Tag: Zach Messinger

Yankees MILB 6/15: Estevan Florial Homers Twice

News:

RHP Chase Hampton has been promoted to Somerset, where he will start on Sunday.

The 21-year-old is making the rise to Double-A after only nine minor league starts, all at High-A Hudson Valley this year. He produced an impressive 2.68 ERA (2.90 FIP) over 47 innings with a 40.5% K and 8.4% BB. He allowed five home runs, just under 1.0 HR/9. Amongst all MILB pitchers with at least 40 innings, Hampton ranks 3rd in K% and 2nd in K-BB%. Both categories are led by Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott, who is listed as MLB’s 94th-best prospect. Abbott’s stock will rise, and so will Hampton’s. Hampton is currently ranked as the Yankees’ #24 prospect (Pipeline) and could (should?) jump into the Top 5 when they do their next major update.

How far can he take this? Let’s see what happens against advanced hitters. In 2016, James Kaprielian seemed to be on a fast track before an injury crushed his season after three starts. Before him, Joba Chamberlain flew all the way up to MLB in his first professional season to help the big league bullpen (I doubt Hampton will be asked to do that).

Scranton (29-36) (Lost a doubleheader to Rochester)

Game 1 (Lost, 6-3)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (13)
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-3, BB, SB (8)
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-3
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-3, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
3B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-2, RS, BB, K
2B Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-3, 2B (9), RS
RF Michael Hermosillo: 1-for-3, RBI

RHP Randy Vasquez (L, 1-7): 2.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Vasquez continues to struggle in Scranton while he pitches well when he is given spot starts in the majors (yes, it is only two MLB Starts!)
RHP Aaron McGarity: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Lost, 8-7. They bounced back from a 6-2 deficit by scoring two in the 6th and three in the 7th, only for Rochester to win it in the bottom of the 7th)

CF Estevan Florial: 2-for-3, 2 HR (17), SF, 5 RBI, 2 RS
It was Florial who engineered the comeback, with his solo HR in the 6th and 3-run bomb in the 7th. He now owns a 33-game on-base streak and has tied his personal best for HR in a season. This is his third multi-HR game of 2023 and 7th in his career (all since 2021). Oh, and this also ties his personal best for RBI in a game (now done three times). 
DH Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
Peraza is hitting .298/.370/.573. Could he be worse than Josh Donaldson? I guess, though that bar is ridiculously low. However, remember that calling up Peraza is also about finishing off his development. 
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, HR (4), RBI, RS, 2 K
Dunham’s last 8 games: 9-for-33 (.273)
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-1, SF, RBI, BB, K
Chaparro is down to .240/.314/.433 in 264 PA. He is 8-for-45 in June with only three extra-base hits (all doubles)
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, BB
1B Franchy Cordero: 0-for-3
LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3
SS Jesus Bastidas: 2-for-3, 2B (10), 2 RS
.273/.335/.449 in 209 PA (10 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 30 R, 15 BB, 53 K)
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, RS

RHP Jhony Brito: 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
Brito’s Triple-A ERA is up to 7.08.
RHP Greg Weissert (L, 1-2): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
3.60 ERA (20 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 30 K)

Somerset (37-22) (Doubled up Altoona, 6-3. Eric Wagaman drove in all six runs)

SS Trey Sweeney: 1-for-5, 2 K
Sweeney’s hitting streak is up to 12.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-5, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, BB, K
His home run streak ends at five. 
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
2B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, RS, K
.260/.330/.375 in 115 PA since his promotion. His K% is 5.2% at this level and 7.1% overall.
C Anthony Seigler: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB
.190/.342/.250 in 146 PA. He has 28 walks (19.2%), which is something he can build on. Obviously, he needs to hit a little as well.
DH Eric Wagaman: 2-for-4, 2 HR (5), 6 RBI, 2 RS
One of the home runs was an 8th-inning grand slam that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 lead. He ties his personal best for RBI in a game (he set it in his first professional game back in 2017). This season, he has 16 RBI in 23 games.
RF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, K

RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, HR
Gomez tossed 56 pitches tonight. I have to assume that he will be reaching 75 pitches soon. He owns a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 IP.
LHP Edgar Barclay: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
8.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
RHP Justin Wilson: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Tanner Myatt: (W, 3-1)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (35-25) (Defeated Rome, 5-4, in ten innings)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, RS, 3 K
I made a note about his slump on Twitter and instantly saw stuff about him being a “bust.” I report slumps because I think it is important to keep everyone up-to-date. However, it isn’t meant to lead to any conclusions about whether a prospect is a bust or not. Jones is a big kid who is going to have his peaks and valleys as he tries to get to MLB.
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-4, BB, K
C Josh Breaux: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Flores increases his hitting streak to five (one hit in each game). His average is still over .300 (.301)
1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-4, RBI, HBP, K
A walk-off HBP!
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K, SB (9)
A little bit of everything tonight for Vargas…
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
The home run was of the inside-the-park variety. Richardson has been teetering around .200 for a while (now hitting .197).
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-4, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-3, SF, RBI

