Yankees MILB 6/18: Trystan Vrieling’s Masterful Performance

News:

RHP JT Brubaker and Scott Effross will begin their rehab stints in Tampa on Wednesday.

Effross hasn’t pitched since October 2, 2022. Acquired from the Cubs for Hayden Wesneski, he pitched to a 2.54 ERA (2.46 FIP) in 2022 with a 27.1% K and 44% GB. While he isn’t a traditional “blow it past you” reliever, he does miss bats.

Brubaker is a starter acquired from the Pirates over the winter for infield prospect Keiner Delgado. Brubaker hasn’t dazzled in his MLB career (4.99 ERA/4.43 FIP), but he does feature slightly above-average GB (44.1%) and strikeout (23.3%) rates. We’ll see if the Yankees try to use him in a relief role or use him for starter depth. He is under team control through 2025.  As for Delgado, the 20-year-old is playing for Pittsburgh’s Low-A affiliate, hitting .242/.324/.411 in 139 PA. He is playing well in June (.268/.412/.561 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homers).

As for today’s roster moves, Ben Rice earned his promotion to MLB. The Yankees will not open a roster spot for RHP Jack Neely unless it is a permanent move. Hence, I am OK with adding Anthony Misiewicz and Clayton AndrewsBoth pitchers are easy to DFA once a 40-man roster slot is needed.

In Tampa, RHP Ryan Harvey and Kristofer Bow were placed on the injured list. Harvey is a starter while Bow’s turbo-sinker has been used out of the bullpen. The Tampa transactions page doesn’t yet list replacements.

As I mentioned on Twitter, the Yankees don’t have great outfield depth in the minors. If Aaron Judge requires IL time, you are looking at players like Taylor TrammellOscar Gonzalez, Brandon Lockridgeand Jose RojasTrammell has a “prospect pedigree” while Gonzalez was successful in Cleveland in 2022 (.296/.327/.461 in 91 games). Lockridge is a speed/defense guy while Rojas is a veteran without much MLB success.

In other words, hopefully, Judge is OK.

Scranton (40-28) (Outslugged Buffalo,11-10)

CF Brandon Lockridge0-for-4, RBI, BB, K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (3), BB, K
Vivas, who reached double digits in HR between 2021-2023, hits his first homer as a member of the Yankees’ organization (27th game)
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-5, RS, K
1B T.J. Rumfield0-for-3, RS, BB
Rumfield’s 7-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Narvaez is hitting .251 with a .804 OPS. His personal best for HR is 12, set last year.
DH Jose Rojas2-for-4, HR (13), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Rojas has always been an offensive force in the minors, reaching 31 homers and 107 RBI in 2019 (yes, it was the PCL). However, MLB hasn’t been kind to him.
RF Oscar Gonzalez2-for-4, 2B (7), 2 RS
LF Taylor Trammell1-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, K
3B Jeter Downs1-for-1, 2B (10), RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (12), CS (4), 3 BB
A nice night (understatement) for Downs, who has performed well this season. That does not mean his prospect status is back, but perhaps he can still grind out an MLB career.

LHP Josh Maciejewski4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Art Warren: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Phil Bickford1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.93 ERA (27.2 IP, 23 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 35 K)
RHP Matt Sauer: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR


Somerset (32-32) (Knocked off Erie, 6-1)

CF Spencer Jones3-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
This jumps his OPS to .712 as he compiles his 4th 3-hit game this season. Next up is a march towards .800!  Jones is 18-for-61 (.295/.362/.525) in June.
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, 2B (14), 2 RBI, K
Ramirez has four doubles in his last six games. He is hitting .339/.359/.613 (5 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI) in June.
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
Hardman has homered in back-to-back games and has 28 homers in 85 Double-A contests.
  3B Max Burt0-for-0
SS Ben Cowles0-for-4, 3 K
Cowles went 2-for-8 in his first two games this season. That was the last time he was under .300 until tonight (.295).
1B J.C. Escarra0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Grant Richardson1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (7), K
.260/.326/.410 in 193 PA. Richardson has struggled in June, but he has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
DH Jared Wegner: 2-for-4, 2 2B (7), 2 RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Aaron Palensky1-for-4, RS

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 7-4)  7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
4.58 ERA (74.2 IP, 70 H, 40 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 22 BB, 72 K). This is an impressive Double-A showing for a kid in his debut season. I don’t remember the last time the Yankees started a pitching prospect’s career in Double-A. 
RHP Colby White1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Velasquez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K


Hudson Valley (33-30) (Lost to Greensboro, 2-0)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jared Serna0-for-4, K
Thankfully, Serna missed only one game after the HBP.
CF Jace Avina2-for-4, 2B (17), K
After a bit of a slump, Avina has hit safely in six of his last seven games (8-for-31).
1B Rafael Flores0-for-2, 2 BB, K
.302/.415/.506 in 207 PA. 
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, 3 K
DH Christopher Familia0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin0-for-3, CI, 3 K
3B Josh Moylan1-for-4, 2 K
LF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, 2B (9), BB

RHP Jackson Fristoe: (L, 1-3)  5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
3.58 ERA (37.2 IP, 27 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 27 BB, 40 K). This is the second time in his last three starts where he has limited walks (0 BB in 6 IP on 6/4). As I like to say, it is something to build on.
RHP Huey Morrill2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.63 ERA (37.2 IP, 29 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 44 K). Expect a lot of movement among the relief prospects when the Yankees start promoting guys.


