Tag: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz

Yankees MILB 9/20: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz’s Scranton Debut

Notes:

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

Updated look at the trade deadline.

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

Arizona Fall League Players

The Yankees promoted RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz to Scranton for today’s start.

Rodriguez-Cruz was the likely Friday night starter if the Somerset-Binghamton series went to a deciding third game. It didn’t, so they decided to give him a Triple-A start instead.

Injury Log

Scranton (86-60; 48-26 in second half) (Lost to Buffalo, 4-2)

This is Scranton’s first playoff appearance since 2019, and they haven’t won the International League Championship since 2016 (they also won the overall Triple-A Championship that season). They will take on Jacksonville in a 3-game series starting Tuesday. Because they need to complete the series as quickly as possible (so they can play the Triple-A Championship Game), they play on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with all games in Jacksonville.  The PCL Championship Series will be between Tacoma and Las Vegas.

CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (36), 2 BB, K
The day after clinching, Spencer Jones got the day off. If he plays tomorrow, he will need two stolen bases to complete a 30/30 campaign. As for Ellis, before the Yankees made a bunch of moves at the deadline, there was a small (OK, minuscule) chance they would carry him at some point in the postseason (if you don’t recall, they rostered him during the Royals series last year).
2B Jose Rojas: 0-for-5, K
Jorbit Vivas also received a day off.
DH J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Escarra follows up a 4-hit night with a 3-hit afternoon.
LF Brennen Davis: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
After an insane start, Davis has crashed (5-for-42 without a home run in September).  His slump started after hitting five home runs in five games between August 23rd and August 29th. Baseball!
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HBP
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, CS (1), 2 K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 2 K
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Yankees approach their catching depth in 2026. Martinez hasn’t hit well since being promoted.  A lot depends on how they view Ben Rice for 2026 (everyday first baseman, or more like his role in 2025?)
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (L, 0-1) 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
The rehabbing Anthony Santander touched him up for a 2-run double in the 5th. Learning experience. By receiving another regular-season start, Rodriguez-Cruz had a chance to overtake Jonah Tong (NYM) for the minor league strikeout title. It wasn’t meant to be, as he falls three strikeouts short (179-176). Rodriguez-Cruz’s final numbers: 27 games (26 starts), 11-8, 2.58 ERA (150 IP, 104 H, 52 R, 43 ER, 3 HR (!), 57 BB, 176 K). If you want the most basic recipe for success, groundballs (54.8% entering today), limiting home runs, and strikeouts are a good start.
LHP Brent Headrick: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The Yankees pitchers who will likely be standing by in case of emergency include Headrick and Yerry De los Santos. I doubt Jake Bird would be in the conversation. First things first, though: Get to the playoffs. The Cleveland Guardians are causing too much anxiety amongst the Wild Card contenders.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
When you are likely on the Rule 5 bubble, the best you can do is perform. Cohen did that in 2025.
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

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

Their season is over.

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

Their season is over.

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

Their season is over.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/13: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Ks 7

Notes:

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

Updated look at the trade deadline.

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

Arizona Fall League Players

Injury Log

Scranton (83-57; 45-23 in second half) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 8-5)

As stated earlier this week, the Lehigh Valley team is solid and was a legitimate threat to overtake the Railriders. Scranton needed to win a few games, and they have accomplished that. They are 6.5 games up on them with seven games left. With that threat out of the way, attention turns to Syracuse. The Mets lost today, falling four games behind Scranton.

CF Spencer Jones:  1-for-3, 2 R, BB
Jones has a 9-game hitting streak (10-for-35; 2 doubles, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, 19 K).  This is the first time he hasn’t struck out in a game since August 24th (16 straight games with at least one strikeout; 40 strikeouts during that stretch.)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, RBI, R, BB
Rumfield is 7-for-20 in his last six games. He is hitting .285/.375/.448 in 562 plate appearances (31 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 85 RBI, 83 R, 4-for-6 SB, 11.6% BB, 17.97% K)
DH J.C. Escarra: 1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, R, BB
2B Jose Rojas: 1-for-2, HR (31), 3 RBI, R, HBP, BB
He’s a 32-year-old non-prospect, so I don’t post his numbers often. However, they are quite impressive: .297/.387/.616 in 494 PA (35 doubles, 4 triples, 31 HR, 103 RBI, 76 R, 14-for-16 SB, 12.3% BB, 20.4% K). Additionally, he has provided utility to Scranton, as he has eight starts at first base, 14 at second base, 16 at third base, 19 in left field, and 17 in right field.
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, HR (14), 2 RBI, R
De La Cruz surprisingly didn’t homer despite a hot August (.320/.363/.427). He is more himself in September, as this is his 4th HR this month (9-for-31).
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-4, 2 K
Ellis was as hot as a hitter can be for a while, but is 3-for-19 in September. He is still hitting .333/.378/.478 in 214 plate appearances.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 4 K
Martinez is hitting .217/.313/.304 in 80 plate appearances since his promotion. 
SS Andrew Velazquez: 2-for-4, 2B (19), 2 R, SB (25)
Velázquez opted out of his deal on August 3rd, only to re-sign on August 15th. Since returning: 13-for-42 (.310; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 2-for-3 SB). 

RHP Erick Leal: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, HR
To say Leal has put together a good season would be lying (5.75 ERA). However, he has given them 123.2 innings, which is also important. Every organization needs veterans who provide Triple-A innings.
RHP Joel Kuhnel: (W, 4-1)  1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Rodriguez reached 99.7 MPH with his 4-seamer and 96.3 MPH with his cutter. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Yankees re-signed him this winter. 
LHP Brent Headrick: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Hopefully, everyone can stay healthy, but Headrick is a nice depth piece down here. 
RHP Scott Effross (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
If the Yankees wish to continue to employ Effross beyond 2025, 2026 is another option year. Is he useful enough as a shuttle reliever to use a 40-man roster slot going forward?

Somerset (73-64; 38-30 in the second half) (Defeated Reading, 6-2)

Their playoff series against Binghamton starts on Tuesday. It is best-of-3 with the first game in Somerset and the last two games in Binghamton.

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-5, K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (24), R, 2 K
Lombard Jr. scores his 90th run and has six doubles in 11 September games (32 doubles between Somerset and Hudson Valley overall).
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, R, BB
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Jasso takes over the Eastern League’s RBI lead with 76 (there’s no drama here – he will win the RBI crown.)
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 3B (5), HR (20), 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Hardman is the fourth Yankees’ farmhand to reach 20+ home runs (Spencer Jones, Jose Rojas, and Dillon Lewis as the others.)
LF Garrett Martin: 3-for-4, 2B (14), HR (14), 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Martin has homered in back-to-back games (he is 13-for-34 with three home runs in September.)
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-4, K
DH Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI
3B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 5-3) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Rodriguez-Cruz wins the organization’s strikeout title with 173 (Carlos Lagrange struck out 168). Only Jonah Tong (NYM) has more in all of minor league baseball (179). Final regular season stats: 26 games (25 starts), 11-7, 2.42 ERA (145 IP, 96 H, 48 R, 39 ER, 3 HR, 57 BB, 173 K). For Somerset, he pitched to a 2.64 ERA over 61.1 innings. Add him to your MLB depth chart for 2026.  By the way, yes – this game was meaningless and there is a playoff game on Tuesday. In MLB, an ace-level pitcher isn’t making this start. In the minors, he is going to make this start.
RHP Kelly Austin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
2.95 ERA (42.2 IP, 35 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 28 BB, 37 K).
RHP Danny Watson: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Watson ends the regular season with a 4.74 ERA (57 IP, 61 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 6 HR, 8 BB, 57 K). He tossed six scoreless innings in September (3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K). Going back to May 24th, Watson walked only one batter the rest of the season (44.2 innings). That’s insane. He also allowed zero home runs over his last 22 appearances. He is going to be an interesting Rule 5 decision this winter.
RHP Carson Coleman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

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

Their season is over.

