Tag: Jesus Rodriguez

Yankees MILB 5/17: Roc Riggio Homers Twice

Notes:

The rumblings about Jesus Rodriguez are starting. I get it – the Yankees have an issue with offense at third base, and Rodriguez can further help balance the lineup.

But is he a third baseman?  The Yankees have tried various positions with him. A natural catcher, he also has experience at 1B/2B (limited)/3B/LF. MLB Pipeline’s write-up on his defense was rather…scary? Pipeline, however, isn’t the only source for your prospect needs. Fangraphs was more flattering, even talking him up as potentially above-average at the hot corner.

I have been bullish on his offense for several years now. He crushed the Complex League in 2022 (which should always come with hesitation) before his promotion to Low-A in 2023.  While with the Tampa Tarpons, he showed his FCL game was no fluke, as he hit .297/.378/.426, earning a promotion to High-A after 84 games. All he did in Hudson Valley the rest of that season was hit .356/.464/.533 in 25 games. His 2024 season was similarly exciting, though he ran into trouble after his promotion to Somerset. That trouble continued into 2025, and his current Double-A triple slash is .196/.250/.339 in 30 games. When Alex Jackson was injured earlier this season, the Yankees moved Rodriguez to Scranton, where he started flourishing again. His issues in Double-A may be sample-size related. His BABIP there is only .207.  You want a prospect to conquer Double-A. It’s Prospect Following 101. He didn’t, but it’s hard to argue against his success.

Rodriguez isn’t your traditional corner power hitter, but we need to look at what he is up against: Strong defender Oswald Peraza, who the organization hasn’t shown much faith in; Jorbit Vivas, who isn’t seen as much of a defender at third base and has struggled to hit; Pablo Reyes, who Rodriguez could replace right now and nobody would flinch; DJ LeMahieu, who I think the Yankees want to play mostly at second base until Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns. The Yankees wouldn’t ask him to take over for current MLB All-Stars. We are talking about being better than replacement level.

Would I do it? It’s tempting. Even if you are skeptical about his profile, you can ride a hot streak for a while. Or, maybe your skepticism is misguided, and his bat will play just fine in MLB. Most of the hesitation comes from an aggressive approach and the questions about whether he can hit velocity. The problem with the latter is that he hasn’t faced enough velocity to draw any conclusions.

What is working against this possibility? The Yankees aren’t playing him every day at third base in the minors. If the plan was for Rodriguez to play third, that would be his position nearly every night. He has played third base in only nine of his 33 games between Somerset and Scranton.

Injury Log

Scranton (21-21) (Defeated Toledo, 7-2)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-5, 3B (2), R, CS (2), 2 K
Rodriguez owns a 9-game hitting streak that includes five multi-hit games (four consecutive). He is hitting .385/.479/.510 in 117 PA. Fire is too soft a word to use.
LF Dominic Smith: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R
A veteran like Smith is not only auditioning for the Yankees, as veterans can easily ask out of their minor league deals (or, like with Luis Torrens last year, can be traded in small deals). Smith is 16-for-42 (.381) with four homers and 16 RBI in May.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, R, HBP, K
RF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Cooper Hummel: 1-for-2, 2B (1), SF, RBI, BB
3B Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (8, grand slam), 4 RBI, BB, K
Rojas has three grand slams this month (5/1, 5/7, 5/17). He has 8 HR and 34 RBI in 36 games. If only he weren’t a 32-year-old journeyman.
2B Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, R, BB
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-4, 2 K
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI
A fun story in spring training, Munguia is hitting only .219/.321/.328 in 164 PA. He is 8-for-10 stealing bases.

RHP Anthony DeSclafani: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
He touched 95.3 MPH with his sinker, which likely has Matt Blake drooling.
LHP Brent Headrick: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Headrick, a victim of the numbers game earlier this season, reached 97.1 MPH with his fastball today.
RHP Allan Winans: (W, 2-0) 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
0.00 ERA (23 IP, 16 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 31 K). They used him in a piggyback role today, which doesn’t bother me. His season has been impressive.

Somerset (17-20) (Defeated Portland, 11-5)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 R, BB
Lombard Jr. plays third base for the second day in a row (hadn’t played the position before that since his promotion). For Somerset: 6-for-31 (3 RBI, 7 R, 3-for-3 SB, 9 BB, 8 K). Overall, he is at .292/.461/.407 in 152 PA with more walks (32) than strikeouts (30). He is 14-for-16 stealing bases.
C Rafael Flores: 3-for-5, HR (8), 3 RBI, 3 R
Flores has homered in back-to-back games and is surging. His triple slash is .303/.350/.538 in 145 PA (10 doubles, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 19 R, 6.4% BB, 29.9% K). He has three 3-hit games in May. By the way, his 8 HR are tied for second in the Eastern League. Spencer Jones (who has missed several games now) still leads with 9.
CF Garrett Martin: 3-for-5, 2B (7), 3 RBI, R
.222/.336/.398 in 128 PA. He isn’t striking out much (20.3%). I don’t have info on his quality of contact, though.
2B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, 3 RBI
.284/.338/.507 (7 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 20 R).  Last 9 games: 13-for-36 (.361; 2 doubles, 2 HR, 9 RBI). 
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-5
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, R, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-2, 2B (7), R, 2 SB (7), CS (4), 2 BB
.250/.333/.402 in 105 PA. Vargas is having a strong May (.282/.378/.513).
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (3), BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
He left the game after an “injury delay.” That is not encouraging.
  PR-DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-0, R

