Yankees MILB 4/27: Rafael Flores Doubles, Homers

Notes:

OF Everson Pereira is listed as active but hasn’t played since April 19th. Injuries are a part of Pereira’s story. He has never played in more than 102 games. His second-highest total is 82. You have to be available to be useful.

George Lombard Jr. and Roderick Arias left their games early yesterday. Lombard Jr. was back in the lineup today while Arias was not. Hudson Valley pulled Lombard Jr. during a blowout, so there was nothing to worry about.

The Yankees have released RHP Alex Bustamante. The 24-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

Injury Log


Scranton (12-13) (Lost to Charlotte, 13-12, in 12 innings)

CF Ismael Munguia0-for-4, RBI, 3 R, SB (6), HBP, 2 BB
11.4% BB, 7.0% K. He is doing what you want a leadoff hitter to do.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-6, RBI, R, BB, 2 K
Vivas is hitting .322 with a .878 OPS (5 doubles, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R; 13.9% BB, 6.5% K)
DH-C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, HR (1), SF, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Rodriguez swats his first Triple-A homer. He is hitting .325 with a .913 OPS since his promotion. This ties his personal best for RBI in a game.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 3 RBI, R, SB (1), HBP, 2 BB, K
Hopefully, this is the start of a hot streak.
LF Dominic Smith1-for-7, RBI, 3 K
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-5, 2B (7), 2 R, SB (1), 2 BB, 2 K
C Ronaldo Hernandez1-for-5, R, BB, K
   PR-P Edinson Duran0-for-0
SS Jake Gatewood: 1-for-4, RBI, R, 2 BB
2B Andrew Velazquez2-for-6, R, SB (7), 3 K

RHP Jake Woodford4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, HR
4.32 ERA (16.2 IP, 22 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 4 HR, 9 BB, 12 K). While not prospects, veterans in Triple-A are fighting for depth chart placement. You never know when an emergency will present itself in MLB. Woodford hasn’t pitched well in 2025.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: (W, 2-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
4.76 ERA (11.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP McKinley Moore0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Rob Zastryzny1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Kervin Castro2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
1.23 ERA (14.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 17 K). Nice start to the season for the 26-year-old with 20 games of MLB experience (Giants, Cubs).
RHP Edinson Duran: (L, 0-1):  1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Duran’s second career pitching appearance (first was in 2022) 


Somerset (9-12) (Lost to Hartford, 13-5)

3B Dylan Jasso0-for-4, K
.258/.329/.485 in 73 PA
2B DJ LeMahieu1-for-2
LeMahieu plays in back-to-back games for the first time during his rehab stint.
   PH-2B Jose Colmenares0-for-2
CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, R, 2 K
.230/.360/.541 in 89 PA (2 doubles, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 15 R, 4-for-5 SB, 15.7% BB, 34.8% K). His .541 SLG ranks fifth in the Eastern League.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (6), HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
.266/.322/.494 in 87 PA (6 doubles, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 10 R, 8.0% BB, 33.3% K). Last season, he struck out 25.3% of the time. 33.3% is too high – I am not saying anything groundbreaking.
RF Garrett Martin1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, R, K
Martin has homered in back-to-back games (3 HR in his last five games)
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
The 26-year-old Hardman hasn’t been the same since his 2023 injury (26 HR in 77 games that year; 11 HR in 113 games since).
LF Jared Wegner1-for-3, R, K
DH Antonio Gomez0-for-3, K
Gomez is 2-for-25 since his promotion.
SS Max Burt1-for-2, 2B (3), SF, RBI, K

RHP Trent Sellers5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
3.86 ERA (18.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 24 K). Sellers had a rough first start (3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER) but has settled in since. He had an under-the-radar 2024 debut season, pitching to a 2.26 ERA in 83.1 IP with a 100/40 K/BB.
RHP Harrison Cohen0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
LHP Ryan Anderson1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Cole Ayers0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Watson dug the hole. Ayers lit it on fire, allowing three of Watson’s runs to score on a grand slam.


Hudson Valley (15-6) (Doubled up Asheville, 8-4. There is so much intriguing talent at this level. The next wave of Yankees prospects to watch closely.)

DH Brendan Jones1-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, R, CS (2), BB, K
.236/.349/.444 in 86 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 11-for-13 SB, 12.8% BB, 22.1% K). 
SS George Lombard Jr.1-for-3, 2B (4), HBP, 2 BB, 2 K
.306/.494/.452 in 87 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 16 R, 9-for-11 SB, 22.99% BB, 20.7% K). He has three doubles in his last five games, so the extra-base power is starting to show. The .494 OBP ranks second in the South Atlantic League.
LF Jackson Castillo1-for-5, RBI, K
.267/.375/.417 in 72 PA (6 doubles, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 6 R, 3-for-3 SB, 15.3% BB, 27.8% K)
CF Jace Avina: 3-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, R, BB
Avina has back-to-back 3-hit efforts and is 12-for-22 during his 6-game hitting streak. He is up to .313/.458/.406 in 83 PA (18.1% BB, 21.7% K). The .458 OBP ranks fifth in the South Atlantic League.
1B Coby Morales1-for-5, SB (5), K
3B Josh Moylan0-for-4, R, BB, 3 K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-2, 3 R, 2 HBP, BB
Not the typical way to reach base four times, but he’ll take it.
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB, 3 K
2B Duncan Pastore3-for-5, 2 2B (2), 3 RBI, R, K
Pastore doesn’t play often but is 14-for-42 (.333) in 16 career games with a 5-for-5 stolen base rate. 

LHP Kyle Carr 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
2.16 ERA (16.2 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). He threw 69 pitches, so they aren’t yet pushing him (has yet to throw more than 4.2 innings this season).
RHP Chris Kean: (W, 2-0) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
RHP Matt Keating1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Huey Morrill0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Hayden Merda: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Merda’s first career save.


Tampa (8-13) (Lost to Dunedin, 8-5. Edgleen Perez remains out of the lineup but is not on the injured list. Yes, I am keeping this note here until his status changes!)

CF Dillon Lewis0-for-4, BB
Lewis is struggling to get on track (.171/.247/.257). The 21-year-old was their 13th-round pick in 2024.
C Engelth Urena1-for-3, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
.185/.341/.354 in 82 PA (2 doubles, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 11 R, 17.1% BB, 20.7% K). His start was slow (2-for-22)
DH Parks Harber1-for-3, R, SB (4), HBP, BB
Yes, Harber is too old for this level and will need to be moved up at some point. He played at major Division I schools, swatting 54 HR in 206 games for Georgia and North Carolina. This level of competition isn’t challenging him.
RF Tyler Wilson0-for-3, SB (6), 2 BB
2B Austin Green0-for-4, RBI, R, SB (3), BB, K
3B Hans Montero0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus0-for-4, K
LF Marshall Toole2-for-4, R, SB (4), K
Toole has three multi-hit efforts in his last five games. His triple slash has jumped from .208/.345/.208 to .286/.375/.310.
1B Josue Gonzalez2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 SB (4)
Gonzalez is having a tough start to 2025 (7-for-51). Today’s performance was needed.