Tampa (23-41) (Lost to Palm Beach, 4-0)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda2-for-4, K
For Tampa: .328/.379/.395 in 133 PA. This comes with a .422 BABIP, so things will likely “normalize”. Remember that he is only 19 and performing well in a full-season league. 
2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, HBP, K
.222/.359/.295 in 217 PA. He owns a 23.96% K rate, which isn’t great but won’t scare off evaluators, given it is his first full professional season. 
SS Roderick Arias0-for-4, 2 K
Arias’ “hot streaks” are attributed to his athleticism. The raw skill is so high that he can live off that in the lower minors. Heck, Estevan Florial has lived off that throughout his minor-league career. He is still young and has time on his side. However, improving your ability to make contact is one of the hardest things for a hitter to learn.
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-4, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo0-for-4
DH Hans Montero0-for-3, 2 K
LF Willy Montero0-for-2, HBP, K
Montero’s 12-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Tomas Frick0-for-3
RF Daury Arias1-for-3, K

RHP Cade Austin: (L, 1-3) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Austin’s first professional start (he started only 3 games in college). This was an emergency start.
RHP Steven Fulgencio1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.72 ERA (31.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 35 K).  Rodriguez hit 96.8 MPH with his 4-seam fastball tonight and generated whiffs with his 4-seamer, sinker, changeup, and cutter.
RHP Ocean Gabonia2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Gabonia maxed out at 95.3 MPH with his sinker. I look for things that the Yankees can build on. Season: 4.64 ERA (33 IP, 38 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 39 K). His BABIP is .368.
RHP Montana Semmel2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K


FCL (20-13) (Won two games over the Phillies)

Game 1 was the conclusion of a game from 6/11. They won, 10-4

CF Brando Mayea2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
C Edgleen Perez1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
DH Engelth Urena2-for-5, 2B (2), RBI, RS, K
3B Abrahan Ramirez2-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, K
LF Brian Sanchez1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus2-for-4, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, RS
2B Gabriel Terrero3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS
RF Joel Mendez1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 3 K

RHP Sabier Marte (W, 4-0): 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
You don’t see FCL pitchers throw this many innings often (his previous best was five).

Game 2 (Won, 7-6)

CF Brando Mayea2-for-4, CS (2), K
The power has yet to show up, but he is hitting .271/.361/.306 in 97 PA with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts. He has eight multi-hit efforts in 21 games.
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, 2 K
.271/.457/.400 in 116 PA. He has 20 RBI in 27 games.
3B Abrahan Ramirez2-for-3, 2B (7), 2 RS, BB
The 19-year-old has six multi-hit efforts in his last seven games. He is hitting .382/.505/.551 in 112 PA, placing himself firmly on the list of potential promotions.
LF Brian Sanchez2-for-4, 2B (11), 2 RBI, RS
Sanchez, hitting .360/.457/.629, has 11 doubles in 26 games.
SS Juan Matheus3-for-3, 2B (6), RBI, RS
Matheus is hitting .303/.406/.461 in 106 PA. He is playing well enough to think about a promotion, but Low-A Tampa is loaded with infield prospects.
2B Gabriel Terrero2-for-4, RBI, RS, K

RHP Chris Kean2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
With a couple of injuries announced for Low-A Tampa, Kean is a solid candidate to earn a promotion there.


DSL Yankees (4-8) (Defeated the Rockies, 6-3)

DH Dexters Peralta: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Richard Matic1-for-4, RBI
Matic is 10-for-31 (.323) with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.
2B Edgar Jimenez1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, K
Jimenez (17) is only 2-for-15 but the two hits are a double and a homer. He hit the home run in his second career game.
RF Dilan Medina2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS
The 18-year-old is 5-for-14 with a double in his debut season.
1B Johan Contreras2-for-3, 2 RBI, RS

RHP Keninson Diaz (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Mejia (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
In his first professional game, the 18-year-old records a save. Congrats!


DSL Bombers (6-4) (Defeated Mets Blue, 5-3)

C Queni Pineda2-for-3, SB (3), CS (2), K
Pineda (17) is 8-for-24 (.333) with a pair of doubles and a home run.
2B Luis Escudero2-for-3, 2B (1)
LF David Carrera1-for-3, 2B (4), RS, K
The 17-year-old is 6-for-21 with four doubles and a triple.
3B Kevin Verde0-for-2, RS, SB (5), BB
RF Angel Ventura2-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 SB (6)
The 18-year-old has 6 stolen bases in 6 games.

RHP Joshawn Lampson (W, 2-1): 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 1): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Ledesma is 20, but this is his debut season.

Yankees MILB 6/4: Jackson Fristoe: 6 Scoreless Innings

News:

OF Brandon Lockridge was placed on the injured list for Scranton. Lockridge’s 21 stolen bases are second in the International League (teammate Caleb Durbin, also on the injured list, is tied for 3rd with 20).

OF Jasson Dominguez‘s rehab has moved to Scranton. Additionally, the stint has been extended by ten days. With the approval of MLB, teams are allowed to extend rehab stints three times at 10 days per pop. This is applicable if a player is rehabbing an elbow or shoulder injury. As you may suspect, this is most often used with pitchers rehabbing from Tommy John.

IF Enmanuel Tejeda has begun a rehab stint in the FCL. The 19-year-old hit .330/.374/.402 in 108 plate appearances for Tampa before his injury on May 2nd. Tejeda compiled back-to-back 4-hit games when the injury hit.

Scranton (34-24) (Lost to Toledo, 4-2)

CF Jasson Dominguez0-for-3
Sometimes, it is hard to remember that Dominguez has played only ten Triple-A games.
   CF Greg Allen0-for-1
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-4, K
Peraza is hitting .137 (7-for-51) for Scranton (1-for-27 slide). You figure that the bat will start clicking, but this is an ugly stretch.
2B Jorbit Vivas1-for-4, K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-3, RS, BB
Narvaez has an 8-game hitting streak (10-for-28; 5 walks)
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, 2B (9)
.278/.339/.397 in 168 PA since his promotion. 
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, K
.305/.359/.484 in 103 PA. 
LF Taylor Trammell0-for-4, K
3B Kevin Smith1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS
DH Josh VanMeter0-for-3, K

LHP Tanner Tully: (L, 1-4) 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Art Warren1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP Clayton Andrews1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.80 ERA (20 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 22 K)
RHP Phil Bickford1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.38 ERA (21.1 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 28 K). Both Underwood and Bickford are somewhere on the depth chart. You hope you don’t need to use them, but nowadays, a bullpen is “all hands on deck.”


