Tag: Spencer Jones

Yankees MILB 9/16: Grant Richardson Homers

News:

I have nothing interesting to report.

Scranton (69-72; 35-32 in the second half) (Lost to Buffalo, 3-2, in ten innings)

SS Wilmer Difo: 1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, BB, K
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
Between here and Somerset: .244/.368/.399 in 383 PA (16 doubles, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 45 R, 57 BB (14.9%), 103 K (26.9%), 6-for-9 SB)
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, BB
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, RBI
.249/.337/.445 in 570 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 24 HR, 84 RBI, 77 R, 64 BB, 119 K, 4-for-4 SB)
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4, K
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
C Josh Breaux: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, HBP
Breaux has ten home runs overall this season. He has reached double digits in HR in four straight seasons. Nobody ever denied his power potential.
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-2, BB, HBP, K, SB (1), CS (1)
Palensky earns his first Triple-A hit and stolen base. Overall, he has 22 stolen bases in 24 attempts.
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, 3 K
Medina is 0-for-15 since his promotion – even in a league filled with offense, it should come as no surprise that a kid who spent the year either injured or in Low-A would struggle after being placed in Triple-A.

LHP Edgar Barclay: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
At this level: 6.23 ERA (39 IP, 39 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 11 HR, 29 BB, 41 K).
Other than two curveballs, Barclay was a two-pitch pitcher today. He threw 54% changeups and 43% 4-seamers. He averaged 89.6 with that pitch, topping out at 92.5. It is not about velocity with Barclay – and the fact remains that talent evaluation is tough at Triple-A. Has MLB considered fixing this issue? While some of the ballparks in Triple-A are going to produce more offense because of where they are located, there is no reason for the entire league to be souped up. 
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Matt Krook: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
0.84 ERA (32 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 23 BB, 53 K). His BABIP is .167 – frankly, I thought it may even be lower than that. 
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo (L, 0-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Somerset (83-53; 41-27 in the second half) (Defeated New Hampshire, 8-3)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 SB (20)
Sweeney is 51-for-61 stealing bases over the past two seasons (210 games) and is hitting .250 with a .774 OPS this season. Entering tonight, he owned a rather impressive 8.7% Swinging Strike. That is 4th best among Eastern League qualifiers.
C Ben Rice: 1-for-4, 2B (13), 2 RS, BB
Rice has 29 extra-base hits (13 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR) in 47 games for Somerset.
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, 2 K, SB (8; 43rd overall), CS (3)
Jones swatted 28 doubles in 100 games for Hudson Valley. This is his first double since his promotion (16 games).
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, SF, 2 RBI
It has been a tough go for Rumfield after his rehab stint, as he is 6-for-34 with zero home runs and five runs batted in. Before his injury, he swatted 17 homers in 71 games.
DH Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, RBI
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS, BB
Dunham has 16 HR and 34 stolen bases between Somerset and Scranton. He is Rule 5 eligible and could be selected – he offers value as a #4-#5 outfielder potentially. 
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, 2 RS
Unless something crazy happens tomorrow, Seigler will walk more than he strikes out for the second year in a row. Last year, the ratio was 91/82. This year, the ratio is 53/48.
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Richardson has five home runs in 15 games since his promotion (13 HR in 77 games for Hudson Valley). The left-handed hitting prospect has shown some pop and the Yankees have another year of evaluation as he isn’t Rule 5 eligible until after 2024.
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-4, RS

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Gomez finishes the regular season with a 3.58 ERA in 65.1 IP (47 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 6 HR, 37 BB, 78 K). Gomez has been on the 40-man roster for a while now but might be out of minor league options next spring (sometimes, a player “earns” an extra option so we’ll see if that applies to Gomez). If the clock has run out, the Yankees have a talented arm with an injury history to make a decision on. Unlike Estevan Florial last spring, Gomez will not pass through waivers if the Yankees attempted to do that. 
RHP Carlos Gomez (W, 2-1): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER,, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
At this level: 3.86 ERA in 14 IP (8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 BB, 17 K). Overall, the 25-year-old owns an 81/40 K/BB over 63 IP. He was signed all the way back in 2018.
RHP Anderson Munoz: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Since promotion: 21 IP, 17 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 18 K

Hudson Valley (70-62; 31-35 in the second half) 

Their championship series against Greenville starts tomorrow. It is a best-of-3 and Greenville has home field advantage (Game 1 in Hudson Valley, final two games in Greenville)

Tampa (61-69; 30-34 in the second half) 

Their season is over.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/15: Richard Fitts Ks 11

News:

I have nothing interesting to report.

Scranton (69-71; 35-31 in the second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 4-2)

RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-3, 2B (13), 3 RBI, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4, 3 K
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
DH Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Jake Lamb: 2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-2, RS, BB, HBP
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, 3 K
Palensky’s Triple-A debut.
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Wilmer Difo: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (22)

RHP Mitch Spence: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
4.50 ERA (156 IP, 155 H, 86 R, 78 ER, 28 HR, 50 BB, 150 K)
RHP Zac Houston: (W, 3-1) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Aaron McGarity (S, 4): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (82-53; 40-27 in the second half) (Defeated New Hampshire, 3-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
1B Ben Rice: 0-for-3, 2 HBP, K, CS (3)
Rice has 11 HBP in 71 games. He is hitting .324/.396/.638 in 212 PA at this level.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
At this level: .211/.276/.309 in 30 games. I stand by what I said when he was first promoted: I am not concerned about him struggling here. 
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, K, SB (7)
Jones has 47 extra-base hits (28 doubles, 4 triples, 15 HR) and 42 stolen bases (53 attempts). Tonight’s HR was hit off of LHP Ricky Tiedemann, the top prospect in the Blue Jays system (Pipeline). No, he won’t be in the mix for the CF job in 2024 with Jasson Dominguez out – but a hot first half will get people talking.
DH Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K, SB (8)
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Max Burt: 1-for-2, BB, 3 SB (21)
Burt sets personal bests for both stolen bases in a game and in a season.

RHP Richard Fitts: (W, 11-5) 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Fitts sets a new personal best for strikeouts in a game (he struck out exactly ten batters three times this season). This is probably his last regular season start of 2023 unless they give him one up in Scranton. If it is, he posted a 3.48 ERA in 152.2 IP with a 163/43 K/BB. I would say that is something to build on and Fitts should be in the 2024 mix at some point.
RHP Tanner Myatt: (S, 7)  2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR

Hudson Valley (70-62; 31-35 in the second half)  (Defeated Jersey Shore, 3-2, to win the best-of-3 series. They will play Greenville (BOS) in the championship series. It starts on Sunday)

3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, 3B (1), RBI, RS, BB
A nice night for Cowles, who hit .254/.356/.393 in 444 regular-season plate appearances. He stole 23 bases in 27 attempts.
2B Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB, CS (1)
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB
Rodriguez went 4-for-10 with two walks and only one strikeout in the series.
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, K
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-4, 3 K
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, 2 2B (2), 2 RS, K
Flores went 4-for-8 with two doubles and three walks in the series.
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-1, 2 BB

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 1-0) 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Selvidge pitched to a 3.45 ERA in 127.2 IP during the regular season between Tampa and Hudson Valley (116 H, 56 R, 49 ER, 5 HR, 35 BB, 137 K). He compiled a 25.5% K and 6.5% BB. In 2022, his BB% was 9.4. He is developing the way you would want him to develop and there isn’t a long line of left-handed starting pitching prospects in the system.
RHP Cole Ayers: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: (S, 1)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
In a key moment in the 8th, Gilbert came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and one out. He promptly struck out back-to-back hitters.

