Tag: Richard Fitts

Yankees MILB 7/16: Jasson Dominguez: Heating Up

News:

Veteran RHP Matt Bowman has opted out of his minor league deal. The Yankees have 72 hours to add him to the MLB roster or lose him. The 32-year-old has a 3.29 ERA in 38.1 innings for Scranton with a 36/18 K/BB. He hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2019.

OF Anthony Hall, who is hitting .271/.387/.452 (131 wRC+) for Tampa, is currently on the injured list (was placed there on 7/5). Hall, who only received one plate appearance before going down to injury in 2022, was likely in line for a promotion.

The Yankees have recalled IF Oswald Peraza. You likely have read about his slump (I highlighted it myself) and his less-than-ideal metrics. While that isn’t meaningless, I think that Peraza has established that he can play in Triple-A over the last two seasons. If you don’t give him a chance now, when are you going to give him one?

Scranton (42-45; 8-5 in the second half) (Lost to Norfolk, 4-3)

DH Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Florial is 10-for-34 (.294) in July with seven walks. 
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS
Pereira has at least one hit in all seven games since his promotion. Going back to his days in Somerset, he has a 9-game hitting streak. Between here and Somerset, he is hitting a gaudy .308/.373/.554 in 217 PA (13 doubles, 1 triple 11 HR, 40 RBI, 32 R, 20 BB, 61 K). The 28.1% K has to come down – that’s the one thing in his profile that gives you a little pause. For what it is worth, in the small Triple-A sample size, it sits at 21.9%.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2B (3)
Since promotion: .272/.414/.464 in 157 PA.
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, 2B (17), RBI, RS, K
Chaparro is 13-for-39 (.333) in July with four doubles and 14 runs batted in. He is hitting .248/.336/.476 in 363 PA with 63 runs batted in.
1B Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-3, BB
LF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, K

RHP Mitch Spence: (L, 7-5)  5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
4.56 ERA (96.2 IP, 97 H, 55 R, 49 ER, 20 HR, 35 BB, 81 K)
RHP Michael Feliz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.38 ERA (13.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 15 K). Don’t be surprised if the Yankees use him at some point.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Michael Gomez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (49-33; 7-7 in the second half) (Defeated Binghamton, 9-4)

SS Trey Sweeney: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, RS
Entering this game, he was drawing some walks in July (eight) but was only 6-for-30. Hopefully, this will get him back on track. This is his 5th 3-hit game this season. He is hitting .246/.366/.422 in 361 PA.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-4, 3B (2), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Dominguez has three straight multi-hit efforts and five in his last six games. He is hitting .217/.358/.372 in 258 PA (8 doubles, 2 triples, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 57 R, 64 BB, 98 K, 25-for-29 SB)
C Austin Wells: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB
9-for-45 (.200) in July with four walks and ten strikeouts. He does have 12 RBI, so there’s that.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, RS, K
Rumfield has back-to-back multi-hit games and has doubled in three straight games.
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-5, 3 K
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, BB
DH Mickey Gasper: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, HBP
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Richard Fitts: (W, 5-5)  5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
3.72 ERA (94.1 IP, 87 H, 40 R, 39 ER, 13 HR, 23 BB, 101 K). Today was a grind, but he has pitched very well for a while now (16 ER in his last 61 innings (2.36 ERA))
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.41 ERA ( 29 IP, 25 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 30 K)
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 16.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 16 K

Hudson Valley (48-36; 9-9 in the second half) (Lost to Bowling Green, 8-2)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K, CS (8)
Jones has ten walks in his last ten games. He is hitting .264/.340/.465 in 324 PA. The strikeout today was his 100th this season. He is going to strike out – the key for him is to limit them as much as possible to make himself a viable MLB player. 
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (9), RBI, RS
Since his promotion: .420/.453/.720 in 53 PA with seven multi-hit games (three consecutive). Overall, he is hitting .282/.396/.466 in 285 PA (16 doubles, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 42 R, 45 BB (15.8%), 47 K (16.5%), 7-for-11 SB)
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (11), RBI
.291/.363/.369 in 273 PA
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, 2 K
.196/.212/.294 in 52 plate appearances since his promotion. We’ll see how he adjusts.
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, K
  PH Juan Crisp: 0-for-1
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-4, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Juan Carela: (L, 2-4)  4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 3 HR
As I said last night, Bowling Green can hit. Drew Thorpe was able to navigate their lineup – Carela was not. Take it as a learning opportunity. His ERA is now 3.51 (77 IP, 62 H, 36 R, 30 ER, 6 HR, 29 BB, 98 K).
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
3.38 ERA (18.2 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 29 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 3.77 ERA (14.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 15 K). 
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 4.38 ERA (12.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 17 K)

Tampa (41-43; 10-8 in the second half) (Knocked out Lakeland, 11-5)

SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
.288/.348/.503 in 362 PA (18 doubles, 1 triple, 17 HR, 61 RBI, 59 R, 29 BB (8%), 61 K (16.9%), 16-for-21 SB). Serna has been one of the better performers in the FSL this season. 
RF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, 3 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (2)
  RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, K
C Ben Rice: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, HBP, 2 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (13), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (13)
.293/.372/.439 in 275 PA (13 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 40 R, 30 BB (10.9%), 42 K (15.3%), 13-for-15 SB). 
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (8), 4 RBI, RS, BB, SB (6)
.238/.363/.395 in 251 PA (7 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 31 R, 38 BB, 72 K, 6-for-7 SB). Martinez has homered in three of his last four games. He is a left-handed bat who plays catcher and first base.
DH Brett Barrera: 1-for-4
CF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (11)
.232/.323/.339 in 288 PA (11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 32 R, 32 BB, 54 K, 9-for-10 SB)
LF Jake Palmer: 0-for-4
2B Jose Colmenares: 2-for-4, 2 HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS
This is his second game of 2023 and 59th game going back to his debut in 2019 (where he played 46 of those games). In other words, Colmenares has not played much since signing

RHP Hayden Merda: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
5.32 ERA (69.1 IP, 67 H, 47 R, 41 ER, 5 HR, 33 BB, 69 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 4-0): 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

FCL Yankees (16-11) 

Day off.

DSL Yankees (19-9) 

Day off.

DSL Bombers (12-16) 

Day off.

Yankees MILB 7/9: Drew Thorpe is Cruising

News:

Just like their MLB counterparts, the minor leagues will be taking Monday – Thursday off. The only exception is the DSL – poor kids.

Tonight is the MLB draft. Who do I think the Yankees will select?  I couldn’t tell you who most of the prospects are. If they don’t end up with Dave Parrish 2.0, that will be a good start.

Scranton (41-43; 7-3 in the second half. They will need to win the second half in order to make it to the playoffs)

Their game against Lehigh Valley was postponed, so they will get an early start to their vacation. Here are some notes:

Estevan Florial: .294/.389/.596 (138 wRC+; 14% BB, 28.7% K) – His 21 home runs are good for second in the International League (Luken Baker (STL) has 22).

Oswald Peraza: .267/.354/.506 (111 wRC+; 8.7% BB, 17.5% K) – The numbers may not scream at you (the International League is an offensive league), but Peraza seriously has nothing to prove here.

Everson Pereira: 9-for-17 (.529) with a home run and seven runs batted in since his promotion. Can a hot July get him to the Bronx in early August? The organization needs a left fielder and could determine that Pereira can do just as much as a trade option. We have a few weeks to figure all that out.

Andres Chaparro: .242/.334/.464 (93 wRC+; 11.7% BB, 20.9% K) – He leads the organization with 60 runs batted in. The fact that a .798 OPS is good for only a 93 wRC+ emphasizes how offensive this league is. Brent Rooker (Oakland) has a .797 OPS in MLB and his wRC+ is 125.

