Yankees MILB 5/19: Oswald Peraza Goes Off

News:

The Yankees have acquired some outfield depth tonight, as they acquire old friend Greg Allen from the Red Sox for minor league RHP Diego Hernandez. Allen hit .186/.260/.271 in 46 games for the Pirates in 2022 with an 8-for-10 stolen base rate. In Pawtucket this season, he hit .250/.407/.388 in 151 plate appearances with a perfect 23-for-23 stolen base rate. If you recall, Allen played in 15 games for the offensively-challenged 2021 Yankees, hitting .270/.417/.432 with four doubles. While that is an impressive small sample line, it doesn’t match up to his .232/.299/.336 career line. He brings a lot of speed – essentially he is up there with someone like Tim Locastro

Allen invoked a clause in his contract that stated that they needed to either promote him or trade him if another organization was offering him an MLB roster spot. So, expect him to make a trip out to Cincinnati.

Hernandez is a young pitcher (18) who pitched to a 2.10 ERA in 12 games (five starts) for the DSL squad last year.

Scranton (21-22) (Mauled Charlotte, 17-4)

CF Estevan Florial: 4-for-5, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Florial is hitting .313/.441/.591 in 143 plate appearances. He has five home runs in his last six games. Wow.
SS Oswald Peraza: 4-for-5, 2 HR (3), 5 RBI, 4 RS, BB
What is he doing here?  He is hitting .358/.414/.566 in 13 games at this level with 11 RBI. I know it is hard to fit him into the MLB infield, but wow – he already proved last year that he was beyond Triple-A.
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, 2 BB
Dunham reaches base three times as he tries to get his season going. 
LF Kole Calhoun2-for-4, HR (4), 4 RBI, 3 RS, 2 HBP
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
It can be very easy for a player who tastes MLB to come down here and sulk. Cordero is hitting .370 with a 1.016 OPS.
C Rodolfo Duran0-for-6, K
There is always one player who misses the party. Do something big tomorrow!
1B Billy McKinney2-for-3, RBI, RS, 3 BB
3B Jamie Westbrook0-for-6, RS, K
2B Jesus Bastidas2-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, 4 RS, BB, HBP, K
.246/.307/.385 in 137 plate appearances. He is 5-for-10 in his last three games with two home runs and eight (yes, eight) runs scored.

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
LHP D.J. Snelten2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Aaron McGarity2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
The line may not impress – but he did what you want a pitcher to do in this spot – throw strikes.

Somerset (23-13) (Squeaked past Reading, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Sweeney continues to draw a lot of walks from the top of the lineup. He owns a .259/.406/.375 triple slash over 143 plate appearances with 27 walks (18.9%). 
LF Jasson Dominguez0-for-5, RBI, 2 K
DH Austin Wells0-for-4, BB, K
CF Everson Pereira1-for-3, 2 BB
.265/.333/.504 in 129 plate appearances. He is not a walking machine (this is his first multi-BB game of the season) but he does own a decent enough 9.3% BB.
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, BB
Rumfield walks it off with a sacrifice fly. 
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin2-for-3, 2 RS, BB, CS (2)
I think it is accurate to think of Durbin as a pesky type of hitter. He is hitting .200 (6-for-30) since his promotion but has walked four times with only one strikeout (He has ten strikeouts in 133 PA between here and Hudson Valley)
C Anthony Seigler1-for-2, 2 BB
.212/.376/.242 in 85 interesting plate appearances. While power doesn’t appear to be a big part of his game, he does need something better than a .242 SLG!
RF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K

RHP Clayton Beeter: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
3.48 ERA (33.2 IP, 31 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 3 HR, 18 BB, 43 K). His last two starts haven’t been sharp after his big 6 IP, 11 K performance on 5/5.
RHP Tanner Myatt1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.62 ERA (16.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 20 K). His season isn’t just an audition for the Yankees.
LHP Lisandro Santos (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
2.49 ERA (21.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 28 K). This pretty much matches up with his career before coming here – a lot of strikeouts, a lot of walks. 

