Tag: Richard Matic

Yankees MILB 8/11: Mani Cedeno Homers

Notes:

Trade analysis links:
Jose Caballero/Camilo Doval (link)
David Bednar/Jake Bird (link)
Ryan McMahon (link)
Amed Rosario (link)
Austin Slater (link)

MLB Pipeline posted their August update, which includes the 2025 draftees.

The Yankees placed four prospects on their Top 100, headlined by SS George Lombard Jr. (25th). Also making the list: RHP Carlos Lagrange (82), RHP Cam Schlittler (91), and OF Spencer Jones (92). Jones is an addition after their “trade deadline” update.

As for their Top 30, up next is RHP Bryce Cunningham. Their second-round pick in 2024 is ranked higher than their first-round pick (Ben Hess is 7th). Sandwiched between the two is another right-handed pitcher:  Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. 2025 first-rounder Dax Kilby is 8th. Other 2025 draftees on the list are 2B/SS Kaeden Kent (13th), LHP Pico Kohn (15th), and SS Core Jackson (18th). All have appeared in my report except for Kohn, who was their 4th-round pick out of Alabama. You haven’t seen him yet because drafted pitchers don’t make same-season debuts at nearly the same rate as position players. SS Roderick Arias took an expected tumble, as he is down to 21st. Debuting teenage shortstops Mani Cedeno (22nd) and Stiven Marinez (30th) are likely where they should be at this stage in their careers. Marinez has outperformed Cedeno, but Cedeno is younger and entered the season with more prospect “shine.”

In recent times, their prospect list has included a decent number of catchers. With the trades of Rafael Flores, Jesus Rodriguez, and Edgleen Perez, they no longer have a catcher in the Top 30. You can make a case for Engelth Urena, but it’s not a massive snub. It’s hard to find any prospect whom I would label as an obvious snub.

I have no issues with the list. We can nitpick with rankings and whether their 35th-ranked prospect should be included over their 29th-ranked prospect. When you get down to that level, there is a list of several prospects to choose from, and it becomes a matter of personal preference. Would I place Rodriguez-Cruz over Cunningham? Probably, but we are talking about one spot in the rankings.

Injury Log

Scranton (67-44; 29-10 in second half) 

Day off.

Right now, the second-half title is a two-horse race between Scranton and Syracuse, who are 29-10. They have one series left (August 26-31 in Scranton). Indianapolis has fallen off the pace (24-15) but can get back into it this week, as they play Scranton.

Somerset (58-50; 23-16 in second half) 

Day off.

Somerset is 1.5 games up on Hartford in the race for the second-half title. Binghamton is ahead of both, but that is irrelevant since they won the first-half title.

Hudson Valley (65-40; 27-14 second half)

Day off.

At 65-40, the Renegades are having a fantastic season – one that can easily end without a playoff berth. Unfortunately for them, Brooklyn won the first-half tiebreaker over Greensboro. That’s important, as Greensboro is 31-11 in the second half. That would be irrelevant if they won the first half, but that’s how it goes.

Tampa (48-56; 12-27 in the second half)

Day off.

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

In case you are wondering, the DSL ends on August 19th. The Yankees have no shot at the playoffs. The Bombers still have a chance to make it into the 16-team field.

DSL Yankees (22-28) (Lost to the DSL Rockies, 9-8)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, 2B (9), 2 R, BB
SS Mani Cedeno: 3-for-5, 2B (5), 3B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Cedeno falls a single short of the cycle. He is hitting .188/.379/.299 in 201 plate appearances but has started to show some pop in August (6-for-24 with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs).
2B Carlos Bello: 0-for-5, R, SB (13)
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (11), 2 BB
.343/.495/.579 in 188 PA. In his debut campaign, he hit .196/.333/.248 in 186 PA. He spent most of last season as a 16-year-old.
C Justin Capellan: 3-for-5, 2 RBI
41 games last year: .242/.365/.359 with a homer and 25 RBI. 41 games this year: .266/.380/.468 with six home runs and 36 RBI. He turned 19 on July 18th.
RF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-5, RBI, K
.284/.378/.520 in 172 PA with eight home runs and 29 RBI. 
DH Isaias Castillo: 0-for-5, 3 K
LF Wilberson De Pena: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B Diego Flores: 2-for-4, R, SB