Tampa (61-69; 30-34 in the second half) 

Their season is over.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/13: Trey Sweeney: 3 Hits

News:

OF Aaron Palensky is now a member of the Scranton Railriders.

Palensky has been the organization’s leader in wRC+ for most of the season (especially after Ben Rice‘s injury). He hit .252/.369/.531 in 369 plate appearances between Hudson Valley and Somerset with 21 stolen bases in 22 attempts.

That said, most of the good stuff happened in Hudson Valley, where he hit an astonishing .352/.434/.744 (209 wRC+) in 143 plate appearances. For Somerset, the line was .183/.327/.383 (98 wRC+) in 226 PA. The walk rate was still strong and his K% was similar. One major difference? His BABIP was .405 in Hudson Valley and .202 for Somerset.

Palensky is Rule 5 eligible. I don’t think he will be drafted, but you never know.

Scranton also received C Edinson Duran from all the way down in the FCL. This is likely a “warm body” kind of transaction. The 21-year-old hit .314/.405/.457 (130 wRC+) in 121 plate appearances with a pair of home runs and 17 runs batted in.

OF Brandon Lockridge, who stole 40 bases between Somerset and Scranton this season, was placed on the 7-day IL today. If this is the end of his campaign, he may have played his last game as a member of the Yankees organization. I think Lockridge will make MLB as I can see him as a Tim Locastro type. That’s not a bad outcome, folks.

Scranton (68-70; 34-30 in the second half) (Lost to Buffalo, 9-1)

“Why aren’t you updating the standings anymore?”
Durham (41-23) put together an extended period of exceptional play while Scranton started to fall back. If they somehow make it close again, I’ll update this space again. It doesn’t seem likely.

3B Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, BB
Jake Lamb leading off games in mid-September. That is what happens when the prospects are either in MLB or injured.
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-4, 2 K
Narvaez is 9-for-29 (.310) in September with three doubles and a homer.
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-3, BB
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH-2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-3, BB, K
LF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-3, BB, K, SB (8), CS (2)
SS-P Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, HR (10), RBI, RS, 2 K
Bastidas has 13 HR in 109 games between here and Somerset. 
2B-SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-2, BB, K, SB (1)
Medina’s first Triple-A start. He was 8-for-11 stealing bases down in Tampa.

RHP Zach Greene: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Recently promoted, the 28-year-old spent the majority of his season in Somerset. The Yankees purchased him from Lancaster (Independent) on June 27th.
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski: (L, 3-1) 1.1 IP, 4 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Entering tonight, Maciejewski had allowed eight earned runs in 26 games (38.2 IP).
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Bastidas: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
His first career pitching performance is a clean one…

Somerset (80-53; 38-27 in the second half) (Lost to New Hampshire, 5-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 3-for-5, 2B (19), SB (18)
Sweeney has seven 3-hit games this season. He is hitting .249 with a .773 OPS in 457 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 64 R, 62 BB, 87 K, 18-for-25 SB). I would assume he was on his way to Scranton at some point before his injury – maybe they still get his feet wet, but it really is not a big deal. May as well just let him play here through the playoffs.
C Ben Rice: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, 3 K
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, K, SB (6)
Jones’ 41st stolen base between here and Hudson Valley. Unless Lockridge gets back, Jones is going to lead the organization in stolen bases this season.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K
2B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-4, K
DH Grant Richardson: 2-for-3, 2B (1), BB, K, SB (5)
Richardson has 16 homers and 19 stolen bases between here and Hudson Valley. He is now 15-for-41 since his promotion.
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 8-8)  4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
5.67 ERA (127 IP, 130 H, 83 R, 80 ER, 18 HR, 51 BB, 126 K)
RHP Bailey Dees: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Since promotion: 4.50 ERA (20 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 18 K). Overall, Dees has a 77/26 K/BB over 61.2 IP.
RHP Anderson Munoz: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Munoz started 2023 at this level (two games before going down to injury). He dominated during his stay in Hudson Valley (12.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 18 K)

Hudson Valley (70-62; 31-35 in the second half)  

They lost to Jersey Shore last night in Game 1. The series continues tomorrow. The Renegades must win the next two games to advance.

Tampa (61-69; 30-34 in the second half) 

Their season is over.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/9: Jesus Rodriguez Hits a Slam

News:

The Yankees sent RHP Ron Marinaccio and LHP Matt Krook back down to Scranton after today’s game, meaning that two new pitchers are on their way to the Bronx. People are hoping for RHP Clayton Beeter, but he pitched on Friday. It is possible they will bring up a temporary filler before giving Beeter a roster spot once rested.  RHP Will Warren is another popular pick – he last pitched on September 7th, so he wouldn’t be available tomorrow. RHP Matt Bowman is a veteran on the 40-man – they could certainly bring him up as a warm body until someone else is ready. The same is true for LHP Anthony Misiewicz. The “Big 3” (literally) relievers down in Somerset (Bailey Dees, Danny Watson, Jack Neely) would be intriguing but I am not sure if they are going down that path. RHP Chase Hampton is shut down for the season and RHP Richard Fitts and Drew Thorpe appear to be winding down (Thorpe more than Fitts).

I guess what I am saying is that I have no idea who the two mystery pitchers will be. If it is any of the veterans listed above, it will likely (hopefully) be temporary until others are rested.