RHP Trent Sellers: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR
Sellers was cruising until he allowed a 2-run HR with two outs in the 6th. The 6th inning remains his “blocker” as he has yet to complete six full innings during his career. Season: 3.48 ERA (33.2 IP, 19 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 14 BB, 44 K)
RHP Danny Watson: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Scott Effross: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
A tough outing for Effross, who has struggled to get back to MLB.
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.11 ERA (15.1 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 20 K)
RHP Kelly Austin: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.54 ERA (11.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 11 K)

Hudson Valley (25-12) (Outlasted Aberdeen, 10-7)

LF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (16), BB
.229/.338/.366 in 157 PA. 
2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-5, 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R
Riggio’s first career multi-HR game. He is 8-for-34 (.235) since returning from his rehab stint (2 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
DH Parks Harber: 4-for-5, 3B (1), HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 R
Harber’s first career 4-hit effort.  Since promotion: .362/.413/.603 in 63 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 12 R). Overall, Harber is hitting .331/.418/.575 in 146 PA (7 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR, 26 RBI). Yes, he may move two levels this season and get to Somerset.
RF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
  RF Luis Durango: 0-for-1, SB (1)
Durango was 21-for-22 in the stolen base department in 2024.
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, R, K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-2, 3 R, SB (4), HBP, BB, K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-2, 2B (7), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
He didn’t have it today, but his teammates bailed him out. Season: 3.22 ERA (36.1 IP, 22 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 17 BB, 43 K). Rodriguez-Cruz has allowed only 9 HR in 219.2 career innings.
RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 3-0)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.80 ERA (10 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 10 K)
RHP Hayden Merda: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
3.78 ERA (16.2 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 22 K). As a starter in 2023 (he missed 2024 due to injury), he allowed ten homers in 95.2 innings.
RHP Bryce Warrecker (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Warrecker’s first career save. His dominant season continues: 0.53 ERA (17 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 23 K)

Tampa (18-20) (Lost to Palm Beach, 5-4)

DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
Perez is 15-for-53 (.283) in May after going 10-for-56 (.179/.373/.196) in April. I’ve said it multiple times: The only thing missing is power. That isn’t concerning as he is 18 years old. You hope he grows into some pop.
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, BB
RF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-5, R, SB (8), 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, R, SB (10), 2 K
Matheus is 13-for-22 (.591) during his 6-game hitting streak. He is an under-the-radar switch-hitting middle infielder prospect.
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, R, K
2B Hans Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI
Sneakily, Montero is up to .278 with a .846 OPS. He is 12-for-33 (.364) in May with four doubles and two home runs.
3B Owen Cobb: 1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI
Cobb has 11 extra-base hits (6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR) in 13 games.
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, 2B (6), R, K
Toole is 7-for-19 (.368) during his 6-game hitting streak. He has four doubles and a triple during the streak. 
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K

RHP Greysen Carter: (L, 1-3)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 1 K
Carter is why the Development List exists. I advocate for continuing to throw kids out there to learn, but he is lost (6.75 ERA in 24 IP with a 25/27 K/BB)
RHP Brandon Decker: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (17 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 20 K)
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
This line defines Sandridge’s career. Looking at the data, Sandridge peaked at 95.8 MPH (averaged 94.2) and generated four whiffs (on 11 pitches) with his slider. The Yankees are trying to unlock the 26-year-old who allows few hits, walks half the ballpark, and strikes out the other half.
RHP Chris Veach: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
1.80 ERA (15 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 26 K). I know Savant isn’t always perfect, but Veach used six different pitches to earn four outs (change, curve, sinker, 4-seamer, cutter, slider). You may ask if Veach was a starter in college. The answer is no, as none of his 57 college appearances (mostly with South Carolina) were starts.
RHP Cade Austin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL (5-6) (Lost to the Blue Jays, 5-1. The Yankees compiled only two hits)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, 2 K
It’s not so bad when one of those hits is a home run by their best prospect at the level. I don’t love the strikeouts for a big prospect repeating the level (27.7%), but his start remains encouraging (.293/.370/.512).
RF Brennen Davis: 1-for-3, K

RHP Jose Rodriguez (L, 0-1): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Jose Martinez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Martinez’s 2025 debut. The Yankees grabbed him after the Red Sox released him in February. Not that DSL numbers tell a full story, but Martinez put together a 45/9 K/BB over 41.1 IP (3.48 ERA) for Boston’s DSL squad last year.
RHP Mariano Salomon: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Franyer Herrera: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Jose Ledesma: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Ledesma’s 2025 debut. Last season, the 22-year-old pitched to a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 IP with a 28/14 K/BB in the DSL.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/16: Jesus Rodriguez is Scorching

Notes:

RHP Clayton Beeter‘s rehab is over. The Yankees have optioned him to Scranton.

