George Lombard Jr. Archives - Tom's Sports Blog

Yankees MILB 5/10: Everson Pereira is Scorching

Notes:

I have nothing to offer you.

Scranton (18-18) (Split a doubleheader against Rochester)

Game 1 (Won, 7-6, in 8 innings)

DH Cooper Hummel: 1-for-4
The veteran was activated off the injured list today.
PR-DH Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-0
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, R, HBP, K
PR Ismael Munguia: 0-for-0, R
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB
LF Dominic Smith: 1-for-3, HR (3, grand slam), 4 RBI, R, BB
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH Alex Jackson: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
.311/.436/.600 in 55 PA (3 HR, 13 RBI). It is a good idea to keep an eye on the #3 catcher on the depth chart.
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Jake Gatewood: 1-for-3, 2B (1), R

RHP Zach McAllister: 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The tough start to his 2025 campaign continues.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
2.45 ERA (14.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 17 K). Solid ERA, but the walks are worrisome. I don’t care if a dominant reliever walks some hitters (Dellin Betances, for example). But you better be dominant if you are going to carry a high BB rate.
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
23 pitches/13 strikes. Beeter has options, so the Yankees can option him to this level when his rehab is complete (if they don’t have a slot for him in MLB).
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.21 ERA (14 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 14 K)
RHP Wilking Rodriguez (W, 1-0): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Lost, 5-4)

DH Everson Pereira: 1-for-2, HR (8), RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, K
.301/.385/.602 in 96 PA. Pereira is on a 7-game hitting streak (10-for-23 with five home runs). When Pereira hits a hot streak, they tend to be crazy.
2B DJ LeMahieu: 2-for-4, K
The rumors are out there that LeMahieu will be back in time for the Mariners’ series. As the likely everyday Yankees’ 2B, this scares me considerably. But what can you do?
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, HR (5), SF, 2 RBI, R, SB (2)
.295/.396/.509 in 134 PA (9 doubles, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 25 R, 11.9% BB, 19.4% K). The Yankees haven’t used him and he slipped through the Rule 5. That is telling, but I bet he gets an opportunity somewhere. After all, eventually Andres Chaparro and Eric Wagaman received opportunities.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, RBI
Rodriguez is hitting .357/.472/.443 in 89 PA since his promotion. Can a player outplay their scouting report? The answer is yes. I just can’t ignore someone who continues to hit like Rodriguez does.
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-4
3B Jake Gatewood: 1-for-3, K
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Erick Leal (L, 1-4): 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.98 ERA (18.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 22 K). He is pitching well, though he isn’t overpowering (averaged 92.3 MPH with his 4-seamer today).
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (14-18) (Shut down Akron, 5-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (2), BB
4-for-18 since promotion (2 RBI, 3 R, 2-for-2 SB, 3 BB, 3 K). He still needs to fill the extra-base hit column, but he is not showing signs of being overwhelmed here. His overall triple slash sits at .310/.470/.440 in 132 PA with more walks (26) than strikeouts (25).
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI
CF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, R, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 K
.270/.328/.470 in 125 PA. He has three multi-hit efforts in his last six games.
CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, K
Richardson is bouncing back and forth between Somerset and Scranton. He has three HR between the two levels.
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, BB
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, R, K
LF Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, 2 K
2B Max Burt: 1-for-4, R, K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, SAC, SB (1), K

RHP Trent Sellers (W, 1-1): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
3.21 ERA (28 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 37 K). He isn’t talked about often, but is it time to count him amongst the Yankees’ pitching depth? The 25-year-old has pitched well since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Like Beeter, Effross has minor league options.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
After initially struggling here, Vinyard has back-to-back scoreless appearances. It’s a start.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (22-9) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-2, in ten innings)

RF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, R, BB, K
Jones has a 5-game hitting streak (9-for-24)
2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, 2 R, BB
1B Parks Harber: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, BB
The raking continues for Harber, who is 15-for-44 (.341/.396/.477) since his promotion and .319/.412/.522 in 131 PA overall. He has three consecutive 2-hit efforts (four in his last five games)
LF Coby Morales: 3-for-5, 2B (4), RBI, CS (2), K
.242/.342/.421 in 111 PA.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-5
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, CS (2), 2 BB, K
The 9-game hitting streak is over, but he draws a pair of walks to increase the on-base streak to ten.
3B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-4, SB (2)
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, 3B (1), BB
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, 2 R, HBP, K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 4 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
1.97 ERA (32 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 41 K). He needed 89 pitches to get 12 outs today, but damage was limited.
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
0.66 ERA (13.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 20 K). The 6’8″ Warrecker is a beast out of the bullpen. Will they ask him to start again, or let him stay in this role?
RHP Matt Keating (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.79 ERA (9.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 7 K)

Tampa (14-18) (Defeated Daytona, 10-7, in 10 innings)

DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), R, 2 BB
Perez is 9-for-35 (.257) with a pair of doubles, five runs, and six walks in May.
CF Brian Sanchez: 3-for-5, 2B (10), 4 RBI, 2 SB (8), BB
Sanchez hit a big 3-run double in the 10th. His ten doubles are tops in the Florida State League, and he has four straight multi-hit games (9-for-18 – 1 double, 2 triples, 10 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 3 SB). Sanchez has been a fun surprise since the Yankees acquired him.
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-5, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-5, 2 K
LF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4, SB (9), BB, K
1B Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), R, BB
RF Marshall Toole: 0-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 2-for-3, 2B (2), 3 R, SB (5), 2 BB
3B Owen Cobb: 2-for-4, 2B (5), HR (2), SF, 4 RBI, 2 R, K
Cobb maintains his .500 pace (11-for-22, 5 doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 13 R, 5-for-6 SB, 5 BB, 4 K). That is an insane start to anyone’s season.

