Post by JohnM on Apr 9, 2024 6:48:22 GMT -5
Pinstriped Bible
welcome to the first of many weekly minor league roundups, where I’ll review each Yankees affiliate and the prospects playing there. While you may look at this article in astonishment for how long it is, I assure you that future editions will not be this long. This piece will give more context for certain players, how some guys look compared to last season, etc. So without further ado, let’s dive in!
Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders
Record: 4-4, 2.5 GB in the International League after going 2-1 against the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) and 2-3 versus the Syracuse Mets
Run differential: +6
Coming up: On the road for six games against the Norfolk Tides (Orioles) starting Tuesday, April 9th
The RailRiders have played just eight games this season thanks to two rainouts in Syracuse to begin last week. Amidst some terrible conditions, the RailRiders have been inconsistent both at the plate and on the mound: the team has scored the seventh most runs out of 20 teams (46) while surrendering a 4.10 ERA, good for eighth out of 20 teams. While I’m sure the team ERA will be higher after this series against a loaded Norfolk lineup starring Jackson Holliday and more, this squad looks like it could be in the upper quartile of teams in the International League.
Caleb Durbin has absolutely stolen the show thus far. In 38 plate appearances, the 24-year-old is slashing an unreal .464/.579/.786, good for a 1.365 OPS. He’s walked eight times as opposed to striking out just twice. Considering the spring he had and the start he’s enjoying, you can’t help but wonder if surrendering John Cruz for Jon Berti — a really nice utility player — could’ve been avoided had they called up Durbin. I suppose the Yankees were prioritizing defensive versatility, which Berti does have over the prospect at this point. In any case, Durbin could be an impact contributor for New York in short order.
Brandon Lockridge has also gotten off to a good start, batting .417 with nine stolen bases so far. He’s an 80-grade runner and plus-plus defender in the outfield with some gap-to-gap pop but very little homer power.
Cody Poteet’s first two starts are likely what the Yankees were hoping to see more of in the spring when he was (sort of) competing for the fifth rotation spot. Though his stuff was down across the board in his start against Syracuse on Saturday, he was still throwing strikes and getting whiffs below the zone. While Will Warren (who had a brutal first start) is the most talented pitcher in Triple-A, it might be Poteet who gets the first crack at a spot start since he’s already on the 40-man roster. Edgar Barclay is the crafty southpaw that every Triple-A team seems to have, though he’s a good one. His fastball sits 89-90, but he’s got very short arm action that’s torture on same-side batters. He has a plus change that he mixes in with regularity. He throws enough strikes, too. He’s a nice depth piece for any ballclub to boast.
Brandon Lockridge has also gotten off to a good start, batting .417 with nine stolen bases so far. He’s an 80-grade runner and plus-plus defender in the outfield with some gap-to-gap pop but very little homer power.
Cody Poteet’s first two starts are likely what the Yankees were hoping to see more of in the spring when he was (sort of) competing for the fifth rotation spot. Though his stuff was down across the board in his start against Syracuse on Saturday, he was still throwing strikes and getting whiffs below the zone. While Will Warren (who had a brutal first start) is the most talented pitcher in Triple-A, it might be Poteet who gets the first crack at a spot start since he’s already on the 40-man roster. Edgar Barclay is the crafty southpaw that every Triple-A team seems to have, though he’s a good one. His fastball sits 89-90, but he’s got very short arm action that’s torture on same-side batters. He has a plus change that he mixes in with regularity. He throws enough strikes, too. He’s a nice depth piece for any ballclub to boast.
Ramirez’s catching partner in crime who I also rated way higher than most, Ben Rice, has also gotten off to a strong start. Through three games, the Patriots are tied for third in runs scored with 16. They have seven players who have a wRC+ of over 120 and that isn’t even including Spencer Jones, who sat out this weekend with a stiff neck (he should be fine). Small sample size alert, but you may not need to specifically attend Patriots home games where they promote fireworks because you might have them each night with this collection of hitters.
