Tag: Rafael Flores

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 9/19: Ben Rice Homers Again

News:

I have nothing to offer.

Scranton (86-60) (Defeated Buffalo, 4-1. I have been mistaken lately. Like most sane people, I thought divisions mattered in the International League, but they don’t. It’s first-half champion vs. second-half champion in the entire league, even though you don’t get to play everyone. Weird. Divisions don’t matter. Scranton is 86-60 (the second-best team to Omaha) and won’t make the playoffs. That needs to be fixed because it’s freaking stupid. Why do they do this? Time. They expanded the season, so the playoffs took a hit. Instead of a 2-series format, they go straight to a best-of-3 championship. After that concludes, the International League winner plays the Pacific Coast League winner in a 1-game “winner-take-all.” Interestingly, they came up with a format that I 100% hate. I like nothing about it. I don’t care about IL vs. PCL. I care more about deserving squads making it)

LF-3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, RBI
Even during his slump, Durbin hasn’t been striking out (6 in 12 September games). He is hitting .284/.396/.466 in 360 PA at this level (12.8% BB, 9.7% K)
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, RS, BB
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-4, HR (10), 2 RBI, RS
Rice has 7 HR in his last 14 games and is hitting .302/.444/.656 in 124 PA at this level. It is easy to forget how little Triple-A experience he had before his call-up.
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-3, BB, K
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, HR (14), RBI, RS, BB
At this level: .293/.367/.458 in 466 PA (26 doubles, 14 HR, 70 RBI, 71 R, 9.2% BB, 16.5% K). He is talked about in online fan circles but I haven’t seen much about him beyond that. Is he a serious prospect? I wish I could answer that.
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4
RF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-4, 2B (20), K
3B J.C. Escarra: 2-for-3, 2 2B (14), RS, BB
In addition to catching, Escarra can play the four corners (1B, 3B, LF, RF). He will turn 30 next April and has yet to make his MLB debut. He would be a fun story if he made it to MLB.  He is hitting .293/.398/.524 in 196 PA at this level.
   PR-LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-0, SB (4)
CF Cam Eden: 0-for-4, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Gomez is on the 40-man roster, but I doubt he would be Jake Cousins‘ replacement. He isn’t a short reliever + he won’t be available for several days.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: (W, 7-1)  0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Morris’ first appearance since July 20th. If you don’t recall, he was acquired for Estevan Florial. After hitting poorly in MLB (.173/.264/.367), Florial hasn’t been his usual minor-league self (.221/.329/.376 in 213 plate appearances). 
RHP JT Brubaker:  1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Clayton Beeter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Beeter threw eight 4-seamers (topped out at 97.6) and six sliders. Could he be an option if Cousins isn’t available? He would be an intriguing choice. Cody Poteet is another option (perhaps the most likely one).
RHP Yerry De Los Santos (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (2-0) (Defeated Hartford, 4-3, in ten innings to advance to the championship series. The series begins on Sunday against either Akron or Erie. Erie leads that series, 1-0. In tonight’s game, Akron has the lead in the 10th inning)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, RBI, K
Jones’ single in the top of the 10th provided the winning run. He is 5-for-10 in the playoffs.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB, K
Flores’ power surge continues. He hit .279/.379/.495 in 506 PA between here and Hudson Valley in the regular season (31 doubles, 21 homers).
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-5, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, RS, SB (1), 2 BB
DH Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, RS, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, RBI, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K

RHP Zach Messinger: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
Messinger dominated through six and left the game with a 3-2 lead in the 7th. Unfortunately, the inherited runner scored. If this is his final start in 2024 (Game 2 of the championship series is next Tuesday, so it may not be), he can go into the offseason with his head held high. He is Rule 5 eligible but I would put him on the “definite” list for protection (or trade). 
LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana: (W, 1-0)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

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 9/5: Jasson Dominguez Goes Bananas

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (77-56) (Defeated Syracuse, 11-5. Worcester defeated Rochester. In the second-half race, Scranton and Worcester are tied at 34-25 while Rochester is 33-27. The season doesn’t end until 9/22)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K
Vivas has a 6-game hitting streak (8-for-24)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, 3 RS, BB
What else does this kid need to do and how can he not be discouraged? The Yankees are mismanaging him to an extreme and there is no excuse. Alex Verdugo has no future with the Yankees and may not be the best LF option on the current roster, never mind adding Dominguez to the mix. The Yankees organization has a lot of explaining to do. I don’t want to hear Brian Cashman call everyone else idiots while defending “the process.” No process exists that justifies this. No analytical data, no whatever data Aaron Judge wants to use. Nothing. Enough is enough with this clown show. By the way, I don’t see Dominguez as a “savior.” They have two of the best hitters in the galaxy for that role. It’s just ridiculous that he is down here. OK, I am done with my rant.
DH Ben Rice: 1-for-2, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB
All Rice can do is put his head down and perform to get himself back to MLB.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, RS
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
CF Taylor Trammell: 3-for-4, 2B (19), HR (17), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (16)
Trammell has been a useful addition to the organization.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, K
RF Greg Allen: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
3B Jahmai Jones: 0-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, SB (6), BB