Scranton (66-68; 32-28 in the second half) (Lost to Columbus, 5-3)

LF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, HR (26), RBI, RS, K
Florial’s HR was a lead-off blast. He ties Tyler Hardman (who has been out for a while) for the organization’s home run lead. Scranton’s season continues for a few more weeks (while everyone else ends tomorrow), so he has a good chance to win the HR title.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-4, RS, SB (6)
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-4, RS, 2 K
.252/.336/.457 in 544 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 24 HR, 82 RBI, 76 R, 60 BB, 113 K). 
1B Mike Lamb: 1-for-2, BB, HBP
DH Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-3, RBI, HBP
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, K, CS (3)
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 3 K

RHP Mitch Spence: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
4.56 ERA (150 IP, 151 H, 84 R, 76 ER, 28 HR, 47 BB, 144 K). Imagine having to throw 150 innings in this league – poor kid. But he certainly has held his own.
RHP Zach Greene (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR

Somerset (78-52; 36-26 in the second half) (Lost to Erie, 5-3)

CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (22)
Dunham is up to 34 stolen bases in 41 attempts between here and Scranton.
DH Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K, SB (5), CS (2)
Jones joins Brandon Lockridge and Jasson Dominguez in the organization’s 40 SB club (all three have exactly 40 stolen bases in the minors. Dominguez added an MLB stolen base today). Anyway, Jones has three multi-hit games in his last four games as he tries to finish his season strongly.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, BB, SB (8)
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Ramirez is at .216/.278/.310 in 126 PA since his promotion.
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, SB (2)
LF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-4, 2B (17), RBI, RS, SB (11)
SS Max Burt: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RBI, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
3.69 ERA (61 IP, 46 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 6 HR, 33 BB, 71 K). Gomez’s issue has always been injuries – he has been with the organization since 2017, yet this year’s 61 innings are a new personal best. A crucial spring training is upcoming in 2024.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Mickey Gasper: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Gasper (a C/1B who has played some 2B this year) with his third professional pitching appearance (he had two in 2019)

Hudson Valley (70-61; 31-34 in the second half)  (Split a doubleheader with Jersey Shore)

Game 1 (Won, 2-0)

SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, K
2B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-2, BB, K
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, 2 K
Between Tampa and Hudson Valley: .307/.378/.617 in 294 PA (11 doubles, 2 triples, 22 HR, 63 RBI, 57 R, 25 BB, 61 K). He was insane for Tampa but has hit well enough here to keep your attention.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K
.230/.286/.322 in 349 PA (18 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 32 R, 21 BB, 111 K). It wasn’t long ago when Gomez was their most tantalizing catching prospect. Some catchers are late bloomers, so maybe he can find some discover some offense in his game.
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-3, RS
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, BB, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-3, RBI, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-3, RBI
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-1, BB

RHP Cam Schlittler (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Schlittler’s first professional win. Congrats!  This season (professional debut), he pitched to a 4.11 ERA in 46 innings between the FCL/Tampa/Hudson Valley with a 51/20 K/BB. He is a 6’6″ 22-year-old out of Northeastern. 
RHP Anderson Munoz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
At this level: 12.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 18 K. 
RHP Cole Ayers (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 18 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 22 K. Ayers (a 2021 draftee) is 24 years old.

Game 2 (Lost, 8-5)

SS Jared Serna: 1-for-2, 2B (7), 2 RS, 2 BB, SB (10), CS (2)
Serna has 28 doubles and 29 stolen bases between here and Tampa. Tomorrow is his last chance to reach 20 home runs. By the way, though it is widely assumed that Serna is a 2B long-term (60 starts there in 2023), he has 51 starts at shortstop. 
DH Alexander Vargas: 2-for-3, 2B (18), RBI, RS, BB
.206/.249/.345 in 441 PA. Vargas looked like he might be breaking out earlier this season but his final stat line is going to look quite similar to his 2022 line in Tampa.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, HR (3), 4 RBI, RS, BB, K
A grand slam for Rodriguez, who continues to hit. He is up to .365 (1.025 OPS) in 103 PA since his promotion and .312/.400/.454 in 454 plate appearances overall. Quite a season.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Luis Santos: 1-for-2, RS, BB, SB (10)
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-3, K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 2-4) 4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, HR
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K

Tampa (61-68; 30-33 in the second half) (Lost to Lakeland, 4-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2 BB, CS (2)
At this level: 7-for-29 (.241) with a double and eight walks (.405 OBP). Very small sample size in 2023, but Lombard doesn’t seem to be overwhelmed.
2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 2B (10), RS, BB, 2 K, SB (21)
.221/.333/.289 in 472 PA with 21 stolen bases in 27 attempts. 
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-4, BB
DH Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, 2B (6), RBI, HBP
13-for-65 (.200) with six doubles and seven runs batted in. The Yankees placed the 23-year-old at this level immediately after signing him (undrafted signee)
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-3, BB, K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-4
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, K
3B Beau Brewer: 2-for-4
.280/.410/.293 in a weird 195 PA sample. Brewer (obviously) hasn’t hit for power (two doubles) but he has 35 walks (17.9%) while striking out 12 times.
C Manuel Palencia: 1-for-4

RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 0-2)  3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
He threw 47 pitches tonight. He came out of the bullpen down in the FCL before two late starts here. This is essentially a get-your-feet-wet type of season. 
RHP Matt Keating: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
3.64 ERA in 64.1 IP (60 H, 32 R, 26 ER, 6 HR, 36 BB, 92 K). Keating doesn’t throw hard (his out pitch appears to be a slider, and he features it as much as he does the fastball)
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.92 ERA in 49.1 IP (35 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 1 HR, 28 BB, 58 K). On pitch profile alone, he might just be the left-handed version of Keating. I will note that arsenals can change as players work their way through a system.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
As I mentioned last time, Henriquez throws a lot of sinkers. Tonight, he averaged 95.4 MPH with that pitch – he is a bit of a project with uneven results, but I can imagine that the organization would like to work with someone who can throw a sinker in the mid-90s. We’ll see.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/8: Ben Rice Has a Big Night

News:

Nada. The season is almost over so nobody is making headlines.

Scranton (66-67; 32-27 in the second half) (Lost to Columbus, 10-5)

LF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 3 K, SB (25)
Estevan Florial, defined (OK, he isn’t going to hit .400…)
3B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2B (18), HR (21), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Westbrook has done a solid job as the veteran utility guy down here. You need these types in your system.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-5, 2 K
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RS, BB, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (9), RS, BB, 2 K
He will get an MLB shot at some point with some team – and I am intrigued to see what he does with it.
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, HBP, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K

RHP Clayton Beeter: (L, 2-5) 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
At this level: 5.89 ERA in 55 IP (53 H, 37 R, 36 ER, 13 HR, 35 BB, 62 K). It is very hard to evaluate this performance, given the offense in the International League – but it still isn’t ideal. The walks are way too high.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
RHP Zac Houston: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Michael Gomez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (78-51; 36-25 in the second half) (Defeated Erie, 4-3, in 11 innings)

DH Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, BB, K
1B Ben Rice: 4-for-5, 2 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, BB, SB (7)
Rice walks it off with an RBI single in the 11th. This is his 4th 4-hit game this season and he is hitting .339/.399/.661 at this level (12 doubles, 14 HR, 44 RBI). What more is there to say? The question one needs to ask is where he fits in the Yankees’ plans.
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-3, 2 BB
Jones has his average up over .200 (.205; 8-for-39) since his promotion. He is 5-for-12 in his last three games. Can you see him in pinstripes next year? Well, you are seeing Jasson Dominguez this year, so don’t rule anything out. 
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (21)
Dunham has 33 stolen bases in 40 attempts between here and Scranton.
2B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB, SB (7)
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, 2 RS, BB, 2 K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, HR
5.58 ERA (122.2 IP, 122 H, 79 R, 76 ER, 16 HR, 51 BB, 122 K)
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
At this level: 1.64 ERA (38.1 IP, 18 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 5 HR, 16 BB, 43 K). Overall, he has an 82/25 K/BB in 62.2 IP. How much more development does he need? Perhaps nothing more than spring training games.
LHP Ryan Anderson: (W, 2-1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (69-60; 30-33 in the second half) 

Their game against Jersey Shore was postponed. They will try to play two tomorrow.