The pitching, well, that’s where things get interesting. On Sunday, Trystan Vrieling, who I mentioned as a potential breakout candidate last week, had an awesome professional debut (five scoreless innings, six strikeouts) and is looking like 2024’s Chase Hampton. I should mention that he had some misses with his breakers up in the zone which will be exploited as he climbs the ladder if it isn’t remedied, but this was about as good a debut as one could’ve hoped for.
Bailey Dees had a brutal start to his season on Saturday by surrendering eight earned runs in just three-plus innings of work. The bullpen went on to surrender another five runs en route to a 13-3 shellacking, which is the source of their negative run differential despite going 2-1. The previous day, Zach Messinger went 5.2 innings where he surrendered three unearned runs on the heels of some messy defense behind him. He’s a big guy with an interesting fastball/slider combo. Command has been an issue for him in the past, though he only walked one in this start.
Someone you might notice isn’t listed as having started is Chase Hampton, who is on the injured list after experiencing shoulder discomfort throughout the spring. That’s a bit ominous sounding, but hopefully we’ll have more information in the coming days. There’s no denying that Somerset’s lineup is what will enable them to excel in the Eastern League, but there are a few talented arms worth keeping an eye on.
Prospects of note (notable stats are season totals at the level):
OF Spencer Jones: Has not played yet (injured)
C Agustin Ramirez: 14 PA, 1.214 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 17% swinging strike rate (SwStr), 3 R
C Ben Rice: 15 PA, .833 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0.2 BB/K, 20 SwStr%, 3 R
1B T.J. Rumfield: 12 PA, 1.012 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 5.0 BB/K, 6.8 SwStr%, 1 R
2B/SS Benjamin Cowles: 12 PA, 1.000 OPS, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 6.3 SwStr%, 1 R
RHP Chase Hampton: Has not played yet (injured)
RHP Trystan Vrieling: 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 31.6 K%, 21.1 K-BB%, .182 BABIP
RHP Zach Messinger: 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 1.59 ERA, 20.8 K%, 16.7 K-BB%, .176 BABIP
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 GS, 3.1 IP, 21.60 ERA, 1`5.8 K%, -10.5 K-BB%, .400 BABIP
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 2-1, 1 GB in the South Atlantic League North after going 2-1 against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)
Run differential: +10
Coming up: On the road for six games against the Rome Emperors (Braves) starting Tuesday, April 9th
Offense, offense, and more offense. That seemed to be the motto for the Renegades after scoring 18 runs in their first three games of the season. Jared Serna seemed to re-work his swing late last year and began hitting some impressive pull-side homers in winter league ball. That power seems to have translated thus far, as he pulled two balls over the 318-foot left field fence in Bowling Green:
Serna’s never had swing-and-miss issues, he’s just never lifted non-mistake pitches like this before. Serna is evolving into a potential 5-hit/55-power hitter capable of manning the six, which is exciting. Rafael Flores is a huge-framed, late-developing catcher who hit a sensational dinger to the pull-side on Saturday night. His bat isn’t on the level of Agustin Ramirez or Ben Rice, but his defense might be the best amongst that trio — the Yankees seem to find legitimate catching prospects with regularity. There is a chance Flores taps into more of his above-average raw power this season, which is exciting.
Jesus Rodriguez has been been around for a while and seems to produce wherever he goes. In a non-COVID world, Rodriguez is probably in Double-A by now, but he should be able to advance there sooner rather than later. He had a standout audition in Hudson Valley last season, sporting a 172 wRC+ in 112 plate appearances. On Friday night, he hit an impressive oppo field homer that shows his legitimate all-fields power:
Roc Riggio didn’t get off to an inspiring start over the weekend, but he’s a name you need to keep an eye on as a power-over-hit player at the keystone. He was a ballyhooed prep prospect who made it to Oklahoma State due to the shortened 2020 draft. He performed well at OSU, albeit not at the level many had expected. To steal a fantasy football reference, you can count him as a post-hype sleeper.
