Yankees MILB 4/18: Roderick Arias Hits a Slam

Notes:

I don’t typically write much about releases, as they happen often (especially in the lower minors and DSL), but I saw today that the Yankees released RHP Kristofer Bow, their 14th-round pick in 2022.

Bow didn’t lack talent, but control is an issue. Last season, for Tampa, he went 3-2 with a pair of saves and a 5.45 ERA. He owned a 24.0% K, 15.6% BB, and 46.9% GB.

Nowadays, with roster limits, prospects have to show something to stay. Even if the Yankees think there is something here to work with, roster space is an issue, and talented but erratic prospects feel the squeeze.

Scranton placed veteran LHP Brandon Leibrandt on the 7-day injured list.


Scranton (11-7) (Defeated Durham, 5-0)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 3-for-4, 2 R, SB (3), HBP
Vivas has four multi-hit efforts during his 6-game hitting streak (13-for-24). He has five 3-hit games this season and has a strikeout rate of 5% (BB% is 11.3). Crazy start to his campaign (.364/.443/.530).
LF Everson Pereira0-for-3, BB, K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, R
.286/.400/.571 in 75 PA (6 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 13.3% BB, 13.3% K). I will say it again: Rumfield will likely make his MLB debut at some point. The odds aren’t high it will happen with the Yankees.
C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, R, SB (1), 2 K
Since the promotion: 5-for-15 (..333). Rodriguez stole 21 bases in 2023, but that number fell to 9 last season.
CF Ismael Munguia1-for-3, R, SB (4), HBP
DH Jose Rojas1-for-3, 2B (6), 2 RBI, BB, K
SS Andrew Velazquez0-for-3, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson1-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
2B Max Burt0-for-4, K
Burt has been grinding through the system since being drafted in the 28th round in 2018. This is his 44th Triple-A contest (329 games at Double-A)

RHP Allan Winans3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Sean Boyle: (W, 2-2)  5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Boyle’s last two games: 10 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 10 K. He could make his MLB debut in 2025. I can envision that in an “emergency” situation (ie, second game of a double-header, etc.)
RHP Yerry De Los Santos1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K


Somerset (6-7) (Annihilated Altoona, 12-1)

2B Dylan Jasso2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, R, BB
.278/.350/.472 in 40 PA (2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB, 6 K). He started the season 2-for-15 without an extra-base hit. He is 8-for-21 with four extra-base hits since.
CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, R, 2 BB
It was not an eventful night, but it dropped Jones’s K% below 30 (29.82%).
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-5, 2B (2), 4 RBI
Flores equals his personal best for RBI in a game (6th time in his career)
1B Tyler Hardman1-for-5, 2B (5), R, K
Hardman has four doubles and a homer in his last six games.
LF Cole Gabrielson1-for-5, R, 4 K
SS Alexander Vargas1-for-3, 2B (4), SF, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, K
.333/.406/.481 in 32 PA. He hit well in limited spring training time and has carried that over into the early regular season.
3B Jake Gatewood2-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, R
Gatewood has 125 career minor league home runs (842 games). 
DH Antonio Gomez2-for-5, 2 R, K
RF Christopher Familia2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), RBI, 2 R, K
A nice 2025/Double-A debut for Familia

RHP Baron Stuart4.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Pacheco (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jordany Ventura1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Percival2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K


Hudson Valley (9-4) (Defeated Wilmington, 2-1)

CF Brendan Jones1-for-4, R, SB (7)
.167/.314/.381 in 51 PA.
3B George Lombard Jr.1-for-3, BB
His 10th career game at 3B (first this season). He is on a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-19; 6 BB). If you want a blossoming prospect, Lombard Jr. is doing that before your very eyes.
CF Jace Avina0-for-3, CS (1), BB, K
2B Jose Colmenares0-for-4, 2 K
DH Josh Moylan0-for-4, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio0-for-3, R, BB, K
C Tomas Frick0-for-3
RF Anthony Hall1-for-2, RBI, CI, K
1B Kiko Romero0-for-1, HBP
   PR-1B Coby Morales0-for-1

