Wednesday’s News & Notes
| Rochester | Won, 7-6 | @ Worcester, 6:05pm | Champlain (4-0, 3.00) vs. Bennett (2-2, 1.85) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 8-4 | vs. Akron, 6:30pm | Campbell (0-0, 0.00) vs Van Scoyoc (4-1, 2.03) |
| Wilmington | Won, 4-0 | vs. Jersey Shore, 6:35pm | Lyon (0-1, 1.56) vs. Beckel (1-1, 3.05) |
| Fredericksburg | Won, 3-1 | @ Fayetteville, 6:35pm | Sullivan (1-1, 9.00) vs. Potter (0-0, 2.45) |
| FCL Nationals | Won, 4-3; Won, 4-1 |
OFF DAY |
Rochester 7 Worcester 6
• Lara (W, 2-2) 5IP, 4H, 3R, 2ER, 3BB, 3K
• Tolman (SV, 3) 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Morales 3-5, 3R, 2B, HR(10), 2RBI
• King 2-3, RBI, E
• Hassell 2-4, RBI
The Red Wings over came deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to build a 6-3 after five and held off the (ugh) Woo Sox for a 7-6 win in the series opener. Andry Lara won for the second time with three runs let in (two earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out three. After Zak Kent nearly gave it away in the 7th, Zach Penrod cordero’d around a pair of baserunners to get the hold as did Erik Tolman in the 9th to earn the save. Yoyo Morales, who had an eight-game hit streak stopped on Sunday, posted his eighth three-hit game of the season – including his 10th HR while Seaver King singled twice and drove in a run… and committed his 11th error (shhh). Roster moves: 1B Andrés Chapparro, OF Dylan Crews recalled to Washington; 3B Brady House, OF Joey Weimer optioned from Washington.
Akron 8 Harrisburg 4
• Ogasawara 6IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 3BB, 6K
• Huff (BS, 2; L, 3-2) ⅓ IP, 3H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 0K, HR
• Petersen 2-3, 2R, BB, 2HR, 3RBI, SB, E
• Wallace 2-4, R
Shinnosuke Ogasawara tossed six innings of one-run ball on two hits and three walks while striking out six. That was three fewer than Harrisburg needed as the ‘Ducks made foie gras out of the Senators relievers with a seven-run 8th to win, 8-4. Chance Huff was lit up for the second straight appearance, charged with another blown-save-loss after retiring one (1) of seven batters faced, as the rest came around to score. Sam Petersen homered twice, including back-to-back in the bottom of the 9th with Marcus Brown as the two accounted for all four Harrisburg runs. Roster moves: RHP Billy Sullivan assigned from Washington (MLFA); 1B Sam Brown activated from the 7-Day I.L.
Wilmington 4 Jersey Shore 0
• Tejeda Jr.(W, 1-2) 6IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 7K
• Huizi 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Green 2-3, BB, 2B, 2SB
• Fitz-Gerald 1-3, BB, 2RBI
A nearly two-hour delay didn’t affect the Blue Rocks pitchers as four of them combined to shut out the BlueClaws, 4-0 on three hits. Yoel Tejeda Jr. went six full and post his first win and his first quality start with all three Jersey Shore hits allowed plus one walk and seven K’s. Adam Boucher, Yeuris Jimenez, and Eiker Huizi closed it out with a scoreless inning each. Elijah Green reached base three times on a walk, single, and a double, and stole two bases while Devin Fitz-Gerald walked and a hit a two-run single to power the Wilmington offense.
Fredericksburg 3 Fayetteville 1
• Fischer 3⅔ IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 7K
• Huesman (W, 1-0) 2⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K, 1-0 IR-S
• Rojas (SV, 3) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Moroknek 1-3, BB, RBI, OF assist @ 3B
• D. Tejeda 1-3, BB, E
Fredericksburg was outhit 7-4 but not outscored as the FredNats downed the Woodpeckers, 3-1. Carson Fischer was lifted after 69 pitches and three and 2/3rds innings after letting in the Fayetteville run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven. Levi Huesman stranded a runner getting out of the 4th and pitched a scoreless 5th to get the win. After Julian Tonghini put up two goose eggs for the hold, Cesar Rojas got his third save with a donut in the 9tn while striking out the side. Jack Moroknek and Dashyll Tejeda both reached base twice on a single and a walk while Luke Dickerson and Coy James both drew a pair of walks and scored a run to lead the Fredericksburg offense. Roster moves:RHP Jonah Conradt placed on the 7-day I.L.; SS Manuel Cabrera reassigned from the FCL; RHP Bryce Montes de Oca MiLB rehab transferred from the FCL.
