Tag: Omar Martinez

Yankees MILB 5/8: Ben Hess Dominates

Notes:

OF Brennen Davis started his rehab stint in the FCL today. Once a top prospect for the Cubs (Baseball America ranked him 16th in 2022, and he played in the 2021 Futures Game), injuries have slowed him down. In 2021, as a 21-year-old trying Double-A for the first time, he hit an impressive .252/.367/.474 (134 wRC+) in 76 games with 13 homers and 36 RBI.

Injuries are a part of the game, and Davis can’t shake the bug. The Yankees signed him, hoping to tap into what he once was. Last season, in Triple-A Iowa, he hit .214/.359/.469 (110 wRC+) in 181 plate appearances with 11 home runs.

When his rehab is over, he’ll join Everson Pereira and Bryan De La Cruz as right-handed hitting outfield depth.

RHP Jon Olsen was signed to a minor league contract and assigned to Somerset. The 27-year-old was a 12th-round pick by the Twins in 2018, but was out of the organization in 2022. After not pitching in 2023, he ended up in the Independent Atlantic League in 2024, where he compiled a 12-3 record with a 3.60 ERA in 127.2 IP for York. This season, he pitched in the Mexican League, where he was 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts (17 IP) with a 19/6 K/BB. For now, he is organizational depth. We’ll monitor his progress.

RHP Carlos Carrasco cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Scranton. I have no problem with that, as they need the pitching depth.

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

Injury Log

Scranton (17-17) (After waiting for 3+ hours, they postponed this game against Rochester due to rain. Weird that they waited so long. The lineup was provided and is below.)

CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-0
2B DJ LeMahieu: 0-for-0
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-0
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-0
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-0
LF Dominic Smith: 0-for-0
3B Jose Rojas: 0-for-0
DH Alex Jackson: 0-for-0
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-0

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

Somerset (12-18) (Lost to Akron, 5-0. Somerset has suffered three straight shutouts since George Lombard Jr.‘s promotion. The kid is going to develop a complex)

3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, K
2B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, K
1-for-11 with a walk and three strikeouts. This is his second start at second base this season (24 at SS; 1 at 3B)
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, K
Flores hasn’t drawn a walk in seven May games (9 in 23 April games)
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, 2 K
.195/.340/.402 in 100 PA. Martin has a .200 BABIP, which should normalize.
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, K
RF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, BB
With Spencer Jones and Cole Gabrielson on the injured list, Familia should see extended playing time.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-2, BB

RHP Brendan Beck: (L, 2-1) 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (personal best)
2.28 ERA (23.2 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 26 K). The start to Beck’s season is encouraging.
LHP Will Brian: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Brian allowed two of Beck’s runners to score before tossing a clean 6th inning. Since promotion: 9 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kelly Austin: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
9.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K. If you want to get yourself on the radar, throw up a bunch of zeroes in your first eight Double-A games.

Hudson Valley (20-9) (Walloped Wilmington, 12-1. It’s their second straight 12-1 triumph)

CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-6, RBI, R, SB (13)
Jones is 31-for-34 (91.2%) stealing bases in 49 career games.
LF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 2B (8), 2 R, SB (4), BB
.255/.366/.372 in 112 PA. He has back-to-back multi-hit efforts after a 1-for-15 start to May.
3B Parks Harber: 2-for-5, RBI, 3 R, BB, K
Harber is hitting .314 (11-for-35) since his promotion (he has hit safely in seven of eight games).
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 R, HBP, BB, K
Martinez has homered in three straight games. In six May games: 12-for-23 (3 doubles, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 4 BB, 4 K).  He is up to .283/.374/.485 in 115 PA. I would consider swapping him and Antonio Gomez.
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-5, BB, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-5, 2B (3), RBI, 2 R, BB, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, R, 2 BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, K

RHP Ben Hess: (W, 2-2)  6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Hess has three 9-strikeout efforts this season. He lost the no-hitter with no outs in the 7th, but instantly generated a ground ball double play before leaving. He tossed 88 pitches (63 strikes). Season: 3.24 ERA (25 IP, 12 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 39 K). The spotlight will be brighter on Hess, since he was their first-round pick in 2024. He is performing well.
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Tony Rossi: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. Overall: 11.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 18 K. That’s how you make an impression in your first professional campaign.

Tampa (13-17) (Swept a doubleheader against Daytona)

Game 1 (Won, 13-2. 13 runs, 11 hits, 10 walks)

C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-5, RBI
Perez hits the .200 mark for the first time since April 6th. 
CF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, 3B (3), RBI, 2 R, CS (3), BB, K
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, K
LF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, 2 R, BB, K
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, R, BB, K
RF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, R, BB
2B Austin Green: 0-for-2, RBI, R, 2 BB
1B Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (6), BB
.159/.286/.261 in 84 PA. 
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 R, SB (4), BB, K
.240/.356/.328 in 59 PA. 

LHP Griffin Herring: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
1.04 ERA (34.2 IP, 20 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 44 K). The Max Fried of the Florida State League (it’s a joke, don’t take it seriously) allows more than one run for the first time in his 6-start career.
RHP Brady Kirtner (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
1.56 ERA (17.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 7 BB, 14 K)
RHP Chris Veach: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.13 ERA (12.2 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)

Game 2 (Won, 6-3)

DH Edgleen Perez: 2-for-4, RBI, HBP, K
I love that they keep throwing him out there, even if he caught the first game of a doubleheader. He needs reps, reps, reps.  His batting average is now .214.
RF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, BB
Sanchez is having himself a doubleheader (4-for-8, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB). He has three straight multi-hit efforts.
C Engelth Urena: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
Drawing walks is nothing new for Urena (49 in 322 career plate appearances; 15.2%)
LF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, R, 2 K
Lewis has two doubles and two homers in six May games (five extra-base hits in 21 April games)
3B Juan Matheus: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Austin Green: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
CF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 3B (2), 2 K
Toole’s third straight 2-hit effort (6-for-11, 1 double, 2 triples).
SS Owen Cobb: 2-for-3, 2B (4), 2 R, CS (1), BB
9-for-18 with four doubles, a homer, 10 runs, and a 6-for-7 stolen base rate.

