Yankees MILB 7/14: Jared Serna: 2 HR, 7 RBI

News:

What do I think about the Yankees draft?

I don’t pretend to be something I am not. I don’t follow much college baseball and I sure as heck don’t pay attention to high school baseball – so how much can I really know?

It seems like a bit of a typical draft – perhaps a little more “meh” than some recent ones.  They will pay George Lombard Jr. an over-slot bonus, pay players without much leverage well below their slot, and mix in some of the kids they drafted beyond the 10th round. I will read up more on them as they make their debuts. Until then, I grade their draft somewhere between a 20 and an 80 on the 20-80 scale.

You are going to start to see Top 100 lists come out. As you get lower on those lists, remember that publications are choosing between several players for the last several slots. Is there a major difference between #97 and #105? Probably not – but it still is beneficial to find yourself on the list.

Baseball America had a nice write-up on Chase Hampton as one of their “Notable Risers.”  He went from unraked to 61st. Meanwhile, Prospects Live! didn’t rank him at all (and only ranked two Yankees – Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones).

The Yankees signed veteran cornerman Jake Lamb to a minor league deal. Lamb, who has experience playing all four corner positions, hit .216/.259/.353 with two home runs in 18 games for the Angels earlier this season. In 723 career games, he has a .235/.326/.427 (97 OPS+) line with 96 home runs. Most of the good stuff was compiled back in 2016-2017 when he hit 59 home runs and drove in 196 runs in 300 games for Arizona.

Scranton (41-44; 7-4 in the second half) (Lost to Norfolk, 7-3)

CF Estevan Florial0-for-3, 2 BB, K
47 walks in 68 games (54 in 101 games last season)
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Peraza has nine walks in eight July games. He is only 6-for-30, so the walks have helped keep him afloat during a bit of a down period.
LF Everson Pereira1-for-4, RS, 2 K
Pereira has hit safely in all five games since his promotion. He is 10-for-21, so this isn’t a situation where he is “simply” earning a hit a game.
DH Ben Rortvedt0-for-4, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro0-for-4, 3 K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-3, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Narvaez is hitting .273/.418/.463 in 153 PA since his promotion. If the goal truly is to keep Austin Wells behind the plate, he will need to catch most of the time when he comes to this level. Assuming he ever does come to this level.
1B Jake Lamb1-for-4, 2B (1)
Lamb’s first game as a member of the Yankees organization.
2B Jesus Bastidas1-for-3, HR (9), RBI, RS, BB
.261/.325/.436 in 268 PA. Bastidas continues to flash some pop (last year, he hit 18 home runs and slugged .427 down in Somerset)
RF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, BB, K, SB (7)
Lockridge is 24-for-27 stealing bases between here and Somerset. 

RHP Will Warren: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Since promotion: 4.74 ERA (38 IP, 34 H, 26 R, 20 ER, 8 HR, 18 BB, 39 K). He was on a bit of a roll entering tonight, so hopefully this is just a blip.
RHP Michael Gomez1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Matt Krook1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: (L, 4-2) 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Well, he might not last on the 40-man roster for long.
RHP Zach Greene1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (48-32; 6-6 in the second half) (Defeated Binghamton, 4-2, in a rain-shortened contest)

SS Trey Sweeney2-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB
Nice to see Sweeney earn a few hits. He is now 6-for-26 in July, though that comes with eight walks.
CF Jasson Dominguez2-for-3, RBI, BB, SB (25)
He has the OPS up to .700, courtesy of three multi-hit games in his last four games played. He is 11-for-35 in July.
C Austin Wells1-for-4, RBI, K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, 2B (8), RBI, BB, K
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 4 K
LF Elijah Dunham2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 K, 2 SB (3)
Dunham has one objective: Get back to Scranton. 
2B Max Burt0-for-3, RS, BB, K
DH Josh Breaux1-for-4, 2 K
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Chase Hampton: (W, 1-0)  5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Hampton celebrates his inclusion on the Baseball America Top 100 with a solid performance. He didn’t seem to be on his game early, but he ended up with a strong line. Since promotion: 3.90 ERA (27.2 IP, 22 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 33 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt: (S, 5) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (47-35; 8-8 in the second half) (Lost to Bowling Green, 7-4, in a 6-inning, rain shortened game)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-0, RS, 3 BB
.263/.337/.470. Jones is starting to take some walks, as he has 19 in 30 June/July games. In April/May, he walked 11 times in 39 games. This is the point where you hope he starts putting the power/discipline together all at once.
2B Ben Cowles0-for-2, RS, BB, K
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-3, 2 2B (7), 2 RBI
Ramirez is 16-for-41 (.390) with seven doubles and two home runs since his promotion. That works.
LF Christopher Familia0-for-3
Meanwhile, Familia has struggled since his promotion: 8-for-43 (.186) with a home run and 16 strikeouts.
DH Rafael Flores0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3
1B Spencer Henson0-for-2, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson2-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS
Richardson is hitting .192/.289/.390 in 93 games at High-A going back to last year. He has flashed some pop (18 HR) and speed (13-for-14 SB), but the rest of the game has yet to click.
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 1-7)  4.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
3.80 ERA (73.1 IP, 67 H, 42 R, 31 ER, 11 HR, 37 BB, 89 K). It has been a bit of a roller coaster, but I assume the Yankees feel good about what he has done this season.
RHP Harrison Cohen1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.95 ERA (21.1 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 27 K). 
RHP Carlos Gomez0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (40-42; 9-7 in the second half) (Lost a crazy game to Lakeland, 14-12)

SS Jared Serna3-for-5, 2 HR (16), 7 RBI, 2 RS
Serna has a career night in a season filled with big nights. He is hitting .290/.349/.502 while leading the FSL in home runs (16) and RBI (58) while hitting leadoff all season. Is he due for a promotion soon?
CF Greg Allen1-for-2
Allen starts his rehab assignment.
  
CF Daury Arias0-for-1, BB
C Ben Rice: 2-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
The question with Rice is what you do with him once the rehab is complete – Hudson Valley has Antonio Gomez and Agustin Ramirez. You could move him to Somerset (given his age and dominance of High-A earlier this season), but Austin Wells is there. Rice can squeeze out some playing time at first base, as well.
LF Jesus Rodriguez2-for-4, BB, CS (2)
Rodriguez was caught stealing 3B with two outs in the 9th, team down 14-12. That is what you call a teachable moment.
DH Omar Martinez1-for-5, HR (7), RBI, RS
Martinez has homered in back-to-back games.
2B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, 2 BB
3B Brett Barrera0-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, BB
1B Ronny Rojas1-for-3, 2 RS, BB
RF Felix Negueis1-for-2, RBI, 3 RS, BB, HBP, K

RHP Leonardo Pestana2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
4.97 ERA (38 IP, 36 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 7 HR, 19 BB, 50 K). Pestana made three appearances between 2021-2022, after the entire minor league season was canceled in 2020. Hence, they are taking it very easy with him.
RHP Kris Bow: (L, 2-3) 1.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Bow is a bit of a work in progress – just has to keep going out there and gain experience. 
RHP Shane Gray1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Manny Ramirez0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Yorlin Calderon2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
2.87 ERA (47 IP, 39 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 61 K). I still wonder if the bullpen shift is permanent – the writing may be on the wall since that is the only role he has pitched in this year.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

FCL Yankees (15-11) (Doubled up the Phillies, 8-4)

2B Keiner Delgado1-for-4, HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, HBP, 3 K, SB (16)
.266/.375/.468 in 128 plate appearances. He is only 6-for-34 in July, so hopefully this gets him back on track. 
SS Roderick Arias0-for-2, 2 RS, 3 BB, K
His 13-game hitting streak is over, but we’ll take the three walks. Arias is hitting .281/.430/.528 in 114 PA with 22 RBI, 28 R, and 11 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
3B Hans Montero2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, HBP, SB (12)
.322/.504/.506 in 123 impressive plate appearances. He has reached base safely in 25 of his 26 games.
DH Enmanuel Tejeda0-for-5
CF Willy Montero1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
.313/.370/.458 in 108 PA with 23 runs batted in. The 18-year-old is showing some prospect chops…
RF John Cruz2-for-4, RS, K
LF Joel Mendez2-for-4, RBI, K
C Edinson Duran: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, HBP
20-for-48 (.417) with a pair of doubles and triples. 
1B Kelvin Espino1-for-3, 2B (5), RS, BB, K

