Tag: Will Warren

Yankees MILB 9/18: Will Warren Tosses 5 Strong Innings

News:

I have nothing to offer.

Scranton (85-60) (Lost to Buffalo, 7-6, in 10 innings. Worcester allowed three runs in the bottom of the 9th to lose, 4-3. Hence, they remain tied with four games left. Scranton holds the tie-breaker (better head-to-head record in the second half))

2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-4, BB
Durbin is down to .285 thanks to an 8-for-43 September.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, RBI, HBP, K
1B Ben Rice: 1-for-4, 2B (4), SF, RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, SF, RBI, K
DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, RS, HBP, BB, K
   PR-DH-RF Duke Ellis: 0-for-1, 2 SB (3)
RF-LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, RS, SB (19), 2 BB, K
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, RBI, K
LF Jahmai Jones: 0-for-0, RS, HBP
Jones stayed in the game (and scored) after the HBP but left in the next inning.
  LF Cam Eden: 0-for-1
  PH-RF-P Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-2, SB (6), K
CF Greg Allen: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, K

RHP Will Warren: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Final Triple-A numbers: 5.91 ERA (109.2 IP, 114 H, 79 R, 72 ER, 19 HR, 39 BB, 136 K)
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
RHP Scott Effross: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Oscar Gonzalez (L, 0-1): 0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
Yeah, in a game with major playoff implications, Scranton ran out of pitchers. They needed to use Gonzalez in an attempt to lock down a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the 10th. I love MILB.

Somerset (1-0)

Scheduled day off (travel day to Hartford). They resume the best-of-3 series tomorrow night.

Hudson Valley (3-3) (Lost to Bowling Green, 4-1, to lose the best-of-3 series 2-1. Bowling Green’s absurd pitching (allowed 10 hits in three games) leads them to the promised land. The Renegades had a strong season and should be proud of all they accomplished)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-3, CS (1), BB, 2 K
Riggio is an infield prospect without any doubt where his future lies as he didn’t play any position other than second base. I expect him to start 2025 in Somerset.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, BB, K
Including the playoffs, Lombard Jr. hit 12 doubles in his final 18 games.
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 4 K
RF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, 2B (2)
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 2 K
Martinez’s grand slam in Game 2 was the only mistake the Bowling Green pitching staff made in the series. The Yankees have moved him up one level per season. If that trend continues, he will be in Somerset to start 2025.
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, K
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, 2 K
CF Brendan Jones: 1-for-3, RS
After a hot start, Jones’s numbers normalized down the stretch. I expect him to begin 2025 at this level.
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, 2 K

RHP Trent Sellers: (L, 0-1)  5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Full season (including playoffs): 2.23 ERA (92.2 IP, 50 H, 31 R, 23 ER, 42 BB, 113 K).  Sellers wasn’t asked to stretch out much in 2024 but was outstanding. Signed as an undrafted free agent last year, Sellers will be 25 in October. There is zero doubt he will begin 2025 in Somerset.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
At this level (including playoffs): 24 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 27 K.
RHP Huey Morrill: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

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 9/12: Ben Shields Ks 10

News:

Nothing

Scranton (80-59) (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 3-1. Worcester refuses to lose (5 straight wins; 9-1 in their last 10 games) so their lead over Scranton remains 2 games. Rochester has fallen out of it)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, 2B (17), BB, K
In his last 12 games, Vivas has 5 doubles, a triple, and a pair of home runs. In his previous 15 games, Vivas had one extra-base hit (double). I mentioned before this streak that I was disappointed in his power output. You’re welcome.
3B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-4, K
Durbin is 5-for-23 with a pair of home runs since coming off the injured list.
1B Ben Rice: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-2, RS, HBP, BB, K
DH T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (13), 3 RBI, RS, K
At this level: .295/.361/.455 in 451 PA. As I stated last week, he is Rule 5 eligible. Do the Yankees value him as a prospect? I honestly do not know.
CF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-2, SB (18), BB
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3
LF Jahmai Jones: 0-for-2, HBP, K
RF Greg Allen: 1-for-3, SB (12)

RHP Will Warren: (W, 6-5)  5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
6.11 ERA (104.2 IP, 109 H, 78 R, 71 ER, 19 HR, 37 BB, 130 K). Call me an optimist but Warren can still help this franchise next year. His trade value doesn’t figure to be high.
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Nick Burdi: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi cleared waivers and was outrighted to Scranton. He had the right to decline the outright and become a free agent but decided not to (he has declined outright assignments in the past)
RHP Phil Bickford: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio (S, 7): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (72-61) (Lost to New Hampshire, 5-3. Portland lost, so Somerset maintains a half-game lead with 3 games to play)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-4
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (13), RS, BB, K
At this level: .274/.360/.526 in 261 PA. He has 30 doubles and 21 home runs in 119 games between here and Hudson Valley. Impressive.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, RBI, K
3B Max Burt: 1-for-2, RS, BB

LHP Ben Shields: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Shields sets a personal best for strikeouts in his final appearance of the regular season. Since his promotion: 3.12 ERA in 52 IP (41 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 65 K). Overall: 3.48 ERA in 106 IP (84 H, 49 R, 41 ER, 9 HR, 33 BB, 137 K). 
RHP Sean Boyle: (L, 3-1)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Colby White: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At this level: 2.01 ERA (22.1 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 37 K). He could be an option as early as next Opening Day.

Hudson Valley (1-1) (Lost to Greensboro, 3-1. The series is tied at 1 and will go to a deciding third game tomorrow night)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, K
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
Moylan homers in the 9th to avoid the shutout.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, 2 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-1, 2 BB
LF Coby Morales: 2-for-3, K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, 3 K

RHP Brian Hendry: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Including the regular season, Hendry has allowed 4 runs (1 earned) over 20.2 IP with a 27/11 K/BB. He missed most of the campaign due to injury.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Cohen is too good for this level (to put it mildly)
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Huey Morrill: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

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 7/25: Roderick Arias: Grand Slam

News:

IF Caleb Durbin‘s rehab is already over (one plate appearance!) but it’s semantics. The Yankees moved him to Somerset today to continue rehabbing, though it won’t be labeled that way.

