Tag: T.J. Rumfield

Yankees MILB 3/30: Jorbit Vivas: 3 Hits, 3 RBI

Notes:

I wasn’t around last night to report on it, but T.J. Rumfield hit the organization’s first home run of 2025.

Scranton (1-2) (Crushed Lehigh Valley, 14-3)

LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, K
Pereira is 4-for-11 with three RBI to start his campaign.
  PR-LF Duke Ellis: 1-for-1, RBI, R
The Yankees continue to take it easy with Pereira. He will play a full game in the field soon enough.
CF Ismael Munguia: 1-for-5, 2B (2), R, HBP, K
5-for-13 with a pair of doubles.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 3-for-5, 2B (2), 3 RBI, 2 R, SB (1), BB
Vivas stole 20+ bases in 2023 and 2024.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, HR (2), RBI, 2 R, BB, 2 K
Like Andres Chaparro and Eric Wagaman, Rumfield could get an opportunity in another organization when his clock runs out. I don’t foresee him getting a call-up to New York, though. We’ll see.
DH Jose Rojas: 2-for-6, HR (1), RBI, R, 2 K
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 2-for-4, 2B (1), HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Hernandez has shown pop in the minors (21 HR in 2018; 61 HR from 2021-2024 (366 games)).
SS Andrew Velazquez: 3-for-5, 2 R, SB (3), BB, K
Nice day for the depth infielder.
3B Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, K
Shewmake has played three positions (2B, SS, 3B) in the first three games. 
RF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, 2 K
Richardson’s Triple-A debut. Richardson has pop and speed (25 doubles, 9 HR, 16 SB in 431 PA for Somerset in 2024) and can play the three outfield positions. 

LHP Edgar Barclay: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Depth lefty seemed to have a path to MLB in 2023. However, he had a tough year in 2024 (7-9, 5.98 ERA in 143 IP with a 118/70 K/BB). 
RHP Leonardo Pestana: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Moved permanently to the bullpen in 2024, Pestana (26) has MLB ability. What he doesn’t have is a good health history. This is his Triple-A debut.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Anderson (26) is 6’6″. This is his Triple-A debut after pitching to a 3.00 ERA in 30 IP for Somerset in 2024. He is a mix guy over a velocity guy (4-seam/sinker/slider/change).
RHP McKinley Moore: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Good arm, doesn’t always know where the ball is going. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal last year.
RHP Colten Brewer: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
A welcome back for Brewer, who pitched in the organization in 2023 (appeared in three games for the big league club).

Somerset (0-0)

Their season starts on Friday.

Hudson Valley (0-0)

Their season starts on Friday.

Tampa (0-0)

Their season starts on Friday.

FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.

DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

Yankees MILB 3/28: Let the Games Begin!

I am not going to be home to do this report tomorrow.

I am not a fan of the current state of the farm system, but there is talent here. If Spencer Jones can put more pieces of the puzzle together while Roderick Arias/George Lombard Jr. continue their development, we’ll think differently by the end of the year. The Yankees are good at developing college arms, which they love to package in trades. They hope the same will be true with many of their 2024 draftees.

Scranton (0-1) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 5-4)

LF Everson Pereira: 1-for-3, RS, SB (1), K
The most recognizable Yankees prospect at this level, Pereira has an impressive power profile (10 HR in 40 games in 2024; 66 in 331 career games). The issues? Two things: 1. How much contact will he make?; 2. Can he get over his injury history?  Why was he pulled tonight? He is coming off of Tommy John Surgery, so my assumption is they didn’t want to give him a full game in the field yet.
   LF Duke Ellis: 0-for-2, K
Ellis can’t hit, but he can run. 57-for-61 stealing bases in the minors last season.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
Acquired in a deal with the Dodgers before the 2024 season, Vivas’ big issue is that he is likely anchored at second base despite having experience at 3B. On the 40-man roster, he can make his official debut this season (he was called up in 2024 but never appeared in a game)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, CS (1)
An organization will typically tell us how they feel about a player without actually telling us how they feel about a player. Rumfield wasn’t protected in the Rule 5 and received zero chances to take over 1B after Anthony Rizzo‘s injury last year. That said, he has a solid defensive reputation and is coming off of a good year at the plate.
C Alex Jackson: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, K
The Yankees acquired him in an off-season trade with the Reds (along with current Yankees’ bullpen member Fernando Cruz). The Yankees released him on March 22nd, only to re-sign him on March 23rd. Obvious paperwork move.  Jackson can’t hit (understatement), which makes his cleanup assignment funny, even in a minor league game.
CF Ismael Munguia: 3-for-4, 2B (1)
The left-handed hitting 26-year-old earns the system’s first hit this season. He was a spring sensation (.372/.400/.488) for the second straight year (.410/.477/.641 in Giants’ camp last year). He has yet to make his MLB debut.
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B (1), BB, K
Rojas is your typical Triple-A filler/depth guy. The 32-year-old spent 67 games here in 2024 before the Yankees released him (signed with the Pirates). The Yankees re-signed him this winter. “Why would they re-sign someone they released?”  Simple: He was likely released by request to take advantage of another opportunity. No biggie. Rojas has experience at the “four corners” and at second base.
DH Ronaldo Hernandez: 0-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, K
Before 2019, Hernandez (a catcher) made it on the Top 100 prospects lists. He hasn’t lived up to that standard and has yet to make his MLB debut. However, no harm in giving the 27-year-old a spot in Triple-A.
SS Braden Shewmake: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Perhaps the player you least recognize on the roster, Shewmake has 31 games of MLB experience. His time is mostly spent at 2B/3B, though he has a few games at 3B. He is 53-for-60 stealing bases in his MILB career, including 27-for-28 in 2023.
3B Andrew Velazquez: 0-for-3, RS, 2 SB (2), BB, K
The Bronx native and fan favorite during the 2021 season (hit his first career HR in Yankee Stadium), Velazquez is back to provide some infield depth. There is speed to tap into (40-for-47 stealing bases in his MLB career), but no bat.

LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, HR
The 32-year-old has toiled in professional baseball since 2014, the year he was drafted by the Phillies. He has seven games of MLB experience (2020 with the Marlins and 2024 with the Reds). He is your prototypical mix-and-match lefty, featuring 6 pitches including a 4-seamer that maxed out at 89.9 MPH. Old school!
LHP Rob Zastryzny: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
The veteran lefty has spent parts of six seasons in MLB. His biggest opportunity was in 2023, when he posted a 4.79 ERA in 21 games for the Pirates.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: (L, 0-1)  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Reyzelman maxed at 95.7 MPH (averaged 94.4) with his heater tonight, which can be concerning to the prospect world. Anyway, he is the rookie most likely to make his bullpen debut in 2025. That doesn’t mean he *will* be the first rookie to make his debut this year.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Eligible for minor league free agency after the 2024 season, the Yankees blocked it by placing him on the 40-man roster. One of the final cuts before Opening Day, he is a sinker-baller with consistent 50%+ ground ball rates.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The 31-year-old has a nice arm, but control is an issue (55 BB in 79.1 MLB innings).

Yankees MILB 9/20: T.J. Rumfield Homers

News:

The Yankees activated RHP Cody Poteet from his rehab stint and demoted him to Scranton. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Ron Marinaccio was designated for assignment.

The 29-year-old Marinaccio was a breakout reliever in 2022. He posted a 2.05 ERA (3.20 FIP) over 44 innings with a 30.9% K, 13.3% BB, 41.5% GB, and 4.7% HR/FB.