The Yankees traded LHP Rob Zastryzny to the Brewers for cash considerations. This is a massive win since I no longer need to type that name. The 33-year-old has pitched for several organizations, including MLB stops with the Cubs, Mets, Angels, and Pirates. This will be his second stint with the Brewers.

He never pitched in MLB for the Yankees. In 13 games for Scranton, he pitched to a 4.50 ERA over 12 innings with a 12/2 K/BB.

LHP Edgar Barclay, who looked like he was making a push to get to MLB a few years ago, was transferred from the 7-day injured list to the Full Season list for Somerset. RHP Luis Velasquez suffered the same fate.

Injury Log

Scranton (20-21) (Lost to Toledo, 6-3)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-5, CS (1), K
This is silly. He has back-to-back 3-hit efforts and is 14-for-31 (.452) during his 8-game hitting streak. Since his promotion: .385/.482/.495 in 112 PA (5 doubles, 3 triples, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 23 R, 5-for-6 SB, 16.1% BB, 12.5% K)
RF Cooper Hummel: 0-for-3, CS (1), BB, 2 K
  CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-0
   PH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-1
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K
.289/.391/.577 in 115 PA. 16 walks in 115 PA this season. 16 walks in 182 PA last year. He is on an 11-game on-base streak (at least one hit in ten of those games)
DH Alex Jackson: 1-for-4, K
1B Dominic Smith: 1-for-4, RBI
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, K
3B Jose Rojas: 2-for-4, 2 2B (10), K
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, 2 K

RHP Jake Woodford (L, 1-2): 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
3.86 ERA (30.1 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 13 ER, 6 HR, 12 BB, 28 K). 
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Colten Brewer: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Somerset (16-20) (Defeated Portland, 4-2, in ten innings. As the home team, you know what that means!)

DH Dylan Jasso: 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, K
Yes, that is what it means:  Jasso hit a walk-off 2-run blast. He has homered in back-to-back games and owns a .271/.329/.504 triple slash in his first taste of Double-A. Hitting him at the top of the lineup all season shows that the Yankees like something about this kid.
3B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, R, BB, 3 K
You don’t see Lombard Jr. have many no-contact games. Sometimes, he will remind you that he is still a teenager.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, R, K
.293/.342/.514 in 152 PA. Flores has slumped in the power department this month, so it’s nice to see him hit one out.
CF Garrett Martin: 0-for-2, SB (6), HBP, K
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-3, 2 K
Morales’s first Double-A hit.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, SB (5), BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Max Burt: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Vrieling’s rehab is over. This is his first start for Somerset this season. He tossed 60 pitches (34 strikes).
RHP Baron Stuart: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jon Olsen: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Olsen’s Somerset debut. It’s his first game in affiliated ball since 2022.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (W, 1-1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
After a slow start, he is pitching better (4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K this month)

Hudson Valley (24-12) (Lost to Aberdeen, 4-3. They scored a pair in the 9th to make it interesting but couldn’t get over the hump)

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-5, 2 K
2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 K
DH Jace Avina: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, 3 K
Avina was activated from the injured list today. He is hitting .305 with a .879 OPS.
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, R, SB (5), 2 BB
Jackson has a 14.6% BB rate and has 102 walks in 637 career plate appearances. He showed he could hit here in a brief audition in 2024, so his slow start is somewhat surprising.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Jose Colmenares: 2-for-4, 2 2B (5), RBI, R, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, HBP, BB, K
  PR Luis Durango: 0-for-0
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K

RHP Josh Grosz: (L, 2-2)  5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
4.18 ERA (28 IP, 24 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 37 K)
RHP Chris Kean: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.10 ERA (16.1 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 14 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.45 ERA (11 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 9 K)

Tampa (18-19)

Scheduled day off.

The Tarpons have won four in a row and are 9-3 in their last 12 as they pulled themselves out of an abyss.

FCL (5-5) (Lost to the Phillies, 15-5)

CF Cam Eden: 1-for-4, SB (2)
DH Brennen Davis: 3-for-4, 2B (2), HR (3), RBI, 2 R, K
OK, get him to Scranton.
LF Brando Mayea: 2-for-4, R
.297/.381/.459 in 43 PA. At this level last year, the 19-year-old bonus baby hit .281/.370/.326 in 154 PA. I would be shocked if he doesn’t make his Low-A debut this year.
2B Luis Escudero: 3-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, R
SS Santiago Gomez: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (2), K

None of the pitching lines warrant inclusion!

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/14: Juan Matheus Goes 6-for-6

Notes:

There is nothing new.

