DotF: Torrens’ big game helps Staten Island to 4-0 start

Some notes:

• Big news: the Staten Island Yankees are re-branding for next season. You can submit a nickname suggestion right here. MLB doesn’t seem to want minor league teams sharing nicknames with their parent clubs, so they’ve been “encouraging” affiliates to change names.
• The Yankees have signed OF Connor Oliver out of the independent Frontier League and assigned him to High-A Tampa, the team announced. Oliver, 22, spent a few years in the Braves’ system. He was hitting .337/.386/.652 with six homers in 24 games for the Lake Erie Crushers.
• OF Jake Skole has been promoted from High-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton, the team announced. Skole, the 15th overall pick in the 2010 draft, has 166 games of Double-A experience.
• Chad Jennings put together a great rundown of the top players at each position in the farm system this year, so make sure you check that out.

Both Triple-A Scranton and Double-A Trenton had scheduled off-days.

High-A Tampa (9-1 loss to Daytona)

• SS Jorge Mateo: 0-4
• 3B Thairo Estrada: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
• RF Austin Aune: 0-4, 2 K
• 2B Abi Avelino: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 E (fielding) — four homers in 63 games this year after hitting four in 123 games last year
• RHP Will Carter: 5.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 5/0 GB/FB — 59 of 88 pitches were strikes (67%)
• RHP Gabe Encinas: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 WP, 1/1 GB/FB — 29 of 45 pitches were strikes (64%) … first time in ten appearances this year he’s had more strikeouts than walks

Low-A Charleston is off until Thursday for the All-Star break. The All-Star Game is tomorrow night in Lexington. Five Yankees farmhands were named to the South Division team: RHP Daris Vargas, RHP Andrew Schwaab, RHP Christian Morris, LHP Nestor Cortes, and RHP Cody Carroll. Here are the North and South rosters.

Short Season Staten Island (5-1 win over Aberdeen) they are a perfect 4-0 so far this season, including one 20-inning win and one combined ten-inning no-hitter

• 2B Chris Godinez: 1-4, 1 K
• C Luis Torrens: 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B — 5-for-12 (.417) with two walks and one strikeout in the early going
• DH Kane Sweeney: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K
• 1B Drew Bridges: 2-3, 1 BB, 2 E (fielding, throwing)
• 3B Mandy Alvarez: 0-1, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB — he’s been on base six times in three games so far
• RHP Freicer Perez: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HB, 6/2 GB/FB — 56 of 77 pitches were strikes (73%) … the 6-foot-8 20-year-old was a late signing as part of the 2014-15 international signing period
• LHP Justin Kamplain: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0/2 GB/FB — 20 of 30 pitches were strikes … career 175/51 K/BB in 186.1 innings for the 2014 18th rounder

Rookie Pulaski begins their season this Thursday. The roster was released today. The notables: IF Wilkerman Garcia, IF Dermis Garcia, LHP Jeff Degano, RHP Nick Nelson, and OF Estevan Florial. That’s going to be a fun affiliate to watch. Good to see Wilkerman is healthy. He missed time with a shoulder issue in Spring Training and is the best prospect on the Pulaski roster.

Rookie GCL Yanks East & West begin their seasons this Friday. The rosters have not yet been announced, but based on the process of elimination, guys like C Donny Sands, IF Nelson Gomez, OF Juan DeLeon, IF Diego Castillo, C Miguel Flames, OF Brayan Emery, and RHP Gilmael Troya will be in the GCL this year. They aren’t listed on any other rosters. A big wave of 2014-15 international signees are coming stateside this year. (Sands was drafted as a third baseman last year before converting to catcher.)