Chris Stewart drove in two runs. Yep.

Ten hits were not enough for the Yankees to complete the sweep of the doubleheader and series against the Pirates, thanks to sloppy defense and what may have been a game-saving catch on the part of Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison. Vidal Nuno gave up three runs, two earned, over six innings. The unearned run came via an RBI by old foe Chris Stewart who would go on to drive in the fifth and final run for the Pirates late in the game with a sac fly. Nuno allowed six hits and one walk while striking out five before being replaced by Alfredo Aceves. His two earned runs came on a home run by Starling Marte.

Aceves lasted 1.2 innings, serving up a go-ahead homer to Harrison after the Yankees tied the score at 3-3 on a Yangervis Solarte solo homer. Preston Claiborne was responsible for the wholly embarrassing second RBI for Stewart in the game. The second inning was full of defensive failure on both sides, featuring four errors and a balk. On the Yankees' offensive side, right fielder Travis Snider failed to get his glove down on a John Ryan Murphy single that drove in Solarte for the Yankees' first run. Murphy advanced to third on the play and scored when Brendan Ryan reached on a bunt single before moving to second on an error by the pitcher Gerrit Cole. Solarte and Brian Roberts were responsible for the errors on the defensive side that inning.

Totals for that second inning: three runs, four errors, one balk and a player thrown out at third base. Hooray baseball!

— Lohud Yankees Blog (@LoHudYankees) May 18, 2014

Brett Gardner tripled to start the game before he was picked off by a snap throw by Stewart. He also walked and singled in the game. Solarte snapped another cold streak with an impressive homer into the right field bleachers off Cole. Roberts had two hits and Derek Jeter came off the bench to pick up a single as well. Unfortunately, they were not able to mount a comeback in the eighth or ninth innings, even after using their bench full of regulars that did not start the second game of the doubleheader. With the loss, the Yankees stay in first place in the AL East by half a game over the Baltimore Orioles. The team has tomorrow off before a two-game series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday will be Masahiro Tanaka Time, so get excited.

After an underwhelming 2013 at Double-A, Ramon Flores has picked his game up in his first two months at Triple-A.

Among outfielders, the three names that are brought up the most in the Yankees' minor league system are Mason Williams, Tyler Austin, and Slade Heathcott. This is mainly because all three were once said to have the potential to be star players at the major league level. Unfortunately, Williams (trouble making hard contact), Austin (wrist injuries, decline in power when healthy), and Heathcott (countless injuries) are all stuck in Double-A and it is unclear as to what these three will ever amount to at the next level. The one outfielder who hasn't received quite the prospect love over the years like the aforementioned trio and has done well so far this season, though, is the underrated Ramon Flores.

I think we all know about Ramon Flores' story by now: he has a great approach at the plate, but, as a corner outfielder, he doesn't have the necessary power to be an everyday, first-division starter at the big-league level. In all likelihood, he'd make a nice fourth outfielder for the Yankees, or maybe even a piece in a potential trade, down the road. At least that's what we've been hearing up to at least the beginning of the season.

Thus far in 51 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Flores is hitting .258/.349/.444, which is impressive alone, considering he is over five years younger than the average player at the level. He continues to show good walk (12.6% BB-rate) and strikeout (16.6% K-rate) numbers, but so far it's the power that has stood out the most. His .186 ISO jumps right off the page and his 16 doubles are good for third in the International League. Flores also has five homers (including one on a pitch he absolutely walloped), which is one short of last year's total in his 136-game stay in Double-A Trenton last summer.

Flores, a corner outfielder, as previously noted, has also seen some first base (three games, to be exact) this season, and overall has played 50 games there in his minor league career. If there's ever an extreme emergency situation where the Yankees have to replace Mark Teixeira due to injury, Flores, who is already on the 40-man roster, could be that guy, but a lot would have to happen for such scenario to take place. Flores' best chance to stick with the Yankees is as the team's right fielder in 2015, with Carlos Beltran, who is already a hot mess in the field, moving to full-time DH.