RHP Danny Flatt: (W, 1-2)  5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
The rain delay (which occurred in the second inning) wasn’t long enough to knock Flatt out of the game, which worked well for him. Nobody wants a wasted start.  Season: 5.40 ERA (18.1 IP, 19 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 15 K)
RHP Jack Sokol: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.22 ERA (10.2 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 10 K)
RHP Cade Austin (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL (3-1) (Defeated the Phillies, 3-1. I told you they keep playing the same teams!)

DH Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, R, SB (2), CS (2), BB, K
Mayea has three doubles in four games (4 extra-base hits (2 doubles, 2 triples) in 35 games at this level in 2024). I don’t worry about stolen base rates in the low minors – if a kid has speed, they learn by running.
CF Isael Arias: 2-for-5, RBI, SB (2)
5-for-15
RF Brennen Davis: 1-for-2, K
His first rehab game.
  RF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-2, CS (1)
SS Santiago Gomez: 2-for-4, R

RHP Omar Gonzalez: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Only 19, Gonzalez has spent four years in the rookie leagues. However, he has compiled only 58.1 innings (28 hits, 42 BB, 80 K)
RHP Sunayro Martina (W, 1-1): 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
LHP Franyer Herrera (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Herrera’s first career save.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 5/7: Everson Pereira Walks it Off

Notes:

Jonathan Loaisiga‘s rehab was moved to Scranton today. He tossed a pair of scoreless innings.

Injury Log

Scranton (17-17) (Split a doubleheader against Rochester)

Game 1 (Won, 5-3, on a walk-off blast by Everson Pereira. Scranton hit three home runs in the bottom of the 7th to take the win)

LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
Pereira has four home runs in his last four games (six in his last ten games).  He is hitting .295/.364/.577 in 88 PA (1 double, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 17 R, 2-for-2 SB, 9.1% BB, 34.1% K)
3B DJ LeMahieu: 2-for-3
Weird that Aaron Boone said 2B was in play for LeMahieu, only for him to play third base tonight (his first appearance at third base during his rehab stint). This is the first time he played a full game in the field during his stint, but remember that it was a 7-inning game.  As for his return, Jorbit Vivas isn’t doing anything to claim second base over the next several weeks. The loss of Jazz Chisholm Jr., even with his warts, is potentially devastating.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, RBI, K
1B Dominic Smith: 0-for-3
RF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, K
He started the home run binge with his first one as a member of the Yankees’ organization.
2B Jose Rojas: 0-for-3
C Alex Jackson: 3-for-3, HR (3), RBI, R
Jackson’s HR tied the game.
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Ismael Munguia: 0-for-2, R, BB
Munguia set the stage for Pereira’s dramatics by earning a walk.

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Beeter threw 26 pitches (18 fastballs, 8 sliders). He hit 96.8 MPH (averaged 95.8)
RHP Jonathan Loaisiga: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Loaisiga threw 16 pitches in an efficient outing. He used all four pitches (4-seam, sinker, curve, changeup) and reached 96.5 MPH on his 4-seamer and sinker. If he comes out of this outing OK, he’s close.
LHP Brent Headrick (W, 1-0): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Headrick was activated off the injured list today.

Game 2 (Lost, 8-5. This was a sloppy game where the Railriders committed five errors)

CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-4, R, SB (8)
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, R, SB (5), BB
Rodriguez is 22-for-63 (.349) since his promotion (3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 16 R, 5-for-5 SB, 18.5% BB, 12.3% K).  He has forced the Yankees hand. I don’t think the plan was to keep him here once Alex Jackson returned. 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, R, BB
Rumfield is 9-for-19 with a pair of doubles in May.
2B Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, R, BB
Rojas has two grand slams in May (4 HR, 12 RBI in six May games, though all those numbers have come in two games)
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 0-for-3, HBP
DH Dominic Smith: 1-for-3, BB
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-4, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-4, 2B (4), R, 2 K

RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 3-4)  6 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Boyle is a mix-it-up righty who can hit 90-92 with his fastball. He has battled injuries and I would love for him to make his MLB debut. Whether that is in a Yankees uniform, I don’t know. Season: 4.14 ERA (37 IP, 31 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 5 HR, 11 BB, 40 K)
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Rob Zastryzny: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (12-17) (Lost to Akron, 3-0. Somerset hasn’t scored a run since George Lombard Jr.‘s promotion. Coincidence? I think not)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, BB
1-for-7 with a walk and two strikeouts. 
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2B (10), 2 K
94 Double-A games: .276/.350/.521 in 397 PA (24 doubles, 21 HR, 56 RBI, 54 R, 9-for-9 SB, 9.3% BB, 28.5% K). The strikeout rate has spiked this season (32.3%).
2B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4
.255/.321/.471 in 112 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 7.1% BB, 16.1% K). He is off to a 3-for-26 start in May.
CF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, K
.192/.344/.410 in 96 PA (5 doubles, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 13 R, 4-for-5 SB, 13.5% BB, 16.7% K)
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, BB
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, 4 K
3B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 2-3)  6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
2.18 ERA (33 IP, 25 H, 13 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 36 K). Schlittler is the upper-level arm to be excited over, while Brendan Beck has placed himself on the map. They are two names to watch, but are they MLB viable in 2025?
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
4.22 ERA (10.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 14 K)

Hudson Valley (19-9) (Walloped Wilmington, 12-1)