RHP Luis Serna3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
One of their intriguing lower-level pitching prospects puts together a strong effort.
LHP Edwar Polimir (W, 3-0): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Sebastian Keane1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
1.62 ERA (16.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 24 K)

DSL Yankees (19-8) (Doubled up the Giants, 10-5)

CF Brando Mayea2-for-5, 2B (6), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (13), CS (3)
.281/.403/.422 in 77 PA with six doubles and a home run. 
C Josue Gonzalez2-for-4, 2B (10), RBI, RS, 2 BB, SB (4)
20-for-44 (.455) with 22 walks and six strikeouts. I don’t care which level you are playing at – that is ridiculous.
3B Santiago Gomez1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, SB (10)
SS Luis Suarez0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
1B Luis Ogando1-for-3, 2B (7), 3 RBI, RS, 2 HBP, K
LF Andres Lacruz2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS, SB (13)

RHP Sabier Marte4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
3.26 ERA (19.1 IP, 18 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 23 K)
RHP Joshua Quezada (W, 3-0): 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

DSL Bombers (12-15) (Lost to the Angels, 7-6)

2B Gabriel Terrero1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (10)
.367/.457/.667 in 70 PA
C Edgleen Perez2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
CF Gabriel Lara1-for-2, SF, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB (9)
RF Ramiro Altagracia2-for-5, 2 RBI, K

Yankees MILB 7/6: Roderick Arias Homers Twice

News:

RHP Zach Greene‘s rehab is over and is on his way to Scranton. Greene has some credibility in the baseball world, as the Mets chose him in last winter’s Rule 5 draft. The 26-year-old pitched to a 3.42 ERA in 68.1 innings with a 96/32 K/BB ratio for Scranton in 2022.

The Yankees claimed LHP Anthony Misiewicz off of waivers from the Tigers organization. He will take the 40-man roster spot that was occupied by RHP Jimmy CorderoThe Yankees will have another 40-man roster decision to make tomorrow when LHP Carlos Rodon is activated off of the 60-day injured list. It is possible they can transfer OF Greg Allen to the 60-day list. It also isn’t impossible that they will simply DFA Misiewicz himself and try to get him through waivers.

Scranton (40-42; 5-2 in the second half) (Leveled Lehigh Valley (again), 18-2. Remember, they won 14-0 last night)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-4, HR (21), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
.295/.391/.601 in 317 PA (11 doubles, 4 triples, 21 HR, 50 RBI, 57 R, 45 BB, 91 K, 18-for-27 SB)
  PH-RF Max Burt0-for-0, BB
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-6, RS, 2 K
DH Ben Rortvedt: 3-for-6, 2 HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
.311/.431/.567 in 109 PA at this level (5 doubles, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 19 R)
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB, K
We love the power – but Chaparro is adding some walks lately. He has walked six times in the last three games and 13 times in his last 11 games.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
LF Franchy Cordero3-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB
3B Jamie Westbrook2-for-5, 3 RS, K
2B Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
RF-CF Brandon Lockridge: 4-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, BB, SB (6)
Lockridge has three 4-hit games in his career. He is hitting .317/.388/.483 since his promotion and .314/.392/.500 overall (12 doubles, 4 triples, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 21 BB, 39 K, 23-for-26 SB)

RHP Mitch Spence: (W, 7-4)  7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
Spence tosses 7+ innings for the second start in a row and 4th time this season. He now owns a 4.45 ERA in 91 IP (90 H, 51 R, 45 ER, 17 HR, 34 BB, 79 K)
RHP Blas Castano: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
He was called up today to replace Deivi Garcia and did his job to close this one out.

Somerset (47-30; 5-4 in the second half) (Lost to Reading, 3-2)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (11), CS (5)
CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-3, BB, 3 K
Dominguez keeps going above and below the Mendoza line – he is back below at .198.
DH Austin Wells0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
1B Eric Wagaman2-for-4, CS (2)
Wagaman is hitting .339 and has four straight multi-hit games (6-game hitting streak)
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3, BB, K
C Josh Breaux0-for-4, 3 K
2B Matt Pita0-for-1, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Chase Hampton5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, HR
Hampton has struck out ten batters exactly four times this season. At this level: 4.03 ERA (22.1 IP, 19 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 26 K). Overall, Hampton is up to 103 strikeouts in 69.1 innings.
LHP Lisandro Santos: (L, 1-3)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Since signing: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 7 K

Hudson Valley (4-33; 6-3 in the second half) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 5-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, BB, HBP, K, 2 SB (21), CS (7)
.263/.330/.470 in 312 PA. I think most would have expected 21 HR and 10 stolen bases, not vise versa. Anyway, he has the athleticism to steal some bases – whether he will do a lot of that in a few years is anyone’s guess.
SS Ben Cowles3-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K
Cowles’ second 3-hit game of 2023. 
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-5, 2 K
You didn’t expect him to hit .500 the rest of the way, right?
DH Christopher Familia0-for-5, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, BB, K
.291/.362/.370 in 257 PA. He isn’t small (6’4″), so you wonder if the Yankees think there is some future power to tap into.
RF Anthony Garcia0-for-3, 2 BB, K
LF Grant Richardson1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP, 3 K
3B Marcos Cabrera2-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
Cabrera has homered in back-to-back games.
2B Luis Santos1-for-2, RS, 2 BB

LHP Joel Valdez: (W, 2-4) 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Too many walks, but he gives them some length and keeps runs off the board.
RHP Jack Neely1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.48 ERA (36.1 IP, 19 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 14 BB, 58 K). At some point, you have to make room at the next level for a prospect.
RHP Indigo Diaz: (S, 1) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR

Tampa (37-41; 6-6 in the second half) (Squeaked past Dunedin, 5-4)

2B Jared Serna: 2-for-5, 2 2B (18), RS, K
Serna now has an 8-game hitting streak (11-for-38; .289). No player goes through a full season without a slump, but Serna has been consistent most of the season.
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
C Ben Rice2-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, RS, K, SB (1)
Rice plays a full game behind the plate, so he is probably close to being done with his rehab. Of course, there are logjams at catcher all over the organization.
1B Omar Martinez2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (5)
3B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
He made his one hit count: Broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the 9th.
CF Daury Arias1-for-4, BB, K
DH Brett Barrera0-for-4, BB
LF Jake Palmer3-for-3, 3B (1), RS, HBP
Palmer has back-to-back 3-hit games. He is hitting .343/.500/.486 in 46 PA since his promotion (9 BB, 2 K)
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Hayden Merda4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
RHP Shane Gray1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Gray had a tough game two outings back (0.2 IP, 5 R) – good to see this kind of bounce back.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (W, 3-2)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.68 ERA (43.2 IP, 32 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 54 K)
RHP Cole Ayers (S, 4): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL Yankees (12-11) (Lost a crazy one to the Blue Jays, 14-10)

DH Keiner Delgado1-for-6, 2B (9), RS, K, SB (15)
Delgado is in a little 4-for-21 slump since the start of July. After drawing 16 walks in June, he has yet to walk in July.
SS Roderick Arias2-for-3, 2 HR (6), 5 RBI, 3 RS, BB, K, SB (9)
Arias’ first career multi-HR game extends his hitting streak to 11. He ties his personal best for RBI in a game, set exactly one month ago.
3B Hans Montero1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 SB (10)
.333/.505/.580 in 109 PA. He has reached base safely in 22 of his 23 games played.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda3-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 SB (15), CS (3)
.347/.534/.528 in 103 PA. He increases his hitting streak to seven and he has reached base safely in 21 of his 22 games played.
CF Willy Montero2-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K
Montero’s third straight 2-hit game.
RF John Cruz1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
LF Dayro Perez2-for-5, RS, K, CS (1)
C Edinson Duran0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
1B Enger Castellano: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
13-for-45 (.289) since the 0-for-9 start to the season.

