Yankees MILB 8/16: Jasson Dominguez: 3 Hits, HR

News:

Yes, I saw the quotes from OF Ben Ruta, a former Yankees farmhand who is exposing some of the inner workings down on the farm.

I am not someone who is going to go crazy over a former prospect lashing out. While I don’t think he is lying, there could be some exaggeration for effect. I would love to hear more stories from prospects who played in the system around the same timeframe to verify the claims.

Back in the old days, we would never just take one person’s word for it. You would interview multiple people to verify the claims being made. That is all I am asking for.

Ruta had a couple of solid seasons in the Yankees system but eventually faded away. He did play for the Padres’ system in 2021, hitting .178 in 76 games before being released. No word on who is blamed for that.

Scranton (55-58; 21-18 in the second half) (Lost to Worcester, 8-1)

RF Franchy Cordero0-for-4, K
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-4, K
LF Everson Pereira1-for-4, 2 K
Pereira is in a little 2-for-16 slump (8 K)
C Austin Wells1-for-4, K, SB (2)
Wells is now 39-for-39 stealing bases in his career. Since promotion: .253/.344/.386 in 96 PA (8 doubles, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 8 R, 10 BB, 23 K, 2-for-2 SB)
1B Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Since promotion: .258/.391/.421 in 235 PA. Narvaez is a Rule 5 eligible C/1B who is hitting well in the upper minors. There are only so many players you can protect and I would guess he is on the borderline.
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-3, 2 K
DH Jake Lamb1-for-3, 2 K
CF Michael Hermosillo0-for-3
SS Wilmer Difo1-for-3, HR (4), RBI, RS, K

RHP Clayton Beeter (L, 1-4): 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Since promotion: 6.31 ERA (35.2 IP, 35 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 10 HR, 19 BB, 42 K)
RHP Aaron McGarity1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
LHP Josh Maciejewski1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Between here, Somerset, and Hudson Valley: 2.57 ERA in 28 IP (27 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 32 K)
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Nick Ramirez1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (65-44; 23-18 in the second half) (Tripled up Reading, 9-3)

LF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-5, 2B (15), HR (14), RBI, RS, 2 K
.244/.361/.395 in 485 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 77 R, 75 BB (15.5%), 125 K (25.8%), 36-for-43 SB). Dominguez is 21-for-59 (.356) in August
C Ben Rice1-for-5, HR (9), RBI, RS, 2 K
Rice has homered in back-to-back games and in four of his last six games. He has 13 HR, 48 RBI, and 40 runs in 48 games across three levels (his ten games for Tampa were rehab games). 
DH Agustin Ramirez0-for-5, 2 K
Jumping three levels in one year is tough. This is a great experience for Ramirez. I won’t tell you to ignore the numbers – I will tell you how valuable this experience is for him, regardless of where his Double-A numbers land at the end of the season.
CF Elijah Dunham0-for-5, 2 K
1B Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RS, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler1-for-2, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB, HBP
.171/.335/.253 in 218 PA. For the second straight season, he has more walks (43) than strikeouts (40). That is impressive, but we need to see more of a hit tool.
3B Max Burt0-for-4, RS, HBP, 2 K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
RF Aaron Palensky2-for-3, 2B (10), HR (7), 3 RBI, RS, HBP, K
Palensky, who has topped the organization’s wRC+ leaderboard most of the year, has 19 doubles, 19 HR, 56 RBI, and 63 runs scored between here and Hudson Valley. He is trying to finish strong (8-for-26 in August with three doubles and two homers)

RHP Yoendrys Gomez4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Gomez sets a new personal best for strikeouts in a game. He owns a 3.14 ERA in 43 IP (29 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 24 BB, 51 K). The Yankees have stored him on the 40-man roster for a few years now – more for his projection as he hasn’t stayed healthy. He is one to watch this winter.
RHP Tanner Myatt0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 2-0)  2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.24 ERA (41.2 IP, 37 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 41 K). He hasn’t allowed a run in five August appearances (6 IP)