Cam Schlittler stole the pitching show over the weekend, tossing six impressive innings while striking out seven and walking just one. As Tom Konsensky humorously noted, he is an average-sized Yankees prospect, standing at just 6-foot-6. In all seriousness, this was an impressive season debut for someone who’s always had intriguing stuff but could never seemingly put it all together.
I was disappointed with what I saw from Kyle Carr on Saturday night. The 2023 second-round pick got through just two innings, punching out one but walking three. The command just wasn’t there whatsoever, which is surprising since command hadn’t been a huge issue for him in college. The velo was also down, which isn’t what you want to see. It’s also the first start of the year, and that’s a reminder for each of the pitchers we’ve talked about. Trent Sellers, a 2022 undrafted free agent, came on in relief of Carr and was real impressive: he struck out seven in just three innings.
Yorlin Calderon came in relief this weekend, which is notable since he’d made the jump to the rotation while in Tampa last year and enjoyed some success. It could be workload management, but that’s something worth keeping an eye on. Similar to Somerset, my suspicion is the offense is what will help this ballclub win games. There are talented pitchers, but the Yankees seem to have more bats than arms in their farm for the first time in a while, generally speaking.
Prospects of note (notable stats are season totals at the level):
SS Jared Serna: 14 PA, 1.400 OPS, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2.0 BB/K, 9.6 SwStr%, 4 R
C Jesus Rodriguez: 15 PA, .905 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0.3 BB/K, 8.0 SwStr%, 3 R
OF Anthony Hall: 10 PA, .100 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0.2 BB/K, 41.7 SwStr%, 1 R
C Rafael Flores: 9 PA, 1.333 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 20.0 SwStr%, 2 R
SS Alexander Vargas: 9 PA, .222 OPS, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2.0 BB/K, 4.0 SwStr%, 0 R
2B Roc Riggio: 9 PA, .333 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 16.7 SwStr%, 0 R
RHP Justin Lange: Has not played yet (injured)
RHP Cam Schlittler: 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 35.0 K%, 30.0 K-BB%, .083 BABIP
LHP Kyle Carr: 1 GS, 2.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 10.0 K%, -20.0 K-BB%, .167 BABIP
RHP Trent Sellers: 1 G, 3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 63.6 K%, 45.5 K-BB%, .000 BABIP
Low-A Tampa Tarpons
Record: 1-2, 1 GB in the Florida State League West after going 1-2 against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)
Run differential: -3
Coming up: Home for six games against the Dunedin Blue Jays starting Tuesday, April 9th
Tampa is more shorthanded than I anticipated going into the season, with a few pitchers and hitters including Henry Lalane being held back in extended spring training (he’s not hurt). That should be resolved over the coming weeks, but for now, Tampa’s roster looks light. In time, though, the players from the stacked FCL roster from last year should start trickling in. Currently, the three big bats on the roster are George Lombard Jr., Roderick Arias, and Enmanuel Tejeda. Lombard and Arias got off to shaky starts, though each had their moments. Specifically, Arias hit a bomb on Opening Day that was impressive.
I ranked Arias outside the top-10 of my Yankees list in the offseason because his zone contact rates are downright terrible. Zone contact rates don’t tend to improve with time, either — if anything, they tend to drop as you climb the ladder. Arias has plus raw power and double-plus speed, but what good is that when you don’t hit the ball? Arias, I feel, will frustrate the heck out of fans because his tools are so tantalizing, but he’s lacking the most important one (for now).
I ranked Tejeda ahead of Arias over the offseason because the guy just hits. He’s got a very flat attack angle in the way Anthony Volpe does, though he doesn’t do damage on contact like Volpe yet. Tejeda is a good infield defender who’s only playing third because their infield is stacked with prospects. Still, I think he’s more than capable of manning the six. Over the weekend, Tejeda batted .333 with four RBI, though most of his contact was weak. He also stole a couple of bags. Dylan Jasso signed as a UDFA last season and hit the ground running in the complex league. He enjoyed a solid weekend and has a very simple swing that produces interesting damage upon contact. Keep an eye on him.