Because it's been only 51 games, it is fair to be skeptical about Flores' power outburst going forward. If he keeps it up, his .186 ISO would easily be a career-best by over 50 points from his .135 mark way back when he was with the Charleston RiverDogs in 2011. All four of the home ballparks he's played at in his minor league career, however, aren't very favorable to left-handed batters. Power is generally the final tool for batters to develop, and Yankee Stadium's short right field porch could aid the left-handed swinging Flores when he makes it to the show. If Flores' power is in fact for real, he may just end up being more than a fourth outfielder/trade chip for the Yankees.

Tanaka good at baseball things.

For a long portion of the game, the Yankees had all sorts of trouble trying to score runs. The Yankees wasted several opportunities to bust open a decent-sized lead. And when their bats did start to come around, the rain came. Thankfully, the runs they did score were enough thanks to that Masahiro Tanaka fellow. Tanaka threw eight strong innings as the Yankees beat the Twins 3-1.

In the first inning, the Twins picked up an early run. On the first pitch of the game, Brian Dozier grounded a ball to third. Kelly Johnson misplayed the ball, allowing Dozier to reach on an error. During the next at bat, Dozier was able to move to second on a Tanaka wild pitch. Eduardo Escobar wound up grounding out, but that allowed Dozier to go to third. Tanaka then struck out Joe Mauer and was one out away from escaping the jam. However, Josh Willingham singled to score Dozier. After the top of the first, the Twins led 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, the Yankees had a chance to get some runs themselves. But with the bases loaded and no one out, the Yankees somehow managed to come away with no runs.

After a few more RISP fails, the Yankees finally got on the board in the fourth inning. With two gone, Yangervis Solarte hit a solo home run to tie the game at one.

Following the Solarte home run, both teams struggled to push a run across. Tanaka stranded several runners, while Kevin Correia was doing the same thing for the Twins. Neither team would score another run until the eighth inning. One notable event for the Yankees was Brian Roberts pinch-hitting for Mark Teixeira in the sixth due to Teixeira wrist stuff.

A 1-2-3 eighth inning would be Tanaka's last. He went eight innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out nine. (The Twins' run was unearned due to Johnson's error.) Tanaka was out there doing normal Tanak stuff.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Jacoby Ellsbury lined a single to center field. Roberts came up next. During Roberts' at bat, Ellsbury stole second and was then able to move to third when Josmil Pinto's throw got into center field. Roberts ended up working a walk to bring Brian McCann to the plate. McCann was the key culprit in the RISP fail in the first inning, but he made up for it this time. McCann laced a double to right field, scoring Ellsbury and moving Roberts to third. The Twins elected to intentionally walk Alfonso Soriano to set up the double play. But after the Soriano walk, the rain started to come down harder, causing the tarp to be brought on.

After a half-hour rain delay, the game resumed and Solarte came back up to the plate. After Solarte popped up, Kelly Johnson came up. Johnson grounded one to second. Dozier made a diving stop, but had no play at first. Johnson was safe and a run scored to make it 3-1 Yankees. Brendan Ryan couldn't add to the lead, but the Yankees went to the bottom of the ninth with a lead.

David Robertson came in for the top of the ninth to try and nail down a win. One runner reached after Solarte couldn't make a play on a grounder. However, Robertson struck out the side to seal a 3-1 win for the Yankees.

The Yankees and Twins finish up their series in the Bronx tomorrow at 1:05 eastern. Chase Whitley will go for the Yankees, while our old friend Phil Hughes gets the start for the Twins. Hopefully we get to see some Hughes' Face.

Box score.

No really, I thought 2013 was over.

About a week before he was set to return to action from an injury suffered during his suspension for using pine tar, Michael Pineda has been shut down after a setback due to inflammation. An MRI confirmed the inflammation in Pineda's back after experiencing discomfort while throwing on Friday. He was originally scheduled to pitch in extended spring training tomorrow but will now be shutdown for "a while" before trying to rehab once again. Joe Girardi "believes Pineda can make it back to help the team this season" which sounds incredibly ominous when worded that way. This pretty much eliminates any concern about how many innings Pineda will have to pitch this season.

Mark Teixeira left today's game with soreness in his right wrist. The same soreness cost Tex a few games last week, and that brief rest didn't seem to fix the problem. Some soreness is probably to be expected after surgery cost Teixeira nearly all of last season, but this could easily turn into a DL stint for the Yankees' first baseman. Wrist injuries are notorious for their lingering nature, which could mean that this ends up being a common refrain all season and beyond. The Yankees had Brian McCann start at first base while Teixeira sat last week, which worked in their favor by also getting John Ryan Murphy's hot bat into the lineup. With very little in the system in the way of MLB-ready first basemen, the Yankees may have to make do with what they have until they can decide if Kendrys Morales, who they have been linked to recently, is worth signing after the draft on June 5th.