Ben Rortvedt: .298/.416/.543 (141 wRC+; 14.2% BB, 23% K) – He just has to stay healthy.

Carlos Narvaez: .271/.416/.441 (121 wRC+; 18.1% BB, 20.8% K) – Don’t be surprised if you see his name come up in trade talks in the next few weeks. No, he cannot headline a trade. However, he is an upper-level catcher who is having success with the bat. That has value.

Somerset (47-32; 5-6 in the second half) (The game against Reading was suspended in the bottom of the 9th with the score tied at 4-4. They will finish it on August 15th)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, RS
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4, K
C Austin Wells: 1-for-3, 2B (14)
Don’t worry about why Wells was pulled – he was ejected from the game. Anyway, he is now up to 107 Double-A games over the last two seasons. In those games (482 PA), he is hitting .255 with 22 doubles, 1 triple, 23 homers, 91 RBI, 61 R, 57 BB (11.8%), and 112 K (23.2%). He is also 11-for-11 SB. 
   C Mickey Gasper: 0-for-1
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, HBP
CF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
This is a welcome sight for Dunham. He had four 3-hit efforts for Scranton this year, though two of them came in April. Hopefully, he gets a nice confidence boost and gets back up there quickly.
RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, K
Palensky is down to .202 since his promotion (17-for-84; 5 doubles, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 20 R, 21 BB, 21 K, 7-for-8 SB). The walks have kept him afloat at this level after his .352/.434/.744 insanity with Hudson Valley.
DH Josh Breaux: 2-for-4, RS
2B Matt Pita: 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
Pita also hit a pair of home runs down in Tampa during his rehab stint.

RHP Richard Fitts: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
3.63 ERA (89.1 IP, 82 H, 37 R, 36 ER, 13 HR, 21 BB, 96 K). His last 9 starts: 2.09 ERA (56 IP, 44 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 11 BB, 60 K)
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Lisandro Santos: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (47-34; 8-7 in the second half) (Shut out Jersey Shore, 2-0. The Renegades already clinched a playoff berth with their first-half title)

2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RS, K
Cowles has doubled in three straight games and 9-for-27 (.333) in July.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
Vargas, who got off to a very encouraging start, enters the break at .215/.264/.348 in 277 PA (10 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 33 R, 10-for-15 SB)
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, K
Since promotion: 14-for-38 (.368; 5 doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K)
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 4 K
Since promotion: 8-for-40 (.200; 2 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 1 BB, 16 K). The Yankees needed to challenge him and he certainly is being challenged.
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Anthony Garcia: 1-for-3, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 K
.197/.301/.322 in 176 PA. 
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-3, K
Sanchez is now the proud owner of a 9-game hitting streak.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 8-1) 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Thorpe has allowed one run in his last 40.2 innings. Overall, he owns a 2.13 ERA in 84.1 IP (61 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 4 HR, 28 BB, 101 K). It is hard to believe his ERA was 4.26 at one point. Yes, he has earned a promotion – that goes without saying.
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.41 ERA (37.1 IP, 19 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 14 BB, 59 K). Kids like Neely should overpower this level, and he is.
RHP Luis Velasquez (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Tampa (40-41; 9-6 in the second half) (Defeated Dunedin, 6-1. They didn’t get off to a great start to 2023 but now they are on the brink of reaching .500)

2B Jared Serna: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
He goes into the break hitting .285/.346/.481 in 347 PA (18 doubles, 1 triple, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 55 R, 28 BB (8.1%), 59 K (17%), 16-for-21 SB). There isn’t much to complain about with Serna – he has been everything you would want him to be. From the leadoff spot, he leads the FSL in home runs and RBI, while ranking third in runs scored. 
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB
DH Ben Rice: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RS, BB
Rice was having no issues with High-A pitching before his injury – did we expect him to have any trouble here during his rehab stint? The rust is seemingly shaken off.
C Omar Martinez: 3-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 RS
.237/.366/.374 in 238 PA (7 doubles,1 triple, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 29 R, 37 BB (15.5%), 72 K (30.3%), 5-for-6 SB). I love the walks – the strikeouts need improvement.
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
CF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
The toolsy outfielder is hitting .232/.320/.337 in 278 PA. 
LF Jake Palmer: 1-for-3, RBI, HBP
Palmer is 13-for-40 (.325) with three doubles and an 11/2 BB/K since his promotion.
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-4

RHP Baron Stuart: (W, 2-5) 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Back-to-back strong efforts. Season: 4.59 ERA (51 IP, 47 H, 33 R, 26 ER, 7 HR, 23 BB, 49 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.1 IP,  0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

FCL Yankees (13-11) 

Day off.

DSL Yankees (16-8) 

Day off.

DSL Bombers (11-13) 

Day off.

Yankees MILB 7/4: Everson Pereira Homers in Triple-A Debut

News:

OF Everson Pereira is now a member of the Scranton Railriders.

Ranked as the #4 prospect in the system by Pipeline, Pereira hit well for Somerset this season. In 185 plate appearances, he hit .292/.362/.545 (143 wRC+) with ten home runs and 31 runs batted in. He plays all three outfield positions, though there is talk he is best suited at a corner. This happens to a lot of prospects as they mature. I am not sure if Pereira has completely outgrown center field, but he likely has enough bat to play a corner anyway.

The one negative in his game is a K% that sits at 29.2% this season. A high batting average and high K% typically mean a high BABIP, and that is the case with Pereira. His BABIP is .373. Also, he has a history of some annoying injuries. Last season, he set a personal best with 102 games played. An injury earlier this season likely keeps him away from breaking that record.

Can he make it to MLB in 2023? Yes. He is already on the 40-man roster, so it will be a relatively simple transaction once they deem him ready. If not, he is certainly a 2024 option if they don’t use him as trade bait.

To make room for Pereira, the Yankees demoted Elijah Dunham to Somerset. Dunham hasn’t been able to get much going this year, so perhaps this will jumpstart him into a solid second half.

Scranton (38-42; 3-2 in the second half) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 5-4. They loaded the bases in the 9th with Oswald Peraza and Everson Pereira coming up, and couldn’t get the game tied. Baseball!)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB
Last 6 games: 9-for-23 (.391; 1 double, 1 triple, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 9 R, 7 BB, 4 K). Whether you think he is MLB caliber or not, there is no doubt that Florial has done everything he can to earn that shot.
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
.280/.360/.543 in 186 PA.
RF Everson Pereira: 2-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
This is what you call a successful debut. He homered in his first at-bat (an at-bat where he battled back from 0-2 to make it 3-2). The home run traveled 426 feet at 111.4 MPH. His talent is legitimate.
DH Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-2, RS, BB, HBP
Rortvedt is hitting .304/.439/.519 in 98 PA at this level.
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-2, 2 BB
Chaparro has nine walks in his last nine games. 
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
LF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4
  PR Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-0
2B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, K

RHP Jhony Brito: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Brito’s statistics down here are meaningless. I am not just saying that because he owns a 6.39 ERA. He is down here to continue to work on things for the inevitable call-up at some point later this season.
RHP Michael Gomez: (L, 0-4) 2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.20 ERA (25.1 IP, 19 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 39 K)
LHP D.J. Snelten: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (46-29; 4-3 in the second half) (Lost to Reading, 5-4)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-2, RS, BB, HBP, CS (4)
.246/.365/.430 in 326 PA (15 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 36 RBI, 47 R, 46 BB, 61 K, 10-for-14 SB). He has started July 3-for-10 with three walks and a strikeout.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2 SB (22)
Since we tend to dwell on negatives, here are two positives: 22-for-25 SB (88%); 56 BB in 327 PA (17.1%).
C Austin Wells: 1-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, K
Wells has 86 RBI in 102 games at this level. 
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
They gave him a day off after his 3-HR game and he is 0-for-8 since. Don’t let the small sample size ruin my narrative.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, HBP
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, 2 BB, CS (5)
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, 2 K
Palensky is in a 4-for-34 slump. He is hitting .213/.396/.440 since his promotion.
DH Eric Wagaman: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB, SB (13)
.333/.388/.543 in 116 PA with a surprising 13-for-14 SB rate.
2B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, RS
Gasper’s first career appearance at a position other than P (two games)/C/1B/DH. 