CF Brendan Jones: 4-for-6, 2B (5), RBI, R, SB (12)
.247/.348/.412 in 115 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 21 R, 12-for-15 SB, 12.2% BB, 18.3% K).  This is his first career 4-hit effort.
2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, CS (1), BB
  2B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-1, K
RF Jace Avina: 0-for-5, BB
  RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-0
LF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, RBI, R, BB, 3 K
.247/.358/.360 in 106 PA. He needed a solid night, as he was 1-for-15 in May entering it.
3B Parks Harber: 1-for-5, 2 R, BB, 2 K
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 3 R, BB
C Omar Martinez: 4-for-5, 2B (5), HR (3), 5 RBI, 3 R, K
Martinez is 10-for-19 in May (3 doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R). He has homered in back-to-back games and has three doubles in his last four games. He started the month .211/.299/.276. Now, his triple slash is .274/.358/.421. How crazy is that? 
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-5, 2B (5), 3 RBI, R, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: (W, 3-1)  5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (ties personal best)
3.55 ERA (25.1 IP, 18 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 41 K). A 41/7 K/BB is insane. Half of those earned runs were compiled in his first start. Last season, in 21 innings, he compiled a 27/20 K/BB. Once a pitcher like Lagrange figures out control/command, the sky is the limit. Yes, it is still too early to know if this is real, and we need to see Lagrange stay healthy for a full season.
RHP Matt Keating: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Keating stranded a pair of runners in the 6th to preserve Lagrange’s night.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.38 ERA (13 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 12 K)

Tampa (11-17)

Their game against Daytona was postponed due to lightning.

FCL (2-1)

Day off.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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

Notes:

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

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

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

DJ LeMahieu‘s rehab was moved up to Scranton.

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

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

Injury Log

Scranton (16-16)

Their game against Rochester was postponed due to rain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

 

 

 

Yankees MILB 5/2: Spencer Jones Goes Yard

Notes:

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

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

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

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

Injury Log

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/24: Cam Schlittler Dominates

Notes:

Nothing newsworthy.

Injury Log

Scranton (12-11) (Lost to Charlotte, 10-3)

CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, K
Munguia hits a lead-off blast. The rest of the night didn’t go their way.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
Vivas was called up to MLB in 2024 and 2025. He has yet to appear in a game.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4
Since promotion: 8-for-29 (.276/.436/.310). Rodriguez started showing some pop in 2023 and 2024. This year, between Somerset and Scranton, his “pop” consists of one double in 16 games. It’s early. By the way, while Rodriguez is known for his versatility, the only positions he has played for Scranton are catcher and DH.
LF Dominic Smith: 0-for-3, R, BB
1B Jose Rojas: 2-for-4
DH Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, CS (1), BB, K

RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 2-3)  5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 3 HR
4.91 ERA (25.2 IP, 20 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 8 BB, 27 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
Vinyard’s Triple-A debut wasn’t impressive, but it’s only Game 1.
LHP Rob Zastryzny: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP McKinley Moore: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (8-10) (Shut down Hartford, 2-0)

3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, R, K
Jasso has swatted a double and two home runs in his last three games. He is hitting .286/.333/.536 in 60 PA.
2B DJ LeMahieu: 0-for-2, K
He hasn’t played back-to-back days yet. We’ll see if he is the designated hitter tomorrow.
   2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-1, K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, R, K
7th HR in his last 15 games. Now hitting .254/.382/.619.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 2 K
Flores has 18 doubles and 18 home runs in 83 Double-A games (.502 SLG)
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-2, BB
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3

RHP Cam Schlittler: (W, 2-1)  7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K (ties personal best)
1.23 ERA (22 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 24 K). I don’t know if he makes his MLB debut this year, but it is possible. He may also be in the “trade zone” for the Yankees. History tells us that the Yankees like to trade pitchers who throw well in Double-A.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Ryan Anderson (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Both Watson and Anderson needed uneventful outings.

Hudson Valley (12-6) (Defeated Asheville, 9-4)

CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, R, BB
Jones continues to show off pop early in his career (8 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR in 39 games). He is also 28-for-29 stealing bases and has more walks (39) than strikeouts (38). All that in a center field package? Color me intrigued.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, 2 R, HBP, 2 BB, K
Lombard continues to reach base.  He has 14 hits, 17 walks, and 3 HBP in 72 PA. He has the speed (9-for-10 SB) to make opponents pay for allowing him to get on base. The power? It will come.
LF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, 2 R, K
Castillo has five doubles in 13 games. 
RF Jace Avina: 2-for-5, 2B (2), 2 RBI, K
Avina can use a surge. He has back-to-back multi-hit games. This is only his second extra-base hit this season (34 in 92 games in 2024)
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, BB, K
Finally, Martinez fills the home run column. He launched 13 in 104 games at this level in 2024.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-5, R, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 3 K
2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, K

RHP Josh Grosz: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
His pitch count was elevated (73). He owns a 3.09 ERA (11.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 19 K).
RHP Huey Morrill (W, 1-0): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
His first run allowed in 2025 comes via a balk. Blah. Season: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K. I assume they will let him start again, but you never know what they think about any prospect. As a reminder, he was a starter in 2023 but missed all of 2024.

Tampa (8-10) (Defeated Dunedin, 7-2. After leaving the game early last night, Edgleen Perez wasn’t in the lineup tonight)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, BB
.154/.295/.262 in 78 PA. Yikes.
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-4, K
1B Parks Harber: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 2 R, BB
Harber continues to rake (he has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games). I am not there yet, but soon you may see me typing “Get him off this level.”
LF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-4, 2 2B (3), R
RF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-3, R, BB
2B Austin Green: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, R
CF Marshall Toole: 3-for-4, 2B (1), 2 R
Early season baseball: Two games back, he was hitting .200/.360/.300. Now, he is hitting .313/.405/.344.
3B Juan Matheus: 2-for-3, 2B (5), SF, 3 RBI, SB (4)
.243/.354/.378 in 48 PA (5 doubles, 10 RBI, 5 R, 4-for-5 SB, 16.7% BB, 12.5% K). Matheus intrigues me.
DH Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4

LHP Griffin Herring: (W, 3-0)  7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
0.39 ERA (23.1 IP, 12 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 28 K).  We call these video game numbers, though he has walked 10 hitters in 17.2 IP in his last three starts. 
RHP Jack Sokol: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Chris Veach: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.45 ERA (7.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 14 K)

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/9: Ben Hess Dominates in Debut

Notes:

Nothing to report

Scranton (6-5) (Split a doubleheader against Rochester)

Game 1 (Lost, 7-4)

