New York Yankees Minor League Report: July Check-In

As the baseball season moves into summer and many fans of the New York Yankees try to look away from the club’s annual “June Swoon,” it’s a good time to see how the organization’s prospects have been performing.

It’s a good point in the season to get a better feel for how players’ 2026 season may be heading and to see some unexpected prospects truly make a bigger name for themselves.

Today, I’m going to highlight one pitcher and one hitter from each level of the Yankees’ minor league system who stood out during the third month of the season.

All stats updated prior to games on Monday, July 6

Triple-A Scranton

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders had exactly a .500 record in June as a team, finishing 13-13 in their third month of the season. So far in July, the team is 3-1 in its first four games with a pair of rain-outs.

Garrett Martin, OF

While Garrett Martin may have spent most of this past month in Somerset, his scorching hitting earned him a much-deserved promotion, which continued during his first week in Triple-A Scranton.

Before his promotion to Scranton, Martin posted a .911 OPS with 14 doubles and 21 home runs, leaving Somerset as the organization’s minor league leader in homers.

In Martin’s first eight games of Triple-A action, the 26-year-old collected a pair of doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI with a .874 OPS.

Some people might look at Martin’s slugger stats or physique and assume he’s a bad defender, but that is definitely not the case. Martin’s athleticism in the outfield can surprise some people, as he can make some truly incredible catches.

Martin’s power outburst in 2026 has been a leading factor in him being on the major league radar a bit more or as a possible trade candidate of the future.

*Martin was recently placed on the 7-day IL

Brendan Beck, RHP

Brendan Beck has easily been one of the hottest pitchers throughout the organization in June.

Across five June starts (29 IP), Beck pitched to the tune of a 1.24 ERA with a spectacular 0.83 WHIP while opponents hit just a lowly .143 off him during the month.

On June 5th, Beck pitched a stellar first seven innings of an eventual combined no-hitter against the Syracuse Mets, striking out six in the process.

For Beck, he may not blow you away with a high-velo fastball or stuff that really jumps off the page, but the name of the game for him is consistency and the ability to get outs.

Beck made his MLB debut in May and recently earned a start against the Minnesota Twins at the game’s highest level. As injuries pop up, there is always the possibility that we see Beck back in the bigs in a possible long reliever role or a more long-term look in the rotation.

Honorable Mention

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the red-hot, but unfortunately injured, George Lombard Jr. The 21-year-old appeared in just 14 June games after spraining a couple of fingers on his glove hand during an attempt to tag a runner out.

Lombard really started to show his adjustment to the Triple-A level over the last 3-4 weeks, and he was especially mashing the ball in June.

The Yankees’ top prospect carried a slash line of .306/.426/.571 with a .997 OPS while smacking seven doubles and two homers in his limited June action before the injury.

Lombard is expected to return from injury in the coming weeks, and it will be important for him to continue hitting at the plate and keeping his momentum towards making his major league debut.

Double-A Somerset

The Somerset Patriots had an overall positive month, finishing June with a 14-11 and kicking off July 2-3 through their first five. For the Patriots, their pitching staff ranked second-best in the International League in team WHIP at 1.27, but their offense was 10th (out of 12) in OPS.

Jackson Castillo, OF

Jackson Castillo is a name that most Yankee fans probably won’t recognize, as he isn’t a top 30 prospect in the organization, but a June power surge has put him on some people’s radar.

After just one home run in his first 32 games, Castillo exploded in June, hitting six home runs in just 25 games. Numbers like those are enough to make anyone look, no matter prospect rankings, and that is definitely Castillo’s case.

Castillo also roped five doubles and a team-leading 20 RBI to go with an .850 OPS.

Name of the game for Castillo will be to stay consistent after his hot month; the 23-year-old posted a .662 OPS with no homers in May. Through his first four games in July, he’s hitting .267 with a pair of extra-base hits, so things are looking good so far.

Cade Smith, RHP

Cade Smith (no, not that one) had one of his best professional months to date, posting a 2.10 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts across five June starts.

After struggling in the first couple months of the season, logging a 6.82 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP, this month has been a welcome change for those who believe in Smith.

The righty tossed the most innings of any minor league pitcher in the organization in June (30 IP), just ahead of Beck’s 29 IP.

Smith is another pitcher that some were project could be a better bullpen piece heading forward, but those conversations can certainly halt given his recent performances

For Smith, he is going to have to keep the home runs down a bit to have continued success; the 24-year-old has allowed 15 long balls all season, exactly five for each month of the season so far.

Honorable Mentions

Coby Morales has easily been one of Somerset’s best overall bats this year, and June was just another good month for him.

In June games, Morales ended with a .338/.400/.584 slash line and a .984 OPS. The 24-year-old lefty collected seven doubles, four home runs, and 15 RBI

The .338 batting average was by far his best in a month during his pro career, showing that he can hit for more than just power.

After seeing Martin earn the promotion during the month, Morales could be seeing Scranton very soon, especially if he survives the deadline. He’s already got a triple and a home run through four July games, which is an encouraging continuation of his June showing.

