Double-A Trenton (5-2 loss to Richmond)
CF Abe Almonte: 1-5, 1 2B, 2 K
2B Corban Joseph: 2-3, 2 BB — 15 walks and 11 strikeouts in 20 games since coming off the DL
DH David Adams: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP — has played just nine of 16 games in the field this year
LF Cody Johnson: 0-5, 3 K
RF Zoilo Almonte: 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 K
1B Luke Murton: 1-2, 2 BB
3B Jose Pirela & SS Yadil Mujica: both 0-4 — Pirela struck out three times and committed a pair of throwing errors … Mujica struck out once and committed a fielding error
C Jose Gil: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 K
LHP Vidal Nuno: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 5/2 GB/FB — 57 of 79 pitches were strikes (72.2%), plus he picked a runner off first … this is just his second start, so he’ll probably stretch it out to 90 pitches next time out
RHP Michael Dubee: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 3/2 GB/FB — 22 of 38 pitches were strikes (57.9%) and he picked a runner off second
LHP Lee Hyde: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 HBP, 1/1 GB/FB — seven pitches, five strikes … he picked a runner off first as well

High-A Tampa (4-0 loss to Lakeland)
CF Eduardo Sosa: 2-4, 1 K, 1 HBP
DH J.R. Murphy & SS Jose Mojica: both 0-4 — Murphy walked … Mojica committed a fielding error
RF Rob Segedin, LF Neil Medchill, C Tyson Blaser, 1B Kyle Roller & 3B Garrison Lassiter: all 1-4 — Segedin, Blaser, and Roller each struck out once, Lassiter thrice … Medchill doubled … Blaser allowed three passed balls
2B Kelvin Castro: 1-3, 1 HBP
RHP Caleb Cotham: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 7/0 GB/FB — 53.5% ground ball this year
LHP Evan DeLuca: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2/0 GB/FB — lowered his BB/9 from 17.2 to 15.9
RHP Branden Pinder: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 3/1 GB/FB
RHP Mark Montgomery: 1 IP, zeroes, 2 K, 1/0 GB/FB — 43.0% strikeouts and 68.3% grounders

Low-A Charleston (3-2 loss to Greenville in 11 innings)
CF Mason Williams: 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB
SS Cito Culver: 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K
3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 HBP
DH Gary Sanchez: 0-5, 1 RBI, 1 K — seven in a 7-for-41 slump (.171)
LF Ben Gamel & 2B Angelo Gumbs: both 1-5 — Gamel stole two bases
C Francisco Arcia: 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B –
1B Rey Nunez: 1-4, 1 RBI — singled in the game-tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth
RF Kelvin DeLeon: 1-4, 2 K
RHP Bryan Mitchell: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 4/3 GB/FB — 53 of 85 pitches were strikes (62.4%) … that’s eight or more strikeouts in three of his last four starts with a 31/8 K/BB in 24 IP during that time
RHP John Brebbia: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2/1 GB/FB — 30 of 48 pitches were strikes (62.5%)
RHP Pedro Guerra: 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 3/1 GB/FB — 29 of 41 pitches were strikes (70.7%)

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Mitchell strikes out nine in extra-innings loss

My first rounder. (Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

Every year over at Minor League Ball, John Sickels hosts a community mock draft. I acted as the Yankees mock scouting director way back in 2007 and while that was fun, it was incredibly time consuming. For the last few years I’ve just shadowed their mock draft, meaning I’ve gone back after the fact to look at who I would taken with each of the Yankees’ selection. This isn’t any kind of serious analysis or projection, it’s just for fun.

They used to do the first five rounds but have since knocked it down to three for what I assume are time-related reasons. Seriously, it sucks up the entire afternoon. The mock was conducted yesterday, so here are the links — first, sandwich, second, third — and here are my selections…

First Round (#30 overall)
Mock Draft: RHP Shane Watson, California HS
My Pick: 3B Carson Kelly, Oregon HS

Kelly is a big personal fave and I reached for him based on consensus rankings and the mock draft — he went 57th overall to the Reds. I really like him though. Here’s my write-up. Watson is one of the better prep pitchers in the class and a true back-half of the first round talent. He’ll sit anywhere from 90-96 with the fastball and can snap off nasty curveball every so often. Like most high schoolers, he’s working on a changeup and you’re dreaming on him adding velocity as he fills out. It’s worth noting that the Yankees have been connected to Florida HS SS Addison Russell in various mock drafts and he was still on the board for this pick.