RHP Cody Poteet: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
His first rehab start since moving here from Somerset.
RHP Joey Gerber: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Yoendrys Gomez: (W, 3-5)  4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (68-60) (Lost to Binghamton, 2-1. Portland won, so Somerset is now 0.5 games out in the second-half title chase)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 4 K
This was a tough night for the entire offense. However, this is a Jones pattern – even in the middle of a hot streak, a random 0-for-4 with four strikeouts enters the chat. What does that mean for his future? I don’t know. We have to accept that these games will happen in MLB. The question is: Can he surround that without enough offense to make these types of games tolerable?  
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (14), RBI, RS, K
His solo HR with two outs in the top of the 9th tied the game. Flores has 20 HR between Hudson Valley and Somerset and has three homers in his last four games. He didn’t show much power in his first 109 games (16 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR) but now has 28 doubles and 20 HR in 113 games this season
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3
DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, K
Wegner broke up the no-hitter in the 8th inning.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, SB (13), K

RHP Bailey Dees: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
4.28 ERA (132.1 IP, 114 H, 69 R, 63 R, 19 HR, 53 BB, 141 K). Last 3 starts: 21.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 9 BB, 25 K. Given it is his first season as a starter, I expected him to wear down late in the season. Instead, he is flourishing.
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Pacheco’s Double-A debut. In 11 games for Tampa (he didn’t pitch for Hudson Valley), he pitched to a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 IP with a 23/4 K/BB. He is the pitcher who didn’t pitch in an affiliated league between 2020 (no minor league season) and 2023. The Yankees signed the 25-year-old in June after he tossed 22.2 innings of 2.78 ERA ball in the Mexican League.
RHP Cole Ayers: (L, 0-2)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR

Hudson Valley (71-57) (Came back to defeat Asheville, 5-4, in ten innings. The Renegades clinched the second half title and a playoff berth last night)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, 2B (27), RBI, RS, 2 K
Riggio’s 4th double in four September games. 
SS George Lombard Jr.: 3-for-5, 2 2B (7), RBI, RS, SB (8)
Lombard Jr. has 7 doubles in his last 11 games (reached base in each game). His single with two outs in the 9th tied the game at 4 and he is hitting .226 with a .614 OPS since his promotion (as a reminder, he was hitting .036 with a .218 OPS at one point). Since that day, he is 23-for-78 (88 plate appearances; .295, 7 doubles, 7 RBI, 8 R, 7-for-10 SB, 9 BB, 16 K (18.2% K))
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-5, 2B (15), RS, 2 K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-5, 2B (16), 2 RBI, SB (16), K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
   PR-DH Jackson Castillo: 1-for-1, RBI, SB (5)
Castillo walked it off with an RBI single in the 10th.
CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-3, SB (8), BB, 3 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS, BB
RF Coby Morales: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, RS, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
4.76 ERA (104 IP, 97 H, 70 R, 55 ER, 5 HR, 55 BB, 95 K). Given where he was at one point (6.53 ERA on July 10th), this is a successful first season for Carr. I don’t think they will shut him down so his next start will be in the playoffs.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
At this level: 18.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 21 K. A lot goes into rehabbing a player and I don’t know all the facts. However, he finished the 2023 season in Somerset and I am surprised he isn’t there now.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.33 ERA (46 IP, 35 H, 23 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 25 BB, 59 K)
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
LHP Joel Valdez: (W, 2-2) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
3.47 ERA (57 IP, 40 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 3 HR, 28 BB, 70 K)

Tampa (54-70) (Attempted to play two games against Dunedin)

FYI: Tuesday’s rainout was officially canceled.

Game 1 (Lost, 5-2, in 8 innings)

SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, SB (33), 3 K
.229/.333/.384 in 535 PA (19 doubles, 8 triples, 12 HR, 72 RBI, 73 R, 33-for-46 SB). I don’t think the Yankees will move him to Hudson Valley for the playoffs as he has put in a full season’s worth of work. However, it’s not impossible…
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, RS, SB (13), BB, 2 K
LF Tyler Wilson: 1-for-4, 2 SB (2)
Wilson left the game after an “injury delay” in the 8th inning. The injury occurred on an inside-the-park home run.
  LF Marshall Toole: 0-for-0
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
DH Dillon Lewis: 0-for-4, RS
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Juan Matheus: 0-for-4, 3 K
Matheus’ Low-A debut. The 20-year-old switch-hitter hit .321/.429/.488 with more walks (29) than strikeouts (28) in 196 plate appearances in the FCL. He was 10-for-17 in the stolen base department. This is a sign that he is starting at this level in 2025.
RF Joe Delossantos: 2-for-3, RBI, SB (10), BB, K
Delossantos has five straight multi-hit games and is hitting .300/.440/.383 in 75 PA with 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS
Gonzalez has homered in back-to-back games. 

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 1 K
At this level: 6.34 ERA (49.2 IP, 49 H, 36 R, 35 ER, 6 HR, 27 BB, 31 K). Overall, Warrecker will finish the season with 65.1 innings of work under his belt. We knew from the start of the season that the 6’8″ Warrecker would be a work-in-progress type.
RHP Cade Austin: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.77 ERA (45.1 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 19 ER, 7 HR, 14 BB, 49 K)
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
A rare misstep for Kean, who allowed his first earned run since being promoted (11.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 15 K)
RHP Kristofer Bow (L, 3-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR

Game 2 (Trail, 2-0, in the first inning. They will attempt to finish it tomorrow. Numbers are below, but they aren’t official)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-0, SB (34), BB
Arias was the only Tarpon to get an official PA before the rain started.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-0
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-0
RF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-0
DH Marshall Toole: 0-for-0
1B Parks Harber: 0-for-0
LF Joe Delossantos: 0-for-0
3B Duncan Pastore: 0-for-0
C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-0

RHP Danny Flatt: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 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.