RHP Gage Ziehl: (L, 0-2)  4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Last year’s 4th-round pick had a solid debut (4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K), but his last two starts haven’t been up to the standard. No need to be worried, as that’s baseball.
RHP Chris Veach2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 15 K)
RHP Jackson Fristoe1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
Fristoe is throwing hard (maxed out at 96.5), so the hope is that his early-season struggles are due to rust (he didn’t pitch after June 23rd last season due to injury).
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1.64 ERA (11 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 9 K). Kirtner was drafted by the Mets in 2023, but decided to return to Virginia Tech. In 2024, he went undrafted and signed with the Yankees.


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/25: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Strikes Out 12

Notes:

Some pitching promotions to announce.

LHP Will Brian and RHP Cole Ayers are coming to Somerset from Hudson Valley.
RHP Tony Rossi was promoted from Tampa to Hudson Valley.

In his debut season, the 25-year-old Rossi (undrafted free agent, 2024) was predictably overwhelming Low-A hitters (7.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K).
The 26-year-old Brian (10th round, 2022) was equally effective for Hudson Valley (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K).
Ayers (16th round, 2021) has the most experience of the trio (106 games from 2022 to 2025). Like the others, he owns a 0.00 ERA this season (6.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K). This isn’t his first taste of Somerset, as he appeared in eight games for the Patriots in 2024.

Unfortunately, promotions sometimes come with cuts. The Yankees released right-handed relievers Cole Percival and Colby White from their minor league contracts.

RHP Yoendrys Gomez nearly cleared waivers but the Dodgers nabbed him. Oh well.

Injury Log


Scranton (12-12) (Lost to Charlotte, 4-1. This game started late due to rain so they decided to only play 7 innings)

CF Ismael Munguia0-for-2, SB (5), BB
3B Jorbit Vivas0-for-2, CS (3), BB
After an insane, unsustainable stretch, Vivas is now 1-for-12 in his last four games. He has drawn three walks, however.
DH Jesus Rodriguez1-for-2, R, BB
Rodriguez is hitting .290 with a .775 OPS in 42 PA since his promotion.
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3
Rumfield’s first game since Sunday. No idea why, but it was obviously minor.  
LF Dominic Smith1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI
C Ronaldo Hernandez0-for-3
SS Jake Gatewood0-for-3, 2 K
2B Andrew Velazquez0-for-2, K
RF Grant Richardson1-for-2

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 0-2)  4 IP,3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
4.79 ERA (20.2 IP, 22 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 22 K). It’s only the 4th time in Messinger’s career where he has allowed 2+ HR in a game (tonight was his 85th game/67th start).
RHP Leonardo Pestana1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
4.82 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 8 BB, 13 K)
RHP Wilking Rodriguez1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
He did allow an inherited runner to score. Season: 0.00 ERA (8.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 12 K)


Somerset (8-11) (Mauled by Hartford, 19-4)

2B Dylan Jasso0-for-2, 3 BB
Jasso had three walks in 14 games entering tonight. Baseball!  By the way, walks aren’t a foreign concept to Jasso (he had a solid 9.8% rate last season). Tonight’s three walks jumped his 2025 rate to 9.2.
LF Spencer Jones0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K
.242/.383/.591 in 81 PA (2 doubles, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 14 R, 4-for-5 SB, 17.3% BB, 33.3% K). It’s the theme for Jones – encouraging profile with an obvious red flag.
C Rafael Flores1-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 R
DH Garrett Martin2-for-4, 2B (3), HR (3), 3 RBI, R, K
Martin has two doubles and two homers in his last four games (one of each in his first 12 games)
CF Cole Gabrielson0-for-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman1-for-2, 2 BB
RF Jared Wegner0-for-3, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-4, 2B (5), R
3B Max Burt0-for-4, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 0-1) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 3 K
RHP Luis Pacheco1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Indigo Diaz1.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Ayers ate a few innings and slowed down the Hartford machine.
RHP Diomedes Hernandez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 20-year-old catcher/first baseman makes his 4th career pitching appearance. Perhaps he should have started?


Hudson Valley (13-6) (Shut down Asheville, 3-0)

LF Brendan Jones0-for-4, K
SS George Lombard Jr.1-for-4, CS (2), K
.273/.461/.400 in 76 PA (2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 14 R, 9-for-11 SB, 22.4% BB, 21.1% K). A lot to like in his profile so far. 
DH Jackson Castillo0-for-4, 2 K
.240/.377/.340 in 61 PA (5 doubles, 9 RBI, 4 R, 3-for-3 SB, 18.0% BB, 29.5% K)
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
.250/.403/.286 in 72 PA (2 doubles, 6 RBI, 9 R, 1-for-2 SB, 16.7% BB, 25.0% K)
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, 3 K
1B Coby Morales0-for-2, R, SB (4), BB, K
3B Josh Moylan: 2-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, R, SB (2)
2B Brenny Escanio1-for-3, 2 RBI, CS (2), K
RF Anthony Hall0-for-3, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 2-1)  6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K (new personal best; struck out seven in a row at one point)
Since he was acquired for Carlos Narvaez, here is a Narvaez update: The catcher has played in 18 of Boston’s 27 games, slashing .210/.269/.371 with 4 doubles and 2 home runs. He is grading out well defensively, however. As for Rodriguez-Cruz, the 21-year-old owns a 2.42 ERA (22.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 30 K). That works.
RHP Sebastian Keane1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.18 ERA (5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 7 K)
RHP Tony Rossi (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
His first Hudson Valley appearance results in a save. Can he be fast-tracked to Somerset this season? Certainly. I am not a fan of holding relief pitchers back. However, let’s be patient.


Tampa (8-11) (Lost to Dunedin, 4-2. Edgleen Perez remains out of the lineup but is not on the injured list.)

3B Roderick Arias0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
After a 5-game hitting streak (5-for-21), Arias is 0-for-10 in his last three games. He is hitting .147/.293/.250 in 82 PA (15.9% BB, 26.8% K). Arias owns a paltry .200 BABIP, which should normalize. There is a “positive” for you.
DH Engelth Urena1-for-4
.172/.329/.362 in 73 PA (16.4% BB, 23.3% K). Like Arias, there is a small sample size BABIP issue (.179).
1B Parks Harber0-for-4, 2 K
LF Dillon Lewis0-for-4, 2 K
RF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, R, SB (5)
Wilson is 5-for-7 stealing bases. He is searching for his first extra-base hit of 2025 (17 games)
2B Austin Green1-for-3, R, SB (2), BB, K
SS Juan Matheus1-for-3, BB, K
.250/.365/.375 in 52 PA (5 doubles, 10 RBI, 5 R, 4-for-5 SB, 9 BB, 7 K). Matheus owns a BB/K rate above 1.00 in his career (98/89).
C Josue Gonzalez0-for-3, K
CF Marshall Toole0-for-2, RBI, BB, 2 K

LHP Tanner Bauman5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Bauman needed a decent outing after a pair of rough ones. This qualifies. The biggest issue is walks (17 in 14.1 IP).
RHP Cade Austin2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Sean Hermann (L, 1-1): 2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/8: Spencer Jones Homers

Notes:

Nothing to report


Scranton (5-4)

Their game against Rochester was postponed. They will try to play two tomorrow.


Somerset (1-3) (Lost a tough one to Reading, 5-4. Reading scored four runs in the top of the 9th to take the win)

3B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-4, K
A tough 1-for-18 start to his campaign.
CF Spencer Jones1-for-2, HR (1), RBI, R, SB (1), 2 BB
4-for-13 (1 double, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB, 4 BB, 5 K)
C Rafael Flores1-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-4, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, HBP, K
Martin hit 12 HR in 87 games for Hudson Valley last year.
DH Tyler Hardman0-for-3, R, BB, K
SS Jake Gatewood0-for-4, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner0-for-4, 3 K
2B Alexander Vargas2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI
4-for-8 with a pair of doubles and two RBI.

