Back in March, EJ wrote a piece about how we tend to over and under value Yankee prospects in different ways. In there, you’ll find that all the organization’s minor league affiliates manage to be in leagues that have ranked average to below average in runs per game since 2008. The argument EJ presents is that there is too much hype around the pitching prospects, and too little hype around the hitting prospects.

This is something that goes overlooked in many farm systems. Yes, from time to time we see players’ hype extinguished by great offensive performances in league like the PCL, and most prospect evaluators take into consideration the league, but when it comes to ballpark factors, there’s so many different stadiums to analyze that even the experts seem to get caught up in the hype.

One non-Yankee example could be the Mariners over the last few years. Top prospects like Dustin Ackley, Michael Saunders, and Jeff Clement all posted huge offensive numbers in the minor leagues as left-handed batters, but have failed to succeed in Safeco Field. If you take a look at Stat Corner’s rankings of their minor league parks, the Mariners have extremely favorable park factors for left-handed hitters in both their High-A affiliate and Triple-A affiliate. Meanwhile, Safeco remains a very difficult ballpark for left-handers to hit in, as Stat Corner gives it an 80 (where 100 is average) for doubles and triple, an 83 for home runs, and a 79 for runs overall. Meanwhile, Mariner’s pitching prospects usually exceed expectations after surviving through the offensive-slanted minor league system.

For the Yankees, it would seem the opposite happens. The team has had a number of top pitching prospects over the years that have failed to survive in Yankee Stadium and the AL East. This doesn’t necessarily mean that all pitching prospects will fail in Yankee Stadium, but Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy decimated the Yankees’ minor league system, and each earned themselves top prospect statuses before hitting a wall in the Bronx. Of course the Yankees minor league teams, for the most part, have pitcher friendly stadiums, while Yankee Stadium remains one of the easiest ballparks to hit in.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lost to Rochester 10-1 in Game 1:
The RailRiders had their chances, scattering nine hits through the game, but they only managed one run. Rochester scored first, plating a pair in the second on a single by Antoan Richardson and a sac fly by Chris Herrmann. Jeff Clement started the top of the third with a single for the Red Wings and they loaded the bases when Dan Rohlfing and Eric Farris drew walks. Clement scored on a ground out to second and a single by Eric Fryer plated Rohlfing. A wild pitch by Mark Montgomery scored one more runner and the RailRiders trailed 5-0. Rochester added one more in the fourth. Scranton finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Dan Johnson grounded a single to center and moved to third on a double by Randy Ruiz. A sac fly by Josh Bell scored Johnson, but the RailRiders still had a lot of runs to make up. The Red Wings managed to add to their lead, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth and the seventh as they handed Rochester a 10-1 loss.

Zoilo Almonte, Dan Johnson and Randy Ruiz each went 2-3, with Johnson scoring once and Ruiz hitting a double, Scranton’s lone extra base hit. Addison Maruszak went 2-4 and Walter Ibarra went 1-3. Caleb Cotham made the start and allowed five runs on four hits and eight BBs in just 2.1 innings. Mark Montgomery gave up one run on two hits in 1.2 innings, striking out a pair. Josh Spence also threw 1.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and three strike outs. Ryan Baker finished the game, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in 1.1 innings of work.

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