Dillon Lewis Archives - Tom's Sports Blog

Yankees MILB 5/25: George Lombard Jr. Reaches Base 4 Times

Notes:

The Yankees elected not to add Cooper Hummel to the 26-man roster. He is now a free agent.

LHP Brock Selvidge‘s rehab was moved from the FCL to Tampa.

Scranton (22-26)

Their game against Nashville was cancelled and won’t be made up. T.J. Rumfield homered before the rain started, but it won’t count.

Somerset (22-22) (Lost to New Hampshire, 7-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-3, 3 R, 2 SB (6), 2 BB
Lombard Jr.’s second multi-hit game since his promotion. He is 7-for-26 (.269) in his last eight games (1 double, 3 RBI, 8 R, 8 BB, 3-for-4 SB). Has the adjustment begun? Since I haven’t shown it in a while, here are his combined numbers: .287/.457/.390 in 184 PA (9 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 35 R, 17-for-20 SB, 21.2% BB, 19.6% K).
DH Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, SB (5), BB, K
Flores is 8-for-17 in his last four games (2 doubles, 1 HR). He is the organizational leader in doubles (12), homers (10), and hits (53). He is second in RBI (34) to veteran Jose Rojas. He is one of only three qualified Yankees’ prospects hitting over .300 (Parks Harber and Jesus Rodriguez are the others).
3B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, HR (8), 3 RBI, R
.286/.337/.500 in 166 PA (7 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 23 R, 0-for-2 SB, 5.4% BB, 19.3% K). His walk rate is down (9.8% in 2024), but it comes with a reduced strikeout rate (24.4% in 2024). He is a right-handed bat who can play 1B/2B/3B, which is something this organization can use. Whether or not he is MLB material, we’ll see.
PR Alexander Vargas: 0-for-0, SB (8)
LF Brennen Davis: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
CF Garrett Martin: 0-for-5, 3 K
.213/.316/.375 in 159 PA
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, K
It’s possible that Hardman’s insane run in 2023 (26 HR in 77 games, though it came with a lot of strikeouts) was his peak. However, I continue to wonder if the injury he suffered that year sapped his offense because it has been nothing close to that since.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, K
Since promotion: .177/.241/.215 in 88 PA. They are giving him plenty of playing time, but the bat hasn’t responded.
2B Max Burt: 1-for-4, R, 2 K

RHP Bailey Dees: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
4.46 ERA (38.1 IP, 37 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 45 K). Dees will end May with a 2.70 ERA and 24/6 K/BB over 20 innings.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 21 K)
RHP Jordany Ventura (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
For a relief pitcher, an outing like this can kill your season. He’s had a few such appearances, explaining his 9.24 ERA.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (29-15) (Defeated Winston-Salem, 5-4)

LF Brendan Jones: 1-for-5, 2 R, SB (18)
It feels as if Jones will run every time second base is open. That is what I want prospects to do. He leads the organization in stolen bases and is tied with Lombard Jr. for first in runs scored (35). He grounded into a double play today. It was only the second time he has done that in his 63-game career.
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, 2 K
DH Coby Morales: 1-for-4, RBI, R, SB (7)
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-3, SB (1), BB, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, SF, RBI K
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, R, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 3-for-3, RBI, R, BB
Frick’s third career 3-hit effort.

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Did they need an arm for today’s start, or are they building him up for a return to the rotation? Warrecker has been a dominant force out of the pen this year (0.50 ERA in 18 IP with a 24/3 K/BB). Last year, as a starter, he posted a 5.79 ERA in 19 starts with a 46/30 K/BB over 65.1 innings.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Hayden Merda: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.54 ERA (20.1 IP, 16 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 28 K). Like Warrecker, Merda has pitched well in the bullpen after spending his first season in the rotation (Merda’s first season was 2023 – he missed 2024).
RHP Huey Morrill: (W, 2-0) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.57 ERA (15.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 11 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (24-21) (Defeated Dunedin, 9-5. The Tarpons have, remarkably, caught the Blue Jays in the standings, and are in a three-way tie for second (Clearwater is the other team). The three squads are chasing Lakeland.)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, SB (11), BB, 2 K
It’s more of the same from Arias. Season: .165/.330/.282 in 106 PA (7 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 11-for-13 SB, 18.9% BB, 29.2% K). After hitting .222/.291/.253 vs. LHP last year, he is 1-for-17 this year. Not that he is lighting up the scoreboard against RHP this year. I don’t give up on 20-year-olds, but the red flags are serious.
C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, BB, K
CF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, 2B (11), R, 2 K
Sanchez has 11 doubles in 26 games (34 doubles, 12 triples, 4 HR in 108 career games).
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-1
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-3, R, SB (5), 2 BB, K
RF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-4, HR (8), 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
.241/.318/.475 in 176 PA (9 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R, 11-for-12 SB, 9.7% BB, 27.8% K). He owns a 6-game hitting streak and is hitting .313/.389/.688 in May (5 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 22 R). He has turned it up several notches.
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, 2B (10), R, BB, K
Matheus has 100 RBI, 93 runs, 107 walks, and 50 stolen bases in 149 career games.
LF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-3, HR (4), RBI, 2 R, SB (10), BB
2B Austin Green: 1-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, R, K
Green’s grand slam turned a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead.
1B Hans Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, CS (3), BB, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Selvidge’s second rehab appearance. Since he is in Low-A now, we have some Savant data: He reached 94.2 MPH with his 4-seamer (averaged 92.4) and generated five whiffs on his slider (17 pitches).
RHP J.T. Etheridge (W, 1-0): 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
Etheridge generated 14 whiffs (5 with his 4-seamer, 5 with his slider, 3 with his changeup, and 1 with his curve).
RHP Chris Veach: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
1.50 ERA (18 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 29 K). Average velocity on sinker: 92.4 MPH. Average velocity on change-up: 75.1 MPH. I like the differential, at least.
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.16 ERA (25 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 28 K)

FCL (8-8)

Day off.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/24: Rafael Flores Hits 10th HR

Notes:

Nothing to see here.

Injury Log

Scranton (22-26) (Lost to Nashville, 12-5)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, BB, K
Rodriguez’s hitting streak is snapped at 13. He is now hitting only .376 with a .943 OPS at this level.
1B Dominic Smith: 3-for-5, 3B (1), 2 R, 2 SB (3), K
DH Alex Jackson: 0-for-4, K
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-4, RBI, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, R, K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-4, 2 R
2B Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, K
CF Ismael Munguia: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, SB (9), K
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Anthony DeSclafani: (L, 0-1) 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Jake Woodford: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Not a good night for a pair of veterans trying to get on the depth chart.
RHP Colten Brewer: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR

Somerset (22-21) (Swept a doubleheader against New Hampshire. The Patriots have dug themselves out of a hole and are three games behind Binghamton and Portland for the first-half crown)

Game 1 (Won, 7-1. The Patriots scored 7 runs on 11 singles, two walks, and a HBP)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, R, BB
DH Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, R
Flores has 13 multi-hit games this season (including six 3-hit efforts)
CF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, R, SB (8), K
RF Brennen Davis: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 R
Hardman has 8 RBI in his last three games.
3B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, RBI
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-0, HBP
He stayed in the game to run, but was replaced in the field.
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-3, RBI, SB (1)
Enter the game, play well. How often do we see that happen? Perceived answer: All the time! Reality: Not nearly as often as you think!
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
2B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Only his second start since returning from his rehab stint. This is the first time in his professional career where he didn’t strike a batter out.
RHP Danny Watson (W, 1-1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
After a rough start to the season (understatement), Watson has five straight scoreless outings (4 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-3)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
Since promotion: .196/.368/.216 in 68 PA with ten runs scored. He has a 20.6% BB and 20.6% K.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, HR (10), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
Flores breaks the tie with Spencer Jones and Everson Pereira to become the first Yankees’ farmhand to reach 10 home runs this year. Additionally, he leads the Eastern League in homers and is hitting an impressive .302/.353/.544 in 184 PA (11 doubles, 10 HR, 33 RBI, 26 R)
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, CI
2B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RBI, R, K
.275/.329/.477 in 161 PA (7 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 22 R, 5.6% BB, 19.9% K)
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-2, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-2, RBI, SB (2), BB

