May 7th, 2024: Judge, Weaver, Stroman, Arraez, Prospects

Does it feel like the Yankees play an inordinate amount of close games? Well, you’re not wrong. Sunday’s win was their 24th game decided by two or fewer runs (they're 15-9 in those games). The Cubs are a distant second with 20 such games. The Yankees have the baseball's best record in one-run games (9-3). I’m glad the Yankees have been able to dig deep and win so many close games. I wouldn’t mind a few more stress-free blowout wins though. Let’s get to today’s post.

1. Weekend thoughts. The 17 games in 17 days stretch is over and two players played every inning of the 17 games: Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Volpe. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto each got a few innings off their feet in the Milwaukee blowouts, Alex Verdugo missed three games while on paternity leave, Gleyber Torres sat Game 2 of 17, and Anthony Rizzo sat Game 17 of 17. The Yankees went 10-7 in the 17 games. A good outcome, all things considered. Here are a few thoughts on the Tigers series.

Judge ejected

It's remarkable it took until his 870th career game for Aaron Judge to get ejected considering pitches at his ankles have been called strikes the last seven years and change. It was a weak ejection too. Judge was walking back to the dugout when he got tossed! He took a called strike three, said something to home plate umpire Ryan Blakney, then headed back to the dugout. That’s when he got tossed.

“I was walking away kind of saying my piece,” Judge told Joe Trezza. “I’ve said a lot worse. (The ejection) made a scene and I usually try not to make a scene in situations like that, so I was a little surprised walking away that it happened.”

Here’s the video. The Jomboy crew did their lip-reading thing and determined Judge said “Oh my God. Really? Really man? Nah that’s bullshit. You’ve been bullshitting me all game.” That is pretty tame. Someone would get tossed every other inning if “that’s bullshit” rose to the level of an ejection. Maybe there was a build up and Judge had been on Blakney’s case all game? As a standalone incident, that ain’t much.

“Apparently Aaron did not agree with the pitch and said something that you shouldn’t have said, and he was ejected,“ crew chief Alan Porter (the third base umpire) told Trezza. “We do what we can to keep guys in the game, but he said something he shouldn’t have said. There are things you cannot say no matter what’s going on. Things that you can’t say, and he apparently did.”

It felt like a weak ejection and, ultimately, it did not cost the Yankees. Trent Grisham took over for Judge in center field and his lineup spot never came up again. Grisham didn’t even have to make a play in the field. Blakney’s strike zone was pretty bad though. On both sides. Luke Weaver got a call off the plate to Kerry Carpenter and Clay Holmes got a call off the plate to Matt Vierling in the next half-inning.

There were seven called strike threes Saturday, four on pitches out of the zone. Judge’s was the closest of the four. Here are the called strike threes (full-size image):

Well, at least Blakney was bad for both teams. And maybe Judge getting tossed worked in the Yankees’ favor. Torres and Judge got rung up on pitches outside the zone, Judge said something and got ejected, then the Yankees benefited from two called strike threes on pitches off the plate in the next half-inning. With the tying run at the plate, no less. Judge was playing 4-D chess!

Judge is the first Yankees captain to get ejected since Don Mattingly on May 13th, 1994. Almost 30 years to the day (Derek Jeter never got ejected in his career, either before or after being named captain). I don’t think Judge will go all Aaron Boone and make a habit of getting ejected. This feels like a one-off with an umpire who was a little too trigger happy. At least it didn’t hurt the Yankees in the game.

“I have a lot of respect for Ryan and what he does. I know their job is tough,” Judge told Trezza. “I’ve always had their back because their job is tough back there. For that to happen that way, that’s what I’m most upset about. Especially late in a close game like that.”

Luke Weaver, relief ace

The Yankees traded Mike King for Juan Soto and then turned Luke Weaver into Mike King. Why doesn’t every team do this? Are they stupid or something? For real though, Weaver’s been great the last few weeks. His last six appearances: 11.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K. That includes 2.1 near spotless innings Saturday after entering with the tying run on base in the sixth inning (video). 

“Man he’s been huge for us,” Boone said about Weaver following Saturday’s game (video). “I feel like he’s throwing the ball incredibly well. His fastball has really ticked up in this role. He’s been 95 to 98 even with that four-seam fastball. The cutter, and then the really good changeup to go with it. And pounding the zone. He’s somebody that we have a lot of confidence in. The ability to get both-handed out – with that arsenal he’s really tough against lefties. Excited about the way he’s throwing the ball and the role he’s carving out for himself down there.”

