Tag: Oswald Peraza

Yankees MILB 9/22: Ben Rice: Grand Slam

News:

RHP Clayton Beeter is on his way up, while RHP Jake Cousins was placed on the injured list.

After returning from his injury, Beeter was exclusively a reliever. Over five games, he posted a 0.00 ERA in 7 innings (2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K). He wasn’t asked to pitch on back-to-back days, though he did pitch in two games over three days once.

Can he make the postseason roster? I would consider it a long shot but you never know.

Scranton (89-60) (Defeated Buffalo, 8-4. A tremendous season for the Railriders, but the rules keep them out of the playoffs. Too bad.)

2B Caleb Durbin: 3-for-5, 2B (23), RBI, RS, SB (29), CS (3), K
Durbin found himself in a slump early in September but finished on a little 4-game hitting streak (doubled in his final three games). Overall, including his rehab time, Durbin hit .275/.388/.451 in 406 PA (25 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 61 R, 31-for-35 SB, 13.1% BB, 9.9% K). Where does he fit? I would put him in the competition for an infield spot in 2025. First things first, though: He is Rule 5 eligible, so they will need to add him to the 40-man roster this winter.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, RS, CI
Vivas hit .225/.347/.366 in 422 PA for Scranton (18 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 57 R, 20-for-25 SB, 13.7% BB, 16.6% K). He will forever be linked to Trey Sweeney in Yankees-land. Sweeney is a part of the Tigers’ late-season surge, hitting .247/.290/.430 with four homers in 100 plate appearances.
DH Ben Rice: 1-for-4, HR (12; grand slam), 4 RBI, RS, BB, K
If Rice was discouraged by his demotion, he didn’t play like it. In 19 September games, he hit 9 homers, drove home 23 runs, and walked more than he struck out (17-to-16). Overall, including his time in MLB, Rice swatted 31 home runs in 531 plate appearances.
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, HR (13), RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (24)
Peraza ends his campaign with three home runs in the last two games. He still possesses a tantalizing combination of power, speed, and defense. I don’t know if he’ll hit for average in MLB but does he need to? He hit .246/.341/.394 in 406 PA at this level. His SLG dipped to .236 after the games of July 5th and was still under .300 as late as July 26th.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, K
Rumfield hit .294/.370/.454 in 508 PA between here and Somerset (27 doubles, 15 HR, 73 RBI, 77 R, 9.6% BB, 16.1% K). If the Yankees look for their future 1B from within, Rice has the edge. As well as Rumfield played this season, I am not sure if they will protect him.
RF J.C. Escarra: 1-for-1
With his 1-for-1 day, Escarra finishes his Triple-A campaign over .300 (.302; he was at .298 entering today). The Yankees used him at C/1B/3B/LF/RF this season.
  PH-RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
I hope this was just a situation where they wanted to give Trammell a few plate appearances in the final game instead of an injury.
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
Narvaez seemingly ran into a wall late (0-for-21 in his last five games). He finishes his minor league season at .254/.370/.412 in 403 PA.
LF Jahmai Jones: 1-for-2
   PR-LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-2, RS, SB (6), K
It remains possible that Ellis will sneak onto the postseason roster for pinch-running purposes. You would think his 57 minor-league stolen bases would place him near the top of minor-league baseball. Nope, though he is tied for 10th. The leader? Tampa Bay prospect Chandler Simpson stole 104 bases in 110 games this season.
CF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Allen always seems to find his way back, so I won’t call this his organizational swan song.

LHP Josh Maciejewski: (W, 2-3)  5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
The ultimate thrill for Maciejewski was making four appearances (7 innings) for the big club. The 10th-round pick in the 2018 draft worked hard to accomplish that (he was drafted in the 10th round partially for monetary reasons, as he only required a $7,500 bonus). His future? Figuring out minor league free agency is hard, so I don’t know if he is eligible this winter. If not, he will fill a similar role in 2025.
RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP JT Brubaker: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
If the Yankees keep him around, he has one more control year before reaching free agency. It does require adding him to the 40-man (he is currently on the 60-day IL as this is a rehab stint) to retain him.
RHP Phil Bickford: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Mosqueda, signed as a minor league free agent over the winter, finishes with a 4.39 ERA (67.2 IP, 50 H, 38 R, 33 ER, 8 HR, 37 BB, 88 K). He held left-handed hitters to a .122 batting average (1 home run).

Somerset (2-1) (Lost to Erie, 9-5, to fall behind 1-0 in the best-of-3 championship series. The series moves to Somerset, starting on Tuesday)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
Jones is 6-for-14 with a pair of home runs and only one strikeout in the playoffs. Additionally, he struck out once in his final four regular season contests.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, 2 K
Flores’ 22nd HR between the regular season and the postseason. Only Ben Rice (24 minor-league homers) has more within the organization.
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, K
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, CS (1), K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 3-for-4, HR (1), RBI, 2 RS, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, 3 K
  PH Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-1
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, K
3B Max Burt: 1-for-3, RS
  PH Kiko Romero: 0-for-1

LHP Ben Shields: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
This concludes Shields’ encouraging debut campaign. In the regular season, he pitched to a 3.48 ERA (3.23 FIP) in 106 IP with a 31.1% K, 7.5% BB, and 47.8% GB. He will be 26 by the time we get to Opening Day 2025. That does not bother me.
RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 0-1)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Reyzelman and Watson were reliable down the stretch. They didn’t have it tonight. It happens.

Hudson Valley (73-58 (regular season); 3-3 (playoffs))

Their season is over.

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 9/21: Oswald Peraza Homers Twice

News:

I have nothing.