Somerset (25-27) (Lost to Hartford, 5-4)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-5, 2 K
Jones increases his on-base streak to 17. 
1B Agustin Ramirez0-for-5, K
.263/.364/.537. 
C Ben Rice2-for-4, 2B (9), RS, BB
Rice is hitting .261/.382/.511 and is 5-for-11 to start June with three doubles and two walks. 
SS Ben Cowles1-for-4, 2B (18), K
Cowles hit 18 doubles in 2022 and 2023 (many more games!)
DH J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, 2B (10), RS, SB (1), K
3B Jordan Groshans1-for-4, K
RF Grant Richardson1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K
LF Jared Wegner1-for-3, CS (3), BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler1-for-3, HR (4), RBI, RS, SB (8), BB, 2 K
Seigler has homered four times in his last four games. 

RHP Gerrit Cole3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Cole’s durability is known – this was his first minor league game since July 10, 2016. Supposedly, everything looked fine. Now we wait to see how he feels tomorrow.
RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 2-3)  4.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
3.58 ERA (60.1 IP, 49 H, 35 R, 24 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 69 K).
RHP Jesus Liranzo1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K


Hudson Valley (25-24) (Crushed Wilmington, 10-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, HBP
SS Jared Serna1-for-5, HR (11), RBI, 2 RS
Serna hit zero HR in his first 28 High-A games and two in his first 47 games. He has 9 in his last 28 games.  
CF Jace Avina1-for-5, RS, 3 K
Avina owns an 8-game hitting streak (11-for-31).
C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-3, 3B (2), RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
Rodriguez has three multi-walk games in his last five games. He drew 16 walks in May after drawing 6 in April. He is hitting .324/.412/.500 in 204 PA (12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 33 R, 6-for-9 SB, 12.7% BB, 13.7% K). He just doesn’t stop producing.
DH Tyler Hardman2-for-5, 2B (2), HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS
As his stroke comes back, he should dominate this level. 
1B Rafael Flores2-for-4, HR (3), 4 RBI, RS, BB, K
Flores has four 2-hit games in his last five games played. He tied his career-best for RBI in a game and is hitting .308 with a .894 OPS (14 doubles, 3 HR, 25 RBI). 
LF Garrett Martin1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
Martin has homered twice in his last four games.
3B Josh Moylan1-for-4
Moylan is the proud owner of a 7-game hitting streak.
RF Cole Gabrielson0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Jackson Fristoe: (W, 1-2)  6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Fristoe’s longest career outing (previous: 4.1 innings). He owns a 3.72 ERA (29 IP, 20 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 1 HR, 21 BB, 31 K). It doesn’t take a baseball savant to recognize where his biggest issue lies. It is encouraging to see that he issued none of those tonight.
RHP Trent Sellers: (S, 1) 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Sellers’ first career save. 


Tampa (19-33) (Lost to Fort Myers, 4-2)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, SB (14), K
14-for-15 stealing bases. Lombard turned 19 on June 2nd. As stated before, the power has yet to show itself but that isn’t concerning. 
2B Roderick Arias0-for-4, 2 K
.203/.311/.313 in 225 PA. I would advise waiting to see what he does in the second half of the season. Can he adjust or will the struggles continue? 
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-4
LF Christopher Familia2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
His rehab was moved here from the FCL. Your reminder that he hit 16 home runs in 57 games at this level between 2022-2023.
3B Max Burt0-for-2, K
Burt, a 27-year-old utility player, is here on a rehab stint. In 2022 and 2023, he reached double digits in homers and stolen bases.
  3B Brenny Escanio0-for-2, K
CF Jackson Castillo2-for-4, HR (4), RBI, RS, K
.259/.386/.457 in 145 PA. His triple slash went as low as .156/.283/.267 (May 5th) but he has taken off since then.
DH Hans Montero0-for-4, 2 K
RF Willy Montero1-for-3, 2B (8), K
C Edinson Duran0-for-3

RHP Caleb Smith:(L, 2-4)  7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
2.96 ERA (48.2 IP, 34 H, 22 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 22 BB, 57 K). Smith has gone seven innings twice this season (6+ innings four times)
RHP Kris Bow2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
3.13 ERA (23 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 27 K)


FCL (12-10) (They are tied with the Blue Jays, 8-8, in the 7th. I am not going to wait this one out – heck, it may even be over already, knowing how slow GameCast sometimes is at this level!)

CF Brando Mayea2-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (7), BB
Mayea’s power hasn’t shown itself but he is hitting .341 with a .828 OPS and is 7-for-7 stealing bases.
DH Edgleen Perez1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda0-for-3, K
  2B Gabriel Terrero0-for-0, SF, RBI
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, HR (2, grand slam), 4 RBI, RS, K
SS Juan Matheus0-for-2, RS, SB (3), BB
LF Brian Sanchez1-for-3, 2 RS, SB (7), K

RHP McKinley Moore1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
It is only a matter of time before he shows up in Low-A Tampa.


DSL Yankees (1-1) and DSL Bombers (0-1)

The Bombers lost, 12-3, today.  17-year-old Francisco Vilorio had a pair of hits and RBI.

The Yankees won, 19-7. They had 8 hits and 20 (TWENTY) walks. This league isn’t real.
They scored 11 runs in the first inning, highlighted by a Luis Puello grand slam. The 18-year-old catcher drove home 6, doubling his previous best. SS Dexters Peralta (16 years old) went 2-for-3 with 4 runs scored and a pair of walks, RBI, and stolen bases. The Yankees have another Montero in the organization as Estivenzon Montero joins Willy, Hans, and Fidel (there could be more, for all I know). He is a 17-year-old outfielder who debuted today (1-for-4, RBI, SB).