Mark Teixeira had a cortisone shot in his wrist during today's game. He's hoping that will take care of the pain.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 31, 2014

At some point, Michael Pineda or CC Sabathia will (hopefully) be ready to return to the rotation. Should Phelps, Whitley or Nuno be the one to lose their spot?

Remember during spring training when the Yankees had too many starting pitchers and not enough spots in the rotation? Oh, how the tides have changed. Thanks to an abundance of injuries, Vidal Nuno, David Phelps and Chase Whitley have worked their way into the rotation, which hasn't been great. Thankfully, Michael Pineda is getting closer to making his return; he threw two innings in an extended spring training game on the 27th without any setbacks, and is expected to pitch in another spring training game over the weekend. Actually, Pineda experienced a setback after my completion of this post last night. He experienced discomfort while throwing yesterday, and has been shut down for now. Prior to his suspension-turned-DL-stint, Michael Pineda was arguably the Yankees second best starting pitcher. Through his first four starts, Pineda had a 1.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and opponents were only hitting .230 against him. Having him back should improve the rotation, without a doubt, whenever that happens. Since Pineda's been shut down, CC Sabathia might stand a chance of returning before him. It seems like Pineda or Sabathia (or both), should be able to rejoin the team before the season ends though. Then the question would be: who of Nuno, Phelps, and Whitley should lose their spot in the rotation when Pineda or Sabathia are ready to return?

Of the three, I think that Nuno stands out as the obvious choice. After last night's game, he has an ERA of 5.48, 6.99 K/9, 3.21 BB/9, 1.70 HR/9, 1.51 WHIP and .278 BAA. Nuno hasn't really helped to take the workload off of the bullpen, as he's only pitched six or more innings in four of his eight total starts. Neither Phelps nor Whitley have been great in that regard, either, but Phelps at least sports a higher K/9 (8.55), lower HR/9 (0.90), lower ERA (3.38) and lower BAA (.252) over almost the same amount of innings as Nuno. While Nuno has been pulled from games early because he's struggled and given up a lot of runs, Whitley hasn't made it deep into games mostly because of his pitch count. He was held to around 75 pitches during his first two starts due to concerns that he wasn't stretched out. It's a small sample size, as Phelps and Nuno both have roughly 30 innings on him, but Whitley has made three starts, giving him an ERA of 2.79, 5.79 K/9, 1.93 BB/9, 1.36 WHIP and .280 BAA. If the decision is based solely on who has the most experience, then I could see Whitley being in danger of losing his job. Otherwise, Nuno has struggled the most and given the choice between the two, I'd rather see what Whitley has to offer.

Do you think the season is doomed or do you agree that Pineda and Sabathia have to come back at some point, eventually, right...? Tell us what you think and vote in the poll below.

Wait...Kevin Correia allowed one run?

I had my head in my hands by by the bottom of the first. Yes, the Twins had Brian Dozier standing on third with one away in the top half of the frame. Josh Willingham drove him in after Joe Mauer (who looked terrible) struck out on a sinker. But even with the 1-0 lead, Kevin Correia could not have dug himself out of any deeper of a hole in the bottom of that first inning.

After all the fun that was had last night over that truly awful scouting report on Derek Jeter, the Yankee Captain doubled off the wall in left field - on a ball that really cracked off the bat, by the way - and put runners on second and third to start the Bomber first. Correia couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat and walked Jacoby Ellsbury.

Imagine walking out of the room in that moment. And then coming back in a few minutes later and seeing a zero in the home team's scoring column. That's what happened to me. I still can't decide if I left because I just couldn't watch Correia implode against a sub-standard Yankee offense, or if I actually had something better to do, but that's what happened. Apparently Brian McCann of the Fun Police rolled into a double play.

Correia had that luck all afternoon. With two runners on in the second, Brendan Ryan rolled into a double play to end the inning. Yangervis Solarte was out trying to take second as the Twins stopped McCann from scoring in the fifth. But somehow Correia walked away allowing just one run in six innings - the solo homer from Solarte.