High-A Hudson Valley

In June, Hudson Valley finished with an 11-13 record, with the offense leading the way, sporting High-A’s 6th-best team OPS at .867. Through their first five games in July, the team is 3-2.

Allen Facundo, LHP

Allen Facundo recorded the best month of his season so far in June, especially when it came to showing off his ability to punch out hitters.

Two of Facundo’s three 10+ strikeout games on the season came during June, including a 12-strikeout, hitless six-inning performance on June 4th.

In four June starts, Facundo posted a 2.01 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched.

Facundo is a hard-throwing southpaw with a slider and changeup that many believe and project, could be a bullpen piece in the future.

For now, Facundo will remain a starter and hopefully continue to dominate like he did in June. His first start of the current month consisted of a concerning lack of command that he typically doesn’t deal with, as he walked five batters while striking out four in 6.1 innings.

Roderick Arias, INF

Roderick Arias might just have been the organization’s hottest bat in June, posting a 1.049 OPS, the Yankees’ second-best minor league June OPS.

Arias was once a top IFA with high expectations, but his first couple of pro seasons haven’t exactly gone as planned. Arias was once the third-ranked prospect in the organization in 2023; now he is not even in the team’s top 30.

In 23 June games, Arias logged a .367/.416/.633 slash line with six doubles, six homers, and 7 RBI. He’s already added another home run to that total this month through his first four games.

For reference, Arias collected just seven total extra-base hits over the first two months of the season, including just two home runs.

Still only just 21 years old, Arias still has time to rise through the minors and make the majors, but the first big jump will be whenever he is promoted to AA, commonly known as the best minor league level when it comes to pitching.

Honorable Mention

Wilson Rodriguez crushed the ball over the course of June, posting a ridiculous 1.011 OPS with five doubles, two triples, six home runs, and an organization-leading 21 RBIs during the month.

His name will be one to watch in the coming months, as he was just edged out by Arias’s outstanding month at the dish.

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

The Tampa Tarpons posted a 17-8 record in June, firing on both sides of the ball. Tampa had the 9th-best team offense in Single-A by OPS and the 4th-best team WHIP at 1.33. The team is 4-1 through its first five games in July, too, only just having a six-game win streak come to an end.

Henry Lalane, LHP

The Henry Lalane that we have seen over the last month and a half is precisely who many Yankee fans expected when he received the highest signing bonus of any pitcher in the Yankees’ 20-21 IFA class.

Lalane is a tall lefty that can throw hard and beat you with his other arsenal pieces: a good slider and changeup.

The 22-year-old was once as high as ninth in the org’s top 30 but has dealt with injuries over his first couple of seasons, including a shoulder injury, and currently sits at 14th.

In four June starts, Lalane pitched to the tune of a 1.80 ERA, a truly absurd 0.72 WHIP, and a lowly .120 opponent average while striking out 35 across 25 innings.

On June 26th, Lalane struck out a professional career-high 12 batters en route to his 3rd win in four June starts and was named the FSL pitcher of the week.

Making his latest stretch of play even more impressive was his most recent seven-inning start back on July 3. The left-hander allowed just three hits while walking none and striking out 11 batters. That was his fourth straight outing of eight or more strikeouts this year.

Lalane is expected to earn a promotion in the coming weeks if things can continue, and a healthy Lalane is easily one of the biggest candidates to skyrocket back through the organization’s ranks.

Luis Escudero, INF

Another name that many fans might not know, Luis Escudero had quite an impressive month at the dish.

Escudero surprisingly led the entire Yankees organization in OPS during June, with an absurd 1.133 OPS.

Escudero rattled off six doubles, four home runs, and 12 RBI during his career-best month. The infielder had only logged six home runs from ’23 to ’25 but already has seven total in his 2026 season.

While all the statistics I rattled off are exceptional, the most impressive June stat from Escudero might just come from his plate discipline and contact skills. Escudero earned 22 walks while only striking out 13 times during the entirety of June, a wildly impressive stat.

It will be exciting to watch Escudero in the coming months, as he has certainly caught many more people’s attention, and we will soon see if June was a fluke for the 20-year-old.

*Escudero was recently placed on the 7-day IL

Honorable Mention

Thatcher Hurd and Tyler Boudreau are making their own noise on the mound, and both certainly deserve a mention.

Thatcher Hurd was a part of the 2024 draft class out of LSU, but the right-hander underwent TJ, and 2026 marks his first pro season. A big focus for Hurd after such an injury is a continued build-up and starting to see the velocity come back and be consistent.

Across four June starts, Hurd posted a 1.08 ERA with an impressive .107 opponent batting average and 27 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.

For Boudreau, the early success is even better to see for the right-hander, who signed as an UDFA last year.

In four June starts, Boudreau logged a 3.00 ERA with a stellar 0.92 WHIP and a .162 opponent batting average while punching out 28 in 24 innings.

Both starting pitchers could easily see themselves fly up the organization’s ranks in the coming months.