However, in 2023-2024, Marinaccio appeared in 61 games, posting a 3.95 ERA (4.77 FIP) over 70.2 IP with a 26.6% K, 12.2% BB, 38.8% GB, and 13.5% HR/FB. His average fastball dropped by one MPH in 2024 compared to 2022.

I hate speculating on whether a player will be claimed or not. Many players I think are guaranteed to be claimed aren’t. Many players I think will slip through waivers are claimed. My instinct is that this is a tough time of the season to be DFA. Most teams have a set 40-man roster and playoff teams are unlikely to see Marinaccio as a difference-maker with a week left. He has not earned the right to reject an outright assignment if he clears.

By the way, it’s odd that many are upset over this. The Yankees specialize in cheap, controllable relief pitchers. Marinaccio is exactly what they look for, not someone they look to bury. They gave him chances to succeed and it didn’t work out in their mind. It happens.

As for Poteet, he is depth. If Jake Cousins is OK, there isn’t any room on the MLB roster.

Scranton (87-60) (Defeated Buffalo, 5-1)

SS Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, 2B (21), RBI, K
Durbin’s 23rd overall double (he hit a pair during his rehab stint) sets a new personal best. 
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, SF, RBI
1B Ben Rice: 0-for-4
3B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, 2B (13), RS, 2 K
DH T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, HR (15), RBI, RS
Rumfield has homered in back-to-back games and 3 times in his last seven games. He has 32 HR in 870 PA in 2023-2024 (4 in the first 344 PA in his career)
   PR-DH Duke Ellis: 0-for-0, RS, SB (5)
Between all minor league and MLB action, Ellis is 61-for-65 stealing bases.
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (20), BB, K
Trammell needs to hit two homers this weekend to compile a 20/20 campaign.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, RS
Escarra has four multi-hit efforts in his last seven games and is 18-for-57 (.333) with four doubles and six homers in September.
CF Greg Allen: 0-for-2, SAC, BB, K

LHP Thomas Pannone: (W, 10-9)  6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Since signing with the Yankees: 11 starts, 6-1, 2.34 ERA; 61.2 IP, 57 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 6 HR, 6 BB, 49 K. I wonder if they will try to retain him this winter (given how well he pitched, he may want to stick with the organization).
RHP Joey Gerber: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Phil Bickford: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Somerset (2-0)

Scheduled day off. The championship series begins on Sunday against either Erie or Akron. Erie leads Game 3, 2-1, in the 6th inning.

Hudson Valley (73-58 (regular season); 3-3 (playoffs))

Their season is over.

Tampa (54-74)

Their season is over.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25) 

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/23: Jasson Dominguez is Smoking

News:

Nothing.

Scranton (69-53) (Lost to St. Paul, 14-6)

3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, RS
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, 2B (6), HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (11), 2 K
Last 9 minor league games: 16-for-37 (.432; 1 double, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 7-for-8 SB, 4 BB, 9 K). Everything is starting to point to a player who is ready to return.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2B (12), RBI, RS, BB, K
Vivas has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games.
DH T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, RBI, RS
Rumfield’s second straight 3-hit effort. He is hitting .291 with a .819 OPS at this level.
  P Peter Serruto: 0-for-1
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, RBI, K
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-2, 2 BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4
Gonzalez’s first game since August 3rd.
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-4

LHP Josh Maciejewski: (L, 1-3) 2.2 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Joey Gerber: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.97 ERA (68 IP, 48 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 9 HR, 35 BB, 71 K)
RHP Peter Serruto: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The catcher does nearly as much pitching as he does hitting (4 games/6 plate appearances as a hitter, 3 games, 3 IP as a pitcher)

Somerset (59-57) (Lost to Portland, 2-1. They have split the first four games with the Sea Dogs, which isn’t good. The Patriots fall 5.5 games out with 21 games to play. They must win both games this weekend)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH Anthony Rizzo: 0-for-1, RS, 2 BB
Rizzo’s first rehab stint lasts 3 plate appearances at DH. The plan is to use him at DH for several days before he plays first base. 
  PH-DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-1
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-1, 3 BB
Seigler has a 14.4% BB rate (his career rate is 17.7%). Plate discipline hasn’t been an issue for Seigler throughout his career. 
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
1B Max Burt: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Clarke Schmidt: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
Schmidt’s first rehab start is encouraging. He tossed 48 pitches (30 strikes). He may only need one more rehab start before returning to MLB.
RHP Sean Boyle: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Lou Trivino: 1 IP, 0 H,0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
On his rehab stint: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. As I mentioned last night, Trivino doesn’t have options. Once his rehab stint is over, 40-man/26-man roster decisions are needed.
RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 0-3)  3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Schlittler piggybacked the rehab assignments tonight. Since his promotion: 14.1 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 13 K. Overall: 3.33 ERA (102.2 IP, 77 H, 50 R, 38 ER, 8 HR, 49 BB, 124 K)

Hudson Valley (63-54) (Defeated Wilmington, 2-1, in 10 innings. They trailed 1-0 heading to the bottom of the 9th but came back)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-5, RS, K
RF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, 2 SB (7), BB
Jones has reached base safely in all 14 professional games and is 12-for-12 stealing bases.
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (14), HBP, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (1), HBP
It’s good to see that Castillo’s injury (suffered in a collision in the outfield) wasn’t serious. He hit the walk-off single in the 10th. Since promotion: 9-for-27 (2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 5 R). Overall: .263/.387/.431 in 364 PA (19 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 56 R, 17-for-22 SB, 16.5% BB, 19.8% K). The 21-year-old is having a nice, consistent campaign.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, 2B (6), BB, 2 K
  PR-1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-0, RS
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, K
His RBI single in the bottom of the 9th tied the game at 1. He is 8-for-18 since his promotion (hit safely in all five games).
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Carr continues his recent stretch of strong pitching. His last 7 starts: 1.01 ERA (26.2 IP, 19 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 21 K). Overall: 4.69 ERA (96 IP, 86 H, 60 R, 50 ER, 5 HR, 51 BB, 89 K). He entered his debut season with a lot of buzz. However, he stumbled for a while before finding his footing. I don’t think they give him a late-season Double-A start, but it is possible.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At this level: 3.30 ERA (43.2 IP, 38 H, 21 R, 16 ER, 6 HR, 14 BB, 45 K). Morrill was listed as a shortstop when the Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State last year (for good reason: He played 148 games in the field for Oklahoma State while making only 17 appearances on the hill)
RHP Kelly Austin: (W,4-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
This is how you keep the “Manfred Man” from scoring. Since being acquired: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K. The Yankees acquired the 23-year-old from the Astros for Caleb Ferguson.

Tampa (48-66)

The Tarpons had a rare Friday off. They are playing a scheduled doubleheader tomorrow.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25) 

Their season is over. The Bombers had a good season but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.

Yankees MILB 8/22: Jasson Dominguez: 2 More Hard Hits

News:

Most of the time, roster crunches work themselves out.

In 2024, that might not be the case for the Yankees. The first move was easy, as Oswald Peraza was demoted to make room for Jazz Chisholm Jr. However, it won’t get easier from here.

Utilityman Jon Berti is about to begin a rehab stint, as is 1B Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo can replace Ben Rice, who has options and hasn’t hit much lately. Berti? Good luck with this one. From a management standpoint, the Yankees can do the easy thing:  Demote Oswaldo Cabrera and keep everyone else. Berti would, in theory, be taking most of Cabrera’s playing time and the Yankees can justify it by saying DJ LeMahieu is their only viable defensive first baseman after Rizzo. Berti has never played the position and Cabrera has 28.1 innings there.

