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DotF: Garcia goes deep, Otto returns in Tampa’s win

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I forgot to link to this yesterday, but here’s video of RHP Clarke Schmidt’s nine strikeouts from Opening Day. He threw five innings and did not allow a hit or a walk, though there were two errors made behind him, so it wasn’t a perfect outing.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (10-8 loss to Buffalo)

  • RF Trey Amburgey: 4-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — 8-for-14 (.571) with two doubles in his first three Triple-A games
  • 1B Mike Ford: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 E (fielding)
  • DH Ryan McBroom: 0-5, 2 K
  • C Ryan Lavarnway: 0-4, 1 R, 1 BB
  • 2B Gosuke Katoh: 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K — first Triple-A hit is his first Triple-A homer
  • RHP Chance Adams: 3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 4/2 GB/FB — 41 of 80 pitches were strikes (51%) … not a good start to year three in Triple-A
  • LHP Rex Brothers: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1/1 GB/FB, 1 E (pickoff) — 24 of 41 pitches were strikes (59%) … he’s my pick for the “random minor league signing who makes 10+ appearances for the MLB team” player

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DotF: Stowers, Sauer, and Semple shine in Charleston’s win

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Baseball America posted a list of the youngest players in each league. Most notably, 2B Gleyber Torres is the second youngest player (and youngest position player) in the American League and RHP Deivi Garcia is the third youngest player (and youngest pitcher) in the High-A Florida State League.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (6-1 win over Buffalo)

  • LF Trey Amburgey: 1-5, 1 2B
  • 3B Gio Urshela: 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K — 4-for-9 with two doubles in two games
  • 1B Ryan McBroom: 1-5, 1 R, 3 K
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 0-4, 1 K
  • SS Cliff Pennington: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K —signed this afternoon and he was in the lineup tonight
  • LHP Nestor Cortes: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 3/3 GB/FB — 56 of 75 pitches were strikes (75%) … this dude has been pitching basically non-stop since last March … he’s gone from Spring Training to the regular season to the postseason to winter ball to Spring Training to the regular season again
  • RHP Joe Harvey: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GB/FB — 11 of 16 pitches were strikes (69%) … I’m setting the over/under on his MLB debut at July 1st … he’s on the 40-man roster, remember

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DotF: Clarke Schmidt outpitches Casey Mize on Opening Day

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The 2019 season is now really underway. Thursday was Opening Day down in the minor leagues. Baseball is officially in full swing. Here are some notes before we get to the performances:

  • OF Trey Amburgey, 3B Mandy Alvarez, and IF Wendell Rijo were added to the Triple-A Scranton roster, the team announced. They’re the corresponding moves to Clint Frazier, Tyler Wade, and Thairo Estrada being summoned to the big leagues.
  • RHP Brady Lail is still in Tampa dealing with an injury, Triple-A Scranton manager Jay Bell told Conor Foley. Not sure what the injury is, exactly, and there’s no word on a timetable for his return. This explains why Lail was not an Opening Day roster.
  • RHP Justin Wilson, last year’s 23rd round pick, is fully healthy after missing most of the last two years with Tommy John surgery, according to his Twitter feed. He was a bit of a sleeper going into the draft last summer.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (8-3 loss to Buffalo) since it’s Opening Day, here are the full lineups and pitching staffs as per DotF tradition

  • LF Trey Amburgey: 3-4 — excellent Triple-A debut for the 2015 13th rounder
  • DH Mike Ford: 1-4, 1 RBI, 2 BB — got picked off first
  • 3B Gio Urshela: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 K — I thought he might get the call instead of Estrada so the Yankees could go heavy on defense, but they’re effectively doing that with Wade, so whatever
  • 1B Ryan McBroom: 1-4, 1 K
  • RF Zack Zehner: 0-4, 3 K
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B — thus begins year five in Triple-A
  • SS Gosuke Katoh: 0-4, 2 K, 1 E (fielding) — Triple-A debut for the 2013 second rounder … he’s spent a full season at each level as he climbs the ladder, which is pretty old school
  • CF Matt Lipka: 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — first Triple-A homer since 2016
  • 3B Mandy Alvarez: 0-3 — Triple-A debut for the 2016 17th rounder
  • LHP Gio Gonzalez: 4 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 7/2 GB/FB — 45 of 76 pitches were strikes (59%) … there’s time for three more starts before his April 20th opt-out, and they’ll have be much better than this for the Yankees to consider keeping him
  • RHP Adonis Rosa: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 3/2 GB/FB — 15 of 20 pitches were strikes
  • RHP David Sosebee: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 2/0 GB/FB — 26 of 40 pitches were strikes (65%)

