NY minor league prospect news
- Thread starter jon abbey
- Start date
YES cut away because they had to show the Nets pregame, crucial.
Selvidge and Lalane (pronounced 'la-la-knee' evidently) were both really impressive, 6 2 0 0 2 11 combined.
Guys try to sit on Lalane's fastball and then look very silly when he loops a curve in. Selvidge could start at AA, more likely high A, and Lalane I assume will start in low A after being in rookie ball last season. Selvidge is just 21 (and was already up to 127.2 innings last year in low A/high A), Lalane is still 19.
Selvidge and Lalane (pronounced 'la-la-knee' evidently) were both really impressive, 6 2 0 0 2 11 combined.
Guys try to sit on Lalane's fastball and then look very silly when he loops a curve in. Selvidge could start at AA, more likely high A, and Lalane I assume will start in low A after being in rookie ball last season. Selvidge is just 21 (and was already up to 127.2 innings last year in low A/high A), Lalane is still 19.
Oh, also, just as impressive as Jones’ 2 HRs was an AB in between. He hit a high hopper with a strange spin right to the second baseman but initially he thought he fouled it off and he didn’t run. After a second, he realized, started running, and still somehow beat the ball to first. He is exceptionally fast, 43 SBs in 117 games last year.
His speed was 29.8 MPH on this play, fastest of anyone in any of the prospect games. He is a superhuman athlete who will start in AA and who has a lot of guys in front of him right now, but who might be hard to keep in the minors too much longer.
No doubt he's very fast, but that number is not possible. The fastest NFL running backs / receivers don't usually hit over 22-23 MPH. Usain Bolt was going 27 MPH at his absolute fastest in his WR 100M run.
It would be cool if Spencer Jones was the fastest human ever to live, and he showed it when beating out an infield single, but i doubt it, haha
Heh, I was just repeating it from this generally reliable Yankee prospect guy but I don't know where he got it from.
View: https://twitter.com/dmh0726/status/1770312011965989302
I do know that Jones's fastest home to third time last year in the minors tied Corbin Carroll who had the fastest one in MLB all season, so he's one of the fastest baseball players at least, which is incredible at his size.
Ah, there you have it, it's feet per second. 30 feet/second is over 20 MPH. So he hit 20+ MPH in under 30 meters (90 foot basepath).
Usain Bolt hit his top speed like ~70M into the 100M dash. So Spencer Jones is very fast. That's certainly top-tier football player athleticism at his size. Jones may be like a DK Metcalf lite.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sprint_speed_leaderboard (pretty much every player over 30 ft/s there is significantly smaller than Jones. Maybe all of them)
It's not an average of the total time to first, just the fastest second of it.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sprint_speed_leaderboard
AAA Scranton kicking off their season this afternoon in frigid (feels like 30s) Buffalo.
Will Warren got Yamamoto'd (5 ERs in the 1st) but NY has come back with 3 in the 4th and 7 in the 5th and is up 11-7 now. This team doesn't have too many prospects on it currently, a lot of AAAA players like Jeter Downs and Jordan Groshans, but third string catcher Carlos Narvaez has a homer and a double and 3 RBIs so far.
Will Warren got Yamamoto'd (5 ERs in the 1st) but NY has come back with 3 in the 4th and 7 in the 5th and is up 11-7 now. This team doesn't have too many prospects on it currently, a lot of AAAA players like Jeter Downs and Jordan Groshans, but third string catcher Carlos Narvaez has a homer and a double and 3 RBIs so far.
For the last few years, NY has made minor league lineups by just putting the prospects they believe in the most at the top. So Spencer Jones was scheduled to lead off for AA Somerset in their opener tonight, but he woke up with a stiff neck and was scratched. Ben Rice replaced him at leadoff, Agustin Ramirez hitting second, and they hit back to back homers to open the game and Somerset's season.
Roderick Arias with a game-winning HR in his low A debut.