Scranton (54-44) (Defeated Worcester, 7-2)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 HBP
Hopefully, this gets him back on track.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5, RBI, RS, K
Ramirez has a 7-game hitting streak. At this level: .214/.317/.359 in 120 PA (3 doubles, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 13 R, 11.7% BB, 17.5% K). While in Somerset, he owned a 10.7% BB and 16.5% K. There is a lot to like.
2B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, RBI
DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, K
1B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
Escarra is 8-for-17 with two walks and a strikeout since his promotion.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (14), RS
Gonzalez is 7-for-14 with three doubles in his last four games.
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Josh VanMeter: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Will Warren: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
6.11 ERA (95.2 IP, 99 H, 71 R, 65 ER, 18 HR, 35 BB, 115 K). July: 21.2 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 30 K. His miserable May is nearly impossible to overcome, but he has thrown pretty well for much of the season.
RHP Nick Burdi: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Burdi was throwing hard in his first rehab appearance. Can he still be useful for the big club? Yes. Should they continue to look for upgrades in the bullpen? Yes. Even if Burdi is healthy, you worry about future injuries and lack of control/command.
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 2-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Somerset (48-45) (Lost a tough one to Portland, 7-6. Portland scored 3 in the top of the 9th)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, 4 K
Jones’ strikeout woes continue. Who would I trade him for? A deal for someone in the Jonathan India class isn’t bad. You don’t want to “give up” on a kid with his talent level, but the outcomes remain wide. When will Jones be a productive MLB player? It could be mid-2026 before he starts to figure it out. This is not an easy one because the Yankees need young, cheap talent if they end up signing Juan Soto. I see some people on social media who think he isn’t worth packaging for India, and I get it. India won Rookie of the Year in 2021 but followed that up with a .246/.323/.394 (97 OPS+) in 222 games between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he is playing back to his rookie level after nearly losing his full-time job. He has never played third base, which could be more of a need than 2B. I like him but I get the trepidation.
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RS, SB (1)
Between here and Scranton, Durbin has 18 doubles and 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts over 48 games.
  2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-0
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-0, BB, HBP
No, he wasn’t pulled due to an impending trade. He left the game shortly after being HBP.
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Flores has homered in back-to-back games (5 HR in 23 games since his promotion). He has 20 doubles and 11 home runs this year (15 doubles and 8 home runs in 105 games last year). Interesting.
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, RS, SB (11), BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, CS (4)
A grand slam for Vargas. Known for his defense, Vargas is 25-for-95 (.263/.290/.411) since joining Somerset.

RHP Trystan Vrieling:  5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
5.31 ERA (101.2 IP, 107 H, 63 R, 60 ER, 9 HR, 34 BB, 93 K). He was cruising until a 4-run 5th inning. He is pitching well overall in July and we must remember that he is spending his entire debut season in Double-A.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP McKinley Moore (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR

Hudson Valley (45-46) (Defeated Wilmington, 5-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, SB (11)
Serna’s first stolen base since 7/1. 
LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 2 K
Avina is in a 0-for-23 slump. Slumps happen. Now, he has to get himself out of it.
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-3, HR (11), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
.240/.373/.417 in 311 PA. Martinez has homered twice in his last four games. Between 2023 and 2024, he has 29 HR in 179 games. From 2019 to 2022, he hit 10 HR in 103 games.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
RF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, RS, K
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-3, 2B (10), RBI, RS, BB
.234/.363/.392 in 190 PA. He is 6-for-13 with a pair of doubles in his last four games.
3B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, SAC, RBI, K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
5.75 ERA (72 IP, 73 H, 55 R, 46 ER, 5 HR, 44 BB, 64 K). He is pitching better lately (5 hitless innings last time out). Carr entered the season with a buzz around him but initially struggled. Is he turning it around down the stretch?
RHP Sean Boyle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At three levels (Hudson Valley, Somerset, Scranton): 1.89 ERA (47.2 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 43 K)

Tampa (36-54) (Split a doubleheader against Clearwater)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-3, 2 K
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, 2B (14)
Arias has struggled mightily as a right-handed hitter, so it is worth noting that he hit this double batting right-handed.
1B-3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-1
  LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3
RF Willy Montero: 0-for-2
3B-2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, K
LF-1B Coby Morales: 1-for-2, SB (23), K
Morales is 23-for-25 stealing bases.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-3)  3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR
The 6’8″ Warrecker will need time. He has 35 professional innings, all this season.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
RHP Montana Semmel: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Semmell dialed it up to 95.7 MPH. 

Game 2 (Won, 7-1)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K
Lombard Jr. is hitting .231 with a .697 OPS (16 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 41 R, 26-for-30 SB, 13.9% BB, 24.2% K)
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (15), HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Arias is hitting .228 with a .703 OPS (15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 55 R, 26-for-37 SB, 11.99% BB, 32.4% K). In July, his BB/K is 12/12. In June, he walked 7 times and struck out an incredible 41 times. Is something clicking? We’ll have to wait and see.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-3
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, BB, K
Gonzalez is 10-for-36 (.278) since his promotion. He won’t turn 21 until October.
1B Coby Morales: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-2, 2 RS, HBP

RHP Luis Serna: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Serna’s first career 10+ strikeout game. He tossed 82 pitches (52 strikes). Season: 5.64 ERA (68.2 IP, 62 H, 44 R, 43 ER, 6 HR, 24 BB, 81 K). This is his first full start since July 10th (threw only one inning, due to rain, on 7/19). Serna doesn’t throw hard (though he did throw a 94 MPH sinker tonight), relying more on his 5-pitch mix to generate outs. His 17 whiffs tonight were distributed among his change (8), slider (5), and sinker (4).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (W, 2-2) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was able to strand one of his two inherited runners. Season: 3.97 ERA (47.2 IP, 46 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 12 BB, 55 K). The K/BB stands out. Last season, it was 49/29 over 53.2 IP.

FCL (35-22)

Their game against the Tigers was cancelled due to rain (they started it, but couldn’t get in enough innings). While the stats won’t count, LHP Henry Lalane tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out three.

Due to the cancellation, the Yankees win the division and go to the playoffs.

The other teams in the playoffs are the dominant Marlins (39-15), the Pirates (36-23), and the Wild Card Tigers (34-23). Today’s cancelation benefited the Tigers, who ended up percentage points ahead of the Rays and Red Sox.

The playoffs begin on Saturday. The Yankees will play the Pirates.

By the way, the FCL schedule is structured in a way where you only play division teams. So, the Yankees haven’t faced the Marlins or Pirates this season.