RF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-4
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, 2B (3), R, BB
LF Dominic Smith: 3-for-4, R
C Alex Jackson: 2-for-3, 2B (1), HR (1), 3 RBI, R, BB
Hitting in the minors hasn’t been a massive problem for Jackson (.241/.324/.460 in 628 career games). The majors are a much different story (.132/.224/.232 in 124 games)
DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-2, BB, K
3B Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-2, R, CS (2), BB, K

RHP Erick Leal (L, 0-2): 4 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
The Yankees’ starting pitching depth doesn’t have the same “vibe” as previous years.
LHP Tyler Matzek: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Matzek, who had a good chance to make the roster out of spring training, was officially activated off the injured list today.
RHP Wilking Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Won, 4-3, on a walk-off)

RF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-4, K
13-for-43 (.302/.375/.349; 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 6 R, 2-for-2 SB, 2 BB, 5 K)
CF Everson Pereira: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
9-for-31 (.290/.378/.387; 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 2-for-2 SB, 5 BB, 12 K)
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, R, BB
11-for-39 (.282; 2 doubles, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R, 6 BB, 4 K)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
12-for-43 (.279/.392/.558; 3 doubles, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, 7 K)
LF Cooper Hummel: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB
Hummel’s organizational debut.
DH Dominic Smith: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, K
Smith, who goes 5-for-8 on the day, walks it off with an RBI single.
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-3, RBI, K
3B Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, 2 RBI
Productive outs!
SS Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, K

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
1.93 ERA (14 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 16 K)
LHP Brent Headrick: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Headrick did nothing wrong to deserve a demotion. The problem he has is that the Yankees have so many bullpen options. Let’s see how it all shakes out.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (1-4) (Lost to Reading, 3-1)

C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB
Rodriguez’s tough start continues (1-for-21). If you want a positive, he has four strikeouts in 23 plate appearances (17.4%)). An .059 BABIP screams early-season sample size issues.
DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K
4-for-16 (1 double, 1 HR, 5 BB, 7 K). His early-season K% is 31.8%.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
6-for-19 (2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K)
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, K
2-for-15 with a pair of walks.
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (1), 2 K
SS Jake Gatewood: 0-for-3, 3 K
Gatewood is receiving a lot of early-season playing time. Eventually, the hope is that George Lombard Jr. will occupy the shortstop position….
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-2, 2 SB (2), BB, 2 K
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, K
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Dees was converted to starting last season. At this level, he went 7-7 with a 4.25 ERA and 145/54 K/BB over 137.2 innings. He stands an impressive 6’8″.
RHP Cole Percival: (L, 0-1)  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
It will be a nice boost to their bullpen depth if Watson is over his injuries.

Hudson Valley (3-2) (Defeated Brooklyn, 7-2)

CF Jace Avina: 0-f0r-1
Avina had a quick afternoon, as he was ejected from the game in the first inning.
   LF Coby Morales: 1-for-3, R, 2 SB (3)
Morales stole 34 bases in 42 attempts last year. The funny thing about that fact is that he never stole more than one base in a season while in college.
SS George Lombard: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
4-for-18 with a triple and a pair of RBI. He has three walks and seven strikeouts.
LF-CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, BB, K
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
7-for-21 with a pair of doubles and three runs batted in.
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, RBI, R, SB (1), BB, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, R
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-3, HR (2, grand slam), 4 RBI, R, K
Gomez, who started with the organization in 2019, ties his best for RBI in a game.
  PH-C Tomas Frick: 0-for-1, K
3B Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (1), HR (1), RBI, 2 R, 2 K
Escanio’s first home run since August 10, 2023. He didn’t homer in 76 games last year.
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Ben Hess: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
Hess dominates in his professional debut. He was drafted in the 1st round in 2024 (Alabama), standing an imposing 6’5″/255 pounds. Hess has two plus pitches (fastball, curve) and is trying to rediscover his slider. There are comparisions to Lance Lynn, though his profile also screams a bit of Joba Chamberlain to me.
RHP Sebastian Keane (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Tyrone Yulie: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Kean: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (3-2) (Lost to Fort Myers, 5-1)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-5, 2 K
The brutal start to his campaign continues (1-for-21 with a double, four walks, and nine strikeouts). It’s early, but we need to see progress this year.
DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, RBI, HBP, BB, K
3-for-15
LF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, 2B (2), SB (1)
7-for-21 with two doubles and two triples. He hasn’t yet shown HR power (4 in 87 games) but he has shown some extra-base pop (25 doubles, 10 triples).
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Parks Harber: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K
RF Dillon Lewis: 0-f0r-2, 2 BB, K
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-4, K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K

RHP Danny Flatt: (L, 0-1)  4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Only 20, Flatt was drafted in the 14th round in 2023. Last year, in his professional debut, he pitched well in the FCL but (predictably) struggled a bit here.
RHP Brandon Decker: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Decker’s professional debut. He was drafted in the 19th round in 2024 (Oakland). He was featuring five pitches tonight, mainly throwing a sinker/slider/change combo.
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 9/17: Spencer Jones Homers, Collects 3 Hits

News:

The Yankees recently released LHP Victor Gonzalez, who was toiling in Triple-A after mediocre results in MLB earlier this season. Seen as a potential Wandy Peralta replacement, Gonzalez was never able to get into a consistent groove. The trade with the Dodgers comes down to how the two prospects (Trey Sweeney (now with Detroit) and Jorbit Vivas) perform.