Cade Smith, my other pick to click in the Yankees’ system aside from Trystan Vrieling, had a less-than-auspicious start to his pro career, tossing just two-plus innings and struggling to put hitters away. He didn’t struggle with command in the normal sense. Rather, he struggled to put hitters away after getting ahead and didn’t get chases off his slider like he did in the SEC. His walk rate looks very high, but I wouldn’t say he struggled with his command. His velocity band was disappointing, as I was hoping for a post-college bump where he’d more consistently tap into the plus arm strength he exhibited at Mississippi State.
Aside from Smith, many of Tampa’s pitchers showed bad command, borderline wildness. That’s to be expected in Low-A, especially early in the season when many pitchers are getting their first taste of full season ball. As I mentioned before, expect the pitching to come along when reinforcements arrive from extended spring training.
Prospects of note (notable stats are season totals at the level):
SS George Lombard Jr.: 15 PA, .424 OPS, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB/K, 8.1 SwStr%, 3 R
SS Roderick Arias: 13 PA, .846 OPS, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 29.8 SwStr%, 2 R
INF Enmanuel Tejeda: 12 PA, .667 OPS, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 16.3 SwStr%, 1 R
2B Dylan Jasso: 12 PA, .667 OPS, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0.7 BB/K, 5.1 SwStr%, 0 R
RHP Luis Serna: Has not played yet
RHP Cade Smith: 1 GS, 2.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 33.3 K%, 8.3 K-BB%, .400 BABIP
Prospect of the week: Caleb Durbin
Durbin is dominating at the highest level of minor league baseball. He’d be a major leaguer for most organizations at this point, but the Yankees have a glut of infielders. To think the Yankees got this guy from the Braves for Lucas Luetge, who they DFA’d, is astounding. What a heist for Cashman & Co.
welcome to the first of many weekly minor league roundups, where I’ll review each Yankees affiliate and the prospects playing there. While you may look at this article in astonishment for how long it is, I assure you that future editions will not be this long. This piece will give more context for certain players, how some guys look compared to last season, etc. So without further ado, let’s dive in!
Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders
Record: 4-4, 2.5 GB in the International League after going 2-1 against the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) and 2-3 versus the Syracuse Mets
Run differential: +6
Coming up: On the road for six games against the Norfolk Tides (Orioles) starting Tuesday, April 9th
The RailRiders have played just eight games this season thanks to two rainouts in Syracuse to begin last week. Amidst some terrible conditions, the RailRiders have been inconsistent both at the plate and on the mound: the team has scored the seventh most runs out of 20 teams (46) while surrendering a 4.10 ERA, good for eighth out of 20 teams. While I’m sure the team ERA will be higher after this series against a loaded Norfolk lineup starring Jackson Holliday and more, this squad looks like it could be in the upper quartile of teams in the International League.
Caleb Durbin has absolutely stolen the show thus far. In 38 plate appearances, the 24-year-old is slashing an unreal .464/.579/.786, good for a 1.365 OPS. He’s walked eight times as opposed to striking out just twice. Considering the spring he had and the start he’s enjoying, you can’t help but wonder if surrendering John Cruz for Jon Berti — a really nice utility player — could’ve been avoided had they called up Durbin. I suppose the Yankees were prioritizing defensive versatility, which Berti does have over the prospect at this point. In any case, Durbin could be an impact contributor for New York in short order.
Brandon Lockridge has also gotten off to a good start, batting .417 with nine stolen bases so far. He’s an 80-grade runner and plus-plus defender in the outfield with some gap-to-gap pop but very little homer power.