RHP Ryan Harvey (L, 0-1): 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Every pitcher has their “first rough professional appearance.” Let’s see how he rebounds.
RHP Sebastian Keane: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Yankees (16-6) (Split a doubleheader with the Mets Blue)

Game 1 (Won, 5-1)

3B Luis Suarez1-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K, SB (10)
26-for-30 stealing bases in his 51-game career.
CF Jose Castro2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 K, 2 SB (3)
2B Santiago Gomez2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, RS
.351/.494/.561 in 77 PA with 19 RBI and 19 runs scored. He was a $10,000 signing. One issue is that he is 19, but he won’t turn 20 until April.

RHP Sabier Marte4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
2.93 ERA (15.1 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 19 K

Game 2 (Lost, 14-9, in extra innings)

CF Brando Mayea0-for-2, 3 BB, CS (1)
Four walks in ten June games. Five walks in three July games. 
2B Luis Escudero1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (2)
LF Jhon Imbert1-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB, SB (6)
.294/.456/.529 in 68 PA.
C Gabriel Bersing2-for-5, 3B (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
SS Anthony Pena1-for-2, RBI, RS, 3 BB
The 17-year-old is 10-for-29 with three doubles and a home run.
3B Joshua Leito0-for-0, RS, 4 BB, CS (1)
2-for-6 with seven walks in limited action for the 18-year-old.

DSL Bombers (11-11) (Lost to Astros Blue, 6-2)

DH Edgleen Perez1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
CF Gabriel Lara1-for-3, SF, RBI, K, SB (7)
.271/.397/.475 in 73 PA with 13 RBI and 13 runs scored. The $30,000 signing was described as being one of the fastest runners in all of professional baseball the moment he put his pen to paper. They don’t hand out scores of 80 often on the 20-80 scouting scale, but he got exactly that for his speed. Now to develop everything else.
1B Johan Ferreira1-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (4), CS (1)

RHP Sunayro Martina2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
8.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 14 K

Yankees MILB 6/24: Andres Chaparro Hits a Slam

News:

I have expressed some concern about OF Jasson Dominguez‘s struggles in Double-A. While some of the numbers aren’t good, remind yourself of this: Dominguez made his Double-A debut in 2022 at the age of 19. At 19, Ezequiel Duran was struggling down in Pulaski (at the time, a Yankees’ short-season affiliate) as he hit .201/.251/.311 (48 wRC+; 3.8% BB, 28.7% K). He started to take off in 2019 and was eventually a part of the package for (ugh) Joey Gallo in 2021.

No two prospects are the same. I am not trying to convince you that Dominguez is fine because of what Duran has become. What I am trying to say is that we have to be patient sometimes. “We” includes “me.”

A report from Kiley McDaniel indicates that the Yankees may treat the 2023 MLB draft like they did the 2014 international signing period. Essentially, ignore the rules (well, more like not caring about the rules), load up on premium high school talent, and accept the penalties.

Instead of laying all this out, here is a good thread (courtesy of Bobby Milone):

Yankees to blow up the draft?

Scranton (34-39) (Defeated Buffalo, 7-3)

DH Estevan Florial1-for-3, RS, BB, K
C Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
3B Andres Chaparro2-for-4, 3B (2), HR (15), 5 RBI, 2 RS, K
Chaparro’s grand slam is his 4th HR in his last five games.  The five RBI represent a new personal best. Overall, he is hitting .240 with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 15 HR, 48 RBI, and 46 runs scored. 
RF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, 2 K
1B Rodolfo Duran0-for-4, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-4
LF Michael Hermosillo 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, 3 K
CF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, 2 RS, K, SB (3)
Lockridge is 20-for-23 in the SB department between here and Somerset. At the very least, he offers speed and defense. He is hitting well this season, especially during his Somerset stint.

RHP Mitch Spence: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
4.93 ERA (76.2 IP, 79 H, 48 R, 42 ER, 15 HR, 31 BB, 64 K)
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
RHP Greg Weissert1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (42-25; they have already clinched a playoff berth courtesy of a first-half title) (Defeated New Hampshire, 3-1)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-3, BB
CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
C Austin Wells1-for-4, 2B (10), RBI, 2 K
Wells has ten doubles and ten home runs in 40 games for Somerset this year.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, 2B (6), HBP, K
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, 2 K
DH Anthony Seigler0-for-4
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-2, RS, BB, HBP, SB (5)
Palensky is 15-for-16 in the stolen base department between here and Hudson Valley. He is hitting .231/.447/.442 in 21 games since his promotion.
RF Jeisson Rosario1-for-3, 2 K
2B Delvin Perez1-for-3, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
It only took him 67 pitches to get these 17 outs. My hope is that they wanted Ian Hamilton to pitch in a middle of an inning before they call him up from his rehab.
RHP Ian Hamilton (W, 2-1): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
One has to assume he is close to returning. No need to do that on Sunday, since he won’t be used anyway.
RHP Blas Castano1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
As expected, his appearance with Scranton was a one-off.
RHP Alex Mauricio (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Mauricio continues his recent stretch of strong pitching.

Hudson Valley (39-29; they have already clinched a playoff berth courtesy of a first-half title) (Lost to Brooklyn, 2-0)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (18)
Jones has 30 stolen bases in 84 professional games.
SS Ben Cowles0-for-3, BB, K
.257/.343/.399 in 210 PA. After a strong May, he is struggling in June (14-for-64 (.219)).
1B Rafael Flores1-for-2, 2 BB, K
.292/.354/.366 in 223 PA. 
LF Anthony Garcia1-for-4, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4
.247/.317/.360 in 211 PA (12 doubles, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 23 R, 16 BB, 63 K). His strong June has returned him to some respectability.
RF Grant Richardson0-for-4, 2 K
CF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-4, 3 K
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-3, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-2, BB, K

RHP Juan Carela: (L, 2-3)  6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
The 21-year-old now sports a 3.03 ERA in 62.1 IP (43 H, 26 R, 21 ER, 2 HR, 22 BB, 78 K). Yes, you are looking at a legitimate prospect. As I have said before, I like to look at patterns: Carela threw 99.1 innings for Tampa before being moved to Hudson Valley last season. He is at 90.1 innings for Hudson Valley. Let’s see if they give him a taste of Somerset sometime in the second half.
RHP Jack Neely2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
2.35 ERA (30.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 46 K). It comes as no surprise that the 6’8″ 23-year-old is blazing through this level. 

Tampa (33-35) (Defeated Ft. Myers, 9-7)

2B Jared Serna0-for-4, RS, BB
That rare sight of Serna dropping below .300 (.298). The last time he was under .300 at the end of a game was on May 2. He went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run on May 3.
DH Anthony Hall2-for-5, HR (7), 4 RBI, RS, K
Hall has homered in three straight games. This home run turned a 6-5 deficit into a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the 8th. He is now hitting .287/.396/.472 in 212 PA with 32 walks and 42 strikeouts.
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-5, RS, K
LF Christopher Familia: 3-for-4, 2B (7), HR (11), RBI, 3 RS, HBP, K
In 20 games, Familia is hitting .400 (32-for-80) with 7 doubles, 11 HR, 30 RBI, and 24 runs scored. Video game numbers.
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (15)
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, BB, SB (8)
.299/.385/.441 in 206 PA.
CF Daury Arias0-for-2, RS, BB, HBP
1B Ronny Rojas1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
RF Felix Negueis0-for-3, BB

RHP Justin Lange: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
What, did you expect a well-polished machine for Luke Voit?
RHP Alex Bustamante1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Adam Stone (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Stone’s first professional win. Congrats!
RHP Yorlin Calderon (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Calderon, typically used in a multi-inning role, collects his first professional save. He owns a 2.41 ERA in 37.1 IP (27 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 11 BB, 46 K)