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DotF: Prospects head home as winter ball seasons wrap up

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The 2018 winter ball regular season is over. The various Caribbean leagues wrapped up their regular seasons over the weekend and the postseason is now getting underway. For us, this will be the final DotF post until the 2019 minor league regular season begins in a few months. The minor league season begins April 4th, one week after the Major League season begins. DotF will return then. Here are some notes before we get to the final performance update until the regular season:

  • OF Clint Frazier (post-concussion migraines) is expected to be cleared for on-field activity by Spring Training, Brian Cashman told Bryan Hoch. “I’ve been slowly hitting, throwing, working out. For the most part, I’m ramping up to start doing some overhand BP, just trying to get the timing right, get the facility work out. I’m pretty much full tilt whenever I’m ready to go,” said Frazier during a recent YES Network interview (video link).
  • Baseball America (subs. req’d) named ten players who could have a breakout 2019 season if they stay healthy. OF Estevan Florial is among them. “The strikeouts and pitch recognition issues are red flags for Florial, but he also broke the hamate bone in his right wrist in May—a possible mitigating factor in Florial’s season, especially given the lack of game power despite above-average raw power. Being a year removed from that injury and facing Double-A pitching for the first time will make 2019 a pivotal year for Florial,” says the write-up.
  • The MLB.com crew listed one breakout prospect for each team in 2019. RHP Albert Abreu got the nod for the Yankees. “If healthy in ’19, Abreu has three pitches — a fastball, breaking ball and changeup — that all grade out as plus and could help him quickly climb through the Yankees’ system,” says the write-up.
  • Jonathan Mayo ranked the top 15 prospects traded this offseason. LHP Justus Sheffield (No. 1), RHP Erik Swanson (No. 4), OF Dom Thompson-Williams (No. 7) all made the list. The Yankees sent those three to the Mariners in the James Paxton trade.

Arizona Fall League

  • IF Thairo Estrada: 19 G, 19-for-80 (.238), 9 R, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 CS, 1 HBP (.238/.282/.263)
  • OF Estevan Florial: 21 G, 13-for-73 (.178), 10 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 12 BB, 29 K, 2 SB, 1 CS (.178/.294/.260)
  • 1B Steven Sensley: 21 G, 15-for-76 (.197), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 26 K, 1 CS, 2 HBP (.197/.256/.263)
  • RHP Jordan Foley: 7 G, 7 GS, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 20 K, 2 HR, 1 HB, 2 WP (9.15 ERA and 1.98 WHIP) — the Yankees traded him to the Rockies soon after the AzFL season ended
  • RHP Hobie Harris: 9 G, 15 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 16 K, 1 HR, 2 WP (4.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP)
  • RHP Matt Wivinis: 11 G, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 HB, 1 WP (1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP)
  • RHP Kyle Zurak: 9 G, 9.1 IP, 16 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 3 WP (11.57 ERA and 2.79 WHIP)

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DotF: Albert Abreu, Nestor Cortes wrap up winter ball stints

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The Arizona Fall League season wrapped up nearly a month ago now, but the various Caribbean winter league seasons are still going strong. Here are some minor league notes, including a pair of injury updates, before we get to the performance updates:

  • OF Clint Frazier (concussion) has resumed baseball activities, he announced on Twitter. Hooray for that. Here’s some video. Frazier said he’s been at it for a few weeks now and that is good news. Seems to me he’s on track to be a full participant in Spring Training.
  • RHP Ben Heller (Tommy John surgery) either has started throwing off a mound as part of his rehab or will begin doing so shortly, according to his Twitter feed. Heller had surgery to repair his elbow ligament and also remove a bone spur from his elbow in April. He’s probably looking at a May or June return to game action.
  • The Yankees have announced the OF Tyler Hill trade. The Tigers selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft last week then sent him to New York for cash considerations. “He’s a super athlete and is an under-the-radar baseball player,” said a scout to Kevin Kernan.
  • Triple-A Scranton will host the 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game at PNC Field, the team announced. It is the second Triple-A All-Star Game in Scranton and the first since the ballpark was renovated in 2012. Scranton hosted the 1995 Triple-A All-Star Game as a Phillies affiliate.