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 1-1)  6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
3.38 ERA (16 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 18 K). He falls one short of his personal best for strikeouts in a game.
RHP Chris Kean1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Sebastian Keane (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Keane’s third career save (one in each year of his career – 2023, 2024, 2025)


Tampa (7-6) (Outlasted St. Lucie, 14-9)

3B Roderick Arias1-for-3, HR (1, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 R, SB (5), HBP, 2 BB, K
This kind of night shows you the raw potential Arias has. He is hitting .167/.322/.315 in 59 PA (5-for-5 SB).
C Edgleen Perez2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 BB, K
Perez is 3-for-8 with a double and three walks the last two nights. Perhaps the 18-year-old is starting to get comfortable.
DH Engelth Urena0-for-4, R, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Parks Harber2-for-5, RBI, BB
Harber’s hits were 110.8 and 110.5 MPH.
LF Tyler Wilson1-for-5, 2 R, 3 K
RF Dillon Lewis2-for-5, RBI, 2 R, 3 K
2B Hans Montero1-for-3, 2 R, CS (1), 2 BB, K
CF Marshall Toole0-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-2, 2B (2), SF, 4 RBI, 3 R, SB (3), 2 BB
Matheus has shown off his discipline. It is nice to see him have a productive night beyond that. He came up one short of his personal best for RBI in a game (set in 2022 in the DSL).  His 2025 BB%/K%:  22.9/8.6.

LHP Tanner Bauman2.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
After a solid first career start, his last two haven’t gone according to plan. If you are concerned about that, you worry too much. 
RHP Jackson Fristoe: (W, 1-0)  4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Fristoe threw 44% cutters (average 91 MPH), 31% 4-seamers (max 95.4; average 92.6), 21% sliders, and 4% change-ups.
RHP Jack Sokol2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Gamecast registered six different pitches, so he was featuring a starter’s arsenal out of the pen. This makes sense, as he was a starter in college.
RHP Alex Bustamante0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 4/28: Austin Wells Goes Yard

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (10-15) (Lost to Worcester, 4-2)

LF-CF Estevan Florial0-for-4, BB, 2 K
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-4, K
3-for-16 during his rehab stint.
  
P Aaron McGarity0-for-0
They lost the DH after they took Bader out of the game (McKinney had to move into the field)
  PH Rodolfo Duran0-for-1
RF Elijah Dunham0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
Dunham, one of my favorite under-the-radar type prospects, is in a bit of a slump (0-for-14; 2-for-28)
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, RS, BB
Tale of two halves of the month:
Started: 0-for-20; 2 walks, 10 strikeouts.
Since: 21-for-63 (.333); 2 doubles, 8 home runs, 6 BB, 14 K

DH-LF Billy McKinney0-for-4, RS, K
2B Jamie Westbrook1-for-4, RBI
1B Mickey Gasper1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (2)
Gasper is off to a slow 9-for-54 start. 
C Jose Godoy1-for-3, BB, K
SS Wilmer Difo0-for-4, K

RHP Sean Boyle: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
The starting pitching depth underneath MLB isn’t great right now – Boyle is a part of that depth. He has been struggling to start the season, but this is a nice outing to get himself going.
RHP Shawn Semple: (L, 0-2)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 19 K). Solid start to the season for McGarity, who is 28 years old. He was drafted by the Yankees all the way back in 2017 out of Virginia Tech.

Somerset (11-7) 

The game against Harrisburg was postponed. They will try to play a pair tomorrow, though the forecast isn’t great.

Hudson Valley (13-6) (Split a doubleheader with Greenville)

Game 1 (Won, 7-4)