Injury Log

Scranton (20-19) (Defeated Toledo, 5-4)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), R
Since promotion: .358/.471/.469 in 102 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 21 R, 17.6% BB, 11.8% K).  His career triple slash sits at .309/.397/.467 in 1,300 plate appearances. He hits, hits, hits and is on a 6-game hitting streak.
LF Cooper Hummel: 2-for-4, R, SB (1)
DH Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, R, BB
.289/.381/.567 in 105 PA (1 double, 8 HR, 19 RBI, 25 R, 3-for-3 SB, 12.4% BB, 31.4% K). The K% is slowly falling.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
.305/.404/.534 in 141 PA (9 doubles, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 2-for-3 SB, 12.1% BB, 18.4% K).  He is 15-for-31 (.484/.528/.742) in May with a pair of doubles and homers.
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
Since the Yankees claimed him, he has gone 4-for-33 (.121) with a homer, three walks, and 12 strikeouts.
3B Jose Rojas: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
   3B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-1
2B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, SB (3), K
.203/.338/.344 in 78 PA (1 double, 1 triple, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 3-for-3 SB). 
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-3

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
LHP Brent Headrick (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
4.15 ERA (8.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 5 K)
RHP Sean Boyle (S, 1): 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Boyle’s 5th career save. Season: 4.28 ERA (40 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 19 ER, 6 HR, 14 BB, 45 K)

Somerset (14-19)

Their game against Portland was postponed. They will attempt to make it up on June 11th. They have a doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow (makeup of Tuesday’s game).

Hudson Valley (23-10)

Their game against Aberdeen was postponed. They will attempt to play two tomorrow.

Tampa (17-19) (Scored 21 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Palm Beach)

Game 1 (Won, 9-2)

DH Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, R, K
C Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, HR (4), RBI, 2 R
Urena’s first HR since April 19th (at the time, he had hit three HR in four games).
SS Juan Matheus: 4-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Matheus compiles his first career 4-hit game.
RF Austin Green: 2-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, HBP, BB
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, RBI
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, R, K
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, 2B (4), R
3B Owen Cobb: 1-for-3, HR (3), 3 RBI, R, K
9 extra-base hits in 10 games this season (4 (all doubles) in 18 games last year).

LHP Griffin Herring: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
1.40 ERA (38.2 IP, 24 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 48 K). Herring is averaging 87 pitches per start (77 today). 
RHP Gus Hughes (W, 3-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cade Austin: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.21 ERA (14 IP, 14 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 12 K)

Game 2 (Won, 12-4)

C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, R
Watch out once his offensive game (beyond the walks) starts improving.
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
Urena entered the doubleheader 7-for-36 in May. 
CF Dillon Lewis: 3-for-3, 2B (7), HR (5), 2 RBI, 3 R, BB
Lewis is 13-for-42 (.310; 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R) in 11 May contests (.167/.244/.256 in April)
3B Juan Matheus: 2-for-2, 2 SF, 2 RBI, R
Matheus is hitting .291 with a .702 OPS and is 8-for-10 in his last three games (his OPS was .619 before that).
2B Austin Green: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (1), 4 RBI, R, 2 K
Wilson sets a personal best for RBI in a game.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB
LF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
SS Owen Cobb: 2-for-3, R
Cobb didn’t add to his extra-base hit totals, but the raking continues. He is 15-for-35 (.429).

RHP Danny Flatt: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.43 ERA (22.1 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 20 K)
RHP Jack Sokol (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Sokol’s first professional win. Season: 3.55 ERA (12.2 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 12 K)
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
2.75 ERA (19.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)

FCL (5-3)

Day off.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/11: A Day for Pitchers

Notes:

A quiet weekend for notes.

Injury Log

Scranton (19-18) (Rolled past Rochester, 12-0)

DH Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, K
Since promotion: .356/.479/.466 in 94 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 20 R, 5-for-5 SB, 18 BB, 11 K). 20 runs in 21 games. His teammates must appreciate the RBI opportunities.
2B DJ LeMahieu: 1-for-4, RBI, R, CS (1), BB
LeMahieu is 12-for-27 (.444) on his rehab stint. I am unsure when the Yankees will bring him up from his rehab stint, but inserting him into the same picture as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto for the Subway Series will only add to the hype.
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 R, SB (3), BB, 2 K
.287/.376/.575 in 101 PA (1 double, 8 HR, 19 RBI, 24 R, 3-for-3 SB, 11.9% BB, 32.7% K). Like Rodriguez, he creates opportunities for his teammates, as his 24 runs have come in 24 games.
C Alex Jackson: 1-for-3, HR (4), SF, 4 RBI, R, BB, 2 K
Jackson has four home runs in his last eight games.
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-3, R, HBP, 2 K
1B Dominic Smith: 2-for-3, HR (4), SF, 3 RBI, R, K
Smith has homered in back-to-back games and is 10-for-28 (.357) in May.
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, BB
3B Braden Shewmake: 1-for-4, R, SB (2)
SS Andrew Velazquez: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (9), BB

RHP Allan Winans (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
0.00 ERA (19 IP, 13 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 27 K). In the starting pitcher depth chart competition, it’s hard to deny that Winans has impressed the most. The lone negative is that this was the first time he went 5+ innings this season.
LHP Brent Headrick: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Jonathan Loaisiga: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
16 pitches/10 strikes. He has to be close.
RHP Jake Woodford: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.33 ERA (24.1 IP, 27 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 5 HR, 10 BB, 21 K). This is his first relief appearance in 2025.