FCL Nationals 4 FCL Cardinals 3 (8 inn.) – GM. 1
• J. Robles 2⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 5K
• C. Sanchez 2⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 2K
• Figueroa (W, 1-1) 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• N. De La Cruz 3-4, SB, CS
• Obispo 3-4, R, 2-2B, RBI, CS
The F-Nats erased a 3-1 deficit with single runs in the 4th and 6th to tie and another in the 8th to walk ’em off, 4-3. Jean Robles was dinged for all three F-Card runs on three hits and two walks but did strike out five. Three relievers combined for five and 1/3rd scoreless, with C/RHP Edgardo Figueroa getting the last five outs to earn his first pro win. Nauris De La Cruz singled three times and stole a base while Juan Obispo doubled twice, singled once and score a run to pace the FCL Nationals offense.
FCL Nationals 4 FCL Cardinals 1 – GM. 2
• Ju. Lopez 3IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
• Schoff (W, 1-0) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Cox (SV, 2) 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• N. De La Cruz 1-3, R, RBI, 2SB
• Arias 1-2, R,
In the “aftercap,” the FCL Nationals took advantage of an error and got both of their hits in the bottom of the 3rd to score all four runs, which the F-Nats ‘pen made stand up for a 4-1 win and a doubleheader sweep. Juan Lopez gave up a run on a homer and two hits total in as the starter. Tyler Schoff put up two goose eggs to get the “W” while Brenner Cox did the same to earn his second save.
Morales is making is harder and harder to ignore him with these performances.
Finally, a pretty good slate of SP outings. Tejeda’s been alternating good and bad outings all season, and after a bit of a stinker last week, he’s kept that routine going. Here’s to hoping his next outing breaks that cycle.
Carson Fischer has been pretty good all season, but he’s 23, pitching against mostly teenagers. It’s hard to know whether there’s talent there or he’s just a slightly bigger fish in a small pond. We won’t know until he gets challenged at a more age appropriate level. Still, good stuff for a UDFA.
It’s interesting that there hasn’t been more upward movement from Wilmington to Harrisburg with several guys getting promoted/reassigned to Rochester (King, of course, but Luke Young and Holden Powell too), with only Cranz getting promoted in that time. It’s good to see Sam Brown back after the minimum time on the IL, but I’m disappointed that that didn’t make space for Petry.
Yoyo has already banged down the door. The only thing stopping him are the security guards.
Lara keep doing your five IP outings !!
Manuel Cabrera welcome to the ( sweet ) Carolina league ( bah bah bah ) sunlight never felt so good
Marcus Brown play some funky leather with the King in upstate NEw York
Ripping off natteringnabob’s leaderboards, here’s the current HR leaders in our org:
1. Devin Fitz-Gerald, 11
2. Yohandy Morales, 10
3. Cayden Wallace, Ethan Petry, 9
5. Elijah Green, Trey Lipscomb(!), 8
7. Sam Petersen, Yeremy Cabrera, Ronny Cruz, 7
10. Andres Chaparro, TJ White, 6
Then Crews, Peoples, King, Moroknek, Walsh and James tied with 5.
I can’t stress enough how much of a remarkable turnaround this is for the org. We’re at the 40 game mark (46 for AAA), which is around the quarter/third mark on the season, meaning everyone in the top 11 is on pace for over 20 HR, and the 6 at 5 HR (not to mention 4 more on 4 HR) are also in the mix to hit 20. If 10+ guys could hit 20 HR this season, that would be insane.