Is that what I would do? No.

Beyond that, OF Jasson Dominguez is finding his groove. While we have to factor in a potential adjustment period, it is hard to argue that Alex Verdugo is a better option.

As messy as that is, the pitching staff could be messier. Scott Effross, Nick Burdi, Lou Trivino, Clarke Schmidt, Ian Hamilton, and Cody Poteet are potential MLB options, and Luis Gil will come off the injured list at some point. Schmidt will be promoted as soon as he is ready. The others? They will be in a logjam. The Yankees can demote Will Warren (when Schmidt is ready) and DFA Tim Mayza. Unlike Effross and Hamilton, Trivino is out of options. Once his rehab is over, a roster move must be made. It’s a situation where the Yankees bullpen hasn’t been top-notch, but some of their scrap heap pickups (Tim Hill, Michael Tonkin) have pitched well enough to keep their jobs. Jake Cousins is pitching too well (and missing bats) to send down.

My not-so-educated guess?  They will demote Warren for Schmidt and DFA Mayza for Trivino. Effross, Burdi, Hamilton, and Poteet may have to “wait their turn”. Hamilton has yet to start his rehab stint, so we don’t know what to expect. Keeping Poteet stretched out in Scranton would be prudent. Effross’ rehab ended a while ago. The Yankees aren’t convinced he is ready to contribute, but he is pitching well lately. They have the ability, through options, to keep Gil down in Scranton beyond his IL stint. They can use it as a reset and give him a few innings there to ensure he doesn’t go cold.

Yes, one position player and pitcher will be promoted on September 1st. That helps but doesn’t completely relieve the jam.

Scranton (69-52) (Lost to St. Paul, 8-7)

3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2 RS, BB
The pesky Durbin is 15-for-55 (.273) in August with more walks (13) than strikeouts (8).
DH Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, RS, SB (10), CS (1)
Dominguez’s two singles were hit at 108.3 and 108.2 MPH and he has four multi-hit efforts in his last 7 games. By the way, Dominguez is now 97-for-116 (83.6%) stealing bases in his minor league career. I have written a lot about his stats since his latest comeback without mentioning his overall season for Scranton: He is hitting .304 with a .786 OPS in 125 PA.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB
1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2 2B (24), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Rumfield has six doubles in his last 10 games. 
CF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-5, 3B (1), 3 RBI, RS
Trammell has 20 RBI in 18 August games.
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-5, 2B (9), RBI, K
Escarra has a 7-game hitting streak (10-for-27 with four doubles)
LF Jahmai Jones: 2-for-5, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
RF Greg Allen: 0-for-2, HBP, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-5, 3 K

LHP Edgar Barclay: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 3 HR
RHP Ron Marinaccio: (L, 1-3)  1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Last 6 games: 8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K

Somerset (59-56) (Lost to Portland, 3-1. They are now 4.5 games out. Before this series started, I said the Patriots needed to take 5 out of 6 to make the race interesting. So far, they are 2-1. 4 out of 6 would be acceptable, but the calendar is starting to run out (22 games left))

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
.248/.329/.419 in 453 PA (20 doubles, 3 triples, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 59 R, 21-for-29 SB, 10.4% BB, 37.1% K).
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, SB (9), K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, 2 2B (20), SB (21)
.217/.328/.395 in 349 PA (20 doubles, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 47 R, 21-for-24 SB, 13.8% BB, 18.1% K; .240 BABIP).  Moving Seigler to 2B is doing the job to keep him healthy, at least.  He is four games away from his first 100-game campaign.
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-3, 2B (5), SB (7), HBP
Vargas is 17-for-58 (.293/.359/.500; 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR) in August. Entering tonight, he was hitting .301/.347/.504 (138 wRC+) in 121 PA since June 7th (yes, he missed time due to injury)
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Zach Messinger: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Messinger had to push himself through 90 pitches tonight. Season: 3.40 ERA (132.1 IP, 107 H, 67 R, 50 ER, 8 HR, 44 BB, 123 K). In his last 6 starts: 1.98 ERA (36.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 23 K). No, it isn’t lost on me that his hot stretch comes with a reduced K%.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson: (L, 1-5) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 2.87 ERA (15.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 24 K)

Hudson Valley (62-54) (Swept a doubleheader against Wilmington)

Game 1 (Won, 7-6)

CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, SB (4), K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RS, K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, RS, BB
LF Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, HR (10), 3 RBI, RS, BB, K
This was the appetizer (scroll down to Game 2 for more)…
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (3)
DH Dylan Jasso: 2-for-3, 2B (5), RBI, RS
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Edison Vivas: 2-for-3, 3 RBI, K
With Omar Martinez on the IL, Hudson Valley needed another catcher. Enter the 18-year-old Vivas, who entered this game with 27 games of professional experience (26 in the DSL, 1 in the FCL). He hit .217/.333/.253 with no homers and 8 RBI in those games. So, naturally, he is promoted to High-A and has a solid debut. I have zero information on him. His signing bonus isn’t listed, so they signed him for a small number. Additionally, I searched my website for his name and this is the first time I have typed it. In other words, I won’t pretend to know who he is. 
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Brian Hendry: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
If you forgot about the 24-year-old, it is understandable. This was his first appearance since April 25th. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his professional career (12 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 7 BB, 17 K). He was the Yankees’ 10th-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State.
RHP Sebastian Keane: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Matt Keating (W, 4-3): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Blane Abeyta: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-0. Three pitchers combined on a 7-inning no-hitter)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-2, RS, SB (24), BB, 2 K
Riggio didn’t finish the game last night and missed Game 1 today. However, he was back out there in Game 2. 
LF Brandon Jones: 0-for-2, RS, SB (5), BB
With Tampa/Hudson Valley: 12-for-38 (.316/.544/.553; 3 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 11 R, 10-for-10 SB, 19 BB, 11 K). This is how you make an early impression.
3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3
CF Garrett Martin: 2-for-3, 2 HR (12), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Martin has a 3-HR, 7 RBI day. It pushes his season to .210/.310/.436 in 289 PA (13 doubles, 3 triples, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 45 R, 13-for-15 SB, 9.7% BB, 28.0% K). 
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS, 2 K
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RS, CS (1)
Morales is 6-for-14 since his promotion and is hitting .256/.362/.326 in 398 PA overall (10 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 50 RBI, 56 R, 34-for-42 SB (80.95%), 12.6% BB, 28.9% K). He is 22 years old, so there is room for growth. He spends time at 1B/LF/RF. 
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Gomez has a 7-game hitting streak (8-for-23) and a 17-game on-base streak (21-for-56 (.375); 8 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 6 BB)
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-2, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2

RHP Trent Sellers: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
At this level: 2.28 ERA (75 IP, 39 H, 27 R, 19 ER, 3 HR, 34 BB, 88 K). As a starter: 0.69 ERA (26 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 29 K). The walk rate has fallen considerably as a starter.
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 6-2)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.07 ERA (41 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 55 K). I told you to pay attention to Cole Ayers last night because, amongst a group of potential Somerset call-ups, the Yankees chose him. That is nothing against Vinyard, Keating, or whoever you think of. 
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
If you are going to finish off a no-hitter, you may as well do so in style. With Enyel De Los Santos‘ stint being among the quickest in history, Balboni is left carrying the torch for the deadline deal with the Padres (for Brandon Lockridge).

Tampa (48-66)

Their game against Ft. Myers was canceled due to inclement weather. It won’t be made up.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (17-36)

Their season is over.

DSL Bombers (30-25) 

Their season is over. The Bombers had a good season but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.

