Tampa Tarpons – Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com http://bronxpinstripes.com Bronx Pinstripes - A New York Yankees Community for the Fans, by the Fans Thu, 13 Jan 2022 14:10:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.15 http://bronxpinstripes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cropped-BP-Icon-Retina-32x32.png Tampa Tarpons – Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com http://bronxpinstripes.com 32 32 Yankees introduce Rachel Balkovec as first female manager in affiliated professional baseball http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-news-and-rumors/yankees-introduce-rachel-balkovec-as-first-female-manager-in-affiliated-professional-baseball/ Thu, 13 Jan 2022 14:10:30 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=87166 On Monday, the Yankees made a historic hire, promoting Rachel Balkovec to be the manager of the Low-A Tampa Tarpons, making her the first woman manager in affiliated professional baseball. This is not the first time Balkovec has broken barriers: back in 2019, she became the first woman to become a minor league hitting coach. She has been in baseball for 10 years now, starting as a contract strength and conditional coach before finding her way to Driveline Baseball. She […]

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]]> On Monday, the Yankees made a historic hire, promoting Rachel Balkovec to be the manager of the Low-A Tampa Tarpons, making her the first woman manager in affiliated professional baseball.

This is not the first time Balkovec has broken barriers: back in 2019, she became the first woman to become a minor league hitting coach. She has been in baseball for 10 years now, starting as a contract strength and conditional coach before finding her way to Driveline Baseball. She was a Division-I catcher on the softball teams at Creighton University and the University of Mexico and holds degrees in exercise science and kinesiology.

As the hitting coach for the Yankees’ Florida Complex League Yankees, she worked with some of the organization’s top young talent, including MLB.com’s 17th-best prospect Jasson Dominguez. In fact, she even learned Spanish on her own in order to better communicate with players whose first language is Spanish.

She was introduced on Wednesday and says she has aspirations to one day be a major-league general manager.

“I don’t think you sign your name on the dotted line to do something like this and then say, ‘Well, I don’t want to be a role model,’” Balkovec said. “I want to be a visible idea for young women.”

Brian Cashman spoke regarding the hire: “Who can we provide for our players that will help them develop to the best versions of themselves that they can possibly be? Rachel is going to be one of those people that are going to be impacting our Yankees players’ futures in such a positive way. She’s earned the opportunity, and the future will be what she makes it.”

You can watch the full press conference below.

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]]> ‘Zack Attack’ hits Somerset: The Farm Report http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/zack-attack-hits-somerset-the-farm-report/ Wed, 02 Jun 2021 03:45:36 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=85604 The headline for the farm this week is the return of Zack Britton, who would pitch in his first rehab game with the Somerset Patriots on Saturday. All of the Yankee affiliates continued to play well, leading MiLB with a 62-33 (.652) record throughout the system and three of the four teams in first place of their respective leagues. Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA) SWB would play an abbreviated schedule against the Buffalo Bisons due to lousy weather in Moosic, PA, all […]

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]]> The headline for the farm this week is the return of Zack Britton, who would pitch in his first rehab game with the Somerset Patriots on Saturday. All of the Yankee affiliates continued to play well, leading MiLB with a 62-33 (.652) record throughout the system and three of the four teams in first place of their respective leagues.

Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA)

SWB would play an abbreviated schedule against the Buffalo Bisons due to lousy weather in Moosic, PA, all week. They would get only four games in the books with two rainouts and a game suspended in the 4th inning. Nevertheless, they would win the final three games after losing the opener 5-3. The pitching gave up only two runs in each contest, including a doubleheader sweep on Thursday. In the nightcap, Brian Keller, Sal Romano, and Nick Goody combined to pitch the sixth one-hitter in SWB history, the last thrown by Chad Green in 2016. This was not a new experience for Keller, who threw a no-hitter in Trenton during the 2019 season.

The highlights on offense came from Hoy Park, who is the SWB Player of the Week. He went 4-12 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, and 3 BB after promotion from the Patriots. There, he hit .194/.316/.323 in ten games.

The bullpen has been the backbone of the staff, throwing 13 shutout innings over the final three games of the series and allowing only six base runners. They included two hit batters by Adam Warren, one walk from Kyle Barraclough, and three hits. Of those three hits, two were the infield variety. The bullpen ERA is down to 3.09 with 11.6 K/9.

They finish the first month of the season in first place at 16-6, with a 2.5 game lead in the division. After the Monday off, they welcome the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to town for six.

Somerset Patriots (AA)

The Somerset Patriots had another excellent week, going 3-2 against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a series also shortened by rain. The loss in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader ended their seven-game win streak. That leaves them in first place at 16-7, 1.5 games in front of the Red Sox affiliate in Portland.

As stated above, the week’s headliner was the arrival of Zack Britton to begin his rehab assignment. He would throw a scoreless inning on 18 pitches, giving up only an infield hit. The best news is that every ball in play was beaten into the turf, a great sign for his bowling ball sinker’s effectiveness.

INF Dermis Garcia had his 12 game hit streak snapped during game 2 of the Thursday doubleheader. He would bat .314 (16-51) with seven home runs, 11 R, and 17 RBI during the streak.

The offense’s catalyst was OF Michael Beltre. Once 18th ranked prospect in the Reds organization is having a breakout season for the Patriots, at or near the top in almost all offensive categories. He leads in team average (.303), runs (20), hits (22), doubles (4), triples (3), and XBH (10). He is also second in RBI (13) and SB (5).

The Somerset pitching continues to be exceptional. Luis Gil is the Somerset Player of the Week and was again dominant. He would throw 6 IP, give up 2 H, 1 ER, 2BB, and hurl eight strikeouts. He has lowered his ERA to 1.69. Janson Junk (0.60), Matt Krook (1.89), and Greg Weissert (0.96) all contribute to a staff with a sub 3 ERA.

The Pats welcome the Reading Fightin Phils for six beginning Tuesday at TD Bank Ballpark.

Hudson Valley Renegades (A+)

After a 9-9 start, HV joined the other affiliates in playing some dominating baseball. Working through a couple of rainouts and a doubleheader, the Gades took four of five from the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Their 13-10 record sees them in 2nd place, behind the Aberdeen Ironbirds (BAL).