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

Their season is over.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/7: George Lombard Jr.: 2 Doubles

Notes:

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

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

“What happens when the season ends?”

I will provide some content, but not every day.

I will update the popular “Where are they now?” post.  There will be a lot of new players to add to that. I will do a season recap. I don’t report on the Arizona Fall League every day (if you think people take minor league stats too seriously (include me on that list if you wish), the Arizona Fall League is ripe with overanalysis. However, I will provide updates from time to time.)

We are a while away from that, however. Hudson Valley and Tampa finished up today, but Scranton and Somerset still have games to play.

Injury Log

Scranton (81-54; 43-20 in second half) (Split a doubleheader against Worcester)

Syracuse lost to fall four games back.  Others: Toledo (6 back), Indianapolis (7 back), Lehigh Valley (7.5 back). The season ends on September 21st. Lehigh Valley can make Scranton nervous with a sweep this week.

Game 1 (Lost, 6-5)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 2B (17), R
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, BB
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-2, CS (1), 2 BB, K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, R, SB (13), K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, HR (8), RBI, R, BB, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, R, BB
Since promotion: .231/.329/.323 in 76 PA. Overall, in 421 plate appearances, he is hitting .227/.323/.367 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI. It is important to follow Martinez due to the lack of catching in the system. There are only three catchers ahead of him on the current depth chart (Austin Wells, Ben Rice, J.C. Escarra).
LF Duke Ellis: 2-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
.349/.394/.500 in 168 Triple-A plate appearances. He also has 33 stolen bases in 40 attempts.

RHP Erick Leal: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Brent Headrick: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Yerry De los Santos: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kervin Castro (L, 4-1): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
It’s rare to see Castro not shut things down, as Worcester scored two in the bottom of the 7th to win it. He owns a 1.69 ERA in 42.2 IP (24 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 19 BB, 50 K)

Game 2 (Won, 5-0)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2B (18), R
“Vivas Doubles” (OK, that isn’t quite as catchy as Miggy Doubles) has swatted six two-baggers in his last ten games. He has five multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2B (31), RBI
Maybe Rumfield is getting past his struggles. This is his 10th 3+-hit game this season.
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, 3 K
Jones goes 2-for-8 with a double and five strikeouts in the doubleheader. He has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games but is only 10-for-44 with 28 strikeouts during this stretch.
DH Brennen Davis: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, HR (12), RBI, R
  LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-0
3B Jeimer Candelario: 0-for-2, R, BB
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-2, HR (5), 2 RBI, R, BB, K
C Edinson Duran: 2-for-3, R, K
Duran’s first multi-hit game since June 1, 2024. As stated, he doesn’t get to play often.

RHP Sean Boyle: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.79 ERA (124 IP, 118 H, 73 R, 66 ER, 15 HR, 43 BB, 115 K)
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: (W, 3-1)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
If you do the Sporcle quiz after the season, remember that Sandridge had a cup of coffee with the big club this year!
RHP Ian Hamilton: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (70-62; 35-28 in the second half) (Defeated New Hampshire, 9-4. When you are given a not-so-good opponent, take advantage. The Patriots did just that, sweeping the 6-game series.)

Hartford lost and is now 3.5 games back. Portland lost and is 5.5 games out. A 3-3 finish prevents Hartford from overtaking them. Portland is on life support.

Somerset ends the season against Reading. Reading’s season hasn’t been much better than New Hampshire’s.

CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (12), R, 2 SB (21), BB, K
Jones ties Marshall Toole for the organization’s stolen base lead (44). Given that Toole and Juan Matheus played their final 2025 games today, it seems likely that Jones will take the crown. He is hitting .243/.364/.420 in 308 PA since his promotion and .240/.358/.396 in 517 plate appearances overall. 
3B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 2B (22), RBI, 2 R, BB, K
Including his time with Hudson Valley, Lombard Jr. has 30 doubles and 33 stolen bases. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games (8-for-26; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 6 RBI). 
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-3, 2B (23), HR (19), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Hardman has a week to join this year’s 20 HR club (Spencer Jones, Jose Rojas, Dillon Lewis).
DH Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-5, RBI, 2 R
Castillo is looking to finish strongly. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-15; 1 double, 1 HR, 3 BB, 1 K) that has improved his Double-A triple slash from .130/.216/.217 to .230/.319/.361.
RF Garrett Martin: 2-for-5, R
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, R, BB, K
We all know the catching depth took a hit at the deadline. It opened up playing time for the 23-year-old Palencia, who hit for a high average in the rookie leagues (.306 in 123 DSL/FCL contests) and Low-A (.290 in 39 games). I wouldn’t label him a prospect, but he fills in well.
2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (W, 4-3): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
Since promotion: 2.56 ERA (56.1 IP, 40 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 67 K). Overall: 10-7, 2.38 ERA (140 IP, 92 H, 46 R, 37 ER, 3 HR, 54 BB, 166 K). Rodriguez-Cruz pushes back ahead of Carlos Lagrange (163 strikeouts) for the organization’s strikeout crown. Each pitcher should get one start next week. I don’t want to read too much into the insanely low home run rate, but it’s better than giving them up in bushels!
RHP Hayden Merda: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.84 ERA (6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 K). 
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.09 ERA (53 IP, 59 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 6 HR, 8 BB, 53 K).  Second half: 2.54 ERA (28.1 IP, 29 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 26 K)
RHP Kelly Austin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
LHP Will Brian (S, 2): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Things became a bit dicey in the 9th, but Brian shut it down.

Hudson Valley (79-50; 41-24 second half) (Lost to Greensboro, 4-1)

Hudson Valley entered this week needing to go 5-1 against Greensboro to win the second-half crown. They end up going 4-2.  Their .612 overall winning percentage is impressive. It’s the second-best winning percentage in the South Atlantic League (behind Greensboro), but you must win a half to get to the playoffs, and they couldn’t pull it off.

A great season for the Renegades comes up just short.  Their season was highlighted by many prospects who leaped to Somerset (George Lombard Jr., Brendan Jones, Jace Avina, Jackson Castillo, Ben Hess, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Carlos Lagrange, Kyle Carr).

3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, BB
Matheus ends the season on an 8-game hitting streak (14-for-31; .452). After his promotion: .287/.381/.398 in 126 PA. Overall, between here and Tampa, he hit .275/.365/.376 in 520 PA (32 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 56 RBI, 61 R, 40-for-51 SB (78.4%), 12.3% BB, 18.5% K). Reps are important for prospects, and Matheus finishes 4th in the organization in plate appearances. While he played 2B (rarely)/SS/3B this season, he only played third base after his promotion.
CF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-2, R, SB (13), 2 BB
After his promotion: .228/.320/.426 in 332 PA. Overall, like Matheus, he received a lot of reps (527 PA), hitting .237/.321/.445 (21 doubles, 5 triples, 22 HR, 79 RBI, 72 R, 26-for-28 SB, 10.2% BB, 23.5% K).  One impressive part about his campaign was the reduction in strikeouts upon his promotion (from 28.2% to 20.8%). 
2B Core Jackson: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
As we know, drafting Jackson turned into a controversial decision. He didn’t do much hitting (.183/.287/.280 in 108 PA with seven doubles and a triple).
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
The team’s second-half lineup was different than the first half, as 2025 draftees started to filter into the lineup alongside Matheus and Lewis. Moylan, a 23-year-old in his second campaign at this level, had a big second half to help keep the Renegades in the playoff race.
SS Kaeden Kent: 2-for-4, RBI
Speaking of 2025 draftees, Jeff Kent‘s son hit .186/.217/.265 in 116 PA (2 doubles, 2 HR, 17 RBI). Included in that stat line was an impressive 5-for-5 day on August 27th.
RF Camden Troyer: 1-for-3, BB, K
Their 12th-round pick goes 19-for-75 (.253/.356/.320) with a pair of doubles and a home run. He walked 12 times while striking out 13 times.
DH Connor McGinnis: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
An 0-for-5 finish knocked the 10th-round pick’s average below .200 (.196/.297/.250). His (brief) season included a 6-game hitting streak.
  PH-DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-1
Seen as a power prospect entering the season, Urena struggled for Tampa/Hudson Valley, hitting .198/.318/.305 in 490 PA (17 doubles, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 62 R, 13.3% BB, 19.2% K). The strikeout rate is solid, and his .231 BABIP indicates some bad luck. 2026 will be a key season.
C John Cristino: 0-for-4, 3 K
The 25-year-old was signed to a minor league contract in March and predictably destroyed the FCL. Life wasn’t as easy here (.167/.233/.258 in 21 games).
LF Luis Durango: 0-for-4
Chosen in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft (Cleveland), Durango battled injuries (only played in 45 games). In 40 games here, he showed off on-base skills (.351 OBP) and speed (17 stolen bases), but little pop (.268 SLG). You can’t expect a full package from a minor league Rule 5 pick!

