Yankees Prospects: Week 13 minor league review

Over the last week, Yankees affiliates won three and tied one of their series. After struggling for most of the season, Triple-A Scranton has taken off in the past month behind the play of some of the most notable prospects on the roster. Across the system, the pitching continues to be a strength as several pitchers recently turned in their best performances of the season.

The Yankees also are seeing players returning to action, as Domingo Germán continued his rehab assignment, while minor leaguers Oswaldo Cabrera, Austin Wells, and T.J. Rumfield also either continued or started their own rehab assignments en route back to their standard levels. As a matter of fact, Wells was promoted to Somerset yesterday, so he should be making his Double-A debut shortly.

Let’s take a look around the Yankees minor league system to see the players who stood out. Note that in full-season ball, their weekly series began on Monday, July 4th, and they were off last night.

Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders

Record: 36-43; Eighth place in the International League (East), 7.0 GB

Past Week: 6-0 vs Buffalo Bison (Blue Jays); 0-1 vs. Worcester Red Sox

Coming Up: Away vs. Worcester Red Sox

After struggling for much of the season, the RailRiders heated up this past week behind the outstanding performance of one of their most well-known prospects. Estevan Florial went 11-for-25 with four home runs and four doubles in the six games against Buffalo last week. Oswald Peraza also continued his recent stretch of hot hitting this past week, as the well-regarded shortstop prospect has been hitting for both average and power over the past two weeks.

On the pitching side, Matt Krook took a perfect game into the eighth inning on Friday night before losing it on an infield single. Over the span of three outings, the former minor league Rule 5 draft pick retired 42 straight batters, and still has a 23-inning scoreless streak in place.

Players of Note:

Estevan Florial: 49 G; .339/.414/.561, 8 HR, 3B, 16 2B, 23 SB

Oswald Peraza: 14 G; .407/.459/.759, 5 HR, 4 2B, 5 SB

Matt Krook: 3 G; 0.00 ERA, 19.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 23 K

Ken Waldichuk: 14 G; 1.99 ERA, 68 IP, 44 H, 27 BB, 101 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Second Half Record: 3-4; T-Fourth place in the Eastern League (Northeast), 2.0 GB

Overall Record: 47-29; Eastern League (Northeast) First-half Champions

Past Week: 3-3 vs. Reading Fightin Phils; 1-0 vs. Bowie Baysox

Coming Up: Home vs. Bowie Baysox (Orioles)

Pitcher Will Warren was under the radar when the Yankees selected him in the eighth round of last year's draft, but the right-hander has risen quickly through the system. Less than a year after being picked, he’s pitching very well at the Double-A level. Randy Vasquez has also continued to be a steady force in the Somerset rotation, putting up strong start after strong start. Anthony Volpe’s bat has heated up, but he has never slumped on the bases this season. He is 33-for-36 in stolen base attempts and is leading the Eastern League in this category.

Players of Note:

Anthony Volpe: 39 G; .304/.382/.538, 7 HR, 16 2B, 19 SB

Elijah Dunham: 15 G; .316/.418/.544, 3 HR, 4 2B, 7 SB

Will Warren: 5 G; 1.71 ERA, 26.1 IP, 20 H, 11 BB, 26 K

Randy Vasquez: 13 G; 2.73 ERA, 62.2 IP, 49 H, 21 BB, 60 k

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Second Half Record: 5-2; T-Second place in the South Atlantic League (North), 1.0 GB

Overall Record: 39-37

Past Week: 4-2 vs. Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets); 1-0 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Coming Up: Away vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)

Tyler Hardman has really pick up his game since late-May. According to Yankees minor league hitting coordinator Joe Migliaccio, over 50 percent of Hardman’s balls in play this year have an exit velocity over 95 mph. He has done this while significantly increasing his contact and walk rate and lowering his strikeout rate from last season. Drafted as a first baseman, Hardman has been playing a mostly third base this season and doing a serviceable job there to this point. The Renegade’s pitching staff has been a strength for the entire season and over the past few weeks Beck Way and T.J. Sikkema have stood out a players who are seeing things come together for them. Sikkema tossed 4.1 hit-less innings this past week and is starting to work deeper into games after coming along slowly in his return from injury.