View: https://twitter.com/nickflammia/status/1776457489602474351?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g
View: https://twitter.com/nickflammia/status/1776457489602474351?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g
When last we left Caleb Durbin (a 2021 14th round pick by ATL who Cashman got for Lucas Luetge), he was taking a run at the Arizona Fall League SB record last November. He ended up with 21 in 23 games (2nd most ever) and a 1.000+ OPS (5th in the league). He turned 24 in February and is 5'6". What position does he play? I'm glad you asked, he has had nine games so far for AAA SWB this year:
4 at 2B
1 at SS
1 at 3B
1 in LF
1 in CF
1 at DH
He is leading off for Scranton and wreaking havoc, hitting .469 with 14 RBIs and 7 SBs (0 CS) in 9 games, 1.352 OPS from the leadoff position. I thought he had a shot to make NY out of spring training before they traded for Berti, but we could definitely see him this year (he is not on the 40 man but has to be protected this offseason).
https://www.milb.com/player/caleb-durbin-702332
4 at 2B
1 at SS
1 at 3B
1 in LF
1 in CF
1 at DH
He is leading off for Scranton and wreaking havoc, hitting .469 with 14 RBIs and 7 SBs (0 CS) in 9 games, 1.352 OPS from the leadoff position. I thought he had a shot to make NY out of spring training before they traded for Berti, but we could definitely see him this year (he is not on the 40 man but has to be protected this offseason).
https://www.milb.com/player/caleb-durbin-702332
Durbin second on the MiLB power rankings (hitters and pitchers combined), right ahead of the much discussed Jackson Holliday.
https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/minor-league-power-rankings?pagenum=1&pageitems=100
https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/minor-league-power-rankings?pagenum=1&pageitems=100
Damn, bring that kid up. I've got nothing against Berti, who is fine for his role, but if Durbin is already 24, can play all over the field, and Peraza is going to be gone for a while, give him a long look now.
Edit: Unless he's mediocre-to-poor defensively all over the field.
Edit: Unless he's mediocre-to-poor defensively all over the field.
I don't think he ever played OF before this week, of course Cabrera didn't really play OF until the week they brought him up to MLB.
Thanks Jon. That's a good reminder that the Yankees aren't afraid of being aggressive if they think a prospect can handle a job.
It really sucks that Peraza is injured with DJ on the shelf. Would have been such a great opportunity for him.
It really sucks that Peraza is injured with DJ on the shelf. Would have been such a great opportunity for him.
Agustin Ramirez is a 22 year old catching prospect who is not ready for MLB but is on NY's 40 man anyway, clearly NY has high expectations. He forced himself on last season by hitting 9 HRs in 112 ABs in high A a 1.144 OPS. He got promoted to AA mid-2023 and struggled (also just 128 ABs) but he began this year back in AA and is on fire, 4 HRs in the first 5 games and a 1.151 OPS.
https://www.milb.com/player/agustin-ramirez-682663
https://www.milb.com/player/agustin-ramirez-682663
After the 2021 season, when Cashman was settling on his rule 5 40 man protectees, he traded promising but raw reliever Nick Nelson to the Phillies for two minor leaguers. One was TJ Rumfield, who had been a 12th round pick for PHI just that past summer.
Now Rumfield is 23 and has pushed his way into the fringe of the 'so who the hell is the 1B if Rizzo goes down?*' discussion. He was promoted to Scranton this week and is hitting #3 for them (NY in recent seasons seems to order the top of their minor league lineups in what they think is their potential, for instance power hitting stud Spencer Jones is currently leading off in AA), and has 4 hits in his first 2 games, 1.339 OPS (tiny sample size obv).
https://www.milb.com/player/t-j-rumfield-681198?stats=career-r-hitting-all&year=2024
*If Rizzo goes down after DJ is back, DJ is the 1B. Wells has also been taking grounders there at times.
Now Rumfield is 23 and has pushed his way into the fringe of the 'so who the hell is the 1B if Rizzo goes down?*' discussion. He was promoted to Scranton this week and is hitting #3 for them (NY in recent seasons seems to order the top of their minor league lineups in what they think is their potential, for instance power hitting stud Spencer Jones is currently leading off in AA), and has 4 hits in his first 2 games, 1.339 OPS (tiny sample size obv).
https://www.milb.com/player/t-j-rumfield-681198?stats=career-r-hitting-all&year=2024
*If Rizzo goes down after DJ is back, DJ is the 1B. Wells has also been taking grounders there at times.
Some fun games from NY's top prospects tonight:
George Lombard Jr. was NY's 1st round pick last year out of high school, he does not turn 19 until June. He is in low A Tampa and is heating leadoff every night for them, ahead of Roderick Arias (also 18, also in low A) so you can tell how highly the Yankees think of him. He has not hit too much yet but he is walking an absurd amount through 12 games, 19 walks and just 41 ABs. This happened some to Jasson Dominguez at a low level too as I recall, but looking at the numbers they are nowhere close to this (again just two weeks).