The Organizational Player of the Week, Ken Waldichuk, continues a breakout season after throwing 4.1 innings with nine strikeouts on Saturday. He has yet to give up a run in 18.2 innings. Luis Medina is living up to his phenom status, throwing 4.1 innings, 1 R, 3 H, and 7 SO on Wednesday. His ERA sits at a sparkling 1.57. With an injury or two in the Bronx, it is not inconceivable that Medina or Luis Gil in Somerset make a debut in the bigs as a spot starter. They are performing at an incredibly high level, and both are on the 40 man roster. At the very least, Medina will jump to AA and Gil to AAA if they continue to dominate at their current affiliates. Gas at 100 MPH plays anywhere.

Offensively, 3B James Nelson and SS Oswald Peraza stood out. Nelson had a week of hitting .412 (7-for-17), with a home run and four RBI. Peraza, the 4th ranked Yankee prospect, hit .450 (9 for 20), with 3 SB and 3 RBI. He had a career-high five hits on Thursday night.

The Renegades will be on the road for six starting Tuesday against the third-place Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nats).

Tampa Tarpons (A)

Tampa was the one team not impacted by rain, playing a full slate of 6 games and going 4-2 against the Dunedin Blue Jays. Although it was a road series, they played at GMS Field because of Toronto having their games in Dunedin due to COVID travel restrictions to Canada. The wonderful week kept Tampa in first place at 17-7, with a two-game cushion on their closest follower.

First baseman Chad Bell extended his on-base streak to 20 straight and has a six-game hitting streak. The Yankees 14th ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, Josh Smith, made his 2021 debut after being activated off the seven-day IL. He hit .278 (5-19) with two home runs and 6 RBI in his five games.

Nelvin Correa led the pitching staff and is the Tampa Player of the Week. Although he gave up his first earned run on Sunday, he has now hurled 15 innings and has a 0.60 ERA.

The Tarps are home for six against the Lakeland Tigers this week.

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]]> Gil, Medina help lead system to the best record in MiLB: The Farm Report http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/gil-medina-help-lead-system-to-the-best-record-in-milb-the-farm-report/ Tue, 25 May 2021 00:26:08 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=85515 The Yankees farm system continues to have the best record in MiLB after week three. As of Sunday, there were five teams across minor league baseball sitting at 13-5. Within the Yankees organization, SWB, the Somerset Patriots, and Tampa Tarpons make up three of those 13-5 starts to the season. Overall, the Yankees have the best organizational record in baseball (48-24, .666), a full 2.5 games better than Cleveland (45-26, .636). Play at the plate and 𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄! pic.twitter.com/BSzrqoQs5y — […]

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]]> The Yankees farm system continues to have the best record in MiLB after week three. As of Sunday, there were five teams across minor league baseball sitting at 13-5. Within the Yankees organization, SWB, the Somerset Patriots, and Tampa Tarpons make up three of those 13-5 starts to the season. Overall, the Yankees have the best organizational record in baseball (48-24, .666), a full 2.5 games better than Cleveland (45-26, .636).

Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA)

SWB once again played great baseball, going 4-2 in Rochester, and have now won 7 out of their last 10. They finished the week in first place, two games up on the Buffalo Bisons. After setting the SWB franchise record with 212 home runs in 2019, they have hit 28 home runs in their first 18 games this season. The RailRiders are tied for eighth in minor league baseball in home runs, although they have not seen an elite power performance from any one-hitter. Only Chris Gittens (t-10th, 4) ranks in the top 15 in home runs in Triple-A East.

Notable additions to the roster were three players from Double-A Somerset, all three playing significant time in the series against Rochester. INFs Hoy Park, Brandon Wagner, and OF Thomas Milone have combined to hit .339 (19-for-56) with 10 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 12 BB, 17 K, and 2 HBP. In Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Red Wings, Park and Milone drove in all three runs. Milone, the SWB Player of the Week, finished the series 9-25, 3 R, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K.

For the Florial watchers out there, he finished the week with a .172/.294/.483 slash. He also has two home runs and nine strikeouts in his two weeks in AAA.

On the pitching side, Clemson grad Brody Koerner has been a leader of the pitching staff. In his third appearance, he hurled 4.1 innings of 2 run ball on 71 pitches. He ends the week with a 2.25 ERA over three starts, 12.1 IP, and three runs.

Deivi Garcia continues his up and down season, throwing 2.1 innings, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 2 SO on Saturday. His ERA now sits at 5.17.

SWB begins a six-game set at home against the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday. The Jays farm team is in second place (11-7), two games behind the first-place RailRiders.

Somerset Patriots (AA)

The Somerset Patriots had a flawless week, going 6-0 against the Hartford Yard Goats. They finish the week in the same spot as SWB, in first place with a 13-5 record and two games up on Boston’s affiliate in Portland. It’s even more impressive after losing three of their better players promoted up to SWB only one week after Estevan Florial left.

INF Dermis Garcia has now hit safely in ten-straight games. During the ten-game stretch, Garcia is hitting .350 (14-for-40) with six home runs, nine runs scored, and 14 RBI, including four home runs against Hartford, and is the Somerset Player of the Week. He began the season 1-for-24 (.042) in his first seven games before beginning his current hit streak.

The Patriots pitching staff leads all of Double-A with 220 strikeouts. The pitchers have struck out double-digit batters in 15 of 18 contests this season, including 11 of their last 12 games. Prior to Sunday’s action, the Patriots pitching staff had the lowest collective WHIP in all of Double-A (1.08), second-lowest BAA (.194), and fifth-lowest ERA (3.05). Luis Gil, the Yankees’ 5th ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, continues to dominate. On Friday, he threw 4.2 innings, 0R, 2H, 1BB, and 9SO. His season stats currently sit at 0-0, 1.76ERA, 12 H, 3ER, and 28 SO in 15.1 innings. Janson Junk also continues to stand out with a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. He tossed four innings of one-hit ball on Wednesday.

Somerset plays home against the third-place Hartford Fisher Cats (TOR) beginning Tuesday.

Hudson Valley Renegades (A+)

HV is all about the threes. In week three, they went 3-3 for the third week in a row. They remain in second place, behind the Aberdeen Ironbirds (BAL).