RHP Richard Fitts: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Two of the three walks were compiled in the 7th inning, where Fitts went over the 100-pitch mark. Season: 3.78 ERA (83.1 IP, 79 H, 36 R, 35 ER, 13 HR, 20 BB, 92 K)
RHP Danny Watson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
He hadn’t allowed a run since being promoted, so you can say he was due for a tough outing.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (L, 0-1) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (43-33; 4-3 in the second half) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 4-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (20), RBI, RS, K
If it felt as if he was stuck on 19 doubles forever, you are correct. This is his first double since 6/14.
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, BB
Ramirez is 10-for-20 since his promotion (4 doubles, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K). 
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
Familia is 3-for-22 since his promotion. We all knew this might be a challenge – let’s see how he adjusts.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, RS, 2 K, CS (1)
3B Marcos Cabrera: 3-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Cabrera’s second 3-hit game of the season. This is his first home run since May 28th.

RHP Tyrone Yulie: (W, 4-5)  5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, HR
3.99 ERA (65.1 IP, 47 H, 37 R, 29 ER, 9 HR, 38 BB, 79 K). A strong start to July after he posted a 2.35 ERA in four June starts (23 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 24 K)
RHP Bailey Dees: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
2.10 ERA (34.1 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 52 K)
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Clay Aguilar (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Aguilar’s first professional save. Congrats!

Tampa (35-39; 2-4 in the second half) (Lost to Dunedin, 4-2)

DH Jared Serna: 1-for-5, K
He isn’t on a “hot streak,” but he does own a 6-game hitting streak (7-for-27; 2 doubles, 1 home run)
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, 3 K
C Ben Rice: 1-for-3, 2 K
Rice is 1-for-6 with three walks on his rehab stint.
  C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-1, RS
Rodriguez is 34-for-95 since June 1st (.358; 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 15 R, 14 BB, 13 K)
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-2, RS, HBP, BB, K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Brett Barrera: 2-for-4, 3B (1), RBI
Barrera’s first career triple (44 career games)
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-2, K
  RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-2, K
1B Beau Brewer: 1-for-4
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, BB, K
Colmenares’ first game since August 9, 2021. He was signed in 2019 for an undisclosed amount. In 57 career games heading into tonight, he hit .214/.318/.326 with four home runs and 26 RBI.

RHP Leonardo Pestana: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
4.79 ERA (35.2 IP, 35 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 7 HR, 17 BB, 47 K). Injuries limited him to only three appearances between 2021-2022, so they are taking it easy with him.
RHP Kris Bow: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating (L, 5-6): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR

FCL Yankees (12-10) (Lost to the Phillies, 5-4)

2B Keiner Delgado: 0-for-5, K
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, BB, CS (3)
Arias is now a proud owner of a 10-game hitting streak (15-for-39). Overall, he is hitting .263/.411/.461 in 95 PA with four home runs and 16 runs batted in.
DH Hans Montero: 1-for-5, 3 K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, RS, BB, K
.324/.520/.515 in 98 PA with three home runs and 15 RBI. He is also 13-for-15 stealing bases. Tejeda is only 18 years old.
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, RS, K
DSL, 2022: .262/.396/.382 in 235 PA
FCL, 2023: .291/.356/.418 in 90 PA.
Yes, the BB rate has gone down – but while the FCL isn’t the perfect league, the DSL is a crazy league. I am never alarmed by walk rates going down when a player gets away from that league.
RF John Cruz: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS
.227/.337/.480 in 89 PA (5 HR, 26 RBI, 10 R, 12 BB, 21 K)
LF Joel Mendez: 1-for-3, BB, K
1B Kelvin Espino: 2-for-3, 2 2B (4), RBI, BB, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
3.71 ERA (17 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 22 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
I firmly believe that Rodriguez belongs in Tampa.
RHP Montana Semmell: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
A needed dominant performance by Semmell, who pitched well in limited action here in 2022.He was drafted in the 36th round out of high school back in 2019. The Yankees nabbed him for $125,000 – an important number because $125,000 is the max you can give a player after the 10th round without it counting against your bonus pool.

DSL Yankees (15-5)

The game was postponed due to rain.

DSL Bombers (11-10)

The game was postponed due to rain.

Yankees MILB 6/22: Brock Selvidge Ks 10

News:

C Ben Rortvedt‘s stint on the IL didn’t last long as he was in the Scranton lineup tonight. The Railriders are now carrying four catchers (Rortvedt, Rodolfo Duran, Carlos Narvaez, and Josh Breaux). They can use the 1B and DH slots to help distribute some at-bats (Rortvedt, Narvaez, and Duran all played tonight), but they also need to make sure these players get in their time behind the plate as well.

SS Oswald Peraza missed his third straight game this evening. OF Everson Pereira (Somerset) is still out of the lineup, as well.

Since they had a need for additional bodies in Scranton, UTIL Max Burt was promoted to Scranton. Drafted in the 28th round in the 2018 draft out of Northeastern, Burt is an organizational utility player. This isn’t his first stint in Scranton (played 36 games back in 2021). When I see a player like Burt, I think of someone you are going to see coaching, scouting, or whatever they wish to do in baseball some day.

Scranton (33-39) (Lost to Buffalo, 2-1, in ten innings)

LF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, HR (19), RBI, RS, K
.296/.385/.619. After hitting 9 HR in May, he has 7 in June.  That said, he hasn’t been on top of his game in June. He is only 18-for-74 (.243) with four walks and 22 strikeouts. He walked 15 times in May, so his discipline has taken a bit of a fall. 
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4
.238/.311/.457 in 289 PA with 12 doubles, 14 homers, and 43 RBI.
C Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, K
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, BB, K
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-4, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2 K, SB (5)
RF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, K, CS (1)

LHP Tanner Tully: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
3.91 ERA (69 IP, 81 H, 33 R, 30 ER, 7 HR, 16 BB, 63 K). Doing his job eating some Triple-A innings.
LHP Matt Krook: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Michael Gomez: (L, 0-3)  2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Somerset (40-25) (Defeated New Hampshire, 4-3, in 14 innings)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Sweeney has four home runs in his last five games. This home run tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the 11th.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-5, BB, K
His average has fallen back down to .198. I think everyone should have at least SOME level of concern, right? He hasn’t shown much progress as the season has gone along. It’s not like the Yankees are loaded with upper-level OF prospects, especially if Everson Pereira is going to go down to injury every year.
DH Austin Wells: 2-for-5, 2B (9), BB, K
Wells is surprisingly hitting only .247 at this level, but you still feel confident that he has conquered Double-A. Some of that is due to the power he has shown (9 doubles, 9 HR in 38 games).
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-6
Eeeeeeek.
RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-5, RS, BB, K
Palensky scored the winning run on a balk in the 14th.
C Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, 3 BB
All three walks were intentional. Whatever helps the OBP!
1B Eric Wagaman: 0-for-5, BB, K
CF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-5, BB, 2 K
2B Delvin Perez: 1-for-5, HR (2), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 4 K
I brought up his Top 100 status yesterday. In case you are wondering, he never lived up to it because the bat simply never developed. He can run and play multiple positions (though he is mostly a SS) and that perhaps can get him some MLB time down the road.