RHP Brandon Decker: (L, 2-2)  5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Decker wiggled his way through five today after tossing five shutout innings against Greensboro on Tuesday. At this level: 4.26 ERA (31.2 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). Overall, he finishes his first season with a 3.61 ERA in 84.2 innings (75 H, 43 R, 34 ER, 3 HR, 42 BB, 92 K).
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The 23-year-old finishes with a 3.48 ERA in 41.1 innings (35 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 37 K). He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
RHP Jack Cebert: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
Cebert hadn’t allowed a run in his (very) brief career before today (6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 11 K). He was their 15th-round pick this year.
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Warrecker’s impressive campaign (assuming he doesn’t go to Somerset) comes to an end with a 2.05 ERA in 57 innings (35 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 61 K). Used as a starter in all 19 of his 2024 appearances (5.79 ERA in 65.1 innings with a 46/30 K/BB), the Yankees put him in the bullpen this season, and he flourished. He will go to Somerset in 2026, where we will see just how viable he is as a relief prospect. This was step 1.

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

The drama of whether they will finish above or below .500 ends with the worst plot twist since the ending of How I Met Your Mother. Today’s game against Clearwater was canceled, so they finished at .500 on the nose!

Outfielder Marshall Toole finishes the season as the only qualified Florida State League player over .300, hitting .305/.406/.479 (148 wRC+; yes, this can change depending on what happens elsewhere today, but it wouldn’t change by much.) with 14 doubles, 13 triples, five home runs, 48 RBI, 66 runs, and 44 stolen bases in 50 attempts. Additionally, he walked 14% of the time while striking out at a 19.6% rate.  Last year’s 15th-round pick will find himself in Hudson Valley in 2026.

First-round pick Dax Kilby adjusted quickly to professional baseball, hitting .353/.457/.441 (159 wRC+) in 18 games. He walked more than he struck out (13 – 11) while stealing 16 bases in 17 attempts. He didn’t play any other position than shortstop, but don’t read into that. We have no idea what the Yankees think when it comes to future position, but they will keep him at shortstop for as long as possible. Other positions can be learned.  As for 2026, he will likely start the season here. George Lombard Jr. didn’t move up to Hudson Valley until halfway through his second campaign. No two prospects are alike, but why wouldn’t he follow a similar path?  Meanwhile, Jackson Lovich‘s stay was short-lived due to an injury, but he went 14-for-22 with four doubles and two triples.

On the flip side, Roderick Arias‘ prospect status is likely in the trash bin. After a decent 2024 campaign at this level (.233/.335/.393; 111 wRC+), Arias crashed and burned to the tune of .208/.325/.315 (89 wRC+). His walk rate climbed while his strikeout rate fell. That means little.  This was his second full season in Low-A, and he failed. His only trade market value is as a sweetener for a team that will buy low on a project.

On the pitching side, RHP Greysen Carter showed off his elite fastball and not-so-elite control before ending his season in the FCL. He will be a fun project for the player development team.

Relievers Chris Veach (2.53 ERA; 30.5% K) and Cade Austin (3.08 ERA; 25.1% K) spent the entire season here, as did Jack Sokol, who relies more on groundballs (54.1%) than strikeouts (19.7%).

They likely did enough to start 2026 in Hudson Valley. LHP Allen Facundo caught my attention with his velocity after his promotion here. He pitched to a 2.14 ERA (3.07 FIP) in 33.1 innings with a 26.5% K and 10.6% BB. LHP Henry Lalane was hurt most of the season, making six late starts (only 16.1 innings). Hopefully, he can be healthy for the full 2026 campaign. Potential won’t be realized from the injured list.

Most prospects don’t “stick” here for a full season. Outfielder Dillon Lewis lasted 46 games (after playing 14 games in 2024) before being bumped to Hudson Valley.

The “fun” story for 2025 was the repackaging of Antonio Gomez. Once considered one of the best all-around catching prospects in the system, the Yankees converted him into a pitcher. He was pumping 100 MPH+ fastballs upon making his debut, but didn’t last long before ending up on the Injured List. Hopefully, they shut him down due to a minor ailment rather than a serious issue.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/2: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 6 Shutout Innings

Notes:

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

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

Nothing to report. Maybe they move someone from Hudson Valley to Somerset for the final week of the Double-A season, but, for the most part, I wouldn’t expect newsworthy items over the final few weeks.

Injury Log

Scranton (78-52; 40-18 in second half) (Outlasted Worcester, 8-7. The Railriders were down, 5-0, entering the top of the 6th. A 7-run 7th inning was the key to the comeback.)

Syracuse lost, so Scranton owns a 4-game lead over the Mets for the second-half crown. Toledo also lost, so they are five games out. The season ends on September 21.

LF Austin Slater: 1-for-3, R, BB, 2 K
Slater still has yet to play a full game in the field. For now, J.C. Escarra is with the big club.
   PH-LF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-1, 2B (11)
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 2B (15), 3 RBI, R, K
Vivas has five 3-RBI efforts this season. 
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (10), 2 RBI, 4 K
A big 2-run double in the middle of his four-strikeout night.
DH Brennen Davis: 1-for-4, RBI, R, HBP, 2 K
   PR-DH Duke Ellis: 0-for-0
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, R, K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB, K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, R, K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-4, 3B (4), RBI, R, K

RHP Sean Boyle: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
RHP Jake Bird: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: (W, 2-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.80 ERA (21.1 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 20 BB, 31 K)
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
At this level: 1.88 ERA (24 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 24 K)
RHP Kervin Castro: (S, 4) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (65-62; 30-28 in second half) (Shut down New Hampshire, 1-0)

Hartford (0.5 games back) and Portland (1.5 games back) also won.

Somerset’s season ends on September 14th.

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
Jones has a 14.9% walk rate since his promotion. 
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RBI, SB (20), K
With two outs in the bottom of the 8th, Jones drew a walk, followed by a Lombard Jr. double to score the game’s only run.  
LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3
RF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3
Castillo has a big extra-inning home run on his Double-A resume, but it has otherwise been a struggle (7-for-49; 1 double, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 14 K)
3B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3, K
2B Duncan Pastore: 1-for-3

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
For Somerset: 2.81 ERA (51.1 IP, 38 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 16 BB, 59 K). Overall, the 22-year-old owns a 2.47 ERA in 135 innings (90 H, 46 R, 37 ER, 3 HR, 53 BB, 158 K).  Rodriguez-Cruz slowed down in his previous three starts (11 runs in 13.1 innings, though the strikeout rate was still strong), so it is nice to see him bounce back tonight.
RHP Baron Stuart (W, 1-2): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Carson Coleman (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Not the most important number ever, but Coleman is 26-for-30 (86.7%) converting saves in his minor league career.

Hudson Valley (76-48; 38-22 second half) (Shut down Greensboro, 4-0)

I missed a half-game somewhere. Instead of pulling within two games of Greensboro’s lead, Hudson Valley is now 2.5 games out with five games to go. Does it matter?  No. They will still need to go 4-1 the rest of the week to take the second-half championship.

