Yankees prospects: Week 12 minor league report

We’ve reached the half-way mark of the minor league season for full-season affiliates. The Somerset Patriots were able to win the first half title in the Eastern League’s Northeast division, taking down the Hartford Yard Goats in dramatic fashion. During their series, the top prospects on the team came up big. Around the rest of the system, Oswald Peraza heated up, and Austin Wells returned to action for the first time since May. Let’s check in on how those two and the entire Yankees system did over the past week.

Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders

Record: 30-42; Eighth place in the International League (East), 11.5 GB

Past Week: 3-3 vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers)

Coming Up: Home vs. Buffalo Bison (Blue Jays)

Oswald Peraza is heating up with the weather and has put together an impressive nine-game hitting streak. Considered one of the Yankees’ top prospects, Peraza struggled out of the gate this season, but is now showing the potential seen by scouts and evaluators. He is also starting to spend some time at second base, having played four games at the position now. That positional versatility could open up a role for him at the major league level.

On the pitching side, Ken Waldichuk continues to be brilliant, and in any normal season there would be a consistent drumbeat of calls for him to get a second half look in the majors based on his performance. While that is not out of the question, there seems to be no rush to push Waldichuk forward due to the performance of the major league pitching staff. Matt Krook also has been strong recently, and is working on a stretch of 15 straight scoreless innings following five perfect innings out of the bullpen on Friday night.

Players of Note:

Estevan Florial: 41 G; .315/.383/.457, 3 HR, 3B, 12 2B, 19 SB

Oswald Peraza: 9 G; .421/.439/.789, 4 HR, 2 2B, 4 SB

Ken Waldichuk: 12 G; 1.99 ERA, 58.2 IP, 36 H, 22 BB, 88 K, 0.99 WHIP

Matt Krook: 2 G; 0.00 ERA, 12 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 13 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 44-25; First-half Champions in the Eastern League (Northeast)

Past Week: 3-3 vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies)

Coming Up: Away vs. Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies)

The Patriots played a playoff series in the middle of June this past week. With the second place Hartford Yard Goats coming to town in the last series of the first half, it was a winner-take-all scenario for the two teams as they fought it out for the first-half Championship and a playoff spot. Hartford won the first two games of the series, but with wins on Thursday and Saturday the Patriots were able to force the decisive game on Sunday afternoon.

It did not disappoint, as Luis Medina pitched a brilliant game before the bullpen struggled to hold the lead. Down one heading to the bottom of the 10^th inning, Anthony Volpe crushed a long walk-off home run and locked in a playoff spot for the team. Volpe is now one of two players in the entire minor leagues with at least 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases.

Players of Note:

Luis Medina: 7 G; 2.00 ERA, 36 IP, 21 H, 13 BB, 45 K

Anthony Volpe: 34 G; .296/.367/.533, 6 HR, 14 2B, 13 SB

Elijah Dunham: 10 G; .395/.477/.553, HR, 3 2B, 6 SB

Will Warren: 4 G; 1.69 ERA, 21.1 IP, 16 H, 9 BB, 20 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Second Half Record: 0-3; T-Fifth place in the South Atlantic League (North), 3.0 GB

Overall Record: 34-35

Past Week: 2-4 vs. Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox)

Coming Up: Home vs. Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)

The Renegades finished up their Southern Swing with a series loss to the Winston-Salem Dash. They received strong pitching performances from Matt Sauer, Blas Castano, and Beck Way, but failed at times to close the door on the Dash late in the game. Everson Pereira continued to rediscover his power and added three extra-base hits on the week. The Renegades will return north and try to rebound from their tough start to the second half against the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Players of Note:

Anthony Seigler 48 G; .273/.448/.480, 7 HR, 10 2B (High-A and Low-A)

Everson Pereira: 11 G; .380/.392/.800, 5 HR, 1 3B, 4 2B

Tyler Hardman: 23 G; .341/.385/.582, 5 HR, 6 2B

Matt Sauer: 6 G; 1.50 ERA, 36 IP, 22 H, 12 BB, 35 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons

Second Half Record: 2-1; T-First place in the Florida State League (West Coast)

Overall Record: 29-40

Past Week: 2-4 vs. Clearwater Threshers

Coming Up: Away vs. Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)

The Tarpons wrapped up the first half of their season mid-week, but immediately got off to a strong start in the second half winning their first two games. Richard Fitts, considered a sleeper by many when the Yankees selected him in the sixth round of last year’s draft, is starting to realize his talent. He has strung together the two best outings of his professional career and looks to be turning a corner.

The Yankees’ top catching prospect, Austin Wells, joined the Tarpons on a rehab assignment, playing in three games for them over the weekend. He crushed a home run, hit a single and drew four walks in the three games.

Players of Note:

Richard Fitts: 2 G; 0.75 ERA, 12 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 14 K

Jasson Dominguez: 50 G; .271/.393/.459, 7 HR, 3B, 11 2B, 13 SB

Ben Cowles: 28 G; .292/.370/.500, 5 HR, 5 2B, 6 SB

Grant Richardson: 12 G; .474/.556/1.000, 5 HR, 5 2B

FCL Yankees: W, 7-1 vs. FCL Phillies

SS Dayro Perez 2-5, 2B, K
CF Daury Arias 0-3, R, 2 K, 2 HBP
C Agustin Ramirez 0-4, K
LF Christopher Familia 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI (1.355 OPS for the season, FCL Player of the Week)
3B Jared Serna 1-3, BB, CS
1B Jesus Rodriguez 1-3, 2 R, BB
RF Felix Negueis 2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, SB, PO, K
DH Pedro Diaz 2-4, RBI, 2 K
2B Brenny Escanio 1-3, RBI, HBP

Justin Lange 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Luis Arejula 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Osiel Rodriguez 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees: W, 32-3 vs. DSL Pirates Black — yes, that’s a real score

SS Keiner Delgado 4-6, HR, 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, SB (1.038 OPS in 16 Games this season)
CF Willy Montero 3-7, 2 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI
PH-CF Andres Lacruz 0-0, BB
C Manuel Palencia 2-4, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB
PH-C Ricardo Rodriguez 1-2, R, RBI, K
DH Ramiro Altagracia 2-3, 2B, 4 R, RBI, 2 BB
PH-DH Carlos Herrera 1-2, R, K
1B Gabriel Bersing 3-5, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB, K
PH-1B Jhon Imbert 0-0, R, BB
2B Juan Matheus 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, SB, K, CS
2B Abrahan Ramirez 1-1, R, RBI,
LF David Beckles 3-5, 2B, 3 R, 6 RBI, 2 K
3B Santiago Gomez 3-5, R, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
RF Louis Pierre 0-4, 3 R, RBI, 3 BB, K
C Gabriel Bersing 1-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 K

Sabier Marte 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Alejandro Gomez 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HR (win)
Luis Urbano 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers: W, 8-3 vs. DSL Cubs Red

SS Hans Montero 0-4, R, BB, 2 K
DH Fidel Montero 1-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB, 2 K
CF John Cruz 1-5, R, 2 K
RF Joel Mendez 2-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, 2 K, HBP
1B Enger Castellano 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
C Juan Sanchez 0-4, R, RBI
2B Luis Ogando 1-4, 2B, K
1B Edinson Duran 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
LF Juan Rosa 0-2, 2 BB, SB, K

Daniel Guerrero 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP
Chalniel Arias 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Pedro Rodriguez 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Rafaelin Nivar 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K