RHP Manuel Cruz: 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Emanuel Vargas: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Varis Villarreal (L, 4-3): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR

DSL Bombers (26-24) (Lost to the DSL Nationals, 5-4. I say they still have a shot at the 16-team DSL Cup tournament, but hope is fading. They have fallen to 25th. That said, the team ranked 16th is 28-22. It will take a hot week and jumping over a bunch of teams, but it isn’t impossible.)

I am not sure why Stiven Marinez didn’t play, especially since they were off yesterday. Hopefully, it’s still just a routine day off.

CF Ruben Castillo: 0-for-4, BB, K
2B Christofer Reyes: 1-for-5, CS (5)
LF Jose Castro: 0-for-1, R, SB (14), 3 BB
2B Juan Torres: 2-for-4, SB (12)
Marinez has outperformed Cedeno, but Torres is outperforming both. The 17-year-old is hitting .338/.383/.482 in 154 PA in his debut campaign. Should he be somewhere in the Top 30? I wouldn’t argue against it.
C Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-4, CS (4)
DH David Carrera: 0-for-2, R, 2 BBRic
SS Leni Done: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (14), BB, K
With the presence of Marinez, Done doesn’t get much time at shortstop. The 18-year-old has played well in his debut campaign: .275/.403/.443 in 159 PA with four homers and 26 RBI. 
1B Remy Veldhuisen: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
RF Angel Ventura: 0-for-3, RBI, BB

RHP Alexander Almonte: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
Almonte (18) has been consistent since making his professional debut last year: 3.48 ERA in 19 starts (72.1 IP, 62 H, 40 R, 28 ER, 5 HR, 32 BB, 69 K).
RHP Cesar Acosta (L, 1-5): 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Yankees MILB 7/29: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Tosses 6 Scoreless Innings

Notes:

In case you missed them, here is my article on the Ryan McMahon transaction and my analysis of the Amed Rosario transaction.

Antonio Gomez was assigned to Tampa today. The catcher-turned-pitcher was on the Development List. He made his first appearance on the hill tonight, maxing out at 99.9 MPH.

LHP Henry Lalane‘s rehab assignment is over, which makes sense since the FCL season is over. The system’s #13 prospect (Pipeline) is officially with Tampa. Essentially, he is resuming his rehab, but it won’t be called that.

Spencer Jones was back in the lineup after missing three games due to back spasms.

The Yankees traded RHP Carlos Carrasco to the Braves for cash or a player to be named (I would place strong odds on it being money). Carrasco pitched to a 5.91 ERA (5.31 FIP; 69 ERA+) in 32 innings for the Yankees. For Scranton, he was a valuable innings-eating veteran.

Injury Log

Scranton (59-40; 21-6 in second half) (Lost to Nashville, 7-3)

DH Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-5, K
Rodriguez increases his hitting streak to 16 in his last at-bat of the evening.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, BB
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-5, 2B (9)
RF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (6), R, K
Jones hits as if his back never spasmed.  He is hitting .405/.459/.940 (again, that’s his SLG, not his OPS!) in 98 PA since his promotion and .317/.412/.707 (LOL) overall.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI
Since promotion: 8-for-36 (.222) with a homer and four RBI.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, 2B (28), R, HBP, K
.312/.395/.502 in 392 PA for the doubles machine (he has 11 in 21 July games)
3B Jeimer Candelario: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, R, K
LF Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-4, K
SS Braden Shewmake: 1-for-3, SF, RBI