Yankees’ 7th ranked prospect Luis Medina dominated in his start last week and is the Organizational Player of the Week. He threw 5.2 innings, giving up one run, one hit, 11 SO, two BB, and has a sparkling 1.45 ERA. He seems to have outgrown A ball, with a season line of 2-0, 1.45 ERA, 18.2 IP, and 32 SO. Last week’s Player of the Week, Ken Waldichuk, also continues to be unhittable. The lefty gave up one hit while striking out ten over 4.1 innings on Saturday as the Hudson Valley Renegades beat the Brooklyn Cyclones, 5-3. The Yankees 27th ranked prospect has thrown 14.1 innings without giving up a run and has 29 strikeouts.

Offensively, Eduardo Torrealba is hitting .412 (7-for-17) since joining the Hudson Valley lineup on May 19. Ezequiel Duran makes a solid middle infield with SS Oswald Peraza. Duran, the Yankees’ 15th ranked prospect, is hitting .412, 11RBI, and has scored seven runs to go along with the 4th ranked Peraza.

The Renegades will be home for six starting Tuesday against the fourth-place Jersey Shore Blue Claws.

Tampa Tarpons (A)

Tampa is the third of the Yankees’ farm teams to finish the week at 13-5, a full four games up on second place Bradenton after a 4-2 week against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. They continue to rake, putting up 58 runs over the six games.

Its season run total is a MiLB-best 166 runs scored (9.22/G), 25 more than next on the list: Low-A Delmarva (141 runs). No other team in the Southeast League has scored more than 115 runs (Lakeland). Anthony Volpe (19R) and Andres Chaparro (18R) are among the league leaders in runs scored, with 23rd ranked prospect Trevor Hauver (17R), Pat DeMarco (16R), Elijah Dunham (16R), and 6th ranked prospect Austin Wells (16R) close behind.

Sean Boyle and Nelvin Correa lead the pitching staff. Boyle had two starts and gave up 0ER, and has a 0.71 ERA over 12.2 innings. He is the Tampa Player of the Week. Correa pitched in relief, giving up 0R, 1H, 1BB, and 3SO in 3 innings. He has thrown 12.2 innings and has yet to give up a run. Matt Sauer, the Yankees’ 26th ranked prospect, bounced back after a rough start of the season, throwing four innings and giving up one run.

The Tarps travel for six in Dunedin against the last-place Blue Jays this week.

Prospect Profile-Luis Medina (P)

Age: 22
Height: 6’01”
Weight: 175
B/T: R/R
Rank: Yankees’ 7th (MLB Pipeline)
Team: Hudson Valley Renegades (A+)
Scouting Grades (20-80): Fastball-75, Changeup-55, Curveball-60, Control-40, Overall-50

You learn everything you need to know about Medina with his fastball scouting score. Seventy-Five is elite status. He first threw 100 MPH at the age of 16 and at times gets as high as 102. He does all of that with movement. Mix that with an average changeup and a plus curveball, and he has a chance to be a dynamic ace-like starter. Control is the main weakness. Before this season, he has averaged .76 walks per inning during his professional career, an unsustainable rate that has resulted in a 5.51 ERA.

Keep in mind that young pitchers, even future aces, tend to struggle with control in those first years of pro-ball. He has made strides in the right direction, walking 9 in 18.2 innings this season. In addition to being electric at Hudson Valley, he was the Puerto Rican winter league player of the year.

Medina signed with the Yankees in 2015 for $280,000 out of the Dominican Republic.

 

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]]> The Farm Report: May 9-16 http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/the-farm-report-may-9-16/ Tue, 18 May 2021 00:08:02 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=85402 Week two of the minor league season saw the Yankees’ system accumulate a 13-11 record. One notable achievement was Trevor Hauver being named the Southeast League Player of the Week after batting .556, a double, 6 HR, 13RBI, 7BB, and 9R in the opening week. He, along with Luis Medina, got some love from MLB Pipeline as part of their Prospect Team of the Week. Two Yankees farmhands make MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week. https://t.co/XoXsCbKpSd — WB Tarleton […]

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]]> Week two of the minor league season saw the Yankees’ system accumulate a 13-11 record. One notable achievement was Trevor Hauver being named the Southeast League Player of the Week after batting .556, a double, 6 HR, 13RBI, 7BB, and 9R in the opening week. He, along with Luis Medina, got some love from MLB Pipeline as part of their Prospect Team of the Week.

We also saw Jasson Dominguez get his first at bat, a double, in extended spring training.

Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA)

SWB had another productive week, with a 4-2 record and finishing in a tie for first place (9-3) with Buffalo. After an awful performance in his first start, Deivi Garcia has thrown like a top prospect, not allowing an earned run in 10.0 innings, recording 16 strikeouts, two walks, and only five hits in his two starts this week. He is the SWB Player of the Week.

The bullpen was particularly effective, giving up only three runs over 30 innings in the six-game set against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Nestor Cortes has been stellar, giving up no runs on two hits and recording 13 strikeouts in 8.2 innings on the season. They finish the week with the sixth-best ERA in the league (3.93).

Offensively,  SWB continued to put runs up at a respectable pace. They have the second-most runs in the Eastern League, tied with the Durham Bulls, outscored only by the Gwinnett Stripers. Chris Gittens had his second great week in a row, ending it at .323/.523/.774 (1.297 OPS). He has four home runs, 10 RBI, 13 runs, 12 walks, and ten hits.

Recent call-up Estevan Florial is 1-8 with a triple and three strikeouts in his two games. Have patience Yankees fans! Despite the big club’s outfield woes, he is not ready for the show. He has played only two weeks above A ball in his minor league career.

Along with Florial’s promotion to AAA, the big club promoted Miguel Andujar and Ryan LaMarre.

SWB begins a six-game set at the 2-10 Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday. The Nats’ farm team have scored the fewest runs (42) in the division after 12 games.

Somerset Patriots (AA)

After an excellent first week, the Somerset Patriots fell back to earth against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, finishing the week 2-4. It is still good enough for a first-place tie with Boston’s affiliate in Portland, matching their 7-5 record. Overall, it’s not a bad showing considering the Patriots boast only two of the Yankees’ top 30 prospects, pitchers Luis Gil and Glenn Otto, at 5 and 28, respectively. Somerset has scored the second-fewest runs in the division but has also given up the second-fewest.

