 19-for-26 SB)
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K
.291/.377/.383 in 236 under-the-radar plate appearances. Even with a hitless doubleheader, he is hitting .436/.540/.487 (17-for-39) in June.
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, R, SAC, K
A nice day for Montero. He is hitting .250/.348/.397 in 159 PA (.282/.364/.462 in June)
LF Marshall Toole: 0-for-3, RBI, R, BB, K
He walks it off with an RBI fielder’s choice!
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

LHP Tanner Bauman: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Cade Austin: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Veach: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.85 ERA (24.1 IP, 19 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 HR, 14 BB, 35 K). His run of scoreless appearances ended in his last appearance. Perhaps this is the start of a new streak.
RHP Brady Kirtner (W, 3-2): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.51 ERA (32.1 IP, 19 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 16 BB, 34 K)

FCL (15-16)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (3-6)

Day off.

DSL Bombers (3-6)

Day off.