Yankees MILB 9/1: Rafael Flores, Roc Riggio Go Off

News:

I could rant about today’s roster moves, but I have done enough of that.

Hence, no news today.

Scranton (74-56) (Lost to Rochester, 5-4)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 3B (2), HR (7), RBI, RS, 2 K
Vivas is trying to put a tough August behind him (.191/.291/.287).  That said, he hit a double on 8/30 and a homer on 8/31. 
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4, BB, K
And you wanted him called up? The Yankees are playing chess.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (18), HBP, BB, 2 K
DH T.J. Rumfield: 4-for-5
Rumfield has four multi-hit efforts in his last 9 games. He has one 2-hit game, two 3-hit games, and one 4-hit game. Since promotion: .294/.364/.459 in 423 PA. Can he figure into the future first base picture? You don’t hear much about him and he is Rule 5 eligible this winter. Like I said with Caleb Durbin, the Yankees will show their cards during the offseason.
  PR Cam Eden: 0-for-0, CS (8)
The game ended on his CS. Why do I envision this happening with Duke Ellis at some point?
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, SB (14), BB, K
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, 2B (18), RBI, RS, HBP
.271/.390/.445 in 356 PA (18 doubles, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 51 R, 8-for-9 SB. He is more than capable of being an MLB backup. However, my thought process is they will be willing to keep him down here as a #3 catcher in 2025.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4
3B Jahmai Jones: 0-for-3, RS, SB (5), HBP, 2 K

LHP Thomas Pannone: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
Since joining the Yankees: 2.32 ERA (44.2 IP, 42 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 5 HR, 4 BB, 36 K). He is 30, so I don’t have illusions of greatness. He has pitched well, however.
RHP Alex Mauricio: (L, 4-1)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (65-59) (Destroyed Reading, 15-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, HR (15), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
In his last 8 games, Jones has 5 doubles, 1 triple, a homer, and 10 RBI.  Yes, he also has 12 strikeouts. He is hitting .258/.336/.438 in 491 PA with 25 doubles, 15 homers and 73 RBI. His K% sits at 37.1.
DH Jon Berti: 1-for-3, 3 RS, HBP, BB, K
C Rafael Flores: 4-for-5, 2 2B (11), HR (12), 4 RBI, 4 RS, SB (6)
Flores has 11 doubles, 12 HR, 27 RBI, and 33 runs scored in 53 games since his promotion (.276/.357/.513). Overall, he has 18 HR in 110 games between here and Hudson Valley. He hit 8 HR in 105 games in 2023. He has impressed.
1B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-4, 2 2B (5), RBI, 3 RS, 2 SB (12), BB
It’s been a tough season for Hardman (.189/.282/.315 at this level). Perhaps he can finish with a flourish.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 SF, 3 RBI, RS, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-5, CS (9), 2 K
Since promotion: .256/.301/.395 in 209 PA.  
3B Max Burt: 2-for-4, 2 RS, SB (12), K

RHP Luis Gil: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Gil barely missed any time and should be back shortly. He threw 80 pitches today.
RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 2-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.32 ERA (19 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 14 K). Last 7 games: 10 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. He started slow after being returned to the franchise but has thrown well lately.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 2.41 ERA (18.2 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 28 K)
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Colby White: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (68-57) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-2, to extend their lead to 3 games over the BlueClaws. This was a huge win)

2B Roc Riggio: 3-for-5, 2 2B (25), HR (11), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Riggio launched a grand slam today and has homered in back-to-back days. He is hitting .220/.345/.399 in 456 PA (25 doubles, 5 triples, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 67 R, 24-for-30 SB, 14.3% BB, 20.2% K)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, RS, CS (4), K
Lombard has a 7-game hitting streak that features five multi-hit games. He is hitting .221 since his promotion (he was hitting .036 after games of August 14th). He has adjusted to this level and is still a teenager (won’t be 20 until next June). 
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, SF, RBI
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-5, 3B (2),  2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-5, RBI, K
Since promotion: .315/.377/.537 in 61 PA with 17 RBI. Overall: .265/.385/.426 in 395 PA with 9 HR, 49 RBI, and 59 runs.
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5, 2 K
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K

RHP Brian Hendry: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.57 ERA (15.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 21 K)
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.08 ERA (16.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 22 K). He needs to be in Somerset.
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Joel Valdez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
This is what we used to see in MLB every September! 