3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (2), BB, K
At this level: .239/.356/.352 in 104 PA (14.4% BB; 19.2% K).
CF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4
2B Core Jackson: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Kaeden Kent: 1-for-4, R
C Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, R
As noted previously, Urena has been struggling since his promotion. This is his first multi-hit game as a member of the Renegades. Let’s see if he can finish off the season with a little hot streak.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
RF Camden Troyer: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
DH Connor McGinnis: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
8-for-44 (.182) with six walks and 14 strikeouts.
LF Luis Durango: 1-for-2, SAC, BB

RHP Brandon Decker: (W, 2-1)  5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
4.39 ERA (26.2 IP, 22 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). A clutch performance by the 23-year-old.
RHP Brady Kirtner: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2.68 ERA (47 IP, 34 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 1 HR, 25 BB, 56 K)
RHP Tony Rossi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
For Hudson Valley: 2.45 ERA (36.2 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 24 BB, 51 K). 

Tampa (60-62; 24-33 in the second half) (Lost to Clearwater, 6-5, in ten innings)

This officially eliminates them from the second-half title chase. The season ends on Sunday.

SS Dax Kilby: 2-for-4, 3B (2), RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (12), 2 BB
Kilby has caught on quickly to Low-A. The 18-year-old is hitting .333 (18-for-54) with a pair of doubles and triples to go along with his 12-for-13 stolen base rate. Additionally, he has more walks (10) than strikeouts (6) and has multiple hits in seven of his last nine games. Will he start 2026 in High-A? I doubt it, but a quick promotion is possible.
3B Roderick Arias: 0-for-5, RBI, BB, K
2025 will likely be remembered as a lost season for Arias. It may also end his prospect status.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-5, RBI, SB (43), K
I hope he can maintain his .300 average in the final week. He has some cushion (.307). He is 43-for-49 stealing bases.
LF Eric Genther: 1-for-2, 2B (4), 2 BB
DH Richie Bonomolo Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, SB (5), 2 BB, K
Bonomolo tied the game in the top of the 9th with a walk.
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
1B Hans Montero: 0-for-5, 3 K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, R, SB (13)
   PH Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 0-for-1
   C Ediel Rivera: 0-for-0, HBP

RHP Edinzo Marquez: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
RHP Josh Tiedemann: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Cole Zaffiro: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Mendoza has some life on his fastball, reaching 97.2 MPH (averaged 95.6). He also flashed an impressive sinker that reached 96 MPH.
RHP Chris Veach: (L, 2-4)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 6/22: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Ks 9

Notes:

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

My thoughts on Core Jackson.

No other news today.

Injury Log

Scranton (72-48; 34-15 in second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 7-4)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-5, RBI, R, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, 2B (2), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (8), 3 K
Jones has a pair of doubles and a homer in his last five games. Hey, it’s something.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, K
Rumfield has 13 walks in 21 August games.
DH Jose Rojas: 2-for-3, R, CS (2), 2 BB, K
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-5, 3 K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-3, HR (5; grand slam), 4 RBI, R, BB, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-4, 2B (10), R, 2 K
RF Duke Ellis: 1-for-3, R, SB (31), BB, K
Ellis has 15 stolen bases in 18 August games. He is on a 6-game hitting streak.

RHP Kenta Maeda: (W, 4-5)  5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, HR
One great outing, one bad outing, and one in-between outing (tonight) since he was signed.
RHP Bailey Dees: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 1.08 ERA (8.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 9 K). Overall, he owns a 3.49 ERA in 77.1 IP (55 H, 32 R, 30 ER, 7 HR, 36 BB, 89 K)
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ian Hamilton: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Jake Bird: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (61-57; 26-23 in second half)  (Lost to Hartford, 4-3. Hartford has taken the first four games in the series, allowing them to pull within a half-game for the second-half title. 

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (17), BB, K
Lombard Jr.’s 5th double in his last 11 games and 25th in 112 games (he also had 25 in 110 games in 2024). 
LF Jace Avina: 1-for-5, 2B (7), RBI, K
Avina is hitting .215/.298/.336 in 121 plate appearances since his promotion. 
CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-3, 2 BB, K
Jones has walked 15 times in 19 August games (.250/.400/.406)
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5, RBI, K
Jasso has gone into an extra-base hit slump (1 double, 1 HR in 19 August games). 
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, R, SB (10), BB
DH Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, HBP, 2 K
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4
C Manuel Palencia: 3-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Palencia has seven 3+-hit games in 55 contests this season (Five in the FCL, one in Hudson Valley, one in Somerset). 

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (L, 3-2)  6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, HR
Rodriguez-Cruz has allowed three home runs in 126.1 innings. For Somerset: 2.32 ERA (42.2 IP, 33 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 47 K). He only tossed 76 pitches, which could mean one of two things: 1. They are starting to ease him down the stretch; 2. Fernando Cruz is nearly at the end of his rehab, and they wanted to use him in the middle of an inning. Or a combination of both!
There’s always a chance that Rodriguez-Cruz will be on the trade block this winter. If not, barring injury, we are likely looking at a 2026 rotation option at some point.
RHP Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Will Brian: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.30 ERA (31.1 IP, 24 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 34 K). Injuries have impacted his career, but one thing you like to see is that he has allowed only one home run in 50.1 career innings.

Hudson Valley (71-43; 33-17 second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 3-0. The pitching has been there, but the offense is in a slump)

CF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH Core Jackson: 1-for-3, 2B (4), BB, K
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-4, K
SS Kaeden Kent: 1-for-4, CS (1), 2 K
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
Urena is 4-for-40 with nine walks and nine strikeouts since his promotion.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
LF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-3
Wilson is 12-for-35 (.343) since his promotion.
RF Luis Durango: 0-for-3, K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, K
Cobb is off to a 2-for-15 start at this level.

LHP Xavier Rivas: (L, 1-1)  5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, HR
His second straight 10+ strikeout effort (third overall). Since promotion: 1.50 ERA (18 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 27 K). Overall, across three levels (FCL, Tampa, Hudson Valley), he owns a 3.77 ERA in 74 innings (47 H, 34 R, 31 ER, 6 HR, 45 BB, 96 K). An interesting debut campaign for the 23-year-old (he spent most of the season as a 22-year-old). Tough to hit, too many walks, plenty of strikeouts.
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jordany Ventura: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Brady Kirtner: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (56-60; 20-31 in the second half) (Defeated Ft. Myers, 11-2. They have put together back-to-back 11-run games. They lost last night, though)

SS Dax Kilby: 2-for-6, RBI, 2 R, SB (6), 2 K
Since starting 0-for-9: 8-for-25 with a pair of doubles, three walks, and six stolen bases. He won’t turn 19 until November.
3B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (31), HBP, BB, K
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R, SB (8), HBP, 2 K
Tejeda has a 9-game hitting streak. This was his first multi-hit game during the streak.
1B Jackson Lovich: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI, R, BB
Lovich is loving life as a professional baseball player. He has hit safely in all five of his professional games, four of which are multi-hit efforts (12-for-20, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 7 RBI, 8 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 3-for-3 SB)
2B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 1-for-5, 3B (2), 3 RBI, R, K
Martin-Grudzielanek clears the bases with a triple.
RF Richie Bonomolo: 1-for-5, 2B (3), R, K
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
LF Eric Genther: 0-for-4, BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB (12), 2 BB

LHP Henry Lalane: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K
At this level: 0.75 ERA (12 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 12 K).  An intriguing tall left-hander, Lalane topped out at only 92.6 MPH tonight. While he is Rule 5 eligible this winter, it is hard to imagine anyone jumping on him if left unprotected. It isn’t 0%, though.
RHP Edinzo Marquez: (W, 1-2) 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
A solid effort for the 20-year-old.
RHP Gus Hughes: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (24-32)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (31-25)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/10: Spencer Jones Hits #30

Notes:

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

My concern about J.C. Escarra being pulled last night? I should have been more concerned about Amed Rosario not being in the lineup against a left-handed pitcher yesterday. It’s too bad that the Yankees finally cared about adding some bench pieces to counteract teams going heavy with left-handed pitchers, only for Rosario and Austin Slater to end up on the injured list. Jose Caballero is also better against LHP, but it is a stretch to say he is a lefty masher.