RHP Luis Gil: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
Gil threw 75 pitches (50 strikes) and reached 98.4 MPH (averaged 95.8). He threw 40% 4-seamers, 37% sliders, and 23% changeups, generating 15 whiffs. I don’t like “rushing” players coming off injury, but everything looks good with Gil – he is using his entire mix, throwing as hard as you would expect, and generating whiffs.  I have no problem with him pitching for the MLB club this weekend.
RHP Zach Messinger: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.52 ERA (29.2 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 40 K)
RHP Scott Effross (L, 1-3): 0.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
At this point, Effross is a shuttle arm for the Yankees. Is he in danger of being cut from the 40-man roster? Perhaps not yet, but the likelihood that he will return to form seems low.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (52-45; 17-11 in second half) (Outpitched Richmond, 1-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, R
Lombard Jr.’s home run in the 6th was all that was needed tonight.  Since promotion: .212/.326/.347 in 291 PA. He has a .411 SLG in July and has eight doubles and three home runs in his last 24 games. 
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3
2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3
Riggio is 19-for-66 (.288/.382/.561) in July.
3B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, 2 K
Jasso has a 7-game hitting streak and is hitting .308/.349/.449 in July. Like every hitter at every level in baseball history, he’s had his share of struggles, but he has been pretty consistent all year. 
CF Brendan Jones: 0-for-2, CS (2), BB
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, BB, K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, K
DH Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, HBP

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 1-1)  6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Rodriguez-Cruz is likely going to be asked about a lot over the next few days. Since promotion: 2.37 ERA (19 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K). Overall: 2.28 ERA (102.2 IP, 67 H, 35 R, 26 ER, 2 HR, 41 BB, 114 K).  Is he untouchable? Of course not. However, the 21-year-old has impressed with his ability to miss bats and keep the ball in the ballpark. He owned a 53.1% GB entering tonight.
RHP Hayden Merda: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Merda’s 5th straight scoreless outing (5.2 IP). It’s lowered his ERA (since his promotion) from 14.54 to 6.30.
RHP Danny Watson (S, 4): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
6.25 ERA (36 IP, 45 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 6 HR, 7 BB, 38 K). He owns a 2.08 ERA in 8.2 July innings and hasn’t walked a batter in 17 straight appearances (23.2 innings).

Hudson Valley (58-36; 21-10 second half) (Defeated Wilmington, 13-6)

LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-6, RBI, R, 2 K
CF Dillon Lewis: 3-for-5, 2B (7), SF, 3 RBI, 2 R
He is on an impressive 10-game hitting streak that has increased his triple slash from .183/.243/.357 to .244/.306/.439 since his promotion. 
RF Coby Morales: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
2B Jose Colmenares: 2-for-6, 3B (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Colmenares has a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-24; 4 doubles, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
DH Josh Moylan: 1-for-6, RBI, 2 K
3B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 BB
C Manuel Palencia: 4-for-5, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Palencia’s 4th career 4-hit effort (including one in the FCL this year). 
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB
Romero is 8-for-32 (.250/.390/.438) since coming back from injury.
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, 2 R, CS (7), BB

RHP Andrew Landry: (W, 1-1)  5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, HR
Landry was promoted from Tampa for the second time in three weeks. With trades and injuries, Hudson Valley needs arms.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Jordany Ventura: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bryce Warrecker: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
Rare misstep for Warrecker, but at least it happened during a blowout. He owns a 1.70 ERA in 42.1 IP (24 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 45 K)

Tampa (45-48; 9-19 in the second half)  (Lost to Clearwater, 11-8, in ten innings)

3B Juan Matheus: 1-for-5, K
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-5, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 K
Nice to see Arias go yard during an otherwise disappointing campaign.
DH Engelth Urena: 1-for-5, R
RF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-2, 3B (1), RBI, R, 3 BB, K
Since promotion: 12-for-48 (.250; 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 9 BB, 9 K)
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, RBI, R, K
Montero is hitting .304 (17-for-56) at this level.
1B Tyler Wilson: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, R, K
Tejeda is versatile and speedy enough with excellent bat-to-ball skills. Power? Not likely to be a part of his profile. His ceiling is likely in the Ronald Torreyes area. And there is nothing wrong with that ceiling.
LF Marshall Toole: 1-for-4, SB (28), 3 K
Toole has 28 stolen bases in 31 attempts. His K% was 20.0% entering tonight, and this was the first time he struck out three times this season (once last season).