Weaver’s average (94.1 mph to 94.6 mph) and max (97.4 mph to 97.6 mph) fastball velocity are up from last year, when he was a starter, though it’s not an enormous jump. His velocity is ticking up and up these last few weeks though, which isn’t unusual. Pitchers throw harder as they get closer to midseason form. The last few times out Weaver’s sat closer to 96 mph:

As you’d expect, Weaver has condensed his arsenal as a reliever. He’s not throwing his curveball or slider, and is instead leaning on the cutter and changeup behind the fastball. It’s fastballs and cutters to righties, and fastballs and changeups to lefties. The cutter is coming along. It’s a weak contact pitch more than a bat-misser. The changeup though has a 47.7% whiff rate. That’s top 10 in baseball. And, well:

The bat-missing reliever the Yankees need may have been hiding in plain sight. Weaver has a 2.86 ERA (3.24 FIP) with 24.4% strikeouts and 4.7% walks in 22 innings spread across 12 appearances this season. Is it fair to say he’s at the top of the setup man depth chart? I think so. Ian Hamilton’s stumbled of late and Weaver now regularly works multiple innings late in close games.

Weaver had a 6.40 ERA (5.61 FIP) in 123.2 innings last year and not too long ago we were all fretting about him being sixth on the rotation depth chart. The Yankees never really indicated that was the plan for him though, and they certainly didn’t prepare him to start in Spring Training. He maxed out at 50 pitches and 3.1 innings this spring. The multi-inning reliever thing was the plan.

Once upon a time Weaver was a first round pick (No. 27 overall in 2014) and the headliner in the trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt to the Cardinals. The pedigree was there, but he missed a lot of time with injuries, and turning over a lineup multiple times had become a challenge. At this point in his career, the reliever role suits him well. Props to the Yankees for recognizing that and Weaver for making it work.

“Just being better at baseball, I guess,” Weaver joked when asked about his success this season (video). “... It is a little nicer to have (a defined role) at this point where you got an idea, you know what to expect, and then mentally you just kinda check in, then check out when you’re done.”

Stroman’s walks

For the first time since 2017 and only the second time in his career, Marcus Stroman has walked five batters in back-to-back starts. He’s walked 17 batters in his last 25 innings, and his season walk rate sits at 12.4%. It was 7.0% from 2021-23. It’s not the rookie catcher’s fault either. Stroman has a 14.9% walk rate in three starts with Jose Trevino and a 10.6% walk rate in four starts with Austin Wells.

“I’m not too bothered by (walking so many batters) to be honest with you, just because I’ve kept my team in a position to win. That’s the ultimate goal,” Stroman said after his five-walk outing Friday (video). “If it would have played out differently (and the Yankees lost), I probably would have been a little more bothered. Definitely have to be better. I know what I have to work on. I’m not worried about it.”

Most annoyingly, Stroman walked light-hitting Colt Keith (.152/.227/.172 and 17 wRC+) with the bases loaded after getting ahead in the count 0-2 to give Detroit their only run Friday. Here are his balls and called strikes that night. You can’t make the case Stroman wasn’t getting borderline pitches, and that’s why he walked so many hitters. He missed the zone by a good deal. The walks were deserved.

Those called strikes off the plate away to righties? Those are a Stroman specialty. At his excellent (and free!) Substack, Noah Woodward explained how and why Stroman uses his sinker on that side of the plate. It’s all about avoiding mistakes in the middle of the plate. But again, look at those pitch locations. Stroman didn’t just miss off the plate a few times. His misses missed by a lot.

Stroman is doing what he needs to do from a ground ball (57.3%) and weak contact (32.7% hard-hit rate) standpoint. That’s his game. His strikeout (21.7%) and swinging strike (9.1%) rates are right where they always are. He’s a weak ground ball pitcher and he’s getting weak ground balls. His walk rate has jumped though, especially of late. Right now I think it’s just a control slump, but this is a thing to keep an eye on.

“I gotta be better,” Stroman added (video). “Just lost my mechanics a bit. Lost my command. I’ll assess during these next five days, and I’ll definitely be better next time out. 

Berti returns, Cole throws off a mound

Welcome back, Jon Berti. Berti went 1-for-9 in three Double-A rehab games and was activated off the injured list Saturday. He went 1-for-2 with a walk in his first game back Sunday. I imagine Berti will go back to platooning with Oswaldo Cabrera at third base*, though the Yankees are tentatively scheduled to see all righty starters in their next nine games. Berti might get some starts against righties this week.