RHP Baron Stuart: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
LHP Will Brian:(W, 2-0) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 1.38 ERA (13 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 17 K). Overall, he owns a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings with a 29/4 K/BB.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Kelly Austin: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
1.93 ERA (14 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 13 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Hudson Valley (28-15) (Allowed five runs in the 9th (yikes) to lose to Winston-Salem, 5-4)

DH Roc Riggio: 0-for-2, R, HBP, 2 BB
.275/.456/.686 in 68 PA. His walk percentage in 22.1. He spent all of April on the injured list so I don’t mind him being here. Eventually, they will need to consider Somerset.
RF Brendan Jones: 2-for-5, HR (4), RBI, R, K
.237/.346/.382 in 182 PA. Jones hit three home runs in a 5-game period in April before going on a 24-game homerless streak. Baseball!
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, R, SB (6), 2 BB, K
LF Jace Avina: 1-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, 2 K
.284/.411/.440 in 146 PA (9 doubles, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 22 R)
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 3B (1), R, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, K
2B Duncan Pastore: 2-for-3, 2B (3), 2 CS (2), BB

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K
2.74 ERA (42.2 IP, 25 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 21 BB, 47 K). The walks are a little high but he is offsetting that with solid strikeout and ground ball rates (52.9% GB entering tonight)
RHP Tony Rossi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 8 K. Overall: 15.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 20 K
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Kean: (L, 2-1): 0.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Kean was having a solid year until tonight. We all have bad days.
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (23-21) (Held off Dunedin, 4-3)

DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-5, 2 K
C Engelth Urena: 3-for-5, 2B (7), HR (5), RBI, 2 R, K
Urena follows up a 4-hit game with a 3-hit effort. His power potential comes out from time to time, and he has three doubles and a homer in his last two games. Season: .232/.359/.377 in 184 PA (7 doubles, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 30 R, 14.1% BB, 19.6% K).
CF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-3, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, BB
.234/.310/.455 in 171 PA (9 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 28 R, 11-for-12 SB, 9.4% BB, 28.1% K). Lewis is on a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-21; 2 doubles, 2 HR, 6 RBI) and has 13 extra-base hits in 19 May games (5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR).
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-4, 2 K
After an insane hot streak, Matheus is 0-for-11 in his last three games. He is hitting .281/.348/.348 in 158 plate appearances.
LF Tyler Wilson: 3-for-4, R, CS (4)
Wilson follows up a 4-hit game with a 3-hit effort. In his last four games, he is 10-for-17, raising his triple slash from .224/.307/.261 to .265/.339/.351.
RF Austin Green: 0-for-2, HBP, BB
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
The video game numbers have predictably dwindled, though he is still hitting .373/.413/.657 in 76 PA.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Gage Ziehl: (W, 1-2) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Ziehl’s first professional win. The seven strikeouts are a personal best.
RHP Gus Hughes: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Cade Austin: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Sean Hermann (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Hermann’s first career save as his transition to the bullpen continues to pay dividends: 1.61 ERA (22.1 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 18 BB, 22 K). This was his 8th straight scoreless appearance. The walk rate is high, but most of that was in April. In May, he has allowed three walks over 10 innings.

FCL (8-8) (Pulverized the Phillies again, 15-3. They have outscored the Phillies 30-3 the last two days)

LF Brando Mayea: 2-for-5, 2B (4), 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, K
.295/.377/.541 in 70 PA. Mayea is second in the FCL with 17 runs.
CF Cam Eden: 4-for-6, 2 2B (3), 5 RBI, 2 R, K
Tick tock. Get him to Scranton already.
RF Isael Arias: 1-for-4, R, SB (4), BB
C Ediel Rivera: 0-for-3, R, SB (4), 2 BB, K
Always pay attention to the catchers in the Yankees system.
SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
Peralta received a $500,000 signing bonus during the 2024 international signing period. He is 2-for-20 so far this year after hitting .219/.320/.325 with 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts in 46 DSL games last year.
1B Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, 2 R, K
2B Luis Escudero: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R
Escudero’s first HR since July 16, 2024. The 19-year-old is hitting .267/.353/.400 with more walks (6) than strikeouts (5) in his first taste of the FCL.
3B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, K

RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Stevens is here on a rehab assignment. The 27-year-old pitched to a 2.54 ERA in 39 innings for Somerset last season (56/16 K/BB). Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Stevens was invited to spring training this year, pitching a scoreless inning.
RHP Carson Coleman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Coleman’s second rehab appearance.
RHP Greysen Carter (W, 1-0): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 1 K
I wish I could put “Yikes!” in big, bold, red, flashing font. But he gets the win!
RHP Jose Martinez: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Martinez (20) now has a 79/13 K/BB in 69 career innings.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/23: An Offensive Explosion

Notes:

Nothing to see here.

Injury Log

Scranton (22-25) (Doubled up Nashville, 10-5)

DH Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, RBI, SB (8), CS (4), BB, K
Rodriguez extends his hitting streak to 13 (seven multi-hit efforts). He is hitting .389 with a .970 OPS since his promotion (44 hits in 30 games). All he does is hit, hit, hit (I seem to type that often, eh?)
LF Dominic Smith: 1-for-5, HR (7), 3 RBI, R, K
Smith has six homers in 18 May games.
C Alex Jackson: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Jackson has a 1.115 OPS in 21 games.
1B Jose Rojas: 3-for-4, 2 2B (12), 2 RBI, R, BB, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 2-for-5, 2B (4), RBI, R, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-5, 2 K
2B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, RBI, R, SAC, K
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-4, R
3B Jake Gatewood: 1-for-4, R, SB (2), K

RHP Allan Winans: (W, 3-0) 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Winans finally allows an earned run. Season: 0.32 ERA (28 IP, 20 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 36 K)
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jon Olsen: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
I wonder when Beeter will get the call to MLB. The Yankees seem to like Yerry De los Santos, but Beeter has more upside.

Somerset (20-21) (Defeated New Hampshire, 9-6)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5, 2B (1), R, BB, 3 K
Lombard Jr. earns his first Double-A extra-base hit.
C Rafael Flores: 3-for-6, 2B (11), RBI, 2 R
.296/.347/.531 in 176 PA (11 doubles, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 23 R, 4-for-4 SB, 6.8% BB, 28.98% K). Keith Law’s opinion of Flores sees him as a platoon bat in MLB. He doesn’t see a full-time catcher, but the Yankees are stubborn about keeping players behind the plate for as long as possible. Some of that is definitely for trade value purposes.
CF Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, 4 R, HBP, BB
Martin ends his 18-game homerless streak. He has 30 doubles, 17 homers, and 24 stolen bases (27 attempts) in 141 career games.
DH Brennen Davis: 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, SB (1), 2 BB, K
Davis’s rehab is over, and he was assigned here. A no-risk flyer on a once highly-regarded kid. We’ll see how it goes.
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-2, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-5, 2 2B (9), 2 RBI, K
Hardman’s third straight multi-hit effort.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, BB
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, CS (2), 2 BB, 2 K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, R, 2 SB (5), BB