Somerset (14-19) (Lost to Akron, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, K
4-for-21 since his promotion, with four walks and four strikeouts.
C Rafael Flores: 3-for-4, R
.290/.333/.504 in 104 PA (10 doubles, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 15 R, 3-for-3 SB, 6.4% BB, 31.2% K). I wouldn’t be surprised if Flores, Rule 5 eligible this winter, is traded this summer.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, K
.269/.326/.471 in 129 PA (7 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 18 R, 6.2% BB, 18.6% K). He is on a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-21, 2 doubles, 3 RBI)
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, K
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, SB (2)
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, K
8-for-51 since his promotion (.157/.214/.176 with a double, four walks, and 19 strikeouts)

RHP Bailey Dees: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
4.82 ERA (28 IP, 27 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 33 K). Solid performance for Dees, who hopefully can get on a roll.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Kelly Austin (L, 1-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
His season won’t be perfect: 1.69 ERA (10.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 K)

Hudson Valley (23-9) (Defeated Wilmington, 9-1. They take 5-out-of-6 in the series by a 45-10 margin)

CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-2, 2 R, SB (14), 3 BB, K
.248/.360/.407 in 136 PA (5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 26 R, 14-for-17 SB, 13.97% BB, 17.6% K). He’s doing what you want leadoff hitters to do.
2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Riggio won’t overwhelm you with power, but he has sneaky pop (43 extra-base hits in 2024 (27 doubles, 5 triples, 11 HR)). 
3B Parks Harber: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, BB, 2 K
Since promotion: .333/.396/.521 in 53 PA. He is on a 7-game hitting streak (11-for-32, 3 doubles, 1 HR)
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, R, BB, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-5, 3 K
.264/.364/.445 in 129 PA. Martinez is 0-for-8 since his insane hitting streak, which is as baseball as baseball can be.
DH Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, R, SB (3), CS (1), 2 BB, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, BB
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, 2B (3), R, BB, 2 K
Hall is on a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-20)

RHP Bryce Cunningham (W, 4-1): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
1.98 ERA (36.1 IP, 28 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 38 K). Cunningham continues to cruise (he allowed five runs in the first inning on 4/13. Beyond that, nobody has touched him)
RHP Chris Kean: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.32 ERA (13.2 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 12 K)
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Tony Rossi:  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Between here and Tampa: 12.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 18 K. I think Somerset will call his name sometime this season.

Tampa (14-19) (Lost to Daytona, 2-1)

C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, BB
.202/.377/.234 in 122 PA (3 doubles, 10 RBI, 13 R, 3-for-3 SB, 19.7% BB, 22.95% K). I don’t expect an 18-year-old to show off big power in Low-A. There is a good chance he will be here for two seasons.
LF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, 2 K
.200/.273/.382 in 121 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 17 R, 7-for-8 SB, 8.3% BB, 28.9% K). 
3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, SB (9)
.237/.318/.301 in 110 PA (6 doubles, 15 RBI, 9 R, 9-for-13 SB, 11.8% BB, 21.8% K). 
2B Austin Green: 0-for-2, SB (4), 2 BB
DH Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, K
1B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (3), CS (2)
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-2, 3B (3), R, BB
.292/.387/.415 in 75 PA (2 doubles, 3 triples, 5 RBI, 12 R, 7-for-7 SB, 13.3% BB, 28% K).  He has six multi-hit efforts in his last 12 games.
SS Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, RBI, K
Cobb’s .500 pace is over!  He is now 11-for-25.

RHP Gage Ziehl: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
4.08 ERA (17.2 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 9 K). This was his first start since making an emergency start for Somerset. Hopefully, he can build off this effort.
RHP Cade Austin: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Brady Kirtner (L, 2-1): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
Kirtner struck out four in a row before allowing a walk-off HR. Season: 1.93 ERA (18.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 18 K)

FCL (4-2)

Day off.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/1: Griffin Herring Ks 11

Notes:

The Yankees claimed OF Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from the Braves. In a corresponding move, Giancarlo Stanton was moved to the 60-day IL.

De La Cruz is a one-dimensional power hitter. In 2024, with the Marlins and Pirates, he hit .233/.271/.384 with 21 home runs in 622 plate appearances. This year, the power hasn’t shown up in a small sample size, as he didn’t homer in 50 PA for the Braves. De La Cruz is meh defensively, rating strongly with his arm but not with his range.  He has experience at all three outfield positions. Speed-wise, he rates out fine on Baseball Savant and is 15-for-19 (78.9%) stealing bases in his career.

My take:  The Yankees are looking for right-handed pop, so adding De La Cruz as a depth piece makes sense. It’s a zero-risk move. As a prospect guy, I hope Everson Pereira is above him on the depth chart, but nothing wrong with depth chart competition.