Second Round (#89 overall)
Mock Draft: C Dane Phillips, Oklahoma City University
My Pick: RHP Duane Underwood, Georgia HS

This is the compensation pick the Yankees received after failing to sign second rounder Sam Stafford last season and I feel like I got a steal. Underwood’s a borderline first round talent and there’s a chance he’ll go in the back-half of the first round next week, so nabbing him nearly 100 picks in is a coup in my eyes. Between him and Kelly, I feel like I’ve got two top 30-35 talents. I wrote Underwood up last week, so check that out for more info. Phillips has climbed up draft boards as the spring has progressed because he’s crushing weak competition, though his ability to remain behind the plate is uncertain. A team would really have to believe in the glove to take him this high. Here’s my write-up on Phillips.

Second Round (#94 overall)
Mock Draft: OF Preston Beck, UT-Arlington
My Pick: LHP Alex Young, Illinois HS

Although the franchise’s history is littered with quality left-handers, the Yankees have done a pretty poor job of carrying on the tradition in recent years. Young has already shown three pitches — low-90s fastball, curveball, changeup — and has lots of room to grow in his 6-foot-3, 190 lb. frame. He has a strong commitment to TCU and is expected to be a tough sign, but with more than $500k in slot money to work with, I’m not going down without a fight. Young is the kind of kid that will come out of school in three years as a first round pick, assuming his coach doesn’t shred his arm first. Beck’s a solid selection; a corner outfielder with a strong left-handed bat and defensive skills. He had hip surgery last summer and there is some question about his power potential, so he’s a ‘tweener risk.

Third Round (#124 overall)
Mock Draft: Young
My Pick: RHP Zack Quintana, Nevada HS

Well, I jumped the gun on Young a bit. I like him though and didn’t want to miss out, plus we’re talking about a difference of $130k in slot money. Anyway, Quintana is an undersized kid that runs his fastball up to 95 with a power breaking ball and a changeup that is advanced for a high schooler. He strikes me as very undervalued because of his size (5-foot-11, 180 lbs. or so) in a draft class that is light on quality prep arms. I also considered Tennessee HS SS A.J. Simcox with this pick, a true shortstop who has grown up around the game because his father has coached at Tennessee for nearly two decades. He’s raw but has exciting power-speed potential.

* * *

I’m a high school prospect guy as you can tell. I’ve always felt that getting players under professional instruction as soon as possible is the best thing for their development because bad habits are easy to develop in college, where winning is the priority. Not development and growth. Had the mock draft continued for another round or two, I probably would have looked for a college relief arm or two to not only balance things out, but to also save some draft pool money to use elsewhere and perhaps get decent value relative to round.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

2012 Draft: Shadowing the Sickels’ Mock Draft

Triple-A Empire State (8-7 loss to Buffalo)
CF Kevin Russo, LF Ronnie Mustelier & 3B Brandon Laird: all 1-5, 1 K — Laird doubled and scored a run
SS Matt Antonelli: 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — only his 22nd career game at short
1B Steve Pearce: 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
DH Jack Cust: 3-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 K – three homers in the last two games and four in the last six
RF Cole Garner & 2B Ramiro Pena: both 2-4, 1 K — Garner doubled and drove in a run … Ramiro scored a run
C Gus Molina: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K — picked a runner off second with a snap throw
RHP D.J. Mitchell: 6 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 8/1 GB/FB — 60 of 104 pitches were strikes (57.7%) … hooray for strikeouts and grounders, boo for runs and walks
LHP Justin Thomas: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — seven of his 12 pitches were strikes
RHP Manny Delcarmen: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1/1 GB/FB — 16 of 27 pitches were strikes (59.3%) … blew the one-run lead in the eighth