Anyway Lombard Jr. was on base six times in a nine inning game tonight, a 9-5 win, 2-2 and 4 walks (!!!).
Everson Pereira is overlooked by everyone currently behind Judge and Soto and Dominguez and Verdugo and Spencer Jones and Grisham (gold glove CF), but he just turned 23 in April and he is very hot in AAA so far;. Tonight he hit 2 HRs, so 6 in 55 ABs so far, up to a .977 OPS. If you (we) are judging him at all on his lousy 93 ABs in 2023 for NY, let's remember he was born literally the same month as Volpe (April 2001, we are old) and Volpe didn't exactly hit well last year.
Will Warren is probably down to 7th currently on NY's SP depth chart after Poteet's extremely strong spot outing this week, but he is getting better every start in AAA, six shutout innings tonight. The first one was in Buffalo in late March, very bad weather conditions:
0.1 3 5 5 3 0
4 3 2 1 2 5
5 4 3 3 2 8
6 2 0 0 1 7
TL/DR: George Lombard Jr was on base six times tonight in a nine inning game, Everson Pereira hit two HRs and Will Warren threw six scoreless in AAA.
George Lombard Jr. was NY's 1st round pick last year out of high school, he does not turn 19 until June. He is in low A Tampa and is heating leadoff every night for them, ahead of Roderick Arias (also 18, also in low A) so you can tell how highly the Yankees think of him. He has not hit too much yet but he is walking an absurd amount through 12 games, 19 walks and just 41 ABs. This happened some to Jasson Dominguez at a low level too as I recall, but looking at the numbers they are nowhere close to this (again just two weeks).
Anyway Lombard Jr. was on base six times in a nine inning game tonight, a 9-5 win, 2-2 and 4 walks (!!!).
Everson Pereira is overlooked by everyone currently behind Judge and Soto and Dominguez and Verdugo and Spencer Jones and Grisham (gold glove CF), but he just turned 23 in April and he is very hot in AAA so far;. Tonight he hit 2 HRs, so 6 in 55 ABs so far, up to a .977 OPS. If you (we) are judging him at all on his lousy 93 ABs in 2023 for NY, let's remember he was born literally the same month as Volpe (April 2001, we are old) and Volpe didn't exactly hit well last year.
Will Warren is probably down to 7th currently on NY's SP depth chart after Poteet's extremely strong spot outing this week, but he is getting better every start in AAA, six shutout innings tonight. The first one was in Buffalo in late March, very bad weather conditions:
0.1 3 5 5 3 0
4 3 2 1 2 5
5 4 3 3 2 8
6 2 0 0 1 7
TL/DR: George Lombard Jr was on base six times tonight in a nine inning game, Everson Pereira hit two HRs and Will Warren threw six scoreless in AAA.
NY traded Keiner Delgado to PIT this week for a year and a half of coming back from injury JT Brubaker and some extra int'l spending money. Delgado is a legit 2B prospect but NY has a ton of very similar players, Pedroia-sized 2B with exciting bats. Lombard Jr and Arias were the two specifically blocking Delgado, teenagers playing 2B/SS in low A ahead of him.
One level up in high A is 21 year old 5'7" 2B Jared Serna, who was having a rough early season until a few days ago.
Splits through 4/27: .148/.304/.279, .583 OPS (61 ABs)
Last 3 games: three straight three hit games, 9-17 with 2 doubles and 3 HRs, all 3 HRs tonight.
Now: .231/.351/.474, .825 OPS (78 ABs)
One level up in high A is 21 year old 5'7" 2B Jared Serna, who was having a rough early season until a few days ago.
Splits through 4/27: .148/.304/.279, .583 OPS (61 ABs)
Last 3 games: three straight three hit games, 9-17 with 2 doubles and 3 HRs, all 3 HRs tonight.
Now: .231/.351/.474, .825 OPS (78 ABs)
Not a prospect update but Scranton is running away with their International League division (10 teams!), they are 23-9 and second place is 5 games back. Also they haven't played many home games, they have a remarkable 18-3 road record so far.
https://www.milb.com/standings/
https://www.milb.com/standings/
Wild matchup in low A today, Jasson Dominguez is in his first rehab game, against the Pirates' affiliate. Here is who is participating in this game:
Jorbit Vivas (also a rehab game, normally in AAA and already on NY's 40 man)
Dominguez
George Lombard Jr. (NY's 1st round pick last year and one of their top few prospects)
Roderick Arias (also one of NY's top prospects)
For PIT's team, Keiner Delgado is leading off, who was a top 15-20 prospect for NY until they sent him to PIT for JT Brubaker a couple of weeks ago. And on the mound is a rehabbing...