LHP Henry Lalane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
As stated above, don’t expect extended outings for a while.  The big lefty wasn’t throwing hard tonight (low-90s), but that can be attributed to his time off.  
RHP Sunayro Martina: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
The 21-year-old Martina makes his Tampa debut. His rookie league resume isn’t great (5.45 ERA; 79.1 IP, 67 H, 63 R, 48 ER, 5 HR, 59 BB, 84 K). We don’t have full StatCast data tonight, but I do see that he reached 96.8 MPH.
RHP Cade Austin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Antonio Gomez: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Gomez threw 19 pitches (11 strikes) in his pitching debut. One of the runs allowed scored after he left the game. This is a fun story to follow.
RHP Chris Veach: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Tanner Bauman: (L, 2-7)  2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (28-30)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-24) (Outlasted the DSL Twins, 11-10, in ten innings. This game was a DSL Special, as the Yankees scored 11 runs on 15 hits and nine walks. They scored seven runs between the 8th and 10th innings. They tied the game in the 10th on a walk and “walked it off” with a hit-by-pitch.)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-5, R, BB, K
SS Mani Cedeno: 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 SB (14), 3 K
.183/.360/.238 in 161 PA (3 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 30 R, 14-for-15 SB, 18.0% BB, 37.3% K)
2B Carlos Bello: 0-for-4, 2 R, CS (3), HBP, BB, K
The 17-year-old got off to a strong start but is 3-for-35 in his last ten games. He has drawn six walks.
3B Richard Matic: 3-for-4, 3B (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (7), 2 BB, K
Matic has certainly adjusted in 2025, hitting .368/.500/.614 in 150 PA (10 doubles, 3 triples, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 32 R, 7-for-12 SB, 20% BB, 22.7% K). The crazy thing is that a .500 OBP ranks him only 6th in this league (he is 4th in SLG and OPS). He turned 18 on July 26th.
DH Justin Capellan: 2-for-6, 2 K
LF Estivenzon Montero: 2-for-4, 3B (1), HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (8), 2 BB, K
.302/.393/.569 in 135 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R, 8-for-11 SB, 12.6% BB, 27.4% K). The 18-year-old has 14 extra-base hits in 33 games (8 in 31 games in 2024).
C Edgar Jimenez: 2-for-3, R, SB (5), CS (1), 2 BB, K
   PR Alfiery Matos: 0-for-0, SB (9)
RF Angel Ventura: 2-for-4, RBI, R, BB, K
1B-C Diego Flores: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (1)

RHP Enixon Sanchez: 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, HR
4.11 ERA (35 IP, 38 H, 21 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 23 BB, 39 K)
RHP Emanuel Vargas: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
LHP Fredy Penuelas: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Rafael Arias (W, 5-0): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

DSL Bombers (21-19) (Lost to the DSL Phillies White, 4-3)

SS Stiven Marinez: 1-for-5, SB (20), K
.230/.404/.286 in 166 PA. Marinez is in a 2-for-23 slump.
CF Ruben Castillo: 1-for-3, 2B (8), R, SB (19), CS (7), HBP, BB
Castillo is on a 5-game hitting streak and has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.
DH Juan Torres: 2-for-4, RBI
Of all the Yankees’ debuting talents in the DSL, I think Torres has impressed the most. The 17-year-old is at .339/.393/.495 in 122 PA and is on an 11-game hitting streak. The funniest part is that, in a sea of huge signing bonuses, he received $50,000.  Yes, I realize that one DSL season doesn’t make or break a prospect.
2B Christofer Reyes: 2-for-4, 2 R, SB (21)
3B Leni Done: 1-for-4, K
LF David Carrera: 1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, BB