RHP JT Brubaker: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Brubaker’s rehab was moved here today. Your reminder that, unlike with Scott Effross and Clayton Beeter, Brubaker doesn’t have any options left.
RHP Brendan Beck (W, 3-1): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
2.67 ERA (33.2 IP, 24 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 37 K). Beck’s appearances are widely spread out (first time we’ve seen him since 5/15). Given his history of injuries, this makes sense.
RHP Indigo Diaz (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (28-14) (Walloped Winston-Salem, 10-1. Hudson Valley has outscored them 23-3 over the last two nights)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, 2B (4), 2 R, BB, K
Riggio has a 7-game hitting streak (11-for-27). He has three doubles, a triple, and four home runs during the streak.
CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (17), 2 BB
.231/.345/.361 in 177 PA (6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 32 R, 17-for-20 SB, 14.1% BB, 17.5% K). There is an interesting prospect bubbling under the surface here.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-6, RBI, R, 2 K
DH Parks Harber: 4-for-5, 2B (6), 4 RBI, R, BB
Harber is hitting better here than in Low-A, though with fewer walks. He is hitting .368/.422/.592 in 83 PA here after hitting .304/.422/.551 in 83 PA for Tampa. He has three 3+ hit efforts in his last five games, including a pair of 4-hit efforts. I am not here to spread bullcrap – he is doing what you want college bats to do at the lower levels and it could be meaningless. However, it isn’t meaningless for him as this will get him to Double-A.
LF Jace Avina: 2-for-2, 2B (8), SF, RBI, 3 BB
.288/.418/.441 in 141 PA.
SS Jose Colmenares: 0-for-6
Colmenares is simply saving his hits for when the team needs them.
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, BB, K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, 2 R, HBP, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 K

RHP Josh Grosz: (W, 3-2) 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, HR
Grosz was efficient tonight, needing only 88 pitches to record 21 outs. Season: 3.60 ERA (35 IP, 28 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 45 K). Last three starts: 18.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 23 K.
RHP Sebastian Keane: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.64 ERA (11 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 12 K). He hasn’t allowed a run in seven straight appearances.
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
2.25 ERA (12 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 9 K)

Tampa (22-21) (Lost a slugfest to Dunedin, 13-9)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, R, SB (10), BB, 3 K
.173/.337/.296 in 101 PA (7 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 10-for-12 SB, 18.8% BB, 28.7% K).
C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-5, R
Perez is 19-for-69 (.275; 3 doubles, 8 RBI, 11 R, 14 BB, 14 K) in May. He is hitting .232/.391/.264 in 161 PA.
CF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, K
Sanchez’s first game since May 10th.
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-2, R, K
DH Engelth Urena: 4-for-5, 2 2B (6), RBI, 3 R
This is his second career 4-hit effort. Known as an intriguing bat prospect, Urena has struggled this year. Hopefully, this gets him going. Season: .219/.352/.342 in 179 PA (6 doubles, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 28 R, 4-for-5 SB, 14.5% BB, 19.6% K).
LF Dillon Lewis: 3-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (11), K
Lewis is 22-for-73 (.301; 5 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R, 5-for-5 SB) in May. Overall, he is hitting .232/.305/.437 in 167 PA.
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-5, RBI, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 4-for-5, 2B (4), HR (3), 4 RBI, R, K
Wilson’s first career 4-hit game. Last year’s 8th-round pick is hitting .252/.329/.340 in 164 PA.
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
1B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Brandon Decker: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Decker’s first career start. I don’t know if this is the start of a transition to the rotation or if they wanted him to open the game for some other reason. In college, he was used as a starter and reliever. Season: 1.93 ERA (18.2 IP, 16 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)
RHP Cole Zaffiro: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, HR
LHP Tanner Bauman: (L, 1-4) 2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Jack Sokol: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.25 ERA (24 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 27 K)

FCL (7-8) (Phlasted the Phillies, 15-0. The 4-team division that keeps playing each other is ruled by the Tigers and Blue Jays, with the Yankees in striking range. The Phillies are 4-11 with the division’s lone negative run differential)

DH Cam Eden: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 3 RBI, SB (3), BB, 2 K
Eden is only 3-for-20 on his rehab stint, but how long does a 27-year-old need to be here?
CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-5, 3B (1), 2 R, SB (4), 2 K
.286/.365/.536 in 64 PA (7.8% BB; 25% K).
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, K
C Ediel Rivera: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 3 R, K
Rivera’s first professional home run. The 19-year-old is 9-for-35 with three doubles and a home run.
3B Luis Escudero: 2-for-5, RBI, 3 R, SB (4)
SS Kevin Verde: 2-for-4, SF, 3 RBI, R, K
1B John Cristino: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, R, SB (1), HBP, K
4-for-11 with three walks and two strikeouts.
2B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, R

RHP Edinzo Marquez: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
The 20-year-old owns a 4.05 ERA. (13.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 11 K)
RHP Mariano Salomon (W, 3-0): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
0.87 ERA (10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K). Any reliever with the first name “Mariano” gets my eyes.
RHP Chance Nolan: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Alexis Paulino: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Control has been an issue for the 22-year-old (84 in 90 career innings). This season, he owns a 14/3 K/BB over 7.2 IP. Progress!

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/22: Griffin Herring Dazzles (6 IP, 0 H, 10 K)

Notes:

Cooper Hummel has exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and will become a free agent if the Yankees don’t add him to their 26-man roster. I find that unlikely, as his MLB career (.159/.255/.275 in 82 games) hardly inspires confidence. Furthermore, he is primarily an outfielder, which the Yankees don’t need.

I wouldn’t cry if he replaced Pablo Reyes, but that bar is hardly high.

Injury Log

Scranton (21-25) (Lost to Nashville, 7-6, in 11 innings. I just noticed that former Yankees’ prospect Anthony Seigler plays for Nashville. He is hitting .282 with a .946 OPS in 150 plate appearances. The first-round pick in the 2018 draft reached minor league free agency last winter and signed with the Brewers.)

3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-6, R, SB (7), K
Not his best effort during the streak, but Rodriguez’s hitting streak reaches 12. He has 25 hits in 16 May games.
LF Dominic Smith: 1-for-6, R, K
C Alex Jackson: 2-for-4, 2 HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (1), BB
The alternating home run streak continues! Jackson has homered in five of his last nine games (HR, no HR, HR, no HR, HR, no HR, HR, no HR, 2 HR).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K
2B Braden Shewmake: 0-for-1, SB (4)
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, R, SB (3), BB
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-5, R, SB (11), 2 K
2B-1B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, SAC, BB, 2 K
One thing Gatewood has done well in his minor league career is hit home runs. This season, he has only two in 33 games.
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-5, 2B (5), 2 RBI, 2 K

RHP Erick Leal: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
4.26 ERA (19 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 21 BB, 20 K). He may be hard to hit (38 hits/98 strikeouts in 69.1 career innings), but those darn walks (47).
RHP Scott Effross: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
If I didn’t mention it, Effross is no longer on a rehab stint. The Yankees officially optioned him to Scranton.
RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 0-3) 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Back-to-back relief outings for Messinger. He hit 95 MPH with his 4-seam fastball. A story to watch if this is a permanent move, though he was given a starter’s workload here.

Somerset (19-21)

Their game against New Hampshire was postponed. They will attempt to make it up on Saturday.

Hudson Valley (27-14) (Trounced Winston-Salem, 13-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, 3 R, HBP, BB, K
Riggio is scorching (.295/.456/.750; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R in 12 games). He has homered in back-to-back games and has four home runs in his last four games.
CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB, K
RF Coby Morales: 4-for-5, 2 2B (7), HR (4), 3 RBI, 3 R, BB, K
Morales earns his first career 4-hit effort. He went 3-for-19 in his brief Somerset stay. If he continues to rake here, he’ll get a longer stay.
1B Parks Harber: 3-for-6, 2 2B (5), 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Since promotion: .338/.390/.563 in 77 PA with three 3+ hit efforts. As an undrafted college bat, you won’t see Harber high on any organizational prospect lists. Nobody will care if he keeps raking as he moves up the chain.
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
LF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 2 2B (11), 2 RBI, R
Castillo continues a recent surge, collecting multiple hits for the third time in his last five games. That has increased his triple slash from .216/.328/336 to .235/.334/.360. As you know, as sample sizes get larger, brief surges don’t increase your numbers significantly.
SS Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, R, SB (5), 2 BB, K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, RBI, HBP, K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, R, HBP, 2 BB, K

RHP Ben Hess (W, 4-2): 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
3.28 ERA (35.2 IP, 20 H, 16 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 20 BB, 52 K). I love the strikeouts. The walk rate needs work. That is why they have the minor leagues.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
0.50 ERA (18 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 24 K). If the plan is to keep him in the bullpen permanently, a trip to Somerset may not be far off.

