Yankees Minor League Baseball Blog

Phil Coke didn’t take the loss but he was hit hard none the less.  He gave up six runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts in five innings.  Michael Gardner gave up two runs in two innings of shutout relief and he fell to 0-1.

Chris Malec and Cody Ehlers both homered and drove in two runs in the 8-7 loss.  Jose Tabata doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored once.

Kevin Goldstein recently released his list of the top eleven Yankee prospects and there’s little surprise that Joba Chamberlain is at the top of the list.  The guy ascended all the way from High A Tampa all the way to the Yankee bullpen in what can only be called the fast track and I was happy to hear his future is in the rotation. 

Ian Kennedy pretty much followed Chamberlain through the minor league system and into the majors and he comes in at number two.  Like Chamberlain, he’s a major league ready starter and we should see him in the rotation in 2008.   This is assuming he’s still with the team because he appears to be one of the team’s big bargaining chips in a blockbuster trade.

Austin Jackson is the highest rated position player and he comes in at number three.  Jackson is probably a year away but he could be the heir apparant to Johnny Damon out in centerfield.  He followed up a solid 2007 season with a solid stint in the Hawaiian Winter Baseball League.  He’ll probably play in Trenton to start the 2008 season but him ending things with a cup of coffee with the Yankees.

Jose Tabata and Alan Horne round out the top five.  2007 first round draft pick, Andrew Brackman, is listed as the eighth best prospect and he’ll miss all of 2008 after he had Tommy John surgery in August.  One of the top guys last year, Humberto Sanchez, fell all the way to eleventh with his injury concerns.

Brett Smith took the loss in this game and while he did give up four runs in the first inning, the loss was more of a team effort by the pitching staff.  Two relievers were shelled for at least three runs a piece as well.  Smith fell to 0-2 and he gave up the four runs on five hits and three walks with a strikeout in just three innings of work.

Jose Tabata and Edwar Gonzalez led the way at the plate for the Yankees in the loss.  They both had two singles and two runs.  Jason Giambi continued his rehab and he went one for three with a walk.

Phil Coke dropped to 6-2 on the season in a rough start in Tampa’s 7-2 loss to Clearwater.  He gave up six runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts in four innings.

Tampa hitters managed just six hits in the loss.  Jose Tabata singled, drove in a run and drew a walk.

Jose Tabata doubled home Austin Jackson in the top of the tenth inning as Tampa edged St. Lucie 3-2.  Edwar Gonzalez provided the rest of the Yankees offense in the third inning on a two run single.

Joshua Schmidt improved to 4-0 with 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief.  Kevin Whelan continued to make progress after his demotion with a nice start.  He gave up one run on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings.

Jose Tabata singled home Reegie Corona in the top of the eleventh inning as Tampa got just enough to beat Daytona 7-6 in eleven innings.  Austin Jackson helped out a ton with a great day at the plate.  He went three for five with a walk and three runs.

Joshua Schmidt picked up the win with 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief.  He gave up a hit and he struck out four.

Tampa came back from a 5-2 deficit to beat Lakeland 7-6.  Jose Tabata had just one hit but the drove in three runs while Reegie Corona went three for four with two runs.

Anthony Claggett picked up his first win for Tampa and he improved to 1-5 on the season.  He gave up five runs on nine hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings.

Tampa hitters couldn’t push a single base runner across the plate in their 2-0 loss to Fort Myers.  Jose Tabata was the only Yankee with two hits and he went two for four.

Jose Valdez took the loss and he fell to 3-1 on the season.  He gave up both runs and he struck out five in 2 2/3 relief innings.

It wasn’t pretty, but Colin Curtis and Juan Miranda scored on a throwing error in the fourteenth inning and that gave Tampa the runs they needed to beat Fort Myers 6-4 in fourteen innings.  Curtis finished the game with two runs.  Jose Tabata two for five with two RBIs.

Mike Martinez picked up the win with three shutout innings of relief.  He improved to 2-2 on the season and he gave up two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

Jose Tabata singled home Reegie Corona in the bottom of the eleventh to win it for Tampa in their 7-6 win over Brevard County.  He finished game with two hits and he drove in two runs.  James Cooper also had a nice game and he went four for five with a homerun and two runs.

Joshua Schmidt picked up the win with three shutout innings of relief.  He gave up two hits and a walk with five strikeouts and the win improves his record to 2-0 on the season.

Juan Miranda had a big day at the plate in Tampa’s 4-3 win over Brevard County.  He went three for four with two doubles, two RBIs and a run.  Jose Tabata went three for four with a run.

Joba Chamberlain had another huge start.  He gave up three runs on five hits and two walks with ten strikeouts.  The win improves his record to 3-0 on the season and the ten strikeouts is a season high.  He has yet to give up a homerun this year.

Ian Kennedy got it done again and he improved to 6-1 with seven shutout innings.  He gave up just two hits and a walk and he struck out eight.  It might be time to push Kennedy up to Trenton because he’s proved about all he can at the High Class A level.  His only loss was his very first start and he’s struck out 64 in 58 innings and he sports a 1.29 ERA. 

Jose Tabata was the hitting star in the win.  He went three for four with two runs and two RBIs.

Tampa jumped out to a 9-2 lead but the bullpen faltered.  Fortunately, the closest Vero Beach got was 9-8 and the Yankees still walked away with the win.  Juan Miranda had a monster day at the plate.  He went three for four with a double, two homeruns, four RBIs and two runs.  Jose Tabata went four for five and he scored twice.

Kei Igawa picked up the win.  He gave up two runs on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in five innings of work.

Ian Kennedy once again got it done in another fantastic start.  He gave up five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in seven shutout innings and the win improves his record to 5-1.  He’s struck out 20 batters in his last two starts to bring his season total up to 56 in 51.  I think it’s about time we find out what Kennedy can do in Trenton although I wouldn’t blame the organization if they held off until things warmed up.

Jose Tabata was the hitting star.  He went two for four with an RBI in the 2-0 win.

Jeff Karstens held Clearwater to three hits and a walk with five strikeouts in five innings of work in Tampa’s 3-0 win. Ian Kennedy picked up the win in relief and he gave up just a single hit in three innings.

Jose Tabata continued to hit the ball very well. He went two for four with a triple and two RBIs.  The two hits raised his batting average to an even .400 on the season.

Bryan Villalona was hit hard in Tampa’s 6-3 loss to Sarasota.  He gave up five runs in just four innings and he dropped to 1-2 on the season.

Jose Tabata was the hitting star in the loss.  He went three for five with a double and an RBI.  He’s hitting .389 on the year and he has 14 hits in 10 games.

Tampa lost a tough one today and nobody felt it worse then started George Kontos.  He took the loss despite giving up just two runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings of work.

Jose Tabata was the Yankees offense in the 3-1 loss.  He went two for three with a walk and he drove in the only run with a solo homer.

Ian Kennedy definitely got it done tonight as he struck out eight in five innings in the Tampa Yankees win over Lakeland.  He gave up just one run on two hits and two walks in the 3-2 pitchers duel.

Jose Tabata was very good with the stick.  The 19 year old went three for four with a triple and a run.  Colin Curtis singled, drew a walk and scored.

The Yankees are pretty well represented on Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list.  Of course Phillip Hughes is near the top at number four.  Further down the list is outfield prospect Jose Tabata at 27, Humberto Sanchez landed at number 57, Joba Chamberlain was 75 and just making the cut is Dellin Betances at 100.

That’s a solid crop.  You figure an average team should have about three guys on there and for the Yankees to have three in the top 60 is particularly impressive.