RHP Greysen Carter: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 K
The only way he will learn is by throwing him out there.
RHP Cole Zaffiro: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
RHP Sean Hermann: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.25 ERA (16 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 17 K)
RHP Jackson Fristoe: (W, 2-1) 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
6.38 ERA (18.1 IP, 24 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 10 BB, 15 K)

FCL (4-2) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 4-3, walk-off style. What kind of walk-off? How about a walk-off steal of home? Oh, how I love the rookie leagues!)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-2, R, SB (3), BB
Mayea is 7-for-22 (.318) and has hit safely in five straight games. Encouraging.
LF Isael Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 2 R, SB (3), K
Arias stole home to win the game. It was a straight steal.
RF Brennen Davis: 2-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, BB
The rehabbing Davis hits his first HR as a member of the Yankees’ organization.
1B John Cristino: 1-for-2, BB, K
The 25-year-old out of Towson makes his professional debut. The Yankees signed him in March. He is a local kid out of Voorhees, NJ.

RHP Jose M. Rodriguez: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
The 21-year-old pitched in six games for the DSL in 2024, and it wasn’t pretty. It’s a new year!
RHP Josh Tiedemann: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
The 13th round pick in 2023 (High School) in 20 years old. He has only 5.2 innings of professional experience.
RHP Alexis Paulino: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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

Notes:

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

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

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

Injury Log

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/6: George Lombard Jr.’s Somerset Debut

Notes:

Outfielder Spencer Jones was placed on the injured list for Somerset, robbing us of a chance to see arguably the top two prospects in the system in the same lineup. In a related move, Christopher Familia was activated from the Development List.

RP Scott Effross (yes, he does exist) is on a rehab stint in the FCL.

Speaking of the FCL, 2B Roc Riggio was activated off the injured list for Hudson Valley. He played only two rehab games for the FCL squad before his activation.

DJ LeMahieu‘s rehab was moved up to Scranton.

Carlos Carrasco being DFA’d was not surprising from a performance perspective. The Yankees, however, remain short when it comes to starting pitchers. He could clear waivers and come back, but that’s hardly exciting. They can start Ryan Yarbrough for now, with the potential to see Allan Winans take a turn or two. It’s going to be a revolving door and evolving story until/unless they add someone more stable.

Since it happened after I posted my report on Sunday, SS George Lombard Jr. is now in Somerset. That’s news to nobody’s ears. I agree with this move, as High-A was not challenging him. Double-A is the ultimate test for every prospect, and Lombard Jr. will be the youngest player in the Eastern League. I know the fanbase doesn’t understand patience, but be patient. If he dominates Double-A from the jump, he might just be a unicorn. If he doesn’t, he is still a top prospect. It’s a win-win, and it will be fun to watch.

Injury Log

Scranton (16-16)

Their game against Rochester was postponed due to rain.

Somerset (12-16) (Lost to Akron, 3-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2 K
Lombard Jr. earns his first Double-A hit.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
.282/.333/.527 in 120 PA (9 doubles, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 14 R).
2B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, 3 K
CF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 3 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, K
Gomez is 5-for-14 in his last four games.

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 1-2) 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
5.96 ERA (22.2 IP, 26 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 5 HR, 14 BB, 25 K)
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Jordany Ventura: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (18-9) (Lost to Wilmington, 4-3. Wilmington’s Branden Boissiere hit a walk-off 2-run home run)

CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, K
DH Roc Riggio: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Riggio hit .221/.349/.397 in 480 PA at this level last season. He walked 14.8% of the time and stole 27 bases in 33 attempts.
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, 2B (7), R, K
Avina has five doubles in his last seven games.
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Parks Harber: 2-for-4, RBI
Harber is 8-for-25 with four RBI since his promotion.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-4, 2 K
Colmenares was moved back to Hudson Valley with Lombard Jr.’s promotion to Somerset.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, 2 K
Martinez has two doubles and a homer in four May games (2 doubles, 1 HR in 20 April games)
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, R, CS (3), BB, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
2.08 ERA (21.2 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 17 K). His K% isn’t ideal but he is generating a lot of grounders (60% GB entering tonight; 9 groundouts tonight)
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.77 ERA (11.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 17 K). Warrecker continues to impress in the early going. As a starter last year, he posted a 5.79 ERA (5.34 FIP) over 65.1 innings with a 10.2% BB and 15.7% K. Does this mean he will never start again? No. However, he is taking to the bullpen thus far, including a strikeout rate above 40%.
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Tyrone Yulie (L, 1-1): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR

Tampa (11-17) (Lost to Daytona, 10-7)

DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, 2B (2), R, BB, 2 K
Perez has hit safely in four of five May games.
CF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-5, 2B (9), 3 RBI, R, SB (6)
Sanchez leads the Florida State League with 9 doubles.
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-4, BB, K
LF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-5, K
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, SB (8), BB, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4, K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-4, K
1B Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, SB (5), BB, K
3B Owen Cobb: 2-for-2, 2 2B (3), 3 R, SB (5), 2 BB
Cobb is 7-for-15 (3 doubles, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 R, 5-for-5 SB, 4 BB, 3 K). Nice start to his 2025 campaign.

