Tag: Yorlin Calderon

Yankees MILB 4/11: Agustin Ramirez Homers Again

News:

Nada.

Scranton (7-4) (Defeated Norfolk, 4-3. Even without Jackson Holliday, this lineup is dangerous. Scranton has held them to eight runs in three games)

LF Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Someone asked me my thoughts on Durbin moving around the field. I am fine with it, as long as it doesn’t impact his offense.  It hasn’t thus far.  If, for any reason, he doesn’t take well to the outfield, you can end the experiment. The Yankees have been trying to develop a super-utility type for a while. Tyler Wade failed. We’ll see if Oswaldo Cabrera can keep up with his early-season hitting. Durbin is hitting .385/.519/.641 in 52 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 8 R, 11 BB (21.6%), 3 K (5.8%), 7-for-7 SB).
RF Everson Pereira:  1-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, BB, K
.220/.347/.488 in 49 PA (2 doubles, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 6 BB, 17 K, 1-for-2 SB). He’ll get that 34.7% K rate down.
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, K
.111/.390/.148 in 41 PA (1 double, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 12 BB, 8 K). Narvaez reached double digits in home runs in 2022 and 2023 and should be able to do it again.
SS Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 3 K
3B Jeter Downs: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
8-for-26 start with a triple and two home runs (.615 SLG)
1B Jordan Groshans: 0-for-4, RS
DH Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, SB (10)
Lockridge hit a 103.7 MPH double in the top of the ninth to score the two winning runs. Lockridge hasn’t played much (doesn’t qualify for rate statistics leaderboards) but his ten stolen bases lead all of minor league baseball.

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
A strong 49-pitch effort for Gomez, who could see himself in the MLB bullpen at some point (if they don’t need him as a starter). That last option year is always a pivotal season for a youngster.
RHP Alex Mauricio: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K
He maxed out at 96.4 MPH. He accumulated all of his whiffs (7) with his cutter, averaging 87.9 MPH.
RHP Yorlin Calderon (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
For the second time this season, he was summoned to Scranton to fill in some innings. He was awesome today, using his low-90s sinker while mixing sliders, curves, and changeups. Sometimes, players who bounce around aren’t considered prospects as they continuously float around, providing depth or innings. Calderon is not a top prospect but he isn’t a throwaway by any stretch.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Jake Cousins (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
When he was in MLB, Cousins looked like a garden variety reliever (which is useful!). We’ll see if they can develop more out of him.

Somerset (2-3) (Lost to New Hampshire, 6-3)

DH Ben Rice: 1-for-5, RS, K
5-for-22 (1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 9 K, 2-for-2 SB). 
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI,RS, BB
Ramirez has four homers in five games. If you are wondering about a promotion, he played 56 games in Single-A last year before being promoted to High-A, where he only played 27 games before getting to Somerset. Tonight was his 36th game at this level. He is a catcher, so build that into your development equation but the Yankees were aggressive in 2023. He will dictate his ascension.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
CF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, 2B (1), SB (1)
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-2, 2 SB (2), 2 BB, K
7-for-18 (3 doubles, 3 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 2-for2 SB)
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (1), BB, K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, 3 K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 4 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
2024 debut for the 21-year-old. A third-round pick in 2022 (out of high school), Selvidge started to generate some buzz last season. He reduced his walk rate to 6.5% (25.5% K) while tossing 127.2 innings. As for tonight, I guess his command wasn’t great and his defense wasn’t always solid behind him. It’s good enough for his first Double-A start as it is something he can build on.
RHP Danny Watson: (L, 0-1)  1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
These games happen. This is the first time Watson has allowed 3+ runs in a game since 2022 (he allowed two runs only three times in 45 games last year).
RHP Jack Neely: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Neely, who stands 6’8″, struck out 100 batters in 66.1 innings last season.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The Patriots’ pitchers struck out four hitters in the 7th inning.

Hudson Valley (2-1)

Their doubleheader at Rome was postponed. They have yet to play a game in this series.

They will try to play a pair of doubleheaders – one on Friday and one on Sunday. One of the six games will not be played. I don’t know if they will schedule it for when Rome visits Hudson Valley or if it is gone forever.