Hudson Valley (61-49; 22-22 in the second half) (Knocked down Brooklyn, 7-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (27), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (32)
Jones has two 3-hit games in his last four games played and 13 such games in 2023 (including a 4-hit game). I get that some wish he had more than 12 HR in 94 games, but he is earning his extra-base hits and showing off his athleticism with the stolen bases. The home run stroke should come with maturity.
RF Anthony Hall1-for-3, 2B (4), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Since promotion: 6-for-28. He has hit safely in four straight games after starting off 0-for-10 at this level.
SS Jared Serna0-for-4, HBP, K
Serna’s 10-game hitting streak is snapped. He is 9-for-32 (.281) since his promotion.
C Jesus Rodriguez0-for-3, BB, HBP, K
Rodriguez is 8-for-23 with six walks since his promotion.
2B Alexander Vargas1-for-5, RBI, K
DH Antonio Gomez0-for-5, K
3B Ben Cowles0-for-1, RS, 3 BB, K, SB (17)
.261/.358/.414 in 371 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 50 R, 44 BB, 104 K, 17-for-20 SB). He is 14-for-39 with 11 walks in August.
LF Christopher Familia0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB
1B Rafael Flores0-for-3, RS, BB

RHP Justin Lange: (W, 1-0) 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
A very impressive High-A debut for Lange, who has all the talent in the world. He just needs to harness it (I say that as if it is so easy). Between here and Tampa, he has 123 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. The issue is the 56 walks.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Tampa (53-57; 22-22 in the second half) (Held off Daytona Beach, 8-6)

DH Roc Riggio0-for-2, 2 RBI, 4 BB, K
A pair of RBI walks for Riggio, who is 4-for-18 with nine walks and seven strikeouts at this level.
1B Kiko Romero0-for-2, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K
Sheesh, the top of the order set the table tonight, eh? Yet, neither scored a run. Anyway, Romero (who also had a pair of RBI walks) has six walks in his last two games. We should see college kids adjust to Low-A pretty quickly.
C Omar Martinez1-for-5, 2 RBI
Martinez is up to 62 RBI, which ranks him second in the league (former teammate Jared Serna still leads the way at 71)
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-4, RS, 2 K
CF Daury Arias1-for-5, RS
RF Garrett Martin0-for-4, RS, HBP, 3 K
LF Cole Gabrielson1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
Gabrielson with his first career SB.
2B Beau Brewer1-for-2, 3 RS, 3 BB, K
August: 13-for-35 with eight walks and four strikeouts. Remember that Brewer is only 21 – it is easy to think that he is older as he was drafted out of college, but it was a JUCO.
3B Jose Colmenares0-for-2, RBI, RS, 3 BB, K

RHP Cam Schlittler3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
At this level: 4.09 ERA (11 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 10 K). This is obvious a “get your feet wet” season for Schlittler.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: (W, 2-0) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 10.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 15 K
RHP Adam Stone1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Stone’s first performance since July 19th.
RHP Anderson Munoz0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Henriguez loaded the bases with nobody out in the 9th, but got out of it.

FCL Yankees (30-20)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (31-16) (Lost to LAD Bautista, 9-8. This was the conclusion of a suspended game from 7/27)

I am not going to dig too deeply into the numbers.

CF Brando Mayea was 1-for-2. He was pulled for a pinch runner, but I believe that was back on 7/27, not today…DH Josue Gonzalez doubled, walked, and scored a pair of runs. He has 13 doubles in 30 games…LF Jhon Imbert compiled a double, swatted a sacrifice fly, and drove home three…

DSL Bombers (24-25) (Defeated Arizona Red, 7-4. This was the conclusion of a suspended game from 7/26)

3B Gabriel Terrero went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk…LF David Beckles drove home three and drew a pair of walks…

RHP Jose Julian Rodriguez2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 8/2: Randy Vasquez Ks 11

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (48-53; 14-13 in the second half) (Defeated Rochester, 8-1)