RHP Brendan Beck: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The Yankees drafted the 26-year-old in the 2nd round in 2021 (Stanford). Considered a “fast track” type, injuries have slowed him considerably. His only action came in 2023, when he pitched 34 innings over ten starts for the FCL (one start)/Hudson Valley (9 starts). The road has been long, but we’ve seen successful pitchers start their careers in their mid-to-late 20s.
RHP Indigo Diaz1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kelly Austin1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Jordany Ventura:  (L, 0-1) 0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Meltdown alert.
RHP Zach Greene0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K


Hudson Valley (2-2) (Lost to Brooklyn, 7-3)

CF Brendan Jones0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2-for-18 (2B, 3B, 3 RBI, R, 1-for-1 SB, 2 BB, 8 K)
SS George Lombard Jr.0-for-3, R, SB (1), BB, K
3-for-13 (3B, RBI, 4 R, 1-for-2 SB, 3 BB, 5 K)
LF Jackson Castillo0-for-3, SB (1), BB, K
RF Jace Avina1-for-4, R, 2 K
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, R, BB, K
Moylan had buzz when the Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2023. His 2024 season (.246/.357/.381; 8 HR, 42 RBI) left room for improvement, so he is back at this level.
1B Coby Morales0-for-3, K
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
2B Jose Colmenares0-for-3

RHP Carlos Lagrange: (L, 0-1)  3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR
Loaded with talent in his 6’7″ frame, the 21-year-old has dealt with injuries and wildness in his brief (98.2 IP) career.
RHP Cole Ayers2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
The 25-year-old pitched to a 3.09 ERA in 55.1 IP at this level in 2024.  He briefly made his way to Somerset, but is back here to begin 2025.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K


Tampa (3-1) (Came back to defeat Fort Myers, 5-3. The Tarpons scored five times in the top of the 9th)

SS Roderick Arias1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, R, SB (1), BB, 2 K
Arias finally collects that first hit of 2025 (1-for-16; 7 K). He doubled, scored a run, drove home a run, and walked in the 9th.
C Edgleen Perez0-for-3, 2 K
   PH-C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1, R, BB, K
CF Brian Sanchez1-for-4, 3B (2), K
Speed is a big part of the 20-year-old’s game. He should be able to stick in CF.
DH Engelth Urena0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
1B Parks Harber: 1-for-3, RBI, CS (1), BB, K
Harber’s RBI single in the top of the 9th tied the game.
RF Tyler Wilson0-for-4, 2 K
LF Dillon Lewis1-for-3, R, BB, K
2B Austin Green1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (1), K
Green’s 2-run single broke the 2-2 tie in the 9th.
3B Juan Matheus0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Andrew Landry4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
The 23-year-old was drafted in the 16th round in 2023 (Southeastern Louisiana). In 2024, he pitched in seven games at this level, posting a 6.98 ERA in 19.1 IP with 16 walks and 12 strikeouts.
RHP Cole Zaffiro2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The Yankees signed the 22-year-old as an undrafted free agent last year (Wake Forest).
RHP Gus Hughes: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Hughes’ first career win. Congrats.
RHP Alex Bustamante (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 8/22: Jasson Dominguez: 2 More Hard Hits

News:

Most of the time, roster crunches work themselves out.

In 2024, that might not be the case for the Yankees. The first move was easy, as Oswald Peraza was demoted to make room for Jazz Chisholm Jr. However, it won’t get easier from here.

Utilityman Jon Berti is about to begin a rehab stint, as is 1B Anthony RizzoRizzo can replace Ben Rice, who has options and hasn’t hit much lately. Berti? Good luck with this one. From a management standpoint, the Yankees can do the easy thing:  Demote Oswaldo Cabrera and keep everyone else. Berti would, in theory, be taking most of Cabrera’s playing time and the Yankees can justify it by saying DJ LeMahieu is their only viable defensive first baseman after Rizzo. Berti has never played the position and Cabrera has 28.1 innings there.

Is that what I would do? No.

Beyond that, OF Jasson Dominguez is finding his groove. While we have to factor in a potential adjustment period, it is hard to argue that Alex Verdugo is a better option.

As messy as that is, the pitching staff could be messier. Scott Effross, Nick Burdi, Lou Trivino, Clarke Schmidt, Ian Hamilton, and Cody Poteet are potential MLB options, and Luis Gil will come off the injured list at some point. Schmidt will be promoted as soon as he is ready. The others? They will be in a logjam. The Yankees can demote Will Warren (when Schmidt is ready) and DFA Tim MayzaUnlike Effross and Hamilton, Trivino is out of options. Once his rehab is over, a roster move must be made. It’s a situation where the Yankees bullpen hasn’t been top-notch, but some of their scrap heap pickups (Tim Hill, Michael Tonkinhave pitched well enough to keep their jobs. Jake Cousins is pitching too well (and missing bats) to send down.

My not-so-educated guess?  They will demote Warren for Schmidt and DFA Mayza for Trivino. Effross, Burdi, Hamilton, and Poteet may have to “wait their turn”. Hamilton has yet to start his rehab stint, so we don’t know what to expect. Keeping Poteet stretched out in Scranton would be prudent. Effross’ rehab ended a while ago. The Yankees aren’t convinced he is ready to contribute, but he is pitching well lately. They have the ability, through options, to keep Gil down in Scranton beyond his IL stint. They can use it as a reset and give him a few innings there to ensure he doesn’t go cold.

Yes, one position player and pitcher will be promoted on September 1st. That helps but doesn’t completely relieve the jam.


Scranton (69-52) (Lost to St. Paul, 8-7)

3B Caleb Durbin1-for-4, 2 RS, BB
The pesky Durbin is 15-for-55 (.273) in August with more walks (13) than strikeouts (8).
DH Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, RS, SB (10), CS (1)
Dominguez’s two singles were hit at 108.3 and 108.2 MPH and he has four multi-hit efforts in his last 7 games. By the way, Dominguez is now 97-for-116 (83.6%) stealing bases in his minor league career. I have written a lot about his stats since his latest comeback without mentioning his overall season for Scranton: He is hitting .304 with a .786 OPS in 125 PA.
2B Jorbit Vivas2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2 2B (24), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Rumfield has six doubles in his last 10 games. 
CF Taylor Trammell1-for-5, 3B (1), 3 RBI, RS
Trammell has 20 RBI in 18 August games.
C J.C. Escarra2-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, K
Escarra has a 7-game hitting streak (10-for-27 with four doubles)
LF Jahmai Jones2-for-5, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
RF Greg Allen0-for-2, HBP, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith1-for-5, 3 K

LHP Edgar Barclay: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 3 HR
RHP Ron Marinaccio: (L, 1-3)  1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Scott Effross1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Last 6 games: 8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K


Somerset (59-56) (Lost to Portland, 3-1. They are now 4.5 games out. Before this series started, I said the Patriots needed to take 5 out of 6 to make the race interesting. So far, they are 2-1. 4 out of 6 would be acceptable, but the calendar is starting to run out (22 games left))