RHP Zach Messinger: 5 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
It took Messinger 93 pitches to get through five innings tonight. Season: 2.44 ERA (55.1 IP, 48 H, 22 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 26 BB, 68 K). After compiling a 4.19 ERA in four May starts, he has a 0.60 ERA in three June starts (15 IP, 12 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 22 K). 
RHP Luis Velasquez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
This is his second appearance since his promotion.
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Carlos Gomez: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Clay Aguilar: (W, 3-0)  0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (26-33) (Lost to Clearwater, 8-4)

SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, 2 K
.314/.377/.534 in 247 PA, Serna has yet to have a streak of hitless games longer than two this season (I just jinxed him – sorry)
CF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, BB
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, K
RF Matt Pita: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
  RF Daury Arias: 0-for-1, K
3B Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 RS, K
.301/.379/.429 in 178 PA and he has eight multi-hit games in June (12 games).  One thing Rodriguez has consistently done is hit. In 138 career games, he is hitting .314/.402/.481 in 553 PA (36 doubles, 8 triples, 9 HR, 77 RBI, 100 R, 67 BB (12.1%), 75 K (13.6%), 25-for-33 SB). He is 21 years old and can catch in addition to playing other positions. Will it translate as he moves up? We’ll see.
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-3, 3B (1), RS, BB
The extra-base hit machine now has 12 (5 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR) in 13 games. He is hitting .412/.500/.912 and is riding a 10-game hitting streak.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, 2 RBI, K
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-3, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 3-4) 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
3.56 ERA (55.2 IP, 52 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 64 K). The Yankees’ organization isn’t filled with a lot of left-handed starter types, so Selvidge does stick out. Tonight, he was victimized by one bad inning.
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
3.04 ERA (26.2 IP, 22 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 43 K). One has to love his ability to miss bats.
RHP Manny Ramirez: 0 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Adam Stone: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 5 K
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
3.04 ERA (26.2 IP, 14 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 0 HR, 17 BB, 26 K). He has yet to allow a home run in 31.2 career innings.

FCL Yankees (5-3) (Defeated the Tigers, 9-8. They scored three in the 8th and three in the bottom of the 9th to pull off the miracle)

2B Keiner Delgado: 1-for-5, 2B (2), RS, 2 SB (8)
.281/.439/.438 in 41 PA. Delgado is 42-for-51 (82.4%) stealing bases in 60 career games.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
Arias is 0-for-18 in his last five games (5 BB, 7 K)
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, RS, 2 BB
10-for-25 (.400) with five walks and four strikeouts.
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
.286/.487/.607 in 39 PA with three doubles and a pair of home runs. It is a small sample size but still an encouraging start.
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, 2B (1), 3 RS, 2 BB
RF John Cruz: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Cruz is only 17. In the DSL last season, he hit five home runs and drove home 24 in 54 games. He did that as a 16-year-old, which is pretty impressive.
C Manuel Palencia: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
Palencia is 0-for-11, though he has yet to strike out. In 2022, he hit .323/.411/.392 in 39 games down in the DSL.
1B Kelvin Espino: 2-for-3, 2B (2), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
LF Joel Mendez: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K

RHP Ryan Harvey: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
2.08 ERA (8.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
The 19-year-old pitched to a 2.95 ERA in 55 IP with a 77/19 K/BB ratio down in the DSL in 2022.
RHP Donys Garcia (W, 1-0): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Garcia is 22, so he will need to pitch well and start moving.

DSL Yankees (8-0) defeated the Bombers (6-2) again, 7-3. This game was a scheduled 7-inning game. Some games in the rookie leagues are seven innings even though they aren’t part of doubleheaders. I am sure there is a reason for that.

Bombers:

3B Gabriel Terrero: 2-for-3, HR (2), RBI, RS
This is the debut season for the 17-year-old. He only stands 5’6″ officially.
RF Darwin Castillo: 0-for-2, HBP, K, 2 SB (2)
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-3, 2B (2), RS

Yankees:

2B Luis Suarez: 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (5)
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB
Gonzalez has driven home at least one run in all five of his games.
DH Anthony Pena: 1-for-3, 2 RS, K, SB (1)
This is Pena’s professional debut. 
RF Andry Javier: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 SB (4)
Javier is 6-for-20 (7 runs, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K, 4-for-4 SB)

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
The 17-year-old is listed at 6’6″, 255 pounds. From what I read, he is already dialing it up into the upper 90s (though he doesn’t yet sit there), so who knows how hard he will throw when he is developed?  He cost the Yankees over $400,000.

 

Yankees MILB 6/8: Jared Serna: 3 Hits, HR

News:

Nothing to report.