Yankees MILB 8/1: Zach Messinger Goes 7 Strong

News:

LHP Chasen Shreve was released from his contract for Scranton. Today is August 1st, so the odds are good that he had an opt-out. He pitched in ten games for Scranton, posting a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings.

As I pointed out yesterday, RHP Nick Burdi has options. Today, his rehab stint ended and he was optioned to Scranton. How far have the Yankees come? Jake Cousins, Michael Tonkin, and Tim Hill are blocking Burdi, who many saw as a potential key contributor when the season began. He still can be, but it will require an injury/implosion for him to get his next chance. If/when RHP Scott Effross is ready, he will join the mix.

Scranton (57-46) (Lost to Louisville, 10-8)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-4, BB, K
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, 2B (9), 2 RS, SB (16), K
Peraza is attempting to build on his .279/.367/.453 July.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, HR (12), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Rumfield is hitting .288 with a .803 OPS since his promotion. If Rumfield can combine batting average with home runs, there could be something to work with (before 2023, he was a decent batting average guy with little power. In 2023, he showed off power with a low batting average). 
CF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-2, 2B (16), HR (9), 2 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
Trammell has three homers in his last four games. 
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, RS, BB
Escarra is 14-for-38 (.371) with four doubles since his promotion.
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RBI
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, 3 K

LHP Tanner Tully: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.13 ERA (32 IP, 21 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 37 K). I hope Mauricio makes it to MLB. It’s been a grind going back to 2017.
RHP Art Warren: (L, 1-1) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Effross needs clean outings before he is considered for the big club.
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (50-49) (Defeated Bowie, 6-2)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, 2B (17), 3 RS, 3 BB, K
Jones’ OPS is .745. This is his highest number since May 3rd (.767). In his last 6 games, he is 7-for-21 (.333) with 3 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI, and 6 walks.
1B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (6)
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI, RS, BB
Flores’ power display has become serious. He has homered in back-to-back games and four times in his last eight games. Overall, he has 13 HR in 86 games between here and Hudson Valley. Last season, he hit 8 HR in 105 games.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-5, 2 K
Richardson has three straight multi-hit efforts.
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-3, CS (5), HBP
Vargas is 29-for-111 (.261/.297/.396) since his promotion. That may not jump out at you, but his defense provides additional value.
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Zach Messinger:  (W, 3-8) 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
3.61 ERA (114.2 IP, 95 H, 63 R, 46 ER, 7 HR, 38 BB, 110 K). Messinger is an interesting prospect who stands 6’6″. He might have that “bulldog” quality. Can he translate that to MLB? We’ll see.
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
His arm is worth investing development time in. But it’s going to take a lot of work.
RHP Kevin Stevens: (S, 7)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.37 ERA (38 IP, 28 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 55 K). He has impressed.

Hudson Valley (49-48) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 4-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, HR (8), RBI, RS
.223/.349/.394 in 351 PA. Much of Riggio’s profile is solid – his .254 BABIP is on the low side.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-3, HR (9), SF, 2 RBI, RS
Avina and Riggio went back-to-back. Avina needed the calendar change after going 7-for-73 in July.
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-4
It appears that Martinez is a “one level at a time” prospect. They didn’t move him away from Tampa in 2023 and may not move him away from Hudson Valley in 2024. There is nothing wrong with that. No two players are developed the same.
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), 2 K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, K
DH Christopher Familia:  0-for-2, RS, BB, K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2B (12), RBI, SB (11), K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, 2B (7), RS

RHP Blane Abeyta: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Mason Vinyard: (W, 4-2)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.71 ERA (34 IP, 28 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 20 BB, 48 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Keating (S, 3): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.50 ERA (56 IP, 40 H, 31 R, 28 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 66 K)

Tampa (41-55)

Their game against Lakeland was postponed. A lineup was never posted.

FCL (35-22)

Their season is over.

DSL Yankees (15-25)

Their game against DSL Phillies Red was canceled due to a tropical rainstorm. It will not be made up.

DSL Bombers (23-19)

Their game against DSL Mets Orange was canceled due to a tropical rainstorm. It will not be made up.

Yankees MILB 7/13: Cade Smith Ks 10

News:

If you are wondering about the whereabouts of CF Spencer Jones and LHP Brock Selvidge, don’t worry. They were in Texas for this afternoon’s Futures Game.

Jones went 0-for-1 with a walk, stolen base, and a run scored. Selvidge didn’t appear in the game.

Scranton (48-42) (Lost to Syracuse, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-4, 2B (12), BB
DH T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5, HR (10), RBI, RS, K
Rumfield is hitting .295 in 266 PA since his promotion (15 doubles, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 41 R). You love seeing the power showing up, even in this souped up environment.
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, RS, SB (4), 2 BB
Since promotion: 13-for-70 (.186; 1 double, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 4-for-4 SB, 12 BB, 17 K). Remember that he had a 1-for-24 start. He is 12-for-46 (.261) since.
1B Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (18), 2 RBI, RS, BB, 3 K
Rojas has homered in back-to-back games. 
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-4, K
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, 2B (15), RBI
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Will Warren: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Warren was cruising into the 5th, where he allowed four runs.
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Chasen Shreve (L, 1-1):  1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR

Somerset (43-43) (Mauled Erie, 10-3)

2B Ben Cowles: 3-for-6, 2B (24), 2 RBI, RS, SB (14)
Cowles has three 3+ hit efforts this month (14-for-45 overall). He is hitting .300/.379/.479 and I am fully invested in his chase for .300 this season.
3B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-6, RBI, RS, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, RS, 2 BB, K
DH Elijah Dunham: 3-for-4, 2B (16), HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
In July, Dunham is 16-for-41 (.390/.432/.756) with 6 doubles and 3 home runs. Overall, he is hitting .280/.366/.517.
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
Richardson is 9-for-30 in July.
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-5, K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-5, 2 RS, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, SB (3)
Vargas’ first game since 6/27 is a successful one. He is hitting .250/.281/.357 at this level.
  SS Max Burt: 0-for-1, K

RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
His second professional start (his first was in 2022).
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 4-1)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Since promotion: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 8 K. Overall: 0.87 ERA (20.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 34 K)
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
2.84 ERA (31.2 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 45 K)

Hudson Valley (42-42) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 9-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, RS, K
Avina is hitting .275 with a .806 OPS. July has been a rough month but there is half a month remaining.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2 K
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-1, K
   3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, K
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, K
3B-1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, 3 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, SB (10), K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 5-3)  5 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Stuart pitched well lately (1 R in 12.2 July innings), so we’ll toss this one.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
3.68 ERA (29.1 IP, 24 H, 18 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 17 BB, 42 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.13 ERA (37.1 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 36 K)

Tampa (31-53) (Destroyed Dunedin, 10-0)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-6, HR (4), RBI, RS
3 of Lombard’s 4 HR have come in July. There is a lot to be excited about.
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, RS, K
Arias has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games. He is hitting .217/.314/.358 in 366 PA.
3B Dylan Jasso: 4-for-4, 2 RS, HBP
Jasso’s first career 4-hit game. He is .226/.315/.387 in 336 PA.
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.256/.384/.419 in 279 PA. 
CF Willy Montero: 3-for-5, 2B (15), 3 RBI, RS
After an insane June (32-for-85 with six doubles and four homers), Montero was slumping in July (3-for-30) before tonight.
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2B (2), SF, 2 RBI, 3 K
Gonzalez is 8-for-28 with a pair of doubles and five RBI since his promotion.
RF Anthony Hall: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K