RHP Richard Fitts: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
3.91 ERA (71.1 IP, 68 H, 32 R, 31 ER, 10 HR, 15 BB, 80 K). Fitts has been rolling lately. This was his 13th start of 2023 – if you believe in patterns (and you should at least pay attention to them), he made 17 starts in Tampa in 2022 before being promoted to Hudson Valley for his final five starts.
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
9 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 17 K.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Tanner Myatt:  2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Justin Wilson: (W, 3-1)  3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
3.86 ERA (25.2 IP, 21 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 16 BB, 26 K)

Hudson Valley (39-27) (Lost to Brooklyn, 5-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K, SB (17)
.280/.338/.519 in 263 PA with 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts (85%). 
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
.208/.265/.358 in 230 PA. In the FSL last season, he hit .203/.271/.311. He started the season very promising but has fallen down rather quickly. He is 7-for-62 in June with 23 strikeouts.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2B (10), K
DH Anthony Garcia: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, K
Gomez is up to .247 as he improves his June numbers to 17-for-46 (.370) with four doubles and two home runs. A reason for optimism? I will take anything – he is still only 21 as a catcher in High-A ball. 
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, 2B (8)
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-3, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-1, BB

LHP Joel Valdez: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K
5.94 ERA (47 IP, 39 H, 33 R, 31 ER, 6 HR, 35 BB, 48 K). 
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Since promotion: 6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 8 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.20 ERA (28.2 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 44 K). It is always a bit of a crapshoot trying to figure out which of these big relief arms will become viable MLB relievers. As an organization, you want to keep churning them out. If only a few of them pan out, it’s a win.
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.93 ERA (15.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 25 K). Can’t ask for much more.

Tampa (31-35) (Swept in a doubleheader by Ft. Myers)

Game 1 (Lost, 2-0)

2B Jared Serna: 0-for-2, BB, CS (5)
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3
DH Daury Arias: 0-for-2, BB
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-3, K
His hitting streak reaches 7 (four multi-hit games)
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, K
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-2
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-2
LF Jake Palmer: 0-for-2

RHP Leonardo Pestana (L, 0-3): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
4.50 ERA (30 IP, 29 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 15 BB, 39 K)
RHP Kris Bow: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
7.41 ERA (17 IP, 19 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 16 K).  I will keep reminding you that he gave up 11 runs (10 earned) in 2.2 innings in his first two starts.

Game 2 (Lost, 7-6, in 9 innings)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-5, 2B (13), RBI, RS
.304/.368/.520 in 277 PA. 
CF Anthony Hall: 3-for-5, 2B (8), HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
.278/.394/.438 in 203 PA. He is now 20-for-68 (.294/.380/.500) in June after his crazy May. 
SS Brenny Escanio: 3-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
I would say that five hits in a doubleheader qualify as a good day. His hitting streak reaches 8 (five multi-hit games). Overall, he is still only hitting .230/.322/.293 in 259 PA. 
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, K
Familia is now 28-for-73 (.384) with six doubles, two triples, ten home runs, and 29 RBI. He has nine multi-hit games (18 games played)
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 2 K
  PR-C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-0
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB

LHP Brock Selvidge: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, HR
3.65 ERA (61.2 IP, 57 H, 29 R, 25 ER, 3 HR, 15 BB, 74 K). Selvidge is only 20, so they don’t really need to rush him to Hudson Valley – but he has done a solid job. His ten strikeouts tonight set a new personal high (the previous high was 8, which he accomplished in each of his three starts prior to tonight)
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 5-5) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
3.14 ERA (28.2 IP, 25 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 16 BB, 45 K)

FCL Yankees (8-5) (Lost to the Tigers, 5-4)

2B Keiner Delgado: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 2 BB
Rookie League disclaimer applies, but he now owns a 70/35 BB/K ratio in 301 career plate appearances.
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K, 2 SB (7)
Arias is 7-for-17 in his last four games (0-for-18 in his previous five games)
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (4), BB, K
15-for-44 (.341) with four doubles.
DH Hans Montero: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (4)
I just love crazy lines like .298/.508/.614 in 63 PA.
C Edinson Duran: 2-for-3, RS, HBP, SB (1)
12-for-26 (.462). He is 20 years old.

RHP Ryan Harvey: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
2.38 ERA (11.1 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 16 K)
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
9.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 12 K

DSL Bombers (8-5) (Lost to Rangers Blue, 12-11)

SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB (11)
Matheus’ 11 stolen bases lead the DSL.
2B Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 2 RS, 2 BB, SB (5)
Terrero is on an 8-game hitting streak (he has hit safely in nine of his ten games)
CF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-5, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS
11-for-36 with nine walks and six strikeouts. He is 17 years old (debut season)
1B David Beckles: 2-for-4, 2B (3), HR (1), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
LF Abrahan Ramirez:  0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (3)
RF Luis Puello: 2-for-5, RBI, RS
The 17-year-old is 8-for-31 (.258) with six walks and seven strikeouts in his debut season

DSL Yankees (10-2) (Lost to Rangers Red, 4-3)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-5, 2B (3), RS, K, SB (2)
7-for-16 (.438) in his first five professional games.
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 3 BB, K, 2 SB (2)
The 19-year-old (second year at this level) is 10-for-27 with 15 RBI in eight games. He has 12 walks and six strikeouts.
SS Santiago Gomez: 1-for-2, 2B (4), 2 BB, K, SB (7)
Also 19, Gomez is 11-for-32 with a pair of home runs and 13 RBI.

RHP Sabier Marte: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Marte is another big kid (6’5″). Unlike many of their bigger pitchers, he thus far hasn’t run into major control issues (47/7 K/BB in 38.2 career innings)

 

Yankees MILB 6/10: Fitts, Hampton Dominate

News:

OF Brandon Lockridge is now a member of the Scranton Railriders. The 26-year-old (who can play any of the three outfield positions) hit .313/.395/.510 in 114 plate appearances for Somerset, stealing 17 bases in 19 attempts. Don’t be fooled by the fact he has played mostly RF this season. There are kids named Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira who need their CF reps.

Last year, Lockridge had a shockingly down season, hitting only .230/.300/.378 in 108 games for Somerset. This was after hitting .328/.382/.557 in 43 games for Somerset in 2021. Interestingly, a repeat of his 2021 season may have forced the Yankees to protect him (or trade him). His down season likely kept him from being a Rule 5 target.

He is a legitimate depth outfielder who can make his debut at any point. At the very least, he could be a Tim Locastro type in the big leagues. It is all dependent on what the bat becomes – the glove and speed are in place.

SS Oswald Peraza missed today’s doubleheader against Norfolk. I learned later in the day that he fouled a ball off of his leg in yesterday’s game, so that can explain it.

Scranton (28-33) (Split a doubleheader with Norfolk)

Game 1 (Lost, 4-2)

LF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, HR (13), 2 RBI, RS, K
Florial extends his on-base streak to 28. He is four home runs shy of his season-best, set in 2021.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
It is always nice to get that first hit out of the way when you join a new level.
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-2, 2 BB
.270/.333/.504 in 150 PA.
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, 2B (10)
Chaparro’s hitting streak reaches 7 (this is his first multi-hit game during the streak)
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-2, BB, K
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-3, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Michael Hermosillo: 2-for-3, RS
Hermosillo’s first game since 5/20.

RHP Will Warren: (L, 2-3) 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Since promotion: 7.08 ERA (20.1 IP, 23 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 6 HR, 10 BB, 21 K)
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
4.91 ERA (29.1 IP, 17 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 6 HR, 12 BB, 40 K)

Game 2 (Won, 7-6, in 11 innings)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, RS, K
Florial extends his on-base streak to 29.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K, SB (8)
Dunham is 8-for-31 in June. He stole 37 bases in 2022, so he has the ability to run. He simply hasn’t been able to consistently get on base.
C Ben Rortvedt: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (2)
1B-3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
Chaparro’s 7-game hitting streak is snapped.
RF-1B Franchy Cordero: 2-for-4, HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
3B-2B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, BB
DH Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
  PR-RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-1
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-5, RBI
Walk-off RBI single in the 11th.
2B-P Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4

RHP Colten Brewer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
They had to go with a bullpen game in Game 2.
RHP James Norwood: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Michael Gomez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
LHP D.J. Snelten: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
RHP Greg Weissert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Wilmer Difo: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The Railriders ran out of pitchers, so Difo had to do double duty!