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, 3 K
.248/.329/.419 in 453 PA (20 doubles, 3 triples, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 59 R, 21-for-29 SB, 10.4% BB, 37.1% K).
C Rafael Flores0-for-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, SB (9), K
RF Grant Richardson0-for-4, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler2-for-4, 2 2B (20), SB (21)
.217/.328/.395 in 349 PA (20 doubles, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 47 R, 21-for-24 SB, 13.8% BB, 18.1% K; .240 BABIP).  Moving Seigler to 2B is doing the job to keep him healthy, at least.  He is four games away from his first 100-game campaign.
LF Jared Wegner0-for-4, 3 K
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-3, 2B (5), SB (7), HBP
Vargas is 17-for-58 (.293/.359/.500; 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR) in August. Entering tonight, he was hitting .301/.347/.504 (138 wRC+) in 121 PA since June 7th (yes, he missed time due to injury)
3B Max Burt0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Zach Messinger5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Messinger had to push himself through 90 pitches tonight. Season: 3.40 ERA (132.1 IP, 107 H, 67 R, 50 ER, 8 HR, 44 BB, 123 K). In his last 6 starts: 1.98 ERA (36.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 23 K). No, it isn’t lost on me that his hot stretch comes with a reduced K%.
RHP Leonardo Pestana0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: (L, 1-5) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Eric Reyzelman1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 24 K)


Hudson Valley (62-54) (Swept a doubleheader against Wilmington)

Game 1 (Won, 7-6)

CF Brendan Jones1-for-4, SB (4), K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RS, K
1B Josh Moylan1-for-3, RS, BB
LF Garrett Martin2-for-3, HR (10), 3 RBI, RS, BB, K
This was the appetizer (scroll down to Game 2 for more)…
RF Coby Morales1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (3)
DH Dylan Jasso2-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, RS
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Edison Vivas2-for-3, 3 RBI, K
With Omar Martinez on the IL, Hudson Valley needed another catcher. Enter the 18-year-old Vivas, who entered this game with 27 games of professional experience (26 in the DSL, 1 in the FCL). He hit .217/.333/.253 with no homers and 8 RBI in those games. So, naturally, he is promoted to High-A and has a solid debut. I have zero information on him. His signing bonus isn’t listed, so they signed him for a small number. Additionally, I searched my website for his name and this is the first time I have typed it. In other words, I won’t pretend to know who he is. 
2B Brenny Escanio0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Brian Hendry1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
If you forgot about the 24-year-old, it is understandable. This was his first appearance since April 25th. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his professional career (12 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 7 BB, 17 K). He was the Yankees’ 10th-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State.
RHP Sebastian Keane1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Matt Keating (W, 4-3): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Blane Abeyta2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-0. Three pitchers combined on a 7-inning no-hitter)

2B Roc Riggio0-for-2, RS, SB (24), BB, 2 K
Riggio didn’t finish the game last night and missed Game 1 today. However, he was back out there in Game 2. 
LF Brandon Jones0-for-2, RS, SB (5), BB
With Tampa/Hudson Valley: 12-for-38 (.316/.544/.553; 3 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 11 R, 10-for-10 SB, 19 BB, 11 K). This is how you make an early impression.
3B Josh Moylan0-for-3
CF Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, 2 HR (12), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Martin has a 3-HR, 7 RBI day. It pushes his season to .210/.310/.436 in 289 PA (13 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 45 R, 13-for-15 SB, 9.7% BB, 28.0% K). 
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-3, RS, 2 K
DH Coby Morales2-for-3, 2B (1), RS, CS (1)
Morales is 6-for-14 since his promotion and is hitting .256/.362/.326 in 398 PA overall (10 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 50 RBI, 56 R, 34-for-42 SB (80.95%), 12.6% BB, 28.9% K). He is 22 years old, so there is room for growth. He spends time at 1B/LF/RF. 
C Antonio Gomez1-for-3, RBI, K
Gomez has a 7-game hitting streak (8-for-23) and a 17-game on-base streak (21-for-56 (.375); 8 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 6 BB)
RF Anthony Hall0-for-2, K
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-2

RHP Trent Sellers4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
At this level: 2.28 ERA (75 IP, 39 H, 27 R, 19 ER, 3 HR, 34 BB, 88 K). As a starter: 0.69 ERA (26 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 29 K). The walk rate has fallen considerably as a starter.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 6-2)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.07 ERA (41 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 55 K). I told you to pay attention to Cole Ayers last night because, amongst a group of potential Somerset call-ups, the Yankees chose him. That is nothing against Vinyard, Keating, or whoever you think of. 
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
If you are going to finish off a no-hitter, you may as well do so in style. With Enyel De Los Santos‘ stint being among the quickest in history, Balboni is left carrying the torch for the deadline deal with the Padres (for Brandon Lockridge).


Tampa (48-66)

Their game against Ft. Myers was canceled due to inclement weather. It won’t be made up.


FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.


DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.


DSL Bombers (30-25) 

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

Yankees MILB 8/16: Carlos Lagrange Impresses

News:

After an outfield collision the other night, CF Jackson Castillo was placed on the injured list for Hudson Valley. Castillo hit .256/.386/.404 (133 wRC+) in 334 plate appearances for Tampa, earning his promotion to Hudson Valley. He has played seven games for the Renegades, going 8-for-23 with a pair of home runs and 11 RBI. His combined 137 wRC+ ranks 4th amongst full-season prospects in the entire organization (third if you eliminate Ben Cowleswho was traded at the deadline).


Scranton (68-48) (Defeated Buffalo, 3-2)

3B Jorbit Vivas1-for-4, RBI
SS Caleb Durbin1-for-4, RBI, K
Durbin owns a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-18, 1 double, 2 HR, 2 SB). He has one RBI in each game. Additionally, he is playing all over the field. In these five games, he has 2 starts at 2B, 1 start at SS, 1 start at 3B, and 1 start in LF. This could be the Yankees’ vision.
LF Jasson Dominguez0-for-4, K
Since there isn’t a developmental reason for Taylor Trammell to play CF, I think it is notable when the Yankees give Dominguez reps in LF. Since returning from his latest injury: 12-for-61 (.197) with a pair of doubles and a homer.
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-4, 2B (21), RS
Rumfield has three 2-hit performances in his last six games. He is hitting .284/.353/.455 in 374 PA since his promotion.
CF Taylor Trammell1-for-2, RBI, BB
2B Jahmai Jones0-for-3, 2 K
DH Greg Allen0-for-3
C J.C. Escarra1-for-3, RS, K
RF Cam Eden1-for-3, RS

RHP Yoendrys Gomez4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
The Yankees have used him as a 3-5 inning guy all year, which hints at how they view him. He owns a 3.88 ERA (65 IP, 45 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 35 BB, 67 K). If you have forgotten, he is out of options in 2025.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
4.17 ERA (45.1 IP, 52 H, 29 R, 21 ER, 8 HR, 18 BB, 43 K)
RHP Ron Marinaccio1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Scott Effross: (W, 3-1)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The fact that the Yankees went through the steps to add Tim Mayza to the 40-man/26-man rosters tells you that the Yankees are not comfortable with Effross’ progress. From a statistical standpoint, his last six games show progress (9 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K).
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (S, 6): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K