FCL Yankees (9-6) (Defeated the Phillies, 7-4)

3B Keiner Delgado3-for-5, 2 2B (6), 2 SB (13)
This is his second start at 3B (all of his other starts are at second base). He is hitting .317/.431/.467 in 72 PA and leads the FCL with 13 stolen bases.
DH Enmanuel Tejeda0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB
As of this writing, his ten stolen bases rank second in the FCL behind Delgado. He is hitting .326/.536/.543 in 69 PA. The .536 OBP leads the FCL.
CF Willy Montero1-for-4, 3B (1), 3 RBI, RS
.308/.377/.423 in 61 PA.
SS Hans Montero1-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, BB
.320/.521/.660 in 71 PA. He is 5th in the FCL in SLG and 3rd in OBP.
LF John Cruz1-for-3, RBI, BB
Cruz’s 22 RBI (including 14 over the course of two days) lead the FCL.
2B Dayro Perez1-for-3, RS, BB, K, 2 SB (4)
C Edinson Duran1-for-3, RS
13-for-29

RHP Jackson Fristoe3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
I can’t imagine the 22-year-old will be here for long – even with the organizational logjam. This is where “advanced” short-season leagues (ie, Staten Island) used to come in handy.
RHP Zach Greene1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Greene, on a rehab stint, was intriguing enough for the Mets to choose in this past winter’s Rule 5 draft.

DSL Bombers (8-7) (Lost to the Marlins, 10-2)

2B Gabriel Terrero0-for-1, K
Terrero has been one of the better hitters on this squad, so it is worrisome that he left this game early.
CF Ramiro Altagracia2-for-4, K
.289/.347/.511 in 49 PA

RHP Alejandro Gomez: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
16.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K

DSL Yankees (11-3) (Defeated Mets Orange, 5-3)

CF Brando Mayea1-for-4, RS, K, SB (3)
8-for-23 (.348) with three doubles and three stolen bases.
C Josue Gonzalez1-for-4, 2B (5), RS
11-for-31 (.355; 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 10 R, 12 BB, 6 K). This is a juiced-up offensive league, so it is an accomplishment to be in the top five in runs batted in. The leader (Kleimer Lemos (Rangers)) has 24 RBI in 14 games.
3B Santiago Gomez2-for-4, RBI, RS, K, SB (8)
13-for-36 (.361/.528/.639; 4 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 11 BB, 9 K). He has hit safely in ten of his 11 games played (including a 7-game hitting streak)
LF Andres Lacruz1-for-2, RBI, BB, SB (7)
Lacruz is an 18-year-old switch-hitter. He is only hitting .147/.383/.235 but he is showing some on-base skills + the ability to steal bases.

RHP Carlos Hampshire4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Stanly Alcantara (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
The 19-year-old stands 6’6″.

Yankees MILB 6/18: Chase Hampton’s Impressive Double-A Debut

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (31-37) (Lost to Rochester, 3-0)

CF Estevan Florial0-for-5, 2 K
5 PA is a 3-0 game. Anyway, this snaps his 35-game on-base streak.
2B Oswald Peraza1-for-4, SB (11)
.292/.360/.563 in 161 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 24 RBI, 25 R, 10 BB, 24 K, 11-for-13 SB)
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, 2 BB, K, 3 SB (11)
.227/.341/.351 in 264 PA. We are at the point of the season where the climb to get back up to where you need to be is harder. Dunham is certainly hitting better in the last week or so, though. The three stolen bases tie his personal best (did it once in 2021 and 2022)
3B Andres Chaparro0-for-3, BB
.238/.314/.430 in 277 PA (25 straight games without a home run and 10-for-56 (.179) in June)
1B Carlos Narvaez1-for-4, K
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Expect Narvaez and Duran to continue to get plenty of AB as they may need either one in the big leagues if anything happens to Jose Trevino or Kyle Higashioka.
DH Jamie Westbrook1-for-3, BB
RF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, K
He doesn’t get the attention Chaparro does – but he is outhitting him (.267/.327/.436 in 217 PA)

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 4-4)  5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Gomez1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Feliz0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (39-23) (Defeated Altoona, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney2-for-3, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
.249/.364/.400 in 269 PA (13 doubles, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 38 R, 39 BB, 54 K, 9-for-12 SB). He is hitting .296/.359/.535 in June with five doubles and four home runs.
CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
.210/.355/.390 in 262 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 44 R, 48 BB, 70 K, 16-for-19 SB). I am patient with prospects. It is just obvious that Dominguez isn’t one of those prodigies who destroy minor-league pitching at every turn. 
DH Austin Wells0-for-3, RBI, BB
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
.234/.327/.479 in 196 PA (5 doubles, 12 HR, 35 RBI, 28 R, 23 BB, 29 K, 5-for-7 SB). The BABIP is at .208. He isn’t striking out and is hitting for power – hopefully, the average does catch up as the season goes into the second half.
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4
.240/.318/.520 in 201 PA (6 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 32 RBI, 31 R, 21 BB, 61 K)
C Anthony Seigler0-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-3, BB, K
Palensky continues to hit. Someone asked me if he is an organizational guy. At this point, the answer is No. We have to consider him above that at this point because he just keeps hitting.
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-4, 2 K
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, RS, HBP, SB (9)

RHP Chase Hampton: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
A strong debut for Hampton. Between here and Hudson Valley: 2.72 ERA (53 IP, 35 H, 21 R, 16 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 85 K). Incredible performance.
RHP Ian Hamilton (W, 1-0): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Hamilton begins his rehab stint.
RHP Danny Watson1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Since promotion: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Overall: 1.15 ERA (31.1 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 42 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (37-26) (Rocked Rome, 10-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-3, HR (10), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, SB (16)
During his 7-game hitting streak: 13-for-28 (2 doubles, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, 7 K). So far, Jones has shown to be streaky – and that is fine – he will get to Somerset at a young enough age (he just turned 22). Overall, he is hitting .289 in 250 PA (19 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 37 R, 19 BB, 82 K, 16-for-21 SB)
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-5, RS, 2 K
C Rafael Flores2-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, RS, K
Flores is hitting .299. He is only 11-for-50 in June, so maybe this game will get him going again.
DH Anthony Garcia: 0-for-4, RBI (Ejected)
  PH-DH Luis Santos1-for-1, 2B (3)
1B Spencer Henson1-for-4, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, SB (5)
RF Grant Richardson1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (6)
LF Aldenis Sanchez2-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, RS, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-4, RBI, RS

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 6-1)  6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Thorpe in June: 0.00 ERA (21 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 27 K). Overall: 2.64 ERA (64.2 IP, 51 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 22 BB, 79 K). Does he belong in Somerset? Probably. But who am I to say that?
RHP Bailey Dees: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
2.39 ERA (26.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 10 BB, 40 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Tampa (30-33) (Defeated Clearwater, 13-11, in ten innings)

SS Jared Serna1-for-5, HR (13), 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB
All 13 of Serna’s home runs have come in his last 40 games. Serna is hitting .311/.375/.534 in 264 PA (12 doubles, 1 triple, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 44 R, 23 BB, 45 K, 15-for-19 SB). He is turning into quite a fun prospect to follow.
CF Anthony Hall: 2-for-6, HR (4), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
.274/.395/.420 in 190 PA. After a .338/.477/.471 May, he is hitting .286/.379/.464 in June. Not quite as good but he is showing us that he likely doesn’t belong here anymore.
LF Daury Arias2-for-6, 2B (9), 3B (2), RS, K
Last 6 games: 9-for-28 (2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR)
DH Christopher Familia0-for-5, BB
One of the hottest hitters in the organization goes 0-for-5 in a 13-11 game. Baseball!
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-5, 2 RS, BB, K
.240/.367/.387 in 180 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 21 R, 28 BB, 53 K)
3B Jesus Rodriguez2-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.313/.398/.464 in 192 PA. He is 26-for-57 (.456/.537/.754) with ten multi-hit games in June. That is beyond ridiculous.
RF Tayler Aguilar2-for-5, 2B (10), HR (4), 3 RBI, 3 RS, SB (5)
Aguilar needed this. He is hitting .180/.286/.346 in 154 PA.
2B Beau Brewer1-for-2, SF, RBI, RS, 3 BB
1B Ronny Rojas3-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Always nice to see an unheralded kid have a good day.