Somerset (33-22) (Defeated Hartford, 5-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-3, BB, K
Sweeney now has an 8-game hitting streak.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4
.203/.364/.390 in 231 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 39 R, 46 BB, 58 K, 14-for-17 SB). He has a .239 BABIP, which is impacting his bottom line. Overall, his season has been fine – not overwhelming, but fine.
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, RS, K
.259/.358/.526 in 134 PA (7 doubles, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 29 K). 
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K, CS (2)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, RS, K
.234/.327/.455 in 171 PA. He has homered in back-to-back games and in three of his last four games. His power surge is an under-the-radar story.
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Seigler is 6-for-21 in June with a pair of doubles and a home run. 
CF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (7)
Rosario is on a little 5-game hitting streak (6-for-17; HR, 3 SB). Maybe this will get him going.
2B Max Burt: 0-for-3, HBP, K, SB (8)
RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Richard Fitts: (W, 3-4): 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, HR
Fitts is starting to cruise along. This is his 4th straight strong start and second time he struck out 10 during this stretch. Overall: 4.25 ERA (59.1 IP, 59 H, 28 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 15 BB, 65 K)
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (32-24) (Shut down Jersey Shore, 4-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (18), RS, BB, 2 K
Jones hasn’t homered in 21 games. He does have 7 doubles during this timeframe, so that’s something.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-5, 3 K
Vargas is 1-for-27 in June and 1-for-32 if you include the last game in May. Eek. 
C Josh Breaux: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-4, RBI, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (10), RBI, RS, 2 K
Gomez is 8-for-19 with three doubles and a home run in June. By the way, he hit exactly 10 doubles in both 2021 and 2022. Hopefully, for his sake, he surpasses that number this year.
1B Spencer Henson: 2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, BB
.282/.358/.500 in 179 PA (10 doubles, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 32 R, 16 BB, 44 K)
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 3B (2), RS
Cabrera is 6-for-19 in June with four doubles and a triple.
2B Luis Santos: 3-for-4, RBI, K, CS (2)

RHP Chase Hampton: (W, 2-1)  5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
The only negative is that it took him 92 pitches, which may be surprising given the lack of hits and walks. Regardless, that is the smallest of nitpicks as he continues his dominant run. Season: 2.68 ERA (47 IP, 31 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 77 K). 77 strikeouts in 47 innings for a pitcher in his first professional season. The Yankees challenged him from the start and he has responded. I am not comparing him to the rise of Joba Chamberlain as every prospect is different – what I will say is that the Yankees were very aggressive with Chamberlain in 2007. He pitched in High-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and New York in his first year. I am putting the cart before the horse – let’s get him to Double-A first.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
A strong High-A debut for Velasquez, who pitched to a 1.05 ERA in 25.2 IP for Tampa (33/15 K/BB ratio)
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Tampa (25-30) (Beat up on Lakeland, 13-7. The Tarpons have reached double digits in runs scored three games in a row)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K
.317/.382/.522 in 228 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 33 RBI, 36 R, 20 BB, 39 K, 13-for-17 SB)
CF Daury Arias: 2-for-6, 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Daury did all of his damage in the 9-run first inning. 
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
.253/.398/.390 in 186 PA. 
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
RF Matt Pita: 1-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, HBP
Pita (26) is on a rehab stint (this is his first game of the season).
  RF Felix Negueis: 1-for-1, RS, BB, SB (2)
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-5, RS, 4 K
Familia has a 6-game hitting streak going. He homered in the first five games of the streak.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K
Martinez has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games (11-for-34; .324)
3B Ronny Rojas: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, 3 RS, BB, K
1B Beau Brewer: 2-for-3, SF, 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
Last year’s 19th-round pick has a 10/4 BB/K ratio (nice) but is still looking for his first extra-base hit in 2023.

RHP Justin Lange: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, HR
This kind of stat line should just be dubbed the “Lange”.  Season: 4.30 ERA (37.2 IP, 20 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 2 HR, 30 BB, 65 K)
RHP Matt Keating (W, 4-4): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.16 ERA (25.2 IP, 14 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 17 BB, 25 K)
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (3-2) (Mauled the Blue Jays, 10-2. This game had the makings of a crazy 25-4 score early, but they didn’t score after the 4th inning)

2B Keiner Delgado: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (4)
I talked a bit about Roderick Arias‘ chances to make it to Tampa this year – I wouldn’t count out Delgado, either. He is now 6-for-18 with eight walks and a 4-for-6 SB rate.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-5, 3 K
The prospect with all the hype didn’t join the party today.
CF Willy Montero: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Montero is now 8-for-15 with a pair of doubles.
DH Hans Montero: 2-for-4, HR (2; grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
His DSL experience wasn’t the best but he has started strong here. You never know when (if?) something will click with a bonus baby.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 4-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, 2 SB (4)
7-for-16 with five runs batted in and a perfect 4-for-4 stealing bases.
LF Dayro Perez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
After a few games in RF, Perez makes his debut in LF. I have no quarrels with trying to develop him as more of a super-utility type. The up-the-middle field of prospects is a crowded one.
1B Kelvin Espino: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, BB

RHP Matt Sauer: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
One has to assume he won’t linger down here much longer.
RHP Jackson Fristoe: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Fristoe’s professional debut. He is listed at 6’4″ and comes out of Mississippi State.
LHP Edwar Polimir: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
The 22-year-old struck out 59 hitters in 38.1 innings for the DSL squad last year.
RHP Montana Semmel: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Semmel has tossed 32.2 innings at this level, compiling a 3.03 ERA and 31/11 K/BB ratio. If he is healthy, they will get him to Tampa soon enough.

DSL Yankees (5-0) and the DSL Bombers (5-0) both won. The Yankees won a crazy 13-12 game (they were down 12-5) while the Bombers took a much less crazy 5-2 decision.

For the Yankees:
2B Luis Escudero (17) went 2-for-4 with a big 3-run HR (first of his career) with two outs in the 8th inning…C Josue Gonzalez (19) contributed a huge 3-run double…DH Santiago Gomez (19) had a hit, three walks, two runs scored, and a stolen base…CF Andres Lacruz (18) had two hits (including a double), two runs batted in, and a stolen base…For such a crazy game, it ended in a mundane way: An RBI walk by LF Jhon Imbert, one of his three walks…RHP Ernesto Disla (19) calmed things down with 1.1 scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out two…

For the Bombers:

Both LF Abrahan Ramirez and 2B Geyber Blanco had a pair of hits. Blanco’s hits included a double…C Edgleen Perez drove home a pair of runs without a hit. He went 0-for-2 with two walks and an HBP…CF Ramiro Altagracia doubled, walked, and drove home a run…

RHP Joshawn Lampson: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alejandro Gomez: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Gomez is 20 and this is his third year down here.

Yankees MILB 6/4: Drew Thorpe Dominates

News:

While not minor league news, the Guardians have designated RHP Zach Plesac for assignment.

The question is: Assuming he falls to the Yankees (not guaranteed), is there room for him? The Yankees have Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, and Nestor Cortes locked into the rotation with Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt at the bottom of the rotation. Factoring in the return of Carlos Rodon (assuming it happens), you do find yourself with a bit of a rotation logjam. That said, you can never have enough pitching depth and Plesac can just as easily take the spot that was recently vacated by Ryan Weber due to an arm injury.

