Yankees Prospects: Week 16 minor league review

The long-season minors took a break along with the major leagues, so there were only three-game series played last week, but there was still time for players like Jared Serna and Agustin Ramirez to stand out.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 8-5 (42-45 overall) and 1.5 games back in the International League after losing two out of three games with the Norfolk Tides (Orioles)

Coming up: At home for six games against the Worcester Red Sox starting Tuesday, July 18th

Through its ups and downs, it would be hard to argue Andrés Chaparro’s season has been a bad one. His counting numbers look good, and his 11.3 percent walk rate and 21.8 percent K rate make them look even better. He hasn’t dominated or knocked the door to the big leagues down, but for a player in his first go-round in Triple-A, he’s doing well. Last week was one of the “ups” for Chaparro, as he went 5-for-13 with a homer and two doubles against Norfolk.

On the mound, just as Will Warren has done before him, it is possible Clayton Beeter has found his footing in Triple-A. Last week he had the best start of his small sample at the level, going 4.1 innings without allowing a run and striking out six. He only allowed two hits in the process.

Players of note (stats are season totals):

3B Andrés Chaparro: .812 OPS, 17 HR, 63 RBI, 17 2B, 56 R, 41 BB

OF Estevan Florial: .973 OPS, 21 HR, 53 RBI, 58 R, 47 BB, 18 SB, 97 K

SS Oswald Peraza: .847 OPS, 12 HR, 28 RBI, 34 R, 6 2B, 11 SB (45 games)

OF Everson Pereira: 1.038 OPS, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 8 R (7 games)

2B Jamie Westbrook: .879 OPS, 12 HR, 38 RBI, 11 2B, 43 R

SP Will Warren: 4.74 ERA, 38.0 IP, 34 H, 18 BB, 39 K

SP Mitch Spence: 4.56 ERA, 96.2 IP, 97 H, 35 BB, 81 K

SP Randy Vásquez: 5.11 ERA, 61.2 IP, 65 H, 34 BB, 69 K

RP Matt Krook: 1.13 ERA, 24.0 IP, 8 H, 18 BB, 43 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 7-7 (49-33 overall) and 3.5 games back in the Eastern League Northeast after losing four out of five games with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)

Coming up: On the road for six games against the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) starting Tuesday, July 18th

In an organization always on the lookout for left-handed power hitters, and seemingly unable to find them, the Somerset lineup offers a glimmer of hope. Against a right-handed pitcher, the Patriots send out Trey Sweeney, Jasson Domínguez, Austin Wells, and T.J. Rumfield in the first four spots of the order. That’s 49 home runs worth of lefties to start you off, and now they are joined by Elijah Dunham, who was recently sent to Somerset in exchange for the promotion of Everson Pereira. Dunham had 17 homers in Double-A last year, and there is still time for him to rebound from a tough first half.

Domínguez had a June to forget, but he’s having a better time of it in July. His slash line of .357/.469/.500 is helped by five multi-hit games out of his last six. On Sunday he helped his batting average by beating out a ground ball to first base, in which he outraced the first baseman who had fielded it and tried to take it himself.

Players of note:

OF Jasson Domínguez: .730 OPS, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 64 BB, 25 SB, 57 R

C Austin Wells: .800 OPS, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 14 2B, 27 R

SS Trey Sweeney: .788 OPS, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 15 2B, 53 R, 12 SB

1B T.J. Rumfield: .765 OPS, 15 HR, 44 RBI, 10 2B, 36 R

3B Tyler Hardman: .803 OPS, 20 HR, 41 RBI, 42 R, 8 2B, 2 3B

SP Chase Hampton: 3.90 ERA, 27.2 IP, 22 H, 33 K, 9 BB

SP Richard Fitts: 3.72 ERA, 94.1 IP, 87 H, 101 K, 23 BB

SP Yoendrys Gómez: 1.44 ERA, 25.0 IP, 13 H, 28 K, 16 BB

RP Edgar Barclay: 1.05 ERA, 25.2 IP, 19 H, 38 K, 9 BB

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 9-9 (48-36 overall) and four games back in the South Atlantic League North after losing two out of three games to the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)

Coming up: At home for six games against the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) beginning Tuesday, July 18th

Like they do every year, the Yankees will have several difficult decisions to make when it comes to protecting players from the Rule 5 draft this winter. After accumulating a certain amount of service time, minor league players can be selected by other organizations and then must spend the entire following season on the major league roster of the selecting team or be offered back to his original club. The toughest calls to make are with talented players at the lower levels whose inexperience makes it unlikely they will be able to stick for a year, but at certain positions it becomes a little more practical. Catcher is one of those spots.

Agustin Ramirez, who turns 22 in September, is eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 this December, even though he is playing in his first year of full-season baseball. Since he’s come stateside, all he’s done is hit, and that hasn’t stopped after a recent promotion to Hudson Valley. The Yankees clearly are fond of Ramirez, but they may also be trying to get a sense of whether or not he belongs on a crowded 40-man roster that already has three catchers on it and will add Austin Wells prior to December. With the way Ramirez is hitting, and considering the strong arm he’s displaying behind the plate, the case for protecting him is growing.