The DSL doesn’t do much for me. I’ll highlight what I can, but getting a read on these players is impossible. A $10,000 kid could emerge while a $800,000 kid dies on the vine (then, the prospect community acts as if they knew the $10,000 kid was a sleeper all along)

Yankees MILB 4/24: Will Warren Tosses 6 Strong Innings

News:

I have no news, real or otherwise..

Scranton (14-8) (Defeated Durham, 6-1)

2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-3, HBP, CS (1), 3 K
  PH-2B Josh VanMeter0-for-1
LF Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, RS, 2 SB (12), BB, K
Durbin was in a 4-for-34 slide after his last multi-hit game on 4/12. Hopefully, tonight’s performance puts him back on the right track. He is hitting .280/.412/.439, which shows how hot he was before his slump.
RF Everson Pereira: 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Pereira has 15 homers and 49 RBI in 55 Triple-A games. 
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-4, BB, 3 K
DH Jose Rojas0-for-3, RS, BB, 3 K
C Luis Torrens2-for-4, 2B (3), K
While Narvaez would be the simple move (he is on the 40-man), don’t rule out Torrens as the #3 catcher if a need ever presented itself in MLB.
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (3), BB
Downs’ home run was quite a blast: 427 feet at 105.9 MPH. He is hitting .265/.351/.510 in 58 plate appearances.
3B Kevin Smith1-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 SB (5), K
CF Brandon Lockridge0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 3-0) 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 6 K
4.22 ERA (21.1 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 9 BB, 26 K). When you allow five runs in 0.1 innings in your first start, it takes a while to bring the ERA down. Warren has allowed one run in 12 innings with a 13/2 K/BB over his last two starts. Tonight, he mixed all his pitches nicely: 29% sinkers, 26% sweepers, 20% 4-seamers, 14% cutters, 11% changeups.
LHP Clayton Andrews2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Mauricio isn’t the biggest of pitchers, but he packs some punch (maxed out at 95.7 with his 4-seamer). 


Somerset (7-10) (Lost to Reading, 4-3. They had baserunners all day: 11 walks, 1 HBP, 2 errors)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, 2 K
DH Agustin Ramirez0-for-4, BB, K
Ramirez has four hits in his last eight games (4-for-26). The good news is that he has eight walks in that timeframe.
1B Ben Rice0-for-1, RS, 3 BB, HBP
.250/.351/.500 in 74 PA.
SS Ben Cowles2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
After swatting eight doubles and two triples, Cowles fills in the home run column.
C J.C. Escarra0-for-4, CS (1), BB, K
3B Jordan Groshans1-for-4, BB
RF Elijah Dunham0-for-2, CS (2), 2 BB
LF Jared Wegner1-for-4, RS, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, BB

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 1-2) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Dees, who allowed eight runs in 3.1 IP in his 2024 debut, has allowed six runs in 15.1 IP since (3.52 ERA). Today was one of those days where he could have imploded but kept the runs to a minimum.
RHP Carlos Gomez1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K


Hudson Valley (9-7) (Lost to tough one to Bowling Green, 3-2)

CF Jace Avina: 3-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (1)
Avina’s first HR (and stolen base) as a member of the Yankees’ organization. Expect more as raw power is the top tool in his offensive arsenal. His RBI single in the bottom of the 8th broke the 1-1 tie, but the Renegades couldn’t hold the lead.
SS Jared Serna0-for-3, BB
Serna is now 7-for-50 with a double, two home runs, 13 walks, and eight strikeouts. The walks and strikeouts are nice – the balls need to start finding grass.
2B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, BB
A new position for Rodriguez’s resume. He has now played C/1B/2B/3B/LF in his professional career (he has yet to play first base in 2024)
C Omar Martinez1-for-4
.298/.411/.532 in 56 PA. I think Martinez gets lost in the shuffle but he is a legitimate prospect. The Yankees have a lot of them to sort through.
DH Josh Moylan1-for-4, K
1B Rafael Flores0-for-4, K
3B Kiko Romero1-for-4, 2B (1), K
CF Nelson Medina0-for-4, 2 K
LF Kyle Battle0-for-2, RS, BB, K

RHP Jackson Fristoe3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
The fireballer threw 50 pitches today (37 in his first start, 35 in his second (didn’t get out of the first)). They are simply building him up.
LHP Ben Shields2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
0.64 ERA (14 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 15 K). I don’t know much about him (besides he went to UMass and George Mason), but he is doing the job. Although it is his debut season, I will note that he is 25.
LHP Joel Valdez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 12 K). You see me writing about T.J. Rumfield often in these reports. Valdez was the other piece in the trade with the Phillies that sent Nick Nelson and Donny Sands to Philadelphia.
RHP Huey Morrill (L, 0-1):  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K
Morrill’s Hudson Valley debut (he was in Tampa) didn’t go as planned, but there’s always next time.


Tampa (4-13) (Lost to Lakeland, 14-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
Gonzalez didn’t miss much time in spring training so one has to assume he will make his way up to Scranton soon enough.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda2-fot-5, 2B (3), RS
Tejeda increases his hitting streak to six (10-for-27). All three of his doubles have come during this streak.
2B Roderick Arias: 3-for-4, RS, BB, K
Arias’ first career 3-hit game. He is up to .238 with a .764 OPS thanks to a 7-for-16 surge in his last four games. He has walked once in five consecutive games.
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, HBP, K
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, 2 2B (3), RBI, RS, BB
After games of 4/12, Montero was hitting .095/.208/.143. His average is now .172. Hey, it’s a start!
DH Jackson Castillo0-for-4, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, K
LF Daury Arias0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 0-2) 2.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
There’s not much you can do but move on. Season: 11.1 IP, 14 H,  13 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 16 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Art Warren1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Jordy Luciano2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K


FCL (0-0)

The season starts on 5/4.


DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 9/17: Will Warren Ks 10

News:

I have nothing interesting to report.

Scranton (70-72; 36-32 in the second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 7-6, in 12 innings. They still have one week left in the season)

C Carlos Narvaez0-for-4, 2 BB
RF Franchy Cordero1-for-4, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (8)
3B Andres Chaparro0-for-5, SF, RBI, RS, 2 K
Chaparro is up to 85 RBI. 15 RBI in six games is a tall task if he wants to reach 100, but his season will go down as a productive one.
1B Josh Breaux2-for-5, RS
DH Jake Lamb1-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
SS Jesus Bastidas3-for-5, 2 2B (13), RBI, RS, 2 K
I like utility types that show some pop, which is why I have bullish tendencies with Bastidas. He won’t be a star – he may be nothing more than an up-and-down guy. But I do think he makes MLB.
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-3, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Palensky’s HR in the top of the 9th tied the score at 4. He has 21 home runs between here, Somerset, and Hudson Valley.
2B Wilmer Difo0-for-5, K
CF Nelson Medina0-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K, CS (1)

RHP Frankie Montas1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Montas featured all four of his pitches, maxing out at 96.1 MPH. While he is intriguing and you can never have enough pitching, I think they move on from Montas this winter. They have young arms who are ready to contribute + they will seemingly be heavily involved in negotiations for Japanese RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
RHP Will Warren5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Sometimes, I worry when a starter follows up a rehabbing player – but it certainly didn’t impact Warren today. This is his first career double-digit strikeout performance. In September, the 24-year-old is dominating, pitching to a 0.38 ERA in 23.2 IP (10 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 9 BB, 29 K). Overall, for Scranton, he owns a 3.71 ERA in 94.2 IP (78 H, 49 R, 39 ER, 45 BB, 103 K). Unless they bring him up to the big leagues now, he is in line for one more start this season.
RHP Michael Gomez1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Zach Greene : 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Aaron McGarity1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Clay Aguilar (W, 1-1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Aguilar appears to be a slider/change-up heavy reliever.

Somerset (84-53; 42-27 in the second half) (Closed out their regular season with a 7-1 win over New Hampshire. Their playoff journey starts on Tuesday against Binghamton)

SS Trey Sweeney2-for-5, 2B (20), 2 RS, K
.252/.367/.411 in 472 PA (20 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 67 R, 65 BB, 90 K, 20-for-27 SB). The injury sucked but 472 plate appearances is more than enough for evaluation.
DH Ben Rice2-for-4, HR (16), 3 RBI, RS, BB
Between all levels, Rice finishes (assuming he doesn’t go to Scranton) his regular season with 20 homers, 68 RBI, and 62 runs scored in only 73 games.
CF Spencer Jones
3-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, K
Jones compiles three straight multi-hit games to close out his regular season. In his last ten games, he went 15-for-42 (.357) to help him finish his Somerset campaign at .261 with a .739 OPS.
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-5, 2B (7), K
Why don’t I worry much about Ramirez’s slump after coming to this level? He struck out 19.4% of the time after his promotion. Overall, he struck out 17.3% of the time this season. Yes, it spiked a bit for Somerset but it is not outrageous – he seemingly was not overwhelmed here. 
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, 2B (14), 2 K
  1B Mickey Gasper0-for-1, K
2B Caleb Durbin2-for-5, RS
Durbin hit .304/.395/.427 with 36 stolen bases in 69 games between here and Hudson Valley.
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, RS, K, SB (23)
Dunham has 25 doubles and 35 stolen bases between here and Scranton. It has to be at least somewhat frustrating that he wasn’t able to get off to a strong start in 2023, as the Yankees could have deployed him in their much-depleted OF at some point.
3B Max Burt0-for-4, K
LF Jeisson Rosario1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 6-4)  6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, HR
For Somerset: 3.42 ERA in 68.1 IP (49 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 11 HR, 29 BB, 83 K). He had a strong finish and I don’t know if he will slip through the Rule 5 again. 
RHP Jack Neely0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
For Somerset: 2.55 ERA in 17.2 IP (12 H, 9 R, 5 ER, 4 HR, 3 BB, 26 K). Overall, Neely put together a 100/20 in 66.1 IP between here and Hudson Valley. 
LHP Ryan Anderson1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (70-62; 31-35 in the second half)  (Lost to Greenville, 2-0, in Game 1. They will once again need to sweep two games. The difference this time is that they are going on the road instead of heading home. In Game 1, a bout of wildness by a pair of relievers cost them – Greenville scored two runs without the benefit of a hit in the 6th)

3B Ben Cowles0-for-3, HBP, K
2B Jared Serna1-for-4
DH Christopher Familia1-for-4, K
LF Jesus Rodriguez0-for-4
1B Spencer Henson0-for-3, 3 K
C Rafael Flores0-for-2, BB
RF Anthony Hall0-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson0-for-1, 2 BB, K
As you can see, offense was a big issue today…

RHP Jackson Fristoe4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
A nice High-A debut for Fristoe. Yes, the minor league playoffs are built differently (LOL) – a youngster making his level debut in Game 1 of the championship series is likely not all that uncommon. Anyway, Fristoe’s calling card is his ability to throw the baseball fast. We don’t have Savant data for today, but one has to be impressed with the stat line.
RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Sebastian Keane0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Rodriguez is throwing well as the season comes to a close…
RHP Luis Arejula1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Arejula’s High-A debut. 

Tampa (61-69; 30-34 in the second half) 

Their season is over.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/31: Drew Thorpe Ks 9

News:

Yesterday’s busy news day did not extend into today.