The loss of Florial to SWB contributed to the lack of scoring.  He was the team’s leader in HR and RBI before the call-up. Thomas Milone continues his hot start at .324/.409/.649 (1.058 OPS).

Oswaldo Cabrera has reached base safely in all 12 games of the Somerset season. Saturday, Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and contributed one of the four hits and a walk-in being shutout on Sunday. The versatile infielder went 7-for-22 (.314) with a home run, three RBI, four walks in the six games against the Fisher Cats. The 22-year-old switch hitter is the Somerset Player of the Week.

Luis Gil continued his strong showing on the bump. In his lone start, he threw four innings, giving up four hits, zero runs with eight strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.53. Ron Marinaccio still has not given up a run in 7.2 innings. As a whole, the team sports a 3.44 ERA, good for fourth in the Northeast League.

The Patriots begin their six-game series at the third place Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday.

Hudson Valley Renegades (A+)

HV had their second consecutive 3-3 week, remaining in second place behind the Aberdeen Ironbirds.

Although not as dominant as his first two starts, 7th ranked prospect Luis Medina was strong in his lone appearance last week. He threw four innings, giving up two runs, two hits, three walks, a home run, and punched out six IronBirds. Even more impressive has been the Organization Player of the Week, Ken Waldichuk. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old lefty threw 3.1 innings, giving up 0 runs, three hits, one walk while punching out 10. Yes, all of his recorded outs were by K. He followed up on Sunday throwing four innings of 2 hit ball, no runs, and seven strikeouts on 60 pitches. MLB Pipeline’s 27th ranked Yankees’ prospect has yet to give up a run in three starts (11 IP).

Offensively, 4th ranked prospect Oswald Peraza is raking. The shortstop saw two pitches and produced two home runs for four RBI on Friday night. He would follow up with a 3-4 performance on Saturday and chip in a hit and a walk as Hudson Valley evened the series on Sunday. Peraza ends his second week at A+ with a .340/.426/.702 slash (1.128 OPS). He leads the team in home runs (5), RBI (8), runs (9), hits (16), and stolen bases (9). He looks for a quick rise to AA and is the subject of the Prospect Profile below.

If you want a look at Peraza in person, the Renegades travel to the Brooklyn Cyclones for six starting Tuesday. If you are in the NYC area, take the train ride!

Tampa Tarpons (A)

After a 5-1 start over the first week, Tampa followed up with a 4-2 record against Lakeland Flying Tigers in week 2. Their 9-3 record is good enough for first place, two games in front of their closest competition.

Randy Vasquez and Nelvin Correa have led the pitching staff. In 10.1 innings over three games, Vazquez has a 0.87 ERA. Correa has thrown 9.2 innings and has yet to give up a run. Matt Sauer, the Yankees’ 26th ranked prospect, has thrown 9.2 innings and given up seven runs over his three starts.

After an epic first week, Trevor Hauver has come back to earth some, but Pat DeMarco and Spencer Henson have picked up the slack. The shortstop DeMarco is hitting .324/.415/.647 (1.062 OPS), 3 HR, 16 RBI, and is the Tampa Player of the Week. Spencer, the first baseman, has slashed .400/.600/1.000 for a 1.600 OPS to go along with 2 HR and 7 RBI.

The Tarps look to expand their lead in the Southeast League against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (6-6) on Tuesday.

Prospect Profile-Oswald Peraza (SS)

Age: 20

Height: 6’00”

Weight: 165

B/T: R/R

Rank: Yankees’ 4th (MLB Pipeline)

Team: Hudson Valley Renegades (A+)

Scouting Grades (20-80): Hit-55, Run-60, Field-60, Power-45, Arm-60, Overall-50

Peraza was signed out of Venezuela for $175,000 in 2016 as a possible plus hitter with potential for some pop. Over his three seasons (2017-2019) thus far, he hit 5 HR in 622 AB, although he already had some of the highest exit velo in the system. He appears to have changed his approach and matched his career total with five last week. Speed is also in his repertoire, as illustrated by his nine stolen bases this season without being caught. In his first three seasons in the system, he stole 44 of 54. His only action in 2020 was a handful of AB in the Venezuelan Winter League.

His career slash is .272/.356/.371 for an OPS of .726. He has committed 40 errors in his 156 career games, but that is not very high at his stage of development and playing on low-level minor league fields. Scouts expect Peraza to be a plus defender with a quality arm.

 

 

 

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]]> The Farm Report: May 3-9 http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/the-farm-report-may-3-9/ Mon, 10 May 2021 23:53:18 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=85269 Welcome to the first edition of The Farm Report, where I will supply weekly reviews of the Yankees farm system. These will include team recaps, standings, upcoming schedules, a Player of the Week at each level, a system Player of the Week and an occasional scouting report for a prospect. If there is something you would like to see included in coming weeks, please hit me up on Twitter @BloodyBan with your recommendation. Let’s get started! Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA) SWB […]

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]]> Welcome to the first edition of The Farm Report, where I will supply weekly reviews of the Yankees farm system. These will include team recaps, standings, upcoming schedules, a Player of the Week at each level, a system Player of the Week and an occasional scouting report for a prospect. If there is something you would like to see included in coming weeks, please hit me up on Twitter @BloodyBan with your recommendation. Let’s get started!

Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA)

SWB headlines a great week throughout the system. After losing on opening night in Syracuse, they rolled out of town with five straight wins and scoring 52 runs against Mets’ pitching. This includes the Sunday afternoon game where they scored in every inning but the 8th. Luke Voit was among the team leaders with a slash of  .389/.476/1.000 (3HR) and is expected to be called up to the big club for their series in Tampa on Tuesday. First Baseman “Hard Hittin’” Chris Gittens (1.581 OPS, 2HR), RF Trey Amburgey (1.476, 3HR), and SS Andrew Velazquez (1.000, 2 2B) were the other notables. On the other end of the spectrum were IF Kyle Holder (.349), 3B Armando Alvarez (.393), and LF Ryan LaMarre (.423).