Domingo German.
It's scoreless in the third, but Dominguez hit the first pitch he saw this season up the middle for a single.
View: https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1790513792658411845
Jorbit Vivas (also a rehab game, normally in AAA and already on NY's 40 man)
Dominguez
George Lombard Jr. (NY's 1st round pick last year and one of their top few prospects)
Roderick Arias (also one of NY's top prospects)
For PIT's team, Keiner Delgado is leading off, who was a top 15-20 prospect for NY until they sent him to PIT for JT Brubaker a couple of weeks ago. And on the mound is a rehabbing...
Domingo German.
It's scoreless in the third, but Dominguez hit the first pitch he saw this season up the middle for a single.
View: https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1790513792658411845
Was just coming here to post that and Caleb Durbin.
Rice with 2 HRs and 2 SBs in a 9 inning game, that has to be exceedingly rare.
And Caleb Durbin in AAA had a 4 hit day, capped by a game-winning HR in the bottom of the 9th to break a 10-10 tie.
Rice with 2 HRs and 2 SBs in a 9 inning game, that has to be exceedingly rare.
And Caleb Durbin in AAA had a 4 hit day, capped by a game-winning HR in the bottom of the 9th to break a 10-10 tie.
Best AAA lineup NY has had all year:
View: https://twitter.com/swbrailriders/status/1798462343778582532?s=12
View: https://twitter.com/swbrailriders/status/1798462343778582532?s=12
NY has two guys in AAA pushing for a chance with NY, both just got to AAA last week and each has played 5 games there so far. All 5 games were against Norfolk, the talented but overhyped BAL AAA affiliate:
Ben Rice is 8 for 18, 3 2Bs, 3 HRs, .444/.565/1.111 slash, 1.676 OPS.
Jasson Dominguez is 10 for 20, 3 2Bs, 2 HRs, .500/.500/.950 slash, 1.450 OPS.
Ben Rice is 8 for 18, 3 2Bs, 3 HRs, .444/.565/1.111 slash, 1.676 OPS.
Jasson Dominguez is 10 for 20, 3 2Bs, 2 HRs, .500/.500/.950 slash, 1.450 OPS.
I would love to see both of those guys up, especially Dominguez if the playing time is there for him. Assuming Soto is good enough to at least bat soon, what is Dominguez's most likely path to playing time? Soto goes to DH to baby that forearm for a while (no throws from the outfield), Stanton sits a lot more and Dominguez plays CF?
Doubt Soto is willing to to DH much, and the Yankees won't want to piss him off, but maybe the forearm injury changes that.
Doubt Soto is willing to to DH much, and the Yankees won't want to piss him off, but maybe the forearm injury changes that.
Maybe. Dominguez is already of the 40-man and Rice would have to be added. That isn't such a big deal, but given that DJ just came back and is probably going to be given some time to work things out, I think if Rizzo sits it will be DJ getting the playing time at 1B for a while. If both continue to suck, then sure, maybe Rice gets a shot. But I have a feeling that process will take a while to get sorted out.
Yah. I just see more of a need there. They way Verdugo, Judge, Soto have been playing those guys aren't going anywhere unless they get hurt.
We don't really know how serious it is or how much risk there is for him in the near term during recovery, but Soto is hurt.
But I agree that the IF is a bigger concern, 1B and 2B both. I just think it will take a while before they do anything major with DJ on hand, and relatively speaking, just starting his season.
But I agree that the IF is a bigger concern, 1B and 2B both. I just think it will take a while before they do anything major with DJ on hand, and relatively speaking, just starting his season.
Rizzo is out 4-6 weeks, Cole is back Wednesday. They're gonna have to make some moves tomorrow. I've said elsewhere that I know the Rice family. Even as a diehard Sox fan I can't help but be excited for the kid. Moving Pereiro to the 60 day IL would create a spot for him. Cole coming off the 60 day IL probably means Jon Burdi gets move to the 60 day IL.
OK, a lot to unpack there, let's see.