RHP Andrew Landry (L, 0-3): 5 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
8.18 ERA (22 IP, 38 H, 26 R, 20 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 21 K)
RHP Gus Hughes: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Brandon Decker: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.03 ERA (13.1 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 16 K)

FCL (2-1) (Knocked off the Phillies, 9-2)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-5, 2B (2), R, SB (1)
Mayea also doubled yesterday. It would be a nice boost to the system if Mayea has a breakout.
RF Luis Durango: 1-for-4, R, K
I assume, like with Riggio, that Durango’s rehab won’t last much longer.
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, R, BB, 2 K
3-for-10 with a pair of doubles.
LF Isael Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 RBI, 2 R
3B Luis Escudero: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (2)
SS Kevin Verde: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, K
The 19-year-old hits his first home run since 2023.
2B Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, 2 SB (2), CS (1), BB, K

RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
A healthy Effross can help the bullpen. But can he regain his 2022 form?
RHP J.T. Etheridge (W, 1-0): 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Professional debut for the 23-year-old (yes, very old for this level) Etheridge. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent (Louisiana-Lafayette) last August. He stands an impressive 6’5″.
RHP Hansel Rosario: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
RHP Alexis Paulino: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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

Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Injury Log

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/2: Spencer Jones Goes Yard

Notes:

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. out until early-to-mid June or longer, the opportunity is there for Jorbit Vivas to make an impression. I won’t ignore the fact that it will eventually open a spot for DJ LeMahieu. Beyond that, your depth is Braden Shewmake (activated off the IL today and on the 40-man), Jake Gatewood, and Andrew Velazquez. If anyone dares to ask about George Lombard Jr., it’s grounds for me to block you from reading my website.

Given his absurdly low K% in Triple-A, it was funny that Vivas struck out in his first plate appearance. Baseball!

Clayton Beeter is in Scranton to continue his rehab. He isn’t far away.

Many players were activated on the FCL roster for tomorrow’s opener. I won’t get into that. Of note, 2B Roc Riggio and RHP Trystan Vrieling will begin rehab assignments. OF Luis Durango, chosen in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 out of Cleveland, will also start a rehab assignment. The 22-year-old hit .250/.344/.311 in 153 plate appearances for Low-A Lynchburg last season. He was an impressive 21-for-22 stealing bases. 21 stolen bases in 41 games? Nice.

Injury Log

Scranton (15-15) (Lost to Syracuse, 6-3)

SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, 2 K
PH-SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-1, K
No worries about Shewmake. It is his first game back, so they didn’t allow him to play a full game.
DH Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), K
Rodriguez is 14-for-28 (.500) during his 7-game hitting streak. He continues to play C/DH for Scranton. They haven’t deployed him at his other positions (mainly 3B and 1B, though he has a little LF (24 games) and 2B (3) experience).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, R, 2 K
C Alex Jackson: 1-for-4, 2B (2), R, K
Jackson, not known for his offense (especially in MLB), has a 6-game hitting streak.
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-0
RF Dominic Smith: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, R
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-3, BB, K
De La Cruz makes his Yankees’ organizational debut.
3B Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-3, K

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Leibrandt was activated off the injured list today.
RHP McKinley Moore: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Beeter topped out at 97.4 MPH (averaged 95.7). He threw ten sliders and nine 4-seam fastballs.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: (L, 2-2) 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Rob Zastryzny: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (11-14) (Lost to Richmond, 8-7, in 10 innings)

1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-6, 2 K
Jasso has been on fire recently. Throw this game out and start over tomorrow.
2B DJ LeMahieu: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
I am not an idiot. If LeMahieu is healthy (BIG IF), Vivas’s stay in the Bronx could be short. That isn’t what I want. It is what I expect.
PH-2B Jose Colmenares: 2-for-2, 2B (1)
Colmenares earns his first Double-A hits (0-for-15 entering tonight)
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K
Jones leads the Eastern League with 9 home runs and 20 runs scored. The next highest home run total (as of this writing) is 6.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-6, 2B (8), K
Flores is tied for the Eastern League lead with 21 RBI.
DH Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, R, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-2, 2 R, HBP, 2 BB, K
Get on base any way you can…
3B Alexander Vargas: 3-for-4, 3B (1), 2 RBI, BB, K
Vargas hit six triples in 2023 and 2024. This triple came in the 9th, narrowing a 7-4 deficit to 7-6.
LF Jared Wegner: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, K
His RBI single in the top of the 9th tied the game at 7.
SS Max Burt: 1-for-4, R, SB (3), BB, K

RHP Baron Stuart: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Danny Watson: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Anderson, typically a consistent bullpen arm, has struggled this year. This was a needed appearance.
RHP Harrison Cohen: (L, 0-2) 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (17-8) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 9-1)

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-4, R, BB
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (6), 3 RBI, R, 2 K
His 3-run double in the 7th turned a tight 4-1 game into a 7-1 game. All six of his doubles have come in his last 14 games. He is hitting .312/.491/.455 in 106 PA. I don’t mind throwing “cold water” on a prospect to give people a reality check. With Lombard Jr., the faucet is shut off. I have nothing to offer you as a “weakness.” We’ll see what happens in the upper minors.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, R, SB (2), BB, K
.316/.450/.405 in 100 PA. Avina isn’t much of a basestealer (20-for-28 in 279 career games)
3B Parks Harber: 0-for-4, K
DH Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, R, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, 2 R, BB
.244/.337/.317 in 95 PA. Let’s hope he is starting to turn the corner.
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, R
2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (5), BB, K
A nice night for Escanio, who does his job as an organizational utility guy. He offers speed and infield defense, but the bat lags.