RHP Cade Smith: (W, 5-6)  5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Smith has three 10+ strikeout efforts this season. He is pitching to a 3.73 ERA in 72.1 IP (52 H, 36 R, 30 ER, 5 HR, 35 BB, 95 K). He was slumping (plus had a short outing due to rain) recently but brought it tonight. He was their 6th-round selection in the 2023 draft.
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Smith left the game with the bases loaded and two outs. Fulgencio struck out Joey Votto (yes, that Joey Votto) to end the threat.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.38 ERA (41.2 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 50 K)

FCL (31-18) (Split a pair of games against the Phillies. The Tigers lost to one of the worst teams in professional baseball (11-38 Blue Jays). Hence, the Yankees have a 2.5-game lead over the Tigers and 3.5 over the Phillies)

Game 1 (Won, 3-2)

DH Brando Mayea: 1-for-2
Mayea played a partial game for the second day in a row. Predictably, he didn’t play in Game 2.
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, RS
1B Engelth Urena: 1-for-2, RS, BB
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 0-for-1, K
Ramirez was pulled early yesterday and batted only once today. He did not play in Game 2. This is something to monitor.
  3B Santiago Gomez: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, CS (6)
Gomez with the big game off the bench. His 2-run single in the 6th was the game-winner.
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS
In 41 games, the 20-year-old is hitting .307/.412/.474 with 31 runs batted in.

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The division race is fun, but from a prospect perspective, seeing Henry Lalane and Lagrange get in some 2024 innings is more important.
RHP Chalniel Arias: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
All the talk about Lalane and Lagrange overshadows Arias, who was 15th on Fangraphs’ Yankees prospects list last winter. This is his second appearance of the season.
RHP Danny Flatt (W, 3-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
After receiving a taste of life in Low-A, the Yankees reassigned him. There is nothing wrong with that at this stage.

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1. After their comeback in Game 1, they allowed two in the top of the 7th to lose Game 2)

CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-3
.295/.386/.510 in 171 PA.
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, K
.295/.456/.403 in 182 PA. In 175 DSL plate appearances in 2023, he hit .259/.389/.317.
C Engelth Urena: 0-for-2, BB
.292/.411/.547 in 129 PA.
LF Joel Mendez: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB
After hitting .293/.363/.424 in 29 games here last year, Mendez (21) is hitting .311/.426/.585 in 38 games this year.

RHP Sabier Marte: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
It looks like it went 14 up, and 14 down for Marte. Standing 6’5″, he owns a 2.74 ERA in 46 IP (36 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 3 HR, 16 BB, 41 K)
RHP Chris Kean: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
17.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 23 K. You never know what an organization’s plan is, but I expect to see him in Tampa to close out the season.

DSL Yankees (11-17) (Defeated the DSL Twins, 6-2. The Yankees stole 12 bases without being caught)

SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-3, 4 SB (13), BB, K
This is one way to celebrate your recent 17-year-old birthday.
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (2), K
Matic is hitting .213/.318/.253 in 88 plate appearances with three doubles.
C Justin Capellan: 0-for-3, RS, SB (6), BB, K
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-4, K
You can’t steal first base, but it’s funny that one of the fastest players in organized baseball had zero stolen bases on a day like this.
LF Isael Arias: 1-for-2, 2 RS, SB (5), BB
RF Estivenzon Montero: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K
DH Diego Flores: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, HBP, K
The 17-year-old is 4-for-16. He is listed as a catcher.
2B Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (2), K
The 17-year-old is 4-for-20 with a double and a homer. This is his debut campaign.
1B Niurby Asigen: 2-for-2, 2 RBI, RS, 3 SB (4)
Asigen had 2 stolen bases in 38 career games before today.

RHP Jorge Luna: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
1.85 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 28 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez (W, 1-1): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Vasquez’s first professional win.

DSL Bombers (18-11) (Defeated the DSL Marlins, 5-2)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RS, CS (3), BB, K
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 SB (11), CS (8), 2 BB, K
I will assume you weren’t running all over the bases in a professional baseball league when you were 16.
LF Remy Veldhuisen: 1-for-4, 2B (3), SB (2), 2 K

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
4.22 ERA (21.1 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 21 BB, 30 K). The arm has potential but we see one thing he needs to work on.
RHP Anthony Mena (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
The 19-year-old’s first professional win.
RHP Joshua Leito: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
Leito continues to handle his transition to pitching well (5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K)
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 4): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Yankees MILB 7/6: Agustin Ramirez Homers Again

News:

There’s some time off coming up for the system. First, they are off on Sunday and Monday. Then, after a full week of games Tuesday-Sunday, they take four days off for the MLB All-Star Break (they don’t play minor league All-Star games anymore, other than the Futures Game). This only applies to full-season leagues.

Scranton (47-38)  (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 5-3)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, SB (27), 2 BB, K
Lockridge is 67-for-75 stealing bases between 2023-2024 (149 games).
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K
Vivas is 7-for-21 with three doubles and a homer in July. He has at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games and 15 of his last 17 games. Yes, he is a legitimate prospect. 
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RS, BB, K
We have seen some signs of life lately (10-for-30 in his last eight games). The power game remains a mystery (his double tonight was his first extra-base hit in July)
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS
Season (including Somerset): .270/.358/.539 in 324 PA (14 doubles, 1 triple, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 54 R, 16-for-17 SB). For Scranton: He has homered in back-to-back games and four of his last eight games. He is also on a 5-game hitting streak. After starting 1-for-24, he is 9-for-30 with four home runs and 8 RBI. I understand there are questions about his future position, but how can you keep this kid out of your Top 100? 
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (9), RBI, RS, K
Since promotion: .292/.352/.470 in 261 PA (15 doubles, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 40 R)
DH Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-4, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-4, K
3B Jeter Downs: 0-for-4

RHP Will Warren: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, HR
Warren sets a new best for strikeouts in a game. Season: 6.64 ERA (80 IP, 87 H, 63 R, 59 ER, 17 HR, 29 BB, 96 K).
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Phil Bickford: (L, 2-3)  0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (41-40) (Lost to Reading, 5-2)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
Last 3 games: 0-for-12, 1 BB, 11 K.  This has spiked his K% to 37.2%. If you are feeling a little concerned, it is justified. He had that 2-HR, 7 RBI performance on June 30th and an extended streak of solid hitting but has started to slump again. There is reason to be optimistic, because of the incredible tools. It’s going to be a process.
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, K
I guess he was tired after yesterday’s 7-hit effort. He is hitting .301 with a .863 OPS.
1B Tyler Hardman: 2-for-2, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 BB
Hardman has 30 home runs in 99 games at this level. 
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, K
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, 2B (14), HR (8), RBI, RS
Dunham has a 15-game hitting streak. He has seven doubles and five home runs during the streak.
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, BB
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-4, 3 K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 7-6)  5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Ex-Yankees prospect Josh Breaux hit a 2-run HR off of Selvidge. That wasn’t very nice. Season: 4.25 ERA (84.2 IP, 78 H, 50 R, 40 ER, 6 HR, 40 BB, 83 K). This is only the third time in his career (50th start) where he allowed multiple home runs.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
It has been a struggle since coming back from injury, but let’s see what happens in the second half of the season. He has only 12 innings pitched this season.
RHP Matt Sauer: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP McKinley Moore: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
At this level: 8 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Hudson Valley (41-37) (Defeated Brooklyn, 5-4)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-3, 2 RS, SB (15), 2 BB, K
Riggio has a 21-game on-base streak and has 6 stolen bases and walks in five July games. He hasn’t been caught stealing since May 10th (10 straight successful attempts)
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (22), K
Serna’s 19th multi-hit effort. He has 50 doubles in 197 games over the last two seasons.
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
1B Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, 2 2B (9), 2 RBI, RS, BB
Martinez has six RBI in his last three games
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-2, RBI, CI, BB, K
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (9), RS, BB, K
3B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 2B (6), 2 RBI, SB (2), K
DH Beau Brewer: 0-for-4
LF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
3.36 ERA (61.2 IP, 53 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 25 BB, 54 K). This follows up a strong start last time out (6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K)
RHP Cole Ayers: (W, 3-3)  1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
3.00 ERA (45 IP, 36 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 17 BB, 55 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4.11 ERA (46 IP, 34 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 7 HR, 18 BB, 58 K)
RHP Huey Morrill: (S, 2) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (29-50) (Lost to Lakeland, 9-2)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4
Lombard Jr. is 6-for-21 with a triple and homer in July. He has struck out only three times this month, lowering his K% to 21.5%. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
.210/.303/.353 in 343 PA. Unlike Lombard Jr., Arias has struggled in the strikeout department (34.7%). 
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4
DH Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, RS, SB (12), 2 BB, K
.254/.381/.416 in 257 PA. A trip to Hudson Valley seems inevitable.
3B Hans Montero: 2-for-3, 3B (4), RBI, BB
.221/.302/.378 in 192 PA (4 doubles, 4 triples, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 26 R, 6-for-8 SB). He is 6-for-18 with two triples and a home run in July.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4
Gonzalez is 6-for-14 since his promotion.
RF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (7), RBI, 2 K

