Rolling 2024 NY Spring Training Game Thread

First game tomorrow!

View: https://twitter.com/chriskirschner/status/1761104598301802496?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g

Without researching much, one thing about each of those nine:

Gil: Back from arm surgery, big arm, could be a multi-inning guy in NY or rotation in AAA.

Beeter: The guy they got from LAD for two months of awful Gallo in Aug 2022, 165 Ks in 132 innings last year in AA/AAA, projected role similar to Gil's.

Rice: The only one of these nine not on NY's 40 man currently, doesn't need to be protected yet as a 2021 12th round pick. He's a Dartmouth boy who blew up in AA down the stretch last year, 16 HRs in 196 ABs. He splits time between C/1B and NY is thin at 1B behind Rizzo (with DJ as the regular 3B especially), so he could maybe hit his way into a role.

Rortvedt: It's still not a hundred percent clear that he is out of options but assuming he is, he is only still on the 40 man in case Wells or Trevino aren't healthy Opening Day. NY still has 5 catchers on the 40 man, Narvaez will get Rortvedt's role as 3rd string (he has all three options) and Agustin Ramirez is a longer-term project who almost certainly won't be able to help this year. NY also has Luis Torrens assuming he doesn't opt out, so we may be nearing the end of the illustrious Rortvedt era.

Cabrera: This is a good one, he is a switch-hitter but a much better hitter from the left side, so this year they plan to have him hit lefty against some lefties and righty against some lefties.

Volpe: Last year he had an all or nothing selling out for power approach at the plate, this year he is reportedly trying to get back to the alley to alley slashing that made him a top 5 MLB prospect. He is still 22, 23 in April.

Grisham: The other OF they got from SD along with Soto, he is as good defensively as any CF in the game currently, in the Kiermaier/Bader range. He hits lefties better than righties despite being a LHH, but that will work out well for a platoon (with position switching) with Verdugo who as you all know cannot hit lefties.

Jones: Another Winfield/Judge-sized giant, he is somehow one of the fastest runners in the sport. His peak home to third time last year was identical to Corbin Carroll's best, which I think was best in MLB.

Pereira: He looks like the odd man out to start the year in the OF if everyone is healthy (Judge/Soto/Verdugo/Grisham plus the newly sleek Stanton, plus Cabrera), but regular AAA ABs will be good for him. He is still a top 100 guy on some lists, also still 22, 23 in April. I'm glad NY didn't sell low on him (yet anyway), he might not pan out but he has big upside if he does.

Spencer Jones came in mid-game and hit a 470 foot HR in his first spring AB.

View: https://twitter.com/mlb/status/1761476498098184442?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g

NY beats DET 8-4.

Oh wait, that was just the 9th inning. NY actually won 22-10.

23 BBs and 7 HBPs combined, welcome back baseball?

Soto go boom.

I guess that will be Rizzo or Torres to start the year, I am excited for when it is Jasson Dominguez a few months in.

I am going to post about him in a bit actually.

It's not going to be that exciting, part of bumping my 2022 thread about NY's core of young position player prospects, and he is now added to that.

Not ideal but also probably doesn't matter much:

"Carlos Rodon allowed four home runs in a live batting practice session today -- Josh Breaux, Agustin Ramirez, Ben Rice and Jose Rojas all took him deep.

"I'd rather give them up to our guys," he said. "All those guys are pretty good. They wouldn't be here if they weren't.""

Editor's note: Breaux and Rojas are not actually pretty good.

Rizzo with 2 HRs in tonight's game, Soto with a HR and 2B, Pereira with a HR to start the scoring, NY beats TOR 8-4.

3 HRs and 2 2Bs in just 7 ABs, currently with a 3.064 OPS.

Austin Wells 2-3 today with a double, HR, 3 RBIs and a steal of 3B. He is not very fast but he has a great SB history, 55-56 going back to college:

7 for 7 at University of Arizona
8 for 8 in the Cape Cod League
1 for 1 in the Arizona Fall League
39 for 40 in the minor leagues

And even more importantly after the game, Boone raved about his defense.

View: https://twitter.com/bryanhoch/status/1765934497151779262

447 from Soto

Oscar Gonzalez has thrown out two runners at home in the first three innings of today's (non-televised) game.

NY has an open bench spot but I think it has to be an infielder, barring injuries.

Joe Torre has been in Yankee camp the last few days, in full uniform in the dugout for at least one game, and he just brought out the lineup card today. Nice to see Boone chatting him up mid-game.

View: https://twitter.com/DugoutStation/status/1768787715276107977/photo/1

Torre came out to pull Rodon after 5.2 hitless/scoreless (against a weak Phillies lineup), he tried to put in Scott Proctor but was told he wasn’t available.

BigSoxFan said:

Interesting lineup today:

Gleyber
Soto
Judge
Stanton
Rizzo
Volpe
Verdugo
Trevino
Smith

Guessing they’re just experimenting with leadoff guys when DJ doesn’t play. Not sure I would put Stanton clean up either. Too much swing and miss there.

Click to expand...

It’s a lefty starter for PIT, hence Gleyber and Stanton being higher in the lineup, I think.

I hope Volpe grabs the leadoff spot soon, with or without DJ, but also I think they should consider leading off Verdugo against righties (and sitting him completely against lefties).

Stanton goes 455 over the batter’s eye in his first AB, even when he has struggled in recent years, he has always crushed lefties.

And a 453 grand slam in his second AB, also off lefty Marco Gonzales. Not many people hit 900 feet of HRs in two innings.

Hahaha, they brought Gonzales back in to get his pitch count up and Stanton took him deep for the third time.

Obviously this is still spring training, but Stanton has never homered three times in a game in his career.

HR No. 1: 110.4 MPH/455 FT
HR No. 2: 113.2 MPH/453 FT
HR No. 3: 108.8 MPH/426 FT

I am watching (some of) the game now, the first one was off a 82 MPH curve. So if there were any worries about Stanton losing strength with his new less bulked up physique, I think we're good.

NY only sent a few regulars and still Bauer allowed six runners in his three innings.

Today’s MVP was 41 year old Robinson Cano, 3-4, a triple short of a cycle in a 4-3 win.

Tomorrow NY starts 19 year old Mexican SP Luis Serna, who hasn’t pitched above rookie ball yet.

Roderick Arias getting some time against big league pitchers the last few days with part of the team in Mexico, he has gone 5-6 in his last two games against legit MLB pitchers, 2-2 today against Sean Manaea. Again, he is a 19 year old who has yet to play above rookie ball, very impressive stuff.

Looking back at the 2023 game threads here, of course it was a cursed season as @Wingack got the Opening Day start, hehe. I am going to take the ball again this year, I am very pumped for this year's team. New thread later!!