Last night, I shot down the New Jersey Turnpike to Waterfront Park in Trenton, home of the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder. It was a rainy, windy night as the Thunder defeated the Portland Sea Dogs 4-3. I had a few different players I was hoping to see last night for today’s article, including two who were recently promoted from Tampa. On my list of five players, four played, with only OF Rob Segedin sitting this one out. So without further ado, some observations from Trenton:
Brett Marshall
Marshall started the game for Trenton, but threw just 69 pitches over four innings as he tuned up for the Eastern League All-Star Game.
My thoughts: Marshall showed very good control, throwing 64% of his pitches for strikes. He did throw a wild pitch in the 4th which set up the only run that he was charged with, though that could have been just as easily considered a passed ball on catcher J.R. Murphy. Marshall showed a good mix of pitches, even though last night was definitely not one of his best outings of the year, as he allowed seven baserunners on the evening.
Kelvin Perez
Kelvin Perez entered last night’s game in the 7th inning with a 1.16 ERA. Two perfect innings later, Perez was the pitcher of record for the Thunder.
My thoughts:Â Quite frankly, everything Perez did looked good. He did everything right in two innings of work last night, and might have come for the 9th had there not been a second rain delay. Perez was more than effective mixing his pitches, and looks like he has Double-A hitters overmatched. I don’t recall seeing a single hard hit ball allowed by him. Additionally, his control was great as he threw 72% of his pitches for strikes.
Luke Murton
The Thunder’s power-hitting first baseman was one of the biggest reasons Trenton won last night, knocking in three of their four runs.
My thoughts: This was the first time I got to see Murton in person, and I must say, I’m truly impressed with his power. He went 3-for-4 last night, including a second inning RBI double that scored Melky Mesa and a two-run home run in the fourth. Murton’s ball has more velocity coming off the bat than anyone in Trenton, save for perhaps Cody Johnson, who is currently on the disabled list. That’s something which will transfer well to the higher levels if and when he makes it there in the future. Defensively, Murton had a couple of heads up plays, including one which saved a run in the third inning.
J.R. Murphy
Murphy was one of two all-stars with the Tampa Yankees who had been promoted to Trenton this week, and I had been looking forward to seeing both Murphy and Rob Segedin tonight. Murphy started behind the plate, while Segedin did not play, though I did have a nice conversation with him before the game.
My thoughts: Murphy went 0-for-3 last night, though he did reach when he got hit by a pitch in the 6th inning. He appears to have a nice swing that should translate well at the next level, though it didn’t do much good last night as he failed to get the ball out of the infield all night. Those who follow the Yankees’ top prospects may remember that Murphy was drafted more for his bat than his glove, and it was evident last night. There were three wild pitches by Thunder pitchers, and personally I would have scored at least one, maybe two, as a passed ball.
Follow Dan on Twitter @danpfeiffer74 for more coverage of the New York Yankees minor league system.