Injury Log

Scranton (67-44; 29-10 in second half) (Outlasted Lehigh Valley, 9-7)

Right now, the second-half title is a two-horse race between Scranton and Syracuse, who are 29-10. They have one series left (August 26-31 in Scranton). Indianapolis has fallen off the pace (24-15) but can get back into it this week, as they play Scranton.

2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
Vivas is 9-for-23 with 11 walks in August.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, K
LF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (14), RBI, 2 R, SB (15), HBP, 2 K
Jones becomes the first Yankees’ farmhand to reach 30 home runs since Dermis Garcia in 2021 and is up to 25 stolen bases in his quest for a 30/30 campaign. This one went 436 feet at 110.9 MPH. If you haven’t noticed yet, Jones doesn’t hit many cheapies.
DH Jose Rojas: 2-for-5, 3B (4), R, K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 0-for-4, R, BB, K
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-5, 2B (1), 3 RBI, R, K
For as long as Escarra is in New York, Martinez (4-for-13 since his promotion) figures to get the overwhelming majority of the catching reps in Scranton. They activated Edinson Duran off the Development List to back him up.
SS Jake Gatewood: 2-for-3, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI, 3 R, BB
Gatewood hasn’t shown off much of the trademark power that continues to get him jobs (though this season is his first taste of affiliated ball since 2022). 
CF Duke Ellis: 2-for-4, 2 2B (10), RBI, R, K
Ellis is hitting .366/.408/.482 in 123 PA at this level. After going 16-for-41 (.390) in July, he is 15-for-32 (.469) in August. That’s what I call ridiculous, regardless if you are a top prospect or just an organizational depth piece.
RF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-4, SB (22)

RHP Brendan Beck: (W, 5-1) 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
Since promotion: 4.67 ERA (44.1 IP, 39 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 10 HR, 12 BB, 36 K). Overall, this was his 10th win of the season (10-3, 3.10 ERA; 98.2 IP, 77 H, 35 R, 34 ER, 12 HR, 24 BB, 88 K)
RHP Jake Bird: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
The Yankees likely feel that Bird needs a reset. They can afford to give him time.
RHP Baron Stuart: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Zach Messinger (S, 3): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (58-50; 23-16 in second half) (Outdueled Binghamton, 2-0. This was another battle between rising Somerset pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and minor league strikeout leader Jonah Tong. They also faced each other on Tuesday. Rodriguez-Cruz won that duel as well.)

Somerset is 1.5 games up on Hartford in the race for the second-half title. Binghamton is ahead of both, but that is irrelevant since they won the first-half title.

CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-3, 3B (4), RBI, R, BB, K
Jones hit his RBI triple off of Tong. 
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, 2 K
Lombard Jr. has a double, a triple, and a home run in his last five games. He had two extra-base hits (double, triple; .224 SLG) in his first 24 Double-A games and 21 extra-base hits in his last 54 games (12 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR). 
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, K
DH Coby Morales: 1-for-3, R, SB (1), 2 K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3
2B Duncan Pastore: 1-for-3, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 3-1) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
At this level: 1.41 ERA (32 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 30 K). Overall, he owns a 129/45 K/BB over 115.2 innings with only two home runs allowed. Oh, did I mention he has tossed 19 scoreless innings over his last three starts?
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
4.26 ERA (38 IP, 28 H, 18 R, 18 ER, 4 HR, 19 BB, 40 K)
LHP Will Brian: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Kelly Austin (S, 7): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (65-40; 27-14 second half) (Lost to Brooklyn, 8-4)

At 65-40, the Renegades are having a fantastic season – one that can easily end without a playoff berth. Unfortunately for them, Brooklyn won the first-half tiebreaker over Greensboro. That’s important, as Greensboro is 31-11 in the second half. That would be irrelevant if they won the first half, but that’s how it goes.

DH Dillon Lewis: 3-for-5, 2 R, SB (9), K
Lewis has two 3-hit efforts in his last four games. He is up to .246/.314/.463 in 227 PA since his promotion (8 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 26 R, 9-for-10 SB, 8.4% BB, 18.9% K). His K% with Tampa was 28.2%. At first, I thought the reduction was small sample size noise, but it doesn’t appear to be the case. 
3B Juan Matheus: 3-for-4, 2B (2), HR (1), 3 RBI, R, SB (1), BB, K
Matheus may be your next small-ish infielder obsession. He leads the organization with 36 stolen bases (44 attempts) and has 25 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs in 98 games.  His combined triple slash is .271/.359/.379 in 410 PA.
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-5
Urena is 2-for-20 since his promotion. On a good note, he has struck out only four times in 23 plate appearances (17.4%).
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, K
SS Core Jackson: 2-for-4, 2 2B (2), BB
This year’s 5th-round pick is 3-for-15.
LF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-4, BB
Wilson is 4-for-10 since his promotion and is hitting .287/.378/.376 in 325 plate appearances overall.
RF Cam Troyer: 0-for-4, K
CF Robbie Burnett: 1-for-4, K
2B Owen Cobb: 1-for-4, R, SB (1), K
Cobb’s High-A debut after hitting .313/.366/.492 in 39 games for Tampa (missed time due to injury)

RHP Cade Smith: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Smith is continuing to ramp up after missing a lot of time to injury. He tossed 59 pitches today.
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker (L, 2-1): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
A rare 2025 misstep for Warrecker. This spikes his ERA to 2.12 (46.2 IP, 27 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 50 K)
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.41 ERA (44.1 IP, 15 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 36 K). Simply a ridiculous season.

Tampa (48-56; 12-27 in the second half) (Lost to St. Lucie, 8-5)

SS Dax Kilby: 0-for-4
  3B Hans Montero: 1-for-1, RBI, R
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-5, 2B (15), RBI, R, K
1B Kyle West: 2-for-5, 2B (1), K
West is 3-for-18 with a double to begin his professional journey.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-2, CS (2), 3 BB
Tejeda has 14 walks and seven strikeouts in 14 games.
RF Marshall Toole: 0-for-5
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, R, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
3B-SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 2-for-4, RBI, R
Martin-Grudzielanek is 4-for-13 with a pair of walks and three strikeouts to begin his professional career. He’ll want to make it to MLB as a Yankee, as I am not sure how that name will fit on the back of most uniforms.
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Rivera earns his first Low-A hit (1-for-12).
  DH Eric Genther: 0-for-1

LHP Allen Facundo: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Facundo has touched the upper-90s this season, but settled in at 94-95 today. At this level: 1.71 ERA (21 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 19 K). 
RHP Chris Veach (L, 2-3): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Antonio Gomez: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Gomez continues to hum, hitting 100.3 MPH. The results do not matter at this point.
RHP Sean Hermann: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Mariano Salomon: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

In case you are wondering, the DSL ends on August 19th. The Yankees have no shot at the playoffs. The Bombers still have a chance to make it into the 16-team field.

DSL Yankees (22-27) 

Day off.

DSL Bombers (26-23) 

Day off.

Yankees MILB 8/5: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Dominates

Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Injury Log

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yankees MILB 7/29: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Tosses 6 Scoreless Innings

Notes:

In case you missed them, here is my article on the Ryan McMahon transaction and my analysis of the Amed Rosario transaction.

Antonio Gomez was assigned to Tampa today. The catcher-turned-pitcher was on the Development List. He made his first appearance on the hill tonight, maxing out at 99.9 MPH.

LHP Henry Lalane‘s rehab assignment is over, which makes sense since the FCL season is over. The system’s #13 prospect (Pipeline) is officially with Tampa. Essentially, he is resuming his rehab, but it won’t be called that.

Spencer Jones was back in the lineup after missing three games due to back spasms.

The Yankees traded RHP Carlos Carrasco to the Braves for cash or a player to be named (I would place strong odds on it being money). Carrasco pitched to a 5.91 ERA (5.31 FIP; 69 ERA+) in 32 innings for the Yankees. For Scranton, he was a valuable innings-eating veteran.