Scranton (64-63; 30-23 in the second half) (Defeated Rochester, 4-1, in ten innings. I won’t lie – with all the promotions to MLB and no big prospects replacing them, Scranton’s roster isn’t the most exciting in minor-league baseball. But they still have a playoff berth to chase)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Durham: 31-21 (game in progress)
Lehigh Valley: 32-22
Worcester: 31-22
Buffalo: 30-22
Norfolk: 31-23 (first-half champions – if they repeat, the second-place team in the second half gets the playoff berth)
Jacksonville: 30-23
Scranton: 30-23

CF Estevan Florial0-for-4, 2 BB, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-5, RS, BB, K, SB (5)
He is hitting .251 with a .777 OPS since his promotion. 
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-5, 3 K
1B Andres Chaparro2-for-5, 2B (20), RBI, RS
Chaparro adds 20 doubles to his 23 home runs. He is up to 79 RBI, which still is the top number in the organization.
3B Jamie Westbrook0-for-4, RS, BB, K
DH Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-5, 3 K, SB (9)
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (19)
When rosters used to expand to 40 max, a player like Difo would always find his way up – he can run and play several positions. I still think the MLBPA shouldn’t have given up the 40-man roster callups easily, even if it made some sense from a competition standpoint. 
LF Brandon Lockridge1-for-3, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (19)
Lockridge has 36 stolen bases in 40 attempts between here and Somerset. He is having a solid season and can play all three outfield positions. I still see him as a Tim Locastro type (with the potential to have more of a hit tool), which is not a bad outcome – Locastro has been around for a while doing his craft. His best opportunity for playing time would be elsewhere, I am afraid. 

RHP Zach McAllister2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
He seemingly started instead of Randy Vasquez – given the bullpen usage in this game, one has to assume that Vasquez is a fresh arm on his way to Houston.
LHP Matt Krook1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
0.96 ERA (28 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 20 BB, 48 K)
RHP Greg Weissert2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Zac Houston: (W, 1-1)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Wilmer Difo1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Difo has appeared in enough games on the hill to qualify as the Triple-A Shohei Ohtani.

Somerset (75-47; 33-21 in the second half) (Defeated Portland, 5-2)

SS Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, RS, HBP, 2 SB (21)
Durbin has 36 stolen bases in 42 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. With Jasson Dominguez (40 SB) on his way to MLB, Durbin has a chance to take the SB crown. If he didn’t get hurt, the crown would have been his anyway.
1B Ben Rice1-for-4, RS, 2 K
Rice has a 6-game hitting streak (13-for-28; 2 doubles, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R). August: 38-for-110 (.345/.397/.700 (LOL); 7 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 24 R). Total season: .333/.442/.648 in 265 PA (13 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 52 R, 35 BB, 46 K, 10-for-11 SB)
CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
Since promotion: 3-for-15 with a homer and five runs batted in. 
C Agustin Ramirez1-for-4, RBI
Since promotion: .241/.305/.356 in 95 PA. He has a 6-game hitting streak going (9-for-24)
RF Elijah Dunham1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
Let him finish his season in Triple-A.
2B Mickey Gasper0-for-4, K
DH Anthony Seigler1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Seigler still has more walks (48; 20.1%) than strikeouts (44). He accomplished the same in 2022 (91 walks, 82 strikeouts)
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 4-0; 14-2 overall) 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Thorpe was a bit off tonight, but the outcome shouldn’t be disappointing. Since his promotion: 1.37 ERA in 26.1 IP (12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 39 K). Overall, Thorpe has an insane 177/38 K/BB over 135.1 innings. He has allowed one or fewer runs 12 times this season (zero runs eight times)
RHP Alex Mauricio1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.62 ERA (33.1 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). 
RHP Bailey Dees (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Since promotion: 13 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 13 K. Overall, Dees owns a 72/21 K/BB over 55.1 innings.

Hudson Valley (67-56; 28-29 in the second half) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-5)

RF Anthony Hall3-for-5, RBI, RS
Hall needed this. He is at .211/.309/.324 in 82 plate appearances at this level and .255/.365/.419 in 354 PA overall between here and Tampa. 
2B Jared Serna2-for-5, 2B (5), RS, K
Serna has a 10-game hitting streak.
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, K
One has to assume that he won’t be rehabbing for long…
  1B Spencer Henson0-for-2, K
DH Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2B (17), 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, BB, SB (2)
C Ramon Flores0-for-4
CF Cole Gabrielson1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner3-for-4, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Wegner is hitting .306/.419/.556 in 43 PA at this level. He was drafted this year but is 24 years old, so you would expect a kid with his college experience to hit well in the lower minors. 

RHP Yorlin Calderon3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Calderon’s High-A debut.
LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 3-7)  2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Luis Velasquez2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
At this level: 2.23 ERA (36.1 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 18 BB, 44 K). He allowed four runs in 1.2 innings in his fourth appearance at this level but has been very good since.

Tampa (58-63; 27-28 in the second half) (Defeated St. Lucie, 15-3)

SS George Lombard Jr: 1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
Lombard’s first Low-A hit. Including the FCL playoffs, he has reached safely in all nine of his professional games.
2B Roc Riggio2-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, K
At this level: 11-for-50 (2 doubles, 9 RBI, 10 R, 17 BB, 16 K). 
DH Jackson Castillo0-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
C Omar Martinez1-for-2, HR (18), RBI, 3 RS, 3 BB
Martinez is hitting .259 with a .844 OPS in 411 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 62 BB (15.1%), 106 K (25.8%))
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Martinez and Moylan went back-to-back. Moylan is hitting .296 with a .806 OPS (18-for-60, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 13 BB, 17 K). As stated previously, Moylan was a sought-after non-drafted free agent this year. So far, he is doing well adjusting to the pro game.
3B Kiko Romero1-for-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
For Tampa, Romero is at .205 with a .699 OPS in 94 plate appearances. He is a left-handed hitting corner infielder out of a big school (Arizona), so let’s see how he progresses.
RF Garrett Martin0-for-2, HBP, 2 K
Martin left the game after the HBP.
   