Tampa (61-67; 30-32 in the second half) (Squeaked past Lakeland, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-5, 3 K
This is the first time Lombard didn’t reach base in a professional game.
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, BB, K
Since promotion: 6-for-34 with a homer and five RBI.
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, 2B (6), RS, HBP
.234/.368/.415 in 114 PA at this level. He has a 7-game hitting streak (8-for-22; 3 doubles, 2 HR) 
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RBI
.251/.368/.447 in 440 PA (16 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 66 R, 67 BB, 110 K, 8-for-9 SB)
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, K
DH Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, K
LF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, RS, K
Medina has homered in back-to-back games.
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-4, 4 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-3, BB

RHP Sean Hermann: (W, 7-6) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
They could bring him up for the High-A playoffs, but I think they will shut him down now. His season: 4.79 ERA in 112.2 IP (118 H, 69 R, 60 ER, 10 HR, 45 BB, 91 K). Hermann is known for inducing ground balls – if he can start missing more bats, there is big potential here. If not, nothing wrong with being a ground ball machine if that trend continues as he moves up.
RHP Luis Arejula: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 9/6: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits, 3 SB

News:

SS Trey Sweeney was activated today for Somerset. IF Caleb Durbin, who left the game early the other day, was placed on the injured list.

Scranton (66-66; 32-26 in the second half) (Defeated Columbus, 6-0)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB
Florial has scored 78 runs this season. He has set personal bests in HR, RBI, and runs scored.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, 3 K
I will keep saying it: Narvaez is an interesting Rule 5 guy this winter. They probably have to add Agustin Ramirez at this point. Will they protect Narvaez? Or look for a trade partner? 
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-5, HR (24), 2 RBI, RS
.252/.338/.462 in 532 PA (21 doubles, 2 triples, 24 HR, 82 RBI, 75 R, 60 BB, 109 K, 4-for-4 SB). He is on a 7-game hitting streak (11-for-30). The best way to describe Chaparro in 2023 is with one word: Productive.
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-4, RS, BB
2B Jamie Westbrook: 3-for-4, RS
The veteran is hitting .299 and has seven 3+ hit games this season. 
1B Mike Lamb: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
RF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, BB, K, CS (8)
LF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, 2B (8), 2 RBI, K

RHP Zach McAllister: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
RHP Michael Gomez: (W, 2-5)  2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Zach Greene: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (77-50; 35-24 in the second half) (Defeated Erie, 5-4, in ten innings. They scored three in the tenth to pull off the win)

LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
DH Ben Rice: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
At this level: .323/.385/.652 in 182 PA.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5, RBI, K
Since promotion: .231/.286/.327 in 112 PA.
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, RS, 3 SB (4)
Jones has 39 stolen bases in 48 attempts between here and Hudson Valley. This is his first professional 3+ stolen base effort and second multi-hit game since his promotion.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 3 K
Rumfield with the walk-off RBI single.
2B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, RS, BB
RF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Max Burt: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K, SB (16)
SS Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
Don’t get nervous as my guess is that they are managing his load down the stretch (he is up to 139.1 innings in his professional debut season). Can I say that for sure? Of course not – but it is a reasonable assumption. Anyway, Thorpe now has an 182/38 K/BB this season.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
At this level: 1.13 ERA (20.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 21 K)
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Danny Watson: (W, 4-0)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
Watson is up to 81 strikeouts in 60.1 IP between here and Hudson Valley. He will be in the 2024 bullpen mix. I don’t see why he would need a lot of time in Scranton.

Hudson Valley (69-59; 30-32 in the second half) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 2-0)

RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4
Hall has hit safely in seven of his last eight games.
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB, K
Serna’s hitting streak is snapped at 14.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, K
Rodriguez has hit safely in seven of his last eight games.
2B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-2, HBP, K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, K
DH Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, 3 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Yorlin Calderon: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
A nice bounce-back effort for Calderon, who allowed four runs (three earned) in three innings pitched his last time out (his High-A debut)
RHP Anderson Munoz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: (L, 3-3): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (60-66; 29-31 in the second half) (Lost to Lakeland, 6-2)

SS George Lombard, Jr.: 1-for-4, K, CS (1)
Lombard has reached base safely in all 13 of his professional games. Since his promotion: 6-for-21 (.286) with a double, four runs batted in, six walks, and six strikeouts.
DH Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-2, BB, HBP
.254/.393/.338 in 89 PA with a pair of home runs. The power hasn’t shown up, but it’s only 21 career games. 
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB
.253/.370/.453 in 432 PA. 
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-2, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
The 22-year-old left-handed bat is hitting .230/.368/.402 (4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R) in 106 PA at this level.
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-4, K
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, BB, K
LF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Beau Brewer: 1-for-3, K

LHP Pablo Mujica: (L, 0-1) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Low-A debut for the 6’0″ 22-year-old. The Yankees chose Mujica in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft (which doesn’t mean he was a Triple-A player!)  He pitched to an 8.27 ERA in 20.2 IP down in the FCL.
RHP Matt Keating: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
3.73 ERA (62.2 IP, 59 H, 32 R, 26 ER, 6 HR, 35 BB, 88 K). 
RHP Montana Semmel: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/30: Ben Rice Goes Off

News:

It looked like it might be a slow news day.

Late this afternoon, Bryan Hoch announced that the Yankees are calling up Jasson Dominguez and Austin Wells.

When we woke up on July 7th, Dominguez was staring at a .198/.341/.343 triple slash with a 94 wRC+ and 28.7% K. Since then (not including today), he has hit .364/.433/.543 (163 wRC+) with a 17.8% K.

Dominguez has the potential to be a star. The ceiling is just as enormous now as it was when he was signed. Ceilings are hard to achieve, but Dominguez is someone every fan should be excited about. Even his 75% outcome is All-Star level.

I won’t lie and tell you that Wells has played at a high level in 2023. His .240/.333/.442 line isn’t going to dazzle you.  That said, he has the power profile to take advantage of the porch and draws his share of walks. In 188 games between 2022-2023, Wells has 41 doubles, 37 home runs, and 104 walks (12.5%) in 831 plate appearances. This is what the Yankees are hoping for – enough average to go along with power and walks. Not everyone has to be a top-of-the-order stud. If Wells develops into a 6th-7th hitter, you take it. The other question that needs answering is his future position. He is athletic enough to play left field, but the Yankees are playing other youngsters out there. First base is another option, though that does raise the offensive bar. For 2023, he will get his time behind the plate and we’ll see what happens.

Fans just need to be patient because it is unlikely we will see another Gary Sanchez level of explosion. It can happen, but you can’t count on that. The important thing for 2023 is the experience.

