DotF: Florial triples in Tampa’s Opening Day win

At long last, the 2018 minor league season is underway. Three of the four full season affiliates opened their 144-game schedule this evening. Here are some notes before we get to the games:

• In case you missed it last night, here are the preliminary Opening Day lineups for the full season affiliates. High-A Tampa announced their roster this morning, so the post has been updated.
• According to Matt Eddy, the Yankees have re-signed C Kellin Deglan, loaned RHP Dallas Martinez to a Mexican League team, and released LHP Woody Bryson, RHP Simon De La Rosa, LHP Tyler Honahan, RHP Jonathan Padilla, RHP David Palladino, RHP Josh Roeder, RHP Mark Seyler, and RHP Daris Vargas. De La Rosa was a sleeper once upon a time. Alas.
• Two stray links: Keith Law (subs. req’d) lists Double-A Trenton as one of the most stacked teams in the minors this year, and Mike Rosenbaum has a piece on the club’s lower level pitching prospects, with info from minor league pitching coordinator Danny Borrell.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barres RailRiders begin their regular season tomorrow. RHP Chance Adams will be on the mound.

Double-A Trenton Thunder (5-2 win over Richmond) as per Opening Day tradition, here are the full lineups

• 2B Gosuke Katoh: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 K
• 1B Chris Gittens: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K — had a 27.7% strikeout rate in Single-A the last two years, so I’m curious to see how he handles Double-A
• LF Trey Amburgey: 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB — hit the first homer in the system this year
• 3B Billy Fleming: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
• CF Rashad Crawford: 1-4, 2 K, 1 E (fielding)
• RF Jhalan Jackson: 1-3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 BB, 2 K
• DH Bruce Caldwell: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
• C Jorge Saez: 1-4, 1 RBI, 3 K
• SS Vince Conde: 0-3, 1 K, 1 E (throwing)
• RHP Domingo Acevedo: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 3/2 GB/FB — 46 of 80 pitches were strikes (58%)
• RHP Erik Swanson: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 2/2 GB/FB — 32 of 51 pitches were strikes (63%)

High-A Tampa Tarpons (4-2 win over Lakeland)

• SS Diego Castillo: 2-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
• CF Estevan Florial: 2-5, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K — cursed by the Prospect Watch!
• 1B Brandon Wagner: 0-5, 3 K — quietly hit .277/.380/.392 (118 wRC+) with seven homers in 110 games for Charleston last year
• RF Isiah Gilliam: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 K
• 2B Hoy Jun Park: 2-4, 1 K
• LF Alex Palma: 0-4, 1 K — looking to build on last year’s .280/.322/.435 (120 wRC+) performance
• DH Tim Lynch: 1-4, 1 1 R, 1 K
• C Francisco Diaz: 0-2, 3 BB, 1 HBP — reaching base four times without a hit is always fun
• 3B Angel Aguilar: 0-3
• RHP Trevor Stephan: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 3 HB, 2/2 GB/FB — 51 of 84 pitches were strikes (61%) … he’s probably not going to be challenged until he gets to Double-A … his stuff is too good
• RHP Adonis Rosa: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 5/2 GB/FB — 30 of 44 pitches were strikes (68%)
• RHP David Sosebee: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GB/FB — ten of 18 pitches were strikes

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs (3-2 loss to Lexington)

• 2B Oswaldo Cabrera: 1-4
• SS Wilkerman Garcia: 0-4, 2 K — needs a big year to regain some prospect shine
• RF Steven Sensley: 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB — last year’s 12th rounder is looking to build on his .292/.370/.584 (157 wRC+) line from his pro debut
• 1B Dalton Blaser: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
• LF Leonardo Molina: 0-4, 1 K
• CF Dom Thompson-Williams: 1-4, 1 K, 1 SB
• 3B Chris Hess: 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 E (fielding, throwing) — first pro homer for last year’s 17th rounder
• C Eduardo Navas: 0-4, 3 K, 1 PB
• DH Frederick Cuevas: 1-3, 1 K
• RHP Garrett Whitlock: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 3/0 GB/FB — 46 of 80 pitches were strikes (58%)
• LHP JP Sears: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 2 HB, 6/1 GB/FB — 42 of 67 pitches were strikes (63%) … the Yankees got him from the Mariners in the Nick Rumbelow trade

The Short Season Staten Island Yankees (June 15th), Rookie Pulaski Yankees (June 19th), and Rookie GCL Yankees East & West (June 18th) don’t begin their seasons for a few months.