PR-RF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, 2 RS, HBP, K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4, 3B (3), 3 RBI
One of the most exciting (and rare nowadays) things in baseball is the bases-clearing triple.
LF Tayler Aguilar1-for-4, RBI

RHP Jackson Fristoe3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
An impressive Low-A debut for their 12th-round pick in the 2022 draft (Mississippi State). Since Low-A is a league that registers Savant data, I was able to get a look at Fristoe’s numbers. He averaged an impressive 96.1 on his 4-seam fastball, reaching as high as 98.1. His most used pitch (60%) was a cutter that averaged 91.1 (maxed out at 94.5). He mixed in a few sliders as well. Suffice to say, when you see a kid throwing this hard, you pay attention.  One issue he had in the FCL was his control (24 BB in 27.1 innings), so that is something to monitor as they work with him.
RHP Montana Semmel: (W, 4-1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 4.96 ERA (16.1 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 22 K). His line is skewed by a 0 IP, 4 R, 3 BB effort on August 6. Life as a relief pitcher.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.22 ERA (44.2 IP, 34 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 1 HR, 26 BB, 55 K)

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/10: Ben Rice: 4 Hits, HR, 3 RBI

News:

There will be no report on Friday, August 11th. Please hold back your tears.

That was fast: RHP Deivi Garcia was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox were among the first teams to get a crack at him. That ends his frustrating Yankees tenure, a tenure that included a start (for one inning) in an important playoff game and a complete collapse in 2022 that makes no sense to this day.

In the regular season, Garcia posted a 4.84 ERA (90 ERA+) over 48.1 IP with a 43/14 K/BB ratio. Good luck, and don’t fall asleep in the bullpen.

Baseball America updated its Top 100 Prospects list today, with seven Yankees prospects making the list. All of them are in the lower 50, but that makes sense as the system is more about its strong depth than having that one stud player who is about to invade MLB. That doesn’t mean we have a bunch of quality players and no future superstars. You never know when someone will surge and become a consistent MLB All-Star. The important thing, for now, is seeing the recognition.

Late update: MLB Pipeline wasn’t as favorable to Yankees prospects, listing only three prospects – all of whom are in the 79-81 range (Spencer Jones, Jasson Dominguez, Everson Pereira)

Scranton (51-57; 17-17 in the second half) (Lost to Syracuse, 10-1)

SS Oswald Peraza0-for-4
C Austin Wells1-for-3, 2B (7), K
Wells has seven doubles in 17 games since his promotion.
  C Rodolfo Duran1-for-1, 2B (13)
I am not sure why Wells left the game – it was 9-0, so that hopefully explains it.
LF Everson Pereira0-for-4, 2 K
.324/.372/.559 in 111 PA since his promotion. I get it: Triple-A is souped up. What is Pereira supposed to do about that, exactly? All he can do is hit under the conditions before him. And he is doing that.
3B Andres Chaparro1-for-4, K
RF Franchy Cordero1-for-4
DH Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook2-for-4, HR (16), RBI, RS, K
1B Jake Lamb1-for-4, 2B (3)
CF Brandon Lockridge0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Clayton Beeter: (L, 1-3) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Since promotion: 6.25 ERA (31.2 IP, 32 H, 23 R, 22 ER, 9 HR, 16 BB, 37 K). There is no sugarcoating how rough of a line that is – Triple-A is souped up big time and we are seeing some pitchers having trouble adjusting (Will Warren also fits in that category)
RHP Michael Gomez2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Zach Greene1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Zac Houston0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Wilmer Difo1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
The utility guy gets on the hill.

Somerset (61-42; 19-16 in the second half) (Destroyed Binghamton, 14-0)

LF Jasson Dominguez2-for-5, 2 RS, SB (36)
Dominguez has a 9-game hitting streak (17-for-39, 8 stolen bases) and has multiple hits in five straight games. He was on the verge of reaching.250 tonight but settles in at .247/.365/.396.
C Ben Rice: 4-for-5, 2B (3), HR (6), 3 RBI, 4 RS
Rice, who has a pair of 4-hit games this season (both of which were a triple away from the cycle), has a 1.049 OPS in 78 PA since his promotion (3 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 15 R, 8 BB, 12 K, 4-for-5 SB). Overall, he has 41 RBI and 37 runs scored in 42 games. At 24, I can see the Yankees giving him a late-season taste of Triple-A. He is likely a hit-first type of prospect, and the bar goes up if he is more of a first baseman than a catcher. We’ll see.
1B Agustin Ramirez2-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K
His first multi-hit game since his promotion. I can’t emphasize enough how big of a season this kid is having. Anyway, tonight was his first career start at first base. It doesn’t hurt to get him experience there.
CF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-5, HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (14), CS (3)
Personally, I would get Dunham back up to Scranton. If the idea to send him back down to Somerset was to allow him to regain some confidence, it has worked. He has 6 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 27 games. Overall, he has 12 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 32 attempts.
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2 SF, 2 RBI, K
The master of productive outs.
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-5, RBI, K
RF Jeisson Rosario1-for-4, SF, RBI, RS, K
2B Max Burt1-for-4, 2B (10), RBI, RS, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS

RHP Richard Fitts: (W, 9-5) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
3.38 ERA (119.2 IP, 101 H, 46 R, 45 ER, 17 HR, 30 BB, 130 K). Tremendous season and I hope he gets to Scranton before too long.
RHP Tanner Myatt1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (57-46; 18-18 in the second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-3, RS, BB
I am going to be fascinated to see what he does when he gets to the Double-A level. His season has been a tad uneven – but the end results are still encouraging. He is a big kid and goes through the stuff big kids go through. Patience will be key.
2B Jared Serna1-for-4, RBI
Serna’s first RBI since his promotion and 72nd overall.
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, 2B (16), BB
.261/.352/.409 in 355 PA, He has hit safely in every August game (8; 11-for-28, 3 doubles)
1B Rafael Flores0-for-4, 3 K
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, 2 K
DH Anthony Hall0-for-4, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4, K
LF Grant Richardson0-for-2, BB, 2 K
RF Jared Wegner0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Yulie’s stay on the IL wasn’t too long. He owns a 4.86 ERA in 82.2 IP with a 91/45 K/BB ratio.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 2.59 ERA (24.1 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 29 K). You may think that all organizations are filled with big-arm relief prospects. That isn’t really true – the Yankees are above average in this category. You don’t need too many of them to pan out.
LHP Clay Aguilar: (L, 3-2): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (49-56; 18-21 in the second half) (Lost a doubleheader to Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 12-4)