This past week, Ramirez was 7-for-12 with four doubles against Bowling Green, bringing his average with Hudson Valley up to .420. That’s not sustainable, but an offensive catcher with power in his bat and throwing arm could make for an attractive, young backup catcher for a club that’s in a rebuilding phase. If Ramirez continues to force the Yankees into a tough choice after the season, they will gladly take that problem.

Players of note:

OF Spencer Jones: .805 OPS, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 20 2B, 4 3B, 42 R, 21 SB

C Agustin Ramirez: 1.173 OPS, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 2B, 7 R (12 games)

2B Benjamin Cowles: .728 OPS, 11 2B, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 35 R

C Antonio Gomez: .670 OPS, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 14 2B, 26 R

SP Zach Messinger: 3.80 ERA, 73.1 IP, 67 H, 89 K, 37 BB

SP Drew Thorpe: 2.27 ERA, 91.1 IP, 67 H, 111 K, 30 BB

SP Juan Carela: 3.51 ERA, 77.0 IP, 62 H, 98 K, 29 BB

SP Tyrone Yulie: 3.99 ERA, 65.1 IP, 47 H, 79 K, 38 BB

RP Jack Neely: 2.58 ERA, 38.1 IP, 21 H, 60 K, 14 BB

RP Bailey Dees: 1.93 ERA, 37.1 IP, 19 H, 57 K, 14 BB

Low-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 10-8 (41-43 overall) and three games back in the Florida State League West after dropping two out of three games with the Lakeland Flying Tigers

Coming up: Down the road for six games with the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies) beginning Tuesday, July 18th

Of the players who have reason to wonder when their promotion is coming, Jared Serna could be at the top of the list. Serna had five hits in 14 at-bats against Lakeland, and three of those left the yard, bringing his league-leading total to 17 homers. He also drove in 10 runs, and now he leads the Florida State League in runs batted in with 61; the player behind him has 47. At 21, Serna is not too young or old for the league he’s in, and he hasn’t played a full season there before, but his exit velocities are real, the statistics are real, and the opportunity to settle in at second base with Hudson Valley is not blocked by anyone. Although he’s eligible for Rule 5 selection, Serna would be an unlikely choice. He’s listed at 5-foot-6 and 168 pounds, and he will probably have to continue to prove himself at every level, but the argument can be made that he’s already proven himself at Low-A.

Players of note:

2B Jared Serna: .851 OPS, 59 R, 17 HR, 61 RBI, 18 2B, 16 SB

OF Anthony Hall: .839 OPS, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 39 R, 8 2B, 2 3B (on the injured list)

1B/3B/C Jesus Rodriguez: .811 OPS, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 40 R, 13 2B, 13 SB

C/1B Omar Martinez: .758 OPS, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 31 R, 7 2B, 6 SB

SP Justin Lange: 4.64 ERA, 54.1 IP, 33 H, 85 K, 46 BB

SP Brock Selvidge: 3.38 ERA, 77.1 IP, 72 H, 91 K, 21 BB

RP Cole Ayers: 3.96 ERA, 36.1 IP, 35 H, 50 K, 13 BB

RP Yorlin Calderon: 2.87 ERA, 47.0 IP, 39 H, 61 K, 12 BB

Games of Monday, July 17th:

FCL Yankees (16-12): Lost vs. FCL Blue Jays 8-7. This game was completed after 6 innings due to lightning.

2B Keiner Delgado 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K, CS (thrown out at third for what ended up being the last out of the game)
SS Roderick Arias 0-3, R, SB, E
3B Hans Montero 1-3, R, K, SB
DH Enmanuel Tejada 0-3, 2 K
CF Willy Montero 1-3, R, RBI
RF John Cruz 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, CS
LF Joel Mendez 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 K
C Edinson Duran 2-2, R, 2 RBI, 2B
1B Kelvin Espino 0-2, BB, K

Jackson Fristoe (L, 0-2) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR allowed
Anderson Munoz 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP (Rehab assignment)
Osiel Rodriguez 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Nolberto Henriquez 2.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

DSL Bombers (12-16): Game vs. DSL Mariners suspended in the bottom of the 4th inning with the Bombers ahead 3-0

CF Richard Meran 0-2, 2 K, debut for a 17-year-old with some preseason buzz
2B Gabriel Terrero 1-2, R, 3B
DH Edgleen Perez 1-2, R, RBI
LF Gabriel Lara 1-2, R, K
RF Ramiro Altagracia 1-2, K
SS Ovandy Frias 0-2, 2 K
C Johan Contreras 0-2, 2 RBI, K
3B Kevin Verde 1-1
1B Adrian Gonzalez 0-1

Chalniel Arias 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

DSL Yankees (19-9): Game vs. DSL Blue Jays suspended in the third inning with Jays ahead 6-0

CF Brando Mayea 0-2, K
RF Jose Castro 0-1, K
C Josue Gonzalez 1-1
SS Santiago Gomez 0-1
3B Luis Suarez: 0-1
1B Luis Ogando 0-1
2B Anthony Pena 0-1
DH Niurby Asigen 1-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, 3 K, SB, outfield assist
LF Andry Javier 1-4, R, BB

Jorge Luna 2.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K