Tampa (22-20) (Their hot streak continues, courtesy of a 3-1 win over Dunedin. Dunedin entered this series as one of the top dogs in the division. They are now in second place. Tampa is in 4th place, but only 2.5 games behind first-place Lakeland.)

DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, 2 BB
.225/.391/.258 in 156 PA. Perez has 31 walks (19.9%).
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-4, BB
RF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, R, 3 K
.219/.296/.425 in 162 PA (8 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 25 R, 9-for-10 SB, 9.3% BB, 29% K). His power/speed combination is enticing, and he has hit better overall in May (.279/.355/.618 with five homers and 17 RBI)
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-2, R, SB (12), 2 BB
The hitting streak is over, but he still contributed. He is hitting .302/.369/.373 in 149 PA. Scouting reports are scarce, but Fangraphs ranked him 26th in the organization, touting his versatility (shortstop should remain part of that profile) and bat-to-ball skills. Power? Not likely to be one of his strengths.
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-4, 2 K
His hitting streak comes to an end. He is hitting .417/.455/.733 in 67 PA while playing 2B/SS/3B.
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, 3B (4), R
.305/.400/.453 in 110 PA.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-4, K

LHP Griffin Herring (W, 4-1): 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
I said earlier this week that Bryce Cunningham has been the most impressive 2024 draftee. Given the level difference, I still believe that, but Herring has made a case. He owns a 1.21 ERA in 44.2 IP (24 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 16 BB, 58 K). He leads the Florida State League in strikeouts and batting average against (second in ERA and WHIP).
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Chris Veach (S, 3): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.59 ERA (17 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 29 K)

FCL (6-8) (Lost to the Tigers, 6-4)

LF Brando Mayea: 0-for-4
CF Cam Eden: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-2, 2 SB (2), BB
The left-handed hitting outfielder (20) was drafted out of high school in the 17th round in 2023. This was only his 25th career game.
3B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-3, SB (3), BB, K
.297/.325/.297 in 40 plate appearances.
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K

RHP Stanly Alcantara: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Alcantara has allowed five walks in ten innings. Before this season, he walked 56 in 38.1 innings. Progress!

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/21: Roc Riggio’s Big Night

Notes:

RHP Greysen Carter, the hard thrower with no idea where the ball is going, was sent to the FCL today. Carter, who hit 100+ MPH earlier this season, made seven starts for Tampa, going 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA over 24 innings with a 20.2% K and 21.8% BB.

RHP J.T. Etheridge replaces Carter on Tampa’s roster. Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2024, the 23-year-old pitched in three games for the FCL squad this year, posting a 2.31 ERA over 11.2 innings with a 42.3% K and 15.4% BB.

Carter is an intriguing talent but needs work. If your job is to work with young pitchers, Carter presents a fun challenge.

Injury Log

Scranton (21-24) (Lost a doubleheader to Nashville. The bats didn’t show up. Everson Pereira didn’t play in either game, which always raises a red flag.)

Game 1 (Lost, 3-0)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, SB (6), K
Rodriguez has a 10-game hitting streak.
DH Dominic Smith: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Cooper Hummel: 0-for-2, BB, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Jose Rojas: 1-for-2, BB
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-3, K
2B Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-3, SB (10), K
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-3

RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 3-5) 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
4.23 ERA (44.2 IP, 37 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 6 HR, 16 BB, 51 K)
RHP Colten Brewer: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
4.41 ERA (16.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 21 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1)

3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-3, CS (3)
Rodriguez extends his hitting streak to 11 (19-for-43; .442). He is hitting .388 with a .981 OPS in 28 games since his promotion.
LF Dominic Smith: 0-for-3, SB (1)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, 2 K
Rumfield is hitting .292 with an .885 OPS.
C Alex Jackson: 0-for-3
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 2-for-2, HR (2), RBI, R, BB
De La Cruz has 34 homers in 535 minor league games. He has 58 homers in 491 major league games.
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-1, 2 BB
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, K
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: (L, 1-1) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
4.50 ERA (16 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 22 K)

Somerset (19-21) (Defeated New Hampshire, 4-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RBI, K
Since promotion: 8-for-41 (.195/.352/.195; 10 walks, 11 strikeouts).
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, K
After a .295/.357/.545 triple slash in April, Flores has a .297/.338/.531 triple slash in May. I like consistency!
CF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, BB
DH Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, R, CS (1), BB, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, 3 K
C Antonio Gomez: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, R
Gomez has two 3-hit games in May (back-to-back multi-hit games).
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, K

RHP Cam Schlittler (W, 3-4): 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
2.47 ERA (43.2 IP, 37 H, 17 R, 12 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 52 K). Schlittler has allowed 15 homers in 210.1 career innings (0.64 HR/9). Impressively, he has maintained a strong strikeout rate while reducing his walk rate by a comfortable margin.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (26-14) (Lost to Winston-Salem, 11-8)

DH Roc Riggio: 2-for-2, 3B (1), HR (4), 3 RBI, 4 R, SB (2), CS (3), 3 BB
.275/.431/.700 in 51 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 2-for-5 SB, 21.6% BB, 21.6% K). I hope Riggio gets to Somerset this season.
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, R, HBP, 3 K
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, K
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-5, RBI, R, K
.261/.367/.433 in 158 PA. In 588 plate appearances at this level, Martinez is hitting .244/.372/.412 with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 19 HR, 67 RBI, and 76 runs. He has drawn 95 walks (16.2%) and has struck out 146 times (24.8%).
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
.229/.342/.344 in 155 PA (9 doubles, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 14 R, 5-for-5 SB). He hasn’t been able to carry over his hot 81 plate appearance stretch after being promoted here in 2024.
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Luis Durango: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (3), BB, K
His speed is likely what attracted the Yankees to him. He has never shown any hints of power (hasn’t hit a home run since 2021. This was his 145th game since that season.)

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
4.63 ERA (35 IP, 28 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 56 K). Lagrange’s first rough start since April 8th (his 2025 debut). This is the first time he’s allowed more than two walks this season (did it four times in nine games in 2024).
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.02 ERA (17.2 IP, 14 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 15 K)
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: (L, 0-1) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Hayden Merda: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
4.00 ERA (18 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 25 K)

Tampa (21-20) (Defeated Dunedin, 9-5. Getting over .500 was something I didn’t anticipate in the first half)

DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-2, 2B (7), RBI, R, CS (2), 3 BB, K
His first two games coming off the injured list have been encouraging (3-for-6, 3 doubles, 2 RBI, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K). Let’s see if he can keep it going.
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-5
LF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-5, 2B (8), RBI, K
.218/.297/.408 in 158 PA (8 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 24 R, 9-for-10 SB, 9.5% BB, 27.8% K).
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-5, R, SB (11), 2 K
Matheus has a 9-game hitting streak (17-for-35). He is hitting .306/.366/.379 in 145 PA (9 doubles, 22 RBI, 16 R, 11-for-16 SB, 10.3% BB, 22.8% K). Matheus has some speed but has to work on his base-stealing technique (49-for-71 (69%)).
RF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-4, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
3B Owen Cobb: 3-for-5, RBI, R, SB (8), CS (2)
Cobb has an 8-game hitting streak (14-for-31). He is hitting .446/.484/.786 in 63 plate appearances. The 23-year-old should find his way to Hudson Valley this season.
2B Hans Montero: 2-for-5, RBI, R, 2 K
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (10), BB, K
.297/.396/.429 in 106 PA (6 doubles, 3 triples, 7 RBI, 22 R, 10-for-11 SB, 13.2% BB, 25.5% K).
1B Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, HR (2), SF, 3 RBI, R, CS (2), HBP

RHP Danny Flatt: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
4.33 ERA (27 IP, 27 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 21 K).
RHP Cade Austin: (W, 2-0) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Sean Hermann: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Gus Hughes: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (6-7)

Day off.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/14: Juan Matheus Goes 6-for-6

Notes:

There is nothing new.

