Neal goes deep twice in Triple-A loss

May 31, 2013 by Mike Axisa 27 Comments

RHP Chien-Ming Wang did not opt-out of his contract today, report Chris Cotillo and Donnie Collins. Nick Cafardo heard six teams were interested in the sinker-ballers — the Orioles were one, according to Dan Connolly — but none were willing to give him the big league contract he was seeking. Wang will start as scheduled for Triple-A Scranton tomorrow.

Meanwhile, OF Tyler Austin became the first Yankees farmhand other than RHP Rafael DePaula to make the Prospect Hot Sheet this year. He ranked eighth this week.

Triple-A Scranton (8-4 loss to Durham)

2B Corban Joseph & CF Melky Mesa: both 0-4, 2 K — CoJo committed a pair of throwing errors
LF Zoilo Almonte: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K — second homer in the last six games
RF Ronnie Mustelier: 1-4, 1 R
DH Thomas Neal: 3-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI — first two homers of the season
RHP Chase Whitley: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 4/2 GB/FB — 26 of 47 pitches were strikes (55%) … has had a rough go of it since coming off the DL

Double-A Trenton (4-3 win over Harrisburg)

CF Ramon Flores: 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB
DH Slade Heathcott: 1-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K — ten hits in his last 32 at-bats (.313)
C J.R. Murphy: 0-4, 2 K
LHP Matt Tracy: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HB, 6/2 GB/FB — 46 of 70 pitches were strikes (66%)
LHP Cesar Cabral: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HB, 3/1 GB/FB — 28 of 39 pitches were strikes (72%) … rehab assignment has moved on up, obviously
RHP Tommy Kahnle: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GB/FB — 12 of 17 pitches were strikes (71%)

High-A Tampa (2-1 loss to Lakeland)

CF Mason Williams: 2-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 CS — hopefully he gets hot soon, he needs to get on a roll
2B Angelo Gumbs: 0-4, 2 K
LF Ben Gamel: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
C Gary Sanchez: 0-4
RHP Shane Greene: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 WP, 3/4 GB/FB — 66/9 K/BB in 65.2 innings … he should get bumped up to Double-A soon, he’s already 24 and is repeating the level

L/ow-A Charleston (2-1 win over Augusta)

DH Greg Bird: 2-4, 1 K
C Peter O’Brien: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — seventh homer already
3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-4, 2 K
RHP Rafael DePaula: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 4/5 GB/FB — season-low strikeout total drops his K/9 to 13.7 … also his first walk-less start of the season

Chris Dickerson

Can the Yankees give Neal a chance like they didn’t do for me?
- davidi
  
  Agree, Neal has had posted strong numbers in the minors and has seemingly figured it out this year. Yanks should give him a shot to at least get a glimpse of what they might have.
  - FIN
    
    I would say Neal has a lot more to prove before being called up. I’m not saying he cant do it at MLB level, but his history isn’t demanding a call up after a good month or so in MiLB. The man is raking though.
    - Dave M
      
      The guy is hitting .360 in AAA! I’m not saying he’ll do the same in MLB. But what more does he have to prove in the minors?
- RetroRob
  
  Probably not, especially considering that “you” are better and had shown flashes you could contribute as a MLBer.
  
  The one thing, thoguh, that fans probably don’t get. Dickerson, Neal and fill in the blank. Guys right on the fringe. They are out there for the taking. Dickerson leaves, Neal comes in.
  
  I would have been fine if Dickerson stayed, but he can be replaced. The issue is letting Swisher leave and then signing Ichiro to a two-year deal. Yankees believed that Ichiro’s talent level was high enough still and were attracted by the name. Maybe they’ll be right when it’s all added up at the end of the season, but I doubt it.
JamieG

DePaula only 3 k’s but only 1 hit and no runs/walks, part of me wants the more strikeouts and a few walks and runs.
Poconos Adam

Maybe DePaula was working on a specific pitch — or they asked him to pitch without his K pitch — remember, they work on development with these guys, not just stat lines.
- Bo Knows
  
  a few weeks ago, I posted a scouting report I found online about De Paula, that report mentioned him having issues with with throwing his breaking ball for strikes (the type of pitch is up to debate because I’ve heard its a slider, I’ve also heard it called a curveball) and that was from one of his games where he walked four batters.
  