Masahiro Tanaka, by contrast, was rough early before cruising to a win. Dozier reached thanks to an error in consecutive plate appearances, and in the third inning he and Eduardo Escobar stood in scoring position with nobody out. But Mauer struck out swinging again, Willingham lined out, and Oswaldo Arcia was caught looking at a fastball. Tanaka would walk Trevor Plouffe to lead off the fourth, but after that faced the minimum through eight innings. He struck out nine.

The Yankees broke the tie in the eighth. Brian Duensing came out for his second inning of work, and after retiring Jeter walked Ellsbury and Brian Roberts back-to-back before McCann doubled and gave New York the lead. Jared Burton relieved Duensing and after getting the first out got the grounder he needed, but Dozier had to move too far to his left to make any play except stop the ball from moving to the outfield. In truth he probably kept it a one-run play, but it did bring us to our final score.

Notes

• Joe Mauer was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. Are there lingering effects of last year's concussion? Because he's playing worse than when he had bi-lateral leg weakness - whatever that is.
• Remember when the Twins offense was having success by taking walks and sometimes driving runners in? They drew two walks today, and were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
• Eduardo Escobar is playing like he deserves that everyday shortstop job. Two hits on the afternoon have him batting .328/.362/.479 on the season, and he made a couple of nice plays today - including one in the eighth inning that used to be a Jeter Signature...the athletic throw to first from deep in the hole. Except less jumping and more true arm strength.
• David Robertson is just filthy. Even if he hadn't struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth, the guy is nasty.

ROLL CALL!

Win Expectancy Graph

Source: FanGraphs

Studs

Duds

80 bat flip tool.

Yankees' top prospect Gary Sanchez launched a long two-run home run over the billboards in left field Saturday night. We already knew that Sanchez had power, but what I did not know is that he has an AMAZING bat flip to go with it. Sanchez absolutely crushed the pitch and took a moment to admire his work on the no-doubter.

Enjoy the video for yourselves. After last season's minor league disappointments, it's nice to have so many positive things to come out of the farm so far this year.

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Yankees prospects: Watch Gary Sanchez crush a two-run homer
• Who should Pineda or Sabathia replace in the rotation when they return?
• Yankees injuries: Michael Pineda shut down after setback; Mark Teixeira leaves with wrist soreness
• Yankees 3, Twins 1: Tanaka strong as Yankees outlast Twins, rain
• Yankees prospects: Ramon Flores off to good start with Triple-A Scranton
• Daily Yankees Predictions 5/31/14: Tanaka Time against the Twins
• Baby Bomber Recap 5/30/14: Peter O'Brien clubs 20th home run of 2014

Yankees News

LoHud | Chad Jennings:Kelly Johnson and Zoilo Almonte offer power from the bench that might play up at Yankee Stadium.

The Examiner | Daniel Pfeiffer: Yankees prospect Slade Heathcott is back on the disabled list just days after making his season debut.

Bronx Baseball Daily | Delia Enriquez: Hiroki Kuroda, CC Sabathia, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran have been some of the more disappointing Yankees so far.

The Greedy Pinstripes | John Balas: Though the Yankees have been disappointing and injured, they're still better off than the 2013 squad.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees haven't exactly been great in games at Yankee Stadium so far this year.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from May 31st.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: W 7-3 vs. Indianapolis Indians

2B Jose Pirela 0-4, BB
DH Corban Joseph 0-5
3B Scott Sizemore 1-5, K
CF Adonis Garcia 1-4, 2 K, SB
SS Zelous Wheeler 2-4 - batting .309 this season
RF Russ Canzler 2-4, double
1B Francisco Arcia 2-3, RBI, BB
C Austin Romine 3-4, HR, 4 RBI - second homer of the season
LF Antoan Richardson 0-3, 2 K

Shane Greene 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K - 62 of 99 pitches for strikes
Danny Burawa 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 4-9, L 3-4 vs. Portland Sea Dogs

Game 1:

CF Mason Williams 1-4
LF Ben Gamel 0-4, K
3B Tyler Austin 2-4, 2 K, E5 - throwing error, fourth of the season
C Peter O'Brien 0-3, K, passed ball
2B Rob Refsnyder 2-3, triple, RBI - batting .475/.500/.925 since 5/22
RF Taylor Dugas 1-2, HBP, OF assist
1B Dan Fiorito 0-2, K
DH Tyson Blaser 1-3, double, RBI
SS Ali Castillo 0-3, RBI

Graham Stoneburner 5.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R/6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, E1 - 8 GO/3 AO
Cesar Cabral 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R/1 ER, 3 BB, K, WP, hit batsman

Game 2:

CF Mason Williams 1-3, double, K - batting .270/.386/.378 over his last 10 games
LF Ben Gamel 0-3
1B Tyler Austin 2-3, RBI
C Gary Sanchez 2-3, HR, 2 RBI - seventh homer of the season
RF Peter O'Brien 0-3
2B Rob Refsnyder 1-2, double - six-game hitting streak
3B Dan Fiorito 0-2, K
DH Yeral Sanchez 0-3, 2 K
SS Carmen Angelini 0-3

Jeremy Bleich 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - 58 of 91 pitches for strikes
Fred Lewis 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K

High-A Tampa Yankees: Postponed for rain

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 4-8 vs. Asheville Tourists

LF Jose Rosario 1-4, K, HBP
1B Jackson Valera 1-4, double, BB
RF Aaron Judge 2-4, double, HR, 4 RBI - sixth homer of the season
DH Mike Ford 1-3, HBP
3B Miguel Andujar 1-3, BB
SS John Murphy 0-3
2B Gosuke Katoh 0-3, BB, K, CS
C Eduardo de Oleo 2-4, E2 - throwing error, fifth of the season
CF Brandon Thomas 1-4, E8 - fielding error, third of the season

Ian Clarkin 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 7 K - 51 of 75 pitches for strikes
Rony Bautista 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R/1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Cesar Vargas 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R/2 ER, BB, 2 K, WP

Tanaka Time was once again glorious yesterday. Today, rookie Chase Whitley gets the start against former Yankee rookie Phil Hughes. A clash of titans is upon us in the rubber game this afternoon. Also more Daily Predictions and Fun Questions.

Masahiro Tanaka is wonderful. His splitter is wonderful. The offense needs to be wonderful, while Chase Whitley only needs to be better than Phil Hughes pitching in Yankee Stadium

5/31/14 Daily Prediction Answers

Yesterday's winner is thelast42 with 4,000 points. Amazingly, he scored 4,000 points without going the safe route and guessing Tanaka as the best overall Yankee of the night. Bold strategy.

6/1/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Question

First of the month: Recommend a restaurant to your fellow PSAers. Try to make it different than the previous month.

How strong of a swimmer are you?

Childhood: Favorite game to play outdoors/on the block as a kid?

Describe your ideal outfit, from top to bottom

Whitley vs Hughes is a matchup I'm "potentially" going to be sad to miss. Make it golden, Whitley.

go yankees go you are #1

Jesse exchanged questions and answers with Neil Keefe in advance of the Minnesota/New York series.

On Friday, Neil Keefe got in touch for a question exchange for the Yankees-Twins series. He's written for WFAN and CBS New York since February of 2010, and you can find my answers on his website Keefe to the City here. With the Yankees in transition and the Twins still trying to find their feet after being TKO'd the last three seasons, neither team looks like the powerhouse or familiar foe they were just a few years ago. That makes it an interesting time for both organizations.

Thanks to Neil for getting in touch.

Its been an interesting season for the Yankees. How does this team keep their record above .500 with the way things have gone?

It’s a mystery to me how this team is 28-24 given how many injuries they have had to sustain through the first two months of the season with 60 percent of their Opening Day rotation on the disabled list. I’m not sure how many Yankees fans would have felt confident knowing that in May they would be relying on David Phelps, Vidal Nuno and Chase Whitley to pitch three of every five days and I’m not sure how many feel confident now even with the way things have gone. I know I don’t.

The Yankees have been able to stay afloat and above .500 and weather the injury bug thanks to their bullpen, which has the best shutdown combination in the game at the back end in Dellin Betances and David Robertson. I don’t want to say those two look like the Mariano Rivera-John Wetteland combination from 1996 because replicating that kind of success is nearly impossible, but they have been as good so far as Robertson and Rivera ever were together.