Tampa (54-69) (Destroyed Bradenton, 18-4)

SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, 3B (8), RBI, RS, BB
.229/.333/.385 in 531 PA (19 doubles, 8 triples, 12 HR, 72 RBI, 73 R, 12.4% BB, 30.9% K, 32-for-45 SB). Arias has certainly turned his profile into an encouraging one. Since striking out 3 times on August 20th, he has 5 strikeouts in his last ten games.
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.249/.311/.364 in 466 PA (23 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 62 R, 12-for-13 SB)
LF Tyler Wilson: 2-for-6, 3 RBI, RS
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-5, 2B (9), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Dillon Lewis: 0-for-5, 2 RS, BB, K
1B Parks Harber: 3-for-5, 2B (6), 2 RBI, 3 RS, BB
.286/.407/.471 in 86 PA. This is his second 3-hit effort.
DH Joe Delossantos: 3-for-6, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
Delossantos had 4 hits in yesterday’s doubleheader. He is hitting .281/.423/.351 in 71 PA with four doubles and 12 runs scored.
C Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-3, 2B (4), HR (2), SF, 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Since promotion: .250/.317/.346 in 126 PA with a pair of homers and 19 RBI. Including his time in the FCL, Gonzalez has 8 homers and 41 RBI in 74 games. He is only 20 years old.
2B Owen Cobb: 3-for-4, 2B (4), 2 RBI, 3 RS, BB
I wonder if Cobb is our next Rob Refsnyder/Ben Cowles type. Unlike them, he wasn’t drafted but the profile is similar. He is hitting .278/.365/.352 in 63 PA with 10 runs batted in and 13 runs scored.

RHP Andrew Landry: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
According to Savant, Landry mixed 6 pitches, though he mainly featured a 4-seamer/slider/curve combination. When I say that “results don’t matter right now,” it means that some prospects are in “get their feet wet” mode. Landry is in that group.
RHP Alejandro Gomez: (W, 2-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 10 K). Gomez is a sinker/slider/change type.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Jordy Luciano: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
At this level: 4.88 ERA (51.2 IP, 48 H, 38 R, 28 ER, 3 HR, 45 BB, 62 K). I can’t figure out what he may need to work on.
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 9.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 14 K. Kean features a 4-seamer/curve/slider and generated whiffs with all three today. His nine 4-seamers today sat between 91.5 – 93.5.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 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.

Yankees MILB 8/14: Jasson Dominguez Homers

News:

The Yankees placed one player (OF Jasson Dominguez) on the MLB Pipeline Top 100.

I have hinted at it this year: The system has taken a hit, due to three things:
1. Trades;
2. Injuries;
3. Down years.

Order those three things however you wish, but putting them together paints the most accurate picture.

Regarding injuries that impact the Top 100, RHP Chase Hampton is back on the injured list. After throwing 106.2 innings of 3.63 ERA ball last season, Hampton has tossed 18.2 innings this season. Ouch.

The bad luck doesn’t end there, as LHP Brock Selvidge was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Monday. Selvidge owns a 4.25 ERA in 84.2 innings for Somerset and was one of the Yankees’ representatives in this year’s Futures Game (along with Spencer Jones). No, he wasn’t hurt during that game as he didn’t pitch that day. Joining Selvidge on the 60-day list is RHP Kevin Stevens. Stevens, a 26-year-old reliever, owns a 2.54 ERA in 39 innings for Somerset with a 56/16 K/BB ratio.

Hampton had a chance to make his MLB debut this season. Selvidge is more of a 2025 candidate. This is how it goes with farm systems. For the Yankees, not much is going right this season.

The Yankees have released veteran infielder Josh VanMeter. VanMeter hit only .177/.335/.293 in 59 games for the Railriders.

Scranton (66-48) (Defeated Buffalo, 3-1. They stole 9 bases)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, SB (15), BB, K
LF Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 SB (22), K
Durbin is 60-for-71 (84.5%) stealing bases over 131 games in the last two seasons.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, SB (5), 2 BB
Dominguez hit a pair of balls at 105.6 MPH. The home run went 389 feet. The lineout went 373 feet. When the GM says they need to find a lane for a player, that player can create his lane for playing time.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, RS, SB (11), BB, 2 K
3B Jahmai Jones: 1-for-2, 3 SB (3), 2 BB
DH Greg Allen: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, HBP, K
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, RS, SB (1), BB, K
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Thomas Pannone: (W, 6-9)  6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, HR
Pannone left the game after being hit by a comebacker. The veteran has done well in his five Scranton starts (26 IP, 27 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 HR, 2 BB, 24 K)
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (55-54) (Defeated Hartford, 9-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-6, 3 K
Where’s that rug I can sweep this under?
C Jose Trevino: 2-for-5, RS
The first sign a rehab stint is nearing its end? When a player plays a full game in the field. Tonight, Trevino caught for seven innings.
   C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-0
1B Rafael Flores: 3-for-4, 2 HR (11), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
The power surge continues, as Flores has 8 doubles and 11 home runs (.548 SLG) in 163 PA since his promotion. This is his first career multi-HR game.  
DH Tyler Hardman: 1-for-5, RS, 3 K
RF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-5, RS, 3 K
LF Jared Wegner: 2-for-4, 2B (12), HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 3-for-5, 2B (17), HR (10), 3 RBI, RS, K
Seigler has four 3-hit efforts this season. This is his first 10+ HR season.
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-5, 2 K
Vargas has a sneaky .704 OPS since his promotion (153 PA). He is on a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-20).
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K