DSL Yankees (11-24) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 5-1)

LF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Michell Chirinos (L, 0-4): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Burgos: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old owns a 5.85 ERA in 20 IP (21 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 15 K)

DSL Bombers (23-15) (Defeated the DSL Yankees, 5-1)

DH Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, 2B (6), RS, 2 K
.256/.458/.410 in 107 PA (26.2% BB, 20.6% K)
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-2, RS, BB
1B Carlos Villarroel: 1-for-3, 2B (2), 3 RBI
.265/.346/.382 in 78 PA. 
3B Kevin Verde: 0-for-1, RS, SB (8), CS (2), 2 BB
LF Angel Ventura: 1-for-2, RS, SB (15), K

RHP Enixon Sanchez (W, 3-0): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (22.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 21 K). Not bad for a 17-year-old in his first season (he was 16 when the season started).
RHP Alexis Paulino: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 7/20: Pitching Rules!

News

RHP Cody Morris cleared waivers and was outrighted to Scranton.

With Josh Maciejewski demoted to Scranton, my guess is that Yoendrys Gomez will get the call. That is a guess, but he is rested and conveniently on the 40-man roster. It appears the Yankees are not ready to promote Scott Effross.

Scranton (50-42) (Defeated Buffalo, 8-3, in 11 innings)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, RS, BB
Yesterday, Lockridge went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. I love baseball. 
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-5, RS, SB (9), HBP, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-6, RBI
Ramirez is 15-for-81 (.183) since his promotion. He is not ready to be a “savior,” and they don’t have a position for him anyway. If he played 3B, we would be having a discussion…
SS Oswald Peraza: 3-for-4, 2 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS, CS (4), 2 BB, K
Peraza reaches base five times. A few years ago, that would have created a buzz but much of his buzz is gone, and I am not sure who to blame for that. 
DH T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-5, RS
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, SAC
1B J.C. Escarra: 4-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS
Escarra was promoted here from Somerset. He will serve as a backup to Agustin Ramirez in addition to his 1B/3B duties. While this is his Scranton debut, it wasn’t his Triple-A debut. He played in 58 games for Triple-A Norfolk in 2021 before heading to the independent/Mexican leagues for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RS, BB, HBP
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-4, SB (10), BB, 2 K

RHP Will Warren: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
6.42 ERA (89.2 IP, 97 H, 70 R, 64 ER, 17 HR, 34 BB, 107 K). Two starts ago, he struck out 11 in six innings (1 R, 2 H). We’ll see if he is starting to find a groove. Left-handed batters have, to put it mildly, torched him this season (.315/.408/.566 entering today). 
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
0.93 ERA (29 IP, 19 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 33 K). He has been masterful this season.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: (W, 3-2)  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Phil Bickford: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (45-44) (Squeaked past Altoona, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (14), 2 K
.238/.316/.403 in 342 PA (14 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 48 R, 18-for-22 SB, 9.6% BB, 37.1% K).  Is he the CF version of Oneil Cruz? That isn’t a bad comparison on paper, but Cruz reached Double-A at 20 (to be fair, Jones was still in college!) and struck out 25.7% of the time. That remains the one thing I can’t get over. Striking out 37.1% of the time in Double-A is a massive red flag. So, I do think Cruz is a good comparison when you factor in size and athleticism. I don’t think Jones is progressing as well as Cruz did.
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RS, K
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
How do you fix an 0-for-3, 3 K night? By hitting a walk-off RBI single!
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, RS, K
Dunham has hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games. He is 21-for-51 (.412) in July. 
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, 2B (19), K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, RBI
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
4.26 ERA (95 IP, 79 H, 50 R, 45 ER, 14 HR, 36 BB, 99 K). Due to the break, Dees hadn’t started since July 12th. I think he needed the time off and it paid dividends tonight.
RHP Danny Watson: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Watson’s overall numbers aren’t spectacular, but I think much of that was due to his return from injury. He has put together six scoreless outings in his last seven, lowering his ERA from 10.13 to 7.47. 
RHP Luis Velasquez: (W, 3-2)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
4.75 ERA (36 IP, 31 H, 27 R, 19 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 51 K)

Hudson Valley (43-44) (Lost, 4-3, in 11 innings)

2B Roc Riggio: 2-for-5, 3B (4), RS, 2 K
Riggio has two home runs and a triple in his last three games. 
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, SF, 2 RBI
.252/.342/.435 in 374 PA (23 doubles, 12 HR, 55 RBI, 49 R, 10.4% BB, 15.8% K, 10-for-17 SB). 
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-5, 3 K
.263/.347/.427 in 323 PA (22 doubles, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 38 R, 9.6% BB, 26.3% K, 4-for-5 SB). 
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B (10), BB
.242/.378/.404 in 296 PA. 
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-5, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2B (9), RS, SB (2), BB
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, HBP
  LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-0, BB
RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-5, 3 K
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-4, RS, 2 SB (8)

RHP Blane Abeyta: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.88 ERA (50 IP, 41 H, 20 R, 16 ER, 3 HR, 18 BB, 59 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
3.56 ERA (30.1 IP, 24 H, 18 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 43 K). 
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
4.73 ERA (51.1 IP, 39 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 7 HR, 22 BB, 62 K)
RHP Luis Arejula: (L, 3-4)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
3.05 ERA (38.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 36 K)

Tampa (34-53) (Won two games against Bradenton)

Game 1 (Won, 2-1, in the conclusion of yesterday’s game. This game went 10 innings and was won on a walk-off error)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-3, RS, SB (26), 2 BB, K
This is Lombard Jr.’s third straight 2-hit effort.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, SB (25), 2 BB, K
Arias has nine walks in his last seven games. 
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-4
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Coby Morales: 1-for-4, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, RS
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, K

RHP Chase Hampton: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Hampton retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced (hit a batter) and averaged 92 MPH (94 max). He threw 45 pitches (30 strikes) and should be coming to Somerset shortly.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Nixon was used as a “bridge” between Hampton and Serna.
RHP Luis Serna: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
That bridge will be meaningless, as Serna did not return to this game.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
4.20 ERA (45 IP, 45 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 11 BB, 53 K). 
RHP Osiel Rodriguez (W, 1-2): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
2.42 ERA (44.2 IP, 22 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 6 HR, 22 BB, 53 K). 