Cody Poteet’s first two starts are likely what the Yankees were hoping to see more of in the spring when he was (sort of) competing for the fifth rotation spot. Though his stuff was down across the board in his start against Syracuse on Saturday, he was still throwing strikes and getting whiffs below the zone. While Will Warren (who had a brutal first start) is the most talented pitcher in Triple-A, it might be Poteet who gets the first crack at a spot start since he’s already on the 40-man roster. Edgar Barclay is the crafty southpaw that every Triple-A team seems to have, though he’s a good one. His fastball sits 89-90, but he’s got very short arm action that’s torture on same-side batters. He has a plus change that he mixes in with regularity. He throws enough strikes, too. He’s a nice depth piece for any ballclub to boast.
Brandon Lockridge has also gotten off to a good start, batting .417 with nine stolen bases so far. He’s an 80-grade runner and plus-plus defender in the outfield with some gap-to-gap pop but very little homer power.
Cody Poteet’s first two starts are likely what the Yankees were hoping to see more of in the spring when he was (sort of) competing for the fifth rotation spot. Though his stuff was down across the board in his start against Syracuse on Saturday, he was still throwing strikes and getting whiffs below the zone. While Will Warren (who had a brutal first start) is the most talented pitcher in Triple-A, it might be Poteet who gets the first crack at a spot start since he’s already on the 40-man roster. Edgar Barclay is the crafty southpaw that every Triple-A team seems to have, though he’s a good one. His fastball sits 89-90, but he’s got very short arm action that’s torture on same-side batters. He has a plus change that he mixes in with regularity. He throws enough strikes, too. He’s a nice depth piece for any ballclub to boast.
Ramirez’s catching partner in crime who I also rated way higher than most, Ben Rice, has also gotten off to a strong start. Through three games, the Patriots are tied for third in runs scored with 16. They have seven players who have a wRC+ of over 120 and that isn’t even including Spencer Jones, who sat out this weekend with a stiff neck (he should be fine). Small sample size alert, but you may not need to specifically attend Patriots home games where they promote fireworks because you might have them each night with this collection of hitters.
The pitching, well, that’s where things get interesting. On Sunday, Trystan Vrieling, who I mentioned as a potential breakout candidate last week, had an awesome professional debut (five scoreless innings, six strikeouts) and is looking like 2024’s Chase Hampton. I should mention that he had some misses with his breakers up in the zone which will be exploited as he climbs the ladder if it isn’t remedied, but this was about as good a debut as one could’ve hoped for.
Bailey Dees had a brutal start to his season on Saturday by surrendering eight earned runs in just three-plus innings of work. The bullpen went on to surrender another five runs en route to a 13-3 shellacking, which is the source of their negative run differential despite going 2-1. The previous day, Zach Messinger went 5.2 innings where he surrendered three unearned runs on the heels of some messy defense behind him. He’s a big guy with an interesting fastball/slider combo. Command has been an issue for him in the past, though he only walked one in this start.
Someone you might notice isn’t listed as having started is Chase Hampton, who is on the injured list after experiencing shoulder discomfort throughout the spring. That’s a bit ominous sounding, but hopefully we’ll have more information in the coming days. There’s no denying that Somerset’s lineup is what will enable them to excel in the Eastern League, but there are a few talented arms worth keeping an eye on.