Plesac has not been a particularly healthy or good pitcher. In five starts this season, he owns an unpleasant 7.59 ERA (though it comes with a 4.51 FIP) in 21.1 innings. His strikeout rate is a meager 13.3% and the only time he has shown the ability to strikeout hitters was during the 2020 COVID season (27.7%). His career 102 ERA+ is bolstered by his 2019-2020 seasons. From 2021-2023, it is 86.

The cost to acquire him shouldn’t be high. After all, Cleveland had to designate him for assignment because nobody wanted to trade for him. He could slip through waivers, which would allow teams to save a little money by signing him for a prorated league minimum. I will never say no to adding pitching depth and he does have a Matt Blake connection. That said, I wouldn’t expect miracles. He is purely a depth option who could find himself on the waiver wire multiple times before all is said and done.

Scranton (27-30) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 8-7)

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2B (9), RS, K
Florial has a 13-game hitting streak and a 25-game on-base streak.
DH Oswald Peraza: 0-for-3, BB, HBP, K
His hitting streak is snapped, but he does reach base a pair of times.
CF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-5, RS, K
3B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
Chaparro is earning some hits (he has at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games) but hasn’t been fully in the zone. He hasn’t homered in 14 games.
LF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RBI, RS
Duran continues to show off his pop.
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-4, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Bastidas has three home runs in his last six games.

LHP Tanner Tully: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
RHP Aaron McGarity: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colten Brewer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Greg Weissert: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Deivi Garcia: (L, 1-1)  1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Is it almost time to just throw in the towel?

Somerset (29-21) (Defeated Portland, 5-4, in ten innings)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, HR (4), RBI, RS
.227/.360/.343 in 211 PA (8 doubles, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 31 R, 34 BB (16.1%), 46 K (21.8%), 8-for-11 SB)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB
.211/.374/.398 in 206 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 36 R, 42 BB (20.4%), 50 K (24.3%), 12-for-15 SB). I find it rather interesting that Dominguez has only four doubles. He hit 32 in his first 176 professional games. It could just be noise.
DH Austin Wells: 3-for-5, RBI
.270/.365/.560 in 115 PA. This is his second 3-hit effort for Somerset (8 multi-hit games)
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
  PR Max Burt: 0-for-0, RS
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Rumfield walked it off with his RBI single in the 10th. He is now hitting .240/.333/.419 in 243 PA with 18 BB (7.4%) and 21 strikeouts (8.6%). The BABIP remains low at .236.
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4
Between here and Hudson Valley: .303/.414/.388 in 181 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 33 R, 21 BB (11.6%), 11 K (6%), 26-for-30 SB). His K% for Somerset is 2.4%.
CF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, BB
C Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, RS

RHP Richard Fitts: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
4.73 ERA (51.1 IP, 56 H, 27 R, 27 ER, 7 HR, 13 BB, 55 K). His last three starts: 2.00 ERA (18 IP, 18 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 19 K)
RHP Justin Wilson: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Tanner Myatt (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
I like it when Myatt has clean innings. Season: 3.68 ERA (22 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 24 K)

Hudson Valley (29-22) (Shut down Aberdeen, 9-0. Their pitching is on fire – today, the offense kept pace)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (17), BB, CS (5)
Jones has four doubles in his last five games. An old adage stated that current doubles are future home runs. I don’t know how much truth that holds, but we all know that Jones has a lot of power to tap into.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, K
DH Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, 2B (1), RS
Breaux is 9-for-31 during his rehab stint.
C Antonio Gomez: 3-for-4, 2B (8), HR (2), RBI, 4 RS, BB
Gomez is on a modest 5-game hitting streak (8-for-17). This is his first career 4-run game.
RF Anthony Garcia: 2-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
  LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-1
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RS, BB, K
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF-RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-3, RS, BB

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 4-1)  8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
You don’t see many pitchers (MLB or minors!) complete eight innings nowadays. Season: 3.31 ERA (51.2 IP, 43 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 20 BB, 59 K).
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (21-30) (Lost to Bradenton, 6-2. A boring afternoon offensively, as they had five hits and didn’t draw any walks)

SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, 2 K
I don’t think the recent spike in K% is alarming – I do think it is normalizing. He struck out 15% of the time in the Complex League last year and 34.1% of the time in his small taste of this level. This year, his rate is now 16%. We’ll see if he can keep it around that level.
CF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
Ramirez has 30 walks (18.1%) and 29 strikeouts (17.5%) in 166 PA.
DH Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, CS (3)
6-game hitting streak (8-for-24; .333)
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Nelson Medina: 2-for-3, RS
.290/.390/.468 in 146 PA (8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 7-for-8 SB, 20 BB (13.7%), 45 K (30.8%))
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RBI
.272/.343/.352 in 141 PA. He is 8-for-16 in June.
1B Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 1-3)  3.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Adam Stone: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Stone’s second career appearance.
RHP Shane Gray: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
4.26 ERA (25.1 IP, 21 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 31 K). Last year’s 16th-round pick allowed 9 of those 13 runs in his first five appearances this year. He has a 1.29 ERA between May and June.

Yankees MILB 5/30: Oswald Peraza >>> Triple-A

News:

Some promotions in the organization today, though the top prospects you hear about the most weren’t a part of this wave. I won’t get into all of them.

OF Aaron Palensky, who compiled an insane .352/.434/.744 (205 wRC+) for Hudson Valley, is now in Somerset. This is not his first taste of Double-A. In 2021, he was assigned there instantly after signing with the Yankees. He compiled an impressive 15.3% BB but only hit .216/.360/.378. That isn’t bad for a player who never played at any other professional level. That was likely done out of necessity though and he was appropriately placed in Hudson Valley to start 2022, where he hit .251/.369/.475.  He earned the chance to prove he can hit at the upper levels. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter.

Joining Palensky in Somerset are RHP Danny Watson, who compiled an impressive 39% K rate in Hudson Valley, and LHP Edgar Barclay, who hasn’t pitched in 2023. The 25-year-old compiled an impressive 1.74 ERA and 33.5% K rate for Hudson Valley in 2022. He is already Rule 5 eligible (some were scared that he might get selected last winter)

Unfortunately, with promotions typically come releases. The Yankees have released RHP Justin Maese, RHP Enrique Santana, and OF Alan Mejia. Mejia has his share of fans who look for deep sleepers, but he hasn’t been able to match his .314/.414/.569 line from 2019 (DSL). Maese is a former 3rd round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2015. He has never made it past Double-A.

Scranton (26-26) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 4-1)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, 2B (7), RBI, BB, K, SB (11), CS (6)
Florial is now the owner of a 9-game hitting streak (16-for-41; 2 doubles, 6 home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs). Tonight was the first game during the streak where he did not score a run. 
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS, HBP, K
Peraza has 6 home runs in his last 9 games. He is not having any struggles at this level.
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-5, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RS
Chaparro increases his hitting streak to 7. Surprisingly, this is his first extra-base hit during the streak.
RF Kole Calhoun: 1-for-4, RBI
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2B (6), RS, CS (1)
2B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, RBI
Bastidas is an impressive 24-for-68 (.353) in May after his 16-for-78 (.205) April performance.