Injury Log

Scranton (59-40; 21-6 in second half) (Lost to Nashville, 7-3)

DH Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-5, K
Rodriguez increases his hitting streak to 16 in his last at-bat of the evening.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, BB
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-5, 2B (9)
RF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (6), R, K
Jones hits as if his back never spasmed.  He is hitting .405/.459/.940 (again, that’s his SLG, not his OPS!) in 98 PA since his promotion and .317/.412/.707 (LOL) overall.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI
Since promotion: 8-for-36 (.222) with a homer and four RBI.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, 2B (28), R, HBP, K
.312/.395/.502 in 392 PA for the doubles machine (he has 11 in 21 July games)
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, R, K
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, SF, RBI

RHP Luis Gil: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
Gil threw 75 pitches (50 strikes) and reached 98.4 MPH (averaged 95.8). He threw 40% 4-seamers, 37% sliders, and 23% changeups, generating 15 whiffs. I don’t like “rushing” players coming off injury, but everything looks good with Gil – he is using his entire mix, throwing as hard as you would expect, and generating whiffs.  I have no problem with him pitching for the MLB club this weekend.
RHP Zach Messinger: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.52 ERA (29.2 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 40 K)
RHP Scott Effross (L, 1-3): 0.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
At this point, Effross is a shuttle arm for the Yankees. Is he in danger of being cut from the 40-man roster? Perhaps not yet, but the likelihood that he will return to form seems low.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (52-45; 17-11 in second half) (Outpitched Richmond, 1-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, R
Lombard Jr.’s home run in the 6th was all that was needed tonight.  Since promotion: .212/.326/.347 in 291 PA. He has a .411 SLG in July and has eight doubles and three home runs in his last 24 games. 
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3
2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3
Riggio is 19-for-66 (.288/.382/.561) in July.
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, 2 K
Jasso has a 7-game hitting streak and is hitting .308/.349/.449 in July. Like every hitter at every level in baseball history, he’s had his share of struggles, but he has been pretty consistent all year. 
CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-2, CS (2), BB
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, BB, K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, K
DH Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, HBP

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 1-1)  6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Rodriguez-Cruz is likely going to be asked about a lot over the next few days. Since promotion: 2.37 ERA (19 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K). Overall: 2.28 ERA (102.2 IP, 67 H, 35 R, 26 ER, 2 HR, 41 BB, 114 K).  Is he untouchable? Of course not. However, the 21-year-old has impressed with his ability to miss bats and keep the ball in the ballpark. He owned a 53.1% GB entering tonight.
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Merda’s 5th straight scoreless outing (5.2 IP). It’s lowered his ERA (since his promotion) from 14.54 to 6.30.
RHP Danny Watson (S, 4): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
6.25 ERA (36 IP, 45 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 6 HR, 7 BB, 38 K). He owns a 2.08 ERA in 8.2 July innings and hasn’t walked a batter in 17 straight appearances (23.2 innings).

Hudson Valley (58-36; 21-10 second half) (Defeated Wilmington, 13-6)

LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-6, RBI, R, 2 K
CF Dillon Lewis: 3-for-5, 2B (7), SF, 3 RBI, 2 R
He is on an impressive 10-game hitting streak that has increased his triple slash from .183/.243/.357 to .244/.306/.439 since his promotion. 
RF Coby Morales: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
2B Jose Colmenares: 2-for-6, 3B (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Colmenares has a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-24; 4 doubles, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
DH Josh Moylan: 1-for-6, RBI, 2 K
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 BB
C Manuel Palencia: 4-for-5, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Palencia’s 4th career 4-hit effort (including one in the FCL this year). 
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB
Romero is 8-for-32 (.250/.390/.438) since coming back from injury.
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, 2 R, CS (7), BB

RHP Andrew Landry: (W, 1-1)  5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, HR
Landry was promoted from Tampa for the second time in three weeks. With trades and injuries, Hudson Valley needs arms.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Jordany Ventura: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
Rare misstep for Warrecker, but at least it happened during a blowout. He owns a 1.70 ERA in 42.1 IP (24 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 45 K)

Tampa (45-48; 9-19 in the second half)  (Lost to Clearwater, 11-8, in ten innings)

3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-5, K
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-5, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 K
Nice to see Arias go yard during an otherwise disappointing campaign.
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-5, R
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-2, 3B (1), RBI, R, 3 BB, K
Since promotion: 12-for-48 (.250; 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 9 BB, 9 K)
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, RBI, R, K
Montero is hitting .304 (17-for-56) at this level.
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, R, K
Tejeda is versatile and speedy enough with excellent bat-to-ball skills. Power? Not likely to be a part of his profile. His ceiling is likely in the Ronald Torreyes area. And there is nothing wrong with that ceiling.
LF Marshall Toole: 1-for-4, SB (28), 3 K
Toole has 28 stolen bases in 31 attempts. His K% was 20.0% entering tonight, and this was the first time he struck out three times this season (once last season).

LHP Henry Lalane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
As stated above, don’t expect extended outings for a while.  The big lefty wasn’t throwing hard tonight (low-90s), but that can be attributed to his time off.  
RHP Sunayro Martina: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
The 21-year-old Martina makes his Tampa debut. His rookie league resume isn’t great (5.45 ERA; 79.1 IP, 67 H, 63 R, 48 ER, 5 HR, 59 BB, 84 K). We don’t have full StatCast data tonight, but I do see that he reached 96.8 MPH.
RHP Cade Austin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Antonio Gomez: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Gomez threw 19 pitches (11 strikes) in his pitching debut. One of the runs allowed scored after he left the game. This is a fun story to follow.
RHP Chris Veach: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Tanner Bauman: (L, 2-7)  2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-24) (Outlasted the DSL Twins, 11-10, in ten innings. This game was a DSL Special, as the Yankees scored 11 runs on 15 hits and nine walks. They scored seven runs between the 8th and 10th innings. They tied the game in the 10th on a walk and “walked it off” with a hit-by-pitch.)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-5, R, BB, K
SS Mani Cedeno: 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 SB (14), 3 K
.183/.360/.238 in 161 PA (3 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 30 R, 14-for-15 SB, 18.0% BB, 37.3% K)
2B Carlos Bello: 0-for-4, 2 R, CS (3), HBP, BB, K
The 17-year-old got off to a strong start but is 3-for-35 in his last ten games. He has drawn six walks.
3B Richard Matic: 3-for-4, 3B (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (7), 2 BB, K
Matic has certainly adjusted in 2025, hitting .368/.500/.614 in 150 PA (10 doubles, 3 triples, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 32 R, 7-for-12 SB, 20% BB, 22.7% K). The crazy thing is that a .500 OBP ranks him only 6th in this league (he is 4th in SLG and OPS). He turned 18 on July 26th.
DH Justin Capellan: 2-for-6, 2 K
LF Estivenzon Montero: 2-for-4, 3B (1), HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (8), 2 BB, K
.302/.393/.569 in 135 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R, 8-for-11 SB, 12.6% BB, 27.4% K). The 18-year-old has 14 extra-base hits in 33 games (8 in 31 games in 2024).
C Edgar Jimenez: 2-for-3, R, SB (5), CS (1), 2 BB, K
   PR Alfiery Matos: 0-for-0, SB (9)
RF Angel Ventura: 2-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
1B-C Diego Flores: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (1)

RHP Enixon Sanchez: 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, HR
4.11 ERA (35 IP, 38 H, 21 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 23 BB, 39 K)
RHP Emanuel Vargas: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
LHP Fredy Penuelas: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Rafael Arias (W, 5-0): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

DSL Bombers (21-19) (Lost to the DSL Phillies White, 4-3)

SS Stiven Marinez: 1-for-5, SB (20), K
.230/.404/.286 in 166 PA. Marinez is in a 2-for-23 slump.
CF Ruben Castillo: 1-for-3, 2B (8), R, SB (19), CS (7), HBP, BB
Castillo is on a 5-game hitting streak and has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.
DH Juan Torres: 2-for-4, RBI
Of all the Yankees’ debuting talents in the DSL, I think Torres has impressed the most. The 17-year-old is at .339/.393/.495 in 122 PA and is on an 11-game hitting streak. The funniest part is that, in a sea of huge signing bonuses, he received $50,000.  Yes, I realize that one DSL season doesn’t make or break a prospect.
2B Christofer Reyes: 2-for-4, 2 R, SB (21)
3B Leni Done: 1-for-4, K
LF David Carrera: 1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, BB

LHP Junior Tavera: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Ronald Tejada (L, 1-3): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
The 18-year-old is missing more bats in 2025, but the overall numbers have tumbled (1.75 ERA in 25.2 IP in 2024; 7.08 ERA in 20.1 IP in 2025).
RHP Alexis Gonzalez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 7/22: Kyle Carr is Rolling

Notes:

Just in time for the trade deadline, LHP Henry Lalane began a rehab assignment in the FCL today.