Double-A Trenton (1-0 win over Trenton) 25 of the 54 combined outs were strikeouts (46.3%)
CF Abe Almonte: 0-4, 1 K
DH Corban Joseph & LF Cody Johnson: both 0-3, 1 BB — Joseph struck out once, Johnson thrice
2B David Adams & RF Zoilo Almonte: both 1-3, 1 BB — Adams stole a base … Almonte struck out and threw a runner out at second
1B Kevin Mahoney: 0-4, 4 K — ouch
3B Jose Pirela: 1-4
C Jose Gil: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K — and there’s the only run of the ballgame
SS Yadil Mujica: 0-2, 1 BB
RHP Brett Marshall: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 5/3 GB/FB — 61 of 96 pitches were strikes (63.5%) … season high for strikeouts and one shy of his career high (done twice)
LHP Francisco Rondon: 1 IP, zeroes, 3 K — nine of 17 pitches were strikes
RHP Ryan Pope: 1 IP, zeroes, 2 K, 1/0 GB/FB — nine of 13 pitches were strikes
RHP Ryan Flannery: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — ten pitches, seven strikes … caps off a great night from the bullpen, just dominance

High-A Tampa (5-0 win over Lakeland)
LF Ramon Flores: 0-5, 1 K
C J.R. Murphy, RF Neil Medchill & 2B Kelvin Castro: all 1-4, 1 R — Murphy hit a solo homer, walked, and allowed a passed ball … Medchill struck out … Castro homered and drove in a pair
3B Rob Segedin: 2-5, 1 K
DH Kyle Higashioka: 0-2, 2 K — not sure why he was removed, but pinch-hitter Tyson Blaser singled in his two plate appearances
1B Kyle Roller: 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E (missed catch)
CF Eduardo Sosa & SS Jose Toussen: both 2-4, 1 CS — Sosa drove in a run, struck out, and got picked off first
RHP Zach Nuding: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HB, 6/3 GB/FB – 42/10 K/BB in 48 IP
RHP Tommy Kahnle: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0/2 GB/FB
LHP Rigoberto Arrebato: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1/1 GB/FB

Low-A Charleston (15-10 loss to Greenville)
CF Mason Williams: 3-4, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 SB — awakes from his slumber
SS Cito Culver: 1-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
C Gary Sanchez: 0-5, 1 K
RF Tyler Austin: 2-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 CS – threw a runner out at second … ten hits in his last 27 at-bats (.370)
LF Ben Gamel: 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — 15 for his last 41 (.366)
2B Angelo Gumbs: 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI — nine hits in his last 27 at-bats (.333) with four doubles and a homer
3B Casey Stevenson & DH Kelvin DeLeon: both 0-4 — Stevenson scored a run, walked, and struck out twice … DeLeon struck out
1B Rey Nunez: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 E (missed catch)
RHP Wilton Rodriguez: 2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 2/3 GB/FB — 37 of 64 pitches were strikes (57.8%) … that is, uh, not good
RHP Brett Gerritse: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, 5/5 GB/FB — 48 of 89 pitches were strikes (53.9%) … great job in super-long relief … he’s been working as a starter, don’t worry
RHP Phil Wetherell: 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K – 16 of 22 pitches were strikes (72.7%)

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Homers rule the day in the minors

(Mike Stobe/Getty)

We’re just nine days away from the draft now, so let’s round up the latest news and notes. Make sure you scroll back through our draft archive to make sure you didn’t miss anything, I’ve been posting player profiles, links to mock drafts, and all sorts of other stuff these last few weeks. Here’s the latest…

Sabathia to represent Yankees on Day One

The first day of baseball’s amateur draft will again be broadcast live on MLB Network this year, and the Yankees announced that their representative will be ace CC Sabathia. Apparently he drew the short straw. The Yankees do not have a game that day and Sabathia will be the only active player in attendance. Tino Martinez and Lee Mazzilli have represented New York in recent drafts. The broadcast will cover the first and supplement rounds on Monday, June 4th. The remaining rounds will be conducted via conference call over the following two days.

Scott Boras on the new spending restrictions

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Every team will have their draft spending limited this season — the Yankees can spend just under $4.2M on the top ten rounds — with harsh penalties in place for any overages. Front offices don’t seen very fond of the changes put in place by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement but agents aren’t happy either. The new rules are taking money from their clients (and themselves), after all. Kevin Goldstein spoke to Scott Boras about the changes and the game’s most powerful agents had some suggests for improving the system. You can read the article on either ESPN or Baseball Prospectus, but you need a subscription either way.

First, Boras suggests a five-year spending pool, allowing teams to funnel money from year-to-year as the talent pool varies. “A lot of people won’t like that just because it’s Scott’s idea, but I love it,” said an unnamed GM. “The current system is short-sighted. It takes away individuality and the concept of having competitive advantages though the evaluation of talent.” Boras also suggests that low-revenue teams that win should be rewarded, specifically by being able to spend whatever they want on one pick each year. Goldstein says that it could take years for teams to adjust to the new rules and find the most efficient way to procure talent, though I’m sure some loopholes with pop up along the way.