* Cabrera is down to .250/.285/.397 (95 wRC+), but he’s hitting .316/.325/.447 (120 wRC+) with runners in scoring position, so a) the few hits he’s gotten have been impactful, and b) he’s found a way to make it hard to be completely out on him. Just when you’re ready to move on, Cabrera drives in a few runs.

Taylor Trammell was DFAed to clear a roster spot for Berti. Trammell spent 14 days with the Yankees and went 1-for-1 with a walk, plus he pinch-ran and played defense late a few times. How can you DFA guy hitting 1.000/1.000/1.000 (436 wRC+)? Fire Cashman. Trammell has already been claimed off waivers twice this season, so we’ll see what happens. Wouldn’t be opposed to him clearing waivers and hanging around as a non-40-man roster player in Scranton.

The Trammell DFA means the Yankees have an open 40-man spot. That’ll get used on the next shuttle reliever or to activate Gerrit Cole off the 60-day injured list, whichever comes first. Probably a reliever. Cole, by the way, threw off a mound for the first time Saturday. Only 15 pitches, all fastballs at less than full effort, but Cole is back on the mound. The ace is one step closer to rejoining the rotation.

“This is a good day for me today. I was fired up this morning when I came in. I’ve just been missing it, so it’s nice to be back on the mound,” Cole told Greg Joyce after his throwing session. “... Obviously it’s a progression off the mound, but I got to see how the next 48 hours go before I decide when I’m going to get off the mound again.”

Miscellany

Sunday was the epitome of a “you have to get him early if you’re going to get him at all” game. Tarik Skubal is as good as it gets. Judge solo homer in the first, a run in the second inning thanks in part to two balls that landed juuust fair, and that was it. Skubal retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced, 10 via strikeout. Shoutout to Nestor Cortes for going toe-to-toe with him. Eight starts into the season, Nasty Nestor has a 3.72 ERA (3.16 FIP) and is averaging 6.04 innings per start. Works for me … It’s time to remove Ian Hamilton from high-leverage situations. It’s easier said than done because the Yankees play nothing but close games, but the man is struggling. He faced three batters Sunday:

• Spencer Torkelson: Double down the line in a 1-2 count (why was Berti playing off the line?)

• Colt Keith: Walked after a 2-2 count

• Javy Báez: RBI fielder’s choice after an 0-2 count

Báez will swing at the rosin bag if you throw it with two strikes, yet Hamilton couldn’t locate his slambio, and it was close enough to the zone for Báez to get his bat on it. Hamilton’s last 11 appearances: 11.2 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 9 BB, 6 K, 3 HBP. He’s also allowed six of 11 inherited runners to score. Weaver and Dennis Santana should be ahead of Hamilton on the righty setup depth chart. Hopefully the Yankees put some crooked numbers on the board soon and Hamilton can work through things with a nice big lead … And finally, Volpe’s inability to keep his helmet on while running the bases has reached Eduardo Núñez levels. Was it like this last season? I couldn’t have been. I feel like I would have noticed. Someone get that kid a chin strap.

Up next

Three games with the Astros, who I’m sure you remember the Yankees swept in four games in Houston to open the regular season. Does the Astros being as bad as they’ve been (12-22 with a -20 run differential) make that four-game sweep less impressive? Nope. The Astros are so bad because Juan Soto and the Yankees crushed their spirit. This week’s pitching matchups:

• Tuesday vs. Astros: RHP Luis Gil vs. RHP Justin Verlander (7pm ET)

• Wednesday vs. Astros: LHP Carlos Rodón vs. RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7pm ET)

• Thursday vs. Astros: RHP Marcus Stroman vs. RHP Ronel Blanco (5pm ET)

What’s with the 5pm start? The Yankees fly to Tampa and the Astros fly to Detroit after the game. Seems like the 5pm start is as close as they can get to prime time while adhering to the Collective Bargaining Agreement rules regarding getaway days and travel and whatnot. Weird start time. Whatever.

Yordan Alvarez enters the series in a 3-for-26 (.115) slump and he apparently feels so lost at the plate that he laid down a bunt (!) with two outs and the bases empty on Saturday (video). It was his third career bunt hit and only the eighth bunt attempt of his career. And with two outs and the bases empty? The guy's hit over 100 home runs the last three years. Just swing the bat. Chances are you're not gonna build a rally with two outs (the Astros did not score that inning).