Tampa (1-5) (Lost to Dunedin, 3-1)

3B George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, 3 BB, 2 K
Lombard Jr. has reached base safely 16 times in six games (3 hits, 12 BB, 1 HBP). As someone mentioned on Twitter, you want to see more contact to see where the bat is. This is still impressive discipline for an 18-year-old.
SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, CS (1), 2 BB, K
5-for-25 (double, triple, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 15 K)
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, SB (3), BB, K
Tejeda has a 6-game hitting streak to start his campaign. He is still looking for that first extra-base hit.
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-2, BB, 2 HBP
The painful way to improve your on-base percentage.
CF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-4, K
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (1), 2 K
DH Edinson Duran: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
   PR Willy Montero: 0-for-0
LF Dayro Perez: 0-for-3, RS, SB (1), BB, 2 K
Perez put up some impressive numbers in 2021-2022 in the DSL/FCL, including 51 stolen bases in 95 games. Last year, in 50 games, he cratered. 

RHP Cade Smith: (L, 0-1) 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Smith threw primarily 4-seamers and sliders, topping out at 94.9 with the fastball. 
RHP Cade Austin: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 6 K
6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 12 K. That’s a nice start to his professional career.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Tampa didn’t win but their pitchers struck out 14 batters.

FCL (0-0)

The season starts on 5/4.

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 3/31: Brandon Lockridge: 2 Hits, BB, SB

News:

LHP Nick Ramirez was designated for assignment after the Yankees promoted LHP Tanner Tully to the big league club. Just in case you missed the news, Tully replaces Clayton Beeter, who will now get regular rotation turns in Scranton until he is needed again. While I think Beeter’s future might be in the bullpen, there isn’t a need to put him there permanently now. Plus, who says I’m right? I am wrong more than I am right. I am just not afraid to admit it.

“Why Tully?”

It’s simple: 1. He has a starter’s pedigree, so he can eat innings out of the bullpen as needed; 2. He is expendable. If he has to pitch four innings out of the bullpen, he can be designated for assignment the next day. That sounds harsh, but for many MLB players, this is their way to earn some paychecks.

Not that Will Warren was available anyway, but you aren’t going to add him to the 40-man roster for this purpose.

RHP Yorlin Calderon was added to the roster with the need for an arm in Scranton. He made an appearance in today’s game. Further information is in his blurb below.

Ramirez being designated for assignment may seem like a surprise. In 32 games (40.2 IP) for the big club last year, he compiled a solid 2.66 ERA and 2.94 FIP. With the need for relief arms throughout baseball, I will be surprised if he isn’t claimed. However, I’ve been surprised many times before.

Scranton (2-1) (Lost to Buffalo, 4-3)

RF Luis Gonzalez: 1-for-5, 3B (1), RBI, RS, 3 K
DH Caleb Durbin: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB (2)
Durbin is off to a 4-for-12 start with a pair of doubles, 4 RBI, and two stolen bases.
1B Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-4, BB, K
The Yankees need first base depth. Narvaez played 16 games at the position last year and started a game today. As stated the other day, he is also the organization’s #3 catcher.
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-4, K
2B Kevin Smith: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Jordan Groshans: 2-for-4, 2B (1)
SS Jeter Downs: 1-for-3, RS, SAC
C Josh Breaux: 1-for-4, K
LF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS, BB, SB (4)
Lockridge is off to a 3-for-6 start with a pair of doubles, three walks, and four stolen bases.

RHP Cody Morris: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
The Yankees acquired the 27-year-old Morris from Cleveland for Estevan Florial. He owns a 3.41 ERA in 31.2 career MLB innings (13 games/5 starts) with a 32/18 K/BB. As expected, Florial made the Guardians’ Opening Day roster (just like when he was with the Yankees, he would need to go through waivers if they decide to send him down). 
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Calderon is 22 years old and hadn’t pitched above High-A until today. In 2022, in his Low-A debut, Calderon tossed a 7-inning no-hitter. This could be a situation where Scranton needed an arm for a day, and he was readily available to provide that. Calderon doesn’t appear on many (if any) Top 30 lists, but he did receive a blurb on the Fangraphs list last year, where he was praised for his breaking ball and potential to add velocity.
LHP Clayton Andrews: (L, 0-1)  1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
The organizational debut for Andrews, who the Yankees acquired for minor league RHP Joshua Quezada. He didn’t have any fun in his MLB debut last season (27.00 ERA in four games), but he pitched well for their Triple-A affiliate. Walks appear to be an issue, but he did touch 95.4 on the gun today. That’s valuable for an LHP if you can figure out everything else.
RHP Dennis Santana: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Santana allowed two inherited runners to score.

Somerset (0-0)

The season starts on 4/5.

Hudson Valley (0-0)

The season starts on 4/5.

Tampa (0-0)

The season starts on 4/5.