RHP Danny Flatt: (L, 0-1)  2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Flatt’s Low-A debut after pitching to a 2.90 ERA in 31 FCL innings. The Yankees drafted him in the 14th round of the 2023 draft out of P27 Academy. P27 is a baseball academy located in South Carolina. To date, he is one of three players (first pitcher) drafted out of the academy, joining Logan Wagner (Dodgers, 2022; SS) and Alfonsin Rosario (Cubs, 2023; OF). His 4-seam fastball topped out at 92.4 and he mixed in a change and curve.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Cohen’s rehab stint continues.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

FCL (27-17) (Lost two big games (for playoff purposes!) to the FCL Phillies)

Game 1 (Lost, 3-2, in 8 innings)

1B Engelth Urena: 1-for-2, 2B (6), RS, 2 SB (3), 2 BB
I don’t see “speedster” in his profile.
C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-3, RS, SB (4), BB
DH Anthony Hall: 1-for-3, SB (2), BB, K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 0-for-4, 3 K
His season has been so strong that he deserves an update even on bad days.
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-3, CS (6), BB
2B Gabriel Terrero: 1-for-2, 2B (2), 2 BB

RHP Chase Hampton: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
I assume he will make his way to Somerset after the All-Star Break.
RHP Carlos Lagrange: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Just like Hampton, Lagrange is coming back from injury. The results don’t yet matter.
RHP Chalniel Arias: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Today was rehab day in the FCL, as Arias made his first appearance in 2024. The 20-year-old pitched to a 3.09 ERA in 11 starts between the DSL/FCL in 2023 with a 61/17 K/BB over 46.2 innings.
RHP Luis Pacheco: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Pacheco (who is 25) signed a minor-league contract on June 11th. In the Mexican League this season, he pitched to a 2.78 ERA in 22.2 IP with a 14/5 K/BB.  He spent the 2017-2019 seasons in the Phillies organizations (never above the FCL level) and resurfaced in the independent/winter leagues in 2022.

Game 2 (Lost, 16-3)

CF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-3, RS
.303/.395/.538 in 152 PA with 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts. 
DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-2, RS, BB
The 18-year-old has 50 RBI and 49 runs in 77 career games. Additionally, he has more walks (66) than strikeouts (56).
C Engelth Urena: 2-for-3, 2B (7), 2 RBI, RS
Urena has five doubles in his last four games. He is a bat to watch. Season: .253/.361/.429 in 108 PA (7 doubles, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 17 R, 3-for-4 SB, 14 BB, 15 K)
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-3
Today’s performance leaves his triple slash at .381/.483/.563 in 152 PA (13 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 28 R, 6-for-7 SB, 25 BB, 20 K)

RHP Brian Arias: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Yet another pitcher making his 2024 debut. In 36.2 innings for the DSL squads between 2021-2023, the 20-year-old pitched to a 4.91 ERA in 36.2 IP with a 41/26 K/BB.

DSL Yankees (9-15) (Lost to the Rangers Red, 3-2)

3B Richard Matic: 1-for-5, 3 K
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RS, BB
.255/.339/.353 in 59 PA. This is the 17-year-old’s debut season.
CF Louis Pierre: 0-for-3, 2 SB (5), 2 BB
DH Luis Puello: 2-for-5, RS
18-for-42 (.429) with a pair of homers and 11 RBI.
RF Fidel Montero: 1-for-2, 2B (2), SB (3), 2 BB
LF Yael Zapata: 0-for-4, 3 K
Zapata (18) is looking for that elusive first career hit.

RHP Jesus Mejia: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Mejia has yet to give up a run in his career (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K)
LHP Ronald Tejada: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
13.2 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 11 K.
RHP Rafael Arias: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Arias (20) has an 8/1 K/BB over 3.1 innings in his debut campaign.

DSL Bombers (14-10) (Split two games against the DSL Tigers 1)

Game 1 (Won, 5-2. This was the completion of a game started on July 2nd)

DH Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-5, RBI, SB (5), 3 K
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (6), K
LF David Carrera: 1-for-1, RS, 3 BB
C Carlos Rondon: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB

RHP Jerson Alejandro (W, 1-3): 4.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Alejandro is 6’6″ and has the control issues that often come with that. At 18, he has time to work through them.
RHP Joshua Leito: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
The 19-year-old “shortstop” may not be any longer. He hasn’t played one game in the field this season while making three relief appearances. For someone with zero pitching experience, he has done well for himself: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 5-3)

DH Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-4, RS, K
RF Browm Martinez: 1-for-3
CF Angel Ventura: 2-for-2, RBI, RS, BB
The 18-year-old is 8-for-35 (.229) in his debut season (8-for-9 SB)
3B Luis Suarez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS
2B Juan Araujo: 1-for-3, RBI, K
The 17-year-old has played in only three games (2-for-5)

RHP Enixon Sanchez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Your reminder that Sanchez is only 16 years old (12 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 10 K)

Yankees MILB 6/28: Agustin Ramirez Hits First Scranton Homer

News:

None.