LHP Junior Tavera: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Ronald Tejada (L, 1-3): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
The 18-year-old is missing more bats in 2025, but the overall numbers have tumbled (1.75 ERA in 25.2 IP in 2024; 7.08 ERA in 20.1 IP in 2025).
RHP Alexis Gonzalez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 6/2: Isaias Castillo (16) Homers in Professional Debut

Notes:

If you missed it yesterday (it was a late addition to my report), 1B/OF Dominic Smith exercised his opt-out clause. Given how the season has played out, there wasn’t a path to MLB for Smith with the Yankees. He is hoping to convert his hot May into an MLB contract somewhere.

Injury Log

Scranton (25-29)

Day off

Somerset (24-26)

Day off

Hudson Valley (31-19)

Day off

Tampa (26-23)

Day off

FCL (11-11) (Swept a doubleheader against the Phillies. Brando Mayea, who left the game the other day due to some sort of injury, did not play)

Game 1 (Won, 8-7)

RF Isael Arias: 1-for-4, 2 R, 3 SB (7), 2 K
SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-1, 3 R, SB (4), 3 BB
Sometimes, pitchers in the rookie leagues can be incredibly wild. In this game, however, Peralta drew the only three walks.
C Ediel Rivera: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 R, HBP
LF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (2), 3 RBI
3B Santiago Gomez: 0-for-3, 2 SB (11)
11 stolen bases in 19 games.

LHP Ben Shields: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
One of the Yankees’ most surprising prospects in 2024 is on a rehab stint. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Shields pitched at three levels in his 2024 debut season (Hudson Valley, Somerset, Scranton (one start)). Combined, he went 5-5 with a 3.48 ERA (3.23 FIP) over 106 innings with a 31.1% K and 7.5% BB. His numbers were solid, yet skewed negatively by that one emergency Scranton appearance (1.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 7 ER).
RHP Sunayro Martina (W, 2-3): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Alexis Paulino (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
Not all saves are pretty.

Game 2 (Won, 7-1)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, 2 R, HBP, K
C Manuel Palencia: 4-for-4, 2 2B (6), 3B (1), HR (1), 5 RBI, R
It finally happened! Palencia hits his first career home run in his 150th game. Yes, it’s one of those baseball things that he hits his first career home run on a day he falls a single short of the cycle (he hit a double in his final at-bat. Jeff Frye would have stopped at first base). He is 22 years old and has played only as high as Low-A, but this is a nice moment of him.
DH Ediel Rivera: 1-for-3, 2B (4), SF, 2 RBI, K
.296/.400/.426 in 65 PA. A solid start to his professional career.

RHP Greysen Carter (W, 2-0): 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
His control struggles are well-documented, so this is good to see.

DSL Yankees (0-1) (Lost to the Rockies, 13-6. The Rockies should promote all these guys to the MLB club immediately)