RHP Baron Stuart4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.89 ERA (28 IP, 23 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 13 BB, 32 K)
RHP Cole Ayers0.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Adam Stone1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Matt Keating (W, 5-4): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
3.25 ERA (27.2 IP, 24 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 16 BB, 44 K)
RHP Alex Bustamante (S, 2): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (7-3) 

Day off.

DSL Bombers (7-3)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (9-1)

Day off.

Yankees MILB 6/10: Fitts, Hampton Dominate

News:

OF Brandon Lockridge is now a member of the Scranton Railriders. The 26-year-old (who can play any of the three outfield positions) hit .313/.395/.510 in 114 plate appearances for Somerset, stealing 17 bases in 19 attempts. Don’t be fooled by the fact he has played mostly RF this season. There are kids named Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira who need their CF reps.

Last year, Lockridge had a shockingly down season, hitting only .230/.300/.378 in 108 games for Somerset. This was after hitting .328/.382/.557 in 43 games for Somerset in 2021. Interestingly, a repeat of his 2021 season may have forced the Yankees to protect him (or trade him). His down season likely kept him from being a Rule 5 target.

He is a legitimate depth outfielder who can make his debut at any point. At the very least, he could be a Tim Locastro type in the big leagues. It is all dependent on what the bat becomes – the glove and speed are in place.

SS Oswald Peraza missed today’s doubleheader against Norfolk. I learned later in the day that he fouled a ball off of his leg in yesterday’s game, so that can explain it.

Scranton (28-33) (Split a doubleheader with Norfolk)

Game 1 (Lost, 4-2)

LF Estevan Florial1-for-4, HR (13), 2 RBI, RS, K
Florial extends his on-base streak to 28. He is four home runs shy of his season-best, set in 2021.
CF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, BB, 2 K
It is always nice to get that first hit out of the way when you join a new level.
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-2, 2 BB
.270/.333/.504 in 150 PA.
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, 2B (10)
Chaparro’s hitting streak reaches 7 (this is his first multi-hit game during the streak)
DH Franchy Cordero0-for-2, BB, K
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-2, BB, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook2-for-3, K
SS Jesus Bastidas0-for-3, 2 K
RF Michael Hermosillo2-for-3, RS
Hermosillo’s first game since 5/20.

RHP Will Warren: (L, 2-3) 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Since promotion: 7.08 ERA (20.1 IP, 23 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 6 HR, 10 BB, 21 K)
RHP Aaron McGarity2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
4.91 ERA (29.1 IP, 17 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 6 HR, 12 BB, 40 K)

Game 2 (Won, 7-6, in 11 innings)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-5, RS, K
Florial extends his on-base streak to 29.
LF Elijah Dunham1-for-5, RS, 2 K, SB (8)
Dunham is 8-for-31 in June. He stole 37 bases in 2022, so he has the ability to run. He simply hasn’t been able to consistently get on base.
C Ben Rortvedt1-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (2)
1B-3B Andres Chaparro0-for-4, RS, BB, K
Chaparro’s 7-game hitting streak is snapped.
RF-1B Franchy Cordero2-for-4, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
3B-2B Jamie Westbrook2-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, BB
DH Carlos Narvaez1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
  PR-RF Michael Hermosillo0-for-1
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-5, RBI
Walk-off RBI single in the 11th.
2B-P Wilmer Difo0-for-4

RHP Colten Brewer1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
They had to go with a bullpen game in Game 2.
RHP James Norwood2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Michael Gomez2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
LHP D.J. Snelten: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Greg Weissert1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Wilmer Difo: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The Railriders ran out of pitchers, so Difo had to do double duty!

Somerset (33-22) (Defeated Hartford, 5-2)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-3, BB, K
Sweeney now has an 8-game hitting streak.
LF Jasson Dominguez0-for-4
.203/.364/.390 in 231 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 39 R, 46 BB, 58 K, 14-for-17 SB). He has a .239 BABIP, which is impacting his bottom line. Overall, his season has been fine – not overwhelming, but fine.
C Austin Wells1-for-4, RS, K
.259/.358/.526 in 134 PA (7 doubles, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 29 K). 
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-3, RS, BB, K, CS (2)
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, RS, K
.234/.327/.455 in 171 PA. He has homered in back-to-back games and in three of his last four games. His power surge is an under-the-radar story.
DH Anthony Seigler1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Seigler is 6-for-21 in June with a pair of doubles and a home run. 
CF Jeisson Rosario1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (7)
Rosario is on a little 5-game hitting streak (6-for-17; HR, 3 SB). Maybe this will get him going.
2B Max Burt0-for-3, HBP, K, SB (8)
RF Aaron Palensky0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Richard Fitts: (W, 3-4): 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, HR
Fitts is starting to cruise along. This is his 4th straight strong start and second time he struck out 10 during this stretch. Overall: 4.25 ERA (59.1 IP, 59 H, 28 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 15 BB, 65 K)
RHP Alex Mauricio1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (32-24) (Shut down Jersey Shore, 4-0)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, 2B (18), RS, BB, 2 K
Jones hasn’t homered in 21 games. He does have 7 doubles during this timeframe, so that’s something.
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-5, 3 K
Vargas is 1-for-27 in June and 1-for-32 if you include the last game in May. Eek. 
C Josh Breaux1-for-5, RS, 2 K
RF Anthony Garcia0-for-4, RBI, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (10), RBI, RS, 2 K
Gomez is 8-for-19 with three doubles and a home run in June. By the way, he hit exactly 10 doubles in both 2021 and 2022. Hopefully, for his sake, he surpasses that number this year.
1B Spencer Henson2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, BB
.282/.358/.500 in 179 PA (10 doubles, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 32 R, 16 BB, 44 K)
LF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-3, BB, K
3B Marcos Cabrera2-for-4, 2B (7), 3B (2), RS
Cabrera is 6-for-19 in June with four doubles and a triple.
2B Luis Santos: 3-for-4, RBI, K, CS (2)

RHP Chase Hampton: (W, 2-1)  5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
The only negative is that it took him 92 pitches, which may be surprising given the lack of hits and walks. Regardless, that is the smallest of nitpicks as he continues his dominant run. Season: 2.68 ERA (47 IP, 31 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 77 K). 77 strikeouts in 47 innings for a pitcher in his first professional season. The Yankees challenged him from the start and he has responded. I am not comparing him to the rise of Joba Chamberlain as every prospect is different – what I will say is that the Yankees were very aggressive with Chamberlain in 2007. He pitched in High-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and New York in his first year. I am putting the cart before the horse – let’s get him to Double-A first.
RHP Luis Velasquez1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
A strong High-A debut for Velasquez, who pitched to a 1.05 ERA in 25.2 IP for Tampa (33/15 K/BB ratio)
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Tampa (25-30) (Beat up on Lakeland, 13-7. The Tarpons have reached double digits in runs scored three games in a row)

2B Jared Serna1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K
.317/.382/.522 in 228 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 33 RBI, 36 R, 20 BB, 39 K, 13-for-17 SB)
CF Daury Arias2-for-6, 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Daury did all of his damage in the 9-run first inning. 
DH Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
.253/.398/.390 in 186 PA. 
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
RF Matt Pita1-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, HBP
Pita (26) is on a rehab stint (this is his first game of the season).
  
RF Felix Negueis1-for-1, RS, BB, SB (2)
LF Christopher Familia1-for-5, RS, 4 K
Familia has a 6-game hitting streak going. He homered in the first five games of the streak.
C Omar Martinez1-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K
Martinez has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games (11-for-34; .324)
3B Ronny Rojas2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, 3 RS, BB, K
1B Beau Brewer2-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Last year’s 19th-round pick has a 10/4 BB/K ratio (nice) but is still looking for his first extra-base hit in 2023.