LF Oswaldo Cabrera2-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, 3 RS
Cabrera is 6-for-18 with a pair of homers in his last four games.
SS Oswald Peraza1-for-4, RS, BB, K
DH Austin Wells1-for-2, RBI, 3 BB, K
It is nice to see Wells reach base four times. It is the first time this season he has drawn three walks (not that it is an easy feat)
CF Everson Pereira2-for-4, 3B (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Since promotion: .337/.370/.593 in 92 PA with 25 runs batted in.
3B Andres Chaparro2-for-4, K
RF Franchy Cordero1-for-4, 2 RBI
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-3, RS, BB, K
1B Jake Lamb0-for-3, BB, 3 K
2B Jamie Westbrook2-for-4, RS

RHP Randy Vasquez: (W, 3-8) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, HR
Vasquez ties his personal best (set in August 2021) for strikeouts in a game.
RHP Jonathan Loaisiga1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
As long as he is feeling fine, one has to assume he will be back in pinstripes shortly.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Greg Weissert1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (58-38; 16-12 in the second half) (Lost to Akron, 4-2)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-3, BB, SB (16)
He left the game early – not sure why, though it wasn’t long after an “injury delay” following his stolen base.
  LF Anthony Seigler0-for-0, BB
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, 2 K, SB (30)
Dominguez is the first Yankees’ farmhand to reach 30 stolen bases this season. Dominguez has reached .230 for the first time in 2023.
LF-1B Elijah Dunham1-for-5, 2B (5), RS, 3 K
C Ben Rice0-for-3, HBP
1B-3B Mickey Gasper1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
DH Josh Breaux1-for-4, 2B (3)
2B Aaron Palensky1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, 2 K
Palensky’s first career game at second base.
RF Jeisson Rosario1-for-3, 2B (14), BB
3B-SS Max Burt1-for-4, K

RHP Chase Hampton5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Hampton struggled early before throwing better over his final three innings. Since promotion: 4.43 ERA (44.2 IP, 40 H, 25 R, 22 ER, 7 HR, 17 BB, 52 K). Overall, Hampton is up to 91.2 innings in his debut season.
RHP Danny Watson2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 1.14 ERA (23,2 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 26 K)
RHP Alex Mauricio1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (55-43; 16-15 in the second half) (Shut down Wilmington, 3-0)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, RS, BB, SB (26)
.265/.337/.465. He is 5-for-5 stealing bases in his last nine games.
2B Ben Cowles1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, CS (2)
DH Agustin Ramirez0-for-3, BB, K
Ramirez has a 17-game on-base streak.
1B Rafael Flores0-for-3, BB
C Antonio Gomez0-for-4, 3 K
LF Anthony Garcia0-for-1, SF, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (4)
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4
RF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, HR (11), RBI, RS
.195/.294/.372 in 269 PA. He has homered in back-to-back games. Richardson has a .241 BABIP and can take some walks – but the hit tool has been inconsistent overall.
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-4, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 1-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Stuart, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, is impressive in his High-A debut.
RHP Mason Vinyard1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 3.06 ERA (17.2 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 18 K)
RHP Harrison Cohen1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 2.25 ERA (28 IP, 21 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 35 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 6): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
2.14 ERA (46.1 IP, 26 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 16 BB, 70 K). How dominant is he? This is his first game without a strikeout since June 11th (13 straight games with a strikeout before tonight)

Tampa (46-51; 15-16 in the second half) (Lost to Bradenton, 3-2)