Scranton (27-31) (Lost to Norfolk, 5-3)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-4, 2B (10), RS, BB, SB (12)
Florial now has a 14-game hitting streak and a 26-game on-base streak.
3B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, RS, HBP, K, SB (7)
Peraza is in a little 3-for-20 slump. You couldn’t expect him to stay scorching forever.
1B Andres Chaparro: 1-for-4, 2 K
Chaparro has exactly one hit in five straight games (5-for-21). He hasn’t homered in 15 straight games.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K
DH Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-4, 2 K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, RS, K
RF Franchy Cordero: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K, SB (3)
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, BB, K
SS Jesus Bastidas: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Mitch Spence: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 HR
Norfolk is very good with a strong offense. Spence held them down nicely. He now owns a 4.21 ERA in 62 IP (59 H, 34 R, 29 ER, 23 BB, 53 K, 12 HR). He was very strong in May (2.21 ERA in 36.1 innings) and keeps it up in his first June appearance.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LHP D.J. Snelten: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Matt Bowman: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Greg Weissert (L, 1-1): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Weissert hasn’t been as sharp in 2023 as he was in 2022.

Somerset (31-22) (Defeated Hartford, 7-5)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-5, 2B (10)
Sweeney is on a 6-game hitting streak (8-for-28; 2 doubles)
DH Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
His plate discipline is impressive for a kid his age at this level. He has 46 walks in 49 games.
3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-5, 2B (4), RS, K, SB (13)
Durbin’s 28th stolen base between here and Hudson Valley.
CF Brandon Lockridge: 3-for-5, 3 2B (7), 3 RBI, RS
It’s not often you see three RBI doubles in a game.
C Anthony Seigler: 0-for-4, BB
LF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
RF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-2, RS, BB, HBP
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-4, RS, K
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, HR (7), 3 RBI, RS, BB, 2 K, CS (2)

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 4-3)  6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, HR
Abeyta sets a new personal best for strikeouts.
LHP Lisandro Santos: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Zac Houston (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (30-24) (Swept in a doubleheader against Jersey Shore. The pitching continues to pitch extremely well – but the offense did not show up today)

Game 1 (Lost, 1-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3
C Josh Breaux: 0-for-3, K
Breaux is hitting .231/.268/.333 in 41 plate appearances during his rehab stint.
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, K
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-3
2B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-1, HBP
LF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-2, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-2

RHP Zach Messinger (L, 0-4): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR
Messinger has pitched better than the record. He now owns a 2.68 ERA in 50.1 IP (42 H, 22 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 24 BB, 61 K)
RHP Jack Neely: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.64 ERA (22 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 34 K)

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, BB, K, SB (13)
.272/.324/.497 in 213 plate appearances (17 doubles, 3 triples, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 30 R, 15 BB, 74 K, 13-for-18 SB)
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3
.310/.368/.374 in 171 plate appearances.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-3
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, 2 K
.279/.344/.450 in 157 plate appearances. 
DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-3
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-3, K
2B Luis Santos: 1-for-2, 2B (2), RS, K
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-2

RHP Tyrone Yulie: (L, 1-4)  5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
5.02 ERA (43 IP, 34 H, 32 R, 24 ER, 6 HR, 29 BB, 50 K)
RHP Carlos Gomez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Tampa (24-30) (Mauled Lakeland, 11-3)

2B Jared Serna: 3-for-6, 2B (10), HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Whenever Serna seems to go into a little slump, he seems to bounce right out of it. He is listed at 5’6″, yet has 21 doubles and 15 HR in 97 games over the last two seasons. This season, his triple slash is up to .316/.375/.515.
DH Daury Arias: 1-for-4, RS, 2 BB
CF Anthony Hall: 2-for-4, 2B (6), RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, CS (4)
Hall increases his hitting streak to 8 and is entering “Does he belong here anymore?” territory. He is 8-for-26 in June after hitting .338/.477/.471 in May.
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, K
LF Christopher Familia: 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 RS, 2 BB, K, CS (1)
Familia: 5 HR in 7 games. 
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Rodriguez is now on a 7-game hitting streak (three straight multi-hit games)
RF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 4 K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-2, RS, 3 BB
1B Ronny Rojas: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (W, 3-3)  5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Selvidge was stretched out to 100 pitches tonight. He is throwing in the mid-90s (hit 96.7 tonight) and generated 19 swing and misses. Season: 3.02 ERA (50.2 IP, 46 H, 21 R, 17 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 56 K)
RHP Shane Gray: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
4.28 ERA (27.1 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 4 HR, 9 BB, 35 K)
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

FCL Yankees (2-1) (Defeated the Phillies, 7-1)