Scranton (85-59) (Defeated Buffalo, 10-5, in 12 innings. Worcester won, so the two teams remain tied with five games to play. If they finish tied, Scranton wins the tiebreaker)

2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-6, RS, K
Durbin has 19 games this season with 5+ AB. He earned at least one hit in the previous 18 games.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, SB (19), 2 BB, K
Vivas has 8 extra-base hits (5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR) in 14 September games. 
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-3, HR (9), 2 RBI, RS, HBP, 2 BB
Rice has 6 HR in 14 September games.
  PR-CF Cam Eden: 0-for-0, RS
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RS, 2 SB (22), HBP, BB, K
Peraza, who will be out of options, will be a fun story to watch over the winter and into next spring (if he is still in the organization)
CF-LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-5, 3B (2), 3 RBI, RS, HBP, 4 K
Trammell’s 3-run triple in the 12th was the big blow in the game.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-5, 2 K
   PR-DH Duke Ellis: 0-for-0, RS
   PH-DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-0, RS, BB
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-6, 2B (12), K
Escarra has 30 doubles between here and Somerset.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-6, HR (8), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
Gonzalez’s 3-run HR in the 12th was the dagger that put the game out of reach.
LF-1B Jahmai Jones: 2-for-5, SF, RBI, K

RHP Cody Poteet: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Beeter topped out at 95.8 MPH (94.6 average)
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Joey Gerber : 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Phil Bickford: (W, 4-4)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (1-0) (Defeated Hartford, 3-2, to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. The series shifts to Hartford, starting on Thursday)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-5, HR (1), RBI, RS, SB (1)
Jones has eight 3+ hit efforts during the regular season.  A lot has been written about his 200-strikeout season. Nobody denies that the strikeout rate has to come down (if they are, they are in denial). However, there is (obviously) a lot of talent to tap into. Will the Yankees be patient or cash in one of their biggest chips?
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Hardman’s RBI single in the bottom of the 8th tied the game at 2.
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-2, CS (1), BB, K
DH Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, RBI, CS (1), K
Vargas’ RBI single in the bottom of the 8th broke the 2-2 tie.
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, HR
Dees pitched strongly down the stretch and it continued into tonight’s playoff start. He could factor into the Yankees’ 2025 plans at some point, though he is Rule 5 eligible. It is either protect him or trade him. I cannot imagine them leaving him exposed.
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Watson also pitched well down the stretch (8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K in his last seven appearances). Like Dees, he is Rule 5 eligible this winter.
RHP Eric Reyzelman (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
I can’t guarantee that the Yankees will hold onto Reyzelman, but he has high-leverage reliever potential.

Hudson Valley (3-2) (Defeated Bowling Green, 6-2, to tie the best-of-3 series at 1-1. They will play for the title tomorrow night)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
Riggio is 6-for-19 (.316) with a double and homer during the postseason.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
Lombard is 5-for-18 (.278) with three doubles and three walks during the postseason.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, HBP
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, HR (1), 4 RBI, RS, BB, K
Martinez’s grand slam broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 5th.
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, K
CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, BB, K

RHP Josh Grosz: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Grosz was one of the best pitchers in the minors from June 28th through the end of the season. Tonight, he was in “bend, don’t break” mode. He limited the damage nicely.
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Kelly Austin: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Austin was impressive after being acquired for Caleb Ferguson. 

Tampa (54-74)

Their season is over.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25) 

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/8: Josh Grosz Continues His Dazzling Pitching

News:

Nothing

Scranton (79-57) (Defeated Syracuse, 8-7, in 11 innings. Worcester beat Rochester again, leaving Scranton and Worcester tied at the top of the standings at 36-26. Rochester has fallen to 34-29)

2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-6, RS, K
Durbin has a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-19; 1 double, 1 triple, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB
In addition to all the hitting, Dominguez has 6 walks in his last 10 games. The whole package is coming together.
C Ben Rice: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, RS, SB (20)
Last 8 games: 8-for-29 (.276; 1 double, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, 2-for-2 SB)
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Vivas has an 8-game hitting streak (9-for-28; 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
At this level: .297/.365/.454 in 441 PA (26 doubles, 12 HR, 66 RBI, 67 R, 3-for-6 SB, 8.6% BB, 16.8% K). He makes contact and has hit for some power at this juiced-up level. Is it enough for the Yankees to give him a look? Your guess is as good as mine. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter.
  PR Cam Eden: 0-for-0, SB (30)
  1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-1
CF Taylor Trammell: 3-for-5, 2 RS, SB (17), K
DH J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, HR (8, grand slam), 4 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Escarra has homered in five straight games (6 HR during the streak). He has 12 HR between here and Somerset, one short of his best (13 in 2019). 
RF Greg Allen: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, 2 SB (11), K

LHP Edgar Barclay: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
6.13 ERA (135 IP, 141 H, 98 R, 92 ER, 28 HR, 63 BB, 110 K). Barclay had a shot to be a shuttle arm this season but the performance wasn’t there. If he is to earn an opportunity, it will likely be elsewhere.
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: (W, 2-1) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda (S, 5): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Yesterday, he was asked to get one out to close a 19-0 game. Today’s situation was more exciting.

Somerset (70-61) (Lost to Binghamton, 2-1. They had their chances to score some runs, but it wasn’t meant to be. Portland won to move 1.5 games ahead of the Patriots with one week left)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Jones has a 9.8% BB and 37.9% K. He is two strikeouts away from a 200 K season. Don’t get me wrong: Jones is a legitimate prospect. Part of me is mesmerized by the raw talent. The other part of me can’t get past the insanity of that strikeout rate.  Whichever side of the coin you fall on, nobody should say you are wrong to have that position.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Seigler’s BB% is 14.4% (17.8% K). Because he is no longer considered a “prospect,” it is hard to find information on how he handles second base defensively. He has 14 errors, but that doesn’t paint the full picture.
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, K
DH Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 3-for-4, K
Vargas is 11-for-31 (.355) in September after hitting .256/.322/.402 in August. His Double-A OPS is over .700 (.702). Because he has a sacrifice fly and zero walks, his September batting average is higher than his OBP. Plate discipline isn’t his path to MLB.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K
  PH Elijah Dunham: 0-for-1
Dunham flew into an unassisted double play to end the game with Jones on deck. That’s not good (unassisted fly ball double play? What was Vargas doing? Do I want to know?)