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 3-1) 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
What, he couldn’t repeat his 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K performance? Bust! Season: 2.25 ERA (28 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 35 K). Impressive.
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.93 ERA (9.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 15 K). Warrecker, who stands an impressive 6’8″, allowed 30 walks in 65.1 innings during his debut 2024 season. If something clicks with his control/command, his prospect status goes up either as a starter or a reliever.
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.38 ERA (10.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 14 K). Not a bad start to his first full season as a reliever.

Tampa (9-16) (Lost to Bradenton, 9-2. They are quickly falling out of the first-half title race)

DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, K
CF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, 2B (8), R, BB
Sanchez leads the Florida State League with his 8 doubles (as of this writing).
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, SB (4), K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4, K
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, 2B (6), R, 3 K
1B Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4)
On April 17th, he was hitting .067/.216/.100. Now, he is hitting .153/.268/.220 (7-for-29 with three doubles and four walks since his low point). He isn’t “hot” – he is playing better.
LF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (5), 2 K
.286/.375/.306 in 56 PA (1 double, 4 RBI, 7 R, 5-for-5 SB, 12.5% BB, 26.8% K). Poole has four multi-hit efforts in his last seven games.
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, K

LHP Tanner Bauman (L, 0-2): 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
7.91 ERA (19.1 IP, 20 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 0 HR, 21 BB, 16 K). Some first-year prospects jump out of the gate like Griffin Herring, some have initial struggles like Bauman, and some are between those extremes. N
RHP Gus Hughes: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
His name is Alexander David Hughes. I would love to know the story behind “Gus.”
RHP Brandon Decker: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
2.31 ERA (11.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 14 K)
RHP Jack Sokol: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/30: George Lombard Jr. Ends Month on Good Note

Notes:

C Alex Jackson was activated off the injured list. He goes back to being the #3 catcher (#4 if you think Ben Rice would take on the responsibility). C/UTIL Jesus Rodriguez played in Game 2 of Scranton’s doubleheader tonight. I don’t know if he will stick with the squad or return to Somerset.

OF Everson Pereira, who missed several games for unknown reasons, was back in the lineup tonight.

Injury Log

Scranton (14-14) (Tossed a pair of shutouts in a doubleheader sweep of Syracuse)

Game 1 (Won, 5-0)

CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-4
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, R, K
LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-3, 2 R, K
Pereira’s first game since April 19th. He has three multi-hit games in his last five games and is hitting .274/.343/.435 in 70 PA.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, R, BB
C Alex Jackson: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Jackson is on a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-18).
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-0
DH Dominic Smith: 1-for-1, SF, RBI, BB
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (3), 3 RBI, R, K
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, 3 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Allan Winans: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
0.00 ERA (14 IP, 10 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 24 K). Winans doesn’t have much MLB success under his belt, but this is how you get yourself on the radar.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.18 ERA (11.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 15 K). A mixed bag for their top relief prospect.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb (W, 2-1): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.25 ERA (12 IP, 13 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 12 K)

Game 2 (Won, 2-0)

CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, BB, K
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, 2 R, SB (6), HBP
.319/.426/.436 in 116 PA (5 doubles, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 6-for-10 SB, 12.9% BB, 6.9% K). If Jazz Chisholm Jr. has to go on the injured list (we’ll see), Vivas would be the logical call-up. The scouting report isn’t fond of his defense, so it’s all about the offense.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-3, BB
Rodriguez wishes to stay here. He is 16-for-43 (.372) with two doubles, a homer, 10 RBI, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Those 12 walks have come in 58 PA (20.7%). I am not discounting his Double-A struggles (small sample), but Rodriguez continues to hit, hit, hit.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, K
.241/.362/.460 in 105 PA (7 doubles, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, 1-for-2 SB)
LF Dominic Smith: 0-for-3, K
RF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, K
DH Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-2, CI
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-2, HBP
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 3-3) 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K
4.06 ERA (31 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 11 BB, 36 K). His season consists of three starts where he tossed 5+ scoreless innings and three starts where he allowed 14 runs over 15.2 IP.
LHP Rob Zastryzny: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
De Los Santos did his job in his Yankees debut. At this level, he owns a 0.96 ERA (9.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 K)

Somerset (11-12) (Defeated Richmond, 10-8)

2B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, RBI, R, HBP
When people ask me about prospects like Jasso, my answers are typically: 1. He is hitting at an upper level; 2. The Yankees are batting him at the top of minor league lineups (an indicator of some faith); 3. No major sites say much about him, which lessens his prospect status. If he continues to achieve, we’ll start seeing more scouting reports. Anyway, this is Jasso’s second consecutive 3-hit effort, and he is over .300 for the first time this season (.303/.961 OPS)
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 R, SB (5), 2 BB, 3 K
Jones is hitting .232 with a .931 OPS over 100 PA (3 doubles, 8 HR, 14 RBI, 19 R, 5-for-6 SB, 17% BB, 35% K). He’s hitting homers, taking walks, and striking out a ton. Interpret as you will.
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 2 RBI, R, SB (3), 2 BB, K
Flores has played 15 games behind the plate and five at first base. He is hitting .295 with a .902 OPS (7 doubles, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 12 R, 3-for-3 SB, 9.2% BB, 32.7% K). As of this writing, his 21 RBI are tied for the Eastern League lead.
DH Garrett Martin: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, R, 4 BB
Martin’s first career 4 BB game (not that it would be common!). He has 2 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, and 7 walks over his last seven games.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-6, 2 K
After a solid spring and solid start to his campaign, he has slumped (down to .226).
RF Jared Wegner: 3-for-4, 2B (3), SF, 2 RBI, 2 R, CS (1), K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-5, R
3B Max Burt: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K

RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 1-1) 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, HR
6.38 ERA (18.1 IP, 20 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 21 K)
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 12 K)
LHP Will Brian: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Brian has pitched 5.1 innings in his first two Double-A appearances and tossed 47 pitches tonight. Your reminder that his professional journey started in 2022, and his 12.1 innings this season are a personal best. Injuries, injuries, injuries.
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (16-7) (Lost a morning game to Jersey Shore, 4-2)

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-4, K
Jones finishes April at .238/.342/.425 in 95 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 19 R, 11-for-14 SB, 12.6% BB, 21.1% K). The average is low, but not much to complain about in his profile.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-3, 2B (5), R, 2 SB (11), BB
Lombard Jr. finishes April at .309/.500/.456 in 96 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 19 R, 11-for-13 SB, 22.9% BB, 19.8% K). He reached base safely in 20 of his 21 games. Your expectations can never be met if you complain about his first month. This is what a top prospect does.
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, 2 K
.275/.370/.420 in 81 PA (7 doubles, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 7 R, 3-for-3, SB, 13.6% BB, 28.4% K). He compiled a pair of 6-RBI games. Including the 21 games he played here last year, he owns a .295/.377/.468 triple slash over 162 PA.
DH Jace Avina: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, R, 2 K
Avina has an 8-game hitting streak (16-for-31) and finishes April .329/.457/.425 in 92 PA. The 21-year-old is repeating the level, but I don’t hold that against him, as he was 20 (turned 21 last June) when he played here in 2024.
3B Parks Harber: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
4-for-8 to start his Hudson Valley tenure. .325/.435/.584 overall.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-4
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-3

RHP Ben Hess (L, 1-2): 5 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Hess, last year’s first-round pick, was solid beyond a 4-run second inning. All innings count, though. Season: 4.42 ERA (18.1 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 30 K). The walks need to come down, but look at those strikeouts. I would consider his first professional month a successful one.
RHP Chris Kean: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
10.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K. In 32 career games, Kean is 4-1 with a 0.82 ERA (44 IP, 22 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 54 K). Impressive numbers for the 22-year-old.
RHP Sebastian Keane: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.57 ERA (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 9 K). Keane made 26 appearances (15 starts) at this level last year. Is he going “full-time relief” or will they try him as a starter again?

Tampa (9-14) (Defeated Bradenton, 4-3)

DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
.179/.373/.196 in 75 PA. The 18-year-old had some struggles and successes in his first month of full-season ball. I am not discouraged.
CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-4, R, SB (4), BB, K
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-4, R, SB (3), 2 K
.178/.330/.329 in 91 PA. The kid with a power reputation hit three home runs in a 4-game span earlier this season.
RF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, 2B (4), R, SB (6), BB, 3 K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-4, BB
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, RBI, K
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, R, CS (2), K
.255/.343/.345 in 67 PA. The 21-year-old switch-hitter compiled a 13.4% BB rate and 16.4% K rate.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1, 3 BB
3B Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, SB (1), BB, K
Cobb (23) played in 18 games last season, hitting .238/.338/.302 with a perfect 9-for-9 SB rate. The Padres originally drafted him in 2019 (37th round out of high school), but he didn’t sign. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent last year.

RHP Danny Flatt: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
5.40 ERA (13.1 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 9 K). The 20-year-old is a 4-seamer, cutter, slider guy who reached 93.7 MPH with the fastball tonight.
RHP Sean Hermann: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Jonathan Loaisiga: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Loaisiga’s sinker reached 96.9 MPH (averaged 95.7). That plays.
RHP Brady Kirtner: (W, 1-0) 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Kirtner’s first professional win. Season: 1.29 ERA (14 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 11 K)

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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 Munguia: 0-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 Rodriguez: 1-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 Smith: 1-for-7, RBI, 3 K
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-5, 2B (7), 2 R, SB (1), 2 BB, 2 K
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-5, R, BB, K
PR-P Edinson Duran: 0-for-0
SS Jake Gatewood: 1-for-4, RBI, R, 2 BB
2B Andrew Velazquez: 2-for-6, R, SB (7), 3 K

RHP Jake Woodford: 4 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 Moore: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Rob Zastryzny: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Kervin Castro: 2 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 Jasso: 0-for-4, K
.258/.329/.485 in 73 PA
2B DJ LeMahieu: 1-for-2
LeMahieu plays in back-to-back games for the first time during his rehab stint.
PH-2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-2
CF Spencer Jones: 1-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 Martin: 1-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 Hardman: 0-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 Wegner: 1-for-3, R, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, K
Gomez is 2-for-25 since his promotion.
SS Max Burt: 1-for-2, 2B (3), SF, RBI, K

RHP Trent Sellers: 5.2 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 Cohen: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 0.2 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 Jones: 1-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 Castillo: 1-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 Morales: 1-for-5, SB (5), K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-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 Pastore: 3-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 Keating: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 0.2 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 Lewis: 0-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 Urena: 1-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 Harber: 1-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 Wilson: 0-for-3, SB (6), 2 BB
2B Austin Green: 0-for-4, RBI, R, SB (3), BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-4, K
LF Marshall Toole: 2-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 Gonzalez: 2-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 Veach: 2 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 Fristoe: 1.2 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 4/26: Jackson Castillo Drives Home 6

Notes:

I have nothing to offer you.