RHP Bailey Dees: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
4.85 ERA (115 IP, 105 H, 67 R, 62 ER, 19 HR, 44 BB, 115 K). One thing about Dees: If the Yankees don’t consider his conversion a success, they could move him back to the bullpen for 2025. I think the move has gone well enough.
RHP Lou Trivino:  1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Trivino’s first rehab appearance.
RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 1-0)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Sean Boyle: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Joey Gerber:  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (56-52) (Lost to Hickory, 7-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 3-for-5, 2B (20), RBI, RS, SB (20)
I wrote last night about wanting to see his BABIP normalize – maybe it starts tonight. A 20-double/20 stolen base season is nothing to sneeze at.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Lombard Jr. is 1-for-28 with four walks since his promotion. What do the Yankees do about this? The answer is simple (same as last night): Keep throwing him out there.
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2
  3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-0, 2 BB
I am not sure why Castillo was pulled from the game. Given he hit 2 HR and drove home 7 last night, it wasn’t likely performance-related.
LF-CF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, 2 K
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-2, K
  PH-DH Josh Moylan: 1-for-2, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, K
Moylan has four HR in his last 12 games.
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B-LF Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 6-4)  3.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Sebastian Keane: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
4.96 ERA (74.1 IP, 68 H, 42 R, 41 ER, 6 HR, 37 BB, 75 K)
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (44-63) (Defeated Clearwater, 8-7)

CF Marshall Toole: 0-for-4, 2 BB, K
Toole is 4-for-17 with five walks and a 3-for-4 stolen base rate.
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, RBI, CS (13), BB, 2 K
.219/.319/.354 in 461 PA (16 doubles, 7 triples, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 60 R, 28-for-41 SB). His stolen base rate is another hint that his game is more raw than it is developed. 
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
DH Tyler Wilson: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4), RS, BB, K
Wilson loves his doubles: He is 5-for-22 with four doubles to begin his career.
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
1B Parks Harber: 2-for-4, RBI, 3 RS, BB
Harber is 4-for-17 with a double, triple, and four runs scored in five games. 
LF Joe Delossantos: 3-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Delossantos compiles his first career 3-hit game (this was his 7th career game)
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, RBI
  PH-C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-1
3B Owen Cobb: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, SB (3), 2 BB, K
Cobb is 3-for-13 with three stolen bases in four games. 

RHP Andrew Landry: 3 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Matt Givin: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Pacheco: (W, 1-0)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Since promotion: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Overall: 1.09 ERA (24.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 31 K)
RHP Aaron Nixon (S, 5): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-33)

Scheduled day off.

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

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 8/7: Zach Messinger Tosses 7 Scoreless Innings

News:

The Yankees have dipped in “organizational” prospect rankings. Do I worry about that? No. I thought they wouldn’t be very high on the preseason rankings. I consider the latest lists to be a market correction.

Scranton (60-47) (Lead Lehigh Valley, 3-0, in the third inning. This game was suspended. Game 2 was postponed. These games are being played in Bethlehem, which (like most of us) will be impacted by a tropical storm over the next few days)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-2, K
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-2, 2B (9), RBI
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-1, BB
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-1, RBI, BB
RF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2
LF Jahmai Jones: 0-for-0, RS, BB
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-0, RS, BB
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-0, RS, BB

LHP Tanner Tully: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (53-51) (Defeated Binghamton, 5-0)

LF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, K
Allen’s first game since June 13th.
  LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-1
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, CS (8), BB, K
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, 3 K
Rodriguez is 10-for-53 (.189) since his promotion with 15 strikeouts. No need to make a judgment based on 14 games and he missed a lot of time due to injury.
DH Rafael Flores: 3-for-4, 2B (7), HR (9), RBI, 2 RS, K
Flores has homered 4 times in his last 7 games (including back-to-back games). Since promotion: .267/.351/.527 in 148 PA. Overall, he has 24 doubles and 15 home runs in 381 PA between here and Hudson Valley.
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, HR (11), 3 RBI, RS
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-2, RS, HBP, BB, K
3B Alexander Vargas: 3-for-4, 3B (4), SB (4), CS (6)
Vargas is hitting .258/.690 OPS since his promotion.
SS Max Burt: 0-for-2, SB (5), BB

RHP Zach Messinger: (W, 4-8)  7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Messinger did his best Greg Maddux impersonation, getting through seven innings with 74 pitches.  This was his second consecutive 7-inning effort. Season: 3.40 ERA (121.2 IP, 98 H, 63 R, 46 ER, 7 HR, 39 BB, 114 K).  Last 4 games: 25.2 IP, 18 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 14 K.
RHP McKinley Moore: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 2.38 ERA (11.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 18 K). Impressive.