Hudson Valley (22-15) (Lost to Brooklyn, 6-1)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-5, 3 K
.292/.329/.589 in 140 plate appearances. The biggest blemish is the 8/47 BB/K ratio.
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4
Vargas is down to .225/.289/.450 in 121 plate appearances after a red-hot start. He is 2-for-23 in his last five games. This is the big test – can he rebound from an extended slump?
C Antonio Gomez0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores2-for-4, 2 K
Flores increases his hitting streak to 9. He is hitting an impressive .333/.389/.422 in 113 plate appearances.
DH Spencer Henson0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS
Richardson is off to a tough start (.138/.225/.263) after hitting 16 home runs and slugging .445 in 90 games last season. Maybe this night will get him going.
3B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-4
2B Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2 K
Cowles increases his on-base streak to 14.

RHP Juan Carela: (L, 1-2)  5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
4.15 ERA (30.1 IP, 26 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 39 K). The 21-year-old is pitching fine thus far. 
RHP Enrique Santana0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since moving to Hudson Valley: 8 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 9 K
LHP Clay Aguilar1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.97 ERA (11.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 18 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (13-25) (Split a doubleheader with Dunedin)

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

SS Jared Serna1-for-4
This was just the appetizer for his Game 2 performance…
LF Anthony Hall1-for-4, RS, K
.250/.355/.400 in 93 plate appearances. In May, he is 16-for-47 (.340/.436/.511). He is catching on to this level, which was expected.
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, RS
.229/.353/.385 in 119 plate appearances.  He has 19 walks and 19 strikeouts (15.97% in each category)
PR Brett Barrera0-for-0
DH Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RBI, RS
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4, 2 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, K
RF Tayler Aguilar0-for-2, RBI, BB, K
2B Beau Brewer0-for-2, RBI, BB
1B Ronny Rojas0-for-2, BB

RHP Justin Lange4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
3.81 ERA (28.1 IP, 15 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 0 HR, 19 BB, 53 K). There is a lot to digest in his stat line – but I will keep hammering home the point that this kid has rawness in his game that needs to be ironed out. That’s why the minor leagues exist.
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
5.56 ERA (11.1 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 13 K). 
RHP Shane Gray (L, 0-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
5.03 ERA (19.2 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 30 K). The strikeouts standout as the highlight.

Game 2 (Won, 2-1)

DH Jared Serna: 2-for-2, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
The first HR was a leadoff home blast and this is his first career multi-HR game. Serna has the potential to develop into a leadoff type of hitter – we are still a while away from that, of course. On the year, he is now hitting .333/.406/.569 in 138 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 20 R, 14 BB, 16 K, 8-for-11 SB). The seven home runs are a new personal best (he hit six last year)
CF Daury Arias1-for-3, 2B (6)
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-1, 2 BB
.202/.314/.244 in 141 plate appearances with 11 stolen bases in 14 attempts. 
RF Nelson Medina0-for-3, 2 K
.280/.371/.460 in 116 plate appearances (7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 20 RBI, 12 R, 14 BB, 37 K, 5-for-6 SB)
1B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3
C Omar Martinez0-for-1, 2 BB
.253/.393/.448 in 107 plate appearances. He has a .391 career OBP in 524 plate appearances.
2B Brett Barrera0-for-3
3B Beau Brewer0-for-2
LF Felix Negueis0-for-2

RHP Sean Hermann: (W, 2-4)  5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
5.56 ERA (34 IP, 37 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 28 K). What do I expect from a 19-year-old at this level? An improvement as the season goes on. I don’t expect him to become a pitching prodigy who flies up the system. 
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
2.50 ERA (18 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 23 K)
RHP Cole Ayers (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.11 ERA (15.1 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 19 K)

Yankees MILB 5/17: Everson Pereira Heating Up

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (19-22) (Defeated Charlotte, 6-3)

CF Estevan Florial0-for-2, RS, 3 BB, SB (9), 2 CS (5)
Florial has 26 walks in 132 PA (19.7%). Yes, he also has that 32.6% K rate to look at. 
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-3, 2 K
Peraza is hitting .313 (15-for-48) and has an 8-game hitting streak at this level (obviously, he had a stint in New York during the streak)
  PH-SS Wilmer Difo0-for-0, RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (7)
Difo comes in for Peraza (likely planned) and causes some havoc.
C Ben Rortvedt: 3-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, BB, K
Rortvedt is hitting .324 (12-for-37; 2 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
3B Andres Chaparro1-for-5, HR (11), RBI, RS, K
Before he hit that home run, he was in a 3-for-25 slump after his huge 5-for-5 game on 5/9. Hopefully, this is the start of a new hot streak,
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, 2 BB
Dunham’s 23 walks in 149 PA (15.4%) are helping to keep him afloat until the hits start coming.
LF Kole Calhoun0-for-4, K
DH Rodolfo Duran1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS
Duran has homered three times in his last two games. 
1B Billy McKinney1-for-4, RS, K
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-3, BB, 2 K

RHP Randy Vasquez: (W, 1-5)  5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
4.85 ERA (42.2 IP, 44 H, 27 R, 23 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 50 K). His ERA was 8.62 after games of 4/18. Since: 2.67 ERA (27 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 12 BB, 28 K)
RHP James Norwood1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Matt Bowman1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Greg Weissert1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Aaron McGarity (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
When healthy, the 28-year-old has pitched very well in his minor league career. However, he has thrown only 143.1 innings in 82 games since being drafted back in 2017.

Somerset (21-13) (Lost to Reading, 9-1. The Patriots struck out 19 times today. The Phillies’ starter (Griff McGarry) is a solid prospect, but he only lasted 2.2 innings (5 strikeouts), so it isn’t all because of him!)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-5, 3 K
Lefties have given Sweeney some trouble, as he is only 4-for-23 (that comes with a .375 OBP, however).
vs. RHP: .289/.406/.422.  
DH Jasson Dominguez1-for-4, 2 K
vs. LHP:  6-for-20, 1 HR, 5 BB, 5 K (.300/.440/.450)
vs. RHP: 15-for-80, 4 HR, 23 BB, 26 K (.188/.371/.400)
April: .140/.380/.340
May: .280/.390/.480

CF Everson Pereira2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, 2 K
I don’t know if I am ready to say he is on fire, but his triple slash was .223/.291/.415 only five days ago. Now, it sits at .255/.317/.482. Pereira has four home runs in his last eight games.
In 2022, he played in 22 games for Somerset (the same number he has played thus far this year), hitting .283/.341/.504 with five home runs.
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 3 K
LF Jeisson Rosario1-for-4, 2 K, SB (3)
Rosario is drawing a lot of walks but his average is not where it needs to be. That said, his BABIP of .171 should normalize.
RF Brandon Lockridge2-for-4, 2 K, SB (16)
.316/.396/.487 in 91 plate appearances. He is well on his way to destroying his personal best in the stolen base department (22 in 2019)
1B Eric Wagaman0-for-3, BB, K
2B Max Burt0-for-4, 3 K
C Mickey Gasper0-for-2, 2 BB, K

RHP Blas Castano (L, 3-1): 5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
2.84 ERA (25.1 IP, 16 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 25 K). Just shake this one off.
RHP Alex Mauricio1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
An injury has stalled his season (only 6.2 innings). There is some buzz surrounding him, so I hope he can get into a groove soon.
RHP Indigo Diaz1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Now THAT is a fun stat line! Perhaps not for the defense behind him…
RHP Steven Jennings2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.60 ERA (17.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 23 K). This is the 24-year-old’s second season here (4.19 ERA in 46 games last season with a 67/14 K/BB over 66.2 innings)

Hudson Valley (22-13) (Lost to Brooklyn, 7-2)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, BB, 2 K, CS (2)
Jones’ hitting streak is up to five (11-for-23). I am asked often about Jones going to Somerset. I think the one thing the Yankees want to see is a reduction in the strikeout rate (32.1%). That said, I think he will be up sometime in June. That is a guess – not inside information.
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-5, 2B (4), 2 K
He has slowed down a tad (impossible to keep up his early pace) but is still hitting .323/.406/.710 in 106 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 26 RBI, 19 R, 11 BB, 25 K, 7-for-7 SB)
C Antonio Gomez0-for-5, 4 K
.208/.277/.277 in 114 forgettable plate appearances. He is 5-for-42 with one walk and 18 strikeouts in May. Yikes.
1B Rafael Flores1-for-4, K
7-game hitting streak (10-for-28). Before the streak, he was in a 1-for-20 slump. Baseball!
DH Spencer Henson0-for-2, RS, BB, HBP, K, CS (1)
2B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3, BB, K, SB (2)
RF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (8)
SS Ben Cowles1-for-1, 3 BB, SB (3)
Cowles is up to .281/.354/.506 in 99 PA. In May, he is hitting .389/.450/.556. He can play 2B/SS/3B, so a potential promotion to Somerset wouldn’t interfere with the prospects who are already there.
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Tyrone Yulie (L, 1-2): 5.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
6.11 ERA (28 IP, 23 H, 21 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 34 K). 
RHP Nick Paciorek1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
3.09 ERA (11.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 15 K)
RHP Carlos Gomez2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Tampa (12-22) (Lost to Dunedin, 9-4)