DH Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K, SB (1), CS (1)
Just like we said with Serna last year: If he taps into some power, his stock will go up. Without power? He still would have a chance because he can play up the middle positions.
SS Roderick Arias: 2-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS, 2 K
If Arias develops to his potential, he will have above-average power for a shortstop. I think the Yankees will be patient with him, but they won’t keep a bonus baby down here any longer than he needs to be.
CF Willy Montero: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, K, CS (1)
The 18-year-old did enough in the DSL last season (.262/.396/.382; 16-for-20 SB) to earn a shot here in 2023. I don’t see any info on his signing bonus (again, likely an indicator that it wasn’t much) but the fact that he is a CF hitting third in the lineup tells you that the organization is impressed with something.
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, HR (1), RBI, RS, 3 BB
Montero, who was signed for $1.7 million (the highest bonus the Yankees handed out in 2021), struggled badly in the DSL. Now 19, they simply couldn’t throw him back down there for a third season. Something has to start clicking.
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Tejeda (18) hit ..289/.463/.493 in 46 DSL games last season. As I keep saying: DSL stats are wacky. However, if you don’t perform down there, you will probably die on the vine (unless you are someone like Montero, who they invested significant money in)
RF Dayro Perez: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, 2 BB, SB (1)
Perez, signed as an infielder, gets his first career start in the OF. He was given a taste of Low-A earlier this season, where he went 13-for-85 (.153) with a 2-for-3 stolen base rate.

RHP Ryan Harvey: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
A strong professional debut for Harvey. Bobby Milone (on Twitter) pointed out that he was a college reliever so it appears this is another case of the Yankees drafting a relief pitcher and converting him to a starter. It really is not a bad strategy. It isn’t hard to convert them back to the bullpen.
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Mendoza received some praise from Josh Norris of Baseball America. In 2022, down in the DSL, he pitched to a 2.95 ERA in 55 IP with a 77/19 K/BB ratio. Given that he tossed three innings today, he likely is still seen as a starting pitcher.

DSL Yankees (3-0) and the DSL Bombers (3-0) both won. The Yankees knocked off the Pirates Black, 8-5, while the Bombers knocked off the Mets Orange, 7-6. The Bombers overcame a 6-0 deficit entering the bottom of the 7th.

As I keep saying, DSL stats are insane. The Yankees’ eight runs came on 6 hits and *16* walks. C Josue Gonzalez and DH Luis Escudero each drew three walks while 3B Ovandy Frias doubled home two runs and drew a pair of walks. RHP Jorge Luna went 2.2 innings in his professional debut, allowing no runs on two hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.

As for the Bombers, CF Ramiro Altagracia hit his first home run of the season. This is his third season at this level and he has done little of note offensively in his first two years…SS Kevin Verde (17) had one of the biggest knocks in the game: A 2-run double. He made his first professional hit memorable…DH Gabriel Lara (17) went 1-for-3 with an RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base…

 

Yankees MILB 6/1: Jasson Dominguez: 3-Run Boom!

News:

UTIL Oswaldo Cabrera was demoted to Scranton after the Yankees-Mariners game last night.

Cabrera was a high-energy catalyst last season for the Yankees. He hit .247/.312/.429 (108 OPS+; 111 wRC+) while playing strong defense at multiple positions (including the outfield, where he was a novice). This season, he couldn’t get anything going. Cabrera hit .195/.246/.292 (46 wRC+) with 3 home runs and 15 runs batted in. One encouraging sign is his 19.6% strikeout rate, but nothing else in his offensive profile was solid enough to make you think a turnaround was coming soon. The only position he is blocked at in the minors is shortstop (Oswald Peraza). That said, Peraza could slide over to other positions to give Cabrera some time at shortstop.

This isn’t the end of Cabrera’s story. He has things to work on, and Scranton is where he will work on them. The Yankees aren’t immune to injuries, so it is up to Cabrera to keep himself sharp so that he can be next in line when a need arises.

OF Kole Calhoun is opting out of his minor league deal. The Yankees have 72 hours to promote him or release him. The promotion seems doubtful.  He was in tonight’s lineup for Scranton, as the Yankees can still use him until the 72 hours are up. Including tonight, the 35-year-old is hitting .291/.396/.547 in 22 games for Scranton.

Scranton (27-27) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 5-3)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-5, 2 K
Florial’s hitting streak is up to 11 (19-for-52 (.365); 6 HR, 13 RBI, 12 runs). By the way, the last time Estevan Florial didn’t reach base in a game was back on April 30th (23-game on-base streak)
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, HR (10), RBI, RS
Peraza now has an 8-game hitting streak (13-for-38 (.342); 7 HR, 9 RBI, 10 runs). Hitting .342 during a hitting streak is strong – for Peraza, it has allowed him to maintain his .340 batting average for the season. By the way, Peraza hasn’t drawn one walk during the streak – when you are hitting for this much power, why would you want to walk? 
LF Kole Calhoun: 1-for-4
DH Andres Chaparro: 1-for-3, 2B (8), RS, BB, SB (3)
.257/.326/.482 in 215 plate appearances. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RBI, RS, K
C Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B Billy McKinney: 1-for-2, 2B (5), RBI, BB, HBP
3B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2B (7)
Bastidas didn’t want May to end (.353/.443/.559), but he starts off June with an extra-base hit.
2B Wilmer Difo: 1-for-3, BB, K