DH Spencer Jones1-for-4, RBI, 2 K, CS (1)
LF Aaron Palensky1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.395/.480/.907 (not a typo) in 50 plate appearances. He has 16 home runs in 88 games at this level. He is certainly not a top prospect or anything, but why not just place him in Somerset to see if he can be an overachieving type? Note: He actually has experience in Somerset. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he started his professional career in Somerset in 2021 – skipping all levels. 
1B Ben Rice2-for-4
RF Grant Richardson1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, K
Back-to-back games with a home run.
C Rafael Flores2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
Like many at this level, Flores has started strong: 16-for-39 (.410/.455/.487). In his brief professional career, he is hitting .415/.448/.604 in 58 plate appearances.
3B Marcos Cabrera2-for-4, RS
.200/.280/.356 in 50 plate appearances. After hitting for a solid average in the DSL in 2019 (a league that is hard to take seriously – but everyone has to start somewhere), he hasn’t been able to replicate that since moving to the States. As you may suspect, much of that is due to a too-high K rate.
CF Aldenis Sanchez1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, CS (1)
SS Ben Cowles2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS
2B Luis Santos0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
2.14 ERA (21 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 26 K). Messinger struck out 112 batters in 83.2 innings down in Tampa last year. The 13th-round pick (Virginia) back in 2021 has an intriguing arm to follow. It should be noted that he didn’t start much in college (11 of his 51 games pitched), so this is still a relatively new thing for him.
RHP Jack Neely (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
11 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. Another intriguing arm to follow – like many, it comes down to cutting down the walk rate.
RHP Nick Paciorek (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Injuries have slowed down the 7th-round pick from the 2019 draft.

Game 2 (Lost, 9-1. They mustered only one hit)

CF Spencer Jones0-for-3, 2 K
.278/.325/.542 in 80 plate appearances. He does have those 28 strikeouts (35%) that he will need to clean up (he was solid in this category last year)
SS Alexander Vargas0-for-3, 2 K
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-0, RS, 3 BB, SB (14)
11 walks in 68 plate appearances (16.2%). If he can walk and steal some bases while maintaining his defensive flexibility, there could be an MLB player here. We are still a while away from knowing that.
DH Ben Rice1-for-3, RBI
Of course the only hit would be off of Rice’s bat. This game drops the OBP below .600 (.375/.594/.575 in 64 PA). He has started the season on a 14-game on-base streak.
C Antonio Gomez0-for-3
LF Grant Richardson0-for-3, 2 K
RF Anthony Garcia0-for-3, 2 K
1B Spencer Henson0-for-1, BB, K, HBP
3B Ben Cowles0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Tyrone Yulie: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Wake up tomorrow and just pretend this was a bad nightmare.
RHP Harold Cortijo: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
0.84 ERA (10.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 14 K)
RHP Enrique Santana: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (7-12) (Lost to Jupiter, 9-8)

2B Jared Serna1-for-5
.309/.397/.364. 6-game hitting streak (11-for-25; .440). Low-A pitchers aren’t knocking the bat out of his hands, and that is nice to see. His size will always put him under a microscope as he tries to handle tougher and more advanced pitching.
C Austin Wells2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
He is probably ready to rake up in Somerset/Scranton.
  C Agustin Ramirez1-for-1, RS
CF Anthony Hall1-for-5
LF Daury Arias0-for-5, K
SS Dayro Perez1-for-5, 3B (1), RS, 2 K
The speedy Perez didn’t triple in 38 games last season. He had 7 in his first 104 games (2019, 2021). Baseball!
DH Omar Martinez2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS, BB, HBP, K
He has an impressive .392 career OBP (477 plate appearances). Martinez is a 21-year-old left-handed C/1B.
RF Tayler Aguilar2-for-5, 2B (3), HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 K
He is 6-for-29 in eight games this season. A big issue is the strikeouts (18)
1B Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (3)
3B Roberto Chirinos0-for-0
Dunno why he was pulled.
  
3B Ronny Rojas2-for-3, 2B (3), HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (2)
Rojas wasn’t even supposed to play today…

RHP Sean Hermann (L, 1-2): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
3.60 ERA (20 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 16 K). We talk a lot about the “quick rise” prospects in this system – Hermann may take a bit more time to marinate (he doesn’t turn 20 until June).
RHP Ocean Gabonia1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2020 (the year when MLB had a shortened draft). He is 21 years old.
RHP Yorlin Calderon1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. They are keeping him in the bullpen to begin 2023. If you don’t remember (and why would you?), Calderon tossed a 7-inning no-hitter in his Tampa debut last season.
RHP Alex Bustamante1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K