Somerset (56-55) (Lost to Hartford, 7-0)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, BB, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4
C Rafael Flores1-for-4, 2 K
Flores is 15-for-44 (.341) with 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 9 RBI in August.
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-2, BB, HBP, K
RF Grant Richardson1-for-4, 3B (2), 2 K
Richardson has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-17, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR). 
DH Elijah Dunham0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-3, SB (20), BB
Seigler, always seen as an athletic catcher before his conversion to 2B, is 20-for-22 stealing bases this year (he stole 16 as a catcher in 2022).
LF Cole Gabrielson0-for-4, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-2)  5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
Since promotion: 11 IP, 12 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 7 K
RHP Colby White1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K


Hudson Valley (58-52) (Walked it off against Hickory, 3-2. The Renegades are right in the middle of the second-half division title race)

2B Roc Riggio2-for-4, 2 2B (22), 2 RBI
.216/.338/.376 in 403 PA. This is his second multi-hit effort in his last three games, and we hope his BABIP continues to normalize (.256).
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, K
RF Jace Avina1-for-4, 2B (24), K
DH Omar Martinez1-for-4, SB (1)
He is more about walks and power than speed, but he did steal 8 bases in 2023 (the only season that he compiled more than one)
1B Josh Moylan0-for-4, 3 K
CF Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, HR (9), RBI, RS, SB (12)
Martin walks it off in the 9th. He has homered in two of his last four games.
3B Dylan Jasso0-for-3
C Antonio Gomez1-for-3, RS, K
LF Anthony Hall1-for-3, RS, 2 K

RHP Trent Sellers4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
2.43 ERA (70.1 IP, 39 H, 27 R, 19 ER, 3 HR, 33 BB, 83 K). As a starter: 21.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 24 K. His walk rate dropped considerably since he was moved to the rotation. 
RHP Yorlin Calderon2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Joel Valdez1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Blane Abeyta (W, 2-2): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Tampa (45-64) (Lost to Clearwater, 5-3, in 10 innings)

CF Brendan Jones0-for-2, RS, SB (5), 2 BB, K
Jones has drawn 10 walks in 7 games and has yet to be caught stealing.
SS Roderick Arias0-for-4, 2 K
RF Willy Montero1-for-3, 2B (18), RBI, RS, BB
.253/.310/.371 in 403 PA. He is 15-for-45 (.333) in August.
LF Marshall Toole1-for-4, 2 RBI, CS (2)
Toole is 8-for-24 with 7 RBI, 7 walks, and 6 stolen bases in 8 attempts.
2B Hans Montero0-for-4, 3 K
DH Joe Delossantos0-for-3, CS (1), BB, K
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-3, BB, K
  PR-1B Coby Morales0-for-0
C Josue Gonzalez1-for-4, K
3B Owen Cobb0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Carlos Lagrange4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
He allowed a leadoff single in the 5th, which eventually came around to score. Lagrange was humming again (maxed out at 98.3, averaged 97.1). The Yankees aren’t a system of extreme velocity, but Lagrange brings it. If he can harness his control (he’s only walked one hitter in 6.1 innings at this level), watch out.
LHP Rafelin Nivar1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K
RHP Aaron Nixon1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Pacheco threw a 96.5 MPH sinker tonight. I am seeing signs as to why the Yankees signed the 25-year-old. He owns a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 IP with a 12/2 K/BB at this level.
RHP Jordy Luciano: (L, 2-4)  0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR


FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.


DSL Yankees (17-35) (Lost to DSL Rockies, 4-2)

SS Dexters Peralta1-for-1
I don’t know why he was pulled, but he was lifted for a pinch-runner after his leadoff single. That likely isn’t good.
  PR-SS Ovandy Frias1-for-1, CS (2), 2 BB
CF Louis Pierre1-for-4, 3B (2), RS, K
2B Jelson Coca2-for-4, RBI, K


DSL Bombers (29-23) (Lost to DSL Tigers 1, 3-2. With little margin for error, this is a big loss in their quest to earn a playoff berth)

2B Luis Escudero1-for-3, RS, SB (24)
.270/.442/.405 in 147 PA. He is 24-for-29 in the stolen base department.
C Carlos Villarroel2-for-3, RBI
.286/.382/.400 in 123 PA. As I said yesterday, I don’t get excited over 17-year-old’s in the DSL. However, this is another young catcher having a solid season down here.

RHP Enixon Sanchez (L, 3-1): 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Only 17 (he started the season at age 16!), Sanchez owns a 2.79 ERA in 29 IP (14 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 29 K)
RHP Rafael Arias
2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
13 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 18 K. Arias is a 20-year-old in his debut season.

Yankees MILB 6/23: Carlos Narvaez Goes 5-for-5

News:

The Yankees acquired 1B/3B J.D. Davis (and cash) from the Oakland Athletics for IF Jordan GroshansThe money will likely cover most (if not all) of what remains on Davis’ 1-year deal. It isn’t much.

Davis is hitting .236/.304/.366 (98 wRC+) in 135 PA. He has four home runs and five runs batted in. Interesting. The defensive metrics don’t love his performance, so he better hit if he wishes to keep a job. He had a run between 2019-2022 where he hit .276/.363/.457 (127 wRC+) over 1,258 plate appearances with a 10.5% BB and 27.3% K. However, the numbers haven’t been as strong in 2023-2024.

The Yankees need offense with Giancarlo Stanton out and there isn’t much available. They are not ready to give Agustin Ramirez a role, and none of the veterans in Triple-A excite you.

The bottom line? They wouldn’t need to do a signing like this if Gleyber Torres or DJ LeMahieu were producing. LeMahieu is showing no signs of life with the bat. He is moving towards “sunk cost” territory (if he isn’t there already).  I hope he doesn’t impact Ben Rice‘s playing time much. With the DH spot open, they can be flexible with playing time.

Scranton (42-32) (Mauled Buffalo, 18-9. They scored 12 runs in the 5th inning. As for last night’s postponed game, it is now listed as canceled. Instead of playing two in today’s heat (and pitching issues may have played a role), the game was permanently wiped off the calendar)

2B Jorbit Vivas2-for-5, RBI, RS, BB, K
Last 6 games: 7-for-23. Before you toss away the Victor Gonzalez deal, remember that Vivas was a part of it.
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-5, RBI, RS, HBP, K
Ramirez is 1-for-16 since his promotion. He is hitting .275/.358/.537 in 279 PA overall.
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-5, 2B (14), HR (7), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Since promotion: .298/.354/.468 in 226 PA. He has four HR in his last 12 games.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 5-for-5, 2B (15), HR (8), 4 RBI, 4 RS, SB (5), BB
Entering today: .254/.382/.424. Now: .271/.396/.457 in 210 PA (15 doubles, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 40 R). His best for RBI in a season is 44, set in 100 games last year. Narvaez never had a 4-hit game before today, never mind a 5-hit effort.
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-5, 2B (12), RBI, 2 RS, SB (13), HBP, 2 K
.279/.372/.541 in 208 PA (12 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 36 R, 13-for-17 SB). 
LF Taylor Trammell1-for-3, 2B (8), 3 RS, 2 SB (5), 3 BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez2-for-5, HR (4), 4 RBI, 2 RS, SB (3), K
For Scranton: .279/.327/.443 in 150 PA. Gonzalez has some appeal but is still a “break glass in case of emergency” type.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 3-for-5, 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (24), K
.285/.408/.369 in 157 PA. He has 24 stolen bases (26 attempts) in 47 games.
3B Kevin Smith1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (9), BB, 3 K