SS Mani Cedeno: 1-for-5, R, 3 K
Their most hyped DSL prospect earns his first professional hit. Want to feel old? Cedeno is 16 and was born in 2008.
CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, K
As I said the other day, this is a huge year for the bonus baby. Ideally, he would have crushed this league in 2024 and would be in the FCL right now. That didn’t happen, so he has to crush this league now.
2B Carlos Bello: 1-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, R, K
Nothing like getting that first professional home run out of the way in your first professional game. Bello signed for $350,000.
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, R
Matic hits his first professional home run. Matic signed for $850,000. Like Vilorio, he struggled here in 2024 (.196/.333/.248 in 186 PA)
C Justin Capellan: 2-for-4, 2B (1), R
The 18-year-old hit .242/.365/.359 with 12 doubles in 41 games at this level in 2024. The Yankees used money acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Billy McKinney to sign Capellan. “Why didn’t the Pirates simply use that money for international prospects instead of trading it for a retread like McKinney?”  Do you even need to ask?
DH Carlos Villarroel: 0-for-4, K
Villarroel returns coming off of an impressive .299/.390/.410 campaign in 2024. Last season, he split time between catcher and first base.
LF Isaias Castillo: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R, K
A 16-year-old launching a home run in his professional debut is impressive. Castillo was a $750,000 investment during the 2025 signing period. He is a right-handed bat.
RF Angel Ventura: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI
The 19-year-old hit .245/.336/.276 in 113 plate appearances here in 2024.
1B Diego Flores: 2-for-3, 2B (1), BB, K
Flores compiles his first career extra-base hit (the 18-year-old played in 15 games at this level in 2024)

RHP Manuel Cruz (L, 0-1): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Cruz (19) makes his professional debut.
RHP Anthony Mena: 1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
Crazy pitching lines aren’t abnormal in the DSL!
LHP Luis Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
He’s already 20, but this was his professional debut.
RHP Varis Villarreal: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The 19-year-old pitched in 17 games at this level last year, compiling a 4.43 ERA and 20/11 K/BB over 22.1 innings.
RHP Jesus Guerrero: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The 18-year-old’s professional debut. Interestingly, his debut is on the hill even though he is listed as a catcher. Don’t ask me, folks. I just report what I see.

DSL Bombers (1-0) (Defeated Rangers Blue, 10-8, in a crazy game that featured a walk-off 3-run home run for Browm Martinez. This came after the Rangers scored three runs in the top of the 9th to take the lead)

CF Ruben Castillo: 0-for-4, R, BB, K
Castillo was a $875,000 signing.
SS Stiven Marinez: 2-for-3, 3 R, SB (1), BB
Impressive professional debut for the 17-year-old. The Yankees gave Marinez a $1.65 million signing bonus near the end of the 2024 signing period (Cedeno, who received $2.5 million, was part of the 2025 class)
C Queni Pineda: 0-for-3, SB (1), BB, K
I remember Pineda from last year, and it isn’t because of his unique first name. He hit .254/.434/.438 in 44 games with nine doubles and five home runs. He drew an impressive 41 walks in 173 PA (23.7%).  He signed for $350,000 in 2024.
DH David Carrera: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old played well down here in 2024 (.278/.402/.418). When it comes to kids who don’t get the extreme signing bonuses, they just need to put their heads down and keep performing to get noticed. Not the same situation, but Andy Pettitte always talked about needing to prove himself every step of the way.
2B Christofer Reyes: 1-for-4, R, SB (1), BB, 3 K
Reyes signed for $100,000 in 2024. Last year, as a 16-year-old, he hit .250/.346/.314 in 179 plate appearances.
RF Browm Martinez: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB (2)
You may as well make your first professional home run a memorable one. Martinez is coming off a solid 2024 (.278/.386/.313 with 21 stolen bases in 27 attempts). He is an 18-year-old right-handed batter.
1B Leni Done: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
Done’s professional debut. There isn’t any information I can find on his signing bonus (which means he signed for little)
3B Juan Torres: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, CS (1), 2 K
Torres’s professional debut. Like with Done, no information on what he signed for.
LF Eddinson Charles: 0-for-4, 4 K
Not the debut the 6’4″ 17-year-old wanted, but it can only get better from here. He was a $300,000 signing.

RHP Randy Angomas: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Angomas (17) makes his professional debut.
RHP Luis Burgos: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
The 19-year-old pitched in 14 games here last season.
LHP Ronald Tejada: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Tough day today, but he was good in last year’s debut season (1.75 ERA and 24/12 K/BB over 25.2 IP).
RHP Josue Silvestre (W, 1-0): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Silvestre’s first professional win.