FCL (0-0)

The season starts on 5/4.

DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!

Yankees MILB 9/12: Will Warren Solid Again

News:

The Yankees announced that RHP Drew Thorpe (who should be the organization’s Pitcher of the Year) has been placed on the 7-day IL. No matter how minor the injury may be, he’s done for the year. They aren’t going to push him for the Double-A playoffs.

In his first professional season, Thorpe was dominant down in Hudson Valley, pitching to a 2.81 ERA (3.30 FIP) over 109 innings with a 32.4% K and 7.7% BB. That was more than enough to earn a promotion to Somerset, where he was more dominant. In five starts for the Patriots, he pitched to a 1.48 ERA (2.15 FIP) over 30.1 IP with a 40% K and 4.5% BB. Thorpe isn’t Rule 5 eligible until after the 2025 season, but that won’t stop the Yankees from using him in 2024 once he is ready.

RHP Danny Watson, one of their best relief prospects, was also placed on the IL. In 45 games between Hudson Valley and Somerset, Watson pitched to a 1.58 ERA over 62.2 IP with a 32.7% K and 10.0% BB. He held opponents to a .138 BAA. Hopefully, the injury is minor because he should be in the 2024 bullpen mix at some point. He isn’t Rule 5 eligible until after the 2024 season.

OF Nelson Medina was promoted from Tampa all the way up to Scranton today. Don’t read a lot into that – he is not likely to be playing in Scranton to start 2024. Medina, soon to be 23, hit .276/.380/.479 in 192 PA for Tampa with six home runs and 28 runs batted in. I can’t tell you how the decision-making process works (Elijah Dunham would have been a good choice to bring back to Scranton), but this is usually a move to get a warm body onto the roster. The Railriders recently lost Estevan Florial to MLB promotion after losing Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira.

The Somerset Patriots received some pitching from Hudson Valley today, as LHP Clay Aguilar, RHP Harrison Cohen, RHP Zach Messinger, and RHP Anderson Munoz are now on the roster. This is a good indication that these four pitchers are scheduled to start 2024 at this level. Munoz started 2023 at Somerset before an injury sidelined him for a significant amount of time. The Yankees aren’t loaded with LHP, so there is an opportunity for Aguilar to make some noise.

With Tampa’s season over, Hudson Valley received some players for the playoffs (which started tonight):
RHP Luis Arejula
RHP Jackson Fristoe
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert
RHP Nolberto Henriquez
RHP Sebastian Keane
RHP Matt Keating

Just like with the kids promoted to Somerset, this is a good indicator that at least some of these pitchers will begin 2024 in Hudson Valley.

Scranton (68-68; 34-28 in the second half) (Defeated Buffalo, 4-1)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, HBP, K
  PR-CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-1, RS, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2B (11), RBI, 2 K
.252/.379/.402 in 301 plate appearances since his promotion. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees look for a trade partner before they need to submit their 40-man roster this winter.
RF Franchy Cordero: 2-for-2, RS, 2 BB, SB (7)
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, RBI, K
DH Jake Lamb: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
LF Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-3, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-2, BB
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-2, RS, BB

RHP Will Warren: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
At this level: 3.91 ERA (89.2 IP, 76 H, 49 R, 39 ER, 15 HR, 43 BB, 93 K). Entering today, the league ERA was 5.53 – which should show you just how well Warren has been pitching lately.
RHP Zac Houston: (W, 2-1)  1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Michael Gomez (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
5.40 ERA (61.2 IP, 59 H, 45 R, 37 ER, 6 HR, 40 BB, 54 K)

Somerset (80-52; 38-26 in the second half) (Defeated New Hampshire, 3-2)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, RS
Since coming off of the IL: 3-for-20 with three walks and four strikeouts. Overall, he is hitting .245 with a .766 OPS (18 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 63 R, 62 BB, 87 K, 17-for-24 SB)
C Ben Rice: 0-for-3, RS, BB
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, K
CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K
DH Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, BB, SB (7)
It is too bad that the injury bug hit Seigler so hard – he is an athletic kid who switch hits and can take a walk. The rest of his offensive game simply hasn’t been there.
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, BB, K, 2 SB (4)
Richardson is 18-for-21 stealing bases between here and Hudson Valley. He is 13-for-38 since his promotion with three home runs.
3B Max Burt: 1-for-4, RS, K, SB (18)

RHP Matt Sauer: (W, 5-4)  5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, HR
3.63 ERA (62 IP, 47 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 10 HR, 27 BB, 74 K). Does he survive the Rule 5 draft again?
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Tanner Myatt: (S, 6) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
2.80 ERA (54.2 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 38 BB, 67 K). As usual, Myatt is tough to hit but walks too many hitters. 