MLB.com’s Mock Draft

Jonathan Mayo posted his latest mock draft for MLB.com this past week, though that one only goes 20 picks deep. That means the Yankees are left out, but it’s still good to check out just to get an idea of who is projected to go where. Pretty much the only thing that can substantially change draft stock at this point is injury.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Draft Links: Sabathia, Boras, MLB.com Mock

Remember RHP Jairo Heredia? He started the season on the DL with “something internal” but resumed throwing earlier this week. Heredia is one of the most enigmatic pitchers in the system, dominating for weeks at a time before forgetting how to record outs. He could be ticketed for Double-A Trenton once healthy.

In other injury news, RHP Diego Moreno had Tommy John surgery. He’s one of the two players the Yankees received from the Pirates in the A.J. Burnett trade. The other player, OF Exicardo Cayones, is in Extended Spring Training. Neither player is much of a prospect, but Moreno throws hard and has a non-zero chance of helping out of the bullpen at some point.

Anyway, if you’re unfamiliar with minor league baseball in general, friend of the blog @leokitty put together a pretty great primer for you. Make sure you check it out even if you know your way around the bush leagues.

Triple-A Empire State (8-7 win over Buffalo in ten innings, walk-off style)
CF Kevin Russo: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 E (fielding)
2B Matt Antonelli: 1-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 E (fielding)
3B Steve Pearce: 0-5, 1 K, 1 E (throwing) — only his third game at third base this year
DH Jack Cust: 3-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K — walk-off homer
LF Ronnie Mustelier: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K — his two-run homer in the seventh tied the game
1B Brandon Laird: 0-4, 1 E (fielding)
C Frankie Cervelli: 2-4, 2 R, 1 K — eight hits in his last 22 at-bats (.364)
RF Cole Garner: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
SS Ramiro Pena: 0-3, 1 RBI, 2 K
RHP Dellin Betances: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 1 Balk, 1/1 GB/FB — 31 of 65 pitches were strikes (47.7%) … 42 walks and 41 strikeouts in 46.2 IP
LHP Mike O’Connor: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 5/4 GB/FB — 31 of 59 pitches were strikes (52.5%)
RHP Chase Whitley: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 4/0 GB/FB — 25 of 40 pitches were strikes (62.5%)
RHP Jason Bulger: 1.2 IP, zeroes, 4/0 GB/FB — 14 of 23 pitches were strikes (60.9%)
LHP Juan Cedeno: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1/1 GB/FB — nine of 14 pitches were strikes
RHP Kevin Whelan: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K — nine pitches, five strikes

Double-A Trenton (4-1 loss to Richmond)
CF Abe Almonte, 2B Corban Joseph & RF Zoilo Almonte: all 1-4 — Abe doubled and drove in a run … Zoilo struck out
DH Cody Johnson, 1B Luke Murton, 3B Kevin Mahoney, SS Yadil Mujica & C Jeff Farnham: all 0-3 – Johnson walked and whiffed twice … Murton walked and struck out … Mahoney struck out and committed a fielding error
LF Jose Pirela: 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B
LHP Shaeffer Hall: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HB, 8/2 GB/FB — 55 of 76 pitches were strikes (72.4%) … picked a runner off first
RHP Preston Claiborne: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GB/FB — 12 of 25 pitches were strikes (48%) … also picked a runner off first

High-A Tampa (7-1 win over Lakeland)
LF Ramon Flores: 1-5, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB
C J.R. Murphy: 5-5, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 SB — he really needed a huge game like this
3B Rob Segedin & RF Neil Medchill: both 1-5, 1 R — Segedin struck out … Medchill hit a homer, drove in three, and struck out three times
DH Kyle Higashioka: 0-1, 1 R, 3 BB
1B Kyle Roller: 3-5, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K — had been in a 4-for-30 slump (.133)
SS Jose Mojica & 2B Jose Toussen: both 0-4 — Mojica struck out
CF Eduardo Sosa: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Sean Black: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 7/7 GB/FB, 1 E (throwing)
RHP Manny Barreda: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2/1 GB/FB
LHP Rigoberto Arrebato: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/2 GB/FB