Hudson Valley (53-49) (Split a doubleheader against Brooklyn)

Game 1 (Lost, 3-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, K
Lombard Jr.’s first High-A game.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, K
DH Josh Moylan: 0-for-1
  PH-DH Garrett Martin: 0-for-2
You don’t typically replace a DH after one plate appearance, so something must have happened with Moylan.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, BB, K
  PR-3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-0
RF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-4, 2 K
Castillo earns his first two High-A hits.
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
3B-1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-2, 2B (11), 2 BB, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
5.44 ERA (81 IP, 79 H, 58 R, 49 ER, 5 HR, 48 BB, 75 K). Last 4 starts: 19 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 8 BB, 20 K.  We could see him in Somerset to start 2025. 
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
4.34 ERA (58 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 24 BB, 69 K). 
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr. (L, 0-1): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Won, 7-0)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, 2B (19), 3 RBI, BB, K
Riggio was pulled for a pinch-runner after his 2-run double. We’ll just have to monitor that.
   PR-3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-0
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RBI, K
I fully support the promotion. That said, he is a teenager trying High-A for the first time. If he struggles, that’s fine. The Yankees feel he is mature enough to handle that struggle.
DH Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RS, BB
Gomez increases his hitting streak to 6 (11-for-21, so this isn’t a garden variety streak!). He has seven extra-base hits (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR) during the streak (at least one extra-base hit in each game).
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K
Castillo has a solid double-header in his High-A debut.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-1, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
LF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, RBI, K
3B-2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-1, RBI, 2 BB

RHP Blane Abeyta: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Kelly Austin: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.50 ERA (36 IP, 28 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 20 BB, 49 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Sean Boyle: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (42-59) (Lost to Daytona, 5-4)

LF Marshall Toole: 0-for-4, SB (1), BB, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
.221/.322/.363 in 435 PA. Something is to be said for staying healthy and getting 500+ plate appearances, which he is on pace for. Whether he learns from the plate appearances is the question we need answered.
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
.252/.307/.370 in 374 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR, 48 RBI, 49 R, 9-for-10 SB). Montero has a 22.2% K, which is pretty good.
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RS, SB (11), 2 BB
.218/.318/.347 in 274 PA. 
RF Coby Morales: 3-for-4, RBI, RS, CS (6)
Morales has four 3-hit efforts this season. 
1B Parks Harber: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), 2 RBI, K
Professional debut for Harber, who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina. He is a 22-year-old right-handed bat who hit .343/.425/.648 with 20 HR and 63 RBI in 61 games for the Tar Heels this season. He spent most of his collegiate career playing for Georgia.
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-2
Palencia’s first game since May 28th. 
  C Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-2
DH Joe Delossantos: 0-for-3, SB (1), BB
2B Owen Cobb: 1-for-4, RS, SB (2), 3 K
Cobb’s first professional hit. Congrats!

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 1-4) 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Matt Givin: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Chris Kean: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.41 ERA (52.1 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 7 HR, 26 BB, 61 K). Rodriguez has floated under the radar but has pitched well. 

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-28) (Defeated the DSL Twins, 14-4, in the conclusion of a game from July)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-5, 2B (5), 3 RS, 3 SB (17), BB, 2 K
.236/.317/.333 in 161 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 25-for-28 SB). A reminder that the boxscore is retroactive to the day the game was started. Anyway, I am intrigued by Peralta though the journey is long.
3B Richard Matic: 2-for-3, 2B (5), 3 RS, 2 SB (4)
.213/.353/.279 in 150 PA (8 doubles, 13 RBI, 19 R, 6-for-8 SB)
C Luis Puello: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS
LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-6, RBI, RS, 2 K
RF Estivenzon Montero: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
Montero’s first professional home run.
1B Johan Contreras: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K

LHP Ronald Tejada: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The 17-year-old owns a 1.21 ERA and 22/10 K/BB over 22.1 IP in his debut season.

DSL Bombers (25-21)

Scheduled day off.

Yankees MILB 8/6: Spencer Jones Continues Surge

News:

Today was a mass promotion day. With that, more cuts were required. That is the harsh reality of minor-league baseball.

The biggest name on the promotion list is George Lombard Jr., who is off to Hudson Valley. Last year’s first-round pick didn’t have overwhelming numbers (.232/.344/.348 (105 wRC+); 12.8% BB, 24% K, 30-for-34 SB) but organizations don’t only look at statistical profiles. They feel the 19-year-old is ready for a challenge at the level he will likely start at in 2025. OF Jackson Castillo and 1B Dylan Jasso will join him. Castillo (21) hit .256/.386/.404 (132 wRC+) with 16 stolen bases in 21 attempts while Jasso (21) hit .238/.331/.392 (109 wRC+) with 54 RBI.

Also promoted are big (6’7″) pitching prospects Carlos Lagrange (RHP) and Henry Lalane (LHP). Both pitchers missed most of the season due to injury, so they need innings.

Three of their successful pitchers this season are also on the move: RHP Cam Schlittler (Somerset), RHP Cade Smith (Hudson Valley), and RHP Josh Grosz (Hudson Valley). Grosz had an emergency start for Hudson Valley earlier this season, so this isn’t his first taste.

IF Caleb Durbin was promoted to Scranton. He was in Somerset for what was essentially a rehab stint. It just wasn’t labeled that way.

As for the releases: OF Aaron Palensky, RHP Duane Underwood Jr., RHP Art Warren, and RHP Carlos Gomez were let go today.
Palensky is probably the most recognizable to long-time readers, as he started the 2023 season unconscious for Hudson Valley (.352/.434/.744 in 32 games). He wasn’t able to replicate that success at the higher minors.

Underwood Jr. was a minor-league free agent signing this past winter while Warren was a rehab project. The Yankees hoped to tap into Warren’s 29.5% MLB K rate between 2019 and 2022, but he wasn’t throwing well for Scranton.