Anyway, Alvarez is way too good to struggle much longer. He still scares the everloving crap out of me. Also, Josh Hader took the loss Sunday and has allowed 11 runs in 14.2 innings in 2024.

2. Arraez traded to San Diego. Yet another Marlins fire sale has begun. After making the postseason a year ago, albeit as an 84-win team with an unrepeatable 33-14 record in one-run games, Miami has thrown in the towel on this season three full months ahead of the trade deadline. Two-time reigning batting champ Luis Arraez (and cash) was shipped to the Padres for a four-player package Friday night.

“A left-handed bat was something that we did prioritize, and I think ultimately we talked about whether to wait or to go out and try to get one of the better ones that would probably be available and do it now. This will give us Luis Arraez for 140 games versus going and getting somebody else for 60 games,” Padres GM A.J. Preller told Michael Reynolds. “... This is one of those that just lined up both ways. Where we can add an elite talent and we can do it at a price that ultimately fits for us this year, and hopefully enables us to do some other things down the road.”

The Marlins hired POBO Peter Bendix away from the Rays and this is very much a Rays trade. For 1.8 years of Arraez, Miami received a high upside low minors lottery ticket and two potential role players who might play up if they optimize their usage to the nth degree like Tampa. Bendix & Co. like the package enough to make the trade now, rather than wait for a potential bidding war at the deadline.

“When we got this offer on Luis – for a tremendous amount of young talent that we really think is going to be very helpful for us long-term – it was just something we couldn't walk past,” Bendix told Alex Espinoza. “… (Eating money) unlocked better prospects. A much better baseball package for us, something that we think is going to pay off tenfold in the future with these better players.”

Alden Gonzalez says the Marlins are paying Arraez’s $10.6M salary down to the prorated league minimum. They ate Arraez’s salary, took on an unwanted contract, traded Arraez months before the deadline, and didn’t get a tippy top prospect in return. That reflects the way Arraez is valued within the game, not the Marlins making a dumb trade. Here is the best Yankees equivalent to the trade package:

• OF Dillon Head: IF George Lombard Jr. (2023 first round pick)

• OF Jakob Marsee: OF Everson Pereira? (future role player with the tools to be more)

• 1B/OF Nathan Martorella: 1B/C Ben Rice (Double-A masher with limited defensive value)

• RHP Woo-Suk Go: LHP Caleb Ferguson? (salary dump)

Lombard for Head is straightforward and so is Rice for Martorella. They’re both lefty bat-over-glove players who fit best at first base, though you hope they can contribute elsewhere (Martorella in the outfield, Rice at catcher). The Yankees don’t have a good equivalent to Marsee. Marsee is in Double-A and almost a full year older than Pereira, who is in Triple-A. Both can defend but have questions about their bat. 

The Padres signed Go, a top reliever in KBO, to a two-year deal worth $4.5M this past offseason, then they got a look at him in Spring Training. Not only did he not make the Opening Day roster, they sent him to Double-A rather than Triple-A. Go hasn’t been particularly effective at that level either. Bad signing by the Padres, though good work finding a way to quickly unload an unwanted player.

Arraez, 27, was hitting .299/.347/.372 (109 wRC+) at the time of the trade, though he went 7-for-36 (.194) in his first nine games, and has been on an Arraezian rampage since (.348/.371/.429 and 130 wRC+). He’s such a unique player. He’s the best bat-to-ball guy and AVG hitter in the game. He also has no power, doesn’t walk, is a terrible defender, and is slow. So much bright red and dark blue:

You could argue the Yankees don’t need an Arraez type. He wouldn’t just fail to address the porous infield defense and lack of speed, he’d make those problems worse. At the same time, Arraez is a rare hitter with a freakish hit tool. He would give the Yankees a legit leadoff hitter and they could play him at first base, second base, and DH. And maybe even third base, a position he played as recently as 2022.

The Yankees could have hid Arraez defensively – he’s somehow at -8 OAA in only 289 innings at second base this year – by giving him infield starts behind their fly ball pitchers (Nestor Cortes, Luis Gil, and Carlos Rodón). There is also 2025 to consider. Arraez is under team control next year and could have stepped in at second base or first base, depending what happens with Anthony Rizzo. Eh, whatever.

