The Yankees‘ Double-A Somerset Patriots took the field as the Jersey Diners on this gorgeous Thursday night, as they would face off against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, who took the field as the Southern Tier Shortcakes.
Binghamton, who clinched a playoff berth by winning the North Eastern League division in the first half, has been rolling since the All-Star Break, but so has Somerset.
With Carlos Lagrange taking the mound and George Lombard Jr. at shortstop, Somerset had quite the formidable group going up against one of the best teams in the Eastern League.
After an early 3-0 lead, Somerset would stumble during the middle innings to fall behind Binghamton, eventually dropping the contest 5-4 in nine innings.
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Carlos Lagrange’s Up-And-Down Outing Against Resilient Binghamton Offense
Ranked as the no. 3 prospect in the Yankees’ organization in our most recent top-30 update, you saw both the tantalizing highs and frustrating lows of a Carlos Lagrange outing.
The right-hander hit triple-digits numerous times against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, picking up seven strikeouts and allowing just two hits.
His cutter, changeup, and sweeper all had moments of excellence, but he would spiral in the fifth inning with two walks and two balks, allowing all three of his earned runs then.
Lagrange finished with 4.1 innings, three earned runs, five walks, seven strikeouts, and two hit batsmen in the outing, as he was inconsistent but still kept the Rumble Ponies from barreling him up.
There’s real reliever risk here, but the upside as a power pitcher could make him dominant even if the Yankees have to move him into a 1-2 inning role.
He’s also crossed the 90-inning threshold for the first time in his career, and the Yankees might be seeing him run out of gas as we get into August.
Yankees Starting to See Impressive Power From George Lombard Jr.
The consensus top prospect in the Yankees’ organization left the yard in his first at-bat of the day, blasting a 100 MPH home run to right field to make it 1-0.
The batting average and BABIP aren’t great, but he’s hitting the ball with more authority in Double-A and there are signs of a potential breakout.
He has generated some solid contact at times that doesn’t always end up dropping for a hit, and he hasn’t seen his defense or baserunning slump during this power surge.
George Lombard Jr. has hit four home runs in his last 17 games with three doubles and a triple, as he’s slugging .478 with a .775 OPS, which is very impressive considering the average SLG% in the Eastern League is .360.
In fact, his ISO is now above the Eastern League average, and while there are some aspects of his approach I’d like him to work on (namely consistent pulled contact in the air), he’s been better than people think.
Don’t get fooled by a bad average or OPS; the Eastern League is a nightmare to hit in, and TD Bank Ballpark has been extremely pitcher-friendly this season.
Overlooked Outfielder Continues to Mash In Somerset
Jace Avina (no. 20 prospect) picked up two more hits, a liner and a bloop hit that fell in no man’s land between first base and right field.
The right-handed hitting outfielder has come up to Somerset and immediately provided a nice punch to an offense that has clicked in the second half.
Avina was acquired after the 2023 season when the team traded Jake Bauers to the Milwaukee Brewers, and he’s the only remaining player inside the organization from that trade.
Brian Sanchez, also acquired for Bauers, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the package that landed the Yankees closer David Bednar.
He owns a 135 wRC+ and .368 OBP across 18 games at the Double-A level, with his contact rate increasing by over 10% since moving up from High-A.
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