Hudson Valley (70-62; 31-35 in the second half)  (Lost to Jersey Shore, 2-1. They fall behind in the best-of-3 series, 1-0. The final two games will be at home)

RF Anthony Hall: 0-for-5, 2 K
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4
Of course, Rodriguez would compile a multi-hit game in Game 1. During the regular season, between here and Tampa, he finished at .310/.399/.450 in 460 PA (20 doubles, 4 triples, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 66 R, 55 BB, 70 K, 21-for-25 SB)
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, 2B (1), K
A multi-hit game for Familia. It will be interesting to see what he does in 2024 after a power surge in 2023.
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, BB
2B Alexander Vargas: 1-for-2, 3B (1), RS, 2 BB
Vargas had an organization-leading six triples during the regular season.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-3, BB
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-4, K

RHP Yorlin Calderon: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
A sparkling performance in Game 1 for Calderon, who entered this game with two High-A starts to his name.
LHP Joel Valdez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers:  (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR

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

Their season is over.

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

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

News:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.

Yankees MILB 8/25: Drew Thorpe Dominates Again

News:

Nothing new.

Scranton (60-61; 26-21 in the second half) (Walked it off over Lehigh Valley, 6-5)

This is a big series against Lehigh Valley, the team they are chasing for the second-half title.

LF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, 2 RS, BB, 2 K, SB (20)
The challenge system played a huge role in this game. They challenged a strike 3 call to Florial in the 9th and won it. He ended up walking and eventually scoring the winning run.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, RBI, K, SB (1)
Since promotion: 5-for-13, 1 double, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K. Dominguez has 38 stolen bases between here and Somerset.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Wells is at .255/.352/.445 at this level. Good to see him taking his walks.
DH Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, RS, HBP, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB
Cordero with the walk-off single in the 9th.
1B Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-3, RS, BB
3B Jake Lamb: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4, RBI, K

LHP Edgar Barclay: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
Barclay continues to struggle at this level. After allowing one home run for Somerset, he has allowed eight in 19.2 innings here. The ball is lively here so that is probably a part of it. I hate to blame all struggles on the ball (just like I hate to credit all successes by hitters to the ball)
RHP Zach Greene: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Greg Weissert: (W, 5-3) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (70-47; 28-21 in the second half) (Defeated Hartford, 8-1)

2B Caleb Durbin: 2-for-5, 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS
Durbin is one of those kids who can become an instant fan favorite. He makes a lot of contact, can steal bases, etc. He has played SS in the past but the Yankees have not asked him to do it in 2023, instead giving him time at 2B and 3B. It makes you wonder if he can be a future DJ LeMahieu with some added speed. It’s a fascinating profile because the Yankees aren’t known for carrying kids with his profile (remember, he wasn’t drafted by the organization – he was a part of the Lucas Luetge trade with Atlanta)
DH Ben Rice: 2-for-4, 2B (7), RS, BB
The one knock on Rice right now is that he isn’t great against LHP. It is a legitimate concern, as he is 7-for-39 against LHP in 2023 (12-for-60 in 2022; 1-for-12 in 2021). Combined, that is 20-for-111 (.180) with three extra-base hits (one double, 2 HR), 14 walks, and 27 strikeouts.. One thing you notice in that profile is the sample size – it isn’t much. Without enough reps, it is hard to develop the skill.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
Ramirez is hitting .194 (13-for-67) since his promotion with six runs batted in and ten runs scored. An encouraging sign is that the strikeout rate isn’t spiking much – he is at 17.6%. (17.7% in Tampa, 14% in Hudson Valley).
CF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-2, 2B (10), 2 RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB, K
Even in the offensive environment up in Triple-A, Dunham had issues there this year. Since being sent to Somerset, he seems to have figured things out. I will continue to push for him to get back up to Scranton to close out the season. There is room there, as Franchy Cordero continues to receive consistent playing time after Everson Pereira‘s promotion.
1B Josh Breaux: 2-for-5, RBI
RF Grant Richardson: 3-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
Richardson puts together a big effort in his second Double-A game. Between here and Hudson Valley, he has 14 homers in 79 games after launching 16 homers in 90 games last season. Power has never been the concern…
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, BB, K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-4, RS, K

RHP Drew Thorpe: (W, 3-0) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Since promotion: 1.29 ERA in 21 IP (9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 30 K). Overall: 13-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 130 IP (93 H, 41 R, 37 ER, 12 HR, 35 BB, 168 K). The 13 wins and (more importantly) 168 strikeouts are the top numbers in all of minor-league baseball. There is nothing to dislike in his profile. They can give him a taste of the offensively souped-up International League (Triple-A) before the season comes to a close.
LHP Josh Maciejewski: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.16 ERA (42.2 IP, 38 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 41 K). He hasn’t allowed a run in 8.2 August innings.

