Minor League & Prospects Thread

Everson Pereira with his 8th home run.

I thought Oscar looked like a big leaguer in ST…

RHP Chase Hampton was transferred to the 60-day injured list today. This is unfortunate for a pitcher many thought could give the team some innings in 2024. We don’t know the reason for the transfer, though you instantly fear Tommy John Surgery.



Scranton (22-9) (Outlasted Jacksonville, 10-9. The Railriders crushed five home runs today. As you may suspect, they are at the top of their division and have one of the best (but not the best) winning percentages in the minor leagues)



LF Greg Allen: 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (5), BB

Allen is disruptive. You don’t want him starting often in MLB, but he provides a speed/defense combo that can be useful. Players like him were amongst the most screwed by MLB limiting September rosters.

RF Everson Pereira: 2-for-5, 2B (7), HR (8), 2 RBI, RS, K

Pereira’s homer was hit at 101.4 MPH. He is hitting .263/.333/.553 in 126 PA. 16 of his 30 hits have gone for extra bases (7 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR). He has 16 homers in 63 Triple-A games.

1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4, RS, BB, K

C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-5, HR (3), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K

DH Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (1), HR (1), RBI, RS, BB, K

As long as he is healthy, I like the depth he provides the organization. He is a LF/RF, but the Yankees have given him a pair of starts at first base in Scranton (his only two career games there).

3B Luis Torrens: 2-for-4, RS, CS (1), K

3B Caleb Durbin: 0-for-0

It is rare to see a minor league manager go the defensive substitution route but in a crazy game like this, I guess you don’t want a catcher at third base in the 9th!

SS Jeter Downs: 0-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K

2B Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, RS, 3 K

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RS, SB (13), K

.208/.345/.278 in 87 PA (5 doubles, 10 RBI, 13 R, 13-for-14 SB).



RHP Cody Poteet: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR

3.33 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 6 BB, 25 K). He has pitched very well, so we’ll toss this one.

RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (W, 2-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

1.76 ERA (15.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 HR, 6 BB, 17 K)

RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

RHP Art Warren: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

The 31-year-old had strikeout chops before his injury (29.5% K rate in 65 MLB games).

RHP Phil Bickford (S, 2): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K



Somerset (12-14) (Outpitched New Hampshire, 2-0. Somerset didn’t have a hit entering the 7th inning. New Hampshire didn’t earn a hit until the 6th inning)



DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 2 K

.250/.311/.412 in 74 PA. He is in a 1-for-22 slump but he’s too good for that to continue for much longer (uh oh, why did I have to say that?)

C Ben Rice: 0-for-3, SB (4), CI

.277/.404/.532 in 115 PA. Rice is 20-for-24 stealing bases in his career.

SS Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, RS

Cowles broke up the New Hampshire no-hitter in the 7th. This is his 9th multi-hit effort (25th game). He is hitting .344/.421/.591 in 107 PA. How long can he maintain an OPS > 1.000?

CF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K

.297/.369/.486 in 84 PA (8 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R, 5-for-6 SB, 8.3% BB, 22.6% K). He had a 31.1% K rate in 61 PA here last year. He’s having a solid season and he has more power to tap into.

3B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, 2 K

LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 2 RBI, K

8 of Dunham’s 13 hits have gone for extra bases.

RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, SB (4), HBP, K

2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, 2 K

1B Spencer Henson: 0-for-3, 2 K

Henson’s first game since 4/19.



RHP Zach Messinger: 5.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K

Messinger threw 91 pitches today. This performance drops his ERA to 4.28 (33.2 IP, 25 H, 22 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 13 BB, 37 K).

LHP Ryan Anderson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

RHP Leonardo Pestana: (W, 1-0) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

So far, Pestana is taking to a relief role. That would be par for the course with the Yankees if he developed into an MLB-quality bullpen arm.

RHP Jack Neely: (S, 3) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR

2.03 ERA (13.1 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 20 K)



Hudson Valley (14-10)



Their game against Wilmington was postponed.



Tampa (7-19) (Lost to Dunedin, 6-5)



CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-5, 2B (3), RS, SB (3), K

SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (5), 2 BB, 2 K

Arias made up for a big error in the 6th by drawing an important walk in the 7th. Tampa couldn’t hold the lead though…

3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS

Jasso had zero HR in his first 18 games this season and one in his first 39 professional games. He has four in his last six games. Baseball!