Injury Log

Scranton (12-13) (Lost to Charlotte, 8-7. The Railriders blew a 7-0 lead)

CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-4, R, BB
.256/.362/.372 in 107 PA (4 doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 15 R, 5-for-7 SB, 10.3% BB, 7.5% K)
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, CS (4), 2 BB
Vivas has ten starts at second base and 12 at third base.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-5, 2B (2), RBI, 2 R, SB (4)
Some websites (ahem…MLB Pipeline…ahem) refuse to rank Rodriguez in the Yankees’ Top 30. The Yankees disagree, as they added him to the 40-man roster, and he continues to hit. Since joining Scranton, he is 12-for-36 (.333/.468/.389) with a pair of doubles and more walks (9) than strikeouts (7). He is also 4-for-4 in the stolen base department. In his 300-game minor league career, the 23-year-old is hitting .306/.394/.464. When Alex Jackson returns (assuming the injury won’t keep him out forever), the Yankees may have a decision to make. One place Rodriguez struggled was Double-A (.196/.250/.339 in 30 games). Do they send him back? Do they use his versatility to their advantage and keep him in Scranton?
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
Rumfield is down to .231/.341/.462 thanks to a 1-for-24 slump.
RF Dominic Smith: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4), RBI, R, BB
Smith has three doubles in his last two games (7-for-23 in his last six games).
LF Jose Rojas: 2-for-5, 3B (1), R
DH Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, R
SS Jake Gatewood: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
2B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K

RHP Erick Leal: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
4.81 ERA (24.1 IP, 24 H, 16 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 31 K)
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman (L, 1-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
3.38 ERA (10.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 13 K). Control, control, control.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 11 K)

Somerset (9-11) (Defeated Hartford, 4-3)

1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RBI
Jasso continues to hit (.274 with a .864 OPS) while playing 1B, 2B, and 3B. Is he a legitimate prospect? If he continues to hit, you can start envisioning him as a utility piece.
2B DJ LeMahieu: 2-for-3, RBI, R, K
LeMahieu is 5-for-8 during his rehab stint.
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-1
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (5), R, BB, K
Flores has hit safely in eight of his last nine games (10-for-35; 4 doubles, 1 HR)
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (8), K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-2, SB (4), BB
SS Max Burt: 1-for-3, 2B (2), R
RF Christopher Familia: 1-for-3, 2B (2), R, 2 K
Familia is 3-for-9 with two doubles and a triple.

LHP Edgar Barclay: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Beeter struggled in his first rehab appearance at this level. Not tonight.
LHP Will Brian (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
An impressive Double-A debut after a strong start at Hudson Valley (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K). Health has been an issue for the 26-year-old.
RHP Harrison Cohen (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.25 ERA (8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 10 K)

Hudson Valley (14-6) (Continued their hot start with a 15-0 mauling of Asheville)

CF Brendan Jones: 3-for-6, 2B (4), RBI, 3 R, SB (11)
Jones has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, including three multi-hit efforts (12-for-36). With 11 stolen bases, he is second in the South Atlantic League (Duce Gourson has 12). He is hitting .235/.350/.456
SS George Lombard Jr.: 3-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 R, BB
.305/.481/.441 in 81 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 16 R, 9-for-11 SB, 22.2% BB, 19.8% K). And he is still a teenager.
PR-2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-1, R
Pastore pinch-run for Lombard in the 7th. I am hoping it was due to the score, not an injury.
LF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-5, 2B (6), HR (1, grand slam), SF, 6 RBI, R, K
Castillo has two 6-RBI games this season (3 RBI in his other 12 games). His personal best remains seven, which he did last August.
DH Jace Avina: 3-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Avina is on a 5-game hitting streak (9-for-18). His triple slash has climbed from .190/.364/.214 to .283/.436/.367.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-6, R, 4 K
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-6, HR (2), RBI, R, K
If you are going to go 1-for-6, you may as well make the one a homer.
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-5, 2 K
2B-SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K

RHP Bryce Cunningham (W, 3-1): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
2.63 ERA (24 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 30 K). Cunningham has been brilliant in three of his four starts. In the other start, he allowed five runs in the first inning before settling in and providing the team with six innings. The 6’5″ 22-year-old is showing off impressive command/control thus far. He walked 71 batters in 160 college innings, so is this a hot stretch, or has something clicked in the Yankees Pitching Lab?
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Gilbert pulls off the 4 strikeout inning!
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.32 ERA (8.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 13 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (8-12) (Lost to Dunedin, 5-1. Edgleen Perez remains out of the lineup but is not on the injured list.)

SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, SB (9), BB, K
I am not sure why Arias was pulled from the game.
3B Parks Harber: 0-for-0
DH Brian Sanchez: 1-for-4, CS (2), K
.250/.294/.406 in 68 PA. He owned an 11.6% BB last year (5.9% this year).
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, R
LF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Wilson: 2-for-2, CS (3), 2 BB
Wilson reaches base four times to improve his triple slash to .258/.364/.258. Correct: All 17 of his hits are singles. Last season, the 22-year-old compiled five doubles and a homer in 21 games.
RF Austin Green: 2-for-4, 2 2B (2), RBI
Green had one extra-base hit in his first 20 professional games. Naturally, he swats a pair tonight to jump that number to three. Baseball!
3B-2B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, K
2B-SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-4, K