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 5-1)  6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
3.52 ERA (46 IP, 57 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 4 HR, 11 BB, 44 K). The veteran has done his job, sporting a 2.61 ERA in 31 May innings.
RHP Michael Feliz: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
His organizational debut. He was signed to a minor league contract recently out of the Mexican League (he has plenty of MLB experience)
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Greg Weissert: (S, 5)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Somerset (25-20) (Lost to Portland, 3-1. The Sea Dogs are a challenge for Somerset, given that they are now 31-15)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, SB (8)
Sweeney’s first HR since 5/11. I think the double-digit power will show up. 
3B Josh Donaldson: 1-for-4
DH Giancarlo Stanton: 0-for-3, BB
A DH who can’t hit? Not a prospect.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-3, BB, K
Dominguez is hitting .237/.357/.419 in May. He was scorching earlier in the month but has since stabilized. 
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, K
LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-1
He was pulled early from the game. Fingers and toes crossed.
   LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, BB
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3

RHP Richard Fitts: (L, 2-4) 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
4.96 ERA (45.1 IP, 51 H, 25 R, 25 ER, 7 HR, 12 BB, 49 K). Back-to-back strong efforts for Fitts (6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K last time out)
RHP Tommy Kahnle: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
It’s all about health for Kahnle, who should be back with the Yankees soon enough.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.08 ERA (26.1 IP, 12 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 29 K). The age-old question: If Santos improved his control, would that make him more hittable? That’s where the command conversation would start.

Hudson Valley (27-19) (Lost to Aberdeen, 7-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K
Jones is 6-for-42 with 19 strikeouts in his last ten games.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, 2B (6), BB, K
Vargas now has a 6-game hitting streak (11-for-27). His triple slash has climbed from .220/.281/.432 to .255/.312/.462.
DH Josh Breaux: 0-for-4, K
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, HBP, K
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3
Cowles is 22-for-65 (.338) in May. 
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-2, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, K

LHP Joel Valdez: (L, 1-3)  3.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
RHP Bailey Dees: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.95 ERA (21.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 34 K). When will he join Watson in Somerset?
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Nick Paciorek: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Tampa (19-27) (Crushed Bradenton, 15-0)

2B Jared Serna: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (11)
Serna now owns a 10-game hitting streak. 
DH Daury Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, 3 RS, 3 BB
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-1, RBI, 2 RS, 5 BB, K
I am sure it has happened – but I don’t remember the last time a Yankees prospect walked five times in a game.
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 4 RBI, 2 BB
Hall should find his way up to Hudson Valley soon. He is 22-for-65 (.338) in May with more walks (16) than strikeouts (11).
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-6, 3 K
Escanio’s biggest asset is his ability to take walks – so, naturally, he goes 0-for-6 without a walk on a night that the team walks 16 times.
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB
LF Christopher Familia: 3-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
This is what you call an impressive 2023 debut. Familia hit .207/.295/.362 in 36 games at this level in 2022.
3B Brett Barrera: 2-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS, K

RHP Hayden Merda: (W, 1-2) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Merda’s has 12 scoreless innings in his last two starts. This is his first professional victory.
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Manny Ramirez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Shane Gray: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 5/24: Oswald Peraza Homers

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (22-25) (Walloped Worcester, 15-2)

LF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2 RS, BB, 2 K, SB (10)
His HR streak ends at four if you want one negative thing. Florial is up to .318/.440/.612 in 159 plate appearances (4 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 21 RBI, 29 R, 10-for-15 SB, 29 BB (18.2%), 51 K (32.1%)). He is an incredible 26-for-70 (.371) in May with seven home runs (.714 SLG). 
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, HBP
Yawn. We all know he doesn’t belong here.
DH Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Calhoun is mashing the way you expect a veteran like him to mash.
1B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, 2 RS
.253/.326/.494 in 190 PA (6 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 32 R, 19 BB, 40 K). It has been a season of streaks for Chaparro – hopefully, he is starting to heat up again.
RF Franchy Cordero: 3-for-4, 2 2B (9), HR (2), 4 RBI, 4 RS, BB, K, SB (2)
He is in his element…
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS
.286/.330/.571 in 112 plate appearances. For Somerset in 2022, he hit .222/.266/.414. This is why I say he has always shown some pop – if he is starting to show he can do more offensively, he is at least a high-level backup.
3B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, 2B (5), RBI, 2 BB, HBP, K
CF Billy McKinney: 1-for-3, HR (6), 3 RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
2B Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-5, K

LHP Tanner Tully (W, 4-1): 5.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
3.83 ERA (40 IP, 53 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 11 BB, 39 K). He is a veteran stabilizer.
LHP Matt Krook: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
1.04 ERA (17.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). Walks have always been an issue. The Yankees added him to the 40-man this past winter, and we all know that those slots are precious.
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (24-16) (Defeated Erie, 3-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, 2 K
.244/.380/.344 in 163 PA. As long as he is drawing those walks, I am fine with his start to the season. I do think power will come (he hit 16 HR in 2021)
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RS, BB, SB (14)
A much-needed slump buster of a game for Dominguez, who is at .198/.356/.389 in 160 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 30 R, 14-for-16 SB, 31 BB (19.4%), 40 K (25%)). 
C Austin Wells: 2-for-3, BB
Offensively, he has nothing to prove here. Everyone, including the Yankees, knows this. That only leaves the possibility that they are holding him here to work on defense. In his 72 games at Double-A between last year and this year, he is hitting .264/.360/.514 (11 doubles, 1 triple, 19 HR, 63 RBI, 47 R, 9-for-9 SB, 38 BB, 76 K)
RF Everson Pereira: 0-for-0
Pulled from the lineup in the top of the first inning. I don’t know why.
 PH-RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-4, RBI
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, K
Rumfield is 15-for-48 (.313/.433/.625) in May (3 doubles, 4 HR, 11/8 BB/K)
3B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, RS
Since his promotion, Durbin is hitting .227/.346/.273 in 52 plate appearances. His .233 BABIP should improve. The most impressive number remains the 1 strikeout in those 52 plate appearances.
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2
I am not sure why Lockridge was pulled.
  LF Eric Wagaman: 0-for-2
2B Max Burt: 2-for-4, RBI, RS
DH Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K

RHP Richard Fitts (W, 2-3): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
5.26 ERA (39.1 IP, 43 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 7 HR, 11 BB, 41 K). I use the term “much-needed” very often – and that term applies to Richard Fitts’ start today.
RHP Alex Mauricio: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
4.50 ERA (10 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 9 K).
RHP Steven Jennings (S, 1): 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (24-17) (Blew a 7-0 lead. They eventually lost to Wilmington, 10-9, in ten innings)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, RS, HBP, 2 K
Jones has one hit in each of his last three games as he tries to break out of a bit of a slump. He has struck out multiple times in six of his last seven games.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-6, RS
.234/.290/.445 in 138 PA (3 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R, 7-for-10 SB, 9 BB (6.5%), 35 K (25.4%)). His K% was 28.5 last season.
LF Aaron Palensky: 3-for-4, HR (11), RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB
.321/.406/.679 in 128 PA. This may just all be a “second taste of the level” fluke, but I think the Yankees need to see if there is more to it than that. His 11 HR are tied for the organizational lead with Andres Chaparro.
1B Spencer Henson: 4-for-6, 2 2B (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
Henson’s first career 4-hit game. He is hitting .263/.351/.518 in 134 plate appearances. Like with Palensky, you at least have to think about moving him up at some point to see what is real and what isn’t.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
A 6-game hitting streak has raised Richardson’s triple slash from .110/.198/.205 to .172/.267/.280. Hey, it’s a start.
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-5, RBI, 2 K
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-5, 2 K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, HR
6.00 ERA (33 IP, 29 H, 25 R, 22 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 41 K(
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Nick Paciorek: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Harrison Cohen (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Tampa (15-25)

The game against Palm Beach was postponed.

Yankees MILB 5/3: Jared Serna: 3 Hits, HR

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (11-17) 

The game against Rochester was postponed. They will play a doubleheader tomorrow.

The lineup is posted below for entertainment purposes. Also because, typically speaking, they just put the same lineup in place for Game 1 of the doubleheader. Time saver!

CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-0
.242/.405/.468 in 79 PA with a 21.5% BB and 31.6% K.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-0
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-0
In an ideal world, he is Triple-A depth for the rest of the season.
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-0
Chaparro has a reverse split thing going.
vs. RHP: .280/.349/.653 (all eight home runs)
vs. LHP: 2-for-28 with a walk
LF Kole Calhoun: 0-for-0
DH Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-0
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-0
.276/.323/.569 in 62 PA (5 doubles, 4 home runs). 
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-0
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-0

RHP Mitch Spence: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (13-9) (Lost to Binghamton, 5-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-4, 2 K
CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-4, 3 K
Don’t read into stuff you see on Twitter: Dominguez is not ready regardless of his walk rate.
C Austin Wells: 1-for-3, K
  C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-1, 2B (5), CS (2)
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-4
DH Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
Seigler has eight walks in 48 plate appearances (16.7%). Last season, he compiled a 21.8% rate at Tampa/Hudson Valley.
RF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, K
1B Eric Wagaman: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS
2B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 2-for-4

RHP Richard Fitts: (L, 1-3)  7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
He allowed all four runs in the first inning. Impressive recovery, though the offense couldn’t quite make a game of it. He owns a 5.20 ERA in 27.2 IP (27 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 6 BB, 33 K). Solid enough peripherals.
RHP Justin Wilson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.87 ERA (10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 13 K)

Hudson Valley (15-8) (Knocked down Wilmington, 9-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, 2B (7), 2 RBI, RS
He has broken out of his 4-for-33 slump nicely. He is 11-for-31 (.355) since with two doubles, three triples, and two home runs.
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, HBP
Vargas started the season 1-for-13. He is 16-for-51 (.314) since with all nine of his extra-base hits.
3B Caleb Durbin: 3-for-5, 2 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, CS (1)
Durbin is now 14-for-15 in the stolen base department. He is 23 and played 32 games at this level (for the Braves organization) in 2022. Hence, I assume he will be on the promotion list early if he keeps this up. 
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, BB
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-0, BB
  RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, RBI, K
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB
2B Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, RS, K
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 2-for-3, 2 3B (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Triples are a lot of fun! Sanchez had two all of last year, which brings up another point: Triples are so unpredictable!

LHP Clay Aguilar: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
In his 2021 debut season (he missed all of 2022), Aguilar made five starts among his 22 appearances. We’ll see if they are attempting to stretch him out again.
RHP Harold Cortijo: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: (W, 1-1) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Enrique Santana: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
9 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 9 K

Tampa (9-14) (Defeated Bradenton, 6-2)

SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-5, 4 K
DH Daury Arias: 2-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, BB
2B Jared Serna: 3-for-4, 2B (4), HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (7)
.323/.421/.431 in 76 plate appearances. Serna did pop six home runs in 49 games last season, showing that there could be some pop in his smallish frame. He is a fun prospect to follow, given his ability to make a lot of contact (Only 6 strikeouts in 76 plate appearances (7.9%))
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-2, 2B (4), RS, SB (2)
   LF Felix Negueis: 0-for-1, RS, BB
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 4 RBI
Martinez has four straight multi-hit games. This is not a personal best for RBI, as he drove home six in a game back on 8/19/21, when he was down in the DSL.
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K

RHP Leonardo Pestana: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
4.32 ERA (16.1 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 24 K)
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 1-1) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Vinyard’s first professional win. Congrats!
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.46 ERA (12.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 17 K)

 

 

Yankees MILB 4/26: Richard Fitts: 6 Scoreless IP

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-13) (Defeated Worcester, 4-1)

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2 K, 2 SB (7), CS (2)
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-3, BB
  CF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-1
DH Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, BB, K
LF Jake Bauers: 1-for-3, 2B (5), 2 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (5)
Bauers extends his hitting streak to seven.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
1B Billy McKinney: 3-for-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI, K
The veteran was only 11-for-59 (.186) entering tonight.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
C Jose Godoy: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K

LHP Tanner Tully: (W, 1-1) 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Tully is a depth arm who pitched in three games for the Indians in 2022.
LHP Matt Krook: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP D.J. Snelten (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Snelten (30) hadn’t pitched since 2018 entering this season. This is what you call perseverance.

Somerset (10-7) (Held off Harrisburg, 4-3)

DH Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
.264/.365/.377 in 63 PA with 12.7% BB and 23.8% K rates.
LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 2 2B (5), 2 RBI
Breaks out of his little 2-for-16 slump.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Max Burt: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, 2 K
Burt’s first triple since 5/22/19.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, RBI, K
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS
His add-on solo HR in the 9th (giving Somerset a 4-0 lead) proved to be the game-winner. The 25-year-old set a career-best with his 13 home runs last season, including four at this level.
C Juan Crisp: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
The 22-year-old Crisp hasn’t played much since compiling 36 games down in the GCL back in 2019. It seems his role is that of an organizational backup catcher.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4, K

RHP Richard Fitts (W, 1-2): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
5.23 ERA (20.2 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 5 BB, 26 K). It is all about command (not control) for Fitts.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
8.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 10 K. Injuries have derailed the hard-throwing right-hander, who is now 24.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Justin Maese: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR

Hudson Valley (12-5) (Mauled Greenville, 16-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (7)
When will we see him in Somerset? In my opinion, the second half of the season at the latest – could be earlier if he starts to annihilate this level.
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (4)
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, SB (13)
Durbin is second in stolen bases amongst all minor leaguers (Victor Scott (A+, St. Louis) has 16)
C Ben Rice: 2-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Rice has been a machine since Day 1. He entered tonight with a .627 OBP – so this performance will bring that number down.
DH Spencer Henson: 2-for-5, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Henson has 15 home runs in 84 games at this level and should probably be challenged in Somerset.
RF Anthony Garcia: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 4 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Garcia sets a new personal best with four runs scored. His ceiling is that of a three outcomes type – the issue is that one of those outcomes (strikeouts) is two extreme right now.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 4-for-5, 2 HR (5), 7 RBI, 3 RS, 2 SB (7)
This is what you call a career game. Palensky, a 24-year-old outfielder, has homered in three of his last four games. He hit 10 home runs in 77 games at this level last season. His previous high for RBI in a game was four.
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-5, 3 K

LHP Joel Valdez:  4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
5.54 ERA (13 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 10 BB, 14 K). Valdez was acquired along with T.J. Rumfield from the Phillies for Nick Nelson and Donny Sands last year.
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 1-1)  1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
8.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 12 K. The 24-year-old stands 6’8″ and is listed at 250 pounds – his career K-rate matches up to his size. Let’s see what he can do in the upper minors.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
The 23-year-old was signed last year as an undrafted free agent (out of George Washington)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The 24-year-old is back after missing all of 2022. In his debut 2021 season, he pitched to a 1.90 ERA in 52 innings with a 71/11 K/BB. He made five starts that season, so we will see if they explore that again.

Tampa (6-11) (Lost to Jupiter, 5-2)

3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, K
Games by position, 2023: SS – 7; 3B – 5; 2B – 2. I give him some of the spotlight because they have been leading him off all season.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-2, BB, K
He is following the typical rehab formula – he was the DH in the first game and caught a partial game in his second game back.
  C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-1
DH Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RS, SB (4)
SS Dayro Perez: 0-for-4, 4 K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, RS
Medina has hit safely in 11 of his 13 starts this season (and has reached base safely in every start)
1B Jose Rodriguez: 0-for-4, RBI, K
CF Alan Mejia: 1-for-4, 3 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-3, K
2B Roberto Chirinos: 1-for-3, K, SB (1)

RHP Leonardo Pestana: (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4.97 ERA (12.2 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 17 K). Pestana hasn’t pitched much since 2019 (two games in 2021; one game in 2022). He has 130 strikeouts in 91.2 innings (but has also walked 57)
RHP Shane Gray: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Gray was the Yankees’ 16th-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Evansville.
RHP Manny Ramirez:  1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
11.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K