So long, rookie ball. The DSL season officially wrapped up with a disappointing playoff run by the DSL Yankees concluding on Friday, which means we can fully set our sights on the playoff push for all four full-season affiliates.
This week on the farm, we saw records being set in Scranton, bats heating up in Somerset, a torrid win streak down in Hudson Valley, and another offensive onslaught in Tampa.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 28-20 (65-57), 1.5 GB in the International League East after a 3-3 week against the Charlotte
Knights (White Sox)
Run differential: +24 (+27)
Coming up: Away @ Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
The RailRiders have had a poor month, but they were able to stabilize things against Charlotte to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot with a few weeks left. After losing the first two games by one and five runs, they took three of the last four.
Despite having a bunch of big names in the lineup, Scranton’s offense is rather mediocre. It was a big week for Oswaldo Cabrera (6-for-20, 3 HR, 5 RBI), who’s been great since mid-June, while Anthony Volpe has suddenly discovered his power stroke. Much of the team struggled to make an impact this week, including a rehabbing Cody Bellinger, Mitch Garver, and a recently traded Christian Bethancourt, but Jasson Domínguez finally woke up from a multi-week slumber with a big game on Sunday. Also, quick shoutout to speed demon Duke Ellis for breaking SWB’s single-season stolen base record!
The emergency promotion of Brendan Beck handicapped a rotation this week that’s working with a struggling Xavier Rivas (3.1 IP, 6 R) and still without Kyle Carr. Alexander Cornielle and Adam Kloffenstein both posted really strong outings, while Carson Coleman and Travis MacGregor had varying levels of success as openers in bullpen games. Elmer Rodríguez continued a strong stretch of successful outings with five one-run innings on Tuesday and will likely be making his big league return against Houston this week.
The three big names in the bullpen are guys who haven’t been there for long. Eli Morgan made his org debut this weekend after a minor league signing, while Justin Topa’s only been here a week and is heading up to the majors. There’s also the elephant in the room of the rehabbing Luis Gil, who’s seemingly going to be a two-inning reliever for the rest of the year. He’s been effective in a small sample, even if the velo isn’t quite there, so don’t be surprised if he’s back in the bigs in a few weeks.
Players of Note:
Jasson Domínguez: .269/.354/.431, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 11 SB, 106 wRC+
Anthony Volpe: .211/.282/.442, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 11 XBH, 82 wRC+ (106 PA
Oswaldo Cabrera: .292/.347/.456, 17 HR, 57 RBI, 31 XBH, 107 wRC+
Brendan Beck: 9-2, 2.75 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 19.9 K-BB% (121 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 8-3, 2.59 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 13.1 K-BB% (97.1 IP)
Double-A Somerset Patriots
Record: 27-24 (64-56), 1 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 4-2 week against the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies)
Run differential: +14 (+50)
Coming up: Home vs. Akron RubberDucks (Guardians)
Somerset is also staying in the mix after a strong week in Hartford, in which they rallied from losing two of the first three to end the week on a three-game streak. They have the best overall record in the Eastern League Northeast Division, but they’re going to need to win the second half to get into the playoffs.
There were a bunch of standout hitting performances, with guys like the ever-reliable Coby Morales (9-for-20) and Chandler Simpson clone Luis Durango (6-for-12 before going on IL Monday) setting the table for the 20 RBI combined by Roderick Arias, DJ Gladney, and Manuel Palencia. The latter, who had an ice-cold bat through the end of June, is suddenly slashing .372/.400/.606 with a 166 wRC+ in 100 plate appearances since the start of July. The system could definitely use some catchers.
Some bad news on the pitching front headlined the week. Ben Hess’s season is over after being placed on the injured list for the second time this season, ending a disappointing second season in the organization. Replacing him from High-A Hudson Valley was Sean Paul Liñan, who was ineffective in the double duty this week on Tuesday and Sunday. Dom Hamel got hit around, Rory Fox tossed six brilliant innings before an ugly blowup in the seventh on Saturday, and the star of the week, Cade Smith, allowed just one hit in six scoreless frames. All of a sudden, after struggling most of the season, he’s had back-to-back outstanding starts.
There wasn’t much to talk about in the bullpen, particularly with Trent Sellers and Harrison Cohen moving up to Scranton mid-week, but the team got another four shutout innings from Tony Rossi, who’s seemed to settle into Double-A after an initial adjustment. The 27-year-old former UDFA has a 2.60 ERA at the level in 27.2 innings with 36 strikeouts to just six walks.
