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Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees' fast-rising pitching prospect twirls another gem at Triple-A
During the Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Orioles, news from their farm system broke of RHP Brendan Beck being promoted from Double-A with the Somerset Patriots to Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders. The right-hander had been brilliant with the Patriots, pitching to a 1.82 ERA across 54.1 innings pitched, striking out 24.8% of batters faced with a low 5.7% walk rate. Advertisement Despite being 26-years-old, the Yankees have displayed plenty of belief in Beck, who has been limited to just 23 MiLB appearances since being drafted 55th Overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. A former second-round pick, multiple elbow surgeries have made him an afterthought, but in his first Triple-A start he shutout the Louisville Bats across six innings, striking out four and walking none. We could see Beck pitch at the Major League level this year or next, and the fast-moving right-hander is a hidden gem who not enough people are discussing. How Brendan Beck Has Risen So Quickly in the Yankees' Farm System Syndication: The Tennessean The Yankees loved what they saw from Brendan Beck at Stanford, and they spoke highly of his pitchability and command out of college. Advertisement His fastball hasn't progressed the way you'd hope it would, but a huge reason for that is the myriad of arm injuries which have limited Beck's ability to continue adding velocity after a spike in his final year of college. What is elite is the shape of this pitch, averaging nearly 19 inches of Induced Vertical Break, as while he releases the ball from a high release point, it's one that collects called strikes and soft contact when located properly. As he continues to remain healthy, I do wonder if the 6'2 right-hander can add a little more to his fastball that sat at 92.5 MPH in his Triple-A debut. His second-most used pitch was his slider, generating a 41.7% Whiff% while attacking the zone aggressively with that pitch as well. Advertisement READ MORE: Yankees get massive spark as returning infielder puts the team on his back This slider has -0.5″ of IVB from a very high release height, making this pitch really tough for hitters to pick up as it's dropping towards the plate. With over 19 inches of vertical separation off of his fastball, Beck fools hitters by throwing his fastball up early in the count, setting up his slider with two strikes to dive away from their barrel. His third pitch is a big rainbow curveball at 76.6 MPH, a pitch that can get hammered when hitters ambush it, but also can generate called strikes and allow Beck to get ahead in the count. Advertisement There aren't a lot of whiffs to be had with this kind of profile, which limits Brendan Beck's overall ceiling as a starting pitcher, but the command and pitchability could allow him to thrive as a backend rotation piece. We didn't see a lot of changeups today because Beck didn't see a lot of lefties, but I believe that pitch is a strong offering that can get whiffs and soft contact as well. Beck has dropped his walk rate to just 5.2% across 60.1 IP, and with four pitches he can go to in a start that move in all directions, it makes you wonder what his big-league outlook is. The first question that comes up for prospects in the Yankees' organization is whether they're a piece the team is desperate to hang onto, or if they're just trade bait. Advertisement As someone who will have to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, it might be in the best interest of the Yankees and Beck for a trade at the deadline to occur. He would help return MLB value for the Yankees as they try and win a World Series while the right-hander would almost certainly end up on a team that could put him on a big-league mound in September. Wherever he ends up playing, I think Brendan Beck will be a big-leaguer down the road, and I'm excited to see where this season goes for him. Related Headlines
New York Post
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Yankees plan to call up top prospect Cam Schlittler for MLB debut after Clarke Schmidt injury
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free The Yankees intend to promote Cam Schlittler to make his major league starting debut either Tuesday or Wednesday at home against the Mariners, The Post has learned. The Yankees have not made a decision public or etched definitively. But it was their current plan to go with the 24-year-old Schlittler, who between Double- and Triple-A this season had produced a 3.52 ERA in 15 games (14 starts). The Yanks are in at least a bit of a rotation crisis. Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Will Warren have made all their starts this season, but the other two spots have been in flux and became more of an issue with Aaron Boone announcing before Saturday's Subway Series game that Clarke Schmidt will likely need Tommy John surgery, a procedure that not only will knock him out this season, but potentially all of next season as well. Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees throws a pitch during the third inning of a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park on March 11, 2025 in Bradenton, Stroman is back for a rotation that was never going to have Gerrit Cole this year after this spring's Tommy John surgery. Allan Winans will not have been down the requisite 15 days to come back and make a spot start on Tuesday or Wednesday unless an injury strikes and he can be promoted for that reason. The Yankees believe that Luis Gil (lat), who has yet to pitch this year but is on an injury rehab now, will be a factor to return to the rotation somewhere between the beginning of the second half and the July 31 trade deadline. Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) is considered more of an August possibility. Acquiring a starter before the deadline has now become more pertinent. Cam Schlittler of the Somerset Patriots pitches during the game between the Akron RubberDucks and the Somerset Patriots at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Minor League Baseball via Getty For now, though, Schlittler appears as if he will get a shot. The 6-foot-6 righty, a seventh-round pick in 2022, impressed Yankee officials with his work and stuff in spring training. That continued into the season as he excelled at Double-A and was promoted to Triple-A in early June. He pitched very well in his first four starts before his worst outing of the year last Wednesday — seven runs (six earned) in 2 1/2 innings against the Phillies' affiliate.