2B Jared Serna0-for-4, 2 K
The recent bump in strikeouts (7 in his last five games) isn’t all that concerning – likely just a bump in the road after barely striking out at all for the first several weeks of the season.
DH Daury Arias0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-4, 3 K
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RS, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (5)
Medina’s last eight games: 11-for-26 (.423; 2 doubles, HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB)
1B Omar Martinez0-for-3, BB
RF Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-3, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Aguilar, drafted in the 15th round last year out of Grand Canyon, is off to a tough start this season. Maybe this will get him going.
3B Beau Brewer1-for-4, RBI
LF Felix Negueis0-for-1, HBP, BB, K

RHP Kris Bow: (L, 0-1)  1 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Bow’s 2023 debut. He was drafted in the 14th round in last year’s draft out of Southern Nevada. Bow made four relief appearances in his debut year.
RHP Yorlin Calderon2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Luis Velasquez: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.40 ERA (19.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 12 BB, 21 K)
RHP Alex Bustamante: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
2.65 ERA (17 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 12 BB, 20 K).
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.12 ERA (17 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 11 BB, 23 K). Yes, I have noticed a trend with some of the Yankees relief prospects having low hit totals but less-than-ideal BB rates. I have no explanation – just an observation.

Yankees MILB 5/16: Offensive Explosion!

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (18-22) (Crushed Charlotte, 14-5)

CF Estevan Florial3-for-5, 2 HR (6), 4 RBI, 4 RS, BB
Florial is up over .300 (.301; .978 OPS) and is 16-for-44 (.364) in May with 3 HR, 9 RBI, and 12 runs scored. He has six career 2-HR games (all have come since 2021)
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI
He was pulled after a rain delay – so it may just be a precaution (or he was done for the night regardless)
  PH-SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3
RF Kole Calhoun1-for-4, BB, K
1B Andres Chaparro0-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K
LF Franchy Cordero1-for-5, RS
DH Rodolfo Duran3-for-4, 2B (9), 2 HR (6), 4 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Duran is up to .317 with a 1.017 OPS (9 doubles, 6 HR, 18 RBI).
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-5, K
3B Jamie Westbrook3-for-4, HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Westbrook has been a nice depth signing. Hitting HR in the minors isn’t a foreign concept to him (105 career HR)
2B Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-5, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS

RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 2-2)  5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
That 0.1 IP/6 R start a few weeks ago will continue to haunt his stat line.
RHP Michael Gomez1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (21-12) (Outslugged Reading, 14-10)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-4, 2B (7), SF, 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Sweeney is up to .277/.414/.406 in 128 PA. He has 23 walks (17.97%) and 25 strikeouts (19.5%). 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-6, HR (5), 2 RBI, 4 RS, SB (13)
13-for-46 (.283) in May (1 double, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 13 R, 4-for-4 SB). Overall, he is up to .208/.389/.417.
C Austin Wells3-for-6, HR (5), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K
At this level: .261/.320/.652 (ridiculous) in 50 PA. He has 3 doubles, 5 HR, and 17 RBI in 11 games for Somerset (17 HR, 60 RBI in 66 games at this level going back to last year)
LF Everson Pereira: 3-for-5, 2B (8), 2 RBI, RS
The top of the order goes 11-for-21 with 11 RBI and 9 runs scored. Pereira is up to .245/.310/.453 in 116 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 12 R). 
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-5, 2B (2), 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, RS, BB
11-for-37 with three home runs in May. 
2B Caleb Durbin0-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (6)
Durbin is 21-for-23 stealing bases (28 games).
DH Anthony Seigler0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (3)
RF Brandon Lockridge1-for-2, 3B (3), 2 RS, 3 BB
Lockridge does a solid job setting things up for the top of the order. He is hitting a solid .306/.391/.486 as he continues to bounce back from last season.