On the mound was not so stellar. Opening night starter Mike Montgomery gave up 7 runs in only 7.2 innings over two starts for an 8.22 ERA. Fortunately, he has played several seasons in the majors, most recently with Kansas City, and is mere pitching depth. Slightly more concerning was Deivi Garcia, who had no control in his only start. He pitched 3.1 innings, 3 hits, 5 ER, 7 BB, 1 HR, for a 13.50 ERA. He was spared the loss only because the RailRiders put up 17 runs in support. The staff gave up 32 ER in 6 games for a 5.33 ERA.

The RailRiders concluded the week with a 5-1 record, tied for first place with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. The two teams will face each other for a six game series in Scranton beginning Tuesday.

SWB Player of the week-Trey Amburgey

Trey Amburgey completed the first week of the season like he started it, on fire. After sitting opening day, he hit a HR the next night and never stopped hitting. The right fielder finished the week near the top of almost every offensive category, slashing .450/.476/1.000, with 3 HR, 2 2B, 10 RBI, and 6 R. The 2015 13th rounder is not a top 30 Yankees prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline.

Somerset Patriots (AA)

The first week of the inaugural season of Yankees baseball in Somerset played out beautifully. They finished with a 5-1 record. Pitching was their strength, giving up only 13 runs over the 6 games. Fifth ranked Yankees prospect Luis Gil threw 3.2 scoreless innings, 2 H, 6 SO, and only 1 walk on opening night. He was relieved by Ron Marinaccio who hurled 3.1 innings more of scoreless ball. The 19th round 2017 pick finished the week throwing 5.1 inning, 1 hit ball, with 9 SO.

Offensively, the Patriots scored 29 runs, 4.83 per game. Two unranked prospects, LF Thomas Malone and 3B Diego Castillo were two of the offensive stars.  Malone slashed .357/.474/.714 with 1 HR and 5RBI. Castillo contributed .348/.360/.522 with 1HR and 4RBI.

The Patriots finish the week tied for first with the Portland Sea Dogs and play six at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats beginning Tuesday.

Somerset Player of the week-Estevan Florial

This is a name we have been hearing forever, but he is only 23. Injuries, personal problems and his approach at the plate have made for some disappointment, yet he is still the 10th ranked Yankees prospect. He was a monster last week, slashing .318/.400/.955. Florial launched 4 home runs, had 6 RBI, and scored 5 runs. However, he will not be a complete player until he gets his strikeout rate down consistently. He whiffed 6 times in 22 AB, which is still a little high even at that rate of production.

Hudson Valley Renegades (A+)

HV concluded the week 3-3 against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, with pitching being the strength of the team. They would give up only 16 runs over the 6 games. Jhony Brito and Zach Greene were two of the headliners. The 23 year old Brito pitched a scoreless 5 innings, 1H, 2 SO, and 1 BB in his one start. Greene pitched 4.2 innings in 2 games, giving up no runs, 1 hit, and had a whopping 11 SO.

The Renegades were led offensively by LF Pablo Olivares and 20th ranked prospect OF Brandon Lockridge. They slashed .286/.545/.571 and .333/.417/.619 respectively.

HV finishes the week in second place, 2 games behind the Aberdeen IronBirds, who they face at home the coming week.

Hudson Valley Player of the Week- Luis Medina

It is shocking to not name him the system PoW, but a guy at Tampa has eclipsed even Medina’s performance.

The 22 year old Dominican righty and Yankees’ 7th ranked prospect was stellar in two starts. On opening night, he threw 4 innings of shutout baseball, with 1 hit, 8 SO, and 2 BB. 41 off his 67 pitches were thrown for strikes, with his upper 90’s fastball and knee bending breaking ball both on the mark. He followed that performance up on Sunday with 5.0 innings (64 pitches), 0 R, 1 hit, 7 SO, and 2 BB. Like all young pitchers, command has been an issue but seems to have improved on it, at least early in the season.

Tampa Tarpons (A)

Tampa may be the most exciting team to follow this season, as it is filled with young talent. They are also likely to be the first stop of Jasson Dominguez’s ride to the Bronx. Disappointingly, there have been no televised games to watch these prospects. They finished the week 5-1 against the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Matt Sauer, the 26th ranked Yankees prospect, threw 3.1 scoreless innings on opening night but there was little to like about the pitching staff. Sauer would also pitch on Mother’s Day, giving up 4 ER in 3.2 innings. They would finish the week with an ERA of 7.00, after giving up 42 ER.

Their success rode on the offense which scored 77 runs, including 25 on Friday night. The 2019 first round pick and 11th ranked prospect SS Anthony Volpe excelled in his first games above rookie ball, with a .319/.483/.591 slash line. The 2020 first rounder and 6th ranked prospect, C Austin Wells, also had a nice week in his first professional action. He slashed .227/.370/.500 and had 1 HR, although overshadowed by his teammates.

Tampa finds itself in first place and will play 6 at the Lakeland Flying Tigers this week.

Organizational Player of the Week

As great as Medina was, it has to be 2B Trevor Hauver. The 2020 Yankee 3rd rounder had an epic week. He slashed .556/.654/1.611. He led all of MiLB with 6 home runs and also contributed 13 RBI, especially incredible for for a middle infielder. However, plate discipline was a problem, with 5 SO in his 18 AB. This will need to improve before moving up from the 23rd ranked Yankees prospect.

 

 

 

 

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]]> Introducing Yankees minor league weekly feature http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/introducing-yankees-minor-league-weekly-feature/ Mon, 12 Apr 2021 22:46:09 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=84761 I will be providing a weekly column this season, recapping the week in the Yankees’ farm system. The column will include standings, schedules, a system “player of the week,” team recaps, roster movement, and scouting reports. I will be watching 2-3 games per week and, technology willing, provide highlights on my Twitter feed during those games and in this column. Who doesn’t want to see some Martian home runs? Speaking of The Martian: Major changes to the minors The year […]

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]]> I will be providing a weekly column this season, recapping the week in the Yankees’ farm system. The column will include standings, schedules, a system “player of the week,” team recaps, roster movement, and scouting reports. I will be watching 2-3 games per week and, technology willing, provide highlights on my Twitter feed during those games and in this column. Who doesn’t want to see some Martian home runs? Speaking of The Martian:

Major changes to the minors

The year 2020 brought changes to virtually everyone, including the minor league baseball system (MiLB). The result is a lost season for nearly all prospects and communities lost teams to create a MiLB landscape far different than it was in 2019. What’s in store for May 2021 when the minor league seasons kick-off?