Berti is on the 60 day IL already, recently moved there, but NY has an open 40 man spot for Cole currently. They could easily fit Ben Rice on the 40 man too (and will need to protect him after the season anyway), they have some very DFA-able pitchers if needed (and Rizzo can maybe go on the 60 day IL, NY is often aggressive using this, putting on guys who could be back sooner). Pereira I think will go to the 60 day as a last resort this season, because if they don't do that, they don't lose service time because he is on a minor league roster.
I think Peraza makes the most sense, assuming his AAA D has been up to its previous standard. Peraza could split time at 3B with Cabrera and give Volpe and Gleyber days off, he still only has 222 major league ABs and just turned 24 two days ago.
But NY has a lot of choices, I ran through them in the game thread last night:
===================================
NY has thin depth in some areas currently, but they are not lacking in candidates to replace Rizzo:
On the 40 man (age in parentheses):
Peraza (turned 24 yesterday): DJ to 1B, Peraza/Cabrera share 3B, defensive upgrade at the least.
Agustin Ramirez (22): Considered a longer-term project but destroying AA currently and they liked him enough to give him a 40 man spot.
Carlos Narvaez (25). More defensive than offensive player, NY's 3rd string catcher if Trevino or Wells gets hurt, but holding his own in AAA with a .794 OPS and has played 10 games at 1B.
Off the 40 man:
Ben Rice (25): He will have to be added after the season anyway, has calmed down a bit in AAA but still at a 1.059 OPS there in his first 11 games.
It's a hard call, I think they will try Peraza first. The other three guys all would give NY a genuine third catcher in addition to a 1B, Peraza gives you the ability to sit Volpe occasionally and not downgrade the D in addition to being their best defensive 3B and 2B.
===================================
Also a legit 5th option in TJ Rumfield, who is more defense and less offense:
View: https://twitter.com/elijfishman/status/1802528010454917182
For Cole, they will probably send Poteet down and keep him stretched out although they could use a real long man too.
Berti is on the 60 day IL already, recently moved there, but NY has an open 40 man spot for Cole currently. They could easily fit Ben Rice on the 40 man too (and will need to protect him after the season anyway), they have some very DFA-able pitchers if needed (and Rizzo can maybe go on the 60 day IL, NY is often aggressive using this, putting on guys who could be back sooner). Pereira I think will go to the 60 day as a last resort this season, because if they don't do that, they don't lose service time because he is on a minor league roster.
I think Peraza makes the most sense, assuming his AAA D has been up to its previous standard. Peraza could split time at 3B with Cabrera and give Volpe and Gleyber days off, he still only has 222 major league ABs and just turned 24 two days ago.
But NY has a lot of choices, I ran through them in the game thread last night:
===================================
NY has thin depth in some areas currently, but they are not lacking in candidates to replace Rizzo:
On the 40 man (age in parentheses):
Peraza (turned 24 yesterday): DJ to 1B, Peraza/Cabrera share 3B, defensive upgrade at the least.
Agustin Ramirez (22): Considered a longer-term project but destroying AA currently and they liked him enough to give him a 40 man spot.
Carlos Narvaez (25). More defensive than offensive player, NY's 3rd string catcher if Trevino or Wells gets hurt, but holding his own in AAA with a .794 OPS and has played 10 games at 1B.
Off the 40 man:
Ben Rice (25): He will have to be added after the season anyway, has calmed down a bit in AAA but still at a 1.059 OPS there in his first 11 games.
It's a hard call, I think they will try Peraza first. The other three guys all would give NY a genuine third catcher in addition to a 1B, Peraza gives you the ability to sit Volpe occasionally and not downgrade the D in addition to being their best defensive 3B and 2B.
===================================
Also a legit 5th option in TJ Rumfield, who is more defense and less offense:
View: https://twitter.com/elijfishman/status/1802528010454917182
For Cole, they will probably send Poteet down and keep him stretched out although they could use a real long man too.
NY bringing in both Nick Burdi and Jon Berti in the same offseason is pretty hilarious, especially since both have been on the IL multiple times already, making it even harder to remember which spelling is which. Jose Trevino/Lou Trivino was funny too...
So Brad Ausmus (fellow Dartmouth grad, like Rice) was instrumental in the Yankees signing Ben initially. He would have been drafted in 2020 had that draft gone more than 5 rounds. It's fitting that Ausmus will be managing tonight with Boone attending his so's graduation.
The expectation is that Ben will primarily play vs. Righties with LeMahieu moving over to 1st vs. Lefties.
The expectation is that Ben will primarily play vs. Righties with LeMahieu moving over to 1st vs. Lefties.