Scranton (45-33) (Defeated Worcester, 7-5)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (6), BB
Vivas is hitting .255/.403/.388 in 126 PA for Scranton and is on a 6-game hitting streak. We talk about his good pop for a middle infielder, but he also can run a little. Last year, he stole 25 bases in 30 attempts.
2B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, 2 RS
Peraza is surging towards .200 (have to start somewhere). He is hitting .198/.324/.240 for Scranton. The lack of power stands out.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 K
Ramirez gets that first Triple-A homer. It’s his 17th HR overall (54 RBI)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, K
For Scranton: .294/.347/.466 in 242 PA. The power has shown up in June (.296/.337/.556 with 6 doubles and 5 homers). Rumfield with power is an interesting prospect. Yes, the “Triple-A is juiced up!” disclaimer applies.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
SS Jeter Downs: 1-for-2, 2B (13), 2 CS (6), BB, K, Ejection!
Busy night for Downs!
   SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-0

LHP Edgar Barclay: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 1-2) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Sauer has struggled since coming back. When you think about it, they are playing with house money since he couldn’t stick in Kansas City. Let’s see if he can get into a second-half groove.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz (S, 5): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (36-36) (Defeated Richmond, 7-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (10), RBI, 3 K
Jones has doubled in back-to-back games. He has 11 strikeouts in his last four games. When you are ranked #1 or #2 on 99.9% of Yankees’ prospect lists, there will be a large microscope. 
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
Cowles has a 9-game hitting streak and is hitting .303/.382/.480 in 296 PA. This is the 24-year-old’s debut season at this level, so this performance is impressive. When will he get to Scranton? It doesn’t matter much – he needs at-bats, and they are more available here.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-5, 2B (2), 3 K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, HBP
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, RS, SB (9), 2 K
LF Grant Richardson: 2-for-4, RS, SB (9), BB, K
3 multi-hit games in his last five games played.
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 SB (13), 2 BB
.199/.300/.370 in 207 PA (10 doubles, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 25 R, 13-for-14 SB, 12.6% BB, 20.3% K). Taking walks is one thing he has always done well offensively.
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, SB (12), BB
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, 2B (3), 3 RBI, RS

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Carlos Gomez (W, 3-1): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
5.02 ERA (28.2 IP, 25 H, 24 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 24 BB, 37 K).
RHP Jesus Liranzo (S, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (37-34) (Defeated Wilmington, 6-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-3, 2B (13), BB
Riggio has doubled in four straight games and is up to .225/.368/.395 in 247 PA. He was taking walks but not hitting much. Now, the bat is starting to get going.
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4
LF Jace Avina: 1-for-4
Avina has a 7-game hitting streak (11-for-26, .423)
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, BB
.241/.377/.407. Martinez is a part of the impressive/improving catching pipeline.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, RS, K
Moylan has a 7-game hitting streak. I remember reading a lot from Yankees’ Twitter draft experts about how he was a nice undrafted signing. Perhaps the bat is heating up.
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-2, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
.221/.315/.450 in 154 PA. He has four homers in his last six games.
DH Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
It’s been a slow start for Familia coming off his injury.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-4, K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

LHP Ben Shields: (W, 3-2)  5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K
For Hudson Valley: 2.75 ERA (52.1 IP, 35 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 5 HR, 10 BB, 71 K). This is an impressive debut season for the undrafted free agent. At 25, he is old for the level but his lack of experience tells me this is the appropriate spot for him. I assume he will be on the list of promotions to Somerset.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (27-45) (Defeated Ft. Myers, 9-2)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 3-for-5, RBI, 3 SB (22)
.320/.364/.387 at this level. Tejeda is impressing me in 2024. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 2B (12), RS
.249/.378/.418 in 233 PA.
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, 2B (8), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (20), K
Montero is 32-for-83 in June. Yes, collecting 30+ hits in a calendar month is not an easy feat.
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, RS, SB (1), BB, 2 K
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, RS

RHP Josh Grosz: (W, 2-5) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Suggestion to the Yankees: I know that there are times when you need an emergency arm at other levels. However, I would keep Grosz here regardless of those needs. This is the level where he is undoubtedly most comfortable right now.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

FCL (24-13) (Their games against the FCL Phillies were postponed. The new date for yesterday’s suspended game is July 5th. I do not see a makeup day listed for today’s regularly scheduled game)

DSL Yankees (7-12) (Lost to DSL Arizona Black, 4-3. There is a reason for it (mainly location), but I still like that the DSL squads play more than three teams, unlike the FCL teams)

DH Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
.275/.370/.375 in 46 PA. This is the 17-year-old’s debut campaign.
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-3, RS, 2 SB (7), BB
.233/.340/.302 in 50 PA. Thus far, he isn’t showing off the power he displayed in 2023 (.411 SLG), but I am more locked into how he does on the basepaths.
C Luis Puello: 1-for-2, 2B (3), SB (1), BB

RHP Alexander Almonte: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
2.63 ERA in 13.2 IP for the 6’4″ 17-year-old. This is his de2but season.
RHP Luis Burgos: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers (11-7) (Lost to DSL Colorado, 6-4)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, K
Vilorio’s first game since 6/15. The millionaire bonus baby is hitting .269/.367/.346 in eight games.
  CF Browm Martinez: 1-for-1, RS, SB (11)
While I can’t say for certain, it is a reasonable assumption that Viliorio was pulled because he is coming back from injury.
DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, 2 K
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-3, RS, SB (12)
A DSL classic line of .375/.563/.500 in 48 PA with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts.
1B Carlos Rondon: 1-for-2, 2 RS, BB
So many players down here are labeled as “catchers” (true of Rondon) and “shortstops” regardless of where they ultimately play. Anyway, Rondon is 3-for-16 with 8 walks and 7 strikeouts.
3B Rafael Martinez: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI

RHP Mariano Salomon: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The 21-year-old has a 1.56 ERA in 17.1 IP (12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 19 K)

 

 

Yankees MILB 6/23: Carlos Narvaez Goes 5-for-5

News:

The Yankees acquired 1B/3B J.D. Davis (and cash) from the Oakland Athletics for IF Jordan Groshans. The money will likely cover most (if not all) of what remains on Davis’ 1-year deal. It isn’t much.

Davis is hitting .236/.304/.366 (98 wRC+) in 135 PA. He has four home runs and five runs batted in. Interesting. The defensive metrics don’t love his performance, so he better hit if he wishes to keep a job. He had a run between 2019-2022 where he hit .276/.363/.457 (127 wRC+) over 1,258 plate appearances with a 10.5% BB and 27.3% K. However, the numbers haven’t been as strong in 2023-2024.

The Yankees need offense with Giancarlo Stanton out and there isn’t much available. They are not ready to give Agustin Ramirez a role, and none of the veterans in Triple-A excite you.

The bottom line? They wouldn’t need to do a signing like this if Gleyber Torres or DJ LeMahieu were producing. LeMahieu is showing no signs of life with the bat. He is moving towards “sunk cost” territory (if he isn’t there already).  I hope he doesn’t impact Ben Rice‘s playing time much. With the DH spot open, they can be flexible with playing time.

Scranton (42-32) (Mauled Buffalo, 18-9. They scored 12 runs in the 5th inning. As for last night’s postponed game, it is now listed as canceled. Instead of playing two in today’s heat (and pitching issues may have played a role), the game was permanently wiped off the calendar)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, BB, K
Last 6 games: 7-for-23. Before you toss away the Victor Gonzalez deal, remember that Vivas was a part of it.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-5, RBI, RS, HBP, K
Ramirez is 1-for-16 since his promotion. He is hitting .275/.358/.537 in 279 PA overall.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5, 2B (14), HR (7), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Since promotion: .298/.354/.468 in 226 PA. He has four HR in his last 12 games.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 5-for-5, 2B (15), HR (8), 4 RBI, 4 RS, SB (5), BB
Entering today: .254/.382/.424. Now: .271/.396/.457 in 210 PA (15 doubles, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 40 R). His best for RBI in a season is 44, set in 100 games last year. Narvaez never had a 4-hit game before today, never mind a 5-hit effort.
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-5, 2B (12), RBI, 2 RS, SB (13), HBP, 2 K
.279/.372/.541 in 208 PA (12 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 36 R, 13-for-17 SB). 
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, 2B (8), 3 RS, 2 SB (5), 3 BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-5, HR (4), 4 RBI, 2 RS, SB (3), K
For Scranton: .279/.327/.443 in 150 PA. Gonzalez has some appeal but is still a “break glass in case of emergency” type.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 3-for-5, 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (24), K
.285/.408/.369 in 157 PA. He has 24 stolen bases (26 attempts) in 47 games.
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (9), BB, 3 K