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 1-4) 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (ties personal best)
Since promotion: 4.94 ERA (27.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 34 K). Overall: 3.42 ERA (115.2 IP, 94 H, 57 R, 44 ER, 10 HR, 53 BB, 145 K). Yesterday, I mentioned that Zach Messinger was an Organizational Pitcher of the Year candidate. Schlittler should be a finalist as well.
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (73-58) (Defeated Asheville, 8-1, to end their regular season. The playoffs begin on Tuesday when they take on Greensboro. It’s a best-of-3 series)

LF-CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RS, 2 SB (13), 2 BB
Jones is 18-for-18 stealing bases in 24 games between here and Tampa. I hope his game develops because his speed can be game-changing.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-5, 2 K
Full-season numbers, between here and Tampa: .231/.338/.334 in 497 PA (25 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 56 R, 39-for-47 SB (just under 83%), 12.3% BB, 22.9% K). There were peaks and valleys this season. If the Yankees kept him in Tampa all season, I bet his numbers would look much better. That’s not the goal of development.
C Omar Martinez: 3-for-5, RBI, 3 RS, K
.238/.374/.404 in 430 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 53 R, 16.98% BB, 23.5% K). Is Martinez a long-range catcher? You would be shocked to hear that most minor league catchers have to answer this. It isn’t unique to the Yankees organization. Offensively, he is a left-handed bat with some patience and pop. If you like under-the-radar prospects, he is one to put on your list. The Yankees have moved him up one level per season the last two years (full season in Tampa in 2023, full season in Hudson Valley in 2024).
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-2, 2B (17), 2 RS, SB (17), 2 HBP, K
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Martin hit .216/.326/.422 in 346 PA.
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-2, RBI, CS (1), K
I am not sure why he left the game early. Castillo (21) hit .268/.386/.426 in 415 PA between here and Tampa. He stole 21 bases in 27 attempts. His Hudson Valley sample size was small but encouraging (.314/.383/.514). To top it off, he has a good chance to stick in CF.
   PH-LF Anthony Hall: 2-for-2, 2B (5), RBI
Injuries have been a theme during Hall’s brief career. His average at this level dipped to .068 at one point. He finished at .181/.286/.241.
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-2, 2 SF, 3 RBI
Between here and Tampa: .243/.329/.399 in 508 PA with 30 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, and 67 RBI. He is a 21-year-old 1B/3B.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-4, 3 K
After being promoted, Morales hit .286/.417/.327 in 60 PA. The 1B/corner outfielder hit only 4 home runs between here and Tampa but stole a surprising 34 bases in 42 attempts.
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-1, RS, BB
.238/.315/.431 in 184 PA. Is he still a prospect? I hate giving up on 22-year-old catchers with some prospect pedigree but he has a lot to prove.
   PH-DH Edison Vivas: 0-for-2, K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-3, RS, CI, K
Cobb, signed as an undrafted free agent this year, spent only three games at this level after hitting .278/.365/.352 with 7 stolen bases for Tampa.

RHP Josh Grosz: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
At this level: 2.77 ERA (39 IP, 22 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 4 HR, 20 BB, 31 K). Overall: 3.85 ERA (121.2 IP, 101 H, 70 R, 52 ER, 14 HR, 52 BB, 131 K). That line includes a tough emergency start for Somerset (4 IP/6 H/6 R/5 ER). That start could have discouraged him, but it did not. His stats after that game: 11 starts, 1.27 ERA (64 IP, 31 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 21 BB, 57 K, 3 HR). Given the playoff schedule, his season could be over. He could be ready for Game 3 of the best-of-3 series on Friday (if necessary). Like Messinger and Schlittler, Grosz deserves a spot in the Pitcher of the Year conversation.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.26 ERA (47 IP, 35 H, 23 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 25 BB, 61 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.41 ERA (58 IP, 42 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 3 HR, 29 BB, 72 K)
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
After allowing 4 runs without recording an out on 9/28, Balboni struck out 8 over 3 hitless innings (1 BB).
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Let him finish his season in Somerset. They would miss him in the High-A playoffs, but that isn’t the goal. He pitched to a 0.93 ERA in 19.1 innings at this level (10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 23 K).

Tampa (54-74) (Lost to Dunedin, 4-2, to conclude their 2024 campaign)

DH Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, 2 2B (21), RS, 2 K
Arias’ final line: .233/.335/.393 in 552 PA (21 doubles, 8 triples, 13 HR, 74 RBI, 78 R, 37-for-50 SB (74%), 12.3% BB, 30.98% K). After he doubled in his first two plate appearances today, I thought he would make a run at a .400 SLG. Anyway, this isn’t bad for a teenager. I won’t argue with you if you expected more because of his pedigree. But if you eliminate the “expectations” and look at his season at face value, it’s good enough for a teenager. He is off to Hudson Valley in 2025.
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4
.244/.311/.355 in 486 PA (23 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 64 R, 15-for-16 SB, 8.2% BB, 21.2% K). The 20-year-old earned his way to a full-season league via a .331/.389/.436 line in the FCL last year. 
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 2 K
.206/.305/.333 in 391 PA (9 doubles, 5 triples, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 49 R, 13-for-17 SB, 11.3% BB, 28.9% K). Montero is a bonus baby ($1.7 million) who hasn’t gotten much going (.213/.345/.321 in 1,000 career plate appearances). He had a decent 2023 campaign but his first taste of full-season ball didn’t go as planned.
LF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-3, RS, BB
Lewis goes 13-for-52 (.250/.304/.385) in his first professional campaign. 
CF Marshall Toole: 1-for-3, BB, K
Toole goes 13-for-51 (.255/.449/.353; 8-for-10 SB, 15 BB, 18 K) in his first professional campaign.
2B Austin Green: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, K
Green played in only seven games, going 3-for-26 with 5 RBI.
1B Parks Harber: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
Harber goes 21-for-78 (.269/.389/.449; 7 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R, 4-for-4 SB) in his first professional campaign. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina.
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, BB, K
Matheus earned a late-season promotion (only played a handful of games) in preparation for 2025.
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K
.235/.299/.348 in 137 PA. I am not going to judge a player on 137 plate appearances.  I will make this point: They talk about which level is the hardest to jump to. I agree that Double-A is that hurdle. However, going from the FCL to Low-A has its challenges. I haven’t taken the FCL/DSL seriously for years, and nothing in recent times has changed my perception.