RHP Cam Schlittler1.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Schlittler also hit 3 batters. This will impact the strong numbers he had before today, but toss it. He was brought here from Hudson Valley because they needed a rested arm. Regardless, the offense bailed him out.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Jake Cousins1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Jack Neely1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Season (between here and Somerset): 2.45 ERA in 33 IP (25 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 53 K)


Somerset (32-36) (Lost two games to Erie. It is odd to see Somerset struggle. Though the players always change, winning has become expected here)

Game 1 (Lost, 10-7)

DH Spencer Jones1-for-5, 2 K
C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
Rodriguez’s first Double-A home run. While he was pulled from this game and didn’t play in Game 2, I wouldn’t read into that (yet) – the heat is brutal in Somerset today.
  C Peter Serruto0-for-0
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-5, 2 K
For Somerset: 8-for-28 (.286) with a double and a pair of home runs.
2B Ben Cowles1-for-3, 2 BB, K
CF Grant Richardson2-for-5, SB (11)
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-5, RS, 2 K
1B J.C. Escarra1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB
LF Aaron Palensky3-for-5, 2B (4), 3 RBI
His reward was not playing in Game 2. He has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-20).
SS Alexander Vargas4-for-5, 3 RBI, K
Useless fact of the day: Vargas has exactly one 4-hit game in each of the last four seasons.

RHP Bailey Dees1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
This will be a wasted start, but that isn’t a big deal. Season: 3.80 ERA (68.2 IP, 60 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 9 HR, 24 BB, 74 K).
RHP Trystan Vrieling: (L, 7-5) 5 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
This was a tough afternoon for Vrieling. Season: 5.08 ERA (79.2 IP, 82 H, 48 R, 45 ER, 8 HR, 24 BB, 75 K). They knew there would be some growing pains by throwing him immediately into the Double-A fire. 
RHP Carlos Gomez2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP McKinley Moore1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 11-5)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-3, RS, BB
Jones entered the month with a .641 OPS. It is now .702.
3B Ben Cowles1-for-3, BB
Cowles is on a little 5-game hitting streak (5-for-18, 1 double, 1 HR). He has slumped a bit in June (18-for-75 (.240)), so I hope this is a start of a new hot streak.
C J.C. Escarra0-for-3, RBI, RS
DH Elijah Dunham: 3-for-3, 2B (9), HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (7)
Dunham is hitting .257/.363/.451 in 168 PA at this level.
RF Grant Richardson0-for-3, 2 K
.253/.314/.389 in 210 PA. He was strong in April/May but has struggled in June.
LF Jared Wegner1-for-3, RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-2, BB
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3, K
1B Max Burt1-for-3, RS, K

RHP Josh Grosz: (L, 0-1)  4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Like Scranton, Somerset needed a starter and Grosz was available (from Tampa). I will say the same thing I said about Schlittler: Toss it.
RHP Danny Watson0.1 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
Watson is having trouble getting his season going after his injury. Let’s see what he does in the second half. 
RHP Colby White1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Kevin Stevens1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.52 ERA (25 IP, 21 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 40 K). The 26-year-old, who missed 2023, hasn’t allowed a home run in 29.2 career innings (43/13 K/BB)


Hudson Valley (34-34) (Outlasted Greensboro, 12-9. They hit 5 home runs)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Riggio is at .217/.370/.380 in 230 PA. He has three home runs in his last seven games. 
SS Jared Serna0-for-5, RBI, K
Serna is now 0-for-20 since missing a game after a HBP. That has dropped his triple slash from .280/.380/.504 to .258/.357/.464.
DH Jace Avina2-for-4, 2B (19), RS, BB, K
.275/.355/.459 in 251 PA (19 doubles, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 29 R, 4-for-5 SB). He has three doubles and multi-hit efforts in his last six games.
1B Rafael Flores1-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K
.286/.397/.469 in 229 PA (17 doubles, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 27 R). 
C Omar Martinez2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.243/.382/.405 in 228 PA. 
RF Garrett Martin2-for-4, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Martin’s first career multi-HR game. He has 5 HR in 36 games this year (0 in 18 games during last year’s debut season).
3B Josh Moylan2-for-4, 2 HR (3), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB, 2 K
Moylan’s first career multi-HR game. Hopefully, he can build off this effort as he had some “post-draft” buzz last year.
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-4, RBI, SB (6), K
LF Nelson Medina0-for-5, K

RHP Jackson Fristoe0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Fristoe left the game due to a shoulder issue, according to GameCast. Yikes.
RHP Luis Arejula2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.14 ERA (28.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 30 K)
RHP Huey Morrill1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
2.68 ERA (40.1 IP, 31 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 49 K)
LHP Joel Valdez0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Juan Crisp (W, 1-0): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Crisp is a catcher who was asked to get eight outs. The system used a lot of pitchers today (and recently), so tomorrow’s day off across the full-season leagues will come in handy.


Tampa (25-43) (Split a doubleheader against Palm Beach)

Game 1 (Won, 5-4, in the conclusion of the suspended game from Friday. This game went a full 9 innings)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda0-for-5, 2 K
For Tampa: .313/.366/.382 in 164 PA. He doesn’t go hitless often, so when he does it in back-to-back games, it stands out!
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-2, RS, SB (18), HBP, BB
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-4, RBI
CF Jackson Castillo1-for-4, RS, 2 K
3B Hans Montero1-for-2, RS, CS (2), HBP, BB
RF Willy Montero2-for-4, RS
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (15)
C Oscar Silverio:  0-for-0, BB
  PH-C Antonio Gomez1-for-1, 2 RBI, BB, K
Gomez with a big 2-run single as his rehab continues.

RHP Luis Serna4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The weather cuts Serna’s start for the second consecutive time. This effort pushes his ERA below 4.00 (3.98 in 52 IP (37 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 61 K)). His ERA was 10.32 in his first three starts and 6.97 after five starts. He has been on quite a roll and is still under 20 (until July 20th).
RHP Scott Effross: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Effross struck out the side in his second inning of work. Of his 26 pitches, 22 were strikes.
RHP Joey Gerber2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Cade Austin0.2 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel (S, 4): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
This game was dicey late, as Palm Beach turned a 5-0 deficit into a 5-4 deficit in the 9th. Tampa was able to hang on.

Game 2 (Lost, 13-11. This was a 7-inning game. They scored six runs in the bottom of the 7th (after scoring four in the 6th) and brought the winning run to the plate, but couldn’t take it further)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (11), 2 RBI, RS, SB (18)
Lombard is at .228 with a .676 OPS (11 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 24 R, 18-for-19 SB). This isn’t spectacular but he is holding his own.  He is 9-for-31 (.290) in his last 8 games with 3 doubles, a triple, a home run, and three stolen bases.
2B Roderick Arias1-for-4, 2B (10), RBI, RS, BB, K
Arias is hitting .212 with a .676 OPS. He has 22 extra-base hits (10 doubles, 6 triples, 6 HR) in 65 games, but also owns a 35.9% K rate.
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-5
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Castillo is hitting .249 with a .784 OPS. He has 38 walks (17.8%) and 44 strikeouts (20.6%) in 214 PA.
3B Hans Montero2-for-5, HR (4), RBI, RS, 3 K
A much-needed double-header for Montero, who started hot at this level but has cooled off recently.
CF Willy Montero2-for-4, RS
Montero has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games (reached base safely in all 17 games). He is hitting .250 with a .675 OPS (before the streak, he was hitting .182/.250/.241). A jump of 184 points in OPS is impressive.
DH Coby Morales2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
C Tomas Frick0-for-1, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB
RF Daury Arias2-for-4, RBI, RS, K

RHP Cade Smith: (L, 3-5)  4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
3.94 ERA in 61.2 IP (47 H, 33 R, 27 ER, 3 HR, 30 BB, 78 K). He has some ups-and-downs this season, but his overall season is impressive.
RHP Steven Fulgencio1.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
2.18 ERA (33 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 38 K)


FCL (23-13)

Scheduled day off. With a little more than a month to go in the season, the FCL team is two games up on the Tigers for first place.