RHP Justin Lange: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, HR
This kind of stat line should just be dubbed the “Lange”.  Season: 4.30 ERA (37.2 IP, 20 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 2 HR, 30 BB, 65 K)
RHP Matt Keating (W, 4-4): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Bustamante2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.16 ERA (25.2 IP, 14 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 17 BB, 25 K)
RHP Manny Ramirez1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (3-2) (Mauled the Blue Jays, 10-2. This game had the makings of a crazy 25-4 score early, but they didn’t score after the 4th inning)

2B Keiner Delgado2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (4)
I talked a bit about Roderick Arias‘ chances to make it to Tampa this year – I wouldn’t count out Delgado, either. He is now 6-for-18 with eight walks and a 4-for-6 SB rate.
SS Roderick Arias0-for-5, 3 K
The prospect with all the hype didn’t join the party today.
CF Willy Montero3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Montero is now 8-for-15 with a pair of doubles.
DH Hans Montero: 2-for-4, HR (2; grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
His DSL experience wasn’t the best but he has started strong here. You never know when (if?) something will click with a bonus baby.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda4-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, 2 SB (4)
7-for-16 with five runs batted in and a perfect 4-for-4 stealing bases.
LF Dayro Perez0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
After a few games in RF, Perez makes his debut in LF. I have no quarrels with trying to develop him as more of a super-utility type. The up-the-middle field of prospects is a crowded one.
1B Kelvin Espino2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB

RHP Matt Sauer: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
One has to assume he won’t linger down here much longer.
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Fristoe’s professional debut. He is listed at 6’4″ and comes out of Mississippi State.
LHP Edwar Polimir2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
The 22-year-old struck out 59 hitters in 38.1 innings for the DSL squad last year.
RHP Montana Semmel0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Semmel has tossed 32.2 innings at this level, compiling a 3.03 ERA and 31/11 K/BB ratio. If he is healthy, they will get him to Tampa soon enough.

DSL Yankees (5-0) and the DSL Bombers (5-0) both won. The Yankees won a crazy 13-12 game (they were down 12-5) while the Bombers took a much less crazy 5-2 decision.

For the Yankees:
2B Luis Escudero (17) went 2-for-4 with a big 3-run HR (first of his career) with two outs in the 8th inning…C Josue Gonzalez (19) contributed a huge 3-run double…DH Santiago Gomez (19) had a hit, three walks, two runs scored, and a stolen base…CF Andres Lacruz (18) had two hits (including a double), two runs batted in, and a stolen base…For such a crazy game, it ended in a mundane way: An RBI walk by LF Jhon Imbert, one of his three walks…RHP Ernesto Disla (19) calmed things down with 1.1 scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out two…

For the Bombers:

Both LF Abrahan Ramirez and 2B Geyber Blanco had a pair of hits. Blanco’s hits included a double…C Edgleen Perez drove home a pair of runs without a hit. He went 0-for-2 with two walks and an HBP…CF Ramiro Altagracia doubled, walked, and drove home a run…

RHP Joshawn Lampson2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alejandro Gomez4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Gomez is 20 and this is his third year down here.

Yankees MILB 6/3: Chase Hampton Ks 10 (Again)

News:

The Greg Allen injury opened up the possibility for the Yankees to promote Kole Calhoun before the deadline, but it didn’t happen. Calhoun is officially a free agent. Given that he opted out, there is likely a team out there that has already shown some level of interest in the veteran.

The Yankees decided to bring Oswaldo Cabrera right back into the fold, and I have mixed feelings about that. I like the kid – I followed him all the way back to the days when his minor league number weren’t very good but the Yankees kept promoting and challenging him anyway. He was a poster child for “organizations look beyond just the raw numbers when it comes to evaluation.”  But, sending him down to Scranton was all about getting his stroke and confidence back. He is here until at least Harrison Bader gets back, so it could be a short stay.

Of course, right after I hit Send, Cabrera homers in Los Angeles. Baseball!

Scranton (27-29) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 8-6)

LF Elijah Dunham0-for-5, K
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-4, 2B (4), RS, BB, K
Peraza’s hitting streak is up to 10.
DH Ben Rortvedt2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS
1B Andres Chaparro1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.255/.323/.474 in 220 plate appearances
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-4, 3 K
C Carlos Narvaez2-for-4, RS, K
CF Billy McKinney2-for-4, HR (9; grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
The veteran has 7 RBI in three June games.
3B Jamie Westbrook2-for-4
2B Jesus Bastidas0-for-3, RBI, BB

RHP Will Warren1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Warren has a 7.04 ERA since his promotion. Every level presents its share of challenges.
RHP Michael Feliz0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP James Norwood1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP D.J. Snelten0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
LHP Matt Krook1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
It is too bad that he was unable to make his MLB debut during his brief stay.

Somerset (28-21) (Lost to Portland, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-5, K
CF Jasson Dominguez2-for-3, RBI, BB, CS (3)
.210/.373/.401 in 201 plate appearances. Hopefully, he continues to move further and further away from the Mendoza Line.
C Austin Wells1-for-3, HR (8), RBI, RS, BB, K
Wells’ first home run since May 20th. He has 20 home runs in 79 Double-A games.
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, RS, 2 K
Hardman has homered in three straight games (.235/.307/.544 (5 doubles, 2 triples, 11 HR, 28 RBI, 24 R, 14 BB, 46 K))
2B Caleb Durbin1-for-3, HBP
Durbin is now 19-for-70 since his promotion (.271/.363/.386; 7 walks, 2 strikeouts)
DH Anthony Seigler1-for-3, BB, 2 K, CS (2)
LF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3, BB, K, CS (2)
1B Eric Wagaman0-for-4, K
RF Aaron Palensky0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, SB (3)
Palensky is 1-for-11 since his promotion but has walked five times.

RHP Yoendrys Gomez2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Only his second start coming back from injury.
RHP Blas Castano (L, 3-3): 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Lisandro Santos2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
2.86 ERA (28.1 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 19 BB, 33 K)
LHP Edgar Barclay1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (28-22) (Squeaked past Aberdeen, 3-2)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, K, SB (12)
.265/.311/.503 in 196 plate appearances (16 doubles, 3 triples, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 29 R, 12 BB (6.1%), 69 K (35.2%), 12-for-16 SB)
SS Ben Cowles1-for-4, RBI, K
.270/.345/.437 in 142 plate appearances (6 doubles, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 20 R, 12 BB, 47 K, 4-for-4 SB). He has 14 starts at shortstop, 13 at second base, and 9 at third base.
C Josh Breaux1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Breaux is up to 27 plate appearances during his rehab stint. The Yankees are going to have to make room for him in the upper minors soon.
1B Rafael Flores0-for-3, BB, K
.315/.377/.385 in 159 plate appearances. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last July, and is thus far making the Yankees look smart with that transaction.
DH Anthony Garcia1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
Garcia’s first game since 5/11. He is hitting .167/.300/.303 in 80 plate appearances. He is a three-outcomes type who isn’t fairing well in the power piece of that equation.
RF Grant Richardson0-for-3, BB
LF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba2-for-3, BB, K
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-4, 2B (4), RS, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Hampton’s third 10-strikeout game of 2023 (including back-to-back games).  Season: 3.05 ERA (41.1 IP, 30 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 15 BB, 69 K). Remember this: This isn’t a kid who has been languishing in the minors for three years finally finding it in High-A ball. This is Hampton’s debut season after being drafted in the 6th round of last year’s draft out of Texas Tech. He is listed at 6’2″, 225 pounds though I take that stuff with a grain of salt. A trip to Somerset in 2023 is definitely not out of the question.
RHP Indigo Diaz (W, 1-0): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.71 ERA (21 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 33 K). 