RHP Jhony Brito: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
He allowed a 3-run home run to former Yankees farmhand Jake Cave.
RHP James Norwood (L, 0-3): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP D.J. Snelten: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.80 ERA (23.2 IP, 13 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 3 HR, 21 BB, 29 K). Something tells me that just getting back on the mound is a big accomplishment for Snelten, who hadn’t pitched since 2019 (when he was with the independent Chicago Dogs). He pitched in four games for the San Francisco Giants back in 2018.
RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (27-20) (Scored 11 unanswered runs in an 11-7 comeback over Portland)

SS Trey Sweeney: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Sweeney is where he needs to be as he tries to break through with the bat. He has drawn walks all season but the hits aren’t coming consistently. I am confident they will.
CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, HR (8), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB, K
Dominguez had the SLG up to .433 after the games of 5/18. He slid a bit after that, but this blast has him over .400 (.404) to go along with his .365 OBP. 
C Austin Wells: 0-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, 2 BB
Wells drew a pair of run-scoring walks. He is hitting .250/.347/.534 in 101 plate appearances at this level (he is 5-for-26 without a home run (but 6 walks) in his last seven games)
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, HR (9; Grand Slam), 5 RBI, BB, 2 K
The grand slam gave Somerset an 8-7 lead. Hardman has driven home five runs in a game twice this season. He is hitting .228/.306/.512 (5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 4-for-5 SB)
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2B (3), SF, RBI, K
RF Jeisson Rosario: 2-for-4
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 SB (9)
Wagaman was 11-for-19 stealing bases in his career prior to this season (9-for-10 in 2023). 
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-1, 3 RS, 3 BB, SB (2)
Palensky is now 12-for-12 stealing bases between here and Hudson Valley.
2B Max Burt: 1-for-3, 2 RS, BB

RHP Gray Fenter: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Steven Jennings: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
An outstanding job by the bullpen to keep Portland (a good offensive squad) off the scoreboard. Jennings (24) has a 3.65 ERA in 24.2 IP (17 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 33 K)
RHP Justin Wilson: (W, 2-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.34 ERA (18.2 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 13 BB, 17 K). Wilson allowed four runs in one inning a few outings ago, which crushed his numbers a bit. Still, the walks are obviously high and control has always been his bugaboo. There is still time for the Yankees to work with him.
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (27-21) (Lost to Aberdeen, 1-0. They drew five walks (plus an HBP) but couldn’t get the big hit)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (16), 3 K, CS (3)
Jones’ 16 doubles rank second in the league (Wilfred Veras (Nationals) has 20).
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, BB, K
Vargas didn’t have a great May (though he ended the month on a bit of a hot streak). Let’s see what June brings…
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, BB
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-3, BB, K
Gomez had two passed balls, giving him 9 on the season. Are his offensive struggles leading to defensive lapses? His defense has received rave reviews in the past and it is something they can probably clean up. 
DH Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, BB
RF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-2, BB, HBP, K
3B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-4
LF Kyle Battle: 0-for-4, 4 K
Battle’s first game since 4/14 didn’t go according to plan.

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 0-3): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
This is what you call a tough-luck loss. He sports a 2.78 ERA in 45.1 IP (39 H, 21 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 22 BB, 55 K)
RHP Indigo Diaz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Diaz was sent down here from Somerset, where he sported a 3.32 ERA in 19 innings with a 25/16 K/BB.
RHP Jack Neely: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
1.80 ERA (20 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 32 K). Neely has 124 strikeouts in 72.1 career innings, The walks aren’t ideal (38), but I am always a believer in moving college relievers as quickly as possible.

Tampa (20-28) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-2)

2B Jared Serna: 2-for-5, 2 K
Serna has at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games. However, only three of those games feature multiple hits, so his average has dropped from .325 to .310 (not exactly bad!). The strikeout rate has ticked up lately, thanks to eight strikeouts in his last four games (he didn’t reach eight strikeouts for the season until May 9th (his 22nd game)).
CF Anthony Hall: 1-for-5, RS, K
Hall hasn’t skipped many beats since his 4-for-33 April. He was dominant in May and is trying to carry that over to June.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
Ramirez has been pretty consistent (especially in the walk column) since the start of the season (he now has 29 in 157 PA (19.1%)).
SS Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 3 K
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, K
RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
C Jesus Rodriguez: 3-for-4, RBI, SB (6)
Rodriguez has two 3-hit games this season. He hit well in the rookie leagues, so let’s see how his first year in a full-season league goes.
1B Beau Brewer: 0-for-2, 2 BB, SB (1)
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
3.15 ERA (45.2 IP, 42 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 9 BB, 48 K). It is way too early to look at an innings load, but I will point out that Selvidge tossed 42.2 innings in the rookie leagues last season. 
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Adam Stone: (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Stone’s professional debut. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last July out of Harvard. He stands 6’6″. Tonight, he pretty much only used his 91-93 cutter (20 of his 22 pitches)
RHP Alex Bustamante: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
The life of a reliever, where one performance can jump your ERA from 2.18 to 3.86.
RHP Shane Gray: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 5/11: Trey Sweeney: HR, 4 RBI

News:

Spencer Jones has missed all three games against Aberdeen this week. Assuming he isn’t allergic to playing in cities that start with “A,” one has to assume he is battling some sort of injury.