SS Jared Serna1-for-5, K
C Jesus Rodriguez2-for-3, 2B (15), RS, BB
.298/.375/.432. Rodriguez has been pretty consistent since Day 1.
DH Anthony Hall1-for-4, 2B (10), RS, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan0-for-4, RBI, 3 K
Professional debut for the undrafted Moylan. He is a 21-year-old 6’4″ left-handed bat out of East Carolina who hit .302/.412/.587 with 15 HR and 70 RBI for the Pirates this past season. The 70 RBI topped the American Athletic Conference. The Yankees signed him for a bonus of $150,000, which is $25,000 more than you can sign a player for without penalty (in this case, the $25,000 simply went against their bonus pool). In other words, this isn’t your typical undrafted free agent – there was some demand for his services.
3B Kiko Romero2-for-4, RBI
A solid Low-A debut for this year’s 7th-round pick out of Arizona.
2B Brenny Escanio1-for-3, BB, K
CF Daury Arias0-for-3, BB, K
RF Jared Wegner0-for-4, 3 K
Wegner, drafted in the 9th round out of Arkansas, is a 24-year-old right-handed bat.
LF Garrett Martin2-for-4, K
Bounces back nicely from his 0-for-5 professional debut.

RHP Justin Lange5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Last two starts: 11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 18 K. The talent is tantalizing – can he consistently find the strike zone? He now has 110 strikeouts in 69 innings (51 walks)
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 5-8)  3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.64 ERA (47 IP, 45 H, 25 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 23 BB, 67 K)

FCL Yankees (24-15)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (24-14)

Day off.

DSL Bombers (19-20) 

Day off.

Yankees MILB 7/26: Agustin Ramirez is on Fire

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (45-50; 11-9 in the second half) (Lost to Buffalo, 14-2)

LF Estevan Florial1-for-5, HR (22), RBI, RS, 2 K
His leadoff blast put the Railriders up 1-0 – it was downhill from there. He is on a 6-game hitting streak and is hitting .327/.424/.571 in July.
SS Oswaldo Cabrera1-for-4, K
CF Everson Pereira0-for-4, 3 K
DH Austin Wells1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, BB, K
Overall season: .233/.323/.431 in 303 PA (16 doubles, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 32 R, 34 BB, 71 K, 5-for-5 SB)
RF Franchy Cordero2-for-4, K
C Carlos Narvaez1-for-2, SF, RBI, BB
Narvaez now has a 10-game hitting streak (12-for-36; .333)
1B Jake Lamb1-for-4
2B Jesus Bastidas0-for-4, 2 K
.255/.318/.412 in 296 PA. Starts: 35 at SS; 30 at 2B; 8 at 3B.
3B Wilmer Difo0-for-2, 2 BB, K

LHP Tanner Tully (L, 5-5): 2.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Deivi Garcia2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
4.97 ERA (41.2 IP, 43 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 7 HR, 29 BB, 41 K)
RHP Zac Houston2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR

Somerset (54-36; 12-10 in the second half) (Lost to Bowie, 6-5)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-5, 2 K
Sweeney now has a 9-game hitting streak.
DH Willie Calhoun1-for-5
LF Jasson Dominguez0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
I am not sure if Hardman will ever have a low strikeout rate – so adding in some value through walks will be imperative if he wants to reach his big-league potential. 
CF Elijah Dunham0-for-4, K
C Ben Rice0-for-3, RS, BB, K
Since promotion: 10-for-20 (1 double, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K)
1B Mickey Gasper2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, RS, K
2B Max Burt: 3-for-3, 2 2B (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Burt has four doubles in his last five games.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-4, 2B (9), 2 RBI, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 8 K, HR
4.54 ERA since his promotion (39.2 IP, 35 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 6 HR, 14 BB, 48 K). Overall, he owns a 125/30 K/BB over 86.2 IP. It is easy to forget that this is Hampton’s first professional season.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Mauricio1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
4.09 ERA (33 IP, 34 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 34 K)
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (L, 0-2) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR

Hudson Valley (52-39; 13-12 in the second half) (Shut down Hickory, 7-0)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-5, 2B (23), RS, K, SB (23)
Jones now has a 7-game hitting streak that features three doubles and a pair of home runs. He is hitting .275/.345/.484 in 357 PA with a 29.97% K rate. 
2B Ben Cowles1-for-4, RS, HBP, 2 K, SB (12)
DH Agustin Ramirez2-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Ramirez has homered in three straight games and in four of his last five contests. He has ten multi-hit games in 19 games since his promotion. Just pure dominant play and I can see him getting his feet wet in Somerset this year if he keeps this up. He is what you would call an exploding prospect at 21 years old.
LF Christopher Familia1-for-4, HR (4), 4 RBI, RS
Familia has homered in three straight games and has 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 39 games between here and Tampa. 
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-4, K
1B Spencer Henson1-for-3, HR (11), RBI, RS, BB
Henson sets a new personal best for HR in a season (he has 21 HR in 134 games over the last two seasons)
C Antonio Gomez3-for-4, K
I know following prospects can often turn into a “flavor of the month” but Ramirez has moved ahead of Gomez on the catching depth chart, I assume. That said, Gomez is a no-doubt-about-it catcher who still has time to grow. He is hitting .243/.307/.343. While he is Rule 5 eligible, it is highly doubtful anyone will touch him.
RF Aldenis Sanchez1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
3B Marcos Cabrera0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Brendan Beck3.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Beck loaded the bases with nobody out at one point…struck out the next two hitters before inducing a popup. At this level: 0.60 ERA in 15 IP (13 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 16 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez (W, 1-1): 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 3.63 ERA (17.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 20 K)
RHP Jack Neely: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
With Danny Watson and Bailey Dees up in Somerset, Neely must be wondering when it will be his turn. He owns a 2.28 ERA in 43.1 IP (24 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 67 K)

Tampa (44-48; 13-13 in the second half) (Knocked out Dunedin, 8-2)

2B Jared Serna0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
.287/.356/.493 in 399 PA. 
C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-5, SB (14)
.296/.368/.434 in 311 PA. His offensive production has been consistent throughout 2023. As for the catching thing, I am not sure what the Yankees think of him behind the plate. They move him around the field, though 3B has been his other primary position.
1B Omar Martinez2-for-5, 2B (10), HR (11), 2 RBI, 2 RS
.250/.367/.438 in 286 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 38 R, 42 BB, 80 K). 
SS Brenny Escanio1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K
CF Daury Arias1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K
LF Jake Palmer3-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, K
Palmer has three 3-hit games in July. 
DH Ronny Rojas1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI
RF Felix Negueis0-for-2, RS, BB, HBP
3B Jose Colmenares0-for-2, 2 BB, K, CS (1)

RHP Justin Lange: (W, 1-3) 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
This is the kind of line you dream of with Lange – because if he ever unlocks himself, this is his potential. Anyway, he now owns a 4.92 ERA in 64 IP (44 H, 39 R, 35 ER, 7 HR, 51 BB, 102 K)
RHP Montana Semmel2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Semmel hit 95.6 on the gun tonight.
RHP Cole Ayers1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.98 ERA (40.2 IP, 40 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 3 HR, 14 BB, 56 K). Ayers threw five different pitches in his short outing (sinker, 4-seam, cutter, slider, change). 

FCL Yankees (19-14) 

Day off.

DSL Yankees (22-13) (Lost the completion of a suspended game to the Blue Jays, 7-2. The game ended after only five innings)

I am not going to dig too much into the box score from this game – most of what happened occurred days ago.

CF Brando Mayea0-for-3, K
C Josue Gonzalez2-for-2, RS, SB (5)
.393/.571/.689 in 91 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 20 R, 24 BB, 11 K, 5-for-7 SB)

DSL Bombers (17-18) (Trail Arizona Red, 4-3, in the third inning. The game was suspended due to lightning)

Again, not going to focus much on what has happened thus far in this one.

CF Richard Meran2-for-2, RS
3B Gabriel Terrero1-for-1, RS, BB
LF David Beckles1-for-1, 2B (6), 3 RBI, BB

Yankees MILB 7/2: Jack Neely Ks 7 Straight

News:

Due to the fact that MILB had both Monday and Tuesday off this past week, teams will be playing tomorrow (Monday is typically an off day in every full-season league).

C Josh Breaux was sent down to Somerset due to an injury to Anthony Seigler, who has a career filled with annoying injuries. Even after this transaction, Scranton has three catchers (Ben Rortvedt, Carlos Narvaez, and Rodolfo Duran).