RHP Luis Severino3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Will we see Severino in Cincinnati? Does Domingo German‘s ejection/suspension speed up that process?
LHP Lisandro Santos1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Justin Maese1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Tanner Myatt: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Myatt has been dominant most of the season – tonight, he was off his game a bit.
LHP Michael Giacone1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.69 ERA (16 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 21 K)

Hudson Valley (22-12) (Defeated Aberdeen, 9-6)

CF Spencer Jones2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, K, SB (10)
Jones has four consecutive multi-hit games, raising his triple slash from .265/.302/.551 to .308/.341/.632. 
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-4, RS, BB, K
6-for-13 since his demotion from Somerset.
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-5, RS, 3 K
C Rafael Flores1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K
6-game hitting streak (9-for-24). He is hitting .319/.376/.418.
1B Spencer Henson0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-3, HR (10), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Palensky ties his personal best for HR in a season (10 in 23 games this year; 10 in 77 games last season)
SS Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2B (5), RS, 2 K
Cowles has an 11-game on-base streak (15-for-40). He has at least one hit in ten of those games.
RF Aldenis Sanchez3-for-4, 2 RBI, RS
Sanchez is 10-for-31 with three doubles and three triples in May.
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-3, RBI, BB, K

LHP Joel Valdez: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
LHP Clay Aguilar (W, 2-0): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
LHP Ryan Anderson2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Tampa (12-21) (Outslugged Dunedin, 12-7. This is a nice bounceback after being no-hit on Sunday)

SS Jared Serna: 4-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 4 RS, SB (8)
.349/.423/.560 in 123 PA as he continues to show that his size isn’t going to limit the power. Of course, we’ll see more as he continues to move up.
RF Anthony Hall2-for-3, 2B (4), HR (2), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB
.250/.360/.408 in 89 PA. He is 15-for-43 (.349) in May with seven walks.
  RF Felix Negueis0-for-1, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS
LF Daury Arias2-for-4, 3 RBI
25 doubles, 14 HR, 89 RBI, 88 runs in 123 career games (.248/.372/.406)
2B Brenny Escanio1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, K, SB (11)
40 career SB (117 games). He gets on base at a decent clip but must improve the average (hitting only .200 this season).
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (4)
1B Omar Martinez2-for-4, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 K
.265/.390/.470 in 100 PA. The 21-year-old left-handed bat has shown off some offense in his brief career (.252/.391/.415 with 15 HR and 78 RBI in 135 games)
DH Tayler Aguilar1-for-3, RBI, BB
3B Brett Barrera0-for-3, RS, K

RHP Hayden Merda3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Shane Gray0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Manny Ramirez1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
In a sea of offense, Ayers calms things down. He now owns a 4.40 ERA in 14.1 IP (13 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 17 K)

 

Yankees MILB 5/13: Spencer Jones: Hit Collector

News:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yankees MILB 5/9: Andres Chaparro Goes Off

News:

IF Caleb Durbin, acquired in the deal that sent LHP Lucas Luetge to Atlanta, was promoted to Somerset. Durbin was hitting .333/.464/.397 in 97 plate appearances for Hudson Valley, stealing 15 bases in 16 attempts. He struck out only nine times. You won’t find him on many (if any) prospect lists because the upside is limited – but if he can continue to get on base while maintaining his versatility, he should have some level of value.

As for Luetge, he did a solid enough job in lower-pressure situations for the Yankees. For the Braves, he owns an 8.10 ERA in five games. He is currently on the injured list.