Game 2 (Won, 7-0)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B (16), RBI, RS, K
Lombard’s OPS is up to .717. He owns a .360 slugging percentage. On June 9th, his SLG was .268. His progress is one of the highlights this season.
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, K
He leads the FSL in triples (7), is 4th in RBI (45), and third in stolen bases (25).
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, RBI
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2B (16), RBI, K
Castillo has a .811 OPS in 70 games. It is fair to say that he has been one of the system’s biggest surprises this year.
DH Willy Montero: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, RS, SB (9), 2 K
RF Coby Morales: 3-for-3, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI, 3 RS
Morales’ first career multi-HR game. 
C Diomedes Hernandez: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS
The 19-year-old’s first Low-A extra-base hit.
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, RS

RHP Josh Grosz: (W, 3-5)  5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Last three starts: 15.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 17 K. This stretch comes after a tough emergency outing for Somerset. He could have easily been discouraged by that, but he has instead turned it up a notch. Season (for Tampa): 4.64 ERA (66 IP, 65 H, 47 R, 34 ER, 26 BB, 85 K). This is his debut season.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Luciano (22) can dial it up into the mid-90s.

FCL (34-21) (Split a doubleheader with the FCL Tigers, essentially chopping two games off the schedule. They own a 1.5-game lead with three games left. Note: They don’t “make up” games in the FCL. If the Yankees win the division by 0.5 games over the Tigers, the Tigers don’t get to make up a game)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-3)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-4, 2B (2), 2 K
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 BB
C Engelth Urena: 3-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, CS (2)
His 8th HR in 37 games.
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, BB
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, RBI

RHP Sean Boyle: 1.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
The 27-year-old Boyle is down here on a rehab stint. He made only 9 starts for Scranton last year.
LHP Will Brian: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Their 10th-round pick in 2022 (Eastern Kentucky) makes his first rehab appearance.

Game 2 (Won, 17-5)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-6, 3B (2), 3 RBI, 2 RS
Mayea, who has five 2-hit games in July (8 games played), is hitting .297/.384/.344 in 146 PA with a 25.3% K. He has a pair of doubles and triples and is 16-for-19 stealing bases. In my opinion, the 18-year-old is doing enough to get to Low-A Tampa, whether that is to finish this year or to start 2025.
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
.289/.452/.384 in 208 PA. Perez has more walks (44) than strikeouts (33).
1B Engelth Urena: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB
Urena is hitting .315/.429/.591 in 154 PA (11 doubles, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 32 R, 14.9% BB, 11.7% K). He is second in the league in OPS and third in home runs (he has played 15 fewer games than leader Jhonny Severino, who has 10 HR). He is a legitimate prospect with the bat. We’ll see what he is long-term with the glove.
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
.291/.384/.485 in 190 PA with 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts.
SS Juan Matheus: 3-for-5, 2 2B (9), 4 RBI, RS
.312/.418/.478 in 189 PA.  He is third in the league with 38 RBI.
DH Gabriel Terrero: 2-for-3, 3B (1), 2 RBI, 3 RS, SB (14), BB
2B Abrahan Ramirez: 3-for-4, 2B (14), RBI, 2 RS, BB
.351/.454/.519 in 184 PA. He has slowed down (.255/.321/.392 in July) but we didn’t expect him to hit .400 this season, right? He still ranks second in batting average.
RF Joel Mendez: 2-for-4, 3B (4), 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.301/.417/.569 after hitting .293/.363/.424 here last year. Likely not a top prospect, but he has done enough to get to Low-A.
3B Santiago Gomez: 2-for-4, HR (2), 5 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
The 20-year-old ties his best for RBI in a game. He is hitting .333/.438/.440 in 89 PA. If you haven’t figured it out, the FCL Yankees are good offensively.

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
He only has 6.2 innings during his rehab and the FCL season ends next week. If they don’t move him to Tampa, he will need to get some innings this fall/winter.
RHP Hansel Rosario (W, 2-0): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR

DSL Yankees (11-22)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (20-14)

Scheduled day off.

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 6/19: George Lombard Jr. Hits First Pro HR

News:

There was a flurry of moves today, some of which were prompted by the promotion of Ben Rice to the Yankees from Scranton.

The Yankees promoted C/1B Agustin Ramirez from Somerset to replace Rice.

Ramirez’s ascent has been fun and fast. While he performed well as a 17-year-old in the DSL (18.9% K rate was telling), nothing in his triple slash suggested a monster was about to be born (.239/.300/.374 with 4 home runs). Like every minor leaguer, he missed a development year in 2020. In 2022, he spent the entire year in the FCL as a 20-year-old. Do you see where I am going with this? Prospects develop at different rates and you never know when one will explode.

With Ramirez leaving Somerset, the Patriots needed a catcher. Enter Hudson Valley’s Jesus Rodriguez. a multi-positional player who carries a big stick. In his minor league career, he is hitting .319/.407/.483 in 1,077 plate appearances including a .339/.428/.515 line in 81 High-A games. He has seen time at catcher (101 games), first base (53; none in 2024), second base (3; all in 2024), third base (68), and left field (23).  Additionally, he played 16 games in right field during the 2023-2024 Venezuelan Winter League season. Despite the offense, Rodriguez hasn’t appeared on many Yankees prospect lists. I think that would change if he continues to rake in Somerset.

The train stopped there, as the Yankees didn’t promote anyone from Tampa to Hudson Valley. Rather, they activated Juan Crisp off of the development list. Crisp has been in the organization since 2019 but has only appeared in 60 games.

Unrelated to those moves, top relief prospect Jack Neely was promoted from Somerset to Scranton. In 33 Double-A games between 2023-2024, Neely pitched to a 2.59 ERA in 48.2 innings with an impressive 77/15 K/BB. I don’t see the 6’8″ Neely staying in Scranton for long – he is being fast-tracked to the Yankees, in my opinion. Unlike many Yankees relievers, Neely is not a groundball specialist (33.8%) but he does miss bats, which is needed.

Scranton (41-28) (Defeated Buffalo, 8-2)

2B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
3B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5
Not the sexiest Triple-A debut, but he gets that first hit out of the way.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Rumfield has four doubles and three homers in his last nine games.
C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4, RS, K
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-3, 2B (11), HR (9), SF, 2 RBI, RS
Downs has two doubles and three home runs in his last four games. He is hitting .276/.371/.546.

RHP Will Warren: (W, 5-4)  6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
6.65 ERA (66.1 IP,70 H, 51 R, 49 ER, 16 HR, 26 BB, 72 K). Warren allowed 15 HR in 99.2 IP at this level last season, so 31 HR allowed in 166 Triple-A innings. It’s a juiced-up environment, but that still stands out. If you want good news: Warren seems to be over his May blues. In 22 June innings, he has allowed seven runs on 19 hits with a 24/7 K/BB.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Liranzo dialed it up to 97.4 MPH. Despite what is a good arm, the 29-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut.
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Neely hit 98.1 MPH with his fastball. He could come to MLB quickly.

