Evil Empire Yankees Blog

6-foot-6 225-pounds Right-handed 23-years-old Last level: Low-A Expected level: High-A Draft: 13 th round in the 2021 draft Similar to his last college season, Messinger split 2022 between relieving and starting. The results were mixed but encouraging. Messinger began the 2022 season as a reliever, likely in an attempt to limit his innings. He finished the season as a starter and logged a total of 83.2 innings. This was a career high by 26.2 innings. He finished with a 4.3 ERA and 112 K : 45 BB. To put these numbers into better perspective, it is important to realize that he was also learning two new pitches in the changeup and slider all season. Moreover, he was dealing with an increase in his velocity from low-90’s to mid-90’s (93-95 mph, topping out at 97). The stuff and velocity is coming along nicely, and should only improve with more time, innings, time in the gas station, and strength and conditioning. With a batting average against of just .221, there are sig...

  Low-A Tampa Tarpons Jared Serna, 2B, RHB – 11 for his last 24 (.458) with a double and three walks (.518 OBP) in his last six games. His season total is now .310/412/.774. He also has 6 SB already on the season in 16 games. Nelson Medina, LF, RHB – 10 for his last 29 (.344) with a homerun, a triple, and three doubles (.620 SLG), and three BB (.406 OBP) in his last nine games. He struck out 10 times in those nine games and still needs work on his contact rate, but the results have been encouraging. On the season he is now hitting .296/.371/.908 with two homeruns. Omar Martinez, C, LHB – 11 hits in his last 28 (.392) with three doubles (.500 SLG) and six walks (.500 OBP) and 10 K in his last nine games. Again, too many strikeouts but Martinez is off to a great start to the season and is now up to .264/.400/.834 with two homeruns on the season. Martinez is a sleeper at catcher who can both hit and defend the position well. Ronny Rojas, SS/2B/3B, SH – 10 for his last 30 (.3...

6-foot-3 186-pounds Right-handed 21-years-old Last level: High-A Expected level: High-A Signed: July 2, 2018 Carela came out of the gait hot in 2022, sporting a re-tooled delivery with improved control. The Yankees worked with him to tighten his slider which got a ton of strikeouts. He mowed down the competition until August, when he hit the proverbial wall over his last 27 innings. At that point he was already 48 innings over his previous career high, so it’s neither surprising nor concerning that he tired out. Even with the forgettable last month, Carela finished with respectable numbers. He finished with a 4.21 ERA and 131 K : 52 BB in 107 innings. Opponents also batted just .192 against him. Considering that he was 20-years-old in Low-A and High-A for the entire season, those are not numbers to be scoffed at. Carela is working with a 92-94 mph fastball which already tops out at 97 and has sinking action. He has what is now a plus slider to go with the fastball. The next steps, per ...