RHP Huey Morrill was promoted from Hudson Valley to Somerset. Morrill owned a 0.93 ERA in seven games for Hudson Valley with a 6/4 K/BB over 9.2 innings.

The FCL season starts on Saturday. I cover the FCL/DSL for those new to this report, but not as extensively as the other levels. For example, you won’t get daily lineups except on (maybe) Opening Day.

Infielder DJ LeMahieu is scheduled to resume his rehab stint on Friday.

Injury Log

Scranton (15-14) (Outslugged Syracuse, 19-8. The Railriders compiled 23 hits, with eight hitters accomplishing multi-hit efforts.)

CF Ismael Munguia: 3-for-5, RBI, 3 R, SB (7), BB
.255/.373/.382 in 128 PA
DH Everson Pereira: 2-for-5, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI, 3 R, BB, K
Pereira tends to go on home run binges from time to time.  This is his 10th career multi-home run game (including a 3-HR effort on September 5, 2021)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 4-for-5, RBI, 3 R, BB
.272/.387/.489. He has broken free of his 1-for-24 slump.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-6, 3 R
Rodriguez has five multi-hit games in 14 contests since his promotion, including three 3-hit games. For Scranton, he is hitting .388/.500/.490 and, during his 6-game hitting streak, he is 13-for-24.  Red hot.
RF Dominic Smith: 2-for-6, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
3B Jose Rojas: 3-for-6, 3 HR (6), 8 RBI, 3 R
Rojas’s first career 3-HR game. He also set a new personal record for RBI in a game.
2B Jake Gatewood: 3-for-6, RBI, 2 K
Gatewood is 7-for-28 with a homer and 7 RBI since his promotion.
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4), RBI, R, 2 BB, K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-6, R, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
6.48 ERA (25 IP, 30 H, 18 R, 18 ER, 3 HR, 15 BB, 23 K)
RHP Kervin Castro: (W, 3-0)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
1.10 ERA (16.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 19 K)
RHP Colten Brewer: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (11-13) (Lost to Richmond, 5-1)

3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, BB, K
DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, SB (6), BB, K
.235/.375/.553 in 104 PA. Overall, in Double-A, his triple slash is .256/.342/.461 in 163 games with 34 doubles, 6 triples, 28 HR, 102 RBI, 101 runs, and 39 stolen bases in 52 attempts.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-2, 2B (4), R, SB (9), 2 BB
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, BB, K
CF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (4), BB
Martin has seven walks in his last three games and four extra-base hits (2 doubles, 2 HR) in his last five games. Before this run, his triple slash was .174/.333/.348. Now, it is .210/.388/.468.
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, RBI, K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 2-2) 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
2.33 ERA (27 IP, 22 H, 12 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 29 K).  He hadn’t allowed more than one earned run in a start this season (allowed 6 runs, but only one earned, on 4/17)
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Morrill’s Double-A debut.

Hudson Valley (16-8) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 9-2)

RF Brendan Jones: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, BB, K
There goes the .500 OBP! Bust!  Lombard has reached base safely in 21 of 22 games and has drawn a walk in five straight contests.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
LF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
His insane 8-game hitting streak, where he averaged two hits per game, is over.
3B Parks Harber: 1-for-4, K
Harber is 5-for-12 since his promotion 
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, R, BB
.228/.319/.291 in 91 PA. The lack of power (2 doubles, 1 HR) is the most surprising thing in his profile (15 doubles, 13 HR, .404 SLG in 104 games here last year)
DH Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, 2 BB

RHP Josh Grosz (L, 1-1): 4.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
6.06 ERA (16.1 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 22 K)
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.05 ERA (6.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 6 K). Keating has 184 strikeouts in 142.1 career innings. However, he has walked 76.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (9-15) (Lost to Bradenton, 1-0)

C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4
.183/.367/.200 in 79 PA (21.5% BB, 25.3% K)
DH Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, HBP, BB
.173/.337/.320 in 95 PA (15.8% BB, 21.1% K)
LF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, 2 K
Lewis’s rough start continues (.159/.233/.241 in 90 PA).
2B Austin Green: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, SB (5), CS (3), BB, 2 K
CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, HBP
Montero’s first career game at first base. 
3B Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Griffin Herring: (L, 3-1)  6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, HR
Tough luck loss. Season: 0.60 ERA (30 IP, 17 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 39 K). Herring generated 26 whiffs with his slider (8 whiffs)/sinker (7)/changeup (8)/4-seamer (3) combination. What do I make of the 21-year-old’s start?  What is there to say? This is domination for last year’s 6th-round pick out of LSU, and he could/should find himself in Hudson Valley relatively soon.
RHP Cade Austin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Chris Veach: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 18 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 4/20: Spencer Jones Homers

Notes:

RHP Zach Greene, who was on the Development List, is no longer with the organization. The 28-year-old Greene was drafted by the Yankees in the 8th round in the 2019 draft (South Alabama). In December 2022, the Mets selected Greene in the Rule 5 draft. However, he was returned to the Yankees before the start of the 2023 campaign.