Scranton (16-20) (Lost to Omaha, 4-3, in 11 innings)

CF Estevan Florial: 1-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K, CS (3)
Florial has reached base safely in eight straight games. He is 9-for-29 in May with six walks and 14 strikeouts. Trying to describe Florial to someone who doesn’t follow the minors would be a fun exercise. He does so many things well but the strikeout rate is simply too high. That isn’t a “stat nerds” thing – it is a “How the heck does he survive in MLB with that rate?” thing.
LF Kole Calhoun: 1-for-5, 2B (4), RBI, 2 K
3B Andres Chaparro: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
He was well overdue for a mundane night.
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, RS, HBP, K
DH Franchy Cordero: 2-for-5, 2B (4), RS, 3 K
This drops his Triple-A average to .440. What are you waiting for, Cashman?
C Ben Rortvedt: 2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, K
At this level: .238/.304/.333 in a mere 38 plate appearances. Why don’t I care about what he did at other levels? Because those numbers are meaningless in every sense of the word.
  PR Michael Hermosillo: 0-for-0
  C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-1
1B Billy McKinney: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-5, 3 K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, BB, SB (5)

RHP Sean Boyle: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
6.67 ERA (27 IP, 31 H, 23 R, 20 ER, 5 HR, 8 BB, 27 K). A nice bounceback after giving up six runs in 0.1 innings last time out.
RHP Michael Gomez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Colten Brewer: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
LHP D.J. Snelten: (L, 0-2)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Snelten was dominant but fell thanks to the ghost runner. He now owns a 2.81 ERA in 16 IP (6 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 19 K)

Somerset (19-10) (Pulverized Portland, 9-1)

SS Trey Sweeney: 2-for-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, RS, 2 BB
.275/.412/.407 in 114 plate appearances. In May, Sweeney is 10-for-27 with two doubles, a home run, and 11 walks.
C Austin Wells: 0-for-4, RBI, BB
7-for-31 with four home runs and four walks at this level.
CF Everson Pereira: 1-for-5, HR (3), RBI, RS, 3 K
Pereira hasn’t hit his stride yet but has two home runs in his last three games.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB, 2 K
Rosario hit a personal best 11 HR in 104 games last year. His five this year have come in 24 games. That said, he is off to a slow start (.133/.320/.333)
3B Tyler Hardman: 3-for-5, 2B (4), 2 RS
6-game hitting streak (9-for-22; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs). Overall, he is hitting .238/.323/.500 in 93 plate appearances. Before this stretch, he was hitting .172/.279/.345.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-2, 2 RS, 3 BB, 2 SB (4)
One has to figure that Rumfield’s .158 BABIP will normalize in due time. In the meantime, we will take the 12.4% BB rate and 15.7% K rate. 
2B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-5
DH Anthony Seigler: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 3 BB, SB (2)
Seigler’s first 3 BB game in 2023 (he had four such games in 2022). Plate discipline is his thing, given his .382 OBP this season and .374 mark in 876 career plate appearances.
RF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K

RHP Will Warren: (W, 3-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K
2.45 ERA (29.1 IP, 26 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 12 BB, 39 K). Warren likely wasn’t at his best tonight, but he still kept runs off the scoreboard. It is important to see how a kid does when he may not have his best stuff.
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
Mauricio’s first appearance since 4/11. Fangraphs ranked him as the organization’s 31st-best prospect prior to this season, which isn’t so bad given his limited history for a 26-year-old (tonight was only his 50th career game).
RHP Tanner Myatt: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
0.64 ERA (14 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 18 K). The BB/9 (4.50) is still high but it is down from last year (6.19). His strikeout rate has never been an issue.
RHP Steven Jennings: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Hudson Valley (18-12) (Lost to Aberdeen, 3-2, in ten innings)

SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (6)
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, BB, K
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4, 3 K
Gomez hit well in April (16-for-59; .271 with a .358 OBP) but is only 2-for-25 in May.
RF Anthony Garcia: 0-for-2
  RF Aldenis Sanchez: 0-for-2
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, 2 K
Flores, who has ten starts at first base and six behind the plate, hits his third career home run (24 games).
DH Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS
Henson has 25 home runs in 121 career games. He is a 1B/DH only, so he will need to do a lot of hitting to be MLB-viable.
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 1-for-3, BB, CS (1)
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K

RHP Zach Messinger: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
2.03 ERA (31 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 11 BB, 38 K). A very impressive beginning to his sophomore season.
RHP Carlos Gomez: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
LHP Ryan Anderson: (L, 1-2)  2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (11-18) (Lost to Ft. Myers, 8-3)

SS Jared Serna: 1-for-5
You mean he was never going to hit .380 over the course of an entire season? He is hitting .352/.438/.538 after his little 1-for-9 over the last two games (he didn’t strike out in either game, so his K rate continues to fall (now 7.6%)
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, K
DH Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-1, 3 BB
Ramirez has a pair of 3 BB games this season and now has more walks (16) than strikeouts (14). 
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Brett Barrera: 0-for-2, BB
3B Beau Brewer: 1-for-3, BB
2023 debut for Brewer, who was drafted in the 19th round in last year’s draft out of Paris JR College (TX). The 21-year-old went 2-for-12 in three games at this level last year.
CF Alan Mejia: 1-for-4, 2 K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, 2 K

LHP Brock Selvidge: (L, 1-3) 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
3.94 ERA (29.2 IP, 28 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 29 K)
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
1.32 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 20 K). The 22-year-old out of USC is humming, just like a pitcher from a big-name school should hum at this level. He hopefully isn’t here for long.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.45 ERA (14.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 9 BB, 19 K). 

Yankees MILB 5/5: Clayton Beeter Ks 11

News:

Nothing new to report.

Scranton (12-19) (Lost to Rochester, 4-1)

SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, CS (2)
LF Kole Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2B (1), K
CF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
.232/.360/.347 in 114 plate appearances. He is drawing his walks but hasn’t been able to get into a consistent hitting groove (yet)
RF Franchy Cordero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
DH Ben Rortvedt: 0-for-4, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 0-for-4
1B Billy McKinney: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
McKinney, brought here for veteran depth, is hitting .194/.275/.319.
C Rodolfo Duran: 1-for-3, 2B (7), BB
Duran continues to show off the extra-base hit power: 7 doubles and 4 home runs in 70 plate appearances (.585 SLG)
3B Jesus Bastidas: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, 3 K

RHP Randy Vasquez: (L, 0-4)  5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
5.97 ERA (31.2 IP, 36 H, 24 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 41 K). The strikeouts are nice – the rest of it needs plenty of work. 
RHP Barrett Loseke: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
12.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 14 K
RHP Aaron McGarity: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
17 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 5 BB, 23 K. Strong season so far.

Somerset (15-9) (Shut out Binghamton, 2-0)

CF Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, RS, K
Set up the big hit in the bottom of the 8th…
C Austin Wells: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
…which was a home run for Wells!  I seriously don’t think he should be here long. 
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-3, BB, K, CS (1)
It would be nice to see Hardman get it going, as he is only hitting .180 with a .344 SLG.
LF Jeisson Rosario: 0-for-3, K
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, K
Lockridge’s hitting streak reaches five.
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-for-3, K, 2 SB (7)
Wagaman was 3-for-3 stealing bases in 2022. He is being rather frisky this season while hitting .325/.349/.525 in 43 plate appearances.
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, K
2B Eduardo Torrealba: 0-for-2, BB

RHP Clayton Beeter:  6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K
Beeter sets a new personal best for Ks in a game. He is now the owner of a 1.35 ERA in 26.2 IP (19 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 34 K). The Yankees seem committed to him as a rotation arm (for now) and he is rewarding them.
RHP Steven Jennings (W, 2-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Tanner Myatt (S, 3): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.79 ERA (11.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 15 K). Cheap relief help is always in demand – if the hard-throwing (but injury prone) Myatt keeps this up, teams may look at him in this winter’s Rule 5.

Hudson Valley (17-8) (Defeated Wilmington, 3-2, on a walk-off wild pitch)

CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2 K
.289/.327/.600 in 98 plate appearances. His K% sits at 33.7%, which needs to come down (it should) but there isn’t mich to complain about here.
DH Alexander Vargas: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, K
This drops his triple slash all the way down to .397/.478/.897 over 67 plate appearances. 
1B Spencer Henson: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, K, SB (1)
Henson scored on the walk-off wild pitch. I should note that he stole third base prior to that wild pitch. 
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, BB
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Marcos Cabrera: 0-for-2, BB, K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
.233/.303/.517 in 66 plate appearances. He hit 7 home runs in 355 plate appearances last season. He is a 23-year-old infielder out of the University of Maryland.
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Zach Messinger: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
2.08 ERA (26 IP, 17 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 31 K)
RHP Juan Carela: (W, 1-1) 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
4.79 ERA (20.2 IP, 21 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 28 K). Carela is typically a starter – this appears to be a “piggyback” game for him.

Tampa (9-16) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-6)

CF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, K
  CF Alan Mejia: 0-for-1, BB
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-3, 2B (5), HR (2), RBI, RS, 2 BB
Serna is on a ridiculous run. He is hitting .375/.477/.528 in 86 plate appearances (5 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 RBI, 8 runs, 13 BB, 6 K, 7-for-10 SB). Sheesh – how can one have a .477 OBP and only score eight runs in 20 games? If anything tells you how much “runs” and “RBI” are team dependent, that number should.
Anyway, Serna has nine hits in his last three games and 21 hits in his last 11 games.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-5, 2B (2), RS, K
LF Anthony Hall: 1-for-2, 2B (3), RS, BB, HBP
He has hit safely in five of his last six games with a pair of doubles. As a college bat, you have to expect him to eventually dominate this level.
2B Dayro Perez: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, K
DH Nelson Medina: 0-for-4
1B Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
.288/.420/.500 in 81 plate appearances. He is a 21-year-old left-handed bat who hit well in the GCL last year, so he is worth monitoring.
3B Ronny Rojas: 0-for-4, K
RF Felix Negueis: 0-for-3, RS, HBP, K

RHP Sean Hermann: (L, 1-3)  4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
5.47 ERA (24.2 IP, 28 H, 15 R, 15 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 19 K), His last few outings have been rough, but remember he is only 19 years old.
RHP Shane Gray: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Gray owns an impressive 20/4 K/BB over 13.2 innings but has also allowed ten runs. His outings have been mixed – a few rough ones, a few dominant ones, etc. 
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2.25 ERA (12 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 16 K)

Yankees MILB 4/28: Austin Wells Goes Yard

News:

Nothing to report.

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

LF-CF Estevan Florial: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
CF Harrison Bader: 1-for-4, K
3-for-16 during his rehab stint.
  P Aaron McGarity: 0-for-0
They lost the DH after they took Bader out of the game (McKinney had to move into the field)
  PH Rodolfo Duran: 0-for-1
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
Dunham, one of my favorite under-the-radar type prospects, is in a bit of a slump (0-for-14; 2-for-28)
3B Andres Chaparro: 2-for-3, RS, BB
Tale of two halves of the month:
Started: 0-for-20; 2 walks, 10 strikeouts.
Since: 21-for-63 (.333); 2 doubles, 8 home runs, 6 BB, 14 K
DH-LF Billy McKinney: 0-for-4, RS, K
2B Jamie Westbrook: 1-for-4, RBI
1B Mickey Gasper: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB (2)
Gasper is off to a slow 9-for-54 start. 
C Jose Godoy: 1-for-3, BB, K
SS Wilmer Difo: 0-for-4, K

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

Somerset (11-7) 

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

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

Game 1 (Won, 7-4)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K, CS (1)
LF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-3, HR (6), RBI, 2 RS, BB, 2 K
.395/.480/.907 (not a typo) in 50 plate appearances. He has 16 home runs in 88 games at this level. He is certainly not a top prospect or anything, but why not just place him in Somerset to see if he can be an overachieving type? Note: He actually has experience in Somerset. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he started his professional career in Somerset in 2021 – skipping all levels. 
1B Ben Rice: 2-for-4
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, K
Back-to-back games with a home run.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-3, 2 RS, BB
Like many at this level, Flores has started strong: 16-for-39 (.410/.455/.487). In his brief professional career, he is hitting .415/.448/.604 in 58 plate appearances.
3B Marcos Cabrera: 2-for-4, RS
.200/.280/.356 in 50 plate appearances. After hitting for a solid average in the DSL in 2019 (a league that is hard to take seriously – but everyone has to start somewhere), he hasn’t been able to replicate that since moving to the States. As you may suspect, much of that is due to a too-high K rate.
CF Aldenis Sanchez: 1-for-2, SF, 2 RBI, CS (1)
SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-3, 2B (2), RBI, RS
2B Luis Santos: 0-for-2, BB, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, HR
2.14 ERA (21 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 26 K). Messinger struck out 112 batters in 83.2 innings down in Tampa last year. The 13th-round pick (Virginia) back in 2021 has an intriguing arm to follow. It should be noted that he didn’t start much in college (11 of his 51 games pitched), so this is still a relatively new thing for him.
RHP Jack Neely (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
11 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 13 K. Another intriguing arm to follow – like many, it comes down to cutting down the walk rate.
RHP Nick Paciorek (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Injuries have slowed down the 7th-round pick from the 2019 draft.

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

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

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

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

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

RHP Sean Hermann (L, 1-2): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
3.60 ERA (20 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 16 K). We talk a lot about the “quick rise” prospects in this system – Hermann may take a bit more time to marinate (he doesn’t turn 20 until June).
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Gabonia was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2020 (the year when MLB had a shortened draft). He is 21 years old.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. They are keeping him in the bullpen to begin 2023. If you don’t remember (and why would you?), Calderon tossed a 7-inning no-hitter in his Tampa debut last season.
RHP Alex Bustamante: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K