Somerset (32-33) (Lost to Erie, 11-2)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, RS, HBP, BB
Rodriguez reaches base a pair of times in his Double-A debut.
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, 2B (21)
Cowles, trying to break out of a slump, hits his 21st double in 61 games.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, RS, BB
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2B (8), RBI, BB
Wegner has four doubles in his last four games.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jordan Groshans: 0-for-3
1B Max Burt: 1-for-3, 2 K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 6-5) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
He pitched well through four innings but was roughed up in the fifth. Season: 3.95 ERA (68.1 IP, 57 H, 38 R, 30 ER, 4 HR, 34 BB, 70 K)
RHP McKinley Moore: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Moore was moved up here today.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR

Hudson Valley (33-31) (Lost to Greensboro, 8-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-2, 2B (9), 2 BB
.210/.358/.364 in 218 PA. He has reached base safely in 10 straight games (10-for-40, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 7 BB)
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.272/.373/.490 in 284 PA. Whether he is a long-term shortstop or not, they are getting a long look at him there (53 starts in 2024, 52 starts in 2023). Letting him play shortstop is also a showcase for opposing scouts.
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-4
.272/.352/.446 in 233 PA. It’s been a slow June for Avina, but a correction was likely after his incredible start. 
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB, K
Flores is hitting .297/.412/.497 in 211 PA. Given all his High-A experience (157 games, 645 PA), he likely was also in consideration for the Somerset promotion.  He likely will get there this year regardless.
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, RS, K
The Yankees have never moved Martinez up a level during a season. That doesn’t mean he is stuck here for 2024, but trends sometimes have meaning. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, 2B (10), 2 RBI, K
Gabrielson’s 2-run double broke up the shutout in the 9th, preventing back-to-back shutouts.
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, 2 K

RHP Baron Stuart: (L, 4-2)  4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, HR
Stuart sets a new personal best with the 10-strikeout performance. 
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Reyzelman hasn’t allowed a run in 10.2 IP between here and the FCL (3 H, 3 BB, 17 K)
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR
Keating struck out the side in order in his first inning of work. Season: 3.63 ERA (39.2 IP, 27 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 48 K). The 23-year-old struck out 93 batters in 65.1 innings for Low-A Tampa in 2023.

Tampa (24-41) (Defeated Palm Beach, 3-2)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-3, 2B (6), RS, SB (17), BB
Back-to-back multi-hit efforts (15th on the season)
2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (17)
Lombard Jr. launches his first professional home run. He is on a 5-game hitting streak.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-1, BB
Gomez’s rehab assignment moved up to Tampa today.
  C Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 3-for-4, RS
.253/.383/.420 in 201 PA. Castillo has three 3-hit efforts (two this month)
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4
LF Willy Montero: 2-for-3, RBI, BB
Montero walks it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the 9th.
RF Coby Morales: 0-for-3, K

RHP JT Brubaker: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Brubaker needs only 22 pitches in his first rehab appearance to get through three innings.
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Effross maxed out at 90.2 MPH with his sinker (remember that he isn’t a velocity guy!). Hopefully, he can get to New York soon enough.
RHP Gabriel Barbosa: (W, 2-7)  5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
A nice piggyback night for Barbosa. Season: 5.63 ERA (62.1 IP, 68 H, 40 R, 39 ER, 7 HR, 18 BB, 63 K). 

FCL (20-13)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Yankees (4-8)

Scheduled day off.

DSL Bombers (6-5) (Lost to the DSL Pirates, 7-6)

SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (5), K
DH Browm Martinez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, SB (9)
Martinez runs wild. He has 8 hits, 2 walks, 1 HBP, and 9 stolen bases.
RF Richard Meran: 1-for-3

LHP Franyer Herrera: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Mauricio Vargas: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The 17-year-old’s second career appearance.

Yankees MILB 6/13: Brock Selvidge Ks 9

News:

OF Everson Pereira was placed on the full-season injured list by Scranton. As you might be able to guess, that means he is done for the year.

Pereira will end the season at .265/.346/.512 (118 wRC+) in 182 PA for Scranton. He swatted 10 home runs and drove in 27. However, his strikeout rate was up (32.4%).

Injuries are a part of his story, but he accumulated 448 plate appearances in 2022 and 446 in 2023.

Pereira likely had trade value. That is no longer the case. With Jasson Dominguez‘s rehab stint over, Pereira’s value as big-league depth was lower, but you never want to lose depth.

Hopefully, Pereira can get back on the field in 2025.

Scranton (40-26) (Lost to Rochester, 5-4)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (1), CS (4), BB
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-5, 2 K
C Ben Rice: 0-for-5, 2 K
So much for the Ben Rice Experiment…seriously, this is the first time he hasn’t reached base in eight Triple-A games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, RS, BB
For Scranton: .305/.362/.458 in 196 PA. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (multiple hits in all games: 12-for-23).
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Narvaez has a .376 OBP (16.2% BB)
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (12), 3 RBI, RS, K
Rojas has 12 homers and 42 RBI. A mostly unnoticed transaction last week was that he opted out of his contract, only to be re-signed. This likely means the Yankees offered him a little extra money to re-sign (and he couldn’t find an MLB opportunity)
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Greg Allen: 2-for-3, 2B (7), RS, HBP
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4

RHP Will Warren: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
Warren was cruising along until a 3-run homer in the 6th. His ERA is still north of 7.00 (7.01) but has shown signs of breaking out of his slump (he owns a 2.81 ERA in 16 June innings).
RHP Matt Sauer: (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Clayton Andrews: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (29-30) (Bombarded Binghamton, 12-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (16), K
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, SB (13)
Ramirez is hitting .289/.374/.569 in 243 PA (12 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 44 R, 13-for-14 SB). He is making his share of errors at first base, but that is the learning process. 
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, 2 RS, SB (11), 2 BB, K
.314/.390/.498 in 241 PA. 
DH Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Hardman was promoted here today. This is where he spent 2023.
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, 2 2B (13), HR (3), 4 RBI, 3 RS
Back-to-back 4-RBI efforts for Escarra. Yes, I know he is a 29-year-old non-prospect. I like to highlight strong performances. As for catching, he has never done it before 2024.
RF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-4, 2B (6), HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, SB (10), BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, RS, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, HR
3.25 ERA (63.2 IP, 48 H, 31 R, 23 ER, 4 HR, 32 BB, 66 K). 
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
3.38 ERA (6.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K). Watson is still in “rehab” mode even if he was never on an official rehab assignment.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.66 ERA (23.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 28 K). Anderson compiled a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 IP (27/12 K/BB) at this level in 2023. If he continues to perform, someone will give him a shot. This is not a knock on the Yankees.
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (32-27) (Squeaked past Brooklyn, 6-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (19), 2 RBI, K
In his last seven games, Serna has seven doubles. He is hitting .274/.375/.504 in 269 PA (19 doubles, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 43 R, 8-for-14 SB, 13.0% BB, 17.5% K). The presence of Riggio has pushed Serna to shortstop for most of the season. As I like to write about, that increases value. However, most “experts” see him as a second baseman long-term. He should get to Somerset when they start to promote players.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RS
Rodriguez increases his hitting streak to 6 (10-for-24). I wouldn’t be able to tell you if you asked me to find his fatal flaw. That said, he must prove this is real in the upper minors. That is how you get noticed for a player who doesn’t appear on many prospect lists.
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
.308/.416/.503 in 190 PA. He is 15-for-41 in June with a pair of doubles and three home runs.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B (7)
RF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 RS, K
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS

RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 5-4) 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
4.85 ERA (52 IP, 51 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 48 K). That may not overwhelm you, but remember that Keane was a reliever in 2023.
RHP Trent Sellers: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.60 ERA (17.1 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 26 K)
RHP McKinley Moore: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (23-37) (Lost to Clearwater, 7-3, in a rain-shortened game)

2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (14), K
For Tampa: .330/.383/.398 in 116 PA (14-for-17 SB). 
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
DH Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, 3 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-0, HBP
  PH-3B Hans Montero: 0-for-1, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Montero has four home runs in his last six games. The 19-year-old hit .331/.389/.436 in 203 plate appearances in the FCL last season. He started slow in 2024 and is still recovering but is up to .229 with a .644 OPS.
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-2, 3B (1), RS
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2, 2 K
C Oscar Silverio: 1-for-2, 2B (1), RBI
Silverio finally gets to the plate (he played in five games before tonight without receiving a plate appearance, pitching in three of them!)

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: 5 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
On the bright side, this goes in the record books as a complete game.

FCL (17-11) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 5-4)

C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RS, SB (4), K
CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-4, K
He is still hitting .348/.451/.609 after today’s effort. Sanchez is a candidate for Low-A when promotions start happening. He turns 20 on the 4th of July.
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 SB (5), 2 K
.274/.379/.411 in 87 PA. He has started 21 games, 20 at shortstop. That gets my attention. He is 20 years old (won’t be 21 until next April).
LF Joel Mendez: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
A 21-year-old in his second FCL season should crush this level, and he is.
2B Sebastian Gomez: 2-for-3, 2B (1), CS (3), BB
RF Fidel Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

DSL Yankees (2-6) (Lost to the DSL Twins, 7-2)

LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 3 SB (3)
Lara is one of the few DSL prospects that has my attention.  Before you ask, this isn’t because I think the level lacks talent. Rather, many players at this level are interchangeable. Lara has a top-tier tool (80-grade speed) to build on.

RHP Michell Chirinos: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
RHP Josue Silvestre: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
The professional debut for the 6’7″ 19-year-old. 

DSL Bombers (4-3) (Defeated the Phillies Red, 12-7 (12 runs, 5 hits (all singles), 9 walks, 5 HBP. I “love” the DSL….)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 4 SB (4), BB, K
Besides Lara, Vilorio has my attention because he is a bonus baby. The 17-year-old is 7-f0r-21.
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-3, 2 RS, SB (4), 2 RS, HBP
RF Richard Meran: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 2 HBP
3B Andry Javier: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB

LHP Jose Ledesma (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Ledesma’s first professional win – congrats!

Yankees MILB 6/7: Agustin Ramirez Homers 3 Times

News:

Nothing interesting.

Scranton (35-25) (Crushed Norfolk, 10-0)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-4, RS, BB
Vivas is 8-for-40 playing for Scranton.
3B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-5, 3 K
Peraza is hitting .145 (9-for-62, 22 K) since joining Scranton. 
C Ben Rice: 3-for-5, 2 2B (2), HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 RS
In his three games for Scranton: 7-for-11 (2 doubles, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, SB). Rice is up to 11 doubles, 15 homers, and 33 RBI in 52 games between here and Somerset.
DH Carlos Narvaez: 3-for-4, 2B (12), HR (6), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB
Narvaez is hitting .260/.389/.438 in 211 PA (12 doubles, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 29 R). The Yankees like this kid, and you can see why. He has a good reputation behind the plate and isn’t a zero in the batter’s box.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-5, HR (4), 3 RBI, RS, K
Rumfield wants everyone to know he was here before Rice! 
CF Greg Allen: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, BB
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-1, 2 RS, 2 BB, HBP

RHP Will Warren: (W, 4-4)  5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
This will get lost in the offensive explosion tonight, but what a much-needed performance by Warren.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.69 ERA (21.1 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 23 K)
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.09 ERA (23.1 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 30 K). For Underwood and Bickford, two things are true: The Yankees are a great organization for veteran pitchers to join if they want to get their careers back on track. Also, the Yankees’ pitching staff can be hard to penetrate, so you hope other organizations are taking notice.

Somerset (26-28) (Mauled Hartford, 12-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, 3 RS, BB, K
Jones is 10-for-30 (.333) in his last 7 games with a double, triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI (nice), and 9 runs scored.  He is heating up, folks.
C Agustin Ramirez: 3-for-5, 3 HR (15), 6 RBI, 3 RS
So much for that homerless streak, eh? Ramirez joins Jared Serna in the 2024 3-HR club.  He is hitting .282 with a .962 OPS (10 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 41 RBI, 40 R, 12-for-13 SB). This is incredible – there likely isn’t much he needs to prove in Somerset at this point, but there is a logjam at 1B/C in Scranton. In my opinion, may as well keep him here for now – especially if they wish to continue to push him behind the plate.
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-5, 2B (20), RS, 2 K
Cowles has 20 doubles in 52 games. 
DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-1, RS, 3 BB
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, SB (9), 2 K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, 2B (2), 2 RS, CS (2), BB, K
Nice night at the bottom of the order. Vargas is 9-for-53 (.170) since joining Somerset.