Injury Log

Scranton (55-38; 17-4 in second half) (Lost to Rochester, 7-1)

LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, K
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, BB, K
He’s human!  Jones is now 29-for-71 (.408) since his promotion.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, HR (1), RBI, R, 2 BB
Flores hits his first Triple-A home run (16th HR overall this season)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Jeimer Candelario: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 2-for-4, 2 K
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, K
2B Nicky Lopez: 0-for-2, BB, K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-3

RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 7-7)  3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Boyle was activated off the injured list today.
RHP Yerry De los Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
His rehab was moved here from Somerset today.
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Joel Kuhnel: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 0.87 ERA (10.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 9 K)

Somerset (48-43; 13-9 in second half) (Lost to Erie, 4-3, in ten innings)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2 BB
Lombard Jr. owns a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-21; 2 doubles, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K). Known for his ability to draw walks, tonight ended an 8-game drought in that category. Additionally, he hasn’t stolen a base since June 28th. Those last two facts shouldn’t concern you, but the hitting streak that includes some power should encourage you.
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, R, K
Since promotion: 5-for-25 with a double and a pair of homers. Overall, he is hitting .284/.405/.502 in 252 PA (14 doubles, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 44 R, 4-for-5 SB). He has reached double digits in homers in all four of his minor league seasons.
2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-5, 3 K
Riggio is 3-for-22 since his 4-for-5 day on July 5th. Baseball!
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-5, 2B (4), R, 2 K
Since promotion: .226/.306/.387 in 72 PA (4 doubles, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 8 BB, 19 K). 
CF Brendan Jones: 0-f0r-3, BB, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, K
DH Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, SB (12), BB, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2B (5), R, SB (4), BB, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
His first start at this level wasn’t great (6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K). The follow-up is much better. The home run is only the second home run he has allowed this season (96.2 IP), and he owns a 109/39 K/BB.  Expect his name to come up in trade talks.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Hayden Merda: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Last four appearances: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. All four walks were in one of those appearances.
RHP Indigo Diaz: (L, 7-2)  0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (52-35; 15-9 second half) (Defeated Rome, 4-3)

CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
LF Coby Morales: 2-for-4, 2B (17), 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 R
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-4, 2B (15), RBI, R, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 2-for-3, 2B (13), BB
Moylan has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games and is hitting .306/.432/.528 in July.
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, RBI, R
Since promotion: 9-for-44 with a double and six RBI.
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, BB, K
DH John Cristino: 1-for-4, 3 K
Cristino’s High-A debut after hitting .333/.400/.538 in the FCL.
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, RBI, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K
2.18 ERA (82.2 IP, 57 H, 29 R, 20 ER, 5 HR, 36 BB, 72 K).  Last five starts: 0.00 ERA (29 IP, 17 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 31 K). The 23-year-old, who was drafted in the third round in 2023, is making his case for a trip to Somerset.
RHP Sebastian Keane: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert (W, 3-0): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Gilbert did allow both inherited runners to score.
RHP Huey Morrill (S, 5): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Between here and Somerset (2 games): 0.51 ERA (35 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 25 K)

Tampa (45-44; 9-15 in the second half) (Lost to Dunedin, 6-3)

DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, R, BB, K
Perez puts an end to his 0-for-23 slide.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, R, K
3B Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, R, K
.265/.359/.350 in 348 PA (20 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 39 RBI, 44 R, 35-for-43 SB, 12.9% BB, 20.4% K).  This is his 21st multi-hit effort this season
CF Willy Montero: 3–for-4, RBI, CS (2)
Montero is 12-for-40 (.300) since returning from his rehab stint.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Tejeda’s rehab is over, and he has been officially assigned to Tampa.
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, K
  1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1, K
LF Marshall Toole: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB
1B-RF Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Andrew Landry: (L, 4-4) 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Landry is back after making one emergency start for Hudson Valley.
RHP Sean Hermann: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Gus Hughes: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.22 ERA (32 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 33 K)

FCL (28-29) (Defeated the Phillies, 8-5, in ten innings. If they can get the Tigers on Thursday, they will finish the season at .500.)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, 3 R, 2 SB (10), BB, K
It was going to be impossible for Peralta to recover fully from his dreadful start. After a .097/.171/.097 May, he put up a .103/.232/.121 June. All the credit to the 18-year-old for not giving up on his season, and he is hitting .271/.333/.438 in July.
CF Isael Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, R, SB (26), CS (2), K
Imagine how many stolen bases he would have compiled if his OBP were higher than .264.
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, R, BB, 2 K
Rivera hit a walk-off 3-run home run in the 10th. The 19-year-old is hitting .233/.348/.353 in 181 plate appearances during his debut season.
DH Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, HR (3), RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, K
It hasn’t been a long career (three seasons), but he has set a new personal best for home runs in a season.
1B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-3, R, HBP, K

LHP Henry Lalane: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
You likely know the Lalane story by now. The talent is immense. Staying healthy has been a problem (36 innings the last three seasons).
RHP Jose Martinez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
3.20 ERA (19.2 IP, 19 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 23 K). The 20-year-old has shown impressive control in his young career (17 BB in 86 innings).
LHP Pedro Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Hansel Rosario (W, 2-1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

DSL Yankees (14-22) (Lost to the DSL Twins, 12-7. They allowed six runs in the top of the 9th.)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-5, R, 2 K
SS Mani Cedeno: 3-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI, R, 4 SB (11), K
It is fair to say that this is a career-best performance for the 16-year-old. It’s his second 3-hit effort this season, and he is hitting .194/.374/.259 in 139 PA (3 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 28 R, 11-for-12 SB, 17.99% BB, 35.97% K).
2B Carlos Bello: 1-for-3, R, 2 SB (9), 2 BB, K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, 2B (10), 2 RBI, 2 R,  2 SB (11), BB, K
The 19-year-old is expected to reach the FCL in 2026. He is hitting .273/.377/.522 in 122 PA.
RF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-4, 2B (5), SB (6), CS (3), BB, 2 K
Only 18, Montero has put together a strong campaign: .293/.386/.525 (5 doubles, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 14 R)

RHP Enixon Sanchez: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
3.48 ERA (31 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 1 HR, 20 BB, 38 K)

DSL Bombers (19-17) (Squeaked past the 27-9 Rockies, 9-7)

SS Stiven Marinez: 1-for-3, RBI, R, CS (5), 2 BB, 2 K
.262/.443/.320 in 140 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 26 R, 19-for-24 SB, 23.6% BB, 25% K). A strong debut campaign for the 17-year-old bonus baby.
CF Ruben Castillo: 0-for-3, R, SB (14), BB, K
3B Juan Torres: 2-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, R
Speaking of 17-year-olds having strong debut campaigns, Torres has been incredible. He is hitting .337/.398/.488 in 98 PA (4 doubles, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R, 10-for-15 SB, 4.1% BB, 13.3% K).
1B Leni Done: 1-for-5, RBI, R
LF David Carrera: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, 3 R, BB, K
The 18-year-old launches his first professional home run (65th game).
C Carlos Rodon: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, R, K

LHP Ronald Tejada: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Alexis Gonzalez (W, 3-0): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 7/12: George Lombard Jr.’s Futures Game Performance

Notes:

George Lombard Jr. went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored in today’s Futures Game. He played second base and shortstop.