Prospects of note (notable stats are season totals at the level):
OF Spencer Jones: Has not played yet (injured)
C Agustin Ramirez: 14 PA, 1.214 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 17% swinging strike rate (SwStr), 3 R
C Ben Rice: 15 PA, .833 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0.2 BB/K, 20 SwStr%, 3 R
1B T.J. Rumfield: 12 PA, 1.012 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 5.0 BB/K, 6.8 SwStr%, 1 R
2B/SS Benjamin Cowles: 12 PA, 1.000 OPS, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 6.3 SwStr%, 1 R
RHP Chase Hampton: Has not played yet (injured)
RHP Trystan Vrieling: 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 31.6 K%, 21.1 K-BB%, .182 BABIP
RHP Zach Messinger: 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 1.59 ERA, 20.8 K%, 16.7 K-BB%, .176 BABIP
RHP Bailey Dees: 1 GS, 3.1 IP, 21.60 ERA, 1`5.8 K%, -10.5 K-BB%, .400 BABIP
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 2-1, 1 GB in the South Atlantic League North after going 2-1 against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)
Run differential: +10
Coming up: On the road for six games against the Rome Emperors (Braves) starting Tuesday, April 9th
Offense, offense, and more offense. That seemed to be the motto for the Renegades after scoring 18 runs in their first three games of the season. Jared Serna seemed to re-work his swing late last year and began hitting some impressive pull-side homers in winter league ball. That power seems to have translated thus far, as he pulled two balls over the 318-foot left field fence in Bowling Green:
Serna’s never had swing-and-miss issues, he’s just never lifted non-mistake pitches like this before. Serna is evolving into a potential 5-hit/55-power hitter capable of manning the six, which is exciting. Rafael Flores is a huge-framed, late-developing catcher who hit a sensational dinger to the pull-side on Saturday night. His bat isn’t on the level of Agustin Ramirez or Ben Rice, but his defense might be the best amongst that trio — the Yankees seem to find legitimate catching prospects with regularity. There is a chance Flores taps into more of his above-average raw power this season, which is exciting.
Jesus Rodriguez has been been around for a while and seems to produce wherever he goes. In a non-COVID world, Rodriguez is probably in Double-A by now, but he should be able to advance there sooner rather than later. He had a standout audition in Hudson Valley last season, sporting a 172 wRC+ in 112 plate appearances. On Friday night, he hit an impressive oppo field homer that shows his legitimate all-fields power:
Roc Riggio didn’t get off to an inspiring start over the weekend, but he’s a name you need to keep an eye on as a power-over-hit player at the keystone. He was a ballyhooed prep prospect who made it to Oklahoma State due to the shortened 2020 draft. He performed well at OSU, albeit not at the level many had expected. To steal a fantasy football reference, you can count him as a post-hype sleeper.
Cam Schlittler stole the pitching show over the weekend, tossing six impressive innings while striking out seven and walking just one. As Tom Konsensky humorously noted, he is an average-sized Yankees prospect, standing at just 6-foot-6. In all seriousness, this was an impressive season debut for someone who’s always had intriguing stuff but could never seemingly put it all together.
I was disappointed with what I saw from Kyle Carr on Saturday night. The 2023 second-round pick got through just two innings, punching out one but walking three. The command just wasn’t there whatsoever, which is surprising since command hadn’t been a huge issue for him in college. The velo was also down, which isn’t what you want to see. It’s also the first start of the year, and that’s a reminder for each of the pitchers we’ve talked about. Trent Sellers, a 2022 undrafted free agent, came on in relief of Carr and was real impressive: he struck out seven in just three innings.
Yorlin Calderon came in relief this weekend, which is notable since he’d made the jump to the rotation while in Tampa last year and enjoyed some success. It could be workload management, but that’s something worth keeping an eye on. Similar to Somerset, my suspicion is the offense is what will help this ballclub win games. There are talented pitchers, but the Yankees seem to have more bats than arms in their farm for the first time in a while, generally speaking.