Scranton (15-19) (Oliberated Omaha, 14-2. Omaha is known for being hitter-friendly, but don’t despair as these games are being played in Scranton)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 RS, K
.280/.412/.488 in 102 plate appearances. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (three straight multi-hit games)
LF Kole Calhoun2-for-3, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB
11-for-22 (3 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R). He is doing what a veteran should do here (though even this is a bit extreme)
1B Andres Chaparro5-for-5, 2B (5), HR (10, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
.281/.351/.587 in 134 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 13 BB, 31 K). This is his first career 5-hit game (he had a 4-hit game on 5/5/21). He is mostly a 1B/DH but he does have plenty of experience at 3B. His calling card will forever be his bat – if it translates to MLB, a team won’t care so much about his defensive limitations.
RF Franchy Cordero2-for-3, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB, HBP
DH Rodolfo Duran1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, BB
.290/.347/.580 in 75 plate appearances. Is this a breakout or just a hot month?
C Ben Rortvedt0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3-for-17 at this level.
3B Jamie Westbrook2-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
He is still waiting for that MLB chance. He came into this season with four straight double-digit home run seasons and can play multiple positions. 
2B Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, HBP, CS (1)
SS Wilmer Difo: 3-for-5, 2 RS, K, SB (4)
The veteran utility player is hitting .235/.275/.282 in 92 plate appearances. His utility is his value – he will never be a bat.

RHP Mitch Spence: (W, 3-2) 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
5.40 ERA (33.1 IP, 34 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 8 HR, 14 BB, 29 K). Back-to-back strong efforts (6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K last time out)
RHP Matt Bowman: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (18-9) (Doubled up Portland, 8-4)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-2, RS, 3 BB, 2 K
.262/.394/.369 in 104 plate appearances. He owned a 12.99% BB rate in 2022. So far this year, it sits at 17.3%.
LF Jasson Dominguez2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Dominguez is up to .184/.382/.408 in 102 plate appearances. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-20 with a double and two home runs). We are starting to see progress.
C Austin Wells: 2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K, SB (1)
Wells has homered in four straight games. He is 33-for-33 stealing bases in his career.
CF Everson Pereira1-for-5, HR (2), RBI, RS, 3 K
The organization would love to see a Pereira hot streak.
2B Caleb Durbin: 3-for-5, 2B (1), RS, 3 SB (3), CS (1)
This is how you make a first impression. This lifts his total line to .349/.471/.422 with an 18-for-20 stolen base rate. He is on an 8-game hitting streak (15-for-31). Anytime you can average around two hits per game, that is a serious hitting streak!
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-3, 3B (1), RS, BB
Hardman has a modest 4-game hitting streak going. Most importantly, he has four extra-base hits in these games.
DH Anthony Seigler1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (1), CS (1)
His OBP is up to .373 in 59 plate appearances.
1B Eric Wagaman1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, BB, K, SB (13)
Lockridge is well on his way to his personal best in the stolen base category (22 in 2019)

RHP Blas Castano: (W, 3-0) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
1.77 ERA (20.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 23 K, 2 HR). Castano has been solid in his four starts, three of which are 5-inning affairs (5.1 innings in his other start)
RHP Steven Jennings1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Michael Giacone2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1.38 ERA (13 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.73 ERA (13.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 17 K). Keep it up, Tanner!

Hudson Valley (18-10) (Lost to Aberdeen, 11-0)

SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, 4 K
Vargas can’t let this snowball on him.
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-4
C Antonio Gomez0-for-3, CI, K
RF Grant Richardson0-for-3, BB, 3 K
DH Rafael Flores0-for-4, K
1B Spencer Henson0-for-3, 2 K
CF Aldenis Sanchez0-for-2, CI, K
2B Ben Cowles1-for-3, K
Cowles increases his hitting streak to six (10-for-22)
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 0-2)  4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Valdez was acquired alongside T.J. Rumfield from the Phillies for Donny Sands and Nick Nelson last year. He pitched well in six starts for Tampa in 2022 but is off to a tough start in 2023.
RHP Bailey Dees1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
3.65 ERA (12.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 20 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.50 ERA (10 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Nick Paciorek0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (11-17) (Lost a tough one to Fort Myers, 8-7. They battled back from a 5-0 deficit to eventually take a 7-6 lead but were unable to hang on)

3B Brenny Escanio0-for-5, 2 K
DH Daury Arias1-for-5, RS
C Agustin Ramirez2-for-5, 2B (3), HR (3), 2 RBI, RS
6-for-20 in May with three doubles and a pair of home runs.
RF Anthony Hall2-for-5, 3 RS
7-game hitting streak (10-for-28). He was hitting .121 prior to the streak and is now up to .230.
SS Jared Serna2-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Serna’s fifth straight multi-hit game has raised his average to .378. All three of his home runs have come during this streak. Only 20 years old, I am not sure if they would consider Hudson Valley in 2023. However, if he keeps hitting like this, you start to worry about how much he is being challenged at this level. It is always a balancing act.
CF Nelson Medina2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB
LF Tayler Aguilar0-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Omar Martinez0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Brett Barrera0-for-4
Barrera’s 2023 debut. He played 23 games at this level last season, hitting .274/.287/.381 with six doubles and a home run. Barrera was drafted in the 8th round of the 2022 draft out of Stanford.