RHP Andrew Landry: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
6.98 ERA (19.1 IP, 19 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 12 K). I provide the results but do they matter for Landry? Not this year, they don’t.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jordy Luciano (L, 2-6): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
At this level: 0.71 ERA (12.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 17 K). Kean will turn 23 years old next June. I hope he is in Hudson Valley before then.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25) 

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/4: Spencer Jones Homers, Doubles Twice

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (60-47) (Defeated Louisville, 5-2. Scranton is having a season where their overall record is good, but they didn’t win the first half and are currently behind in the second half).

DH Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, SB (4), K
For Scranton: .302/.343/.460 in 67 PA. Since his most recent comeback from injury: 5-for-27 (.185) with one extra-base hit (double). Patience.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, BB
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, 2 HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
.243/.348/.376 in 265 PA (9 doubles, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 38 R, 16-for-20 SB). Peraza has 6 HR in his last 12 games. Before this stretch, his triple slash was .229/.344/.279. 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-1, HBP, 2 BB
CF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, RBI, CS (3), BB, K
RF Jahmai Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K
Jones cleared waivers and was outrighted to Scranton.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, RS, BB
Since promotion: .356/.482/.511 in 56 PA with more walks (9) than strikeouts (6).
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Edgar Barclay: (W, 5-8)  7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
6.22 ERA (102.2 IP, 109 H, 76 R, 71 ER, 22 HR, 50 BB, 91 K). Last 4 starts: 23 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 21 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (52-50) (Swept a doubleheader against Bowie. The Patriots are 20-13 in the second half as they make a push for the playoffs (1 game out))

Game 1 (Won, 4-1. Because this was the conclusion of a suspended game from last night, it went the full nine innings)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, 2 BB
Durbin is only 3-for-24 since being placed here but has six walks and only three strikeouts.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, BB, K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 2 K
Since promotion: 9-for-45 (.200) with three home runs. He missed a month due to injury.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (17), 2 RBI, RS, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-2, HR (9), RBI, RS, 2 BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, K

RHP Colby White: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Ben Shields: (W, 2-1)  6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, HR
Since promotion: 1.95 ERA (27.2 IP, 22 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 30 K). Overall, he owns a 3.20 ERA in 81.2 IP (65 H, 37 R, 29 ER, 7 HR, 22 BB, 102 K). His ERA was hurt by an emergency appearance in Scranton, where he allowed 9 runs in 1.2 IP.
RHP Joey Gerber (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-1. This was a 7-inning game)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2 2B (19), HR (13), 4 RBI, RS
Jones is hitting .245 with a .758 OPS in 402 PA (19 doubles, 3 triples, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 55 R, 21-for-27 SB, 10.9% BB, 36.6% K). This is the 5th time this season he has compiled 6+ total bases. His high is 11, set on June 30th.
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RS
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, K
Flores has brought a power game with him to Somerset. He has 6 doubles and 7 HR in 32 games (17 singles).
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, RS
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2B (22), SB (12)
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-2, RS, BB
3B Max Burt: 1-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 8-7)  5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
5.22 ERA (112 IP, 116 H, 68 R, 65 ER, 10 HR, 37 BB, 103 K)
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 10.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 16 K. The Yankees set their bullpen for 2024 at the deadline (Reyzelman was a long-shot candidate regardless), but he should be in the mix sometime in 2025.
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
Stevens allows his second career HR (43.2 IP). 

Hudson Valley (52-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 7-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
.217/.342/.382 in 364 PA (18 doubles, 4 triples, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 56 R, 14.0% BB, 17.3% K, 17-for-22 SB). His BABIP hasn’t normalized much this season (.248). 
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, RS, HBP
.250/.329/.403 in 365 PA (22 doubles, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 43 R, 8.8% BB, 26.3% K). Last season, he owned a 29.6% K in Low-A (for the Brewers’ organization)
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, 2 HR (13), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Martinez’s third career multi-HR game (he had a 3-HR effort on August 1, 2023). He is hitting .236/.367/.419 in 346 PA. 
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 2B (8), RS, K
Gomez has three multi-hit efforts in his last five games and has doubled in five straight contests. 
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, RS, K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-1, RS, SB (12), 2 BB, HBP
DH Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, SB (5)

RHP Trent Sellers: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
12 up, 12 down. His ERA is now 2.40 (63.2 IP, 34 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 30 BB, 74 K). He has four no-hit performances in his last five games (17.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 18 K). That’s an impressive run.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 5-2) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.60 ERA (35 IP, 28 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 20 BB, 48 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
It has been a rehab year for Cohen. Will he get to Somerset this year? He did get there briefly in 2023.
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.53 ERA (35.2 IP, 32 H, 19 R, 14 ER, 6 HR, 11 BB, 39 K)
RHP Sebastian Keane (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
4.84 ERA (70.2 IP, 64 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 35 BB, 69 K). Keane started most of the season. They could be limiting his innings down the stretch.

Tampa (43-56)

Their game against Lakeland was canceled due to Tropical Storm Debby. It will not be made up.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-27) 

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (23-21) 

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 7/25: Roderick Arias: Grand Slam

News:

IF Caleb Durbin‘s rehab is already over (one plate appearance!) but it’s semantics. The Yankees moved him to Somerset today to continue rehabbing, though it won’t be labeled that way.

