Today on Pinstripe Alley - 3/31/22

As Erin chronicled in her recap, the Yankees didn’t put in a memorable showing last night during their exhibition against the Blue Jays, but one positive was old friend Manny Bañuelos. I still remember when I was first hired by PSA and he was the name that everyone was buzzing about, particularly with Jesús Montero out of town.

A series of injuries in 2012 led to Tommy John surgery though, and he just wasn’t the same prospect when he returned in 2014. Bañuelos was traded the following offseason, and after a few MLB stops in Atlanta and Chicago, plus international appearances in Taiwan and Mexico, he’s back. Is he good enough to make the Opening Day roster with 28 spots? Who knows, but just having him around is fun again.

Today on the site, Josh will offer his thoughts on MLB’s new Home Run Derby X international tour in 2022, and Jesse will discuss potential swingman Michael King. Later on, Matt will remember when Melky Cabrera kicked off “Walk-off Weekend” against the Twins in May 2009, and Jon will have the recap for this afternoon’s matchup with the Phillies.

Also, Josh hosted a Twitter Space yesterday with Peter and Ryan! Topics included the Yankees’ bullpen, musings on prospect overvaluation, some preseason predictions, and Peter’s somewhat-alarming palate. Check it out here.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia +

Radio: MLB.com (Yankees)

Venue: BayCare Ballpark (Clearwater, FL)

Fun Questions:

1. Do you think Manny Bañuelos should make the Opening Day roster?

2. Do you have any interest in MLB’s new Home Run Derby X tour?