Scranton (88-60) (Defeated Buffalo, 8-5)

SS Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2B (22), RS, BB
Distribution of starts: 2B (39); 3B (21); SS (12); LF (7); CF (1). Entering today, his 9.8% strikeout rate ranked 8th in minor league baseball (amongst players with 390+ PA)
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-5, HR (9), RBI, RS, SB (20)
Vivas has 9 extra-base hits in 18 September games (.449 SLG). 
2B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, 2 HR (12), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Will Peraza be in the 2B mix in 2025? How about the 3B mix with Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving to 2B?  Or, perhaps a utility role?  He may be traded, as well. This was his second multi-HR and 8th 3-hit game this season.
C Ben Rice: 2-for-5, HR (11), RBI, RS, SB (2)
Rice has 8 HR in 18 September games. Overall (including time in MLB), Rice has 30 home runs and 78 RBI in 127 games.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, RS, SB (9), BB, 4 K
Is Narvaez the future backup to Austin Wells? Will the Yankees use him like they used Kyle Higashioka at first (a #3 catcher who eventually grows into the role)?
1B Jahmai Jones: 2-for-4, RS, 2 SB (10), K
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, RS, BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 2B (22), 3 RBI, SB (7), BB
CF Cam Eden: 0-for-4

LHP Edgar Barclay: 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Halfway through the 2023 season, Barclay looked like a future “role” pitcher for the Yankees. That was before he entered the world of Triple-A, where nothing has gone right. After posting a 5.89 ERA in 44.1 IP last season, he owns a 5.98 ERA in 143 IP this season (150 H, 104 R, 95 ER, 30 HR, 70 BB, 118 K)
RHP Nick Burdi: (W, 2-0)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The Yankees need Effross to rediscover his stuff in 2025. He dealt with multiple injuries, so I wouldn’t discount it happening.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (2-0)

Scheduled day off. The championship series begins on Sunday against Erie.

Hudson Valley (73-58 (regular season); 3-3 (playoffs))

Their season is over.

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 9/14: Ben Rice Homers Twice

News:

Nothing

Scranton (82-59) (Mauled Lehigh Valley, 10-1. Worcester lost, so the division is tied with seven games to play)

SS Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, RS, SB (27), K
.294/.405/.477 in 340 PA (20 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR, 56 RBI, 51 R, 27-for-29 SB). I don’t know what the Yankees plan to do with their infield next year, but Durbin will be in the spring training mix.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (18), 2 BB, K
Don’t discount Vivas being in that mix.
3B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
Speaking of being in the mix, Peraza has more prospect history than any of their options. He is hitting .241/.338/.372 in 374 PA with 20 stolen bases in 27 attempts.
C Ben Rice: 3-for-3, 2 HR (8), 3 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
I like that the Yankees are still giving him catching reps. This is his third multi-HR game this season (including the 3-HR game in MLB). 
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, 2 BB
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, HR (18), 2 RBI, RS, HBP, BB
Trammell is a year too late. Last year, he likely gets 50+ games in the MLB outfield.
RF J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
  RF Cam Eden: 0-for-1, K
1B Jahmai Jones: 2-for-4, 2 RS, SB (8)
CF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, SAC

LHP Edgar Barclay: 4 IP, 4 H. 1 R. 1 ER. 4 BB. 4 K, HR
RHP Joey Gerber (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Clayton Beeter: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
I think Beeter has a reliever written all over him. That is where they will extract the most value out of him long-term, though I understand why you want to keep a kid in the rotation for as long as possible.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (73-62) (Defeated New Hampshire, 3-1. Portland won again. The Patriots own a 0.5-game lead with one game to play. It all comes down to tomorrow)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-2, RS, CS (9), 2 BB, K
Jones reaches the 200-strikeout barrier. It doesn’t surprise me, given his profile and the work still needed to make him a viable MLB player. 
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2B (14), K
There was some buzz surrounding Flores but I never expected this kind of extra-base hit explosion (31 doubles, 21 home runs in 502 PA)
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, 3 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-0, SF, RBI, RS, 3 BB
Seigler has a 14.9% BB and 17.7% K. 
DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, HR (14), 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (18), BB, K
Dunham has homered three times in his last four games.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-2, 2 SB (3), BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (W, 2-4)  5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Overall season (Hudson Valley, Somerset, spot start with Scranton): 3.36 ERA (120.2 IP, 98 H, 58 R, 45 ER, 10 HR, 55 BB, 154 K). Nice job.
RHP Matt Sauer: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Sauer continues his late surge (14 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 17 K in his last 10 games). In a “Baseball is fun” twist, Sauer earns a ring if the Royals win the championship but does not if the Yankees do.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Danny Watson (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (2-1)

The championship series against Bowling Green starts on Sunday. It is a best-of-3 series.

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 9/6: Roderick Arias Homers, Steals 3

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (77-56) (Blew an 8-0 lead and eventually lost to Syracuse, 11-8. Rochester beat Worcester. Worcester is 34-26, Scranton is 34-26, and Rochester is 34-27 in the race for the second-half crown)

LF Jon Berti: 1-for-5, RS, K
It shouldn’t be much longer for Berti. He played a full game on Wednesday, took Thursday off, and played a full game tonight. That’s a sign that he is close.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5, RS, K
Cashman was right!
DH Ben Rice: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Rice has homered in back-to-back games. That has to be good for his confidence.
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, HR (10), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Peraza has 44 Triple-A homers in 247 games. I think his pop, speed, and defense will translate in MLB. Will he hit for enough average? I don’t know. If he isn’t traded, expect him to be in the infield mix in 2025. He will be out of options.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, 2B (15), RS
Vivas is on a 7-game hitting streak. He has 3 doubles, a triple, and 2 homers during the streak.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RBI, HBP
Rumfield is on a 5-game hitting streak (10-for-21, 5 RBI). He is hitting .295/.364/.454 since his promotion. While I try to read between the lines, I don’t know what the Yankees think of most of their prospects. Rumfield is rarely talked about in prospect circles. 
RF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-4, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-2, HR (6), SF, 2 RBI, RS, HBP
Escarra has homered in three straight games (4 HR during the streak). He is hitting .306/.416/.540 since his promotion. Again, he is 29 years old – I am not hyping him as a catching prospect. He is hitting very well and I think that needs to be noted.
  PR Cam Eden: 0-for-0
  C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-0
3B Jahmai Jones: 0-for-3, SB (7), BB