Tampa (21-29) (Lost to Bradenton, 6-5)

SS Jared Serna: 3-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (13)
Serna with his second straight 3-hit effort (he has six 3+ hit games this season, including three 4-hit games). At one point tonight, Serna had an active streak of reaching base in nine straight plate appearances. He is hitting .330/.393/.528 in 196 plate appearances (9 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 32 R, 18 BB (9.2%), 30 K (15.3%), 13-for-17 SB). 
CF Daury Arias0-for-4, BB
RF Anthony Hall2-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, K
Hall has the triple slash up to .272/.396/.430 in 139 plate appearances. He is on a mini 5-game hitting streak (1 double, 1 triple, 1 home run during the streak)
C Omar Martinez2-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, 2 BB, SB (3)
.252/.390/.417 in 141 plate appearances (.391 career OBP in 558 plate appearances)
3B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-5
DH Christopher Familia1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, BB
LF Tayler Aguilar0-for-4, K
2B Brett Barrera1-for-4
1B Beau Brewer1-for-4, RS

RHP Justin Lange4 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
4.05 ERA (33.1 IP, 19 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 1 HR, 25 BB, 58 K). His season is a mix of everything.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.10 ERA (25.2 IP, 21 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 31 K). Calderon has excelled in this role this year – are they stretching him out to get back into the rotation?
RHP Matt Keating (L, 3-4): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
2.82 ERA (22.1 IP, 19 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). Keating has put together a solid season.
RHP Cole Ayers1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Yankees MILB 5/27: Oswald Peraza Homers Again

News:

C Josh Breaux began his rehab stint tonight down in Hudson Valley. He will join a crowded field of upper-level catchers when he eventually reports to Scranton.

Scranton (24-26) (Lost to Worcester, 11-7)

CF Estevan Florial1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, BB, K
Florial continues to maintain his 1.000+ OPS (.312/.432/.616). He is now on a 7-game hitting streak that features a double and five home runs.
LF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Oswald Peraza1-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS
Peraza’s Triple-A career: .273/.337/.469 in 547 PA (19 doubles, 26 HR, 68 RBI, 74 R, 40 BB, 119 K, 41-for-48 SB). Top prospects aren’t even supposed to linger in Triple-A. That isn’t how player development works.
RF Kole Calhoun0-for-4, K
DH Franchy Cordero0-for-4, K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-3, RS, BB
1B Billy McKinney1-for-3, RS, K
  1B Rodolfo Duran0-for-0, BB
SS Jesus Bastidas3-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, RS, K
.269/.331//434 in 163 PA. The under-the-radar utility type is 23-for-64 (.359/.453/.578) in May (4 HR, 9 RBI, 16 R)
2B Wilmer Difo0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K, SB (12)
Difo has seven stolen bases in his last six games.

RHP Aaron McGarity: (L, 4-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
McGarity, typically a reliever, was taking Randy Vasquez‘s slot today.
RHP James Norwood1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
Norwood, who has 48 games of MLB experience, has struggled this season. The one positive is the 29 K in 17.2 IP.
RHP Barrett Loseke2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
2.45 ERA (22 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 11 BB, 24 K)
RHP Matt Bowman0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Gomez2.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.51 ERA (14.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 22 K)

Somerset (24-19) (Lost to Erie, 17-3)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-5, 2B (8), RS, 2 K
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Dominguez is 5-for-14 in his last four games with six walks.
C Austin Wells1-for-4, 2B (4), BB
Wells has slowed down a tad after his insane hot streak – good to see him earn his first extra-base hit in five games.
CF Everson Pereira0-for-3, BB, K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3B (1), RS, SB (10)
Durbin’s third straight multi-hit game. Between here and Hudson Valley, Durbin is 25-for-29 in the stolen base department. As for the “strikeout watch,” he now has one strikeout in 60 plate appearances since his promotion.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (4)
DH Anthony Seigler0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 2-3) 4.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 3 HR
RHP Steven Jennings1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
RHP Tanner Myatt 0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, HR
Myatt was throwing pretty well this season but the walks finally catch up to him.
RHP Shawn Semple: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (26-18) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-5)

SS Alexander Vargas2-for-5, 2B (4), 2 RS, K
Vargas has three multi-hit games in his last four games played (8-for-20). He is hitting .246/.297/.449.
LF Aaron Palensky3-for-4, 2B (9), RBI, RS, HBP, SB (10)
Palensky has seven 3+ hit games this season. This is his 5th consecutive multi-hit game (13-for-21; 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs)
DH Josh Breaux3-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K
A successful rehab game for Breaux.
  PR Eduardo Torrealba0-for-0
C Antonio Gomez0-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson0-for-3, BB
1B Rafael Flores0-for-4, 2 K
CF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles2-for-4, RS
Cowles, who was hitting .208 at the end of April, is up to .277 (.818 OPS) thanks to a 20-for-59 (.339) May. 
2B Luis Santos1-for-3, BB, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, 2 HR
3.15 ERA (34.1 IP, 27 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 5 HR, 13 BB, 59 K). Is the 22-year-old strikeout machine on a fast track to Somerset in his first professional season?
RHP Carlos Gomez (L, 2-2): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
3.18 ERA (14.2 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 21 K)

Tampa (17-27) (Lost a tough one to Palm Beach, 7-6. The Cardinals scored three in the bottom of the 9th to win)

DH Jared Serna1-for-4
Serna’s hitting streak has reached 8. He is hitting .322/.388/.550 in 165 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 15 BB, 21 K, 9-for-12 SB). He has been so good that his average has actually dropped slightly during his hitting streak.
CF Anthony Hall0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 BB, CS (2)
Hall is seeing the ball well here now and should get himself to Hudson Valley at some point. He is hitting .255/.386/.383 in 114 PA with 19 BB (16.7%) and 21 K (18.4%). In May, Hall is hitting .328/.461/.459.
RF Daury Arias2-for-4, HR (2, GS), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K
Arias hit 13 HR in 97 rookie league games, so he showed off some pop before reaching the world of a full-season league. 
C Omar Martinez1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
.228/.366/.396 in 123 PA. This is his 7th start behind the plate (17 at first base)
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, BB
2B Brett Barrera0-for-4, K
3B Beau Brewer1-for-4, RS
LF Felix Negueis0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, K, CS (1)

RHP Justin Lange1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
I am hoping he was pulled due to the 41 pitches he tossed in the first inning.
RHP Yorlin Calderon2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Mason Vinyard3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.33 ERA (24.1 IP, 15 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 32 K). According to Savant, Vinyard throws a sinker, slider, and change. The sinker is in the 91-94 range.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Gilbert throws in the low 90s. Season: 2.25 ERA (20 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 26 K)
RHP Matt Keating (L, 3-3): 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Keating has been good this year, so we’ll just chalk this up to a bad day. Season: 2.21 ERA (20.1 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 29 K)
RHP Cole Ayers0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

 

Yankees MILB 5/13: Spencer Jones: Hit Collector

News:

I wasn’t home today so if there is any big news, I didn’t hear about it.

Scranton (17-21) (Used a 5-run bottom of the 9th to defeat Omaha, 8-6)

LF Estevan Florial3-for-5, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
I will just say this: Regardless of how one feels about Florial, he probably does deserve an extended look somewhere just to see if everything can click at the big league level. It’s not happening in New York.
C Ben Rortvedt3-for-5, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, K
Rortvedt’s 3-run HR off of old friend Brooks Kriske was the decisive blow in the 9th.
3B Andres Chaparro:  0-for-2, 2 BB
Chaparro has walked eight times in his last nine games.
DH Elijah Dunham1-for-3, HBP, CS (4)
RF Kole Calhoun0-for-4, 2 K
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
CF Billy McKinney0-for-2, 2 BB
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K
SS Wilmer Difo2-for-2, RS, BB
  PH Franchy Cordero1-for-1, RBI, RS

LHP Tanner Tully5 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
The veteran does his best bend-don’t-break routine.
RHP Greg Weissert2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP James Norwood1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Aaron McGarity (W, 4-0): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (20-11) (Defeated Portland, 6-2)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-2, RS, BB, K
Sweeney has drawn at least one walk in five straight games and has 12 in May (he has a .548 OBP this month)
CF Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (12)
.198/.397/.395 in 116 plate appearances. He is 12-for-13 stealing bases.
C Austin Wells0-for-4, 3 K
LF Everson Pereira2-for-3, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, CS (2)
He is due for one of his patented hot streaks. Pereira has three home runs in his last six games and is now hitting .237/.308/.454.
3B Caleb Durbin0-for-3, HBP, K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4
RF Brandon Lockridge1-for-4, RBI, K
2B Max Burt1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS
DH Mickey Gasper0-for-3, K

RHP Gray Fenter4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
RHP Shawn Semple (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Steven Jennings1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
LHP Lisandro Santos1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.55 ERA (17.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 25 K). There will always be a market for the big arm lefty.