With the injuries up and down the roster, what's the latest on all these guys? When are they expected to return?

I’m not sure when CC Sabathia will return to the team, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how bad he was before he hurt his knee. (I’m only joking. I will gladly take Skinny Fat CC over Nuno or Whitley.) Michael Pineda is expected back sometime in June and obviously Ivan Nova won't pitch again this season. But as long as CC can come back and be more reliable than his placeholders (which shouldn't be hard) and Pineda can be as good as he was before his suspension and injury, then the Yankees will only need to rely on one of three from Phelps, Nuno and Whitley, and I'm guessing it will be Phelps.

The good things about the Yankees is that they always seem to get help from unlikely places, which is ironic since they're the Yankees and they're not supposed to rely on non-roster invitees from spring training to carry the offense. But this year they have gotten more than anyone could have dreamed from Yangervis Solarte, who has saved us from having to watch Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson play every day, and has taken over a starting role on this team after having never been given a chance at the majors. Solarte has been what the Yankees have missed since Alex Rodriguez could no longer produce consistently at third base and even Solarte cools off like most expect him to, the first two months of the season pulling for him have been special.

It's hard to believe that Derek Jeter is 40. How's his farewell tour coming along?

His farewell tour is moving along, but for me it hasn't fully set in yet and I don't think it will until September.

Jeter has been the starting shortstop for the Yankees since I was in fourth grade and nine years old, so seeing him play every day is pretty much all I have ever known. I don't want to think about the Yankees without Jeter any sooner than I have to and I can't even fathom watching someone else start at shortstop starting in 2015. Well, unless that someone is Troy Tulowitzk. Then I will have an easier time wiping the tears away.

Speaking of Jeter's final season, who are some of the young players we should be looking out for over the next year or so? Is there anyone coming in the Bomber pipeline who could be the next franchise player?

I think the Yankees' next franchise player is probably in another organization right now and I only say that because of how poorly they have drafted position players in recent years. But I hope, I really hope the next Derek Jeter is in the system or someone they can trade for because the Yankees need to get back to what made them successful starting 20 years ago and they need to start to develop their own players once again.

Having the money to be able to fill holes and enhance the team through free agency is a great asset to have, but it shouldn't be relied upon to build a team because as we've seen more times than not that doesn't result in championships. They had the blueprint for success in the '90s and need to revert back to it, so they don't go through a losing period of losing like they did in the '80s.

What's the long-term outlook for the Yankees? What do they need to do to stay competitive in the coming years?

I compare the 2014 Yankees to the 2013 Red Sox in that everyone seemed to pass over them as a contender before the season began because of too many question marks and unknowns. Now I know no one wants to be compared to a team that won the World Series due to what was basically a long list of miracles and incredibly fortunate health since the 2014 Red Sox are proving to be what the 2013 Red Sox should have been. But this Yankees team has the talent and ability when healthy to be in the upper class of the American League and even for as bad as they been at times, they have put themselves in position to make a run once they get healthy.

I believe this team will win the AL East because I think when healthy, they are the best team in the division. They have a strong pitching staff, which will get stronger as players return from injuries and a deep lineup. And I believe this team will win the division because they have to. I can't sit through another postseason-less October for the Yankees, and yes, I realize how greedy and ridiculous that sounds.

Barring any setbacks, Kelley and Beltran could start rehab assignments next week.

If you haven't heard the bad news yet, Michael Pineda has been shut down for the time being, and Mark Teixeira has received a cortisone shot to help with lingering wrist pain. It feels like everyone who has been injured this season has experienced setbacks, so it might be best to remain cautiously optimistic that Shawn Kelley and Carlos Beltrancould be starting rehab assignments next week.

Kelley, who has missed several weeks with a back injury, already experienced a setback on the 21st when he woke up feeling stiff. He hasn't reported any problems since then, though, and said that he felt fine after throwing a bullpen session on Friday. Assuming that Kelley gets through today's bullpen session without any pain, it's likely that he could start a rehab assignment next week.

As for Beltran, it seems like the two cortisone shots that he received in his elbow have made a big enough difference that he might avoid surgery after all. That would be great news, considering that bone spur removal surgery would keep him out for anywhere from 6-12 weeks. Beltran took batting practice yesterday, and is scheduled to take it again today which is a good sign. Like Kelley, Beltran could be on track to start a rehab assignment next week if he can get through without experiencing any pain.