The trade signals the Marlins are open for business and that’s how it’s most relevant to the Yankees. Miami is not good at all, and they are lacking desirable trade pieces. Jesús Luzardo didn’t look so great when the Yankees faced him a few weeks ago, and now he’s out with an elbow injury. Those things are probably related. The conversation about Luzardo as a potential trade target is on hold because of the injury.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is tooled up beyond belief, but four years into his career, it’s looking more and more like the approach and contact issues put a ceiling on his production. The juice might not be worth the squeeze. Josh Bell could work as a DH candidate, I suppose. Changeup specialist Edward Cabrera is healthy and slinging the ball, with a 35.3% strikeout rate and 54.5% ground ball rate.

If the Yankees and Marlins hook up for a trade, it will likely be for a reliever. Rental Tanner Scott has walked 14 batters in 13 innings, though there is always a market for lefties who throw 100 mph. Righty Anthony Bender and lefty Andrew Nardi have ugly ERAs but bat-missing, analytics-friendly stuff, and they come with multiple years of control. They’re the kinda coach-up-able relievers the Yankees tend to target.

With this being an all-in year (in theory), I say the Yankees should’ve gone after Arraez, as imperfect a fit as he is. You can never have enough .300 hitters and the Yankees need a leadoff hitter, and there’s a decent chance Arraez is the best hitter traded this summer. Arraez may be an AVG-only player, but AVG is important, and there are still too many dead spots in the lineup. Alas and alack, to San Diego he went.

3. Prospect thoughts. At 23-9 (.719), Triple-A Scranton has the fourth highest winning percentage in the minors, trailing three teams at the lower levels that have played 20% fewer games because their seasons started a week later. The RailRiders have won six straight games and 10 of their last 11 games. Triple-A seasons like this tend to happen when the roster is loaded with journeyman veterans rather than prospects still trying to find their way, and yeah, that's the case with Scranton. RHP Clayton Beeter, RHP Yoendrys Gómez, RHP Cody Morris, OF Everson Pereira, and RHP Will Warren are the only Top 30 Prospects on the active roster. Anyway, here are a few quick prospect thoughts.

Cowles breaking out (maybe? possibly?)

IF Ben Cowles, a tenth round pick in 2021, has had an incredible start to the season. Cowles is hitting .344/.421/.591 (183 wRC+) with a solid 12.3% swinging strike rate and nearly as many walks (11.2%) as strikeouts (15.2%) through 16 games with Double-A Somerset. His 15 extra-base hits (10 doubles, two doubles, three homers) lead all minor leaguers below Triple-A.

The folks at MLB.com moved Cowles into their top 30 Yankees prospects list after IF Keiner Delgado was sent to the Pirates to complete the JT Brubaker trade last week. Here’s a chunk of their write-up:

A right-handed hitter, Cowles doesn't have a standout offensive tool but can do a little bit of everything. He drives balls in the air, has enough pull power to provide 15 or more homers per season and draws a fair amount of walks. He has some swing-and-miss issues that persisted through Single-A and High-A but is doing a much better job of making in-zone contact in 2024.

While Cowles has average speed, he can play faster at times and is an opportunistic basestealer. He has bounced around the infield as a pro, showing sure hands and an average arm at both middle-infield spots while being much more erratic at third base. He draws praise for his work ethic and baseball IQ.

As a late round pick breaking out in Double-A, the obvious comparison is C/1B Ben Rice, though poking around and asking folks in the know, Rice is too lofty a comp for Cowles. Rice makes much better swing decisions and has more power/ability to elevate. There are reasons to believe the Cowles breakout though. He tweaked a few things with his swing and has cut down on his swings and misses.

A year ago Cowles, 24, slashed .254/.356/.393 (109 wRC+) with a 27.5% strikeout rate in a full season with High-A Hudson Valley. He had 30 extra-base hits all season. He already has 15 this year, so it’s more power and more contact while moving up a level. This is a “Cowles is on the radar now” notice more than a “the breakout is on” declaration. A month into the season, the signs are encouraging.

FCL Yankees begin season

The rookie Florida Complex League Yankees opened their season Saturday. MLB and the 30 teams agreed to move the rookie ball season up for several reasons, including concerns about there not being enough pitching to run the leagues late into the summer. The FCL season used to run from early June through late August. Now it’s early May through late July. They moved it up a month, basically.

There are five Top 30 Prospects on the FCL roster: LHP Henry Lalane (No. 7), OF Brando Mayea (No. 10), RHP Carlos Lagrange (No. 17), RHP Sabier Marte (No. 24), and RHP Jordarlin Mendoza (No. 27). Also Not Top 30 Prospect RHP Chalniel Arias and Prospect to Know C Edgleen Perez. Arias and Mayea are on the injured list, however. I do not know what’s wrong with them or how long they will be sidelined.