RHP Hayden Merda: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Shane Gray1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Velasquez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
1.80 ERA (15 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP Cole Ayers (L, 0-1): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 4/27: Jared Serna: 4 Hits

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-14) (Lost to Worcester, 5-4)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, HR (3), RBI, RS, 3 K
I don’t think it is traceable – but I would love to know how many leadoff home runs Florial has in his MILB career. Anyway, this game is Florial in a nutshell – strong performance but it comes with the three strikeouts.
3B Jamie Westbrook2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro1-for-4, RS, BB
.218/.284/.517 in 95 plate appearances. I am not concerned about the average, given how poorly he started. Everything should continue to come together.
LF Jake Bauers1-for-4
A potential call up if Aaron Judge requires IL time – or not.
DH Rodolfo Duran2-for-5, 2B (5), K
.306/.358/.592 in 53 plate appearances. Strong start for Duran, who is somewhere on the depth chart.
RF Michael Hermosillo0-for-3, BB, K, SB (3)
With Aaron Judge injured, it is interesting that he was pulled from this game – could very well be unrelated as Scranton was trying to tie up the game and McKinney may have been a better option. 
  PH Billy McKinney0-for-1
C Mickey Gasper1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, K
2B Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SAC, SB (2)
A rare sacrifice bunt in the Yankees’ organization. They just don’t believe in it – and it wouldn’t surprise me if Difo was bunting for a hit.

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 1-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Barrett Loseke2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.12 ERA (8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 9 K). He is a 26-year-old who was drafted in the 17th round of the 2018 draft out of Arkansas. Another mid-to-late-round reliever who the Yankees are trying to cash in on.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (11-7) (Defeated Harrisburg, 7-5)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-4, BB, K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 BB
Dominguez has the OPS up over .700 (.707). This is mostly due to his OBP, but five of his six hits have gone for extra bases.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS, SB (8)
Once again, we would all love to see Lockridge get it going with the bat because he can field and run. It just hasn’t fully come together.
DH Eric Wagaman: 3-for-4, 2 2B (2), RBI, RS, SB (5)
10-for-30 with two doubles and a home run.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, CS (1)

RHP Will Warren4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Warren cruised through four innings before running into a little trouble in the 5th (partially due to an error). Season: 4.15 ERA (17.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 29 K). He is missing bats, and that is important.
RHP Zac Houston0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Steven Jennings: (W, 1-1)  2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Indigo Diaz: (S, 1)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (12-5)

The game against Greenville was postponed due to rain. They will play two tomorrow.

Tampa (7-11) (Destroyed Jupiter, 12-2)

2B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-3, 3B (1), SF, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
.254/.357/.322 in 71 PA. Patience has been his thing in his brief MILB career. If he can add some average to that…
CF Daury Arias0-for-5, RBI, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall0-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
DH Agustin Ramirez0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jared Serna4-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (6), CS (3)
Serna’s first career 4-hit game. He is up to .320/.414/.380 in 58 plate appearances. Defensive distribution thus far: 2B – 6; SS – 5; 3B – 3. He had one career start at SS prior to 2023.
1B Omar Martinez: 3-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB
.222/.364/.378 in 55 plate appearances. The left-handed bat can catch in addition to play first base, though he has caught only two games thus far this season.
LF Tayler Aguilar0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Rodriguez has done a little bit of everything, including three games at 3B and a game in LF.
3B Ronny Rojas: 3-for-5, 2B (2), HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Rojas has four career 3-hit games.

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 1-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 20 K). Very encouraging start for the 20-year-old, who has allowed two home runs in 66 career innings.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
9.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 15 K. College reliever should move to Hudson Valley soon enough, though he is only 21.
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K