DSL Yankees (5-10)

Scheduled day off.


DSL Bombers (9-5)

Scheduled day off.

 

Yankees MILB 6/20: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits, RBI, SB, BB

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez will miss at least eight weeks due to an oblique injury. That pushes his return to mid-August, where he will undoubtedly be rusty. He can still be one of the September call-ups, but we must be realistic about 2024 expectations. He hasn’t played much and the Yankees will likely be cautious. As I said last night, it isn’t quite a lost season but it isn’t a productive one for his development either.

Scranton (41-29) (Lost to Buffalo, 9-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, SB (22), RS, BB, K
With Dominguez and Everson Pereira out, the #5 outfield slot is there for the taking. Known for his speed and defense, he is hitting .274/.404/.363 in 151 PA with 22 stolen bases in 24 attempts. 
2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-1, RS, 4 BB
With Scranton, Vivas has 19 walks in 21 games (98 PA; 19.4%)
SS Oswald Peraza2-for-4, RBI, HBP
Many hitters never figure out how to hit in MLB. We don’t know if that will be true for Peraza. However, I am shocked at how badly he is slumping in Scranton. Unless something is bothering him, he should be crushing this level. He is at .176/.317/.216.
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-4, HBP, K
Ramirez is off to a 1-for-9 start in Scranton. It was fun while it lasted…
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-4
DH Carlos Narvaez1-for-4, 2B (14), K
Narvaez continues to show off his pop (14 doubles, 7 HR in 57 games; .431 SLG). 
RF Jose Rojas1-for-4, HR (14), RBI, RS, K
Rojas has 14 homers in 52 games. Impressive, but the 31-year-old owns a .188/.245/.339 triple slash in 83 MLB games (2021-2022). He spent 2023 in Korea (.253/.345/.474 with 19 homers)
3B Jeter Downs1-for-4, 2 K
Downs has a 5-game hitting streak and is 14-for-35 (.400) in June with a 7-for-8 SB rate. 
LF Taylor Trammell1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
Trammell has homered in two of his last three games.

LHP Tanner Tully: (L, 1-5) 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4 HR
RHP Jake Cousins1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Josh VanMeter1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kevin Smith1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
VanMeter and Smith are veteran utility players who received an inning on the hill tonight.


Somerset (32-34) (Lost to Erie, 9-7. Everyone in the lineup collected at least one hit)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, RBI, SB (17), BB, 3 K
June: 20-for-70 (.286; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 R, 5-for-6 SB). He entered June with a .641 OPS. It is now .704.
C Jesus Rodriguez2-for-6, RBI
Rodriguez earns his first Double-A hit. Congrats! Fans of the Patriots are getting a dose of his versatility: Third base in his Double-A debut, and catcher tonight. As for the multi-hit game, he has 22 in 58 games this season. Machine.
1B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, BB
3B Ben Cowles1-for-5, RS, SB (12), 2 K
LF Grant Richardson1-for-5, RS, SB (8), 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RS, 2 BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, 2B (10), HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Seigler is showing some pop and speed this year (10 doubles, 7 HR, 11-for-12 SB) but that doesn’t mean his prospect status is coming back (.198 with a .670 OPS). Anyway, the 7 HR ties his personal best, set in 2022.
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-5, 3B (2), RBI, RS, 2 K
Vargas is hitting .211 since his promotion. By most accounts, the glove is still MLB-quality – the bat just hasn’t developed. That sounds somewhat like Kyle Holder, but Vargas likely has more offense to tap into. That said, he has to prove it. In case you are wondering about Holder, he hasn’t played since 2022.

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 3-6)  5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 3 HR
RHP Danny Watson0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but Watson is likely still in “get back into a groove” mode after a long-term injury.
RHP Yorlin Calderon2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Somerset: 2.57 ERA (21 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 20 K)
RHP Kevin Stevens1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Hudson Valley (33-32) (Lost to Greensboro, 4-2)

LF Jace Avina0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna0-for-4
Since being hit by a pitch and missing a game, Serna is 0-for-11. It could be a coincidence. I hope that it is.
C Rafael Flores0-for-4, 2 K
DH Garrett Martin1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
.212/.305/.372. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
RF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan1-for-3, 2B (5), RS
.222/.357/.284 in 199 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 23 R, 15.6% BB, 23.1% K).  So far, the power hasn’t shown up (.313 SLG in 24 games in Tampa last year). 
2B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer1-for-3, RBI
CF Nelson Medina0-for-3, K

RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 5-5) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR
Keane allowed three runs in the first inning but worked it out. Season: 5.02 ERA (57.1 IP, 55 H, 33 R, 32 ER, 6 HR, 29 BB, 55 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.29 ERA (19.2 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 31 K)
RHP Luis Arejula2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.46 ERA (26 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 27 K)


Tampa (24-42) (Lost to Palm Beach, 5-2)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda0-for-4, RS, CS (4)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (10), RS, K
.228/.360/.321 in 225 PA (10 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 17-for-18 SB). He is on a 6-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games. Before this 10-game stretch, his triple slash was .207/.359/.269. His OBP has barely moved, but his SLG is up 52 points.
2B Roderick Arias1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (17), CS (8), K
.209/.301/.364 in 289 PA (9 doubles, 6 triples, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 35 R, 17-for-25 SB). He has eight extra-base hits and 19 RBI in June, which is good. However, the strikeouts remain prominent.
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-3, HBP, K
DH Antonio Gomez0-for-4
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-4
RF Willy Montero1-for-2, BB
.241/.298/.366 in 245 PA (13 doubles, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R, 8-for-9 SB). Entering June, his triple slash was .207/.288/.283.
C Tomas Frick1-for-2, 2B (9), BB
.270/.391/.400 in 138 PA. Frick is doing a nice job in his debut season.
LF Daury Arias1-for-3, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Warrecker’s Tampa debut (he appeared in a game earlier this season for Hudson Valley). He pitched well through 4 innings but ran into trouble in the 5th. The 22-year-old out of Cal Poly (drafted in the 20th round in 2023) is an interesting prospect. The Yankees are good at converting these pitchers into something valuable.
RHP Aaron Nixon2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
3.96 ERA (38.2 IP, 26 H, 21 R, 17 ER, 1 HR, 29 BB, 39 K). He hit 95 MPH with his 4-seamer, which they should be able to work with. You don’t need me to tell you that control is an issue.
RHP Jordy Luciano2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Standing 5’10”, the 22-year-old Luciano packs a punch, maxing out at 96 MPH with his heater. His issue? Control. He has walked 30 batters in 33.1 innings this year and 76 in 82.1 innings in his career.