The Yankees have released RHP Spencer Howard. Howard, acquired for cash considerations at the deadline, was low on the 40-man roster totem pole He only pitched in three games for Scranton, allowing four runs in 3.1 innings.

“Why make this trade?”

The Yankees were taking a flyer on a former Top 30 prospect (as recent as 2021). When you have a 40-man roster opening, acquiring someone with a prospect pedigree isn’t a bad idea. No harm, no foul.

Scranton (63-63; 29-23 in the second half) (Lost to Rochester, 8-4)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-20 (Game not over)
Durham: 31-21
Lehigh Valley: 31-22
Scranton: 29-23

RF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, HR (24), RBI, 2 RS, K, 2 SB (23)
.285/.384/.556 in 432 PA. This was his first home run since July 30th (he was out of action from August 2 – August 16)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, BB, K, SB (3)
Dominguez has 40 stolen bases between here and Somerset. Overall stat line: .265/.377/.425 in 544 PA (22 doubles, 3 triples, 15 HR, 76 RBI, 89 R, 83 BB (15.3%), 133 K (24.4%), 40-for-48 SB). Last year, playing for Tampa, Hudson Valley, and Somerset, he hit .273/.375/.461 in 530 PA. I would have called you nuts back in June if you told me he was going to eventually approach his 2022 totals. Yet, here we are…
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, K
Since promotion: .254/.349/.452 in 146 PA with ten doubles, five home runs and a 23.3% K.
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-5, RS, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-3, 2B (17), 2 RBI, K, SB (5)
3B Jake Lamb: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (17)
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, BB

LHP Edgar Barclay (L, 0-3): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
He left the game with the bases loaded and all three runners ended up scoring. Furthermore, a big error was the lighted match that turned into an inferno. At this level, he owns a bloated 7.88 ERA in 24 innings. Again, it is so hard to get a good read on pitchers in Triple-A this season.
RHP Zach Greene: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Zac Houston: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (74-47; 32-21 in the second half) (Toyed with Portland, 13-6. They fell behind 5-2 and 6-3 before taking off)

LF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-5, 2B (11), 3 RS, BB, K, 2 SB (18)
Dunham has 23 doubles and 30 stolen bases between here and Scranton. I think he should take the place of Dominguez in Triple-A. 
C Ben Rice: 4-for-6, 2B (8), 2 HR (14), 5 RBI, 4 RS, SB (6)
Is this guy for real? Since his promotion, in a mere 34 games, he is hitting .343 with a 1.114 OPS (8 doubles, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 30 R, and 6 stolen bases).  It is kind of surprising that he is only on a 5-game hitting streak!
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, 3 K, SB (1)
Jones takes care of his first Double-A homer (a grand slam!) and first Double-A stolen base on the same night. He is 3-for-11 since his promotion and has 28 doubles, 4 triples, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases overall. I don’t know if he will be a stolen base machine in MLB, but his athleticism continues to shine in the minors. Rough edges to work out? Definitely. But the ceiling is tantalizing.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP, CS (5)
Since returning from the IL: 14-for-41 (.341) with three walks and only two strikeouts. 
DH Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, RS, 4 K
SS Max Burt: 2-for-5, 2 RS, 2 K

RHP Richard Fitts: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Fitts has been so good lately that we can toss this. As I have mentioned before, the one knock on him is that he sometimes loses his command within the strike zone. Tonight, he uncharacteristically allowed some walks. It happens. Season: 3.40 ERA (135 IP, 114 H, 52 R, 51 ER, 19 HR, 37 BB, 143 K). He is one of the few performing prospects who has stayed at one level all season. That is fine – just a random observation. He doesn’t ever need to step foot in Triple-A.
RHP Carlos Gomez: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 18 K). Overall, he has a 92/19 K/BB over 62.1 innings. He should be ready in 2024 – perhaps as early as Opening Day, though I wouldn’t bet money on it.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (67-55; 28-28 in the second half) (Knocked off Wilmington, 9-3)

RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RS, BB
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 2 K
Serna increases his hitting streak to nine. He is hitting .284 since his promotion. Serna has only five extra-base hits in 18 games at this level, but his season has been so good that we won’t worry about that. As long as he isn’t overwhelmed at a more advanced level, that is a win.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, BB
Rumfield’s first rehab game. In Somerset earlier this season, he hit .224/.322/.463 with 17 home runs in 72 games. The power surge was unexpected. As for the average, his .218 BABIP may indicate some bad luck there.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, HR (2), SF, 3 RBI, RS, K
Rodriguez is hitting .359 (23-for-64) since his promotion (5 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 11 BB, 13 K). He has not stopped hitting all season.
2B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
3B Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, 2 RS, K
Cowles now has a 40-game on-base streak.
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, RBI, RS
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
This is what you call making an impression in your High-A debut.
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, RBI

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
It was a grind tonight for Selvidge, but he kept the damage at bay. At this level: 3.96 in 38.2 IP (35 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 37 K). Overall, Selvidge (just turned 21) is up to 116 innings after tossing 42.2 innings in 2022. Will they let him finish out the season, or is the end near? There isn’t too much time left.
RHP Anderson Munoz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
6 outs, all via strikeout! That works.

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half)

Their game against St. Lucie was canceled due to Hurricane Idalia. They hope to resume play on Thursday.

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/27: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits in Somerset Debut

News:

SS George Lombard Jr., 1B/3B Dylan Jasso, and OF Jackson Castillo were all moved up to Low-A Tampa after the FCL season concluded yesterday. All three were in today’s lineup.

Lombard (18) was the Yankees’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft while Jasso (20-year-old right-handed bat) and Castillo (20-year-old left-handed bat) both were signed as undrafted free agents after the draft.

“Is the Lombard promotion aggressive for the Yankees?” That question is impossible to answer. The most recent direct comparison (Anthony Volpe, 2019) played under a different system. He never played in the GCL (now FCL), instead going straight to short-season Pulaski after being drafted. We’ll never know what the exact plans for him were because he came down with an illness that wiped out his season after 34 games.

Jasso and Castillo are college kids – one should never be surprised to see college bats making their way to a full-season league quickly. Many start there.