Players of Note:
Jace Avina: .245/.350/.474, 19 HR, 55 RBI, 47 XBH, 24.5 K%, 122 wRC+
DJ Gladney: .272/.329/.517, 21 HR, 75 RBI, 17 SB, 121 wRC+
Coby Morales: .282/.373/.498, 19 HR, 74 RBI, 19 SB, 134 wRC+
Cade Smith: 7-7, 4.80 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 1.43 WHIP, 11.8 K-BB% (105 IP)
Ben Hess: 3-4, 4.45 ERA, 4,69 FIP, 1.45 WHIP, 13.7 K-BB% (56.2 IP, injured)
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 31-23 (61-57), 1 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 6-0 week against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)
Run differential: +48 (+57)
Coming up: Home vs. Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
For the last two months, nobody’s been able to unseat the Tarpons as the hottest team in the organization, but Hudson Valley seems to have finally taken over. The first six-game sweep of the season by any Yankees’ affiliate, extending a larger eight-game streak, has revived a once-dead playoff push into suddenly realistic territory. Four of the six games this week were won by one or two runs, and many of them involved some seriously clutch hitting and pitching.
It wasn’t the best offensive week for the group, but they got timely hits. Maika Niu and David McCann, specifically, had rough weeks after recent heaters, but were both instrumental in the weekend wins. Dean Toigo had three extra-base hits, and Jackson Lovich continued to make it work with his sky-high strikeout rate, but the real star was Eric Genther, who I’ll have more about in a bit.
Franyer Herrera looked quite shaky in his double duty this week, but everyone else pulled their weight. Sure, Bryce Cunningham allowed four runs in six innings for the second straight week, but the length is appreciated. The other three all put up zeroes, with Pico Kohn tossing four shutout innings in his best start since returning from injury, Luis Serna striking out seven in 5.2 one-hit innings, and Allen Facundo having an efficient five-and-dive en route to a sweep-clinching victory.
It was a good week for the bullpen, particularly for Jose M. Rodriguez (5.2 IP, 1 R) and Andrew Landry, but the man who looks the closest to a Double-A promotion is Thomas Balboni Jr., who’s finally healthy after missing 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. After eight strikeouts in three shutout innings this week, he’s pitching to a 3.38 ERA in 34.2 innings with 55 strikeouts this season.
Players of Note:
Eric Genther: .268/.404/.442, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 31 XBH, 127 wRC+
David McCann (FCL/A/A+): .292/.374/.573, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 24 XBH, 135 wRC+
Jackson Lovich (A/A+): .287/.361/.500, 21 HR, 81 RBI, 34 SB, 28.3 K%, 121 wRC+
Luis Serna: 6-5, 4.15 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 20.0 K-BB% (104 IP)
Bryce Cunningham: 2-8, 4.71 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 1.42 WHIP, 9.0 K-BB% (80.1 IP)
Single-A Tampa Tarpons
Record: 34-18 (66-46), 7 GA in the Florida State League West after a 3-2 week against the Daytona Beach Tortugas (Reds)
Run differential: +86 (+109)
Coming up: Away @ Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)
Tampa is undefeated in its last nine series, securing their seventh series win in that span after Sunday’s game was cancelled due to inclement weather. Their last series loss was in mid-June. This week was much more dominant than the record suggests, as they outscored Daytona Beach 54 to 30. They’re now seven games clear of the division lead with 12 games to go.
I’m done summarizing this absolutely insane offense, so here’s a list of everything they did this week:
- Dax Kilby went 4-for-15 with three RBI, seven walks, and a triple. He’s still running a walk rate of 21.7 percent through 26 games.
- Yostin Pena emphatically returned from injury, going 9-for-21 with three homers and 11 RBI. His raw power is ridiculous, folks.
- Luis Escudero went 7-for-13 with four RBI. He still has the best overall numbers on the team, and that’s saying something.
- Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II went 7-for-19 with five RBI, a double, and a triple. He’s already posted multiple batted balls over 110 mph in his brief pro career.
- Luke Pettitte made his professional debut and impressed, going 6-for-16 with two homers, five RBI, and two doubles. Mostly a DH by virtue of recovering from TJS, he also got a game in at first base.
- Anthony Potestio went 5-for-10 with seven walks. Through 47 career plate appearances, he has a .574 OBP.
- Brando Mayea stayed scorching hot with four hits and two homers in 11 plate appearances. He’s suddenly looking like a dude again.
- Wilberson De Pena didn’t play this week, but reportedly isn’t hurt and should be back tonight.
I get sad thinking about the state of the Tampa rotation, which has been battered by both injuries and promotions. Facundo and Henry Lalane were promoted midseason, Tyler Boudreau was poached for a week by Somerset, and both Mac Heuer and Thatcher Hurd had season-ending injuries. Boudreau and Edinzo Marquez scuffled this week, Sabier Marte had an absolute nightmare of an outing, and J.T. Etheridge tossed five solid innings. The star of the show this week was Justin West, who’s now 8-0 with a 2.28 ERA in 51 innings across his last nine starts.