Injury Log

Scranton (20-19) (Defeated Toledo, 5-4)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), R
Since promotion: .358/.471/.469 in 102 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 21 R, 17.6% BB, 11.8% K). His career triple slash sits at .309/.397/.467 in 1,300 plate appearances. He hits, hits, hits and is on a 6-game hitting streak.
LF Cooper Hummel: 2-for-4, R, SB (1)
DH Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, R, BB
.289/.381/.567 in 105 PA (1 double, 8 HR, 19 RBI, 25 R, 3-for-3 SB, 12.4% BB, 31.4% K). The K% is slowly falling.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
.305/.404/.534 in 141 PA (9 doubles, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 2-for-3 SB, 12.1% BB, 18.4% K). He is 15-for-31 (.484/.528/.742) in May with a pair of doubles and homers.
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
Since the Yankees claimed him, he has gone 4-for-33 (.121) with a homer, three walks, and 12 strikeouts.
3B Jose Rojas: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
3B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-1
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, SB (3), K
.203/.338/.344 in 78 PA (1 double, 1 triple, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 3-for-3 SB).
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-3

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
LHP Brent Headrick (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
4.15 ERA (8.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 5 K)
RHP Sean Boyle (S, 1): 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Boyle’s 5th career save. Season: 4.28 ERA (40 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 19 ER, 6 HR, 14 BB, 45 K)

Somerset (14-19)

Their game against Portland was postponed. They will attempt to make it up on June 11th. They have a doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow (makeup of Tuesday’s game).

Hudson Valley (23-10)

Their game against Aberdeen was postponed. They will attempt to play two tomorrow.

Tampa (17-19) (Scored 21 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Palm Beach)

Game 1 (Won, 9-2)

DH Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, R, K
C Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, HR (4), RBI, 2 R
Urena’s first HR since April 19th (at the time, he had hit three HR in four games).
SS Juan Matheus: 4-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Matheus compiles his first career 4-hit game.
RF Austin Green: 2-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, HBP, BB
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, RBI
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, R, K
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, 2B (4), R
3B Owen Cobb: 1-for-3, HR (3), 3 RBI, R, K
9 extra-base hits in 10 games this season (4 (all doubles) in 18 games last year).

LHP Griffin Herring: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
1.40 ERA (38.2 IP, 24 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 48 K). Herring is averaging 87 pitches per start (77 today).
RHP Gus Hughes (W, 3-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cade Austin: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.21 ERA (14 IP, 14 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 12 K)

Game 2 (Won, 12-4)

C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, R
Watch out once his offensive game (beyond the walks) starts improving.
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
Urena entered the doubleheader 7-for-36 in May.
CF Dillon Lewis: 3-for-3, 2B (7), HR (5), 2 RBI, 3 R, BB
Lewis is 13-for-42 (.310; 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R) in 11 May contests (.167/.244/.256 in April)
3B Juan Matheus: 2-for-2, 2 SF, 2 RBI, R
Matheus is hitting .291 with a .702 OPS and is 8-for-10 in his last three games (his OPS was .619 before that).
2B Austin Green: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (1), 4 RBI, R, 2 K
Wilson sets a personal best for RBI in a game.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB
LF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
SS Owen Cobb: 2-for-3, R
Cobb didn’t add to his extra-base hit totals, but the raking continues. He is 15-for-35 (.429).

RHP Danny Flatt: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.43 ERA (22.1 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 20 K)
RHP Jack Sokol (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Sokol’s first professional win. Season: 3.55 ERA (12.2 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 12 K)
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
2.75 ERA (19.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)

FCL (5-3)

Day off.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/9: George Lombard Jr.’s Multi-Hit Effort

Notes:

OF Jace Avina was placed on the 7-day injured list for Hudson Valley. The 21-year-old, acquired in December 2023 from the Brewers along with OF Brian Sanchez for OF Jake Bauers, is hitting .308/.443/.418 (154 wRC+) with a 15.7% BB and 22.6% K. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter.

It’s Mother’s Day weekend. Expect delays in my reports on Saturday and Sunday with little (if any) real-time BlueSky updates.

Due to some feedback, I have updated the injury log below. It is now sorted by last name, with the Top 30 organizational prospects listed at the top.

Injury Log

Scranton (17-17) (Their game against Rochester was canceled, and they will not make it up. They are making up the Thursday rainout with a doubleheader tomorrow. They posted the lineup (same as yesterday’s), and it is below.)

CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-0
2B DJ LeMahieu: 0-for-0
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-0
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-0
When Jasson Dominguez “graduated,” Pipeline moved Rodriguez into the Top 30. The report wasn’t flattering, as they portray him as a prospect with an extremely aggressive approach at the plate. Additionally, while the Yankees play him at multiple positions, he supposedly isn’t all that good at any of them. Some would argue that a good offensive utility player is worth potentially bad defense. I agree with that notion, but Rodriguez has to prove he is a viable offensive player. I don’t hide behind the fact that I am bullish because he continues to hit, even if the approach isn’t perfect. I can’t claim is that it will translate at the highest level. I have no idea.
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-0
LF Dominic Smith: 0-for-0
3B Jose Rojas: 0-for-0
DH Alex Jackson: 0-for-0
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-0

RHP Zach McAllister: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Until the Yankees find starters, McAllister can put himself on the map for spot starts. However, he hasn’t pitched well thus far.

Somerset (13-18) (Defeated Akron, 7-6, in 11 innings)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, RBI, 3 R, SB (1), BB
Lombard Jr. playing second base two days in a row may raise an eyebrow. Do I think it is meaningful for the 2025 Yankees? No. He is 3-for-15 with two walks and three strikeouts since his promotion. Overall, he is 12-for-14 stealing bases.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-5, K
DH Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, 2 K
Jasso’s first extra-base hit in May (11 in April). He didn’t compile an extra-base hit in his first five April games before getting hot. Maybe this will spark another streak.
CF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, 2B (6), SF, 2 RBI, R, K
I like it when a player has a good game the night after I bring up their low BABIP (.200 entering tonight).
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
LF Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, 2 K
2B Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, 3B (2), RBI, R, BB, K
Vargas is 9-for-25 (.360) with a double and a pair of triples in May.
SS Max Burt: 1-for-5, 2B (4), 2 RBI, 2 K
His 2-run double in the 11th provided the winning margin.
1B Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-4, SAC, 3 K
The 20-year-old C/1B is here because they need a body. He has never played above Low-A Tampa before his three Double-A games this year.

RHP Baron Stuart: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Jordany Ventura (W, 1-0) 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen (S, 2): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.09 ERA (11 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 15 K)

Hudson Valley (21-9) (Defeated Wilmington, 4-1. This sometimes comes up, and I will address it: Wilmington is not good. Their offense is the worst in the South Atlantic League, and their pitching isn’t much better. While context is important in sports, these are prospects working on their craft. I will celebrate their successes without worrying about how good the competition is. If the prospects aren’t good enough, that will show itself in time.)

RF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, 3B (2), RBI, R, BB, K
.252/.349/.421 in 126 PA (5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 23 R, 13-for-16 SB, 11.9% BB, 17.5% K). Jones has 36 RBI and 39 runs in 50 career games.
DH Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
3B Parks Harber: 2-for-5, 2B (2), CS (1), K
Since promotion: .325/.372/.450 in 43 PA. Overall, he is hitting .312/.405/.514 in 126 PA. Don’t rule out a second promotion this season.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, BB, K
LF Coby Morales: 2-for-4, K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
Martinez has a 9-game hitting streak (15-for-34; 3 doubles, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 14 R, 7 BB, 9 K). This is not a “garden variety” hitting streak.
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, RBI, R, SB (6), BB, K
Escanio is doing a good job getting on base (.404 OBP), and his teammates are converting that into runs (20 runs in 24 games).