Low-A Charleston (12-6 loss to Greenville)
CF Mason Williams: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K — in a bad funk right now, he struck out in five consecutive plate appearances between this game and last
SS Cito Culver, 1B Rey Nunez & LF Kelvin DeLeon: all 1-4, 1 R — Culver walked, stole a base, struck out twice, and committed two errors (throwing, missed catch) … Nunez and DeLeon each doubled, drove in a run, and struck out
3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 2-5, 1 K, 1 E (throwing) — got his batting average up to .250 after that brutal and prolonged slump a few weeks ago
RF Tyler Austin: 0-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K — starting to get the Bonds treatment with all these walks
DH Ben Gamel & 2B Angelo Gumbs: both 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — Gamel struck out once, Gumbs twice … Gumbs also committed a fielding error
C Francisco Arcia: 1-2, 2 BB
LHP Evan Rutckyj: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 2/0 GB/FB — 23 of 50 pitches were strikes (46%) … not exactly what he was hoping for following his stellar debut
LHP Dan Mahoney: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 3/1 GB/FB — 23 of 36 pitches were strikes (63.9%)
RHP Joel DeLaCruz: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 Balk, 2/0 GB/FB — 33 of 47 pitches were strikes (70.2%)
RHP Ben Paullus: 1 IP, zeroes, 2/2 GB/FB — ten pitches, eight strikes
LHP Fred Lewis: 1 IP, zeroes, 3/0 GB/FB — ten pitches, seven strikes
RHP Casey Stevenson: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 2/1 GB/FB — 11 of 21 pitches were strikes … they played 13 innings last night, so the utility infielder had to take one for the team … gave up a solo homer to the first batter he faced

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Murphy picks up five hits in Tampa win

It’s worth noting that Baseball America says if “any team takes fast-rising Washington prep right-hander Mitchell Gueller in the first round, it could be New York.” Keith Law had the Yankees taking Russell in his first mock draft while also mentioning their interest in Gueller, but as an outfielder. Baseball America had the Yankees taking high school catcher Stryker Trahan in their first mock draft.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

2012 Draft: Baseball America’s Mock Draft v2.0

Clint Coulter | C

Background
A former state wrestling champion, Coulter hails from Union High School in Camas, Washington, which is right on the Oregon border and practically a suburb of Portland. His coach is former big leaguer Tom Lampkin, who spent parts of 13 seasons in the show and started over 400 games behind the plate. Coulter is committed to Arizona State.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 lbs. with a wrestler’s build, Coulter has some of the best power in the high school crop this summer. He hammers mistakes and has shown the ability to adjust to offspeed stuff and drive the ball to all fields from the right side. Although he has the arm and athleticism to catch, Coulter has a long way to go with his receiving and footwork before becoming a solid defensive backstop. He runs like a catcher but is a heady baserunner with strong instincts. Coulter is very coachable and an intense competitor who plays really hard, earning high grades for his intangibles.

Miscellany
Keith Law (35th), Baseball America (48th), and MLB.com (48th) all consider Coulter a fringy first round/firm supplemental round talent based on their most recent rankings. The Yankees pick 30th overall in the first round but do not have a sandwich round pick, so Coulter is one of those ‘tweener types who might not be worth a first rounder but won’t last into the second round. As I wrote two days ago, the Yankees prioritize offensive catchers in the minors and Coulter fits the mold to a tee.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

2012 Draft: Clint Coulter

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Yankees sign John Maine to minor league contract

Also, make sure you check out Dom Amore’s piece on Tim Norton. The right-hander has officially retired as a player and has begun his career as a coach within the organization. We heard he was leaning that way last month.

Triple-A Empire State (6-2 loss to Buffalo)
CF Kevin Russo & 2B Matt Antonelli: both 1-4, 1 R
1B Steve Pearce: 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB — six hits in his last 12 at-bats
DH Jack Cust & LF Ronnie Mustelier: both 0-4 — Cust struck out three times
3B Brandon Laird, RF Cole Garner & SS Ramiro Pena: all 0-3 — Laird walked and whiffed … Gardner struck out
C Frankie Cervelli: 1-3, 1 K
RHP Adam Warren: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 10/2 GB/FB — 63 of 103 pitches were strikes (61.2%) … underwhelming again
LHP Justin Thomas: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — 11 of 17 pitches were strikes
RHP Nelson Figueroa: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1/2 GB/FB — 20 of 37 pitches were strikes (54.1%)
RHP Manny Delcarmen: 1 IP, zeroes, 0/3 GB/FB — 10 of 12 pitches were strikes