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 5-4) 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR
4.88 ERA (62.2 IP, 58 H, 36 R, 34 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 63 K). He has pitched well for a guy who skipped right to this level.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (27-26) (Lost to Wilmington, 4-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, 2B (13)
.252/.362/.480 in 243 PA (13 doubles, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 38 R)
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, RS, BB, K
Flores has 6 multi-hit efforts in his last 9 games and is up to .314/.423/.507 in 168 PA. 
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, CI, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 3 K

LHP Kyle Carr: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Carr has struggled to get going in 2024, which only proves that all prospects have different development arcs.
RHP Huey Morrill: (L, 3-2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Matt Keating: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.24 ERA (33.1 IP, 21 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 3 HR, 13 BB, 38 K)

Tampa (20-35) (Mauled Ft. Myers, 17-7)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B (7), SF, RBI, RS, SB (15), 2 BB
.213/.364/.277 in 176 PA. Back-to-back games with two walks.
SS Roderick Arias: 3-for-6, 3B (6), HR (3), 6 RBI, RS, 2 K
It was a career night for Arias, who set a new best for RBI in a game (he drove home 5 in a game last year).  He has a double, two triples, and a home run in his last three games. Is the talent starting to show itself? On the season, he is hitting .218/.321/.359.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-6, RS, 4 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
2B Max Burt: 2-for-5, 2 2B (2), 2 RBI, RS, SB (1)
  2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-0
DH Hans Montero: 2-for-5, 3 RS, 2 SB (3), K
Montero did some running in the FCL (17-for-18 stealing bases in 53 games last year).
LF Willy Montero: 3-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, 3 RS
Montero has back-to-back 3-hit efforts. He is an under-the-radar kid with potential (and the ability to play CF).
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
   C Oscar Silverio: 0-for-0
RF Daury Arias: 2-for-3, HR (1), 4 RBI, 3 RS, 2 BB
Arias had a little buzz a few years ago but the bat has failed him. A nice night tonight.

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, HR
RHP Ocean Gabonia: (W, 1-2)  2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Gabonia gets a lot of credit for settling this game down.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Kris Bow: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
2.92 ERA (24.2 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 17 BB, 29 K)

FCL (15-10) (Defeated the Tigers, 8-5, in 10 innings. 25 games, all against the Phillies, Tigers, and Blue Jays. Boring!)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-6, 2B (1), RBI, RS, K
16-for-56 (.286/.385/.339) with a double and triple. He is 10-for-10 stealing bases.
1B Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RBI, RS, 2 BB
.344/.488/.516 in 83 PA (18 walks, 12 strikeouts).
SS Juan Matheus: 0-for-3, RS, 2 BB
LF Joel Mendez: 3-for-3, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB
The 21-year-old right-handed bat hit a 3-run blast in the top of the 10th. It was only his 2nd HR in 46 games at this level, so this was an unlikely blast. 

RHP Yarison Ruiz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Ruiz’s first appearance since September 16, 2021. Now 24, he is here on a rehab assignment for Low-A Tampa.
LHP Michael Peres: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

DSL Yankees (1-2) and DSL Bombers (1-1)

Their games were postponed.

Yankees MILB 4/24: Will Warren Tosses 6 Strong Innings

News:

I have no news, real or otherwise..

Scranton (14-8) (Defeated Durham, 6-1)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3, HBP, CS (1), 3 K
  PH-2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-1
LF Caleb Durbin: 2-for-4, RS, 2 SB (12), BB, K
Durbin was in a 4-for-34 slide after his last multi-hit game on 4/12. Hopefully, tonight’s performance puts him back on the right track. He is hitting .280/.412/.439, which shows how hot he was before his slump.
RF Everson Pereira: 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Pereira has 15 homers and 49 RBI in 55 Triple-A games. 
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, BB, 3 K
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 3 K
C Luis Torrens: 2-for-4, 2B (3), K
While Narvaez would be the simple move (he is on the 40-man), don’t rule out Torrens as the #3 catcher if a need ever presented itself in MLB.
SS Jeter Downs: 2-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (3), BB
Downs’ home run was quite a blast: 427 feet at 105.9 MPH. He is hitting .265/.351/.510 in 58 plate appearances.
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 SB (5), K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 3-0) 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 6 K
4.22 ERA (21.1 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 5 HR, 9 BB, 26 K). When you allow five runs in 0.1 innings in your first start, it takes a while to bring the ERA down. Warren has allowed one run in 12 innings with a 13/2 K/BB over his last two starts. Tonight, he mixed all his pitches nicely: 29% sinkers, 26% sweepers, 20% 4-seamers, 14% cutters, 11% changeups.
LHP Clayton Andrews: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Mauricio isn’t the biggest of pitchers, but he packs some punch (maxed out at 95.7 with his 4-seamer). 

Somerset (7-10) (Lost to Reading, 4-3. They had baserunners all day: 11 walks, 1 HBP, 2 errors)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, 2 K
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, BB, K
Ramirez has four hits in his last eight games (4-for-26). The good news is that he has eight walks in that timeframe.
1B Ben Rice: 0-for-1, RS, 3 BB, HBP
.250/.351/.500 in 74 PA.
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
After swatting eight doubles and two triples, Cowles fills in the home run column.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, CS (1), BB, K
3B Jordan Groshans: 1-for-4, BB
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-2, CS (2), 2 BB
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-4, RS, BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, BB

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 1-2) 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Dees, who allowed eight runs in 3.1 IP in his 2024 debut, has allowed six runs in 15.1 IP since (3.52 ERA). Today was one of those days where he could have imploded but kept the runs to a minimum.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (9-7) (Lost to tough one to Bowling Green, 3-2)

CF Jace Avina: 3-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (1)
Avina’s first HR (and stolen base) as a member of the Yankees’ organization. Expect more as raw power is the top tool in his offensive arsenal. His RBI single in the bottom of the 8th broke the 1-1 tie, but the Renegades couldn’t hold the lead.
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-3, BB
Serna is now 7-for-50 with a double, two home runs, 13 walks, and eight strikeouts. The walks and strikeouts are nice – the balls need to start finding grass.
2B Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, BB
A new position for Rodriguez’s resume. He has now played C/1B/2B/3B/LF in his professional career (he has yet to play first base in 2024)
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4
.298/.411/.532 in 56 PA. I think Martinez gets lost in the shuffle but he is a legitimate prospect. The Yankees have a lot of them to sort through.
DH Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, K
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, 2B (1), K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-2, RS, BB, K

RHP Jackson Fristoe: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
The fireballer threw 50 pitches today (37 in his first start, 35 in his second (didn’t get out of the first)). They are simply building him up.
LHP Ben Shields: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
0.64 ERA (14 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 15 K). I don’t know much about him (besides he went to UMass and George Mason), but he is doing the job. Although it is his debut season, I will note that he is 25.
LHP Joel Valdez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.61 ERA (10.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 12 K). You see me writing about T.J. Rumfield often in these reports. Valdez was the other piece in the trade with the Phillies that sent Nick Nelson and Donny Sands to Philadelphia.
RHP Huey Morrill (L, 0-1):  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K
Morrill’s Hudson Valley debut (he was in Tampa) didn’t go as planned, but there’s always next time.