  Chances are he’s trying to tighten that pitch up, and considering he’s slightly worse (though still very good) against same side hitters it probably is due to a breaking ball that is still in development
  - Dave M
    
    I’m not sure where I read it, but I think he might throw both a slider and a curve. Both are a work in progress, I assume. Or I’m pretty sure they would have moved him up by now.
    - Bo Knows
      
      They’ve promoted guys with less command/pitches, I’m starting to wonder if they are setting him up this year to be moved really quickly next year.
Pseudoyanks

DePaula throws 5 shutout innings of 1 hit ball, no walks and folks are picking on his strikeout numbers. OMG!
- JamieG
  
  Just a touch of sarcasm
BX hates hipsters

What were the pitches that DePaula was throwing and which one does he normally throw. I heard they want him to work on the off speed pitches. This will help him move through the system fast. Hopefully he and Banuleous will be pitching for the team come 2015.

Also, when will Sanchez get promoted. He had an 0-4 day, buthas proven he can field and hit and needs to be moved up to see how he is against better talent.
- Bo Knows
  
  De Paula is a three pitch pitcher, fastball, changeup, and a breaking ball.
  
  The fastball is said to be lively, his changeup is supposedly his best pitch and a legit knockout weapon.
  
  his breaker, I’ve heard has strong potential and generates some whiffs itself but he can’t command it well and has run into issues throwing it for strikes. At least one of his starts where he walked 4 batters was supposedly due to him trying to throw the pitch for a strike
phil

Any chance Almonte gets promoted to the mjors this year?
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  I’d say something would have to go direly wrong and/or September.
  - FIN
    
    Really how much more wrong could it go than what Ichiro is offering at the plate? Sure Almonte could be worse, but I think you’re over stating the point. I don’t think he will be called up, but not because he doesn’t offer a chance for an upgrade over what the Yankees are running out there, but because hes not ready. If the lack of production keeps up in the OF and Almonte has great month and shows signs of being ready, he could get the call without things going “direly wrong”. This outfield sucks and someone will get a chance if it keeps up.
    - Robinson Tilapia
      
      “Really how much more wrong could it go than what Ichiro is offering at the plate?”
      
      I actually think it still could be so much worse with Ichiro than it actually is. I also don’t see a team one game behind in first place handing RF to a rookie.
      
      I think he gets a very long look in 2014, though. They clearly like him much more than scouting reports do.
will

funny hearing everyone mention “pitching, or playing in 2015” when talking about prospects, just a few years ago it was “2012/2013/2014” i guess we’re still waiting on minor leaguers to make it up ~ lol
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  So’s everyone else.
- Bo Knows
  
  Well Banuelos blew his UCL out so that kind of put a bullet in the 2012 and 2013 horse, and Betances completely collapsed too.
- FIN
  
  How many young pitchers do you want on a staff in one year? Phelps, Warren, Claiboren, Kelly. There may be no ace among them, but they have young pitching here now.
Wayne

Does DePaula throw a curve or slider?
- Tremont
  
  From what I’ve seen, it’s a curve. Slider speed, but breaks straight down.
Robert

At the start of the season I predicted with injuries Nuno would start a game by June in tne ML.

I am telling you all now Almonte/Neal or Musty will see the Varsity before Sept.
- Rick
  
  Really hedging your bets, eh? I’ll go one better and say there will definitely be promotions throughout the farm this year. Also, someone not presently playing on the Yankees will be playing for them at some point. Finally, the team will win AND lose games the rest of the year.
Dustin Ingalls

I was at the Scranton-Durham game last night, and CoJo and Mustelier were absolutely awful in the field, and Johnson wasn’t so hot either. Neal’s homers were bombs in back-to-back ABs, one in right-right-center over the Blue Monster, their version of the Green Monster. Almonte’s was also struck pretty well to almost dead center, about 415.

Debating whether to go watch Wang. I really want to see him just to say I did.