A reminder that full-season affiliates take the same four days off as their MLB counterparts. Tomorrow is their last game until next Friday.

Injury Log

Scranton (51-37; 13-3 in second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 6-3)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, 2B (14), SB (12), HBP, BB
Rodriguez has an 8-game hitting streak (9-for-30; .300). Rodriguez has stolen as many as 21 bases (2023).
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, 2 K
Slump!
RF Everson Pereira: 1-for-4, 2B (8), K
Pereira is 13-for-31 (3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR) in July.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, 2B (22), R
Rumfield continues his recent hot stretch (15-for-40 (.375) in July). 
DH Jeimer Candelario: 0-for-3, HBP, K
Candelario is 2-for-20 since signing.
SS Nicky Lopez: 3-for-4, RBI, 2 R, SB (2)
Lopez is hitting .407 (11-for-27) since signing. This is his second 3-hit effort in his last three games.
2B Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (13), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
3B Jake Gatewood: 2-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, R
Gatewood’s first game since June 6th.
LF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, BB

RHP Erick Leal: (W, 5-7) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
5.87 ERA (76.2 IP, 72 H, 56 R, 50 ER, 20 HR (that’s not a typo), 31 BB, 88 K). To his credit, the 30-year-old has pitched well recently, going 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his last four starts (24 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 22 K).
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (44-41; 11-6 in second half) (Lost to New Hampshire, 6-3)

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-4, K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI
Somerset numbers: 37 doubles, 30 HR, 89 RBI in 150 games.
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, K
RF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, R, SB (1), BB, K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 2 K
Since promotion: 10-for-43 (.233) with three doubles, two homers, and eight RBI.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, SB (9), BB, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, R, K
2B Duncan Pastore: 1-for-4, 3 K
Pastore’s Double-A debut.
SS Max Burt: 2-for-3, 2 2B (8), 2 RBI, R

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (L, 0-1) 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Rodriguez-Cruz’s Double-A debut. For Hudson Valley, he was dominant (2.26 ERA in 83.2 IP with 52 hits allowed and a 99/37 K/BB). Including tonight’s game, Rodriguez-Cruz has allowed one home run in 89.2 innings this season.
RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.95 ERA (36.1 IP, 43 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 31 K). This was likely a “piggyback” situation.

Hudson Valley (51-33; 13-7 second half) (Lost to Asheville, 6-3)

CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, R, SB (18), BB, 2 K
Castillo’s surge continues. He is hitting .251/.347/.348 in 334 PA (14 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 39 R, 18-for-19 SB, 11.98% BB, 20.1% K). He is hitting .400 (14-for-35) in July.
DH Dillon Lewis: 1-for-2, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
Lewis has homered in back-to-back games and three times in his last six games. Since promotion: .197/.262/.401 in 150 PA (3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 13 R, 6-for-6 SB, 7.3% BB, 20.7% K). His K% for Tampa earlier this season was 28.2. 
1B-LF Coby Morales: 0-for-4, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, 2B (13), RBI, BB, K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, HBP, K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-4, K
LF Luis Durango: 0-for-1, SB (6), CS (6), BB
   1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-1, HBP
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-2, R, SB (5), 2 BB, K

RHP Andrew Landry (L, 0-1): 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Landry’s High-A debut (4.20 ERA in 64.1 IP with a 63/26 K/BB for Tampa)
RHP Michael Arias: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Tony Rossi: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 1.69 ERA (21.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 27 K). Overall: 1.24 ERA (29 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 39 K)
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
4.81 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 33 K). A mixed bag in his first season as a reliever.
RHP Sebastian Keane: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.27 ERA (22 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 23 K)

Tampa (45-39; 9-10 in second half) (Lost to Lakeland, 6-3)

DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-5, K
CF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-5, 2B (16), R
.276/.366/.435 in 281 PA. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4
C Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, 2 R, K
.212/.339/.340 in 348 PA (13 doubles, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 49 R, 8-for-9 SB, 13.8% BB, 18.97% K). 
LF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Montero is 8-for-21 since coming back from his rehab stint.
3B Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RBI, K
Matheus has 20 multi-hit games this season.
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-4
Rodriguez is 7-for-28 since his promotion. He has four walks and only two strikeouts.
1B Hans Montero: 2-for-4
Montero is 9-for-33 with two doubles and two homers in July.
2B Owen Cobb: 1-for-4

RHP Brandon Decker: (L, 1-3)  4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
3.38 ERA (45.1 IP, 41 H, 24 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 44 K). He is up to nine starts after starting the season with eight relief appearances. As a starter, he owns a 4.45 ERA in 28.1 carefully monitored innings with a 24/16 K/BB.
LHP Tanner Bauman: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Sokol: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Cole Zaffiro: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (25-26) (Split two games against the FCL Phillies)

Game 1 (Lost, 2-1. This was the conclusion of a game started on 7/5)

LF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-2, 2B (5), K
  PH-LF Santiago Gomez: 1-for-1, BB
RF Luis Puello: 1-for-3, R, SB (3)
2B Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-3, RBI, K

RHP Edinzo Marquez: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
This isn’t the first time you’ll see Marquez’s name today.
RHP Jose Martinez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Won, 1-0)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-2, SB (7), BB, K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-3, 2B (10), K
Rivera has ten doubles in 41 games (.238/.346/.354 in 156 PA).
CF Isael Arias: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, SB (20), BB
Arias is 20-for-21 stealing bases in 49 games. He’s only hitting .183/.255/.238.
LF Santiago Gomez: 0-for-2, SB (15), HBP, K
It looks like they are trying to give Gomez some outfield time (9.1 innings in LF/RF in his career before this season. He is up to 48.2 innings this year).
RF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-3, K
DH Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-3, R, 2 SB (9), K

RHP Cade Smith: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Smith’s second rehab game.
RHP Edinzo Marquez (W, 2-2): 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Marquez shows up twice in today’s report. That’s 9.2 scoreless innings added to his ledger. Season: 2.40 ERA (48.2 IP, 40 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 37 K)

DSL Yankees (12-18) (Lost to the DSL White Sox, 9-4)

SS Mani Cedeno: 1-for-4, 3B (2), R, 2 K
.180/.365/.247 in 115 PA (2 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 24 R, 4-for-5 SB, 17.4% BB, 35.7% K).
DH Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-3
Matic has reached base safely in 24 of his 25 games (23 in a row). He is hitting .313/.437/.550 in 103 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 22 R, 4-for-7 SB, 16.5% BB, 24.3% K).
1B Jose Lavagnino: 2-for-3, R
The 18-year-old is 8-for-30 in his debut season.
2B Emmanuel Orozco: 0-for-2, R, HBP, 2 SB (7)
Orozco (16) has struggled with the bat (3-for-31 with a double and triple). His saving grace is a .317 OBP, which isn’t special but when compared to a .097 BA…
CF Angel Ventura: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (12)

RHP Anthony Mena: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, HR
Mena owns a 4.21 ERA and 28/11 K/BB over 25.2 innings.

DSL Bombers (15-15) (Defeated the DSL Phillies Red, 5-3)

SS Stiven Marinez: 0-for-4
CF Jose Castro: 0-for-2, R, SB (5), BB
2B Juan Torres: 2-for-3, R, SB (9)
The 17-year-old continues to impress in his debut season, hitting .324/.386/.459 in 83 PA (4 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 18 R, 9-for-12 SB)
RF Eddinson Charles: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, R, K
.200/.273/.325 in 44 PA
C Edgar Jimenez: 0-for-1, 2 BB

RHP Randy Angomas: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Like many 17-year-olds, his debut season has been a struggle. This is comfortably his best start.
RHP Jose Vargas (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
The 17-year-old earns his first professional win.