Last year, only 2 players in the entire org hit 20+ HR (Schnell and Pinckney – only 10 even hit double digits!). In 2024, only one (Blankenhorn) and in 2023 two (Blankenhorn and Wood). This org has been utterly incapable of teaching players to hit for power, and almost overnight that has changed. It’s remarkable and huge credit to Toboni and the coaching staff he’s hired.
Jean Harlow read a book
Elijah Green didn’t strike out
Young Turks took Billy Sullivan from 1919 and “ young Frankensteined “ him ?
He’s alive in Harrisburg !
lol !
Way to go manny C
Realize that everyone who follows the Nats organization has been done with Elijah Green for awhile. But…
Is it possible that the new front office is starting to turn things around for him?
Green’s K rate (which is an anchor around his neck) is down in May; it’s still too high. Elijah has stolen 13 of 14 bags, he has 8 HRs while playing in the hardest park in the organization to go deep, and he is a legit CF. Oh yeah, Green is still only 22.
Seems like all of us are trying to ignore him, but his talent remaing intriguing.
I think his other tools are so loud that, as long as he’s suiting up, he’ll never be completely off the radar, but he’s just an interesting non-prospect for me and he will be unless he can drastically improve his contact rates.
I mean, he’s still in A ball, he’s not young for his level, and even in your cherry picked sample of less than 3 weeks, he’s still striking out more than 40% of the time. That’s not someone who can make it work a la Joey Gallo. When Gallo was 22, btw, he was in AAA and running a K% under 35%. Also he had a wRC+ of 136 vs Green’s 79 in A+.
He’s a talented athlete, and never say never, but do not get your hopes up.
That’s fair. Just a two counterpoints:
– According to Baseball Reference, Green is slightly young for A+ Ball. That said, this is Green’s 5th pro season (seems like more), and he is still in A+ Ball.
– Green’s K rate stats aren’t “cherry picked”, just used his April stats versus his May stats as MILB’s provides monthly splits.
One other thing, it does seem like the current front office is intrigued by Green as they have no responsibility/liability for him, and there are a ton of position player prospects in the system now. If they thought Green was a lost cause, he wouldn’t be getting the ABs right now, and he is.
Fair enough on cherry picking. “The most recent monthly split” is a perfectly natural pull. Withdrawn.
But I’d consider being 0.1 years younger than league average more “league average” than “slightly young”. YMMV
Whom do you have him blocking? I’m seeing Vaquero (who may be hurt – he hasn’t played in 3 weeks) and Teo Banks. So, yes, I agree the new FO sees more upside in Green than Banks. That’s not nothing, but it’s not a lot.
Agree.
Going into this season, thought there was a decent chance that the new administration might release Green in Spring Training. Given the strong uptick across the organization in production with the new regime, maybe even the biggest lost cause is salvagable. Not predicting it, but it’s worth a follow.
So what is there about Yo-Yo’s game that gets no love?
FWIW in his chat on FG last Friday Eric Longenhagen had this to say about YoYo: “right right 1B only defender with no launch, 30-grade contact rate against fastballs. Late a lot of the time. Fringe guy.”
Hey Luke! I can’t find a Billy Sullivan signing anywhere for the Big Board work … did he come from an indy league?
From the Lancaster Stormers of the Atlantic League.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sulliv004bil
Also, looking at the Big Board, maybe these transactions aren’t reflected (they are on the list of “WSH transactions” on the rochester website
05/11/26 Fredericksburg Nationals released RHP Brayan Romero.
05/11/26 Wilmington Blue Rocks released RHP Anthony Arguelles.
05/11/26 Wilmington Blue Rocks released RHP Anthony Arguelles.
Oh wow. Arguelles is a bit of a surprise. He was actually pretty good last season. He was getting up there in the years (26 in August), but he had a career 2.99 ERA. That’s quite good! Hope it was his decision and not the org’s.
Was Brayan Romero the one that BA ranked in their top Nats prospects list last year? Well, he’ll always have that inexplicable moment in his career. Best of luck to both of them!
I’ve noticed MiLB is back up to their old trick of back-dating releases in-season. Still better than when a guy would go to XST and never be heard from again.