Scranton (37-41; 3-1 in the second half) – The game against Syracuse was postponed due to rain. The lineup was posted prior to the postponement and is below.

CF Estevan Florial0-for-0
Florial is hitting .292/.384/.605 (138 wRC+) in 297 PA with a 13.5% BB and 29.3% K. 
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-0
Peraza is hitting .278/.347/.544 (116 wRC+) in 176 PA with a 6.3% BB and 16.5% K.
LF Elijah Dunham0-for-0
Dunham is hitting .220/.332/.345 (75 wRC+) in 298 PA with a 12.8% BB and 28.5% K.
1B Andres Chaparro0-for-0
Chaparro is hitting .235/.318/.459 (87 wRC+) in 321 PA with a 10.9% BB and 21.2% K.
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-0
After putting up a .801 OPS and 120 wRC+ for Somerset, he has compiled a .897 OPS and 130 wRC+ for Scranton.
RF Franchy Cordero0-for-0
DH Rodolfo Duran0-for-0
Duran is hitting .247/.312/.441 (84 wRC+) in 186 PA with a 7.5% BB and 22.6% K.
3B Jamie Westbrook0-for-0
2B Max Burt0-for-0

RHP Aaron McGarity0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
It looks like Scranton was going the “bullpen game” route…

Somerset (46-27; 4-1 in the second half) (Defeated Bowie, 6-4, in 11 innings)

SS Trey Sweeney1-for-5, RS, K
LF Jasson Dominguez2-for-5, K
Back-to-back multi-hit games.
C Austin Wells0-for-5, RS, K
DH Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
After games of 4/25, Pereira was hitting .220/.304/.380. Since then, in 32 games, he is 37-for-115 (.322; 7 doubles, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 165 wRC+ (the wRC+ number is prior to tonight)). The time away due to injury wasn’t ideal but he is certainly having a strong campaign.
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-5, K
CF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB
RF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Palensky now has 16 HR between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Matt Pita2-for-5, RBI, 3 K
3B Delvin Perez1-for-5, CS (1)

RHP Blane Abeyta6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, HR
6.00 ERA (69 IP, 68 H, 48 R, 46 ER, 9 HR, 34 BB, 75 K). The Yankees liked Abeyta enough to sign him after the shortened 2020 COVID draft.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Alex Mauricio:  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
3.75 ERA (24 IP, 19 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 24 K)
RHP Blas Castano: (W, 4-3)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (41-33; 2-3 in the second half) (Defeated Wilmington, 6-5, on a walk-off wild pitch)

DH Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, SB (19)
.263/.328/.474 in 299 PA with a 19-for-25 stolen base rate.
SS Ben Cowles0-for-3, 2 SF, 2 RBI, K
Productive Outs alert!
LF Christopher Familia0-for-5, K
1B Rafael Flores2-for-3, RS, BB
.298/.369/.367 in 244 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 23 R, 25 BB, 62 K). For a hitter of his ilk, you would like to see a K% below his current 25.4%.
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, RS, K
Gomez is now the proud owner of a 7-game hitting streak (8-for-27)
CF Grant Richardson0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Aldenis Sanchez1-for-4, 2B (8), RS, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba1-for-3, RS, BB
3B Marcos Cabrera1-for-3, RS, BB, K

RHP Juan Carela4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
3.09 ERA (67 IP, 47 H, 28 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 26 BB, 87 K). He needed 100 pitches, so this was a grind. Like I said the other night, I like to see how prospects respond when they don’t have their A++ stuff – Carela did well to get these 14 outs with limited damage.
RHP Indigo Diaz2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Diaz stranded both of the runners inherited from Carera. They tried to stretch him into a third inning and he gave up some runs. That is what the minors are for.
RHP Jack Neely: (W, 4-2)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
Neely strikes out seven in a row on only 25 pitches, setting a new personal best for strikeouts in a game (struck out six in a game earlier this season). He now owns a 2.60 ERA in 34.2 IP (19 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 14 BB, 55 K). Neely stands 6’8″ and was drafted in the 11th round of the 2021 draft out of Ohio State. 