Gomez (25) started his Yankees journey in 2018 and pitched fairly well in his minor league career (3.86 ERA in 265.2 IP with 304 strikeouts) but had trouble getting with his control.

Scranton (60-47)

Their game against Lehigh Valley was postponed. It’s going to be a crazy week, weather-wise.

Somerset (52-51) (Lost to Binghamton, 6-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, RS, CS (7), K
Last 10 games: 13-for-37 (.351; 5 doubles, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 7 BB, 13 K). Overall: .248/.333/.428 in 406 PA (19 doubles, 3 triples, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 56 R, 21-for-28 SB (75%), 10.8% BB, 36.5% K). K%, by month: April: 27.3%; May: 38.5%; June: 36.4%; July: 40.7%; August: 31.8% (only 22 PA). The season ends in mid-September. My wish is for his strikeout percentage to dip down the stretch.
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, K
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, HR (8), RBI, RS, BB
Flores has 14 HR in 90 games between here and Hudson Valley. Before 2024, he hit 10 homers in 109 games. His 8 Double-A homers have come in 33 games. He is trying to place himself squarely on the prospect map. It is important to note that Flores is not Rule 5 eligible until after the 2025 season.
DH Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (7), K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (18), SB (12), K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, RS, SB (19), BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (4), CS (1)

RHP Bailey Dees (L, 4-7):  6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Dees was throwing well but he ran into trouble in the 7th inning. Season: 4.70 ERA (111 IP, 99 H, 63 R, 58 ER, 18 HR, 42 BB, 113 K). How you judge his season is based on your expectations for a reliever-turned-starter.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Matt Sauer: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (52-48)

Their game against Brooklyn was postponed due to rain. It’s going to be a crazy week, weather-wise.

The debuts of George Lombard Jr., Dylan Jasso, and Jackson Castillo will need to wait.

Tampa (42-58) (Lost to Daytona, 17-10)

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, RS, SB (28), 3 BB, K
Yes, Lombard Jr. is ready for Hudson Valley while Arias is not. That’s OK.
LF JoJo Jackson: 1-for-2, RS, BB
Jackson was their 17th-round pick out of Georgia State, where he hit .310/.394/.655 in 199 PA (15 home runs, 45 RBI). He is a switch-hitter attempting to become the third Georgia State graduate to make it to MLB (Hunter Gaddis, David Buchanan). Jackson would be the first positional player to pull it off.
  PH-LF Marshall Toole: 1-for-2, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB
Toole hit a 2-run double in his first professional AB. He was drafted in the 15th round out of Wofford
DH Tyler Wilson: 0-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Wilson was their 8th-round pick out of Grand Canyon, a school that pulled off an NCAA Tournament upset in 2024. The switch-hitter hit .378/.441/.691 with 17 HR and 65 RBI in 58 games.
RF Willy Montero: 3-for-6, HR (7), RBI, 2 RS, K
Montero’s HR was hit 431 feet at 109.6 MPH.
CF Brendan Jones: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, SB (1), CS (1), 2 BB
The left-handed bat was their 12th-round pick out of Kansas State. He hit .302/.442/.500 with 69 runs scored and 40 stolen bases in 42 attempts over 61 games for the Wildcats. At the very least, he’ll add speed to the organization.
2B Austin Green: 0-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 K
Green was their 14th-round pick out of Texas Tech. He hit .322/.435/.546 in 51 games this season. He is 22 years old and bats right-handed.
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, SB (1), BB, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 SB (28), CS (5), 2 BB, HBP, K

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (L, 4-8)  1.2 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
5.65 ERA (94 IP, 99 H, 63 R, 59 ER, 11 HR, 31 BB, 97 K)
RHP Jordy Luciano: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Kristofer Bow: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
RHP Luis Pacheco: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Aaron Nixon: 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (16-28) (Lost to the DSL Tigers, 5-3)

SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, BB
.230/.310/.324 in 155 PA (22-for-25 SB).
DH Richard Matic: 1-for-4, 2B (7), 2 RBI, K

RHP Alexander Almonte: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
2.66 ERA (23.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 25 K). Not bad for a 17-year-old in his debut season.
RHP Miguelangel Rodriguez: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

DSL Bombers (25-21) (Defeated the DSL Twins, 4-3)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, K
.214/.301/.393 in 133 PA. He is 5-for-12 with 3 HR in August.
DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, RS, K
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, K

LHP Franyer Herrera: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
The 19-year-old owns a 50/15 K/BB over 39.1 innings.
RHP Carlos Almonte (W, 2-0): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Yankees MILB 7/31: Jesus Rodriguez: HR, 4 RBI

News:

Brian Cashman said Jack Flaherty‘s medical records didn’t scare the Yankees. Without any evidence to support my theory, I think the Tigers and Yankees had a deal in place (whether the Cardinals were involved, who knows?). The Yankees saw the medicals and tried to amend the terms. The Tigers didn’t like the “secondary” prospects the Yankees switched to (which was confirmed by Bryan Hoch tonight I honestly wrote that sentence before Hoch’s tweet). If true, Cashman and Ken Rosenthal are at least partially telling the truth.