RHP Will Warren: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
Warren tossed four shutout innings before being unable to record an out in the 5th. It feels as if this has been the story of his season.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (L, 1-1)  1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 H, 2 HR
RHP Nick Burdi: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Burdi hasn’t dazzled down here and his velocity appears to be down. For now, he is a depth guy as Ian Hamilton takes a shot at MLB.
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.80 ERA (45 IP, 33 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 24 BB, 48 K)
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (69-60) (Came back to defeat Binghamton, 9-3, in ten innings. Portland won, so Somerset is still 0.5 games out in the second-half title chase)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, RS, 5 K
Jones is 0-for-9 with 9 strikeouts in his last two games. Oof (the run scored was a “Manfred run”). This spikes his K% to 37.96%.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, HR (15), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
Flores’ 2-run blast in the top of the 10th broke the 3-3 tie. He has homered in three straight games and four of his last five games.  His power surge is impressive to watch.
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-5, RS, SB (26)
LF-1B Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, RS, SB (9), BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-5, 2B (7), RS, K
Sometimes I have to remind myself that Vargas is only 22. It seems as if I have been writing about him forever. He is 7-for-24 with a pair of doubles in September. This follows a solid .256/.322/.402 line in August.
1B-3B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, HR (1), 4 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Romero’s Double-A debut. His RBI single in the 9th tied the game and his home run in the 10th provided a cushion. The 23-year-old, drafted in the 7th round in the 2023 draft out of Arizona, hit .208/.349/.362 in 252 PA for Hudson Valley.
3B Max Burt: 0-for-1, RS, SB (14), BB
Burt left the game due to an injured hand.
   PH-LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, CS (5), K

LHP Ben Shields: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, HR
This was a 71-pitch grind for Shields, but he kept the damage low. Since promotion: 3.23 ERA (47.1 IP, 38 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 20 BB, 55 K). He is up to 101.1 innings between three levels with a 127/32 K/BB in his debut campaign.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Sauer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
For Somerset: 3.05 ERA (20.2 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 18 K). After Kansas City returned him to the Yankees, Sauer wasn’t pitching well at all. He has picked up the pace lately.
RHP Eric Reyzelman:  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.11 ERA (21 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). Reyzelman has closer-type potential, but we won’t get too far ahead of ourselves.
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 2-5)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (72-57) (Shut down Asheville, 5-0. The Renegades already clinched the second-half title)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, SB (27), BB, K
Riggio continues his pesky ways. He is on a 6-game hitting streak (4 doubles, 10 RBI, 3 SB). I expect him to be in Somerset in 2025.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (8), RS, SB (9), BB
Lombard Jr. has eight doubles in his last 12 games (he has reached base safely in each game). He is hitting .236/.333/.309 in 126 PA since his promotion and .233/.341/.338 in 492 PA overall (25 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 56 R, 39-for-47 SB (82.98%), 12.4% BB, 22.8% K). The numbers may not overwhelm you but he had a tough time after being promoted to Hudson Valley. He has the ability to explode in 2025.
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, 2 2B (17), RBI, RS, K
.246/.354/.379 in 401 PA (17 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 51 R). 
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
LF Brendan Jones: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 SB (10), BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 9-for-31 (1 double, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R, 10-for-10 SB, 12 BB, 13 K). Between here and Tampa, he is 15-for-15 stealing bases in 22 games.
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS, BB, K
3B Owen Cobb: 0-for-4, SB (1), 2 K
This is Cobb’s High-A debut after going 15-for-54 (.278/.365/.352; 7-for-7 SB) for Tampa. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford this year.

RHP Brian Hendry: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.48 ERA (18.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 23 K). An injury delayed his debut season. As a 24-year-old with little professional experience, he could be a candidate for the Arizona Fall League to get extra work. 
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (W, 2-0)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Between 3 levels (Scranton, Somerset, Hudson Valley): 2.15 ERA (58.2 IP, 44 H, 21 R, 14 ER, 4 HR, 25 BB, 50 K). He has pitched well regardless of where they place him.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Blane Abeyta: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (54-72) (Lost two games against Dunedin)

Game 1 (Lost, 10-6)

SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-2, HR (13), 2 RBI, 3 RS, 3 SB (36), 2 BB
Arias is 36-for-49 (73.5%) stealing bases. He has converted eight consecutive attempts.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, SB (14), BB
2B-3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, SB (13), BB
RF Dillon Lewis: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (3), K
DH Marshall Toole: 0-for-3, SB (8), BB, 2 K
Toole is 11-for-44 (.250)  with 8 RBI, 14 walks, and 16 strikeouts. He is 8-for-10 stealing bases.
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-1, K
   2B Juan Matheus: 0-for-1, RS, SB (1), 2 BB, K
LF Joe Delossantos: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
He increases his hitting streak to 6.
3B-1B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Diomedes Hernandez: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K

RHP Danny Flatt: (L, 0-3)  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Brett Phillips 0 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
This was not the organizational debut Phillips envisioned. If you don’t remember Phillips, he spent 7 years (393 games) in MLB as a position player for five clubs. He hit .187/.272/.347 with 31 homers in 971 plate appearances. He was ranked 57th on Baseball America’s Top 100 list in 2016. The Yankees signed him on July 30th and are trying him on the mound.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Lost, 5-1)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, K
.231/.336/.391 in 542 PA (12.5% BB, 30.996% K). There isn’t enough time to get the K% below 30%, but his improvement is noteworthy. Not long ago, I was nervous about some of his metrics. He is doing a good job alleviating those fears. It is off to Hudson Valley in 2025.
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, RS, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, CS (4), K
RF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-2, BB, K
DH Austin Green: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Green, drafted in the 14th round out of Texas Tech, appears in his first game since August 13th.
LF Joe Delossantos: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
Delossantos’ hitting streak ends at 6.
2B Juan Matheus: 0-for-1, 2 BB, K
Matheus drew his share of walks in the FCL. He walked four times today.
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, K
1B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-2

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (L, 5-9) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
5.09 ERA (120.1 IP, 118 H, 73 R, 68 ER, 13 HR, 38 BB, 128 K)
RHP Alejandro Gomez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 HR

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 8/27: Spencer Jones’ Big Night

News:

The Yankees claimed OF Duke Ellis off waivers from the Mariners as they continue to stockpile speed options for the postseason. Note that just because they are adding these players doesn’t mean they will use them in the playoffs. It is good to have flexibility for the last roster spot.