RHP Josh Grosz: (W, 2-1) 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
4.30 ERA (23 IP, 21 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 31 K)
RHP Hayden Merda: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
4.26 ERA (12.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K).
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.50 ERA (8 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 12 K)

Tampa (13-18) (Lost to Daytona, 7-2, in a lightning-shortened 7-inning game)

C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.207/.375/.230 in 112 PA.
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-2, 3B (1), HR (4), RBI, 2 R, BB
May: 9-for-28 (2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 3 BB, 8 K).
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-3, RBI, CS (4), K
LF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-3
2B Austin Green: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, SB (7), 2 K
Gonzalez has stolen a base in three straight games.
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
His second rehab start (first one was in the FCL) went fine. He should be back in Somerset soon.
LHP Tanner Bauman: (L, 0-3) 2.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
It’s been a struggle for Bauman. All you can do is keep throwing him out there.

FCL (3-2) (Lost to the Blue Jays, 6-5, in an 8-inning game (extra innings). In the FCL, teams can determine whether to play a 7-inning or 9-inning game before it begins. We’ve started to see this at other levels after long rain delays.)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R, 2 K
Mayea’s first home run since August 19, 2023. He is 5-for-20 with three doubles and a homer.
C Ediel Rivera: 0-for-3, R, SB (1), BB, K
LF Luis Durango: 0-for-2, R, CI, BB, K
1B Johan Contreras: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, R, K
3B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
After hitting .321/.421/.420 in 36 games here last season, he is 5-for-15 in 2025.

RHP Edinzo Marquez: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
Marquez (20) pitched to a 3.45 ERA in 12 starts for the DSL squad last season (50/20 K/BB over 44.1 IP)
RHP Chance Nolan: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
This is the professional debut for the 25-year-old. This is a fun story, as Nolan was an Oregon State quarterback from 2020 to 2022. Last year, he pitched for NAIA Morningside. He pitched only 3.1 innings (3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 9 BB, 3 K). I would love to hear his full story, because it is a leap to go from college quarterback to NAIA pitcher (for only seven games) to affiliated baseball. According to this article, he touched 97 MPH while at Morningside.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/4: Rafael Flores Has a Big Day

Notes:

I receive this question often and typically answer it once per year: The Baseball Reference linker has a mind of its own when it comes to linking players with the same name. Is it weird that the linker matches Spencer Jones to a 25-year-old graduated Washington State left-handed pitcher who posted a 6.52 career ERA? Yes. If he were named Dennis Putter, his page would never be seen, so good for him. I could manually “fix” it, but I don’t think it is worth it.

Speaking of Jones, he was scratched from today’s lineup for Somerset. I don’t have a reason why. Jones missed time last April due to neck stiffness. That didn’t cost him much time. Hopefully, whatever is ailing him today won’t cost him much time either.

Outfielder Christopher Familia was sent back to the Development List for Somerset. That is not a good sign. His moment in the sun is likely fading.

RHP Gage Ziehl was promoted from Tampa to Somerset to make the start this afternoon. This is undoubtedly a “we need an arm” situation.

Injury Log

Scranton (16-16) (Defeated Syracuse, 4-2)

3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, BB
After spending all of his time at C/DH since his promotion, Scranton finally takes advantage of his versatility. His insane hitting streak ends, but he does add to his on-base streak (he has reached base in all 17 of his Scranton games and 20 straight games overall)
DH Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, BB, K
.284/.357/.541 in 84 PA (1 double, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 15 R, 2-for-2 SB, 9.5% BB, 33.3% K)
1B Dominic Smith: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-4
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-3, R, BB
2-for-10 since the Yankees claimed him.
C Alex Jackson: 2-for-3, 2B (1), 3B (1), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Baseball is so interesting – Jackson has been a decent minor league hitter throughout his career, especially in the power department (he once hit 28 home runs in 85 Triple-A games). MLB? It never translates.
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-0
2B Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RBI, BB
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-0
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-4, CS (1)
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-4, K
.228/.341/.342 in 140 PA. After a hot start (was still hitting .300/.393/.400 on April 20th), Munguia has slumped.

RHP Jake Woodford: (W, 1-1) 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
3.63 ERA (22.1 IP, 26 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 5 HR, 10 BB, 19 K)
RHP McKinley Moore: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.04 ERA (17.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 20 K). The 26-year-old with MLB experience is not a prospect, but pitching like this earns him a spot on the depth chart map. As a side note, during his 2021 debut season with the Giants, he compiled a 0.00 ERA in 13.1 innings. Remember that for a future Immaculate Grid (SF Giants, <3.00 season ERA).
RHP Colten Brewer (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR

Somerset (12-15) (Defeated Richmond, 5-4)

1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-6
After a hot end to April, Jasso started May 0-for-12. Good to see him put an end to that little slide.
2B DJ LeMahieu: 1-for-3, R, BB
LeMahieu has played only second base during his rehab stint. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the shelf, I doubt that changes much.
PH-2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-0, R, HBP
C Rafael Flores: 3-for-5, 2B (9), HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R
As of this writing, Flores is tied for the league lead in doubles and leads with 23 RBI. It’s tight, so those rankings may change. He is hitting .292 with a .892 OPS and has hit safely in nine of his last ten games (including four multi-hit efforts)
RF Garrett Martin: 2-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, R, 2 K
9 of his 15 hits have gone for extra bases (5 doubles, 4 HR). He also has 13 walks in 88 PA (14.8%).
3B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-5
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-5, 3 K
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 3-for-4, 2B (1), BB
Gomez has struggled here. It’s nice to see him have a good game.
SS Max Burt: 2-for-5, RBI

RHP Gage Ziehl: 4 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
Ziehl was thrown into a tough situation today. Judging him based on this start is foolish. He did put up a pair of zeroes after allowing four runs in the first two innings.
LHP Will Brian: (W, 2-0) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 8 K
RHP Kelly Austin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Activated off the IL today, Austin immediately strikes out the side. Season: 8.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K.
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Cole Ayers (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Ayers escapes a bases-loaded, 2-out jam in the 9th.

Hudson Valley (18-8)

Their game against Jersey Shore was postponed. That is one way to stop George Lombard Jr.

Tampa (11-16) (Destroyed Ft. Myers, 12-4. 12 runs, 15 hits, 10 stolen bases. They have scored 12 runs on back-to-back days after struggling to score runs for much of the season (entered today tied for last in the Florida State League in runs))

C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, RBI, R, SB (3), HBP, K
.183/.366/.197 in 93 PA. The Yankees are doing the right thing with Perez by keeping him at this level and giving up as many plate appearances as possible.
LF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
DH Engelth Urena: 3-for-5, 2 2B (4), R, K
It hasn’t been consistent, but he has shown glimpses of the power people talk about. He is hitting .207/.349/.356 in 109 PA.
CF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-5, RBI, R, SB (7), 2 K
.198/.270/.341 in 100 PA.
3B Juan Matheus: 2-for-5, RBI, R, 2 SB (7), K
.250/.329/.333 in 85 PA (6 doubles, 13 RBI, 8 R, 7-for-10 SB, 11.8% BB, 21.2% K)
1B Tyler Wilson: 1-for-5, R, SB (8), 3 K
2B Austin Green: 1-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, R, 2 K
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 3 R, 2 SB (7), BB, K
.308/.400/.365 in 60 PA. If last year’s 15th-round pick can develop a hit tool, he can be disruptive with his speed as he is 15-for-17 stealing bases in his 32-game career. You can see him as a Brett Gardner-type, while recognizing that most Brett Gardner types don’t overachieve like Brett Gardner!
SS Owen Cobb: 3-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 SB (4)
Cobb is 13-for-13 stealing bases during his 22-game career.

RHP Jonathan Loaisiga: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
We don’t get pitch breakdowns when Tampa plays at home (because they aren’t playing in Steinbrenner Field this year), but we do see velocity readings. Loaisiga reached 96 MPH today. He generated a whopping nine whiffs on 19 pitches.
RHP Cole Zaffiro: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Cade Austin: (W, 1-0) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
4.09 ERA (11 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 9 K)
RHP Sean Hermann: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.57 ERA (15.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 17 BB, 16 K). Hermann is doing his usual ground ball thing, but oof – those walks. In his defense, he missed all of 2024 and is still likely on the comeback trail.
RHP Chris Veach: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
2.31 ERA (11.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 18 K). The first time he didn’t record a strikeout in his brief professional career.