Players of Note:

Trey Sweeney: 27 G; .274/.353/.453, 4 HR, 1 3B, 5 2B

Tyler Hardman: 29 G; .324/.375/.602, 8 HR, 6 2B

Beck Way: 7 G; 1.89 ERA, 33.1 IP, 25 H, 12 BB, 34 K

T.J. Sikkema: 9 G; 2.77 ERA, 26 IP, 18 H, 7 BB, 33 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons

Second Half Record: 7-3; First place in the Florida State League (West Coast), 0.5 GA

Overall Record: 34-42

Past Week: 4-2 vs. Bradenton Marauders (Pirates); 1-0 vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Coming Up: Home vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)

The Tarpons are playing their best baseball of the season, getting big contributions from both sides of the ball. Tyrone Yulie turned in his best outing as a professional on July 4th, striking out 10 batters and allowing just two hits in 5.1 scoreless innings. More importantly, he did not walk a batter as that has been his challenge so far as a professional. Chandler Champlain almost matched that performance, as he pitched 5.1 scoreless innings on Saturday.

Jasson Dominguez has now posted a 152 wRC+ over his last 57 games and could be in line for a promotion to High-A in the very near future. One of the Yankees’ top catching prospects, Antonio Gomez, has struggled with the bat this season, but he is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak and appears to be turning a corner with his bat while still displaying his elite arm behind the plate. Gomez has thrown out 30 percent of the would-be base stealers who have tried to run on him in 2022.

Players of Note:

Jasson Dominguez: 57 G; .271/.402/.463, 8 HR, 2 3B, 11 2B, 15 SB

Ben Cowles: 20 G; .328/.434/.563, 3 HR, 2B, 4 2B, 4 SB

Tyrone Yulie: 8 G; 2.53 IP, 32 IP, 20 H, 20 BB, 33 K

Antonio Gomez: 8 G; .393/.455/.643, HR, 3B, 2 2B

Chandler Champlain: 2 G; 1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 14 K

FCL Yankees: W, 5-4 vs. FCL Phillies

DH Oswaldo Cabrera 1-3, RBI, K, SF — 2nd rehab game
1B T.J. Rumfield 0-2
1B Dionys Vallejo 0-1, BB
SS Dayro Perez 0-4, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez 1-4, RBI
LF Daury Arias 1-4, 2B, K
3B Jared Serna 1-3, SB — FCL Yanks only had 4 hits on the day
RF Felix Negueis 0-3, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina 0-2, BB, 2 K, SB
2B Brenny Escanio 0-1, 2 BB, K, SB, throwing error

Sean Hermann 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, WP
Luis Arejula 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K — efficient!
Sebastian Perrone 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (win)
Leam Mendez 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, WP (save)

DSL Yankees: W, 12-5 at DSL Mets 1

SS Roderick Arias 1-5, BB, K, SB — 1st pro steal
2B Keiner Delgado 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, picked off
DH Willy Montero 4-5, 3B, HR, 5 RBI — double shy of a cycle; helluva afternoon!
RF Ramiro Altagracia 1-5, 2 K, 2 SB
CF Louis Pierre 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, HBP — 1st pro homer
3B Juan Matheus 1-4, BB, 2 K, SB
LF David Beckles 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K
C Diomedes Hernandez 1-4, 2 GIDP, 2 passed balls
PH-C Carlos Herrera 0-1, K
1B Jhon Imbert 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, K, SB

Henry Lalane 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 6 K, pickoff error (win)
Donys Garcia 2 IP, 1 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 3 WP, HBP
Franyer Herrera 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Domingo Feliz 1 IP< 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 WP

DSL Bombers: W, 8-4 vs. DSL Pirates Black

SS Hans Montero 2-4, 3B, BB
CF Fidel Montero 1-4, K, HBP
RF John Cruz 1-5, 3 K
LF Joel Mendez 1-3, HR, BB, 3 RBI, SF
3B Enger Castellano 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB — 7th steal in 23 games
DH Enmanuel Tejeda 1-4, BB, RBI
1B Gabriel Bersing 2-4, RBI, 2 K, HBP
2B Joshua Leito 1-4, BB, RBI, 2 K
C Edinson Duran 2-3, 2 2B, BB, 2 RBI, CS, throwing error

Gerardo Abrego 2.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R (0 ER), 5 BB, 2 K, HBP, 2 WP
Edwar Polimir 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (win)
Keninson Diaz 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HR
Chalniel Arias 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, WP (save) — all the K’s