Arizona Fall League (stats are final)

  • IF Thairo Estrada: 19 G, 19-for-80 (.238), 9 R, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 CS, 1 HBP (.238/.282/.263)
  • OF Estevan Florial: 21 G, 13-for-73 (.178), 10 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 12 BB, 29 K, 2 SB, 1 CS (.178/.294/.260)
  • 1B Steven Sensley: 21 G, 15-for-76 (.197), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 26 K, 1 CS, 2 HBP (.197/.256/.263)
  • RHP Jordan Foley: 7 G, 7 GS, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 20 K, 2 HR, 1 HB, 2 WP (9.15 ERA and 1.98 WHIP)
  • RHP Hobie Harris: 9 G, 15 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 16 K, 1 HR, 2 WP (4.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP)
  • RHP Matt Wivinis: 11 G, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 HB, 1 WP (1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP)
  • RHP Kyle Zurak: 9 G, 9.1 IP, 16 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 3 WP (11.57 ERA and 2.79 WHIP)

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DotF: Nestor Cortes continues dominant winter ball stint

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The Arizona Fall League season ended two weeks ago but there are still plenty other winter league seasons going on around the globe. Here are some notes before we get to the player updates:

  • A trade! Late last week the Yankees sent RHP Jordan Foley to the Rockies for RHP Jefry Valdez, the team announced. “(Valdez is) a really loose, wiry 6-foot-1 with a good arm action. He has been 92-94 with an above-average curveball in my looks. I like him as a late-blooming relief candidate,” wrote Eric Longenhagen. Seems like the Yankees traded Foley for a two-years-younger version of Foley. Works for me. Foley is Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason and Colorado didn’t even bother to add him to their 40-man roster before the protection deadline.
  • The MLB.com crew listed one notable Rule 5 Draft eligible player for all 30 teams. 1B/3B Dermis Garcia got the nod for the Yankees. “(He) has massive raw power. The downside is that he doesn’t have much hittability or athleticism, so New York has begun to explore using him on the mound, where he has shown a mid-90s fastball,” says the write-up. It’s real hard for me to see Dermis sticking in MLB all next season. Hiding him a three-man bench all year won’t be easy.
  • The Yankees have re-signed minor league free agent RHP Dallas Martinez, reports Matt Eddy. The 24-year-old has been intermittently injured and a deep sleeper the last few years. He’s thrown three innings above rookie ball for the Yankees, but last year they loaned him to the Mexican League, where he had a 3.66 ERA (4.73 FIP) in 91 innings. Not bad considering his experience and the fact the Mexican League is close to Triple-A in terms of competition level.

Arizona Fall League (stats are final)

  • IF Thairo Estrada: 19 G, 19-for-80 (.238), 9 R, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 CS, 1 HBP (.238/.282/.263)
  • OF Estevan Florial: 21 G, 13-for-73 (.178), 10 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 12 BB, 29 K, 2 SB, 1 CS (.178/.294/.260)
  • 1B Steven Sensley: 21 G, 15-for-76 (.197), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 26 K, 1 CS, 2 HBP (.197/.256/.263)
  • RHP Jordan Foley: 7 G, 7 GS, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 20 K, 2 HR, 1 HB, 2 WP (9.15 ERA and 1.98 WHIP) — he was traded after the AzFL season ended
  • RHP Hobie Harris: 9 G, 15 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 16 K, 1 HR, 2 WP (4.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP)
  • RHP Matt Wivinis: 11 G, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 HB, 1 WP (1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP)
  • RHP Kyle Zurak: 9 G, 9.1 IP, 16 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 3 WP (11.57 ERA and 2.79 WHIP)

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DotF: Estrada, Florial wrap up disappointing AzFL season for Yankees’ prospects