Aftershock

The “Astros’ Plan” obliterates the MiLB structure. As a result, legendary leagues such as the 80-year-old NY-Penn, where I saw Doc Gooden, Don Mattingly, John Elway, and Larry Walker are gone. When I was 18, I even came close to a fistfight with Oneonta Yankee Pat Kelly (a story for a different day) after a game! Leagues with memorable and quaint names (yes, that is sarcasm!) such as “Triple-A East” and “Double A South” take their spots. However, time marches on and does not stop for nostalgia and griping, as MLB is a business and they want to cut costs and have more control over their affiliates. The MLB “Professional Development League (PDL)” is now the governing entity.

Changes to the Yankees’ system

The plan reduced Yankees’ minor league affiliates from 9 to 6. Five US-based teams and the Dominican Summer League Yankees remain. They are:

AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre remains, playing in the AAA East League, Midwest Division

AA: Somerset Patriots of the Northeast League will play in Bridgewater Township, NJ and replace the Trenton Thunder

A+: Hudson Falls Renegades of the High A East League, will play in Fishkill, NY, and replace the Staten Island Yankees and short-season A baseball

A: Tampa Tarpons go from High A to Low A in the Southeast League, and will play at George M. Steinbrenner Field

Rookie League: The changes chopped the Pulaski Yankees and the entire Rookie League

GCL: Remains the same, continuing to play at the Yankees Player Development Complex near George M. Steinbrenner Field

DSL: Remains the same, continuing to play at the Yankees Latin Beisbol Academy in Boca Chica

Reactions from teams not making the cut

Staten Island Yankees owner Will Smith is “shocked” and calls the move “unacceptable.”

Trenton Thunder owner Joseph Plumeri says he was “betrayed” and the Yankees “despicable.”

If you have any questions about the upcoming MiLB season or have ideas for the column, come on over to the Bronx Pinstripe Show FB page and give me an earful!

See you in May!

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]]> Minority Report: Game time! Who to watch and why, position player edition http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/minority-report-game-time-who-to-watch-and-why-position-player-edition/ Sat, 22 Feb 2020 20:59:26 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=75074 We earlier looked at pitchers worth sticking around to watch during spring training broadcasts once the major league regulars hit the showers. It was only a difficult task in choosing who to leave off the list. There is a lot of organizational talent standing 60’6” from home plate advanced enough to be in big league camp. Some deserving guys had to be left off when limiting the list to five. Choosing positional players has been a little more of a […]

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]]> We earlier looked at pitchers worth sticking around to watch during spring training broadcasts once the major league regulars hit the showers. It was only a difficult task in choosing who to leave off the list. There is a lot of organizational talent standing 60’6” from home plate advanced enough to be in big league camp. Some deserving guys had to be left off when limiting the list to five.

Choosing positional players has been a little more of a struggle. It’s not necessarily the shortage of talent, although that is part of it. Realistically, you will have some holes when you have produced Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, and Gleyber Torres over three seasons. It empties the top half of the system, with our best positional prospects at the lowest levels.

The best overall, Jasson Dominguez, has not yet put on a Yankee uniform on mainland North America. The only other two top ten organizational prospects, Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are not even 20 years old. Volpe only played a short time in rookie league Pulaski last year after being drafted in the first round and contracting mono. At some point this season, we will talk about the lower level talent who I did not include here because they are not in big league camp.

The result is that we have six pitchers in our top ten prospect list (Roansy Contreras could easily be seven) in big league camp and no positional players. It took a little creativity to choose the top five and determine who is an actual “minor leaguer” in contrast with a journeyman.

Here they are:

Estevan Florial

A name we have all heard, but still holds a ton of promise. His career thus far has read like the 2019 Yankees. There was a ton of hope popped by the reality of injuries. A suspension only contributed to the delay. Half seasons are particularly catastrophic in the minor leagues, as development becomes nearly impossible. Plate discipline comes from consistent practice, something he has not been able to accomplish.

It has reflected in his stats. His excellent bat speed is there, but so is his atrocious 32.8% whiff rate. His physical speed is there, but he only has a 62% base-stealing success rate. He projects as having above-average power and a plus center field arm. The tools are there if he can play consistently to put them together. The word is “raw.”

He will likely start over in 2020 at A+ Tampa.

Clint Frazier

I struggled with the idea of putting him here, as he is a known entity and not really a minor league guy. He’s not even Rookie of the Year eligible. However, he also does not have a path to the big club at this point, unlike Mike Ford, and will be more than worth watching. We know he can hit, and the “legendary bat speed” will be there. The question is whether he will develop into a serviceable outfielder.

Watch his breaks to the gaps and the lines, how comfortable he looks in pursuit, and listen for the “football follies” music replete with the “bonks” and “doinks.” If the first two look good and the latter sounds are lacking, you are probably watching a guy playing in the major leagues in 2020, even if not for the Yankees.

Thairo Estrada

I know. I know. Another guy about who we are all aware. Reread the intro!

When the sky fell last summer, Thairo came up and did a very competent, and I would say under-appreciated, job for the big club. In 35 games, he slashed .250/.294/.438 with three home runs and 12 RBIs compared to his .266/.313/.452 minor league line in 60 games.

The 23-year-old Venezuelan, like Florial, is coming to an age where he needs to begin displaying the promise he came with to the organization in 2013. If not, he is still a useful piece but was once considered a prized prospect. He should give Tyler Wade some competition for the utility man role but ultimately will probably end up in Scranton.

Chris Gittens

The Yankees 2014 12th round draft pick had a breakout campaign in 2019, slashing .281/.393/500, 23 HRs, and 77 RBIs in 115 games. It proved good enough to capture the Trenton Thunder Player of the Year and the Eastern League MVP. A 300 pounder when drafted out of college, he could hit for power in all directions while also scouted as a pitcher. He has slimmed down but is still too large to be a presence anywhere but first base.