Welp.

Heading into the top of the ninth, the Yankees held a 2-1 lead. By the time the ninth inning was over, the Twins led 7-2. Yes, David Robertson blew the save and the rest of the bullpen (minus Dellin Betances and Adam Warren) had a bad day. But that doesn't change the fact that the lineup could only manage two runs against Phil Hughes. And as bad as the ninth inning went, the offensive performance in the other eight also deserve a major portion of the blame for this 7-2 loss to Minnesota.

The Twins opened the game's scoring in the top of the third. Aaron Hicks led off the inning with a single. Brian Dozier then grounded out on a close play at first. The Twins challenged the out call but it was upheld. However, the ground out did move Hicks to second. Joe Mauer then popped one up for the second out. Chase Whitley was nearly out of the inning, but Trevor Plouffe singled to score Hicks, making it 1-0 Twins.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Yankees finally strung together some hits against Hughes. Brett Gardner led off the inning with a triple after Oswaldo Arcia couldn't make a catch against the wall. Derek Jeter came up next and he singled home Gardner to tie the game at one. Jacoby Ellsbury then singled as well, putting two on with nobody out. Hughes then walked Brian McCann to load the bases. Yangervis Solarte popped out, which didn't help, but Ichiro Suzuki's sac fly did. Jeter tagged up and scored, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Hughes struck out Brian Roberts to get out of the inning, but the Yankees now had a lead.

After Whitley pitched a scoreless fifth inning, he would exit the game. Whitley went five innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out five. Betances came in for Whitley in the sixth and continued to look like his dominant self. Betances went two innings, striking out five of the six batters he faced. After the Yankees again failed to score in the seventh, Warren came in and pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Yankees couldn't add to their score in the eighth, meaning that on his return to the Stadium, Hughes threw eighth innings allowing just two runs. When he left after the eighth, Hughes was still on the hook for the loss, but it was very different from the last couple times we saw Phil in the Bronx.

Robertson came in to try and finish off the game in the ninth. On the first pitch Robertson threw, Josh Willingham hit a home run over the left field wall. The game was suddenly tied at two. Robertson struck out two to nearly get out of the inning, but he also issued two walks. With two outs, Dozier then doubled, scoring a run and giving the Twins the lead. The Yankees then opted to intentionally walk Mauer to get to Eduardo Nunez and take Robertson out of the game. Matt Daley came in and immediately allowed a two-run double to Nunez. After just one pitch, Daley was taken out. Matt Thornton then came in and immediately allowed a two-run single to Arcia. Thornton finally got the third out of the inning, but the Twins had opened up a 7-2 lead. The Yankees went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Twins pulled out a 7-2 win.

Tomorrow, The Yankees and Mariners will make up the rained-out game from a few weeks ago. David Phelps and Felix Hernandez will be your starters and first pitch is at 7:05 eastern.

Box score.

Some good news for Yankees fans as Carlos Beltran looks to be eyeing a return to the majors sooner than most people thought. After spending time resting his elbow and taking a few swings every day, he is scheduled to go down to Tampa and play in three extended spring training games. Brian Cashman believes he could be back within the week, as early as Thursday, June 5th. After it looked like he was just days away from needing surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow, this comes as a complete surprise. When was the last time rehab over surgery actually worked?

Beltran has been out since May 12th when he initially hyperextended his elbow while taking batting practice mid-game. It must have irritated something because word is that this is not a new injury, so instead of being something that needs to be removed immediately, it turns out to be something that he's been living with and his body just has to readjust around it. Whether he ends up needing the surgery now or not, Beltran plans to have the bone spur removed in the offseason in order to make sure this doesn't happen again in the future.

Yes, he's only hitting .234/.286/.430 on the season, but Ichiro Suzuki has hit .241/.371/.241 since becoming a full-time member of the lineup, Zoilo Almonte is now 2-for-15 since the injury, and Alfonso Soriano has hit a terrible .133/.156/.233 in that time. It's easy to see that that production could actually be an improvement over what they have now and you have to expect Beltran to hit better than how he has. With the way this offense has been lately, I'd much rather see him in the lineup over any of them.