Also on the roster: Rougned Odor. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal a few weeks ago and he hasn’t played since. He’s on the FCL injured list, so he must’ve gotten hurt while working out in Tampa and getting ready to join Triple-A Scranton. No reason Odor hasn’t played yet otherwise. Here are a few others worth knowing on the FCL roster:

RHP Angel Benitez: One of last year’s Prospects to Know. Benitez had Tommy John surgery in either September or October of 2022, spent last year rehabbing, and now he’s ready to return to game action. He allowed a run in 1.1 innings in the Opening Day start. Benitez is a big boy (6-foot-7 and 204 lbs.) and he was mid-to-upper-90s with a good changeup before his elbow gave out. He’s still only 20.

RHP Omar Gonzalez: One of last year’s Not Top 30 Prospects. He hurt his shoulder late in 2022 and the injury carried over to 2023 (11 runs in 11 Dominican Summer League innings after returning). Gonzalez is healthy now and I’m curious to hear what his stuff looks like. He piggybacked with Benitez on Opening Day and allowed two runs in 2.1 innings. Before the shoulder injury, Gonzalez was low-90s with a changeup, a curveball, and a slider.

OF Gabriel Terrero: Terrero is a candidate to be the next IF Keiner Delgado or IF Enmanuel Tejeda, meaning a diminutive (5-foot-6 and 169 lbs.) high contact middle infielder who tears up rookie ball and puts himself on the prospect map. The 18-year-old switch-hitter slashed .299/.407/.533 (146 wRC+) in the DSL last year. Terrero was a $100,000 international signing in January 2023.

DH Josh Tiedemann: Drafted as a two-way player, Tiedemann has only DHed in his three games as a pro (two last year and one this year), though he was listed as a pitcher on a Spring Training lineup card. That’s the closest we’ve gotten to confirmation that he’s still doing the two-way thing. Tiedemann is not a tippy top prospect or anything, though it would be fun to have a legit two-way prospect to follow.

C Engelth Urena: Urena was one of my Not Top 30 Prospects last year, then he missed the entire 2023 season with left knee surgery. He’s only 19 and he’s new to catching (he was an outfielder as an amateur), so Urena is a long-term project. A 2022 hand injury and the 2023 knee injury have limited him to 11 pro games. In his limited time on the field, Urena showed impressive bat-to-ball skills and contact quality.

RHP Bryce Warrecker, last year’s 20th round pick, is on the FCL roster as well. You may remember his sweeper going viral in Spring Training. Warrecker is a 6-foot-8 sweeper monster. He’s also a soon-to-be 23-year-old who played three years at Cal Poly. Those guys usually don’t find themselves in rookie ball. That indicates the Yankees don’t view him as a priority prospect, fun GIFs aside.

Miscellany

RHP Chase Hampton has started throwing, Aaron Boone told Chris Kirschner. Hampton is out with what was initially reported as a UCL sprain, though I’ve also seen it reported as a shoulder injury, so who really knows. He is throwing though, according to the manager. I take that to mean Hampton is on a throwing program and still weeks from appearing in a game … Two weeks ago I mentioned OF Jared Wegner hit a home run with a 116 mph exit velocity, and that there had only been three balls hit that hard in the big leagues up to that point. Well, Wegner bested himself last week. He hit a 117 mph homer (video). There have been only three 117 mph batted balls in MLB so far this season (two by Shohei Ohtani). Wegner, last year’s ninth rounder, is hitting .246/.342/.464 (130 wRC+) with three homers in Double-A. He turns 25 in July and is probably just a righty platoon corner outfielder, but the power is legit … Speaking of homers, IF Jared Serna had a three-homer game last week (video). There’s usually one or two three-homer games in the system each year (3B Tyler Hardman did it last July), but still, pretty cool. Serna, my No. 22 prospect, is hitting .244/.358/.477 (138 wRC+) with five homers and more walks (15.1%) than strikeouts (11.3%) in High-A this year … And finally, OF Spencer Jones had his first bad week of 2024. He went 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts last week. Woof. His season batting line sits at .250/.311/.412 (106 wRC+) with a 32.4% strikeout rate. Jones is gonna have weeks like that. Just hope he keeps it to a bad week rather than letting it snowball into a bad month. Jones spoke to Sam Dykstra about his adjustments at the plate recently, so check that out.

(Send your requests for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com. The random Yankee series is on hiatus, but feel free to send in requests for when it returns.)