RHP Greysen Carter (L, 0-2): 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
5.74 ERA (15.2 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 20 K). Even at the lower levels, throwing 98+ (and hitting triple digits at times) still requires command and solid secondary pitches. Carter will be a work-in-progress with a massive ceiling.
RHP Jonathan Loaisiga: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Could he get a crack at the closer role if he stays healthy? I prefer closers who miss more bats than Loaisiga does, but a healthy Loaisiga is a massive bullpen upgrade.
RHP Gus Hughes: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Brandon Decker: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
0.90 ERA (10 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 11 K)

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/23: Carlos Lagrange Ks 8

Notes:

LHP Brent Headrick, who pitched well for the Yankees earlier this year, was placed on the 7-day injured list for Scranton.
RHP Mason Vinyard was promoted to Scranton. The 25-year-old Vinyard has 76 games of minor league experience, pitching to a 3.08 ERA in 114 IP with a 146/60 K/BB.
Infielder Jake Gatewood was also promoted to Scranton. The 29-year-0ld power bat spent 2021 and 2022 in Triple-A as a member of the Angels organization. He hit .219/.272/.456 in 224 games with 50 home runs.

Injury Log

Scranton (12-10) (Shut Down Charlotte, 5-0)

CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
.276/.376/.368 in 95 PA with more walks (9) than strikeouts (7).
DH Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
Since promotion: 6-for-25 with more walks (8) than strikeouts (7).
LF Dominic Smith: 2-for-4, R
1B Jose Rojas: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB
3B Jake Gatewood: 1-for-3, HR (1), 3 RBI, R, K
Gatewood’s home run traveled 383 feet at 109.6 MPH. Between here and Somerset, 11 of his 15 hits have gone for extra bases.
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, K
2B Max Burt: 2-for-3, 3B (1), R, K

RHP Allan Winans: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Winans has 20 strikeouts in 9.1 innings. He tied his personal best for strikeouts in a game.
RHP Kervin Castro: (W, 2-0) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.42 ERA (12.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K)
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Reyzelman topped out at 96.4 MPH. Season: 2.79 ERA (9.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 11 K)
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.08 ERA (8.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 K). He is on the 40-man roster, giving him one advantage over the depth chart competition.

Somerset (7-10) (Lost to Hartford, 4-2)

3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RBI, CS (1)
.283/.333/.491 in 57 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 12 R, 5.3% BB, 14.0% K). Jasso has six multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. He is 22 and trying this level for the first time, which is encouraging.
DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, CS (1), BB, 2 K
.250/.384/.583 in 73 PA (2 doubles, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 13 R, 4-for-5 SB, 16.4% BB, 32.9% K). Last year, in 544 PA at this level, he hit .259/.336/.452 (9.9% BB, 36.8% K). He relied heavily on BABIP last season (.401). This season, he is at .300.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (2), R, 2 SB (4), BB
.186/.352/.372 in 54 PA (2 doubles, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 9 R, 4-for-5 SB, 11.1% BB, 14.8% K). His .182 BABIP should normalize.
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-4, 2 K
Colmenares’ Double-A debut.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, SB (7), BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB, K
Since promotion: 2-for-16 with three walks and eight strikeouts.
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-2, RBI, BB, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
5.54 ERA (13 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 13 K). He has two good starts, one bad one.
RHP Cole Percival: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Clayton Beeter (L, 0-1): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
I would rather this happen on a rehab stint than in an important game.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.35 ERA (7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 9 K)
RHP Jordany Ventura: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (11-6) (Swept in a doubleheader by Asheville)

Game 1 (Lost, 9-5)

CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (3), 3 RBI, R
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, 2 SB (9), 2 BB
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, 2 K
.244/.404/.341 in 52 PA (21.2% BB, 28.8% K)
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-2, BB
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R
Morales isn’t known for his power (6th HR in 137 career games)
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, R, BB, 2 K
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, 2 R, BB
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, K

RHP Ben Hess: (L, 1-1) 3.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, HR
Hess didn’t allow an earned run in his first two starts. Season: 3.38 ERA (13.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 22 K)
LHP Will Brian: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K
RHP Matt Keating: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Lost, 3-2, in ten innings)

CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, 2 SB (10), BB, K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B (2), R, BB, K
Doubleheader: 1-for-6, 2B, R, 2 SB, 3 BB, K. Lombard has more walks (15) than strikeouts (14) and is hitting .286 with a .892 OPS. If you want a negative (why would you?), he has only four extra-base hits in 15 games. That does not concern me.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, R, CS (1), BB, 3 K
LF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4
DH Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, SB (2), BB, 2 K
2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-2, SB (1), 2 BB, K
Pastore’s High-A debut.

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, HR
Lagrange allowed a lead-off home run before settling in to provide a dominant performance. Season: 5.14 ERA (14 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 24 K). Most of the bad stuff happened in his first start (Last 2 starts: 11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 17 K).
RHP Chris Kean: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
4.91 ERA (7.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 11 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia (L, 0-1): 0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (7-10) (Lost to Dunedin, 6-5)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, SB (8), BB, K
.161/.297/.274 in 74 PA (4 doubles, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, 8-for-8 SB, 14.9% BB, 27.0% K). It’s only 15 games, but he played 124 games here last year. It is time to pick up the pace.
C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, 2 K
I am not sure why Perez was pulled.
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-1, K
3B-1B Parks Harber: 3-for-4, 3B (2), R, K
.322/.429/.593 in 70 PA (3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 9 R, 3-for-4 SB, 14.3% BB, 28.6% K). Harber has back-to-back 3-hit efforts.
DH Dillon Lewis: 0-for-3, SB (5), HBP, K
.185/.267/.259 in 60 PA. Lewis is 8-for-9 stealing bases in 29 minor league games. We are still waiting for last year’s 13th-round pick’s bat to blossom.
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, RBI, R
RF Austin Green: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
.233/.303/.333 in 33 PA. Montero was a bonus baby when he signed, but full-season ball is eating him up (.206/.305/.333 last season).
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, K
Toole’s tools include speed (11-for-13 SB in 25 career games) and defense. It’s up to the bat if he is going to advance.
1B-C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Danny Flatt: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
4.66 ERA (9.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 6 K)
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Brady Kirtner: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.86 ERA (9.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 8 K)
RHP Jackson Fristoe (L, 1-1): 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/18: Roderick Arias Hits a Slam