Scranton (63-61; 29-21 in the second half) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 6-4. The Railriders took six out of seven in this series)

Up to the second second-half title chase:
Worcester: 31-19
Durham: 29-21 (game not yet completed)
Scranton: 29-21
Lehigh Valley: 29-22

RF Estevan Florial: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RBI, RS, SB (21)
Florial is a double away from a 20/20/20 season. He is hitting .290/.391/.561 in 422 PA.
LF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Dominguez is 11-for-23 (.478/1.023 OPS) since his promotion with two doubles, one triple, and ten runs batted in. What, no home runs? He is right in the middle of the organization’s RBI title race, as he is up to 76 (Andres Chaparro leads with 77. Jared Serna also has 76). His triple slash now sits at .266/.376/.426. Remember when he was hitting under .200? It really wasn’t all that long ago. Yeah, a 20-year-old doing this in the upper minors deserves a ranking in the 80s, Pipeline. 
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Wells has eight doubles, five home runs, and 19 RBI in 23 August games. He is also in the middle of the RBI race, as he is up to 72 in 94 games.
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, K
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-2, RS, BB
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, SAC, K
Small ball Lockridge! He is hitting .300/.371/.425 in 283 PA between here and Somerset with 34 stolen bases in 38 attempts.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K, SB (8)

RHP Clayton Beeter: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Beeter hit 96.1 MPH today. Breakdown: 66% 4-seam; 31% slider; 2% curve; 1% changeup. At this level: 5.32 ERA (45.2 IP, 40 H, 28 R, 27 ER, 11 HR, 27 BB, 55 K). Overall, Beeter has a 131/58 K/BB over 106.1 innings.
LHP Nick Ramirez: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Greg Weissert (S, 10): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (72-47; 30-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 7-6)

SS Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, RS, SB (19)
The injury didn’t slow him down. Durbin is 11-for-33 (.333) since returning with two walks, only one strikeout, and five stolen bases.  His season numbers between here and Hudson Valley: .298/.393/.399 in 252 PA (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 42 R, 25 BB, 16 K (6.3%), 34-for-39 SB)
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-5, HR (12), RBI, RS, K
Rice has 12 home runs in 32 games since his promotion (.326/.389/.674 in 144 insane plate appearances)
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, RS
Jones starts his Double-A journey with a multi-hit game. He has 27 multi-hit games down in Hudson Valley (100 games)
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, BB, SB (2)
Back-to-back multi-hit games for Ramirez, who is now 17-for-74 (.230) with three doubles and two home runs since his promotion. Overall, he is at .284/.382/.484 in 435 PA with 20 doubles, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 67 runs, 58 walks, 71 strikeouts, and 11 stolen bases.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, RS
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS
Richardson has homered in back-to-back games and has 15 home runs overall between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Mickey Gasper: 2-for-3, 2B (5), RS, BB
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Danny Watson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 1.41 ERA in 32 IP (16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 38 K). In 117.1 career innings, Watson has allowed only 76 hits while striking out 145. He will allow his share of walks but the overall profile is a dominant one.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 3-1) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Bailey Dees: (S, 1) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 12 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. In 113 career innings, Dees has allowed only 69 hits while striking out 147 (48 walks). There are some fun relievers in the minors who are getting closer to their big-league dreams.

Hudson Valley (66-54; 27-27 in the second half) (Lost to Aberdeen, 4-2. Poor Renegades have lost most of the players who helped them earn a playoff berth in the first half. Life as a High-A affiliate!)

SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
The hard way to increase your on-base streak to 38.
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-3, BB, CS (1)
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, K
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
Wegner is 8-for-30 at this level with six walks. 
3B Marcos Cabrera: 1-for-4, K, CS (2)
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3
CF Kyle Battle: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB, SB (2)
Battle is only 1-for-24 this season, which has (obviously) been interrupted by injury. He has speed to kill (20 SB in 51 games in 2022) but the rest of the game hasn’t yet developed.
C Juan Crisp: 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS
Crisp started in the system back in 2018, and this is his 98th career game. His last home run came exactly four years ago: 8/27/2019.

RHP Baron Stuart: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
At this level: 3.54 ERA in 28 IP (21 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 20 K)
LHP Clay Aguilar: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
2.65 ERA in 37.1 IP (27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 55 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez (L, 3-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR

Tampa (57-63; 26-28 in the second half) (Lost to Palm Beach, 12-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, BB
At this level: 9-for-45 (.200/.429/.222) with a double, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts.
SS George Lombard, Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Lombard’s first career hitless game – but at least he got on base!
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-3, 2B (4), BB, K
.200/.326/.300 in 89 PA with four doubles, a triple, and a home run. 
DH Brenny Escanio: 1-for-2, 2 BB, K, SB (20)
.223/.337/.290 in 449 PA with 20 stolen bases in 26 attempts. He has a 14.7% BB and 25.4% K.
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K, SB (8)
  CF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, K
At this level: 9-for-51 (.176/.250/.275) with three doubles and a triple. 

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Talk about an undeserved loss in a game like this! That’s baseball, Suzyn. At this level: 5.21 ERA in 19 IP (23 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 20 K)
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Luis Arejula: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Adam Stone: 0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
5.06 ERA (48 IP, 44 H, 33 R, 27 ER, 4 HR, 26 BB, 43 K)

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-2 in the playoffs)

They lost to the Braves in the championship series. Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

Their season is over, as they missed the playoffs by a half-game.

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/20: Austin Wells: 2 HR, 7 RBI

News:

I have nothing important to report.

Quick commentary: Anyone who follows the minors knows that Triple-A is an offensive haven. It used to be that the PCL was crazy while the International League played more fairly. Nowadays, both leagues are offense-first (the PCL (teams average 6.26 R/G) is still the king of offense, as the International League is at 5.57). This doesn’t mean you disqualify kids just because they hit well in an offensive league. Keep it in mind when you look at boxscores, but don’t dismiss what you are looking at based on that alone.

Scranton (57-60; 23-20 in the second half) (Destroyed Worcester, 13-1)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-5, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.291/.385/.571 in 392 PA (16 doubles, 4 triples, 23 HR, 59 RBI, 65 R, 53 BB, 116 K (29.6%), 19-for-29 SB)
SS Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, 3 RS, BB, K, SB (16)
Back-to-back 3-hit efforts (and three in the month of August) for Peraza, who is up to .268/.357/.479 in 299 PA. 
LF Everson Pereira: 0-for-2, 3 RS, 2 BB, HBP, K, 2 SB (4)
Obviously, we love the power – but it is nice to see Pereira reach base in other ways today and use his wheels. Pereira is not likely a big stolen base guy in the majors, but he should reach double digits with a chance to reach the 20 mark. He is at .312/.386/.551 in 158 PA at this level. 
DH Austin Wells: 2-for-4, 2 HR (4), 7 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Wells’ first career multi-HR game and he sets a new personal best for RBI in a game. Through Friday, he was hitting .244/.340/.372 at this level. Now, two days later, he is hitting .260/.351/.479 in 111 PA at this level. Overall, he has 16 homers and 70 runs batted in 88 games this season.
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
Chaparro is up to 75 RBI, giving him the organization’s lead (Jared Serna has 74)
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, 2B (8), 2 RBI, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 2-for-5, 2B (16), HR (18), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 3-for-5, 2B (7), SB (17)
Lockridge is up to 34 stolen bases in 38 attempts between here and Somerset. 
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-5, HR (5), RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 5-4) 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
At this level: 4.85 ERA (65 IP, 63 H, 45 R, 35 ER, 12 HR, 35 BB, 67 K). Warren is up to 94.1 innings this season, so he has plenty of bullets to fire (129 IP in 2022)
RHP Zach Greene: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Nick Ramirez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (67-46; 25-19 in the second half) (Defeated Reading, 6-1)