RHP Clayton Beeter is back. He began his rehab assignment in Low-A Tampa. Beeter is on the 15-day IL and has a pair of options left. Hence, when he is ready, the Yankees can option him to Scranton if need be.

Injury Log

Scranton (11-9) (Lost to Durham, 4-3)

CF Ismael Munguia: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R, BB
Munguia’s first HR as a member of the Yankees’ organization (27th in 533 career games)
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, SB (4), BB
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, RBI, R, SB (3), 3 BB
Rodriguez’s third career 3 BB game.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-5, 4 K
LF Dominic Smith: 1-for-5
2B Jose Rojas: 2-for-4
The 32-year-old plays almost everywhere, but this is his first game at 2B since 2022.
DH Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-3, 3 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-2, R, BB
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-2, SAC, 2 K

RHP Erick Leal: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
4.66 ERA (19.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 24 K). 
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 7 K
LHP Tyler Matzek: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Brent Headrick: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: (L, 1-1) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Somerset (6-9) (Lost to Altoona, 9-3)

2B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, R, 2 K
Jones leads the Eastern League with six home runs.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, R, K
Flores has 18 homers in 80 Double-A games.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-4
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R
Gabrielson’s first home run since August 30, 2023 (zero HR in 82 games last year)
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, 2 K
Gomez is 2-for-15 with seven strikeouts since his promotion.

RHP Trent Sellers: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
4.15 ERA (13 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 17 K). Sellers has allowed four HR in 96.2 career innings (0.37 HR/9)
RHP Luis Pacheco: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Ryan Anderson (L, 0-1): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Danny Watson: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
A tough night for the middle of the bullpen.
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (11-4) (Defeated Wilmington, 3-1)

CF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K
Tough start to Avina’s season (.190/.364/.214). He is taking some walks, which is good at least.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K
.302/.466/.442 in 58 PA (1 double, 1 triple, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 11 R, 7-for-8 SB, 20.7% BB, 22.4% K).  His .466 OBP leads the South Atlantic League.
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RBI
.241/.305/.270 in 59 PA.
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-2, CS (1), BB, K
3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, K
Moylan’s first career game in the outfield. 
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, SB (1)

LHP Kyle Carr: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Carr tossed 62 pitches. He owns a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings (7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 11 K)
RHP Huey Morrill: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Hayden Merda (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
After making 20 starts for Tampa in 2023, he has been used as a short reliever in 2025 (missed the entire 2024 season, so they might just be building him up)
RHP Cole Ayers (S, 2): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

Tampa (7-8) (Lost to St. Lucie, 8-2. St. Lucie (Mets) starter Raimon Gomez averaged 100.1 MPH with his 4-seamer, topping out at 102.3. Like Greysen Carter, controlling that nastiness is the project.)

C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-1, 4 BB, K
His second career 4 BB game helps the OBP (.159/.351/.182 in 57 PA). Last 3 games: 3-for-9 with 7 walks.
RF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-5, RBI, SB (3), 3 K
.255/.305/.418 in 59 PA (5 doubles, 2 triples, 5 RBI, 3 R, 3-for-4 sB, 6.8% BB, 30.5% K)
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
.174/.361/.413 in 61 PA (2 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R, 2-for-3 SB, 19.7% BB, 24.6% K). Urena has hit safely in six of his last seven games and has reached base safely in all 13 games.
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-4, K
LF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, SB (4), K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-4, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 4 K
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4), R, K
Matheus, hitting .087 on April 16th, is 5-for-10 in his last three games and is now hitting .212/.349/.333.
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-4, RBI, R, K

RHP Gage Ziehl: (L, 0-1)  2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
The Yankees loaded up on talented arms in last year’s draft. There will be growing pains at times. Ziehl likes to throw his cutter but is dialing up the 4-seamer as high as 95.2 MPH.
RHP Chris Veach: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Beeter averaged 97 MPH with his 4-seam fastball (topped out at 97.9).
RHP Sean Hermann: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Cade Austin: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 8/13: Jackson Castillo: 2 HR, 7 RBI

News:

Former farmhand Andres Chaparro made his debut for the Washington Nationals tonight. He hit three doubles as Washington helped the Yankees by beating the Orioles.

Chaparro spent several years in the Yankees organization before being lost to minor league free agency to the Arizona Diamondbacks last winter. The Diamondbacks traded him to the Nationals at the trade deadline.

A rebuilding team like Washington is a perfect spot for a prospect like Chaparro, who should get playing time over the next several weeks in an attempt to establish himself as a piece of the Nationals’ future. Good luck to him.

While the Yankees could have tried him as they struggled to hit, I don’t consider it a missed opportunity. The Rule 5 and minor league free agency exist for a reason – to give blocked players like Chaparro a chance to perform elsewhere. One game doesn’t define whether the Yankees made a mistake or not. I hope he has a productive MLB career.