Regardless, the Yankees didn’t have a “wow” deadline. Hardly anyone did. Most of the best players rumored to be on the market went nowhere. While I wish the Yankees did more, this is a good thing. Why? Because I don’t think the Yankees would have been able to compete with other teams regarding prospect packages for top players. Do we think the Yankees had the chips for Tarik Skubal or Garrett Crochet? I don’t.

Scranton (57-45) (Squeaked past Louisville, 2-1)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, RS, BB
Dominguez’s hitting streak ended yesterday but he still owns a 12-game on-base streak.
  RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-0
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, CS (5)
Vivas is 8-for-24 (.333) in his last six games.
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, 2B (8), HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, K
.242/.348/.336 in 248 PA. Entering July, his triple slash was .216/.336/.256.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RS, K
Rumfield has a 5-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games (12-for-36). 
RF-CF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-1, 3 BB
3B Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-2, RS, SB (4), 2 BB

LHP Josh Maciejewski: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
The Railriders’ pitching staff may be running on fumes soon. They’ve had to adjust over the past week. Luckily, Edgar Barclay gave them some length on Tuesday.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda (W, 6-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.71 ERA (51 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 28 BB, 64 K). Under the old rules (didn’t have to face three batters, rosters expanding to 40), Mosqueda would be a September call-up candidate. He is holding left-handed hitters to a .118 batting average.
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Burdi has options, so they can place him here after his rehab stint ends.
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (49-49) (Defeated Bowie, 13-12, in a crazy one. The Patriots had a 10-3 lead at one point)

3B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
Durbin is 2-for-17 with four walks and two strikeouts since being placed here.
  3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-1, K
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (16), SF, 3 RBI, BB, K
.240/.323/.412 in 384 PA (16 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 51 R, 21-for-26 SB, 10.4% BB, 36.7% K). July: .203/.297/.392.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-6, HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 RS, SB (1)
Rodriguez has homered in back-to-back games. Over his last three games, he has played 1B/3B/C, showing us his unique versatility profile. 
1B Rafael Flores: 3-for-6, 2B (4), HR (6), RBI, RS, 3 K
Since promotion: .239/.325/.440 in 123 PA with 4 doubles and 6 homers (3 HR in last 7 games).
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, HBP
LF Grant Richardson: 3-for-3, RS, SB (11), HBP, BB
Richardson’s 5th 3+ hit game this season. 
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 3 BB, 2 K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
4.63 ERA (105 IP, 92 H, 59 R, 54 ER, 18 HR, 41 BB, 107 K). Dees’ gas tank may be closing in on empty. The reliever-to-starter transition isn’t easy.
RHP Jesus Liranzo (W, 5-1): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Eric Reyzelman (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
A performance like this stands out in a wild scorefest. At this level: 2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 15 K). With Jack Neely gone, Reyzelman is probably the top relief prospect in the system.

Hudson Valley (48-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 6-5. They scored 4 in the bottom of the 9th to win it)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, 2B (18), RS, K
RF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, K
   RF Nelson Medina: 0-for-0, RS, HBP, BB
3B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, 2B (10), 3 RBI, BB
Moylan hit a game-winning 3-run single in the bottom of the 9th (the third run scored on an error). He is hitting .252/.372/.372 in 301 PA and has three straight multi-hit games. The most important thing is that his power is starting to show up.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, 2B (11), BB
.229/.363/.399 in 331 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 37 R). 
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, RS
LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.61 ERA (77 IP, 77 H, 57 R, 48 ER, 5 HR, 45 BB, 70 K). Last 3 starts: 15 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 15 K. Carr appears to be adjusting…
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.15 ERA (54.1 IP, 46 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 20 BB, 66 K)
RHP Huey Morrill (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (41-55) (Split a doubleheader against Lakeland)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-3, 3B (2), RS
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-1, 2 BB
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3
DH Coby Morales: 0-for-3, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB

RHP Bryce Warrecker (W, 1-3): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Warrecker’s first career win- congrats (he has only 13 starts, and this was the first time they let him qualify for a win!)
RHP Matt Givin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel (S, 6): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 12-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Lombard Jr. was in a 4-for-29 slump before his homer. He is hitting .232 with a .702 OPS and 4 of his 5 homers were hit in July.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, BB, K
Arias finishes 22-for-78 in July (.282) with five doubles and a pair of homers. He walked 13 times and struck out 20 times (41 strikeouts in June).
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jasso is tied for third (with Roderick Arias) in the FSL with 54 RBI.
DH Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RS, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RS
Gonzalez is 12-for-45 (.267) since his promotion. 
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 2-6)  1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Luis, the cousin of Jared Serna (traded yesterday), left tonight’s game due to an injured elbow.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
2.59 ERA (48.2 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 7 HR, 25 BB, 59 K)
RHP Kristofer Bow: 0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Bow’s first appearance since June 15th. Tonight’s results aren’t what he wanted, but at least he is back.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-25) (Defeated Padres Gold, 7-5)

DH Dexters Peralta: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS
Peralta has four multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.
C Luis Puello: 3-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS
.313/.421/.475 in 95 PA. He is 18 years old.
LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (13), CS (4), HBP
.228/.343/.293 in 108 PA. Will the hit tool develop? That’s the question.
RF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, RS, BB

RHP Alexander Almonte: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 17-year-old owns a 2.53 ERA in 21.1 IP (17 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 21 K)

DSL Bombers (23-19)

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

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!