The Yankees are Ellis’ fourth organization this year. He started with the White Sox, where he went 0-for-4 in four games. Importantly for this exercise, he went 4-for-4 in the stolen base department. The Mets selected him off waivers when the White Sox were done with him, followed by the Mariners doing the same once the Mets were done with him. He didn’t appear in MLB for either team.

In 75 minor league games, he is hitting .235/.315/.336 in 273 PA with 51 stolen bases in 55 attempts. He stole 57 bases in 66 attempts in 2022.

Unlike Cam Eden, who was previously acquired, Ellis required a 40-man roster spot. The Yankees made room by moving RHP Ian Hamilton to the 60-day injured list. This is a paper move. However, they’ll need to make another 40-man roster move once Hamilton is ready.

Scranton (72-53) (Held off Rochester, 9-7)

2B Caleb Durbin: 3-for-5, 3B (2), 2 RBI, RS
.299/.416/.467 in 298 PA at this level. 
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, 3B (1), RS
Dominguez hit the triple at 110.5 MPH. He also hit balls at 110.4 and 104.6 tonight. This was his fifth multi-hit effort in his last seven games. You think he might be ready? If only he had a lane…
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (16), BB
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB, HBP
Peraza has back-to-back multi-hit efforts. 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, RS, BB
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, RBI
DH Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (18), 2 RBI, RS, K
RF Greg Allen: 0-for-3, RS, SB (9), BB
As they bring in players like Ellis and Eden, we shouldn’t forget that Allen has speed. His bat is better, too.

LHP Edgar Barclay: (W, 6-9) 5.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
Barclay threw strikes with a 9-0 lead, but it made the game too close for comfort.
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio (S, 5): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (62-57) (Defeated Reading, 4-2)

3B Jon Berti: 0-for-3, K
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-1
1B Anthony Rizzo: 2-for-2, HR (1), RBI, RS
Rizzo’s first game in the field.
   1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, RS, SB (10), BB
CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (22), 3B (4), 2 RBI
Jones doesn’t want August to end, as he is now 24-for-77 (.312; 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 14 RBI). He has three 3-hit games (eight multi-hit efforts) during the month.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, HBP, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, SB (15), BB
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, SB (25)
Seigler is 25-for-28 stealing bases.
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, 3B (4), RS, BB, 2 K
DH Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2B (13), RBI, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, RS, SB (10), K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
4.78 ERA (130 IP, 126 H, 72 R, 69 ER, 12 HR, 41 BB, 119 K).  August: 1.57 ERA (23 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 22 K). Vrieling has turned it up multiple notches down the stretch.
RHP Colby White: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ian Hamilton: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
It shouldn’t be much longer…
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 5.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K. Pay attention.
RHP Eric Reyzelman (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 2.55 ERA (17.2 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 27 K). You already were paying attention.

Hudson Valley (65-55) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 6-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (2), CS (2), BB
Lombard Jr. has three multi-hit games since his promotion. He is hitting .151 (11-for-73) at this level with 9 walks and 17 strikeouts.
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, K
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, RS
DH Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 3B (2), RS, K
3B-1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Coby Morales: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, RS
Gomez has 8 doubles, a triple, and three homers in August (20 games)
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, K
  3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-1
  DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-1, K
Thankfully, Martinez’s IL stint wasn’t a long one.

RHP Brian Hendry:  1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Hendry allows his first career earned run (13.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 19 K)
RHP Kelly Austin: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since being acquired: 8.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K. K/BB ratio is a strong suit (56/10 in his career)
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 4-4)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
LHP Joel Valdez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (49-69) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-2)

SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, K
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4
.251/.308/.368 in 442 PA. 
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
LF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4
RF Dillon Lewis: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS
Lewis is 6-for-15 with a pair of doubles and stolen bases to begin his career.
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-4, K
DH JoJo Jackson: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-2, RBI, BB, K
3B Duncan Pastore: 1-for-3
Pastore is 9-for-18 with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. He has a 6-game hitting streak to begin his career.

RHP Andrew Landry: (L, 0-2) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
As I said last week, the results aren’t meaningful right now. He is getting his feet wet.
RHP Matt Givin: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Alejandro Gomez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kristofer Bow: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25) 

Their season is over. The Bombers had a good season but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.

Yankees MILB 8/9: Oswald Peraza Homers

News:

The Yankees acquired OF Cam Eden from the Blue Jays for cash considerations.

“I thought the trade deadline was a hard deadline!”

It is. However, any player who has not appeared on a 40-man roster this season can be traded. Eden was on a 40-man roster in 2023, but not in 2024.

The 26-year-old, who has one career MLB hit, played in 91 games for Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, hitting .198/.299/.322 in 332 plate appearances with 26 stolen bases in 33 attempts. He plays all three outfield positions.

I see him as a replacement for Brandon Lockridge, who was traded at the deadline. He would be a good candidate for a September call-up under the old rules (pinch running, late defensive replacement, etc.) but I don’t know where he fits in under the new rules.