Those 2019 numbers should be good enough to get him a promotion to Scranton, assuming that Mike Ford retains his spot in the Bronx. An injury to Ford or Luke Voit could even result in “Hard Hittin’ Chris Gittens” getting a call from the big club. This spring may hint towards a real leap forward last season or a one-year anomaly.

Kyle Holder

Holder is a 25-year-old shortstop from San Diego, chosen in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft. His glove is his most noteworthy attribute, as he was named the organization’s best defensive infielder by Baseball America.

After bouncing between Charleston and Tampa for a couple of seasons, he stuck with Trenton halfway through 2018 and all of 2019. He would finish with a .265/.336/.405 slash and is likely to end up back in Trenton for 2020. His ceiling should be as a utility player defensive specialist.

So there you have it. I probably could have just done ten pitching prospects for this two-part series but felt it was equally important to give a nuanced view of the position players as well. There are not a lot of sexy position player types in camp, but that should change in 2021 after a season of guys like this mashing through rookie and A ball.

 

 

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]]> Minority Report: Game time! Who to watch and why, pitcher edition http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/minority-report-game-time-who-to-watch-and-why-pitcher-edition/ Fri, 21 Feb 2020 20:54:38 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=75018 We have all been “that guy.” You sit through Christmas with Yule logs and eggnog while dreaming of baseball. Your new Bronx Pinstripe hat or Gerrit Cole shirt from Santa is your latest prized possession. February comes and the excitement mounts. You can hardly sleep the night before spring games begin because of the thought of live baseball. Saturday arrives, you get the chips and beer out, tune out all the noise around the house, and settle in for the […]

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]]> We have all been “that guy.” You sit through Christmas with Yule logs and eggnog while dreaming of baseball. Your new Bronx Pinstripe hat or Gerrit Cole shirt from Santa is your latest prized possession. February comes and the excitement mounts. You can hardly sleep the night before spring games begin because of the thought of live baseball. Saturday arrives, you get the chips and beer out, tune out all the noise around the house, and settle in for the 1 p.m. game. Life could not be better!

Gleyber and DJ are out of the game by 2 p.m., and you are snoozing in the chair by 2:15.

Admittedly, those who are there more out of persistence than a real chance to be a legitimate big-league player will cure insomnia. They are what the NFL calls “camp bodies.” However, MLB is also different. Its future stars are not all in college and instead get assigned to minor league affiliates. The club then invites them to big league camp alongside the stars and camp bodies. Unlike the fourth quarter of an NFL preseason game, watching them today is watching the Yankees tomorrow.

Today we will be looking at those pitchers in camp most likely to be part of the future of the franchise. Although system rankings tend to favor teams with “cannot miss” prospects at the highest levels, the Yankees still have a robust and deep system with a substantial number of high upside players. Today, we will look at the top five pitchers to look for in Tampa who you will be on your living room TV screen through March. We will look at position players tomorrow.

Deivi Garcia

I list Garcia first not because he is a can’t miss or the organization’s best prospect, but because he is the most well known among fans and closest to the big club. Baseball America has Clarke Schmidt rated as the better pitching prospect. Other scouts see one or more of last year’s core four pitchers in Charleston as highly regarded as Garcia.

That’s not a knock on Deivi. It’s a shout out to the depth.

The 20-year-old Dominican and third-ranked (Baseball America) Yankee prospect returns in 2020 for a season likely to begin in AAA, even though his projected WAR (1.3) is fifth among potential Yankee starters. The organization likes to see players conquer a level before moving them up, something he has not yet done in SWB. Last year began in A+ Tampa, where he excelled with a 3.06 ERA and a 16.81 SO/9 in 17 innings. He moved to AA Trenton sporting a 3.86/14.59, before ending in SWB with a 5.40/10.12 line. The SO/9 is what caught the imagination of scouts and fans and will continue to do so, even if he did get knocked around a bit.

Garcia’s big jump is attributed mostly to adding a slider after 2018, a pitch already considered to be the best in the system. It adds to a big hook and a low to mid 90’s fastball. Scouts do not agree on his ultimate role, as he has starter stuff but a small, 5’10”, 160 lb frame. Along with a high effort delivery, it may limit him to a leverage relief role.

Clarke Schmidt

From a piece I wrote on Schmidt last week:

Schmidt was the Yankees first-round pick, 16th overall, in the 2017 MLB draft after playing college ball for South Carolina. A month before the draft, he underwent successful Tommy John surgery causing many to consider him a reach prospect. He made his minor league debut late in the 2018 season in the GCL and finishing up in the NYPenn with Staten Island.

2019 began his first full season in the minors, including his season premiere gem against 2018 overall number one pick and Tiger farmhand, Casey Mize. Schmidt threw five perfect innings with nine strikeouts.

He climbed to A+ Tampa and eventually to Trenton for his last three regular-season games. In the Eastern League, Schmidt had a 2.37 ERA, 0.47 BB/9, 9.00 SO/9, and an incredible 0.79 WHIP. Three starts is an admittedly small sample size, but he continued pitching well through the Eastern League Championship, giving up one run in 10.2 innings.

The 6’1” 200-pound right-hander boasts a 94-95 MPH fastball, a plus change-up, a curve, and a slider. However, Schmidt describes the last two as more of a “slurve,” which he can manipulate with speed and arm slot. Due to the variety of pitches, scouts have him projected as a middle of the rotation starter who will likely begin the season in Trenton but could find himself with the big club as a late-season call-up.

Luis Gil

Gil is the first of the Charleston core four from last year, along with Roansy Contreras, Luis Medina, and Alexander Vizcaino.

The word of the day for Gil is heat. The fourth-ranked prospect has a fastball that reaches 100 mph, plus plus movement, and grades out to 70+ on the scouting 20-80 scale. It comes with a low 90’s changeup and an 85 mph curveball, both graded at around 55.

The former Twin farmhand acquired in a trade for Jack Cave began 2019 in Charleston before finishing up in Tampa with a 2.72 ERA, 123 strikeouts in 96 innings while giving up only one home run. Like all young pitchers, control and command were significant issues, giving up a walk nearly every two innings. The development of his secondary pitches will likely determine if he ends up a starter or short reliever.