1B Coby Morales: 1-for-4, K

2B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K

Montero’s first Low-A hit. Congrats!

C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, HBP

Frick has started his career with an 11-game on-base streak.

LF Tayler Aguilar: 1-for-2 HBP, BB

DH Manuel Palencia: 1-for-4, RBI

RF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K



RHP Josh Grosz: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 12 K, 2 HR

Grosz struck out the first two hitters in the 6th before Dunedin took advantage of a costly error. Grosz generated 19 whiffs (10 with the slider, six with the 4-seamer) in his most impressive professional performance. Last two starts: 10.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 17 K. This is the 21-year-old’s debut season.

RHP Cade Austin: (L, 0-2) 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR



FCL (0-1) (Lost to the FCL Tigers, 5-4, in ten innings)



I will do a full lineup today, but that is not how I will treat the FCL throughout the season. I will instead highlight anything interesting that happens.



RF Wilson Rodriguez: 2-for-5, RBI, RS, 2 K

Rodriguez was drafted in the 17th round in the 2023 draft out of Puerto Rico. The 19-year-old went 9-for-41 (.220/.360/.430) in last year’s debut season, hitting a pair of home runs.

C Edgleen Perez: 0-for-2, HBP, K

I don’t know why he was lifted, but the HBP is likely a clue. Only 17 years old, Perez hit .259/.389/.317 in 39 DSL games in 2023.

3B Abrahan Ramirez: 0-for-2

The 19-year-old left-handed bat hit .311/.471/.379 in the DSL in 2023.

1B-C Josue Gonzalez: 3-for-5, 2B (1), RBI, K

The 20-year-old had a big season in the DSL last year. That earned him a shot at this level, which is all he can ask for.

CF Fidel Montero: 0-for-4, BB, 3 K

All I want to happen is for Willy (Tampa), Hans (Tampa), and Fidel Montero to make it to MLB simultaneously!

LF Joel Mendez: 1-for-4, 2B (1), BB, K

Mendez is 21. He went 29-for-99 (.292/.363/.424) at this level in 2023.

3B-1B Luis Ogando: 1-for-4, RS, K

Ogando hit .352/.446/.541 in 148 DSL plate appearances in 2023. He is 20 years old.

DH Josh Tiedemann: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB

The other 2023 draftee besides Rodriguez in today’s lineup was Tiedemann, the Yankees’ 13th-round pick out of an Arizona high school. The 19-year-old went 1-for-9 in his professional debut last year.

2B Gabriel Terrero: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 3 K

The 18-year-old hit .299/.407/.533 in 37 games in his debut season (DSL) last year. He clubbed seven home runs, drove home 27, and stole 14 bases in 20 attempts.

SS Juan Matheus: 1-fot-5, 3B (1), RS, CS (1), K

After hitting .252/.442/.472 in 45 DSL games in 2022, he only played in ten games in 2023 (he was on the 60-day injured list for most of the season).



RHP Angel Benitez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

The 20-year-old stands 6’7″. In the DSL last year (his debut season), he pitched to a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings with a 24/7 K/BB.

RHP Omar Gonzalez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Gonzalez was likely one of the youngest players in professional baseball in 2022 when he compiled a 0.44 ERA in 20.1 innings in the DSL. He was 16 years old when he made his debut on June 11th. He only tossed 11 innings in 2023.

RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

The 21-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Monroe last year. This is his professional debut. He stands a mere 6’5″, making him a backup point guard for the Yankees Pitching Trees rec basketball league.

RHP Mason Vinyard: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Vinyard pitched in 24 games for Hudson Valley last season, compiling a 2.97 ERA. He is here on a rehab assignment.

RHP Hansel Rosario: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

Control has been Rosario’s issue in his brief career. Let’s see if this is the start of turning the corner.

RHP Alejandro Gomez (L, 0-1): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Now 21, he spent 2021-2023 in the DSL.