Players of Note:
Luis Puello: .275/.345/.523, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 33 XBH, 121 wRC+
Yostin Pena (DSL/A): .367/.432/.633, 12 HR, 76 RBI, 31 SB, 148 wRC+
Dax Kilby: .282/.455/.435, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 7 SB, 142 wRC+ (110 PA)
Tyler Boudreau: 6-3, 3.60 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 17.4 K-BB% (95 IP)
Justin West: 10-3, 4.25 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 18.2 K-BB% (103.2 IP)
FCL Yankees
Record: 29-29, 7.5 GB in the FCL North
Run differential: +2
Missed playoffs. Season over.
DSL Yankees & Bombers
DSL Yankees:
Record: 33-21, 2 GB in DSL East
Run differential: +141
DSL Bombers:
Record: 25-29, 11 GB in DSL Southeast
Run differential: +8
Ah well. It was a fun road for the DSL Yankees, who had a truly special offense, but that offense completely went cold in the DSL Cup Pool Play, losing both games before the third was cancelled for irrelevance. It’s a shame, really.
This will be the last time we talk about the DSL squads this year, so let me give a toast to what was truly a special year for the farm’s international hitting development. The Yankees spent under $1 million combined on Isaias Castillo, Yostin Pena, and Juan Torres, only for all three of them to show up and break records in their time down in the D.R., vastly outperforming their signing bonuses and the seven-figure players that’ve come before them.
We’ve seen guys like this before, though. The likes of 2022 Keiner Delgado, 2023 Josue Gonzalez, 2025 Richard Matic, and more have posted OPS totals over 1.000 and haven’t made an impact stateside, but there’s reason to think it might be different now. Some of these numbers are truly alien, and even with a better hitting environment, the top three OPS totals in recent memory in this organization came from this season, as well as five of the top eight.
The pitching wasn’t great for them for much of the year, but a few guys did some great stuff. Cesar Acosta came on strong towards the end of the year with the best strikeout-to-walk numbers in the system, while Fredy Penuelas kept an ERA under two in over 50 innings. Watch for both of them in the FCL next year.
Players of Note:
Isaias Castillo: .294/.408/.629, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 35 XBH, 28 SB, 132 wRC+
Juan Torres: .385/.470/.644, 8 HR, 65 RBI, 36 XBH, 26 SB, 159 wRC+
David Carrera: .333/.502/.594, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 23 XBH, 160 wRC+
Fredy Penuelas: 52 IP, 1.56 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 18.4 K-BB%
Cesar Acosta: 51.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 24.1 K-BB%
Prospect of the Week: Eric Genther
Weekly Stats: 7-for-23, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 2B, 5 BB, 4 K
Season Stats: .268/.404/.442, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 31 XBH, 7 SB, 127 wRC+
Who is the best catching prospect in the Yankees’ organization? For much of the last half-decade, that was only a hard question to ask because of the abundance of projectable talent, but now? There are a lot of question marks. It’s never a good sign when the team prioritizes several minor league free agent backstops to fill the devoid upper minors.
There are a few guys who can take the mantle. Manuel Palencia is the most progressed, and his bat seems to finally be catching up; Luis Puello has looked great in a Jesus Rodriguez-esque role in Tampa; Poly Ojeda was incredible in a small stint in the DSL; David McCann is off to a brilliant start to his pro career, and the pair of catchers drafted in July come with a lot of fanfare.
But what if I told you the best catching prospect in the system might just be a converted UDFA outfielder? Genther, who played just eight games as a catcher (all in summer collegiate leagues) after graduating high school, signed out of Rhode Island in 2025 and was immediately put behind the plate by the Yankees to prop up a weakened unit. It was a gamble, but one that seems to be paying off.
His season in Hudson Valley has encompassed everything a minor league season should be. He opened much too passive, posting a massive walk rate early at the expense of little-to-no game power. Through May 17th, Genther had a .373 OBP, but zero home runs and not a good enough hit tool to compensate for the lack of pop.
Since then? He’s been a completely different animal. In his last 75 games, he’s slashing .285/.416/.512 with a 142 wRC+, tapping into the power he didn’t show much of at all to start the season. His walk rate initially declined with a short-term increase in his strikeout rate, but over the course of the season, he’s been able to recover his plate discipline to even better levels while continuing to slug. The 24-year-old has been the personification of adjustments.
I’m not sure how things are going defensively for him, but he’s in the right hands if he wants to try to learn to be passable back there. His long-term projectability is hard with his age, but the Yankees have had some of their best success stories with older guys who just force their way up by mashing.