DH Jasson Dominguez: 4-for-5, 3 2B (19), RBI, RS
Dominguez, who compiles his first career 3-double game, has two 4-hit games in his last three games played. He is up to .254/.367/.414 (.781 OPS) in 507 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 82 R, 77 BB (15.2%), 130 K (25.6%), 37-for-44 SB (84.1%)). It is fun to do “what has he done lately?” stats – but his full season is now speaking for itself.  By the way, one way to develop your game is by playing it. Dominguez has 1,037 plate appearances over the last two seasons. Does he deserve to play in Scranton for a few weeks? I think so – maybe they will get him there before the end of August.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Last 7 games: 8-for-30 (.267). That may not impress you, but he started 3-for-22 at this level.
CF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
3B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-3, BB, CS (4)
Durbin is hitting .277 with a .765 OPS in 133 PA at this level. He has back-to-back 2-hit games. 
  1B Josh Breaux: 0-for-1, K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K, 2 SB (11)
Palensky is the first Yankees prospect to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases this season. He is a double away from adding 20 doubles to that list (Jared Serna needs one home run to get himself in the 20/20/20 club)
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS
Bastidas, who hit 18 homers for Somerset in 2022, is up to 12 between Somerset/Scranton in 2023. 
1B-3B Mickey Gasper: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Max Burt: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 8-6)  5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
5.43 ERA (106 IP, 105 H, 66 R, 64 ER, 14 HR, 43 BB, 108 K). The 24-year-old was one of the post-draft signings after the shortened 2020 COVID draft.
RHP Bailey Dees: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 10.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 9 K. Overall, Dees has a 68/21 K/BB ratio in 52 innings.
RHP Danny Watson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 1.48 ERA (30.1 IP, 14 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 HR, 15 BB, 35 K). 

Hudson Valley (63-51; 24-24 in the second half) (Defeated Brooklyn, 7-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, HR (13), RBI, 2 RS, BB, SB (35)
Jones has four 3-hit games this month and 14 3+ hit games this season. Believe it or not, this was his first home run since July 19th. He is hitting .268/.339/.456 in 447 PA (28 doubles, 4 triples, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 61 R, 42 BB, 131 K (29.3%), 35-for-43 SB)
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, SF, RBI, RS, K
.213/.255/.359 in 388 PA (14 doubles, 6 triples, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 49 R, 21 BB, 100 K (25.8%), 13-for-19 SB). There is some improvement here over his time in Tampa in 2022 but he has yet to really put the entire package together.
1B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, RS, BB, K
Since promotion: .389 (14-for-36; 2 doubles, HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 8 BB, 8 K). He continues to lead the organization in batting average (amongst qualifiers in the full-season leagues) at .307/.393/.437.
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K
The ultra-productive Familia has 56 RBI in 55 games between here and Tampa. 
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K, 3 SB (20)
Cowles is now 17-for-49 in August (4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 11 R, 14 BB, 14 K, 7-for-9 SB)
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-5, K
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K, 2 SB (14)
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
Wegner’s first HR since his promotion. He is the first 2023 draftee to make it this high up for the Yankees, and it makes sense as he is 24 years old. 
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K

RHP Brendan Beck: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HR
While unimportant, Beck was an out away from his first professional win. He is simply on a strict pitch count, coming off of injury. At this level: 1.74 ERA (31 IP, 24 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 35 K). Will they allow the 24-year-old to get his feet wet in Double-A?
LHP Clay Aguilar: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
3.03 ERA (32.2 IP, 27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 16 BB, 47 K)
RHP Luis Velasquez: (W, 3-1)  2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.05 ERA (30.2 IP, 18 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 34 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 10.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 K

Tampa (55-59; 24-24 in the second half) (Lost to Daytona, 3-0)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, BB, K, CS (1)
At this level: 7-for-33 with 15 walks and 14 strikeouts. Watch Riggio closely as he has “fast rise” potential in 2024.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-4, 3 K
11-for-56 (.196) with 13 walks and 24 strikeouts.
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 2 K
.261/.373/.472 in 383 PA (15 doubles, 1 triple, 17 HR, 64 RBI, 58 R, 56 BB (14.6%), 100 K (26.1%), 8-for-9 SB)
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-4, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-4, K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
8-for-42 (.190) with seven walks and 16 strikeouts. 
1B Beau Brewer: 1-for-2, BB
Brewer has a 5-game hitting streak and is 16-for-39 with 12 walks in August.
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2, HBP, K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-2, BB

RHP Yorlin Calderon: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
3.29 ERA (68.1 IP, 63 H, 28 R, 25 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 86 K). He has likely done enough overall to earn a chance in Hudson Valley, but if the goal was to start stretching him out (this was his second straight start), doing so in Tampa is fine.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
5.52 ERA (44 IP, 43 H, 33 R, 27 ER, 24 BB, 40 K). Gabonia is 22, but this is his first healthy season.
RHP Montana Semmel (L, 2-1): 1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Alex Bustamante: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (32-21) (Playoff bound)

Day off.

DSL Yankees (32-18) 

Day off

DSL Bombers (26-26)

Day off

Yankees MILB 8/19: Everson Pereira Homers Twice

News:

Nada.

Scranton (56-60; 22-20 in the second half) (Lost a crazy one to Worcester, 14-12)

SS Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, 3B (2), HR (14), 2 RBI, 3 RS, HBP, K, SB (15)
This qualifies as a rather productive night. Peraza is hitting .262/.350/.477 in 294 PA (9 doubles, 2 triples, 14 HR, 36 RBI, 45 R, 28 BB (9.5%), 54 K (18.4%), 15-for-19 SB). Peraza has 754 career plate appearances in Triple-A. That is criminal if you truly believe in a prospect – and, if you don’t, it is criminal that you didn’t take advantage of his value. 
C Austin Wells: 2-for-6, 2B (9), HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, 4 K
I would rather not see the four strikeouts, but the power is nice. He is hitting .250/.340/.413 in 106 PA at this level and .237/.329/.430 in 389 PA overall (23 doubles, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 39 R, 43 BB (11.1%), 91 K (23.4%), 7-for-7 SB). 
LF Everson Pereira: 2-for-4, 2 HR (8), 2 RBI, 3 RS, BB, K
Pereira’s second 2-HR game in 2023. Overall, between here and Somerset, he is hitting .302/.370/.551 in 338 PA (17 doubles, 2 triples, 18 HR, 64 RBI, 50 R, 30 BB (8.9%), 97 K (28.7%), 10-for-12 SB). For Scranton, he is hitting .316/.379/.559 with eight homers and 33 RBI. I will tell anyone who listens that there are good things in his profile and not-so-ideal things in his profile. It doesn’t matter – let him get some well-deserved reps against big-league pitching. Nobody is asking him to be a savior at this point.
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, HR (23), RBI, RS, BB
Chaparro has homered in three straight games and is three behind the injured Tyler Hardman for the organization’s home run lead.
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-4, RS, BB
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K, SB (4)
Between here and Somerset: .247/.382/.417 in 304 plate appearances. The question the Yankees need to ask is whether he is a viable MLB backup. If another team thinks so, he will be plucked in the Rule 5 if not protected.
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, RS, 3 BB, SB (4)
3B Jake Lamb: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 3 K
CF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-5, K

LHP Edgar Barclay: (L, 0-2) 3 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
Since promotion: 8.04 ERA (15.2 IP, 18 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 5 HR, 12 BB, 15 K)
RHP Michael Gomez:  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Wilmer Difo: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Difo is the go-to guy when they are out of pitchers.