Carlos Narváez: The Yankees’ new third catcher
Taking a look at one of the Yankees’ Triple-A backstops after a brief stint with the major-league club last week.
www.pinstripealley.com/2024/5/5/24147520/yankees-analysis-carlos-narvaez-catcher-prospect-profile-wells-trevino

The day any ballplayer gets called up to the major leagues is cause for celebration, the culmination of a life’s work to that point. April 29th was that day for Carlos Narváez.

The Yankees’ catching prospect was recalled to take the roster spot previously held by Alex Verdugo, who was placed on paternity leave. Unfortunately for Narváez, though, he was sent back down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes/Barre before last Thursday’s game, never making an appearance for the Yankees.

Perhaps the elevation of a third catcher to replace a starting outfielder should have been a sign that Narváez was brought up more for depth than to start, with those duties falling to Trent Grisham in Verdugo’s brief absence. Still, the question remains: how did Carlos Narváez reach the Yankees’ active roster? And, more importantly, should we expect to see him up there again?

Narváez was signed out of Venezuela as a teenager, a few years behind his cousin and fellow backstop Omar, the 2021 All-Star and current Met. He first appeared on a Yankees-affiliated team as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League back in 2016. He steadily rose through the ranks in the years that followed, progressing to Triple-A last year and making it onto the Yankees’ 40-man roster after the season.

Plate discipline has been a hallmark of Narváez’s game from the jump — among catchers with at least 300 plate appearances in the International League last year, Narváez was second only to Iván Herrera in on-base percentage (.373) and walk rate (15.9%). He’s developed a bit of pop over the years as well, hitting 12 home runs in 419 minor-league at-bats last season.

His hit tool hasn’t progressed at the same clip, with Narváez hitting .239 last year after hitting .194 in 300 High-A plate appearances the year prior.

But Narváez’s primary value is likely to come through his defense. Aaron Boone has called the 25-year-old “special behind the plate,” with Yankees defensive coordinator Aaron Gershenfeld referring to him as a “total-package defender.” Narváez catches in the one-knee style implemented by current Yankees catchers Austin Wells and Jose Trevino and championed by Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, who has led the one-knee revolution as a pitch-framing mechanism to “steal strikes.”

Narváez’s ability to control the run game, which had been a strength in seasons past, has diminished significantly this year at Triple-A. So far, he’s caught just three runners in 21 attempts for a 14 percent caught stealing rate. By comparison, the average in MLB this year is 22 percent, with Wells posting a 21 percent mark and Trevino throwing out a league-leading 37 percent of prospective base-stealers. Hopefully, this is a small sample size issue that will stabilize as the season progresses and not a red flag.

He’s also gotten some run at first base this year, appearing in six Triple-A games there. It’s unclear if this is primarily to prepare him for defensive flexibility in the majors, to keep him off his legs, or to get more playing time for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s two other catchers, Josh Breaux and Luis Torrens. Regardless, despite the games spent at first and even after missing time at Triple-A during his stint with the Yankees, Narváez has caught nearly as many games as Breaux and Torrens combined.

In years past, in part due to the physically demanding nature of the position, the Yankees have gotten a lot of use from their third catchers. From Austin Romine to Kyle Higashioka to Ben Rortvedt, the Yankees have often stashed a catcher at Triple-A in whom they felt comfortable handling a role with the major-league club, at least defensively. Based on his usage at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and his brief call-up last week, it seems that Narváez is the latest Yankees backstop to occupy that role, making him the team’s likely next man up should either Wells or Trevino miss time.

Sunday's farm report from Tom Kosensky. T.J. Rumfield and Dylan Jasso stay hot, while Somerset and Hudson Valley are rained out.

tomkosensky.com/2024/05/05/yankees-milb-5-5-dylan-jasso-continues-to-rake/

Yankees MILB 5/5: Dylan Jasso Continues to Rake

News:



I don’t tour the minor league rosters often, but sometimes I will see something that sticks out to me.



This evening, I noticed that RHP Brendan Beck is now on the full-season injured list for Somerset. Since being drafted in 2021, Beck has logged 34 innings, all in 2023. I ranked him #24 on my preseason Top 30 list.



When he was drafted out of Stanford, many thought he was polished enough to get to the majors in a hurry. However, injuries have held him back. He will be 26 years old in 2025 and is unlikely (as in 0.000000001% chance) to be protected in the upcoming Rule 5.