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The 2018 Arizona Fall League season came to an end this past Saturday. Braves 1B Braxton Davidson hit a walk-off home run in Saturday’s Championship Game … and broke his foot rounding the bases. For real. That’s rough. Hopefully he’ll be healed up and ready to go come Spring Training. Anyway, the Peoria Javelinas beat the Salt River Rafters in the title game. Yankees’ prospects played for the Glendale Desert Dogs this year. Glendale went 12-18 and had the second worst record in the six-team league. Here are some offseason minor league notes:

  • Turns out IF Thairo Estrada had surgery this summer to remove the bullet from his hip, reports Lindsey Adler (subs. req’d). Estrada was shot during a robbery last offseason. Adler says the initial emergency surgery was botched. Estrada was on the disabled list with a back injury when he decided to have another procedure to remove the bullet in June, this time with the Yankees overseeing things. Huh. It was successful. Thairo is recovered now and played in the AzFL.
  • Triple-A Scranton manager Bobby Mitchell will not be back next season. DJ Eberle reports the Yankees decided not to renew his contract. “I’m not really sure why or whatever. It happens. I was a little surprised, obviously. I’m not really sure. I didn’t get much of an explanation. I enjoyed my time there. So I was disappointed,” said Mitchell. Mitchell had been with the Yankees since 2016. No word on the new Triple-A manager yet. Might be a few weeks.
  • Matt Eddy has the full list of minor league free agents. Nine Yankees’ prospects hit the open market: IF Daniel Barrios, LHP Havid Burgos, IF Bruce Caldwell, C Wilkin Castillo, LHP Chaz Hebert, IF Rey Navarro, C Chace Numata, IF Victor Rey, and C Jorge Saez. Hebert, who’s been limited by injuries the last few years, is by far the most notable of the bunch. The Yankees have re-signed minor league free agents IF Gio Urshela and C Francisco Diaz, reports Eddy.
  • The Yankees released OF Quintin Berry, reports Eddy. They acquired him in a cash trade in August and it seemed the Yankees would call him up to be their designated September pinch-runner, but that never happened. On Twitter, Berry announced he’s retiring as a player and has taken a minor league coaching role with the Brewers.

Arizona Fall League

  • IF Thairo Estrada: 19 G, 19-for-80 (.238), 9 R, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 CS, 1 HBP (.238/.282/.263) — not a good showing at all, but I’m inclined to give him a pass after the whole “he got shot in January and didn’t have the bullet removed until June” thing … hopefully Thairo has a good, shooting-free offseason and can pick up where he left off last year in 2019
  • OF Estevan Florial: 21 G, 13-for-73 (.178), 10 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 12 BB, 29 K, 2 SB, 1 CS (.178/.294/.260) — he went 1-for-1 with a triple and a walk in the Fall Stars game … video of the triple is at the top of the post … otherwise a pretty crummy AzFL season for Florial
  • 1B Steven Sensley: 21 G, 15-for-76 (.197), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 26 K, 1 CS, 2 HBP (.197/.256/.263) — he played 15 games at first base and six at DH in the AzFL after playing only one of his final 34 regular season games in the outfield, so it seems he’s a full-time first baseman now … Sensley was an okay prospect as a corner outfielder and he’s a fringe prospect at first base … the offensive potential bar is awfully high to be a legitimate prospect at first base
  • RHP Jordan Foley: 7 G, 7 GS, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 20 K, 2 HR, 1 HB, 2 WP (9.15 ERA and 1.98 WHIP) — the good news? he didn’t have the worst numbers among Yankees pitchers in the AzFL
  • RHP Hobie Harris: 9 G, 15 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 16 K, 1 HR, 2 WP (4.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP)
  • RHP Matt Wivinis: 11 G, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 HB, 1 WP (1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP) — two of the six AzFL parks are equipped with Statcast and somehow he managed to pitch in neither this year … he’s supposed to be a big spin rate guy and I was hoping to get some numbers, but alas … bummer
  • RHP Kyle Zurak: 9 G, 9.1 IP, 16 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 3 WP (11.57 ERA and 2.79 WHIP) — about as bad an AzFL performance as I can remember … what a crap year AzFL season for the Yankees

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