Scranton (62-47) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 4-1)

DH Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Caleb Durbin: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Durbin has 38 walks and 26 strikeouts this season (32/23 rate for Scranton)
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4, 3 K
Patience. Patience. Did I mention patience?
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, HR (8), 3 RBI, RS
Peraza has four homers in his last four games (7 HR in last 14 games)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, HR (12), RBI, RS
Taylor has homered 6 times in his last 9 games. 
2B Jahmai Jones: 1-for-4, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, K
3B Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Thomas Pannone: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Scott Effross: (W, 2-1)  2 IP, 0 H,0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
For Scranton: 4.86 ERA (16.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 15 K)
RHP Yerry De Los Santos (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (53-51)

Their game against Binghamton was postponed. They already have a doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow. This game has not yet been rescheduled. The two squads play one more series (in early September), so they will likely try to squeeze it in there or cancel the game.

Hudson Valley (54-49)

Their game against Brooklyn was postponed. They will play a doubleheader on Sunday.

Tampa (42-61) (Lost to Daytona, 6-2)

LF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, 2 SB (3), CS (1)
Toole’s first career multi-hit effort (third game).
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
After a hot stretch, Arias is 3-for-25 in August, though he has 6 walks (11 strikeouts).
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (17), RS, SB (10), BB, 2 K
DH Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia: 1-for-3
  C-P Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-0
  C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1
RF Joe Delossantos: 0-for-4, K
2B Owen Cobb: 1-for-4, K

LHP Henry Lalane: (L, 0-1)  0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
His Low-A debut didn’t go as planned, but Lalane missed most of 2024 and needs the work. Since he is in Low-A, we can see some data: Lalane featured four pitches (threw his slider only once), maxing out at 94.0 MPH with his 4-seamer (averaged 91.9; 39% usage). He also featured a change (34%) and sinker (24%).  Lalane is an intriguing long-term prospect. That’s the best I can offer as I am timid with pitching prospects.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
For Tampa: 5.10 ERA (42.1 IP, 38 H, 32 R, 24 ER, 2 HR, 40 BB, 49 K). Control hasn’t been a strength for the 23-year-old.
RHP Kristofer Bow: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
The stats aren’t great but Pacheco was humming tonight, hitting 97.6 with his 4-seamer and 97.3 with his sinker. Pacheco is a 25-year-old project who pitched in the Phillies organization from 2017 to 2019. He didn’t pitch in an affiliated league from 2020 to 2023.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
2.33 ERA (54 IP, 29 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 7 HR, 28 BB, 64 K). Interestingly, they allow Rodriguez to throw his full assortment of pitches while never using him as a starter.
RHP Diomedes Hernandez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The catcher’s second career pitching appearance.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-30) (Lost to the DSL Marlins, 7-6)

CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
I remember commenting last season that his power surprised me (.411 SLG/4 HR). He hasn’t been able to replicate that (.264 SLG/1 HR). 
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3, RS, BB
C Luis Puello: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 2 RS
.327/.426/.510 in 115 PA for the 18-year-old. This is his second year at this level (.222/.372/.300 in 113 PA last year). As an 18-year-old, it doesn’t bother me that he is repeating the DSL. He should not be here for a third year, though.
LF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-3, 3B (2), SF, 2 RBI, 2 K
The 17-year-old is hitting .256/.367/.402 in 98 plate appearances during his debut season.
RF Yael Zapata: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
Not every prospect can get off to a hot start. Zapata was 0-for-25 entering today. He finally earned that elusive first professional hit.

RHP Emanuel Vargas: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
15.1 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 18 K

DSL Bombers (26-21) 

Scheduled day off.

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 8/3: Oswald Peraza Homers Again

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (59-47) (Lost to Louisville, 8-2)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
When the big club plays well, there is less pressure to move Dominguez quickly. Let him get in as many plate appearances as he needs to get back into a groove. By the way, one of Dominguez’s outs was hit 407 feet at 106.2 MPH.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, BB, K
.246/.383/.377 in 271 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 31 R, 12.9% BB, 15.9% K, 12-for-17 SB)
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, HBP
A 394-foot/104 MPH HR for Peraza, who is hitting .239/.346/.347 in 261 PA for Scranton and has three home runs in his last seven games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
DH Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, HR (10), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Trammell has four home runs in his last six games. He is hitting .244/.366/.488 in 246 PA with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (15), 2 RS, K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
2B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, RS, 2 K
LF Josh VanMeter: 1-for-2, 2B (10), SF, 2 RBI, BB

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.03 ERA (58 IP, 41 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 7 HR, 34 BB, 64 K). It’s been a weird season for Gomez, who I expect the Yankees trade at some point before Opening Day, 2025.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (W, 3-1): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Burdi’s fastball maxed out at 96.3.
RHP Scott Effross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
A much-needed clean effort. For Scranton: 14.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 12 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (50-50) (Lead Bowie, 1-0, in the third inning. The game was suspended due to rain)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-1
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-1
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-1
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-1
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-1, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-1, HR (9), RBI, RS
Seigler will have two HR in his last four games once this becomes official.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-0

RHP Colby White: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (51-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 8-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-5, 2 K
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
C Antonio Gomez: 3-for-4, 2B (7), HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Gomez is 7-for-14 in his last four games.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
DH Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, K
LF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 6-3)  5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.02 ERA (80.2 IP, 74 H, 37 R, 36 ER, 4 HR, 29 BB, 71 K)
RHP Sean Boyle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Balboni’s organizational debut. The 24-year-old was the “other guy” in the Enyel De Los Santos – Brandon Lockridge transaction.

Tampa (43-56) (Split a doubleheader against Lakeland. They are now 18-15 in the second half)

Game 1 (Won, 4-3)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RS
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RS, BB
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-3
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, RBI
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3
Since promotion: .255/.317/.314 in 60 PA.
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-2, RS, SB (24), BB, 2 K
LF Joe Delossantos: 1-for-3, 2 K
Delossantos, their 10th-round pick out of William & Mary, earns his first professional hit. 