Tampa (34-39; 1-3 in the second half) (Lost to Daytona, 6-1, in ten innings)

SS Jared Serna1-for-4, BB
Serna has hit safely in four straight games but is mostly in “maintenance” mode right now as his numbers are holding steady at .288/.350/.488 in 314 plate appearances (16 doubles, 1 triple, 13 HR, 46 RBI, 48 R, 26 BB (8.3%), 51 K (16.2%), 16-for-21 SB). Something to keep in mind: This is Serna’s first full season in a full-season league – it wouldn’t be shocking if a little fatigue starts to set in.
3B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, 2B (10), BB
.290/.374/.420 in 231 plate appearances.
DH Ben Rice0-for-1, 3 BB
Rice has 21 walks in 17 games (he is only in Tampa for a rehab stint). His BB% is 28.4%.
   PH-DH Ronny Rojas0-for-1, RS, K
2B Brenny Escanio0-for-4, BB, K
Escanio has walked eight times in his last five games. He is not likely to ever have much power, so he will need to slap the ball around, take his walks, and play good defense if he wants to eventually advance to the highest level.
C Omar Martinez0-for-4, RBI, BB
.223/.355/.354 in 211 plate appearances (6 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 24 R, 33 BB, 64 K). Martinez is a 21-year-old left-handed bat.
CF Daury Arias1-for-5
OPS, by month, for the toolsy OF:  April (.504), May (.736), June (.760). We’ll see what July brings.
LF Jake Palmer: 1-for-3, 2B (3), BB
Palmer is 6-for-25 (.240) since his promotion with three doubles and a rather impressive 9/1 BB/K.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-2, BB, HBP
1B Beau Brewer1-for-4, 2B (1)

RHP Justin Lange:  5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 4 K
4.35 ERA (51.2 IP, 31 H, 29 R, 25 ER, 5 HR, 42 BB, 80 K). If the player development system “solves” Lange, they should all get significant promotions and raises.
RHP Yorlin Calderon1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.81 ERA (41.2 IP, 31 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 12 BB, 52 K). Calderon features a starting pitcher’s mix, throwing a sinker, slider, curve, and changeup. His main pitch (at least for today, but I assume it is usually the case) is the curveball. The other three pitches were mixed equally today.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Adam Stone (L, 1-2):  1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (11-9) 

Day off.

DSL Bombers (11-9)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (14-5) 

Day off.

Yankees MILB 5/13: Spencer Jones: Hit Collector

News:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yankees MILB 5/6: Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells Homer

News:

Nothing to report. Eventually, something will come up.

Scranton (13-19) (Defeated Rochester, 7-3)

CF Estevan Florial2-for-5, RS, 2 K, SB (8)
.257/.402/.459 in 92 PA. He has drawn an impressive 18 walks (19.6%) but it comes with 31 strikeouts (33.7%). After a .398 BABIP in 2022, he is at .400 in 2023.
RF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RS, BB
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, HR (9), 4 RBI, RS
.239/.306/.522 in 124 PA (3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HR, 20 RBI, 23 R, 11 BB (8.9%), 31 K (25%), 1-for-1 SB)
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, CS (3)
.242/.364/.384 in 118 PA (8 doubles, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 19 R, 16 BB (13.6%), 27 K (22.9%), 5-for-8 SB). I am not worried about Dunham’s offense coming together.
2B Jamie Westbrook0-for-1, 3 BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas1-for-4, RS, K, SB (3)
1B Billy McKinney2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB
DH Michael Hermosillo2-for-4, K
C Mickey Gasper0-for-4, K

RHP Ryan Weber: (W, 3-3) 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
Weber is eating some important innings down here with mixed results. When it comes to Weber, I am not even sure the results matter much. Pure definition of a shuttle arm.
RHP James Norwood0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Colten Brewer1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (16-9) (Squeaked past Binghamton, 4-3)