Luis Medina

The seventh-ranked Yankee prospect struggled for much of the 2019 season, gifting six walks per nine innings that he would let snowball into big innings. He is another kid with an elite arm, however, sporting a fastball averaging at about 98 along with his changeup and curveball that both have plus movement. His swing and miss rates best illustrate the potential. When in the strike zone, batters missed his fastball 32% of the time. The curveball had a 44% miss rate. For comparison, Gerrit Cole had a 29% miss rate in 2019.

Medina did seem to find some control and command in August and flourished. He would have a 10 strikeout outing on July 11 and take off. Medina pitched to the tune of 62 strikeouts and 15 walks in almost 46 innings over his last eight starts. It was strong enough to be promoted to A+ Tampa, where he ended 2019 with one ER and 12 strikeouts in his final 10.2 innings.

Alexander Vizcaino

Vizcaino is probably the one I’m most interested in seeing. I am not a professional scout, but comments like this make my neck hairs stand up:

“It’s one of the best changeups in baseball. Not the minor leagues. Not in the Yankees’ system. In all of baseball.” -Yankees Vice President of Baseball Operations, Tim Naehring

He then goes on to compare Vizcaino to a young Felix Hernandez, both sporting elite changeups with a power fastball (95-98).

That sounds like the sputter of the Bugs Bunny eephus pitch, even if it is with a nice helping of hyperbole.

Others to watch

By no means does that exhaust the list of excellent prospects. Michael King, Domingo Acevedo, etc. Stick around for those guys as well!

See you tomorrow with the position players…

Don’t be “that guy!”

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]]> Minority Report: Yankee prospect Clarke Schmidt guests on MiLB’s TSBTS podcast http://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees-prospects/minority-report-yankee-prospect-clarke-schmidt-guests-on-milbs-tsbts-podcast/ Fri, 14 Feb 2020 16:56:39 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=74872 Baseball America’s 65th overall prospect (Yankees #2) Clarke Schmidt joined MiLB.com’s “The Show Before the Show” podcast today with host Sam Dykstra. The discussion included being invited to his first big league camp as a non-roster invitee, overcoming Tommy John surgery, his pitch repertoire and improved spin rates, his rise to Trenton, and his goals (the Bronx!) for 2020. The interview begins at the 28:00 mark. 🔊NEW EPISODE 🔊 🔸With TJ behind him, #Yankees' Clarke Schmidt looks toward The Show🔸Tyler […]

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]]> Baseball America’s 65th overall prospect (Yankees #2) Clarke Schmidt joined MiLB.com’s “The Show Before the Show” podcast today with host Sam Dykstra.

The discussion included being invited to his first big league camp as a non-roster invitee, overcoming Tommy John surgery, his pitch repertoire and improved spin rates, his rise to Trenton, and his goals (the Bronx!) for 2020. The interview begins at the 28:00 mark.

Schmidt was the Yankees first-round pick, 16th overall, in the 2017 MLB draft after playing college ball for South Carolina. A month before the draft, he underwent successful Tommy John surgery causing many to consider him a reach prospect. He made his minor league debut late in the 2018 season in the GCL and finishing up in the NYPenn with Staten Island.

2019 began his first full season in the minors, including his season premiere gem against 2018 overall number one pick and Tiger farmhand, Casey Mize. Schmidt threw five perfect innings with nine strikeouts.

He climbed to A+ Tampa and eventually to Trenton for his last three regular-season games. In the Eastern League, Schmidt had a 2.37 ERA, 0.47 BB/9, 9.00 SO/9, and an incredible 0.79 WHIP. Three starts is an admittedly small sample size, but he continued pitching well through the Eastern League Championship, giving up one run in 10.2 innings. From his six scoreless inning long relief outing in the league semi-finals against Reading:

The 6’1” 200-pound right-hander boasts a 94-95 MPH fastball, a plus change-up, a curve, and a slider. However, Schmidt describes the last two as more of a “slurve,” which he can manipulate with speed and arm slot. Due to the variety of pitches, scouts have him projected as a middle of the rotation starter who will likely begin the season in Trenton but could find himself with the big club as a late-season call-up.

He completed his first major league bullpen session today.

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]]> Tampa Yankees rebrand to Tampa Tarpons http://bronxpinstripes.com/minor-leagues/tampa-yankees-rebrand-tampa-tarpons/ http://bronxpinstripes.com/minor-leagues/tampa-yankees-rebrand-tampa-tarpons/#respond Wed, 13 Dec 2017 20:48:29 +0000 http://bronxpinstripes.com/?p=56814 The Yankees’ Single-A affiliate Tampa Yankees are Yankees no more. The team announced Monday that when they take the field for the 2018 season they will be the Tampa Tarpons. Splash from the past! Our new name and identity celebrate Tampa baseball history! Click here for more about this exciting news: https://t.co/wcSfFa60r2 pic.twitter.com/t70km4G1dE — Tampa Tarpons (@TampaTarpons) December 11, 2017 This marks the Tarpons return to the Florida State League after a 30 year absence. From 1957 to 1987, the […]

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]]> The Yankees’ Single-A affiliate Tampa Yankees are Yankees no more. The team announced Monday that when they take the field for the 2018 season they will be the Tampa Tarpons.

This marks the Tarpons return to the Florida State League after a 30 year absence. From 1957 to 1987, the Tarpons called Tampa home, winning league titles in ’57, ’59 and ’61.

“We have great fans in Tampa,” Tarpons general manager Vance Smith said. “This is Tampa’s team, and this name and brand identity honor the community and celebrate Tampa’s rich baseball history.”

Assistant GM Matt Gess says the rebrand isn’t just a simple name change, it’s about honoring baseball’s routes in Tampa. “The Tarpons name gives us the opportunity to connect with our fans and reconnect with Tampa’s baseball heritage,” he said.

Tampa has hosted spring training games for seven major league teams since 1913. It has also been a minor league baseball town since 1919, when the Tampa Smokers were a charter franchise in the original Florida State League.

Tarpons are large feisty fish prized by anglers from around the world. They flock to Florida’s Gulf Coast in hopes of landing a titan of the sea.

The team’s colors will be Legends Navy, Tarpon Silver and Gulf Blue. The club is scheduled to unveil their new hats and uniforms in January.

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