RHP Josh Grosz: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
For Tampa: 4.00 ERA (78.2 IP, 73 H, 50 R, 35 ER, 9 HR, 29 BB, 95 K). He made emergency starts for Hudson Valley and Somerset earlier this year which didn’t go well. He wasn’t ready for it. Since returning from the start for Somerset, he’s been dominant.
RHP Chris Kean: (W, 1-0)  0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
His Low-A debut wasn’t a long one, but he earned the win. He threw 24 pitches, maxing out at 94.4. He mixed in a slider and curve.
RHP Aaron Nixon (S, 4): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
4.09 ERA (50.2 IP, 31 H, 27 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 38 BB, 53 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 6-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, SB (30)
.232/.344/.348 in 366 PA (17 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 46 R, 30-for-34 SB, 12.8% BB, 24.0% K)
DH Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 3 K
.226/.321/.370 in 424 PA (15 doubles, 7 triples, 8 HR, 55 RBI, 58 R, 27-for-38 SB, 11.6% BB, 32.5% K). Lombard and Arias are within one point of each other in OPS. 
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-3, RBI, RS
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-1, RS, 2 SB (26), 2 BB
Your reminder that Morales stole one base in 104 college games.
C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Owen Cobb: 0-for-2, SB (1), BB, 2 K
The 23-year-old Cobb was drafted by the Padres in 2019 but did not sign (39th round, which no longer exists). After attending Stanford, the Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent this year. In 55 games for the Cardinal, he hit .320/.363/.500 with 7 homers and 33 RBI. In his five years, he hit .306/.353/.458 in 546 PA with 13 homers and 69 RBI. While he played other positions in his college career, he spent his entire 5th year at second base.

RHP Cade Smith: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
3.47 ERA (85.2 IP, 59 H, 39 R, 33 ER, 5 HR, 40 BB, 111 K). I am always nervous when a pitcher is pulled, but this is his debut season so they might be controlling his innings. Anyway, Smith is trying to build off a strong July (1.35 ERA; 20 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 8 BB, 28 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
2.49 ERA (50.2 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 26 BB, 59 K). Rodriguez wasn’t picked in the 2023 Rule 5 draft and it seems doubtful he will be picked in 2024, but you never know.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: (L, 1-1)  0.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Givin : 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-27) (Lost to DSL Mets Orange, 6-2)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
CF Isael Arias: 1-for-3, RBI
2B Jelson Coca: 1-for-2, 3B (2), RS, SB (3), BB

RHP Jorge Luna: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
2.04 ERA (35.1 IP, 23 H, 13 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 43 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

DSL Bombers (23-21) (Lost to DSL Mets Blue, 2-1)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-3, HBP, K
LF Richard Meran: 2-for-2, CS (2), HBP
RF David Carrera: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Only 17, Carrera is hitting .266/.404/.405 in 99 PA (debut season)

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
The 6’6″ RHP puts together a dominating performance. He owns a 4.45 ERA (30.1 IP, 17 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 0 HR, 28 BB, 50 K)

Yankees MILB 7/27: Josh Grosz Dominates

News:

Nothing to report.

Just kidding.

The Yankees acquired IF/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins today for three prospects – C/1B Agustin Ramirez, 2B/SS Jared Serna, and IF Abrahan Ramirez.

The most significant prospect is Agustin Ramirez, who blossomed into arguably the best Yankees minor league bat over the past two seasons. Between Somerset and Scranton this season, he hit .269/.358/.504 (136 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, and 69 RBI over 386 plate appearances. His numbers were suppressed by a tough start after his promotion, but he is on an 8-game hitting streak that improved his Triple-A triple slash to .224/.328/.364. His profile points to a player who could be an above-average MLB bat. His future position (Catcher? First base? DH?) remains a question. If you are a 1B/DH long-term, the offensive bar increases accordingly.

The Yankees like to target smallish infielders who require smallish bonuses on the international market. That description fits Serna, who stands only 5’7″. He packs a punch in his frame, given his .253/.341/.444 (120 wRC+) line in 393 plate appearances for High-A Hudson Valley this season. Like Ramirez, he doesn’t strike out much (15.3%). Serna’s future position is clearly defined. While he has played a lot of shortstop with the Yankees, most experts point to him as a second baseman long-term.

Most of these trades usually include a lottery ticket. That is where Abrahan Ramirez comes in. Only 19 years old, the infielder hit .348/.447/.513 (161 wRC+) in 189 plate appearances for the FCL squad this season. It was his first taste of the level after spending 60 games in the DSL between 2022 and 2023. While his stats are impressive, there is a long way to go before he is a viable prospect, never mind a viable MLB player.

By the way, Agustin Ramirez was on the 40-man roster while Serna is Rule 5 eligible for the second straight winter.

As for Chisholm, he isn’t a “perfect” player. However, any notion that he doesn’t improve a team is wrong. For Miami, he hit .249/.323/.407 (104 wRC+) with 13 home runs and 22 stolen bases. His 24.9% K rate is above the MLB average but shows improvement over previous seasons. While the Marlins have forced him into CF duty the past two seasons, his versatility should be useful. If he can handle CF, he should be able to handle the corners along with his experience at 2B. I wouldn’t be shocked if he is playable at SS and 3B. The Yankees must be creative in their usage if no other moves are made.

I don’t know how many times Yankees fans have complained about the Yankees needing versatility, athleticism, and speed. Chisholm provides that. Again, he’s not a perfect player. Not many are. Does he fit with the Yankees? I think so.

Bottom Line:

I am not giving this trade five stars out of five. It’s not an obvious, no-brainer. Not many trades are.

However, the Yankees acquired a good player with breakout potential and 2.5 years of control to reach that potential. I don’t think you can say “No” to that. Will it work? Time will tell.

As for the Marlins, I like their return. They received three legitimate prospects, one of whom has a Top 100 level bat. That’s the cost of doing business.

If I was the Yankees’ GM and this deal was offered to me, I would say “Yes.” That is how I have to judge it.