Hudson Valley (65-53; 26-26 in the second half) (Held off Aberdeen, 6-5)

SS Jared Serna: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (6)
Serna now has a 6-game hitting streak and has 34 multi-hit games in 110 games played this season. He is still looking for that elusive first High-A home run, which could give him a 20/20/20 season (doubles, homers, stolen bases)
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K, SB (1)
DH Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-3, RS, BB
2B Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, RS, BB
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
.233/.289/.325 in 321 PA. The 32.1% K rate remains troublesome as well.
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, RBI
Familia is up to 57 RBI in 58 games between here and Tampa. I think he is answering the challenge at this level just fine.
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB, SB (1)
Wegner’s first professional stolen base – congrats! He is 7-for-27 at this level.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-3, RBI, BB, SB (5)

RHP Leonardo Pestana: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Joel Valdez: (W, 3-6) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Shane Gray: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard (S, 1): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Old school save!

Tampa (57-62; 26-27 in the second half) (Swept by Palm Beach in a low-scoring doubleheader)

Game 1 (Lost, 3-0)

3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, K
.194/.318/.306 in 85 PA.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, K
Moylan increases his hitting streak to five (8-for-22)
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-2, K
Medina’s first game since June 6th. The 22-year-old is hitting .275/.373/.443 in 153 PA with four home runs and a 7-for-8 SB rate. 
   CF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-1, K
DH Brenny Escanio: 1-for-3, SB (19)
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, K
SS Jose Colmenares: 0-for-3, K
2B Beau Brewer: 0-for-2, K

RHP Ryan Harvey: (L, 1-2) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
At this level: 4.26 ERA (25.1 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 18 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 5.40 ERA (15 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 20 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1)

SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
1B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, K
His hitting streak is snapped. Moylan is hitting .281/.400/.333 in 70 PA with 12 walks and 16 strikeouts.
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 3 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, K
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K
LF Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RBI
Five of Martin’s ten hits are doubles.
3B Jose Colmenares: 1-for-2, 2B (4), BB, K
2B Beau Brewer: 1-for-2, BB
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3

RHP Yorlin Calderon: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
3.07 ERA (73.1 IP, 64 H, 28 R, 25 ER, 5 HR, 23 BB, 91 K). Most of the top performers have received promotions this year – two Tampa players (Martinez, Calderon) stand out a bit as players who have stuck to one level. In the case of Calderon, it can be justified as they built him up to return to the rotation.
RHP Matt Keating: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: (L, 5-3) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL Yankees (35-22; 1-1 in the playoffs) (Lost to the Braves, 3-2, in Game 1 of the championship series. They must win the next two to claim back-to-back titles. The last time that happened was in 2014-2015 when the Red Sox accomplished the feat. The Yankees, who have the most league titles with 13, last won back-to-back crowns in 2004-2005)

SS Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, 2 K, SB (1), CS (1)
Including the regular season, Delgado has 14 doubles and 37 stolen bases in 51 games.
DH George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, BB, K, CS (1)
Delgado and Lombard Jr. were both caught stealing in the top of the 6th, a key moment in the contest.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, RS, K
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
RF John Cruz: 0-for-2, BB
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-2, K
  PH Joel Mendez: 0-for-1, K
In the regular season, you rarely see “strategic” pinch-hitting. Even in the rookie leagues, managers are a little more strategic in the playoffs.
  3B Dayro Perez: 0-for-0
C Edinson Duran: 0-for-3, K

LHP Henry Lalane (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Lalane, who recently signed with Scott Boras, pitched to a 4.57 ERA in 21.1 IP during the regular season (17 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, 34 K). The fact that he is 6’7″ and is able to keep the walks at bay is encouraging. 
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
RHP Sebastian Keane: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Keane is a 22-year-old drafted in the 18th round in 2022. He predictably pitched well this year and hopefully will get a taste of Low-A next week.

DSL Yankees (33-19)

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

DSL Bombers (27-26)

Their season is over.