FCL (21-13) (Squeaked past the Phillies, 3-2)

CF Brando Mayea1-for-4, 2 K
Mayea is hitting .270/.356/.303 in 101 PA, which isn’t so bad. The K% is 27.7%, borderline but not in the “red alert” zone. Another metric I like to look at is Swinging Strike %. Entering today’s action, Mayea’s was at 22.9%, which will raise an eyebrow or two. Anyway, let’s see what happens as he gets more reps.
DH Edgleen Perez1-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Ramirez2-for-2, 3B (2), RS, BB
Is Ramirez going to become the latest obsession? He is hitting .396/.518/.582 in 115 PA and has seven multi-hit efforts in his last eight games. That’s not easily done at any level of baseball, folks.
LF Brian Sanchez1-for-3, 2B (12), RBI, RS
Sanchez has 17 extra-base hits (12 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR) in 27 games. Additionally, he has 20 RBI, 23 runs, and 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
SS Juan Matheus2-for-3, 2 RBI

RHP Hansel Rosario3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
LHP Michael Peres (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Castellanos (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K


DSL Yankees (4-9) (Lost to the Rangers Blue, 7-1)

SS Dexters Peralta0-for-3, RS, SB (7), BB, K
CF Gabriel Lara1-for-3, CS (1), BB
When you have a speedster like Lara, you want him running all the time in minor league games as he attempts to turn raw speed into base-stealing ability.

RHP Varis Villarreal2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K


DSL Bombers (7-5) (Defeated the FCL Tigers 1, 4-3)

C Queni Pineda0-for-3, RS, BB, K
The 17-year-old is 8-for-27 (9 walks, 5 strikeouts)
RF Browm Martinez1-for-3, K
CF David Carrera1-for-3, RBI, K
SS Kevin Verde1-for-3, 2B (4), RS
1B Jesus Marquez2-for-3, 2 RBI
The 17-year-old is listed as a catcher but has only played 1B/DH thus far (only five games).

RHP Alexis Paulino3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
Well, that is what you call dominance. He is 21 and in his third season down here.
RHP Ismael Delgadillo (S, 1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 19-year-old earns a save in his first professional appearance.

Yankees MILB 4/18: George Lombard Jr. Reaches Base 6 Times

News:

The Yankees claimed OF Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Dodgers. In a corresponding move, IF Kevin Smith was designated for assignment. Trammell is out of options so he must be placed on the MLB roster.

Once one of baseball’s brightest prospects, Trammell has struggled in MLB, hitting .165/.266/.361 in 357 plate appearances with 15 homers and 39 RBI. His walk rate is solid (10.9%) but his career strikeout rate is 37.3%.

It’s a low-risk move and it is easy to cut bait if it doesn’t work out.

As for Smith, the Yankees lose shortstop depth by waiving him. Anthony Volpe‘s only backup is Oswaldo Cabrera, who is playing third base. One has to assume that DJ LeMahieu is close to returning.

Scranton (12-5) (Doubled Up Lehigh Valley, 8-4)

SS Caleb Durbin1-for-5, 2B (7), RBI, RS, 2 K
How rare is a multiple-strikeout game for Durbin? This is his first such game in 2024 after doing it once in 2023.  It has happened five times in 208 career games. Amazing.
CF Everson Pereira: 3-for-4, 2 HR (6), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Pereira’s 9th career multi-HR game.  He has six homers and 13 RBI in 15 games.
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-4, 4 K
Three hits last night. Four Ks tonight. You cannot find a game more humbling than baseball. 
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-2, RS, 2 HBP
LF Jose Rojas0-for-2, 2 RS, CS (1), 2 BB, K
  LF Brandon Lockridge0-for-0
3B Jordan Groshans1-for-4, K
2B Josh VanMeter1-for-2, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
DH Josh Breaux0-for-4, 4 K
RF Luis Gonzalez1-for-2, 2B (2), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 2-0) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Since his tough season-opening start against Buffalo (bad weather):
2.40 ERA (15 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 20 K)
LHP Josh Maciejewski0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Clayton Andrews1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K


Somerset (5-7) (Defeated Hartford, 5-3)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, K
3-for-13 with a double, two walks, and three strikeouts.
DH Agustin Ramirez1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Ramirez reaches base twice in four plate appearances, qualifying as a boring night for him.
1B Ben Rice2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS
I commented last night that he hadn’t played a game at first base this season. Well, now he has. Anyway, Rice is starting to heat up. He has homered in back-to-back games and is up to .250 with a .766 OPS.
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-3, RS, BB, K
C J.C. Escarra2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
The 28-year-old is 8-for-21 with three doubles and a homer while playing C/3B/LF/RF. He never caught professionally before this season.
3B Ben Cowles0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
Cowles has reached base safely in all 12 games this season (at least one hit in ten of those games)
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, SF, RBI
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4

RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 1-1) 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 9 K
The Yankees aren’t holding back, despite this being his first year as a starter. Tonight, he threw 90 pitches so he may not be far away from being asked to go 100. His first start was rough (3.1 IP, 8 ER), but he followed that up with a 4.1 IP/1 R start and tonight’s performance. It’s encouraging for the 6’8″ 25-year-old.
LHP Ryan Anderson2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jack Neely (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3, BB, 10 K. 


Hudson Valley (8-3) (Won a wild one over Aberdeen, 8-7)

SS Roc Riggio1-for-4, RS, BB
.207/.400/.345 with ten walks and six strikeouts. Pesky.
2B Jared Serna0-for-3, RS, CS (2), 2 BB, K
DH Jace Avina1-for-2, 2 RS, BB, HBP, K
Avina earns his first hit as a member of the Yankees’ organization.
C Carlos Martinez1-for-3, BB
RF-LF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 4 RBI, RS, SB (3)
.281/.361/.469 in 37 PA with nine runs batted in. 
1B Josh Moylan0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina0-for-3, 2 K
  RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-1, K
3B Kiko Romero1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Romero hit three homers in 29 games during his 2023 debut season.
LF-CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-2, RS, CS (1), BB, HBP, K
Gabrielson scored the winning run in the 9th on a wild pitch.

RHP Brian Hendry:  4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
In his first two professional starts: 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 K. He was last year’s 10th-round pick out of Oklahoma State.
RHP Yorlin Calderon2 IP, 3 H. 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 4 K
LHP Joel Valdez (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K


Tampa (3-8) (Defeated St. Lucie, 9-5. Everyone in the lineup earned at least one hit and the Tarpons stole eight bases)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2B (1), 3 RS, 3 SB (8), 4 BB
An 18-year-old reaching base six times in a full-season league is eye-opening. The double is his first extra-base hit of 2024. He is hitting .244/.492/.268 and has reached base safely in all 12 games.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda1-for-5, 2B (1), SF, 2 RBI, RS, K
Tejeda’s first extra-base hit in 2024. He is hitting .289/.320/.311 with eight RBI in 50 PA.
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-5, 2B (2), RS, BB, 2 K
LF Coby Morales2-for-5, 3 RBI, RS, SB (2), K
C Tomas Frick1-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB, HBP, K
4-for-13  with four RBI and three runs scored.
RF Daury Arias1-for-4, RBI, BB, SB (1), K
DH Manuel Palencia: 1-for-5, RBI, SB (1), K
CF Tayler Aguilar2-for-5, RBI, SB (3), 2 K
.227/.452/.409 in 31 PA. He is 15-for-17 stealing bases in his career.
2B Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RS, SB (1), BB

RHP Cade Smith3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 15 K). Last year’s 6th-round pick is off to a good enough start in his debut season.
RHP Aaron Nixon1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: (S, 1)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Not all saves are pretty.


FCL (0-0)

The season starts on 5/4.


DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!