Scranton (56-44) (Defeated Worcester, 9-7, in 11 innings)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 4-for-6, RBI, 3 RS, SB (31), K
.298/.401/.386 in 254 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 37 R, 31-for-35 SB). He is 11-for-22 during his 5-game hitting streak.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-6, 2B (7), RBI, 3 RS, SB (12), K
Vivas is 5-for-14 with a double, 4 RBI, 5 runs, and 3 stolen bases in his last three games. He was slumping for a while but is back on track.
3B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, SB (14), HBP
Peraza walked it off with a 2-run homer. He is hitting .239/.345/.318 in 236 PA. He is 21-for-76 (.276) in July with two home runs. He has three 3-hit games this month.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, 2B (17), 2 RBI
Rumfield is 16-for-61 (.262) in July with 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 10 RBI this month.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, 2B (14), BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, SAC, 3 K
Palensky’s first Triple-A game this season (played 9 games here in 2023)
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game tonight. That is an understatement.
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
3.81 ERA (49.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). This ends his 10-game scoreless streak.
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Scranton: 11.1 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 10 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 3-0): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (48-47) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, CS (5), BB, K
.234/.317/.400 in 369 PA. He is 11-for-67 (.164) in July with 8 walks and 34 strikeouts. He has at least one strikeout in ten straight games.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, 2 BB
Taking walks is a part of Flores’ game (12 in 109 PA since his promotion (11%) and 14.6% overall)
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, CS (5), HBP, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 2-8) 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
3.76 ERA (107.2 IP, 88 H, 62 R, 45 ER, 7 HR, 36 BB, 106 K). Messinger might be the most snakebit pitcher in professional baseball history. He carries a decent 4.12 minor league ERA over 73 games (55 starts). His record? 4-26.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Last 7 appearances: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
White can strike hitters out (190 in 129.2 career IP). Walks have been an issue, including 27 in 26 IP this season.

Hudson Valley (45-48) (Lost to Wilmington, 2-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (17)
.226/.356/.394 in 332 PA (17 doubles, 4 triples, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 52 R, 17-for-22 SB). 
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB, K
.235/.370/.408 in 319 PA (17.2% BB, 22.9% K)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cam Schlittler (L, 5-4): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
2.64 ERA (81.2 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 24 ER, 7 HR, 37 BB, 99 K). This is the longest outing in his brief professional career.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.97 ERA (39.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 37 K)

Tampa (39-54) (Swept a doubleheader against Clearwater. They are playing better in the second half, as they are 15-12 and in the playoff race)

Game 1 (Won, 4-3, in 9 innings. They walked it off on a combination of events, none of which were pretty)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RS
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 K
It is a big 2-run single for Castillo, who continues his impressive campaign.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, RS, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 2-for-3, 2B (11)
   PH Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-0, BB
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, RS, K

RHP Josh Grosz: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
4.19 ERA (73 IP, 69 H, 47 R, 34 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 93 K). He had a tough time in an emergency start for Somerset on 6/23. Since coming back: 0.397 ERA (22.2 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 25 K). That is dominance. Grosz throws primarily 4-seamers and sliders while mixing in a change.
RHP Matt Givin: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Givin (25) has missed most of the season due to injury. He is not technically here on a rehab stint, but that is what it is.
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
3.88 ERA (48.2 IP, 46 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 55 K)

Game 2 (Won, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2B (17), RS, HBP
Lombard Jr. has a .237/.708 OPS line. He owns a pair of 2-hit efforts in his last three games (five in his last ten games).
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Arias is at .223 with a .687 OPS.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, BB
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, 3B (2), RS, K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
Montero brings in Montero for the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-1, CS (3), 2 BB
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cade Smith: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
3.48 ERA (82.2 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 32 ER, 38 BB, 109 K). Smith, their 2023 6th-round pick out of Mississippi State, is one of their most consistent 2024 performers. He is more of a mix guy than an overpowering type, but that is fine. We’ll see how it translates as he moves up.
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 3-2)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22) (Lost Game 1 to the Pirates, 4-3. The semi-finals are best-of-3)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Mayea took his share of walks and hit .281 in 35 games. He didn’t homer but don’t read into that. The power can come later. For example, Oswald Peraza hit one home run in 94 rookie league games. Three years later, he hit 18 as a 21-year-old in full-season leagues.
1B Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, BB
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Marlins asked about Urena as the “lottery ticket”. Urena is impressive – he might be the next Agustin Ramirez-like riser. 
RF Joel Mendez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, BB
3B-SS Santiago Gomez: 2-for-3, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Making the playoffs allowed Lagrange to add to his innings total. He needs more, given the late start to his campaign.
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
I expect Kean to go to Tampa once the FCL squad is done. He’s 22 years old and dominated during the regular season (1.31 ERA in 20.2 IP with a 27/3 K/BB).

DSL Yankees (13-25) (Defeated the DSL Bombers, 6-3. They are playing playoff spoiler against their own organization mates!)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 SB (18), CS (3), K
.226/.299/.304 with 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. The triple slash may not jump out at you, but he just turned 17 years old.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-0, 2 RS, SB (3), 2 BB
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 4 RBI
Capellan’s first career multi-RBI game.
RF Louis Pierre: 0-for-1, RS, 2 SB (10), CS (2), 2 BB, K

RHP Jorge Luna: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
1.65 ERA (32.2 IP, 21 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 37 K)
LHP Ronald Tejada (W, 3-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.42 ERA (19 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). It is the 17-year-old’s debut season.

DSL Bombers (22-17) (Lost to the DSL Yankees, 6-3)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-2, 2B (7), 2 RS, SB (9), BB
The 18-year-old has 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 55 DSL games.

LHP Jose Ledesma: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 7/24: Rafael Flores Walks it Off

News:

The Yankees are signing their draftees. As always, some required extra money to sign while others required less. You can find a full list in many places. I don’t need to rehash it. New talent is coming to try to break their 18-year World Series drought in 2027.

