- OF Clint Frazier (post-concussion migraines) is back home in Georgia and resting, Brian Cashman told Brendan Kuty. Well, Clint was in New York this week, but point is he’s doing better. Cashman said Frazier will be recovered in time for the start of Spring Training.
- MLB.com posted their end-of-season top 100 prospects list. Blue Jays 3B Vlad Guerrero Jr. sits in the top spot. Four Yankees made the list: LHP Justus Sheffield (No. 31), OF Estevan Florial (No. 45), RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (No. 66), and RHP Albert Abreu (No. 85). Glad Johnny Lasagna’s getting some top 100 love.
- Jonathan Mayo put together a list of 20 pitching prospects who improved their stock in 2018 and three are Yankees: Sheffield, Loaisiga, and RHP Garrett Whitlock. “(Whitlock) finished third in the Minors with his 1.86 ERA and had a combined .214 BAA and 9.1 K/9 while touching Double-A,” says the write-up.
- The MLB.com crew listed one AzFL sleeper prospect for each team. RHP Matt Wivinis is the pick for the Yankees. “He works with a pair of high-spin breaking balls he’ll throw in any count, and his curveball and slider help his low-90s fastball play up,” says the write-up.
- Rob Terranova has more on Wivinis, if you’re interested in learning about the former independent leaguer. The 25-year-old managed a 2.41 ERA (2.81 FIP) with 34.5% strikeouts and 6.7% walks in 56 relief innings at three levels this past season.
Arizona Fall League
- IF Thairo Estrada: 6 G, 4-for-25, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 CS (.160/.192/.160) — hip and back trouble ended his regular season on May 7th … he’s healthy enough to play now though, so that’s good
- OF Estevan Florial: 6 G, 1-for-22, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K (.045/.160/.045) — ouch, rough AzFL so far
- 1B Steven Sensley: 7 G, 5-for-25, 1 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K (.200/.259/.280) — he’s played four games at first base and three at DH … he started only one of his final 34 regular season games in the outfield, so I guess he’s a full-time first baseman now … either way, he was always going to be a bat first prospect, but the outfield is always preferable to first base
- RHP Jordan Foley: 2 G, 2 GS, 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 1 WP (6.23 ERA and 1.85 WHIP) — I wouldn’t read anything into him starting … the Yankees didn’t send a starter to the AzFL this year (RHP Domingo Acevedo was pulled due to injury) and someone needs to fill the team’s designated rotation spot, and Foley it is … he’s clearly a reliever long-term though
- RHP Hobie Harris: 2 G, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 WP (5.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP)
- RHP Matt Wivinis: 3 G, 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K (2.70 ERA and 2.40 WHIP)
- RHP Kyle Zurak: 2 G, 1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 WP (54.00 ERA and 8.00 WHIP) — last year’s eighth rounder was added to the AzFL roster late as an injury replacement for Acevedo, who was placed on the disabled list during the Double-A postseason with a biceps problem
Dominican Winter League
- LHP Nestor Cortes: 1 G, 1 GS, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR (4.15 ERA and 1.15 WHIP) — started the year in the big leagues with the Orioles as a Rule 5 Draft guy and he ends it in winter ball
- RHP Carlos Espinal: 2 G, 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (10.13 ERA and 1.88 WHIP)
- RHP Raynel Espinal: 1 G, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HB (0.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP)
- RHP Adonis Rosa and IF Wendell Rijo are listed on DWL rosters but have not yet appeared in a game. And they might not. Being listed on the roster only means the team controls that player’s winter ball rights. It doesn’t mean he intends to play.
Mexican Pacific League
- 1B/OF Ryan McBroom: 5 G, 2-for-18, 2 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K (.111/.190/.167) — he hit .302/.348/.458 (125 wRC+) with 23 doubles and 15 homers in 121 regular season games split between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton … I would be surprised if the Yankees protected him from the Rule 5 Draft this winter though, and I’d be surprised if he gets taken too … soon-to-be 26-year-old right/right first basemen without a ton of power aren’t hot commodities … then again, maybe McBroom will be some other team’s Luke Voit
Venezuelan Winter League
- IF Angel Aguilar: 2 G, 2-for-5, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K (.400/.400/.800)
- C Francisco Diaz: 4 G, 6-for-13, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB (.462/.533/.462) — winter ball veteran seems to get off to a great start every year before fading
- RHP Daniel Alvarez: 2 G, 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 WP (16.20 ERA and 3.60 WHIP)
- RHP Anderson Munoz: 1 G, 0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K — no matter the sample size, it’s never a good thing when you have an infinity ERA and WHIP
- IF Diego Castillo, IF Wilkerman Garcia, RHP Yoiber Marquina, and RHP Edward Paredes are listed on rosters but have yet to appear in a game. As with the DWL, being on a VWL roster just means the team controls that player’s winter ball rights. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s planning to play.
The Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico) season begins November 15th. The rosters have not yet been posted.