FCL (0-1)

Day off. The FCL typically (always?) takes Sunday off.

Note: The FCL plays on Monday, unlike other affiliates. I don’t always post a report for FCL action alone. We’ll see.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/3: George Lombard Jr. is Scorching

Notes:

Will the Yankees dodge a bullet with Clarke Schmidt? “Soreness in the side” is scary, but I hope so.

The Yankees lack rotation depth. This should not come as a surprise to people who read these reports. The Triple-A rotation consists of prospects Zach Messinger and Sean Boyle, along with veterans Allan Winans, Brandon Leibrandt, Erick Leal, and Jake Woodford.

Winans is on the 40-man roster and would seemingly have a leg up. In 2025, the right-hander has a whopping strikeout rate of 42.9%. Even though it’s Triple-A, it’s considerably higher than any previous season at any level. He has yet to allow an earned run in 14 innings.

Fangraphs labeled Messinger as a “depth starter” in its annual prospects report. He has an innings-eater profile, including 150 for Somerset in 2024 (6th most in minor league baseball). He hasn’t pitched well for Scranton thus far (6.48 ERA/5.18 FIP in 25 innings). Boyle has tossed three strong starts and three less-than-ideal starts. Woodford has 89 games (25 starts) of MLB experience, posting a 4.88 ERA (4.94 FIP) and 15.2% K rate.

If I don’t sound enthusiastic, that is a good observation. Their 6th starter depth is not ideal. Hence, it is imperative that Schmidt feels better when he wakes up on Sunday.

LHP Edgar Barclay was placed on the injured list for Somerset.

Injury Log

Scranton (15-16) (Lost to Syracuse, 8-2)

CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-5
LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, R, K
Pereira has three home runs in his last two games (5 HR in his last 8 games)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, 2 K
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, BB
Rodriguez has an 8-game hitting streak (15-for-31). Since his promotion, he has more walks (13) than strikeouts (10).
DH Dominic Smith: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, R, BB, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 2 K
His first hit as a member of the Yankees’ organization.
3B Jose Rojas: 1-for-4
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-3, BB, K

RHP Erick Leal (L, 1-3): 0.2 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
3.95 ERA (13.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 18 K). He did a nice job settling the game down.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2.63 ERA (13.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 16 K). This is his longest career outing.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
1.50 ERA (12 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 18 K)
LHP Grant Richardson: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The outfielder makes his first career pitching appearance.

Somerset (11-15) (Lost to Richmond, 4-1)

3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, CS (2), BB, 2 K
LF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, 3 K
.228/.372/.554 in 113 PA (3 doubles, 9 HR, 16 RBI, 20 R, 6-for-7 SB, 17.7% BB, 36.3% K). Even if Jones is a viable MLB player, games like tonight will be relatively common. You take the good with the bad.
DH Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, K
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, 2B (6), R
Vargas breaks up the no-hitter with one out in the 9th. He is hitting .270/.338/.397 in 71 PA.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB
Gomez’s first Double-A RBI.

RHP Trent Sellers (L, 0-1): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, HR
3.91 ERA (23 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 31 K). The undrafted free agent out of Oregon State (2023) has pitched well enough to get on the radar.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Luis Pacheco: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

Hudson Valley (18-8) (Walked it off against Jersey Shore, 5-4)

RF Jace Avina: 2-for-3, 2 2B (6), 2 R, HBP, BB, K
.329/.467/.439 in 105 PA (6 doubles, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 18 R, 2-for-3 SB, 16.2% BB, 23.8% K). Avina has reached base safely in 24 of 25 games this season. He was ejected after his first AB in the only game where he hasn’t reached base.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 3-for-5, 2 2B (8), 2 RBI, 2 R
.329/.495/.488 in 111 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 22 R, 11-for-13 SB, 20.7% BB, 19.8% K). Lombard Jr. has six doubles in his last seven games and is starting to make his case for a promotion. No, I am not there yet. However, last I checked, my vote doesn’t count.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, BB
3B Parks Harber: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, K
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-5, 2B (2), RBI, R, K
Morales’ double with one out in the 9th tied the game (brought home Lombard Jr.)
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B (4), BB
Martinez has a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-18).
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, BB, 4 K
2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, RBI, CI, K
Escanio with the walk-off single with one out in the 9th.
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-4, 2 K

RHP Bryce Cunningham: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
2.10 ERA (30 IP, 23 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 34 K). Cunningham is cruising, as he hasn’t allowed an earned run (one unearned run) in his last three starts (19 IP). This is how you earn a spot in Double-A.
RHP Tony Rossi: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Between here and Tampa: 10.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 17 K. He’s 25, so moving him up another level could be in the cards soon.
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 2-0) 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (10-16) (Destroyed Fort Myers, 12-5)

C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, K
.179/.364/.194 in 88 PA. Perez owns a .409 career OBP with more walks (94) than strikeouts (88). It will be interesting to see how his career blossoms as he matures.
CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-4, SB (5), 2 K
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 K
.183/.337/.317 in 104 PA.
LF Dillon Lewis: 3-for-4, 2 HR (3), 6 RBI, 3 R, BB
Lewis improves his triple slash from .159/.233/.244 to .186/.263/.337 in one day. He sets personal bests for hits, homers, and RBI.
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 3-for-5, RBI, SB (7), K
.239/.343/.250 in 102 PA.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, CS (1), K
2B Hans Montero: 2-for-3, 2B (1), 3 R, SB (3), BB, K
.229/.327/.313 in 55 PA.
3B Owen Cobb: 2-for-3, HR (1), RBI, 2 R, BB
Cobb’s first professional home run (21st game)! Congrats!

RHP Greysen Carter (W, 1-2): 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
“Somebody teach this kid some control before he kills somebody!” Carter is a fun project for someone whose job it is to work with projects. We are just along for the ride.
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Brady Kirtner: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
1.69 ERA (16 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 14 K)

FCL (0-1) (Lost to the Tigers, 3-1. Another “modern” aspect of the FCL is that the Yankees will play the same teams constantly. Tigers, Phillies, Blue Jays. They play in a 4-team division. It’s essentially a drawn-out round robin.)

It’s Opening Day so I will give you the full lineup:

CF Brando Mayea: 0-for-3, CS (1), BB, 3 K
Mayea was their buzzy millionaire signing a few years back. The 19-year-old showed discipline last year (.281/.370/.326), but no power (2 doubles, 2 triples). He is repeating this level, which I don’t like to see. You don’t give out big bonuses, hoping the player will languish in mid-season leagues for several years. Hopefully, he will break out and get to Low-A later.
2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-2, RBI
First rehab game for Riggio, who hit .221/.349/.397 in 480 plate appearances for Hudson Valley in 2024.
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-1, SB (1), BB
LF Luis Durango: 0-for-3, CS (1), 2 K
First rehab game for Durango. As stated yesterday, the Yankees chose him in the Triple-A phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft (from Cleveland).
LF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-0, BB
Known for elite speed, Lara showed offensive chops in his 2023 debut season in the DSL (.267/.401/.411 with 18 stolen bases). However, he flattened out at this level in 2024 (.202/.322/.250; 14 stolen bases). That said, he only struck out 13% of the time and had a crazy low BABIP for someone with his speed reputation (.231). I am watching him for a breakout.
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-4
The 22-year-old may be an organizational floater. I keep rooting for him to put one over the fence (0 HR in 134 career games).
RF Isael Arias: 0-for-2, SB (1), 2 BB
In his 2024 debut campaign in the DSL, he hit .246/.379/.325 with a 10-for-11 stolen base rate.
DH Ediel Rivera: 1-for-3, BB
“Who is this guy?” There are always a few in the crowd whom I don’t recognize. However, there is a good reason for that: This is the 19-year-old’s professional debut. The Yankees signed him out of Puerto Rico last July. He is listed as a catcher.
1B Luis Puello: 0-for-4, 3 K
The 19-year-old spent his first two professional seasons in the DSL. He didn’t fare well in 2023 but bounced back to hit .361/.439/.516 in 37 games last year.
3B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-4, R, SB (1), 2 K
Gomez is 21 and spending his 4th season in the DSL/FCL. He has significant time at 2B/SS/3B.
SS Kevin Verde: 0-for-3, BB
The 19-year-old’s FCL debut. He didn’t do much hitting in the DSL.