Scranton (54-44) (Defeated Worcester, 7-2)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 HBP
Hopefully, this gets him back on track.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
Ramirez has a 7-game hitting streak. At this level: .214/.317/.359 in 120 PA (3 doubles, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 13 R, 11.7% BB, 17.5% K). While in Somerset, he owned a 10.7% BB and 16.5% K. There is a lot to like.
2B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, RBI
DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, K
1B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
Escarra is 8-for-17 with two walks and a strikeout since his promotion.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (14), RS
Gonzalez is 7-for-14 with three doubles in his last four games.
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Will Warren: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
6.11 ERA (95.2 IP, 99 H, 71 R, 65 ER, 18 HR, 35 BB, 115 K). July: 21.2 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 30 K. His miserable May is nearly impossible to overcome, but he has thrown pretty well for much of the season.
RHP Nick Burdi: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi was throwing hard in his first rehab appearance. Can he still be useful for the big club? Yes. Should they continue to look for upgrades in the bullpen? Yes. Even if Burdi is healthy, you worry about future injuries and lack of control/command.
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Somerset (48-45) (Lost a tough one to Portland, 7-6. Portland scored 3 in the top of the 9th)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, 4 K
Jones’ strikeout woes continue. Who would I trade him for? A deal for someone in the Jonathan India class isn’t bad. You don’t want to “give up” on a kid with his talent level, but the outcomes remain wide. When will Jones be a productive MLB player? It could be mid-2026 before he starts to figure it out. This is not an easy one because the Yankees need young, cheap talent if they end up signing Juan Soto. I see some people on social media who think he isn’t worth packaging for India, and I get it. India won Rookie of the Year in 2021 but followed that up with a .246/.323/.394 (97 OPS+) in 222 games between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he is playing back to his rookie level after nearly losing his full-time job. He has never played third base, which could be more of a need than 2B. I like him but I get the trepidation.
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, SB (1)
Between here and Scranton, Durbin has 18 doubles and 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts over 48 games.
  2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-0
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-0, BB, HBP
No, he wasn’t pulled due to an impending trade. He left the game shortly after being HBP.
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Flores has homered in back-to-back games (5 HR in 23 games since his promotion). He has 20 doubles and 11 home runs this year (15 doubles and 8 home runs in 105 games last year). Interesting.
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, RS, SB (11), BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, CS (4)
A grand slam for Vargas. Known for his defense, Vargas is 25-for-95 (.263/.290/.411) since joining Somerset.

RHP Trystan Vrieling:  5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
5.31 ERA (101.2 IP, 107 H, 63 R, 60 ER, 9 HR, 34 BB, 93 K). He was cruising until a 4-run 5th inning. He is pitching well overall in July and we must remember that he is spending his entire debut season in Double-A.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP McKinley Moore (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Hudson Valley (45-46) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, SB (11)
Serna’s first stolen base since 7/1. 
LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 2 K
Avina is in a 0-for-23 slump. Slumps happen. Now, he has to get himself out of it.
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (11), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.240/.373/.417 in 311 PA. Martinez has homered twice in his last four games. Between 2023 and 2024, he has 29 HR in 179 games. From 2019 to 2022, he hit 10 HR in 103 games.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
RF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, RS, K
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, RS, BB
.234/.363/.392 in 190 PA. He is 6-for-13 with a pair of doubles in his last four games.
3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, SAC, RBI, K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.75 ERA (72 IP, 73 H, 55 R, 46 ER, 5 HR, 44 BB, 64 K). He is pitching better lately (5 hitless innings last time out). Carr entered the season with a buzz around him but initially struggled. Is he turning it around down the stretch?
RHP Sean Boyle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At three levels (Hudson Valley, Somerset, Scranton): 1.89 ERA (47.2 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 43 K)

Tampa (36-54) (Split a doubleheader against Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, 2B (14)
Arias has struggled mightily as a right-handed hitter, so it is worth noting that he hit this double batting right-handed.
1B-3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
  LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-2
3B-2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, K
LF-1B Coby Morales: 1-for-2, SB (23), K
Morales is 23-for-25 stealing bases.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-3)  3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR
The 6’8″ Warrecker will need time. He has 35 professional innings, all this season.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Montana Semmel: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Semmell dialed it up to 95.7 MPH. 

Game 2 (Won, 7-1)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K
Lombard Jr. is hitting .231 with a .697 OPS (16 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 41 R, 26-for-30 SB, 13.9% BB, 24.2% K)
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (15), HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Arias is hitting .228 with a .703 OPS (15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 55 R, 26-for-37 SB, 11.99% BB, 32.4% K). In July, his BB/K is 12/12. In June, he walked 7 times and struck out an incredible 41 times. Is something clicking? We’ll have to wait and see.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, BB, K
Gonzalez is 10-for-36 (.278) since his promotion. He won’t turn 21 until October.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-2, 2 RS, HBP

RHP Luis Serna: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Serna’s first career 10+ strikeout game. He tossed 82 pitches (52 strikes). Season: 5.64 ERA (68.2 IP, 62 H, 44 R, 43 ER, 6 HR, 24 BB, 81 K). This is his first full start since July 10th (threw only one inning, due to rain, on 7/19). Serna doesn’t throw hard (though he did throw a 94 MPH sinker tonight), relying more on his 5-pitch mix to generate outs. His 17 whiffs tonight were distributed among his change (8), slider (5), and sinker (4).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (W, 2-2) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was able to strand one of his two inherited runners. Season: 3.97 ERA (47.2 IP, 46 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 12 BB, 55 K). The K/BB stands out. Last season, it was 49/29 over 53.2 IP.

FCL (35-22)

Their game against the Tigers was cancelled due to rain (they started it, but couldn’t get in enough innings). While the stats won’t count, LHP Henry Lalane tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out three.

Due to the cancellation, the Yankees win the division and go to the playoffs.

The other teams in the playoffs are the dominant Marlins (39-15), the Pirates (36-23), and the Wild Card Tigers (34-23). Today’s cancelation benefited the Tigers, who ended up percentage points ahead of the Rays and Red Sox.

The playoffs begin on Saturday. The Yankees will play the Pirates.

By the way, the FCL schedule is structured in a way where you only play division teams. So, the Yankees haven’t faced the Marlins or Pirates this season.

DSL Yankees (11-24) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 5-1)

LF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Michell Chirinos (L, 0-4): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Burgos: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old owns a 5.85 ERA in 20 IP (21 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 15 K)

DSL Bombers (23-15) (Defeated the DSL Yankees, 5-1)

DH Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
.256/.458/.410 in 107 PA (26.2% BB, 20.6% K)
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-2, RS, BB
1B Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-3, 2B (2), 3 RBI
.265/.346/.382 in 78 PA. 
3B Kevin Verde: 0-for-1, RS, SB (8), CS (2), 2 BB
LF Angel Ventura: 1-for-2, RS, SB (15), K

RHP Enixon Sanchez (W, 3-0): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (22.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 21 K). Not bad for a 17-year-old in his first season (he was 16 when the season started).
RHP Alexis Paulino: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K