Scranton (53-44) (Split a doubleheader against Worcester)

Game 1 (Won, 8-1)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (14), RBI, RS
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, BB
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS, K
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (11), RBI, RS, K
DH Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-2, 2B (13), 2 RS
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-2, 2B (17), RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter: 2-for-3, 2B (9), 3 RBI

LHP Edgar Barclay: (W, 4-8) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Last 2 outings: 10 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 10 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.78 ERA (47.2 IP, 31 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 61 K). He extends his scoreless streak to ten games.
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, CS (4), BB, 2 K
Lockridge is 7-for-20 with a pair of walks in his last five games.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, 2 K
Vivas, who didn’t play for a week because the Yankees brought him up only to not use him, is 3-for-24 since the All-Star Break. Smart move, geniuses.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
Ramirez has his Triple-A batting average over .200 (.214) thanks to a 6-game hitting streak (8-for-25, 6 RBI).
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RS, 2 K
July: 17-for-62 (.274; 4 doubles, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 11 R, 5-for-7 SB). Over a smaller sample (last five games): 9-for-20 with three walks. He started the month with a .592 OPS. It is now .653.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, RS
Rumfield, who has five 3+ hit games since his promotion, is 5-for-10 in his last three games with a double, homer, and 3 RBI. While his average is down in July, he has homered three times in his last nine games.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-3, RS, K
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-3, 2B (9), RBI
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game in Game 2. Underwood has a history of starting, but not in recent years. Season: 2.50 ERA (36 IP, 26 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 35 K)
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Mayza’s organizational debut isn’t a memorable one.
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Scott Effross: (L, 1-1)  0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
Supposedly, the Yankees aren’t comfortable with where Effross’ stuff is. This would seem to confirm that discomfort. He missed a lot of time, so that is understandable. You hope it isn’t permanent.
LHP Chasen Shreve: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (48-44) (Defeated Portland, 6-4, in 12 innings. Last week, I said it looked doubtful that any full-season affiliate would make the playoffs. I guess the Patriots want to prove me wrong. They are now 16-7 in the second half (including five wins in a row), giving them the division lead by 2.5 games)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-2, RS, 4 BB (1 intentional), K
Jones’ first career 4 BB game. He is hitting .240/.323/.409 in 356 PA (36.8% K; 10.4% BB). 
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-2
It’s his second game back from injury, so don’t be concerned that he was pulled.
  PH-C Juan Crisp: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Crisp is a seldom-used (heck, seldom-active) organizational catcher with 182 plate appearances from 2019 to 2024 (140 of those were compiled in 2019). It is fun when players like him earn professional hits.
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-6, RBI
.294/.372/.472 in 376 PA. He is 19-for-68 (.279) in July (4 doubles, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 11 K).
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-6, 4 K
It’s all forgotten when your team wins!
DH Rafael Flores: 2-for-6, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Flores swats a walk-off 2-run HR with two outs in the 12th. Since promotion: .221/.309/.395 in 97 PA. Overall (including time with Hudson Valley): .265/.376/.444 in 330 PA with 20 doubles, 10 homers, and 46 RBI.
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-5, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, SAC, BB, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 K

RHP Luis Velasquez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Velasquez has made a few starts recently, but I don’t think that indicates a role change (he tossed only one inning in his previous start).
RHP Danny Watson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 3.68 ERA (7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 11 K)
RHP Matt Sauer: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sauer needed this. Hopefully, he can finish the season strong.
RHP Kevin Stevens: (W, 4-0)  2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
2.55 ERA (35.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 50 K). Stevens was masterful at pitching around the ghost runner in extra innings.

Hudson Valley (44-46) (Lost to Wilmington, 4-1. An offensive spectacle, this was not)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (6), K
Riggio increases his hitting streak to 6 (8-for-22; 1 triple, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB)
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, K
Avina is in a 0-for-19 slump (6-for-53 in July). He is hitting a respectable .257/.339/.417 in 330 PA.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, K
.235/.368/.402 in 307 PA. While he hit .282 in the FCL (2022), most of his performance indicates a kid who isn’t going to hit for much average but draws walks and has some pop. As a left-handed hitting catcher, you hope he can develop into something.
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3
DH Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, K
Hall is 3-for-41 at this level. High-A has given him trouble (as have injuries)
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RS
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, K

RHP Trent Sellers: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Sellers tossed 51 pitches as he retired all 11 batters he faced. He owns a 2.75 ERA (55.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 29 BB, 67 K). As for the short outing, he’s been a multi-inning reliever most of the season. This is only his second start. 
RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 6-7) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
They may be trying to control Keane’s innings the rest of the way, as this is his first relief appearance. He owns a 5.05 ERA (67.2 IP, 64 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 34 BB, 62 K).
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
4.73 ERA (53.1 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 63 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Diaz’s brief rehab assignment is over.

Tampa (35-53) (They tried to play two games against Clearwater, but it wasn’t meant to be)

Game 1 (They trail, 6-0, in the 3rd inning. This game was suspended and will be resumed tomorrow)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-1
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-1, 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 Dylan Jasso: 0-for-1
DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-0
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-0
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-0
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-0
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-0

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR

Game 2 (This game was postponed due to rain. I do not see a makeup date)

FCL (35-22)

Scheduled day off. The season ends tomorrow. If they beat the Tigers, they clinch the division. If they lose, I believe the Tigers have the tie-breaker.

If they lose, they need either the Pirates or Rays to lose to earn the Wild Card berth.

DSL Yankees (11-23)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (22-15) (Destroyed DSL Colorado, 15-1. This was the conclusion of a game started on July 22nd)

C Queni Pineda: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (21), BB, HBP
.286/.477/.429 in 107 PA. He has 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
LF-CF Angel Ventura: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
RF David Carrera: 3-for-4, 2 2B (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (7), BB
The 17-year-old is hitting .270/.427/.429 in 82 PA.

RHP Carlos Almonte (W, 1-0): 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Almonte’s first professional win. Congrats!