2B Roc Riggio1-for-4, 2B (1), K
Riggio’s first career extra-base hit.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, BB
DH Josh Moylan0-for-3, 3 K
LF Daury Arias0-for-3, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS
.216/.335/.285 in 404 PA.
RF Cole Gabrielson1-for-3, RS, K
Gabrielson’s first Low-A hit.
CF Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-3, 2 HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Aguilar has two career 2-HR games – on 8/10/22 and 8/10/23. 
C Manuel Palencia0-for-3
1B Beau Brewer1-for-3, K

RHP Hayden Merda: (L, 2-6) 3.2 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
LHP Edwar Polimir1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The Low-A debut for the 22-year-old. He pitched to a 4.43 ERA in 20.1 FCL innings with a 26/10 K/BB ratio.
RHP Nolberto Henriquez2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The Low-A debut for the 23-year-old. These promotions are likely doubleheader related.

Game 2 (Lost, 3-1)

DH Roc Riggio0-for-2, BB, K
LF Coby Morales0-for-3, 2 K
C Omar Martinez1-for-3, 2B (12), 2 K
.263/.376/.478 in 343 PA.
1B Josh Moylan0-for-2, BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-3, K
RF Garrett Martin1-for-3, 2B (3), RS
5-for-22 with three doubles and three runs batted in
CF Daury Arias0-for-2, BB, K
3B Beau Brewer0-for-3
2B Jose Colmenares0-for-2, K

RHP Kris Bow: (L, 2-5)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
3.45 ERA (62.2 IP, 57 H, 27 R, 24 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 77 K)
RHP Alex Bustamante1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.35 ERA (48.1 IP, 34 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 1 HR, 31 BB, 53 K)
RHP Matt Keating1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
3.53 ERA (51 IP, 48 H, 26 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 72 K)

FCL Yankees (26-19) (Doubled up the Phillies, 6-3)

SS Keiner Delgado0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
.277/.385/.452 in 195 PA. Delgado has more career walks (84) than strikeouts (54) and has stolen 60 bases in 73 tries (82.2%).
2B Enmanuel Tejeda2-for-4, 2B (4), RS, SB (21)
.311/.475/.452 (21-for-27 SB) in 179 PA after hitting .289/.463/.493 (11-for-17 SB) in 188 PA down in the DSL in 2022. This is exactly what you want to see.
RF Willy Montero3-for-4, 3B (2), 3 RBI, SB (5)
.325/.373/.435 in 169 PA. Montero hit .262/.396/.382 in 235 PA down in the DSL in 2022.
3B Hans Montero1-for-4, 2 K
DH John Cruz0-for-4, K
1B Dylan Jasso2-for-4, 2B (4), RS
8-for-18 with four doubles and three runs batted in.
CF Wilson Rodriguez2-for-3, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Since top pick George Lombard Jr. has yet to make an appearance, Rodriguez is taking over as the high school draftee to drool over (8-for-20, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB)

RHP Jackson Fristoe4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
4.88 ERA (24 IP, 17 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 3 HR, 22 BB, 26 K). Last year’s 12th-round pick hasn’t allowed a run in his last three appearances (9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 9 K). Five of those six walks occurred in one of the starts.
LHP Allen Facundo (W, 5-0): 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
If you want to win a lot of games, find a job as a middle-inning reliever in the rookie leagues. The starters don’t typically get to five innings, which opens the door!  Facundo has a 1.91 ERA in 28.1 IP with a 37/12 K/BB

DSL Yankees (27-15) (Lost to Phillies White, 6-0)

CF Brando Mayea0-for-4
RF Jose Castro1-for-4, K, SB (15)
19 RBI, 19 R, 15-for-16 SB in 27 games in his debut season.
C Josue Gonzalez2-for-3, 2B (12), BB
It just feels as if hitting is contagious amongst many of the organization’s catchers in 2023. Gonzalez (who is 19 and repeating the level, which is important to note) is hitting .367/.556/.620 in 117 PA

RHP Jerson Alejandro4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.32 ERA in 33.1 IP (28 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 3 HR, 15 BB, 31 K). He is 17 so the goal is to get his feet wet and hope he can stay healthy.
LHP Pedro Rodriguez2.1 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
The pure definition of a DSL pitching line.

DSL Bombers (21-23-1) (Defeated Mets Blue, 7-6)

CF Gabriel Lara3-for-5, 2B (6), RS
Lara’s fourth 3-hit game this season. The most impressive thing for me is the hit tool he is showing, as he is at .269/.401/.423 in 162 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 28 R, 15-for-21 SB). The immense speed is there. The defense will benefit from the immense speed. If there is a bat to tap into, he can be a top prospect in the system within a few years. We will not get ahead of ourselves, though.
LF Abrahan Ramirez1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Ramirez has 27 walks and 16 strikeouts in 116 PA.
2B Geyber Blanco2-for-4, SF, RBI, RS
.344/.418/.479 in 110 PA for the 17-year-old.
3B Adrian Gonzalez2-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI

RHP Mariano Salomon4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
The 21-year-old has three 8-strikeout games this season (58 in 42 IP to go along with his 3.43 ERA)
RHP Jose Julian Rodriguez1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Only the second career appearance for the 19-year-old.