RHP Cam Schlittler: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Schlittler also hit 3 batters. This will impact the strong numbers he had before today, but toss it. He was brought here from Hudson Valley because they needed a rested arm. Regardless, the offense bailed him out.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Jake Cousins: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Jesus Liranzo: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Season (between here and Somerset): 2.45 ERA in 33 IP (25 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 53 K)

Somerset (32-36) (Lost two games to Erie. It is odd to see Somerset struggle. Though the players always change, winning has become expected here)

Game 1 (Lost, 10-7)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2 K
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
Rodriguez’s first Double-A home run. While he was pulled from this game and didn’t play in Game 2, I wouldn’t read into that (yet) – the heat is brutal in Somerset today.
  C Peter Serruto: 0-for-0
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-5, 2 K
For Somerset: 8-for-28 (.286) with a double and a pair of home runs.
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, 2 BB, K
CF Grant Richardson: 2-for-5, SB (11)
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
1B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, 3 RS, 2 BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 3-for-5, 2B (4), 3 RBI
His reward was not playing in Game 2. He has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-20).
SS Alexander Vargas: 4-for-5, 3 RBI, K
Useless fact of the day: Vargas has exactly one 4-hit game in each of the last four seasons.

RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
This will be a wasted start, but that isn’t a big deal. Season: 3.80 ERA (68.2 IP, 60 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 9 HR, 24 BB, 74 K).
RHP Trystan Vrieling: (L, 7-5) 5 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
This was a tough afternoon for Vrieling. Season: 5.08 ERA (79.2 IP, 82 H, 48 R, 45 ER, 8 HR, 24 BB, 75 K). They knew there would be some growing pains by throwing him immediately into the Double-A fire. 
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP McKinley Moore: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Game 2 (Lost, 11-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, RS, BB
Jones entered the month with a .641 OPS. It is now .702.
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, BB
Cowles is on a little 5-game hitting streak (5-for-18, 1 double, 1 HR). He has slumped a bit in June (18-for-75 (.240)), so I hope this is a start of a new hot streak.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, RBI, RS
DH Elijah Dunham: 3-for-3, 2B (9), HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 RS, SB (7)
Dunham is hitting .257/.363/.451 in 168 PA at this level.
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, 2 K
.253/.314/.389 in 210 PA. He was strong in April/May but has struggled in June.
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, K
1B Max Burt: 1-for-3, RS, K

RHP Josh Grosz: (L, 0-1)  4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR
Like Scranton, Somerset needed a starter and Grosz was available (from Tampa). I will say the same thing I said about Schlittler: Toss it.
RHP Danny Watson: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
Watson is having trouble getting his season going after his injury. Let’s see what he does in the second half. 
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.52 ERA (25 IP, 21 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 40 K). The 26-year-old, who missed 2023, hasn’t allowed a home run in 29.2 career innings (43/13 K/BB)

Hudson Valley (34-34) (Outlasted Greensboro, 12-9. They hit 5 home runs)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Riggio is at .217/.370/.380 in 230 PA. He has three home runs in his last seven games. 
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-5, RBI, K
Serna is now 0-for-20 since missing a game after a HBP. That has dropped his triple slash from .280/.380/.504 to .258/.357/.464.
DH Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (19), RS, BB, K
.275/.355/.459 in 251 PA (19 doubles, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 29 R, 4-for-5 SB). He has three doubles and multi-hit efforts in his last six games.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2 RS, BB, K
.286/.397/.469 in 229 PA (17 doubles, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 27 R). 
C Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.243/.382/.405 in 228 PA. 
RF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Martin’s first career multi-HR game. He has 5 HR in 36 games this year (0 in 18 games during last year’s debut season).
3B Josh Moylan: 2-for-4, 2 HR (3), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB, 2 K
Moylan’s first career multi-HR game. Hopefully, he can build off this effort as he had some “post-draft” buzz last year.
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (6), K
LF Nelson Medina: 0-for-5, K

RHP Jackson Fristoe: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Fristoe left the game due to a shoulder issue, according to GameCast. Yikes.
RHP Luis Arejula: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
3.14 ERA (28.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 16 BB, 30 K)
RHP Huey Morrill: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
2.68 ERA (40.1 IP, 31 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 49 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Juan Crisp (W, 1-0): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Crisp is a catcher who was asked to get eight outs. The system used a lot of pitchers today (and recently), so tomorrow’s day off across the full-season leagues will come in handy.

Tampa (25-43) (Split a doubleheader against Palm Beach)

Game 1 (Won, 5-4, in the conclusion of the suspended game from Friday. This game went a full 9 innings)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-5, 2 K
For Tampa: .313/.366/.382 in 164 PA. He doesn’t go hitless often, so when he does it in back-to-back games, it stands out!
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-2, RS, SB (18), HBP, BB
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, RBI
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RS, CS (2), HBP, BB
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, RS
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (15)
C Oscar Silverio:  0-for-0, BB
  PH-C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-1, 2 RBI, BB, K
Gomez with a big 2-run single as his rehab continues.

RHP Luis Serna: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The weather cuts Serna’s start for the second consecutive time. This effort pushes his ERA below 4.00 (3.98 in 52 IP (37 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 61 K)). His ERA was 10.32 in his first three starts and 6.97 after five starts. He has been on quite a roll and is still under 20 (until July 20th).
RHP Scott Effross: (W, 1-0)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Effross struck out the side in his second inning of work. Of his 26 pitches, 22 were strikes.
RHP Joey Gerber: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Cade Austin: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Montana Semmel (S, 4): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
This game was dicey late, as Palm Beach turned a 5-0 deficit into a 5-4 deficit in the 9th. Tampa was able to hang on.

Game 2 (Lost, 13-11. This was a 7-inning game. They scored six runs in the bottom of the 7th (after scoring four in the 6th) and brought the winning run to the plate, but couldn’t take it further)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (11), 2 RBI, RS, SB (18)
Lombard is at .228 with a .676 OPS (11 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 24 R, 18-for-19 SB). This isn’t spectacular but he is holding his own.  He is 9-for-31 (.290) in his last 8 games with 3 doubles, a triple, a home run, and three stolen bases.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (10), RBI, RS, BB, K
Arias is hitting .212 with a .676 OPS. He has 22 extra-base hits (10 doubles, 6 triples, 6 HR) in 65 games, but also owns a 35.9% K rate.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-5
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, 2 K
Castillo is hitting .249 with a .784 OPS. He has 38 walks (17.8%) and 44 strikeouts (20.6%) in 214 PA.
3B Hans Montero: 2-for-5, HR (4), RBI, RS, 3 K
A much-needed double-header for Montero, who started hot at this level but has cooled off recently.
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, RS
Montero has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games (reached base safely in all 17 games). He is hitting .250 with a .675 OPS (before the streak, he was hitting .182/.250/.241). A jump of 184 points in OPS is impressive.
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-1, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K

RHP Cade Smith: (L, 3-5)  4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
3.94 ERA in 61.2 IP (47 H, 33 R, 27 ER, 3 HR, 30 BB, 78 K). He has some ups-and-downs this season, but his overall season is impressive.
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
2.18 ERA (33 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 38 K)

FCL (23-13)

Scheduled day off. With a little more than a month to go in the season, the FCL team is two games up on the Tigers for first place.

DSL Yankees (5-10)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (9-5)

Scheduled day off.