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
First rehab start. The Yankees threw him into the Double-A fire in his 2024 debut season. He responded by going 13-7 with a 4.58 ERA in 147.1 IP. He finished strongly (1.57 ERA in August, 3.12 ERA in September). I assume he will be back in Somerset once his rehab is complete.
RHP Sunayro Martina (L, 0-1): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Martina struggled in 19 innings here last year (8.53 ERA), though he did strike out 23 batters.
RHP Stanly Alcantara: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
FCL debut. He will want to forget his 2024 season (34 walks in 18.2 innings).

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 8/29: Spencer Jones Continues to Roll

News:

Nothing fit for print.

Scranton (73-53) (Their game against Rochester was postponed. The lineup was released before the postponement and is below)

2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-0
Is his size a detriment? Maybe, but we shouldn’t downgrade him on that alone. At 5’6″, he is the same height as Jose Altuve (Hall of Fame aspirations) and Tony Kemp (not quite Hall of Fame material). We have successful 5’7″ and 5’8″ players. How much does that extra height matter? The other question is defensive flexibility. The Yankees play him all over the field in the minors. Does a kid with his size have the arm to play anywhere other than 2B in MLB? His profile is intriguing and, while he isn’t a power hitter, his power is spiking this year.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-0
Will Dominguez be up in September? He should be. However, the Yankees will need to find room. Will Trent Grisham (who has minor league options) be a causality? Even though Grisham has CF ability, I find that to be more realistic than cutting Alex Verdugo. Regardless, leaving Dominguez off the roster in September would be foolish.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-0
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-0
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-0
For Scranton: .286/.355/.451 in 408 PA (24 doubles, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 62 R).
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-0
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-0
For Scranton: .291/.407/.437 in 123 PA (9 doubles, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 21 R)
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-0
RF Greg Allen: 0-for-0

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (64-57) (Won two games against Reading. They are 1.5 games behind Portland for the second-half title)

Game 1 (Won, 5-4, in 10 innings)

3B Jon Berti: 0-for-2, RS, BB
3B Max Burt: 0-for-1, 2 RS, SB (11), BB
1B Anthony Rizzo: 0-for-2, 2 K
PH-1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, BB
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (23), RBI, RS, SB (23), HBP, 2 K
Jones follows up his 3-hit effort with a 2-hit effort.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (4), K
DH Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, K
LF Jared Wegner: 3-for-4, 2B (14), SB (6), K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, SB (11), BB, K
At this level: .255/.303/.402 in 198 PA (5 doubles, 5 triples, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 20 R, 11-for-18 SB)

RHP Cam Schlittler: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Since promotion: 5.30 ERA (18.2 IP, 23 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 18 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.89 ERA (28 IP, 24 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 38 K). Liranzo is a 29-year-old minor league veteran without MLB experience. He is pitching well and you never know with relief arms.
RHP Matt Sauer: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.56 ERA (17.1 IP, 13 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 18 K).
RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 2-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Won, 2-1. Rizzo and Berti didn’t play in this one. Rizzo was spotted at the US Open)

DH Spencer Jones: 2-for-3, 2B (24), RBI, RS, SB (24)
Jones has a 5-game hitting and RBI streak (10-for-19, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 7 RBI). He is hitting .333/.404/.524 (28-for-84) in August and .259/.339/.435 in 478 PA (24 doubles, 4 triples, 14 HR, 70 RBI, 62 R, 24-for-32 SB, 10.3% BB, 36.8% K). He has a .774 OPS after producing a .780 OPS (.267/.336/.444) last year. It’s amazing how good players tend to eventually get to where you expect them to be.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, SB (4), BB
Since promotion: .262/.346/.487 in 211 PA. Flores compiled 24 extra-base hits in 434 PA last year. This year, he has 43 in 444 PA.
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-2, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, K
.230/.341/.399 in 373 PA (25-for-28 SB). It is fair to point out that this is his second year at this level. He has played in a career-high 102 games.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-1, SB (1), BB
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-2, RS, SB (7), K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-2, K
C Juan Crisp: 0-for-2, K

RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 6-7) 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
4.49 ERA (126.1 IP, 110 H, 68 R, 63 ER, 19 HR, 52 BB, 133 K). Last 2 starts: 11.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 8 BB, 17 K. Dees has more than doubled last year’s innings output. I think he has pitched well for a converted reliever.
RHP Danny Watson (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.74 ERA (31.1 IP, 31 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 19 K). Watson’s injury this year hampered his development. Here’s hoping he can have a solid final few weeks.

Hudson Valley (66-56) (Knocked off Jersey Shore, 7-0. They increase their lead over the BlueClaws to two games)

CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-4, HR (2, grand slam), 5 RBI, RS, BB
Jones predictably cooled off after a crazy hot start but made up for that with his grand slam tonight. In 17 games between here and Tampa, he is hitting .283/.486/.509 in 74 PA (3 doubles, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 14 R, 21 BB, 14 K, 12-for-12 SB).
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS
Lombard has doubled in four straight games and has three consecutive multi-hit efforts. After games of 8/16, he owned a .081/.190/.081 triple slash at this level. It is now .185/.283/.235 in 92 PA with a 10.9% BB and 20.7% K. For Tampa, he owned a 12.8% BB and 24.0% K. There are encouraging signs in his profile.
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, K
LF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, BB, K
DH Omar Martinez: 3-for-4, 2B (14), SF, RBI, RS, SB (2), K
.239/.374/.410 in 398 PA. Last season for Tampa, he hit .251/.367/.445 in 444 PA.
RF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, RS, SB (3), BB
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-5, K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, 2B (13), 2 RS, SB (1), 2 BB
.238/.306/.448 in 162 PA (13 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 25 R). He is 22-for-72 with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI, and 18 R in August.
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-5, 5 K

RHP Trent Sellers: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Sellers continues his stellar pitching as a starter (8 starts, 0.61 ERA (29.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 31 K)). His innings-per-start isn’t high because he is converting from relief work.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.15 ERA (15.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 18 K). It is time to promote him to Somerset (where he finished 2023).
RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
At this level: 3.50 ERA (43.2 IP, 34 H, 23 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 24 BB, 56 K).

Tampa (50-69) (Defeated Bradenton, 6-3. Game 2 was postponed before Game 1 started. Hence, they converted Game 1 to a 9-inning contest. They will attempt a doubleheader tomorrow)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
Arias owns a 12.3% BB and 31.6% K.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, RS, SB (12), HBP, BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
DH Tyler Wilson: 1-for-2, 2B (5), RS, 3 BB
RF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-5, 2B (3), RBI, RS
Lewis hit a ball at 108.8 MPH. He is 8-for-20 with three doubles and a homer to begin his career.
1B Parks Harber: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
LF Joe Delossantos: 0-for-4, RS, SB (9), BB, 3 K
Delossantos, who stole home on the backend of a double steal, is 9-for-10 stealing bases (14 games)
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-5, K
2B Owen Cobb: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (6), HBP
Cobb has reached base safely in 10 of his 11 professional games.

RHP Danny Flatt: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, HR
Flatt tossed 71 pitches tonight. Last year’s 14th-round pick is only 20 years old and pitched well enough in the FCL to earn some late-season starts here.
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 4-3) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Myatt begins a rehab assignment (first appearance since April 26th). Before his injury, he pitched to a 4.15 ERA and 12/3 K/BB in 8.2 IP for Somerset.
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Pacheco dialed it up to 97 MPH tonight. That is why the Yankees took a flyer on the 25-year-old. He owns a 2.25 ERA (16 IP, 15 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 20 K)
RHP Chris Kean: (S, 2) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25)

Their season is over. The Bombers had a good season but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.