Notes:

I don’t typically write much about releases, as they happen often (especially in the lower minors and DSL), but I saw today that the Yankees released RHP Kristofer Bow, their 14th-round pick in 2022.

Bow didn’t lack talent, but control is an issue. Last season, for Tampa, he went 3-2 with a pair of saves and a 5.45 ERA. He owned a 24.0% K, 15.6% BB, and 46.9% GB.

Nowadays, with roster limits, prospects have to show something to stay. Even if the Yankees think there is something here to work with, roster space is an issue, and talented but erratic prospects feel the squeeze.

Scranton placed veteran LHP Brandon Leibrandt on the 7-day injured list.

Scranton (11-7) (Defeated Durham, 5-0)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 3-for-4, 2 R, SB (3), HBP
Vivas has four multi-hit efforts during his 6-game hitting streak (13-for-24). He has five 3-hit games this season and has a strikeout rate of 5% (BB% is 11.3). Crazy start to his campaign (.364/.443/.530).
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, R
.286/.400/.571 in 75 PA (6 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 13.3% BB, 13.3% K). I will say it again: Rumfield will likely make his MLB debut at some point. The odds aren’t high it will happen with the Yankees.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, R, SB (1), 2 K
Since the promotion: 5-for-15 (..333). Rodriguez stole 21 bases in 2023, but that number fell to 9 last season.
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-3, R, SB (4), HBP
DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B (6), 2 RBI, BB, K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, K
Burt has been grinding through the system since being drafted in the 28th round in 2018. This is his 44th Triple-A contest (329 games at Double-A)

RHP Allan Winans: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 2-2) 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Boyle’s last two games: 10 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 10 K. He could make his MLB debut in 2025. I can envision that in an “emergency” situation (ie, second game of a double-header, etc.)
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K

Somerset (6-7) (Annihilated Altoona, 12-1)

2B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, R, BB
.278/.350/.472 in 40 PA (2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB, 6 K). He started the season 2-for-15 without an extra-base hit. He is 8-for-21 with four extra-base hits since.
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB
It was not an eventful night, but it dropped Jones’s K% below 30 (29.82%).
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, 2B (2), 4 RBI
Flores equals his personal best for RBI in a game (6th time in his career)
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, 2B (5), R, K
Hardman has four doubles and a homer in his last six games.
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-5, R, 4 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, 2B (4), SF, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
.333/.406/.481 in 32 PA. He hit well in limited spring training time and has carried that over into the early regular season.
3B Jake Gatewood: 2-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, R
Gatewood has 125 career minor league home runs (842 games).
DH Antonio Gomez: 2-for-5, 2 R, K
RF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), RBI, 2 R, K
A nice 2025/Double-A debut for Familia

RHP Baron Stuart: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Pacheco (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jordany Ventura: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Percival: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (9-4) (Defeated Wilmington, 2-1)

CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, R, SB (7)
.167/.314/.381 in 51 PA.
3B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, BB
His 10th career game at 3B (first this season). He is on a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-19; 6 BB). If you want a blossoming prospect, Lombard Jr. is doing that before your very eyes.
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, CS (1), BB, K
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-2, RBI, CI, K
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-1, HBP
PR-1B Coby Morales: 0-for-1

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 1-1) 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
3.38 ERA (16 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 18 K). He falls one short of his personal best for strikeouts in a game.
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Sebastian Keane (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Keane’s third career save (one in each year of his career – 2023, 2024, 2025)

Tampa (7-6) (Outlasted St. Lucie, 14-9)

3B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, HR (1, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 R, SB (5), HBP, 2 BB, K
This kind of night shows you the raw potential Arias has. He is hitting .167/.322/.315 in 59 PA (5-for-5 SB).
C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 BB, K
Perez is 3-for-8 with a double and three walks the last two nights. Perhaps the 18-year-old is starting to get comfortable.
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-4, R, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Parks Harber: 2-for-5, RBI, BB
Harber’s hits were 110.8 and 110.5 MPH.
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-5, 2 R, 3 K
RF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R, 3 K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2 R, CS (1), 2 BB, K
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-2, 2B (2), SF, 4 RBI, 3 R, SB (3), 2 BB
Matheus has shown off his discipline. It is nice to see him have a productive night beyond that. He came up one short of his personal best for RBI in a game (set in 2022 in the DSL). His 2025 BB%/K%: 22.9/8.6.

LHP Tanner Bauman: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
After a solid first career start, his last two haven’t gone according to plan. If you are concerned about that, you worry too much.
RHP Jackson Fristoe: (W, 1-0) 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Fristoe threw 44% cutters (average 91 MPH), 31% 4-seamers (max 95.4; average 92.6), 21% sliders, and 4% change-ups.
RHP Jack Sokol: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Gamecast registered six different pitches, so he was featuring a starter’s arsenal out of the pen. This makes sense, as he was a starter in college.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.