Double-A Trenton (4-3 win over Akron, walk-off style)
CF Abe Almonte: 0-2, 2 BB, 1 CS
2B Corban Joseph: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 K
DH David Adams: 1-4, 1 R
LF Cody Johnson: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — 14 for his last 38 (.368) with five doubles and five homers, plus he threw a runner out at the plate … Jose Pirela pinch-ran for him following a ninth inning double and scored the winning run
RF Zoilo Almonte: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K – back off the DL
1B Luke Murton: 1-4, 1 RBI – walk-off single
3B Kevin Mahoney & C Jose Gil: both 0-3, 2 K
SS Addison Maruszak: 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
RHP Adam Miller: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HB, 4/6 GB/FB — 42 of 64 pitches were strikes (65.6%) … he was running the fastball up to 94
RHP Kelvin Perez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 2/0 GB/FB — 27 of 47 pitches were strikes (57.4%)
LHP Lee Hyde: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — seven pitches, six strikes
RHP Ryan Flannery: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GB/FB — 13 of 21 pitches were strikes (61.9%)

High-A Tampa (5-2 win over Palm Beach in ten innings) two-out rally scored all four runs in the tenth
LF Ramon Flores: 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K — drove in the go-ahead run in the tenth
C J.R. Murphy: 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — sitting hitting just .216/.290/.281
RF Rob Segedin: 0-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB
1B Kyle Roller: 1-5, 2 RBI, 1 K
DH Tyson Blaser: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
2B Kelvin Castro & 3B Garrison Lassiter: both 0-4 — Lassiter struck out three times, giving him a 32.9 K% this year
SS Jose Mojica: 1-4
CF Jose Toussen: 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 SB — got the game-winning rally started with a two-out walk
LHP Matt Tracy: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 1 HB, 5/3 GB/FB — little wild today I see
LHP Aaron Dott: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2/1 GB/FB
RHP Branden Pinder: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0/1 GB/FB
RHP Mark Montgomery: 0.1 IP, zeroes, 1 K — he’s struck out 35 of 83 batters faced this season (38.6%)

Low-A Charleston (7-6 win over Greenville in 13 innings, walk-off style)
CF Mason Williams: 0-4, 2 K — ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the seventh … he’s in a 3-for-25 slump (.120) since I said he should be promoted
LF Casey Stevenson: 0-1, 1 BB, 1 K — replaced Williams
SS Cito Culver: 0-6, 1 R, 2 K — ouch
3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 3-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K — only his sixth extra-base hit of the season, and none of them are homers (five doubles and a triple)
RF Tyler Austin: 4-7, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K – tied the game with a single in the bottom of the ninth, then won it with the walk-off single
C Gary Sanchez: 1-6, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 K, 1 PB, 1 E (throwing) — picked a runner off first with a snap throw
LF-CF Ben Gamel: 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
1B Rey Nunez: 1-5, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K
DH Kelvin DeLeon: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
2B Ali Castillo: 3-6, 1 R, 1 RBI
RHP Will Oliver: 6 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4/6 GB/FB — 56 of 89 pitches were strikes (62.9%) and he picked a runner off second … don’t see double-digit hits all that often
RHP Ben Paullus: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2/3 GB/FB — 16 of 27 pitches were strikes (59.3%)
LHP Fred Lewis: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2/1 GB/FB — 17 of 33 pitches were strikes (51.5%)
RHP Pedro Guerra: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0/1 GB/FB — 24 of 41 pitches were strikes (58.5%) … 34.9 K% this year
RHP Mariel Checo: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K — 17 pitches, 13 strikes

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Thunder walk-off with a win

OF Mason Williams check in at #24, up ten spots from KLaw’s preseason ranking. “He’s not walking, but he’s also making a ton of contact, and he’s barely begun to fill out physically,” he wrote. “There’s a lot of projection involved in this ranking but he’s a favorite of many scouts (and of me) because of the substantial upside here.” LHP Manny Banuelos was ineligible for the list because he’s on the DL, but I confirmed with Law that he would have made the top 25 as well. He ranked 23rd on the preseason list.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Williams ranks 24th on Law’s midseason top 25 prospects list