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

CF Spencer Jones3-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, RS, SB (8)
Jones is up to .290/.328/.598 in 116 plate appearances (18 of his 31 hits have gone for extra bases) and is 20-for-21 in his career stealing bases.
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-5, K
Vargas had a heroic moment on Friday night but is otherwise in a 4-for-22 slump.
C Antonio Gomez1-for-3, SF, RBI, K
DH Spencer Henson0-for-5, RS, K
1B Rafael Flores3-for-4, RS
.321/.370/.429 in 92 plate appearances.
LF Grant Richardson0-for-4, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba2-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-3, RS, HBP
2B Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 K
10-for-27 (.370) in May 

RHP Chase Hampton (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Hampton’s first professional win. He owns a 3.04 ERA in 23.2 IP with an impressive 42/9 K/BB ratio. He has struck out 9+ batters in three straight games.
RHP Danny Watson3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.04 ERA (17.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 30 K). They stretched him out tonight (first career 3-inning appearance) and he did the job.
RHP Harold Cortijo1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (11-20) (Lost to Ft. Myers, 5-2)

2B Jared Serna1-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Baseball is so weird – Serna hardly ever strikes out but now has five in his last two games. At least he hit a late home run tonight to ease that pain.
DH Anthony Hall1-for-4, 3B (1), BB, K
Hall extends his hitting streak to ten (13-for-37; .351)
SS Brenny Escanio2-for-5
CF Nelson Medina3-for-4, 2B (6), K
.301/.398/.506 in 98 under-the-radar plate appearances. He is on a five-game hitting streak (last three games are multi-hit efforts)
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez2-for-4, RS
Latest defensive assignments: Catcher – 6 games; 1B – 8 games; 3B – 5 games; LF – 2 games
3B Colten Brewer0-for-4, 2 K
LF Alan Mejia0-for-3, BB, 3 K

RHP Justin Lange (L, 0-3): 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
3.70 ERA (24.1 IP, 12 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 15 BB, 45 K). The raw talent here is absurd – it is all about harnessing it.
RHP Mason Vinyard1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Luis Velasquez1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Alex Bustamante1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 5/6: Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells Homer

News:

Nothing to report. Eventually, something will come up.

Scranton (13-19) (Defeated Rochester, 7-3)

CF Estevan Florial2-for-5, RS, 2 K, SB (8)
.257/.402/.459 in 92 PA. He has drawn an impressive 18 walks (19.6%) but it comes with 31 strikeouts (33.7%). After a .398 BABIP in 2022, he is at .400 in 2023.
RF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RS, BB
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, HR (9), 4 RBI, RS
.239/.306/.522 in 124 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HR, 20 RBI, 23 R, 11 BB (8.9%), 31 K (25%), 1-for-1 SB)
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, CS (3)
.242/.364/.384 in 118 PA (8 doubles, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 19 R, 16 BB (13.6%), 27 K (22.9%), 5-for-8 SB). I am not worried about Dunham’s offense coming together.
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-1, 3 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, RS, K, SB (3)
1B Billy McKinney2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB
DH Michael Hermosillo2-for-4, K
C Mickey Gasper0-for-4, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (W, 3-3) 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
Weber is eating some important innings down here with mixed results. When it comes to Weber, I am not even sure the results matter much. Pure definition of a shuttle arm.
RHP James Norwood0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Colten Brewer1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (16-9) (Squeaked past Binghamton, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-4
LF Jasson Dominguez1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is up to .167. After games of 4/23, he was hitting .077. Since then, he is 8-for-27 (.296) with nine walks.
DH Austin Wells1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
Wells has homered in back-to-back games and has 14 home runs in 61 Double-A games.
CF Everson Pereira1-for-3, 2B (7)
Pereira has done enough to keep his head above water. He usually goes on a big tear at some point.
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS
Rumfield has five home runs in 19 games (four career home runs in 84 games before 2023). He has homered in three straight games.
C Anthony Seigler0-for-3, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3

RHP Gray Fenter: (W, 2-1) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
4.15 ERA (17.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, 2 HR)
RHP Indigo Diaz 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
1.54 ERA (11.2 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 13 K)
LHP Michael Giacone1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.64 ERA (11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 15 K)
RHP Justin Wilson: (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
An odd play happened in the 9th that shut down GameDay for about ten minutes. Don’t ask me exactly what happened!

Hudson Valley (18-8) (Defeated Wilmington, 3-1, thanks to Alexander Vargas. After scoring runs by the bushel for most of the season, the Renegades have six in the last two days. The important thing? They won both games)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, 2 K
.277/.314/.574 (.888 OPS) in 102 plate appearances. 
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-4, HR (5), 3 RBI, RS
Vargas with the big 2-out, 3-run HR in the 8th. He is hitting .263/.341/.553 in 85 plate appearances with eight walks (9.4%) and 20 strikeouts (23.5%). Last season, Vargas finished with an 8.1% BB and 28.5% K. Will he keep it up? Who knows? I will also note that he is hitting much better left-handed than he is right-handed, though his right-handed sample size is limited (2-for-14).
2B Caleb Durbin2-for-4, K
6-game hitting streak (10-for-23). He is hitting .320/.452/.387 in 93 plate appearances (5 doubles, 8 RBI, 19 R, 13 BB (13.9%), 9 K (9.7%), and a 15-for-16 stolen base rate)
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-4
DH Spencer Henson0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles2-for-3, RS, K
.254/.319/.524 in 69 PA. He has four multi-hit games in his last six games played.
RF Aldenis Sanchez2-for-3, 2 2B (3), RS, K
Not known for his extra-base hit power, Sanchez compiled two triples on Wednesday.

RHP Chase Hampton5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
3.86 ERA (18.2 IP, 16 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 33 K). Hampton, listed at 6’2″, 225 pounds, was drafted in the 6th round out of Texas Tech in 2022. Like many pitchers that the Yankees draft, Hampton has experienced a velocity jump. He went from 91-94 in college to the 94-96 range this spring. 
RHP Bailey Dees (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.38 ERA (11.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 18 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 1): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 21 K). Neely is 8-for-8 converting saves in his brief career.

Tampa (10-16) (Defeated Bradenton, 1-0, on an RBI walk. The pitching staff allowed only one hit)

2B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
His RBI walk in the bottom of the 7th was the only run in the game.
CF Daury Arias0-for-4, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-1, 3 BB, K
Ramirez has 14 walks (12 strikeouts) in 77 plate appearances. This is his second career 3 BB game.
DH Anthony Hall1-for-4
Hall has a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-18)
SS Dayro Perez0-for-4, 3 K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (3)
1B Omar Martinez1-for-2, BB, K, SB (1)
Martinez has stolen one base per season in each of his last three seasons. Can he get to two? In his last eight games: 13-for-27 with six walks.
3B Ronny Rojas0-for-3, 2 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, 2 BB, K

RHP Justin Lange: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 36 K). The 5.49 BB/9 rate is hardly strong but it shows improvement from last year (7.43). He is easily hitting over 98 MPH on the gun.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 2-1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Keating’s first career save. Congrats!