Prospects of note (notable stats are season totals at the level):
SS Jared Serna: 14 PA, 1.400 OPS, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2.0 BB/K, 9.6 SwStr%, 4 R
C Jesus Rodriguez: 15 PA, .905 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0.3 BB/K, 8.0 SwStr%, 3 R
OF Anthony Hall: 10 PA, .100 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0.2 BB/K, 41.7 SwStr%, 1 R
C Rafael Flores: 9 PA, 1.333 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 20.0 SwStr%, 2 R
SS Alexander Vargas: 9 PA, .222 OPS, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2.0 BB/K, 4.0 SwStr%, 0 R
2B Roc Riggio: 9 PA, .333 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 16.7 SwStr%, 0 R
RHP Justin Lange: Has not played yet (injured)
RHP Cam Schlittler: 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 35.0 K%, 30.0 K-BB%, .083 BABIP
LHP Kyle Carr: 1 GS, 2.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 10.0 K%, -20.0 K-BB%, .167 BABIP
RHP Trent Sellers: 1 G, 3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 63.6 K%, 45.5 K-BB%, .000 BABIP
Low-A Tampa Tarpons
Record: 1-2, 1 GB in the Florida State League West after going 1-2 against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)
Run differential: -3
Coming up: Home for six games against the Dunedin Blue Jays starting Tuesday, April 9th
Tampa is more shorthanded than I anticipated going into the season, with a few pitchers and hitters including Henry Lalane being held back in extended spring training (he’s not hurt). That should be resolved over the coming weeks, but for now, Tampa’s roster looks light. In time, though, the players from the stacked FCL roster from last year should start trickling in. Currently, the three big bats on the roster are George Lombard Jr., Roderick Arias, and Enmanuel Tejeda. Lombard and Arias got off to shaky starts, though each had their moments. Specifically, Arias hit a bomb on Opening Day that was impressive.
I ranked Arias outside the top-10 of my Yankees list in the offseason because his zone contact rates are downright terrible. Zone contact rates don’t tend to improve with time, either — if anything, they tend to drop as you climb the ladder. Arias has plus raw power and double-plus speed, but what good is that when you don’t hit the ball? Arias, I feel, will frustrate the heck out of fans because his tools are so tantalizing, but he’s lacking the most important one (for now).
I ranked Tejeda ahead of Arias over the offseason because the guy just hits. He’s got a very flat attack angle in the way Anthony Volpe does, though he doesn’t do damage on contact like Volpe yet. Tejeda is a good infield defender who’s only playing third because their infield is stacked with prospects. Still, I think he’s more than capable of manning the six. Over the weekend, Tejeda batted .333 with four RBI, though most of his contact was weak. He also stole a couple of bags. Dylan Jasso signed as a UDFA last season and hit the ground running in the complex league. He enjoyed a solid weekend and has a very simple swing that produces interesting damage upon contact. Keep an eye on him.
Cade Smith, my other pick to click in the Yankees’ system aside from Trystan Vrieling, had a less-than-auspicious start to his pro career, tossing just two-plus innings and struggling to put hitters away. He didn’t struggle with command in the normal sense. Rather, he struggled to put hitters away after getting ahead and didn’t get chases off his slider like he did in the SEC. His walk rate looks very high, but I wouldn’t say he struggled with his command. His velocity band was disappointing, as I was hoping for a post-college bump where he’d more consistently tap into the plus arm strength he exhibited at Mississippi State.
Aside from Smith, many of Tampa’s pitchers showed bad command, borderline wildness. That’s to be expected in Low-A, especially early in the season when many pitchers are getting their first taste of full season ball. As I mentioned before, expect the pitching to come along when reinforcements arrive from extended spring training.
Prospects of note (notable stats are season totals at the level):
SS George Lombard Jr.: 15 PA, .424 OPS, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB/K, 8.1 SwStr%, 3 R
SS Roderick Arias: 13 PA, .846 OPS, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 29.8 SwStr%, 2 R
INF Enmanuel Tejeda: 12 PA, .667 OPS, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0.0 BB/K, 16.3 SwStr%, 1 R
2B Dylan Jasso: 12 PA, .667 OPS, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0.7 BB/K, 5.1 SwStr%, 0 R
RHP Luis Serna: Has not played yet
RHP Cade Smith: 1 GS, 2.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 33.3 K%, 8.3 K-BB%, .400 BABIP
Prospect of the week: Caleb Durbin
Durbin is dominating at the highest level of minor league baseball. He’d be a major leaguer for most organizations at this point, but the Yankees have a glut of infielders. To think the Yankees got this guy from the Braves for Lucas Luetge, who they DFA’d, is astounding. What a heist for Cashman & Co.