Somerset (66-46; 24-19 in the second half) (Lost to Reading, 8-7)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-5, K
His games have been so exciting (for the most part) lately that a random, uneventful 0-for-5 feels out of place.
C Ben Rice: 1-for-4, K
1B Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, HR (8), RBI, RS, K
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
It comes to the surprise of nobody has Breaux has seven homers in 20 games here. He has 26 homers in 99 games at this level from 2021-2023.
SS Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-3, 2B (2), 2 RS, BB, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 2-for-4, 3B (1), HR (8), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K
Palensky launches his 20th HR combined between here and Hudson Valley. He is 10-for-34 (.294) in August and has homered in three of his last four games, driving in ten runs. 
2B Max Burt: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K

RHP Matt Sauer: 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
It just wasn’t his night. Sauer now owns a 4.19 ERA in 38.2 IP (33 H, 20 R, 18 ER, 6 HR, 17 BB, 49 K)
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (L, 2-1)  1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Jack Neely: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Since promotion: 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Hudson Valley (62-51; 23-24 in the second half) (Lost to Brooklyn, 8-7)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (28), RS, BB, K, SB (34)
Last 10 games: 12-for-41 (.293; 4 doubles, 4 RBI, 8 R, 5 BB, 12 K, 8-for-8 SB). He leads the South Atlantic League in doubles and is fifth in stolen bases.
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-5, HR (1), RBI, RS
Hall’s first HR since his promotion and 10th overall between here and Tampa. Since promotion: 9-for-41 with five doubles and a homer. 
2B Jared Serna: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, RS, BB, HBP, 2 K, SB (5)
At this level: .267/.353/.333 in 51 PA (3 doubles, 3 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 5-for-5 SB), Overall, Serna is hitting .281/.350/.467 in 494 PA (24 doubles, 1 triple, 19 HR, 74 RBI, 78 R, 44 BB, 82 K, 24-for-30 SB).Serna is answering every challenge thrown at him – I am not concerned by his lack of pop in his small High-A sample size. 
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-5, 2 K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
.263/.361/.416 in 379 PA. Cowles is 16-for-45 with 13 walks in August.
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-3, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Familia is up to 20 HR, 54 RBI, and 51 runs scored in 54 games between here and Tampa. 
1B Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS
.269/.351/.367 in 370 PA (15 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 43 R, 41 BB, 92 K, 3-for-4 SB). He needed this game as he is only 9-for-55 (.164) in August 
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR
4.52 ERA (87.2 IP, 77 H, 55 R, 44 ER, 13 HR, 46 BB, 103 K)
RHP Anderson Munoz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Harrison Cohen: (L, 2-2)  1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Shane Gray: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (55-58; 24-23 in the second half) (Lost to Daytona, 11-5)

DH Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Riggio is hitting .200 (6-for-30) at this level with 14 walks (31.1%) and 13 strikeouts (28.9%) in 45 PA. I love small sample madness.
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 3 K
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
1B Josh Moylan: 2-for-5, RS
Moylan is holding his own in 54 plate appearances (.256/.715 OPS; 1 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB, 14 K). As stated previously, he was a highly sought-after non-drafted free agent.
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 3B (4), BB
Escanio has a 9-game hitting streak (14-for-36). This is his first extra-base hit during the streak.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, BB, 2 K
Gabrielson is 6-for-29 (.207) at this level with two doubles and a triple. 
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
2B Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, RS, HBP

RHP Ryan Harvey: (L, 1-1)  4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, HR
At this level: 20 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 15 K. Harvey was their 11th-round pick in the 2022 draft out of UC Santa Barbara.
RHP Adam Stone: 0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Nolberto Henriquez: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL Yankees (32-21) (Shut down the Blue Jays, 5-0, to clinch the division. They will be one of four teams in what is a quick playoff format. The first round is only one game. The championship round is the best of 3. It starts on Thursday)

SS Keiner Delgado: 1-for-3, BB, 3 SB (34)
Delgado steals three bases for the second day in a row. He is hitting .286/.408/.471 in 228 PA with a 34-for-40 stolen base rate.
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
Lombard Jr. stats his career 2-for-6 with a double.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, RS
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
RF John Cruz: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB (9)
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-3, BB
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K, SB (16)
.267/.424/.420 in 224 PA (6 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 39 R, 41 BB, 46 K, 16-for-16 SB). This is a legitimate bonus baby prospect who is hitting 8th in this lineup.
C Edinson Duran: 0-for-4, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
When I look at rookie league stat lines, I pay a lot more attention to recording all seven outs via strikeout than anything else. The big (6’7″) 20-year-old owns a 4.97 ERA in 41.2 IP (34 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 4 HR, 24 BB, 63 K)
LHP Edwar Polimir (W, 4-0): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. 
LHP Pablo Mujica (S, 1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

DSL Yankees (32-18) (Lost to DSL Orioles Black, 10-3. They are in a tie for first with DSL Colorado, though they have a better winning percentage. That is important because they don’t force games to be made up. This league plays an eight-team playoff – the six division winners + 2 wild cards)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB
Mayea with a leadoff home run.
C Josue Gonzalez:  0-for-4, K
DH Santiago Gomez: 1-for-2, BB, SB (18)
LF Darwin Castillo: 1-for-2, 2B (2), 2 RBI, BB, K

RHP Brian Arias: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Joshua Quezada: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

DSL Bombers (26-26) (Defeated the DSL Nationals, 9-2)

DH Louis Pierre: 1-for-3, RBI, 3 BB, K
RF Richard Meran: 2-for-5, 2B (2), RS, 2 K
3B Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K, CS (5)
C Edgleen Perez: 2-fot-5, 2 RBI, 2 RS
CF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, HBP, SB (18), CS (8)
.267/.401/.411 in 182 PA (7 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 34 R, 28 BB (15.4%), 30 K (16.5%), 18-for-26 SB). He is high on my list of long-long-long term prospects. 
SS Kevin Verde: 2-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB. 3 SB (8), CS (3)
.250/.310/.397 in 129 PA for the 17-year-old in his debut season.
2B Geyber Blanco: 1-for-3, 2B (15), RS, 2 BB
Blanco has 15 doubles in 37 games during his debut season. He has yet to launch his first career HR

RHP Michell Chirinos: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
RHP Stanly Alcantara (W, 3-1): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K