Here are your top performers from Wednesday night’s Dominican League action, highlighted by a pair of Yankees looking to bounce back in 2021!
TOROS DEL ESTE (6) VS. TIGRES DEL LICEY (2)
It feels like so long ago that Yankees Miguel Andújar nearly won Rookie of the Year…but that was just two years ago, and the talented hitter is still only 25. He showed off the bat speed last night to go 2-5 with three RBI for the victorious Toros. Andújar’s hits were line drive singles up the middle, and he drove in a 3rd run with a sacrifice fly to left.
Andújar’s Yankee teammate Gary Sanchez continued a strong LIDOM campaign with two hits in four AB’s and one RBI, upping his LIDOM batting average to .333. That’s more than double his unsightly .147 AVG in 49 MLB games this year—Gary has gotten back to basics this winter, focusing on line drive contact as opposed to pulling off on every pitch trying to yank a moonshot to left field.
Padres 2B/CF Jorge Mateo also got in on the fun for the Toros, going 3-5 with a double to raise his season average to .308. It can be easy to forget about the 25-year-old Dominican, but Mateo has a chance to step up as a valuable utility man in San Diego next year.
The losing Tigres managed just five hits, two of them from Oakland CF Luis Barrera, including a double. The 25-year-old has a chance at a Big League call-up in 2021 after posting a .321 AVG and .871 OPS at Double-A in 2019.
24-year-old Angels RHP Jaime Barria pitched well for the Tigres—5 innings, 5 hits, 2 BB, 3 K’s, 1 ER—but the bullpen crumbled while Toros’ relievers Jenrry Mejia and LHP Anthony Gose (Indians) combined for 3 perfect innings.
AGUILAS CIBAENAS (2) VS. ESTRELLAS ORIENTALES (8)
23-year-old Astros shortstop Jeremey Peña—a 2018 3rd Rounder out of UMaine—continues to rake, going 1-2 with a triple and three walks Las Estrellas. He’s hitting .282 with 3 homers and has made flashy plays in the field. I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeremy at the Arizona Fall League last year and came away impressed:
Also for Las Estrellas: 25-year-old Dbacks 3B Domingo Leyba upped his AVG to .290, going 2-5 with two runs scored, while former Dbacks OF Socrates Brito, now 28, went 3-5 with two doubles. Padres catcher Francisco Mejia continues to struggle, as an 0-3 dropped his AVG to .143. But Lewin Díaz, the sweet-swinging 1B who debuted for the Marlins this year, chipped in an RBI, going 1-2 with a walk.
Las Estrellas were led by former Yankee Domingo Acevedo, a 6’7”, 240 lb RHP now in the A’s organization. The 26-year-old twirled 4 hitless innings: 3 walks, 3 K’s, 0 ER.
For the Águilas, talented Phillies RHP Ramon Rosso—who had been great so far—was shelled: 6 ER in just 2 innings, 7 hits, 1 BB, 2 K’s. His ERA is still only 3.12 on the season.
LEONES DEL ESCOGIDO (2) VS. GIGANTES DEL CIBAO (7)
Uber-talented Yankees OF Estevan Florial, a former top-75 prospect, really struggled in 2019 at High-A but got into one Big-League game this year after hitting massive bombs at the alternate site. Last night he ripped a 2-run homer for Los Leones and also drew a walk, going 1-2 to up his average to .256.
Otherwise, the Leones were shut down by 29-year-old journeyman RHP Scott Harkin, who twirled 5.1 innings of 1 hit ball. Leones DH Juan Francisco, the all-time LIDOM home run leader, cranked his 4th of the season (2-4 with 2 RBI) and Rangers 1B Ronald Guzman kept his AVG at .333 going 1-3 with an RBI. Former Reds CF Jose Siri chipped in an RBI with his 4th double of the season.
Rounding out the Gigantes offense was 6’7” Pirates SS prospect Oneil Cruz, whose lefty swing reminds one of Daryl Strawberry’s. Cruz stroked a triple in four AB’s and sits at a .276 AVG on the season. Here’s Cruz mashing a near-homer to straight away center Sunday:
Follow Jacob on Twitter @TheReelJZ