Tampa (4-13) (Lost to Lakeland, 14-5)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, BB
Gonzalez didn’t miss much time in spring training so one has to assume he will make his way up to Scranton soon enough.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-fot-5, 2B (3), RS
Tejeda increases his hitting streak to six (10-for-27). All three of his doubles have come during this streak.
2B Roderick Arias: 3-for-4, RS, BB, K
Arias’ first career 3-hit game. He is up to .238 with a .764 OPS thanks to a 7-for-16 surge in his last four games. He has walked once in five consecutive games.
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, HBP, K
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, 2 2B (3), RBI, RS, BB
After games of 4/12, Montero was hitting .095/.208/.143. His average is now .172. Hey, it’s a start!
DH Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, K
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 0-2) 2.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
There’s not much you can do but move on. Season: 11.1 IP, 14 H,  13 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 16 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Art Warren: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Jordy Luciano: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

FCL (0-0)

The season starts on 5/4.

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 4/18: George Lombard Jr. Reaches Base 6 Times

News:

The Yankees claimed OF Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Dodgers. In a corresponding move, IF Kevin Smith was designated for assignment. Trammell is out of options so he must be placed on the MLB roster.

Once one of baseball’s brightest prospects, Trammell has struggled in MLB, hitting .165/.266/.361 in 357 plate appearances with 15 homers and 39 RBI. His walk rate is solid (10.9%) but his career strikeout rate is 37.3%.

It’s a low-risk move and it is easy to cut bait if it doesn’t work out.

As for Smith, the Yankees lose shortstop depth by waiving him. Anthony Volpe‘s only backup is Oswaldo Cabrera, who is playing third base. One has to assume that DJ LeMahieu is close to returning.

Scranton (12-5) (Doubled Up Lehigh Valley, 8-4)

SS Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, 2B (7), RBI, RS, 2 K
How rare is a multiple-strikeout game for Durbin? This is his first such game in 2024 after doing it once in 2023.  It has happened five times in 208 career games. Amazing.
CF Everson Pereira: 3-for-4, 2 HR (6), 4 RBI, 2 RS
Pereira’s 9th career multi-HR game.  He has six homers and 13 RBI in 15 games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, 4 K
Three hits last night. Four Ks tonight. You cannot find a game more humbling than baseball. 
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 HBP
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-2, 2 RS, CS (1), 2 BB, K
  LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-0
3B Jordan Groshans: 1-for-4, K
2B Josh VanMeter: 1-for-2, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
DH Josh Breaux: 0-for-4, 4 K
RF Luis Gonzalez: 1-for-2, 2B (2), RBI, RS, 2 BB, K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 2-0) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Since his tough season-opening start against Buffalo (bad weather):
2.40 ERA (15 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 20 K)
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Clayton Andrews: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (5-7) (Defeated Hartford, 5-3)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, K
3-for-13 with a double, two walks, and three strikeouts.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
Ramirez reaches base twice in four plate appearances, qualifying as a boring night for him.
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS
I commented last night that he hadn’t played a game at first base this season. Well, now he has. Anyway, Rice is starting to heat up. He has homered in back-to-back games and is up to .250 with a .766 OPS.
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
C J.C. Escarra: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
The 28-year-old is 8-for-21 with three doubles and a homer while playing C/3B/LF/RF. He never caught professionally before this season.
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
Cowles has reached base safely in all 12 games this season (at least one hit in ten of those games)
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, SF, RBI
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4

RHP Bailey Dees: (W, 1-1) 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 9 K
The Yankees aren’t holding back, despite this being his first year as a starter. Tonight, he threw 90 pitches so he may not be far away from being asked to go 100. His first start was rough (3.1 IP, 8 ER), but he followed that up with a 4.1 IP/1 R start and tonight’s performance. It’s encouraging for the 6’8″ 25-year-old.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jack Neely (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3, BB, 10 K. 

Hudson Valley (8-3) (Won a wild one over Aberdeen, 8-7)

SS Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, RS, BB
.207/.400/.345 with ten walks and six strikeouts. Pesky.
2B Jared Serna: 0-for-3, RS, CS (2), 2 BB, K
DH Jace Avina: 1-for-2, 2 RS, BB, HBP, K
Avina earns his first hit as a member of the Yankees’ organization.
C Carlos Martinez: 1-for-3, BB
RF-LF Garrett Martin: 2-for-4, 2B (4), 4 RBI, RS, SB (3)
.281/.361/.469 in 37 PA with nine runs batted in. 
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, 2 K
  RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-1, K
3B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Romero hit three homers in 29 games during his 2023 debut season.
LF-CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-2, RS, CS (1), BB, HBP, K
Gabrielson scored the winning run in the 9th on a wild pitch.

RHP Brian Hendry:  4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
In his first two professional starts: 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 K. He was last year’s 10th-round pick out of Oklahoma State.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2 IP, 3 H. 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 4 K
LHP Joel Valdez (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Tampa (3-8) (Defeated St. Lucie, 9-5. Everyone in the lineup earned at least one hit and the Tarpons stole eight bases)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2B (1), 3 RS, 3 SB (8), 4 BB
An 18-year-old reaching base six times in a full-season league is eye-opening. The double is his first extra-base hit of 2024. He is hitting .244/.492/.268 and has reached base safely in all 12 games.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-5, 2B (1), SF, 2 RBI, RS, K
Tejeda’s first extra-base hit in 2024. He is hitting .289/.320/.311 with eight RBI in 50 PA.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-5, 2B (2), RS, BB, 2 K
LF Coby Morales: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, RS, SB (2), K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB, HBP, K
4-for-13  with four RBI and three runs scored.
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, SB (1), K
DH Manuel Palencia: 1-for-5, RBI, SB (1), K
CF Tayler Aguilar: 2-for-5, RBI, SB (3), 2 K
.227/.452/.409 in 31 PA. He is 15-for-17 stealing bases in his career.
2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, RS, SB (1), BB

RHP Cade Smith: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 15 K). Last year’s 6th-round pick is off to a good enough start in his debut season.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: (S, 1)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Not all saves are pretty.

FCL (0-0)

The season starts on 5/4.

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!