Scranton (65-48) (Defeated Buffalo, 6-4)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, SB (14), BB, 2 K
Vivas is likely on a potential call-up list, but they didn’t use him in a series against the Orioles before the All-Star Break. I think they’ll leave him down here.  Plus, if they want someone who can handle 3B, there are questions about Vivas playing there.
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Durbin has homered in back-to-back games. He is hitting .301/.421/.480 in 242 PA at this level. He should be considered for MLB playing time. However, the easiest solution will be Oswald Peraza. 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, RS, K
Dominguez is 8-for-51 since coming back from his latest injury.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (17), K
Peraza has hit better lately (5-game hitting streak, though it features only one hit per game). His 40-man roster status benefits him.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, 2B (20), RBI, RS, CS (3), BB
Rumfield is 7-for-30 with 10 walks in August.
DH Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, RBI, K
RF Cam Eden: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (27)
Speed is his game.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, BB
LF Greg Allen: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 2-6) 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Scott Effross (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Effross is starting to string together some scoreless outings, but it comes down to how his stuff looks, not statistics. Once he is ready, they aren’t going to hold him back.

Somerset (54-54) (Defeated Hartford, 6-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, K
Jones is 12-for-36 (.333) in August (3 doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI).
C Jose Trevino: 0-for-2
   C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, 2B (8), K
Flores has 8 doubles and 9 HR in 38 games since his promotion.
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, HR (5), 4 RBI, RS
Rodriguez, who has homered in back-to-back games, turns a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead with a grand slam in the 8th inning. He is hitting .239/.301/.463 in 73 PA since his promotion and .309/.386/.496 with 10 HR and 46 RBI overall. In addition to the bat, he is versatile (games at 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, and C this season).
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, RS, 2 SB (14)
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
DH Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, RS, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RBI
2B Max Burt: 1-for-2, RS, SB (6), BB

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 9-7)  7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
5.07 ERA (119 IP, 120 H, 70 R, 67 ER, 11 HR, 38 BB, 108 K). In his two August starts: 12 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 11 K. The Yankees sent him straight to Double-A, never pitching at any other level. That comes with many challenges, and Vrieling has done well enough to meet those challenges.
RHP Danny Watson: (S, 1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
6.15 ERA (26.1 IP, 28 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 17 K). I consider 2024 to be a rehab season for Watson, but he still has a month to end on a strong note.

Hudson Valley (56-51) (Smoked Hickory, 13-0)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-5, 2 K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, HBP, 2 K
Since promotion: 1-for-25. What do they do about this? The answer is simple: Keep throwing him out there.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-1, 2 RS, HBP, 2 BB
  PH-1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-1, 2B (12), RBI
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-1, 3 RS, 2 HBP, 2 BB
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, 3B (1), HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Since promotion: 6-for-19 (2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 3 RBI). Jasso has 10 HR and 57 RBI between here and Tampa.
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-4, 2 HR (2), 7 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Castillo sets a personal best for RBI in a game, a mark he may never top (7 RBI is hard!). Since his promotion, he is 8-for-21 (2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 11 RBI). He is one of their most consistent prospects in 2024.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 3-for-5, HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 RS
LF Anthony Hall: 2-for-3, 2 BB
Hall has four multi-hit efforts in his last nine games.

LHP Kyle Carr: (W, 1-6) 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Carr, in his debut season, earns his first professional win. Season: 5.13 ERA (86 IP, 80 H, 58 R, 49 ER, 5 HR, 50 BB, 80 K).  Last 5 games: 24 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 25 K. This is a sign of a pitcher figuring things out.
RHP Kelly Austin: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since being acquired: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.35 ERA (37.2 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 52 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (43-63) (Lost to Clearwater, 7-2)

CF Brandon Jones: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
Jones is 5-for-15 with 6 walks to begin his professional career.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
Arias is 5-for-36 with 7 walks and 15 strikeouts in August.
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, RS, K
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, 2 K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-4, K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, RS, 2 SB (31), BB, K
31-for-37 in the stolen base category. He is hitting .256/.363/.328 in 372 PA.
DH Joe Delossantos: 0-for-1, HBP, 2 BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-2, HBP

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 1-5)  4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Not a fun night for Rodriguez, who allowed three inherited runners to score.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-33) (Lost to the DSL Mets Orange, 7-1)

1B Luis Puello: 2-for-4, RS
.342/.430/.514 in 128 PA. The 18-year-old has shown vast improvement over his debut 2023 season.
CF Isael Arias: 1-for-4, 3B (2), RBI

RHP Luis Burgos: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers (29-21) (Defeated the DSL Mets Blue, 9-5)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
DH Queni Pineda: 3-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS
.252/.427/.395 in 157 PA (8 doubles, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 22.9% BB, 23.6% K)
SS Christofer Reyes: 2-for-5, 2B (5), HR (1), 4 RBI, RS, K
The 16-year-old blasts his first professional home run (.239/.335/.312; 16-for-25 SB)
C Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
LF Browm Martinez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
2B Juan Araujo: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
  2B Luis Suarez: 2-for-2, 2B (3), RBI

LHP Franyer Herrera (W, 4-1): 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
2.23 ERA (44.1 IP, 36 H, 16 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 58 K)
RHP Jose Rosario (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K