Scranton (23-9) (Defeated Jacksonville, 5-2, to sweep the 6-game series. They own a 5-game lead over 18-14 Buffalo)



3B Caleb Durbin: 1-for-4, RBI, SB (14), BB, K

Durbin’s hitting streak reaches 10 as his triple slash reads .286/.411/.454 with 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts. He is second in the International League in doubles and stolen bases.

RF Everson Pereira: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K

.263/.336/.542 in 131 PA. His SLG is 19th in the International League, which serves as a reminder about how crazy the offensive environment continues to be.

1B T.J. Rumfield: 3-for-4, 2B (7), RS, CS (1), BB, K

Rumfield is 7-for-20 in May with a pair of doubles and a home run. Between here and Somerset, he is hitting .313/.385/.458.

C Carlos Narvaez: 2-for-5, 2 RBI

I guess he is riding the high of his brief MLB stay, as he is 5-for-15 with seven RBI since being sent back down.

DH Jose Rojas: 1-for-5, HR (5), RBI, RS

Rojas is a Triple-A “three outcomes” guy who is hitting .190/.352/.452 with seven doubles and five home runs

2B Josh VanMeter: 1-for-4, K

CF Greg Allen: 2-for-2, 2B (2), RS, SAC, HBP

Allen is hitting .194/.370/.417 in 47 plate appearances.

SS Kevin Smith: 2-for-4, RS

LF Luis Gonzalez: 1-for-4



RHP Yoendrys Gomez: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K

Gomez tossed 61 pitches today. He owns a 3.66 ERA in 19.2 IP (15 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 24 K). I am still not entirely sure what the game plan is.

RHP Cody Morris (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

RHP Alex Mauricio (S, 1): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

1.76 ERA (15.1 IP, 13 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 18 K). He continues to miss bats while avoiding walks. Keep it up, kid!



Somerset (12-14)



Their game against New Hampshire was postponed.



Hudson Valley (14-10)



Their game against Wilmington was postponed.



Tampa (8-19) (Outlasted Dunedin, 15-7)



LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, 2 RS, SB (4), 3 BB, K

Castillo is 6-for-6 stealing bases in his short career.

SS Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 BB, 2 K

.188/.328/.327 in 122 PA (4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R, 15.6% BB, 38.5% K, 5-for-8 SB. A series of ups and downs thus far, which I expected)

2B Dayro Perez: 0-for-0

3B Dylan Jasso: 3-for-5, 2B (9), 3 RBI, 3 RS, BB, 2 K

.280/.393/.527 in 112 PA (9 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 16 R, 16 BB, 31 K). Jasso is 9-for-22 in May with three doubles, three home runs, and 10 runs batted in. He leads the Florida State League in doubles and is second in RBI.

CF Willy Montero: 1-for-5, 3 RS, BB, K

2B-SS Hans Montero: 1-for-4, 2 RS, 2 BB, 2 K

Montero has enough ability to be included on the list of solid middle infield prospects in the lower levels. That doesn’t put him in the Lombard Jr./Arias range, but you should have him on your watch list.

1B Coby Morales: 3-for-5, HR (1), SF, 6 RBI, RS, K

.245/.359/.306 in 117 plate appearances (3 doubles, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 12 R, 14 BB, 34 K, 6-for-6 SB). This is a career-best performance (only his 36th game)

DH Tomas Frick: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K

.341/.471/.415 in 51 PA. He is 23 years old but is in his debut season. He won’t make a list of top Yankees’ catching prospects, but if he can develop into a backup-capable guy, that would be a win.

C Manuel Palencia: 2-for-4, SF, RBI, RS

The 21-year-old is hitting .275/.321/.333 in 56 PA.

RF Tayler Aguilar: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 BB



RHP Ryan Harvey: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

It’s a strong bounce-back after his 1.2 IP/5 H/6 R outing last time.

RHP Jordy Luciano: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K

LHP Brady Rose (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

This isn’t likely how he envisioned his first professional win to go, but it still counts. Congrats!

RHP Aaron Nixon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

2.51 ERA (14.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 17 K)

RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

2.25 ERA (12 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 13 K)