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees prospect notes: Spencer Jones' improvement, George Lombard Jr.'s leadership, Brett Gardner comp
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Raul Domínguez was relaxed. The third-year manager of the Double-A Somerset Patriots was in workout clothes, sitting in the dugout. He had given his players a late report time — a savvy call, considering the first-pitch temperature that day ended up being 94 degrees at TD Bank Ballpark. It was mostly quiet, and he took time to dive into the recent performances of several of the New York Yankees prospects playing for him. Advertisement For the last two weeks, center fielder Spencer Jones has shown everything the Yankees dreamed about when they picked him in the first round out of Vanderbilt in 2022. Entering Thursday, he was hitting .432 with six home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.406 OPS over his previous 12 games. He had struck out 13 times in 44 at-bats (29.5 percent) — a much better clip than the 44.4 percent strikeout rate he put up in 36 games to start the season. Domínguez said the Yankees' internal numbers showed he had been making better swing decisions as of late. 'Yeah, we can see that improve,' the manager said. 'The goal is just to see Spencer Jones stay consistent.' This season, Jones has been using a much wider stance with his hands held further away from his body than before. He missed about three weeks in May with an intercostal injury. Domínguez said he thinks Jones is comfortable with his new swing and 'with the results he's getting, he's got to keep going with it.' Overall, Jones went into Thursday hitting .271 with 16 homers, 31 RBIs and a .989 OPS in 48 games at Double A. The Athletic's Keith Law ranked him as the Yankees' No. 4 prospect. Domínguez added that Jones appears to be playing better defense, too. Though Jones flashed good speed and a good first step last year, he's turning more difficult fly balls into outs. 'Numbers-wise, he's catching more balls in the gap,' the manager said. 'Those max-effort plays. He's converting those balls. Last year, he had the really good first step, the really good acceleration in the outfield. It was sometimes frustrating because he didn't convert those balls. Finally, this year, he's doing the same thing with the first step and the acceleration, but the difference is that he's covering those plays.' George Lombard Jr. had a rough start after his promotion to Double A, but the 20-year-old shortstop has been better as of late. Entering Thursday, Lombard had hit .265 with a .890 OPS over his prior nine games, and he had raised his overall wRC+ to 110 at the level. Advertisement Domínguez said he's seen a leader in Lombard, Law's No. 1 Yankees prospect and No. 98 in the game entering this season. The manager said he's particularly noticed how Lombard makes a point to relay information about the opposing pitcher to his teammates after each of his at-bats. 'Sometimes we have presentations to the players about being a leader and being a good teammate, and what it looks like when you go to the big leagues and everything,' Domínguez said. 'But that's a gift. Not everybody can be George Lombard.' After second baseman Roc Riggio hit a pair of homers versus Binghamton on June 8, Domínguez turned to Dan Fiorito, a Yankees roving defense coach. 'When he hits a homer,' Domínguez told Fiorito, 'it reminds me of Brett Gardner. Just a swing like that. Little guy. Strong. 'No, I'm going to crush the ball.' He's aggressive. He's competitive.' Of course, Riggio has a long way to go before getting Gardner comparisons in the major leagues, but it was high praise from his manager. He'd earned it, having hit .257 with 14 homers and 33 RBIs among rookie ball, High A and Double A this season entering Thursday. The 2023 fourth-round pick had a .880 OPS in 18 games at Somerset. Domínguez added that Riggio is ultracompetitive, as Gardner was, and he's continuing to develop defensively. Catcher Rafael Flores (No. 13 Yankees prospect) has been making strides defensively and still calls ex-Yankee Jose Trevino one of his mentors. 'I know he has a really good relationship with Trevino,' Domínguez said. 'He talks to Trevino a lot about everything. He'll be like, 'I talked to Trevino about this and this and this.' Seems like he's learning a lot from the big-league guys. He doesn't talk too much, but just to have him behind home plate almost every day; he's a really good leader when he's catching.' Advertisement The Yankees traded Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason for reliever Fernando Cruz. The Yankees signed Flores as an undrafted free agent out of Rio Hondo College (Calif.) in 2022. Entering Thursday, he was hitting .282 with 12 homers, 45 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 70 games at Double A. He also had 19 doubles. Third baseman Dylan Jasso, another undrafted Yankees hitter, stood out to Domínguez. The 22-year-old has 10 homers and an .835 OPS in 63 games at Double A. 'When he got here,' the manager said, 'he started playing every day, and people started saying, 'Hey, he can hit.' And I was like, 'OK, I want to see it.' Then when he started hitting, (he was) hitting homers opposite field, pull side and center field. It was like, wow. He's only 22 years old, and he's playing a lot of third base, learning how to play. He's really impressive (with) the ability he has to hit and to put the ball in play. I didn't know he was that good of a hitter.' (Top photo of Spencer Jones: Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)
San Francisco Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Yankees' Stroman allows 5 runs, 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings in minor league rehab start
New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman allowed five runs, 10 hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings during an injury rehabilitation start for the Double-A Somerset Patriots on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers' Erie Seawolves in the Eastern League. Stroman threw 41 of 65 pitches for strikes in his third outing for Somerset and has a 6.97 ERA with nine strikeouts and five walks in 10 1/3 innings. A 34-year-old right-hander, Stroman has been sidelined by left knee inflammation. He last pitched for the Yankees on April 11 after starting the season 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA. He gave up RBI doubles to Jake Holton in the first and third. Stroman then allowed a two-run double later in the third to Chris Meyers, who scored on Justice Bigbie's single.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Yankees' Stroman allows 5 runs, 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings in minor league rehab start
New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman allowed five runs, 10 hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings during an injury rehabilitation start for the Double-A Somerset Patriots on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers' Erie Seawolves in the Eastern League. Stroman threw 41 of 65 pitches for strikes in his third outing for Somerset and has a 6.97 ERA with nine strikeouts and five walks in 10 1/3 innings. A 34-year-old right-hander, Stroman has been sidelined by left knee inflammation. He last pitched for the Yankees on April 11 after starting the season 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA. He gave up RBI doubles to Jake Holton in the first and third. Stroman then allowed a two-run double later in the third to Chris Meyers, who scored on Justice Bigbie's single. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ More AP baseball:
