Welcome to Week 21 of the Yankees minor league recap! As the minor-league season nears its conclusion, the Yankees affiliates in Scranton and Hudson Valley fight for a playoff spot while prospect risers across the system continue their ascension up the rankings. Here’s how the Yankees minor-leaguers performed last week:
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders
Record: 77-52; First in International League (East)
Past Week: 3-3 vs Syracuse Mets
Coming up: Away @ Worcester Red Sox
The RailRiders split a home series with the Syracuse Mets last
week three games apiece, as they kept their record at exactly 25 games above .500 and maintained a half-game lead in the International League. The series began with a 9-4 win on Tuesday, as Ryan Yarbrough struck out six over 4.2 innings as he inched closer to a return to the Bronx (he was added to the major-league roster when rosters expanded yesterday). Yarbrough made some important starts in the first half of the year for the Yankees, but he’s expected to fill a role in the bullpen once he’s officially activated off the IL. J.C. Escarra, Jeimer Candelario, Brennen Davis, and Jose Rojas homered in the win.
They won again 6-1 on Wednesday behind a strong start from Sean Boyle, who pitched 5.1 innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts. Rojas went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and top prospect Spencer Jones went 2-for-4 with a double. Scranton’s momentum stopped dead in its tracks on Thursday when starter Kenta Maeda got destroyed, giving up five runs in the first inning and allowing ten runs (nine earned) over three brutal innings. Rojas hit two more homers in the loss, and Davis added one of his own. Scranton got back on track on Friday with a 6-2 win on the back of Allan Winans, who tossed five shutout innings and brought his Triple-A record to a flawless 11-0 on the season. Again, Rojas and Davis both homered, their 27th and 12th of the year respectively. Escarra went 3-for-4, and Austin Slater picked up two hits in a rehab appearance.
The RailRiders dropped both games over the weekend, failing to score a run in either one. They lost 2-0 on Saturday in a pitcher’s duel between Brendan Beck and Brandon Sproat. Beck pithed seven innings with nine strikeouts and only allowed one baserunner, a homer to Yonny Hernandez. That one run was enough to earn the loss, as Sproat pitched seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts of his own. The week ended with a 3-0 loss in which a double from Jorbit Vivas served as Scranton’s only extra-base hit. They’ll try to take a road series against Worcester next week and finish strong in a tight divisional race.
Players of Note:
Spencer Jones: 226 PA; .278/.345/.576, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 16 SB, 8.4 BB%, 32.3 K%, 135 wRC+
Brennen Davis: 90 PA; .313/.378/.800, 12 HR, 25 RBI, 1 SB, 8.9 BB%, 24.4 K%, 194 wRC+
Jose Rojas: 453 PA; .294/.380/.607, 27 HR, 93 RBI, 11 SB, 11.9 BB%, 20.5 K%, 154 wRC+
Allan Winans: 84 IP; 1.18 ERA, 27.1 K%, 6.6 BB%, .203 BAA, 1.00 WHIP
Double-A Somerset Patriots
Record: 64-62; Third place in Eastern League (Northeast), 19 GB
Past Week: 2-4 @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies
Coming Up: Home vs New Hampshire Fisher Cats
It was another tough week for Somerset, as the team dropped four of six games on the road against Binghamton to keep their record just above .500 at 64-62. The series started with an 8-1 loss on Tuesday as the offense sputtered against Rumble Ponies starter R.J. Gordon, but they got back on track on Wednesday with a 6-5 victory. Brendan Jones was the offensive star in the win, going 3-for-3 with a triple, two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI. Jake Gatewood hit two doubles, and George Lombard Jr. added one of his own.
The Patriots lost 7-5 on Thursday in an uncharacteristically poor start from Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, who gave up five runs in just 2.2 innings. Jones picked up two more hits in the loss, and Tyler Hardman hit his 18th home run of the season. They won another 6-5 game on Friday behind Ben Hess, who struck out eight in 5.2 innings while conceding three runs. Lombard went 2-for-4 and hit his seventh home run as a Patriot in the win. Somerset lost 2-1 on Saturday, with Carlos Lagrange also making a shorter start than usual. Lagrange pitched just 3.2 innings due to poor command, walking six batters and striking out just as many. They ended the week with another weak offensive performance against Gordon in a 4-1 loss, dropping the series four games to two. Somerset will not be appearing in the postseason, but they will host the Fisher Cats next week for another series.
Players of Note:
George Lombard Jr: 414 PA; .209/.333/.345, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 19 SB, 13.8 BB%, 25.1 K%, 106 wRC+
Dylan Jasso: 485 PA; .274/.340/.430, 13 HR, 69 RBI, 1 SB, 7.4 BB%, 23.1 K%, 127 wRC+
Brendan Jones: 284 PA; .247/.356/.431, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 15 SB, 14.4 BB%, 21.5 K%, 130 wRC+
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 45.1 IP; 3.18 ERA, 27.6 K%, 8.1 BB%, .218 BAA, 1.15 WHIP
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 75-48; Second Place in South Atlantic League (North), 10 GB
Past Week: 3-3 @ Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
Coming Up: Home vs Greensboro Grasshoppers
The Renegades split a home series against Brooklyn this past week, maintaining their 75-48 record on the season but still keeping them ten games out of first place. The series started with a brutal 9-8 loss on Tuesday, as the Cyclones scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win a slugfest against Hudson Valley. Luis Durango was the star with a 3-for-3 performance, two runs, and two RBI in the loss, but it was a complete offensive performance with Core Jackson, Juan Matheus, and Camden Troyer recording two hits each. Hudson Valley took another tough loss on Wednesday by a score of 8-7, as Bryce Cunningham struggled mightily in his third game since returning from the IL, allowing six runs in just 1.2 innings. The major story in the game was Kaeden Kent however, as the 2025 draftee went 5-5 with two home runs, a double, and three RBI in a masterful offensive performance. Dillon Lewis homered as well in the loss, his 12th since being promoted to High-A.
The Renegades won both games on Thursday and Friday, starting with a 7-1 victory on the back of Kyle Carr, who struck out six over six shutout innings and lowered his ERA to 1.96 on the season. Jackson and Durango each doubled in the win with two hits apiece. They won 5-1 on Friday as Xavier Rivas shined again with seven strikeouts across six innings of one-run ball. Rivas has been a revelation since the promotion to High-A with a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings with Hudson Valley. Robbie Burnett hit his first home run of the season in the win.
They lost a close one 5-4 on Saturday, though Lewis hit another home run and he, Moylan, and Connor McGinnis picked up two hits apiece. The week ended with an 8-3 win on Sunday, as Cade Smith pitched five shutout innings with two walks and six strikeouts. It was Smith’s second scoreless start in his last three appearances as he attempts to find a rhythm after a long injury. Moylan went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI, and Troyer hit his first home run with the Renegades. They have a tall task ahead, facing the Greensboro Grasshoppers who have been minor-league baseball’s best team in 2025.
Players of Note:
Kyle Carr: 119.1 IP; 1.96 ERA, 21.7 K%, 9.8 BB%, .189 BAA, 1.07 WHIP
Dillon Lewis: 308 PA; .243/.332/.455, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB, 11.0 BB%, 20.5 K%, 130 wRC+
Low-A Tampa Tarpons
Record: 60-61; Third place in Florida State League (West), 10.5 GB
Past Week: 4-1 vs Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
Coming Up: Away @ Clearwater Threshers
It was another shortened week for Tampa, who had the last game of their home series against Bradenton rained out after taking four of the first five. They started the series with a 13-2 win on Tuesday, routing the Marauders in a couple offensive performance. First-round draft pick Dax Kilby led the way with four hits including a triple, a walk, three runs scored, and three RBI. Kilby has been on fire in his brief professional debut, and his stock is rising quickly within the Yankees farm system.
Tampa lost 3-1 on Wednesday, despite two more hits for Kilby and two for Roderick Arias. Kilby picked up another two hits in a 4-2 win on Thursday, but the stars of the game were Marshall Toole and Hans Montero who each hit a triple and a double in the win. They won 5-4 on Friday, with homers coming from Enmanuel Tejada and Willy Montero, and won again 9-4 on Saturday in what ended up being the final game of the series. Montero hit his 10th home run of the season in the win, and Bryce Martin-Gruzielanek cleared the bases with a three-run triple. Tampa’s record sits at a mediocre 60-61. They’ll travel to Clearwater for their final series of the season.
Players of Note:
Marshall Toole: 350 PA; .309/.409/.493, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 42 SB, 13.7 BB%, 20.3 K%, 152 wRC+
Dax Kilby: 58 PA; .320/.414/.400, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 10 SB, 13.8 BB%, 10.3 K%, 136 wRC+
Roderick Arias: 442 PA; .213/.327/.322, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 32 SB, 13.8 BB%, 28.7 K%, 90 wRC+