SS Trey Sweeney0-for-4
LF Jasson Dominguez1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is up to .167. After games of 4/23, he was hitting .077. Since then, he is 8-for-27 (.296) with nine walks.
DH Austin Wells1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
Wells has homered in back-to-back games and has 14 home runs in 61 Double-A games.
CF Everson Pereira1-for-3, 2B (7)
Pereira has done enough to keep his head above water. He usually goes on a big tear at some point.
RF Jeisson Rosario0-for-3, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS
Rumfield has five home runs in 19 games (four career home runs in 84 games before 2023). He has homered in three straight games.
C Anthony Seigler0-for-3, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba0-for-3

RHP Gray Fenter: (W, 2-1) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
4.15 ERA (17.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, 2 HR)
RHP Indigo Diaz 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
1.54 ERA (11.2 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 13 K)
LHP Michael Giacone1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.64 ERA (11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 15 K)
RHP Justin Wilson: (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
An odd play happened in the 9th that shut down GameDay for about ten minutes. Don’t ask me exactly what happened!

Hudson Valley (18-8) (Defeated Wilmington, 3-1, thanks to Alexander Vargas. After scoring runs by the bushel for most of the season, the Renegades have six in the last two days. The important thing? They won both games)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-4, 2 K
.277/.314/.574 (.888 OPS) in 102 plate appearances. 
SS Alexander Vargas2-for-4, HR (5), 3 RBI, RS
Vargas with the big 2-out, 3-run HR in the 8th. He is hitting .263/.341/.553 in 85 plate appearances with eight walks (9.4%) and 20 strikeouts (23.5%). Last season, Vargas finished with an 8.1% BB and 28.5% K. Will he keep it up? Who knows? I will also note that he is hitting much better left-handed than he is right-handed, though his right-handed sample size is limited (2-for-14).
2B Caleb Durbin2-for-4, K
6-game hitting streak (10-for-23). He is hitting .320/.452/.387 in 93 plate appearances (5 doubles, 8 RBI, 19 R, 13 BB (13.9%), 9 K (9.7%), and a 15-for-16 stolen base rate)
C Antonio Gomez1-for-4, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky0-for-4
DH Spencer Henson0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles2-for-3, RS, K
.254/.319/.524 in 69 PA. He has four multi-hit games in his last six games played.
RF Aldenis Sanchez2-for-3, 2 2B (3), RS, K
Not known for his extra-base hit power, Sanchez compiled two triples on Wednesday.

RHP Chase Hampton5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
3.86 ERA (18.2 IP, 16 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 33 K). Hampton, listed at 6’2″, 225 pounds, was drafted in the 6th round out of Texas Tech in 2022. Like many pitchers that the Yankees draft, Hampton has experienced a velocity jump. He went from 91-94 in college to the 94-96 range this spring. 
RHP Bailey Dees (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.38 ERA (11.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 18 K)
RHP Jack Neely (S, 1): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 21 K). Neely is 8-for-8 converting saves in his brief career.

Tampa (10-16) (Defeated Bradenton, 1-0, on an RBI walk. The pitching staff allowed only one hit)

2B Brenny Escanio0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
His RBI walk in the bottom of the 7th was the only run in the game.
CF Daury Arias0-for-4, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez0-for-1, 3 BB, K
Ramirez has 14 walks (12 strikeouts) in 77 plate appearances. This is his second career 3 BB game.
DH Anthony Hall1-for-4
Hall has a 5-game hitting streak (6-for-18)
SS Dayro Perez0-for-4, 3 K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (3)
1B Omar Martinez1-for-2, BB, K, SB (1)
Martinez has stolen one base per season in each of his last three seasons. Can he get to two? In his last eight games: 13-for-27 with six walks.
3B Ronny Rojas0-for-3, 2 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, 2 BB, K

RHP Justin Lange: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 36 K). The 5.49 BB/9 rate is hardly strong but it shows improvement from last year (7.43). He is easily hitting over 98 MPH on the gun.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 2-1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Keating’s first career save. Congrats!