The Yankees have a lot of problems at the moment, but injury seems to be one of their biggest. Mark Texiera only made it a game and a half into his return to the lineup before he had to be removed again. His wrist flare up may be more serious than everyone initially thought, so if they have to put him on the DL, they're going to be in trouble. Michael Pineda was shutdown after hitting a setback in his rehab from a strained muscle in his shoulder/back. If they're going to get reinforcements, it could be Carlos Beltran who comes in to save the day first.

Phil Hughes draws first blood in the game of the exes.

Know what drives an ex crazy? At least the bad ones? Seeing you happy and successful. To that end, it was always going to be an interesting matchup when Phil Hughes and the Yankees faced off for the first time. Suffice it to say, Hughes wins round one.

Hughes went eight innings, allowing two runs off of just three hits. Both runs and all of those hits came in the fourth. Outside of that frame, Hughes faced the minimum and the best the Yankees could do was coax out a walk. It was an exhibition in how to dismantle an opponent, and it was endlessly satisfying. Even if that team is a shell of its former self for the time being.

But Hughes, in spite of his performance, nearly took the loss. The Twins displayed some skills in the field today, including a great bare-hand relay across the diamond from Plouffe, and a Gold Glove-worthy double play turn from Brian Dozier. Yet through the first eight innings the Twins had only scored once - on a grounder into left from Plouffe, scoring Aaron Hicks. By the time Hughes threw his final pitch, his team was still down 2-1.

And then it all went to hell in a hand basket for David Robertson (remember yesterday when I mentioned how filthy he was?) and the Yankees. On the first pitch of the inning, Josh Willingham launched a ball so hard that it was over the fence almost instantly. Hammer's homer tied the game at two, but Robertson's nightmare was just beginning.

He sandwiched a Kurt Suzuki walk with strikeouts looking to both Jason Kubel and Eduardo Escobar. And then five batters in a row reached for the Twins, including a go-ahead double from Dozier, a two-run double from another former Yankee, Eduardo Nunez, that opened things up, and then a two-run single from Oswaldo Arcia for the knock-out blow.

The entire inning, it was like Minnesota batters knew exactly what Robertson was going to throw. Willingham looked like he'd taken that at-bat before. Dozier jumped all over that inside cutter to pull it hard into left field. Nunez drove the ball hard into right, although by then it was Matt Daley taking it on the chin.

Caleb Thielbar cleaned up the mess with a perfect bottom of the ninth. And the Twins leave New York with a series victory - well earned, and wholly deserved.

God damn that feels good.

Notes

• Jason Kubel hit .288/.360/.425 in April. He was 0-for-4 today with four strikeouts, is 0-for-his-last-21 (last getting a hit on May 18), and now owns a triple slash of .232/.322/.305. The biggest issue with an outfielder on the Major League roster is no longer Aaron Hicks. It's Kubel. And that sucks, even if it isn't wholly unexpected.
• Willingham and Dozier were both hitless before their big hits in the ninth inning.
• Arcia is 11-for-30 (.367) with three doubles and two homers since returning to the team. He's also struck out seven times and not taken a walk, but I'm not sure anybody is surprised.
• Five of Hughes' strikeouts today came via that cutter. The other? Fastball.
• Hughes picked up seven ground ball outs today, and just three through the air. You think his game was on point?

ROLL CALL!

Win Expectancy Graph

Source: FanGraphs

Studs

Duds

The Yankees have had a player hit 20 or more home runs during each non-strike year since 1968. Will that streak continue in 2014?

After an anemic showing in the power department by the Yankees offense outside of Robinson Cano last year, they seemed poised to bounce back in 2014 with the return of Mark Teixeira and the acquisitions Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran.

So far Teixeira is leading the home run charge with nine through Friday but has already missed time with a hamstring injury and it appears that his wrist issues will linger throughout the year, sidelining him periodically. While he hasn't truly started hitting yet, McCann still has seven big flies so far. However, as a catcher on the wrong side of his prime with a history of shoulder injuries, his continued health is far from guaranteed. After a promising start to the season, Beltran has hit five home runs, but none since April 22nd. He's also a 37-year old dealing with bone spurs in his elbow so the bench may become a familiar place for him. Add all of this up and the Yankees could be in danger of not having a hitter with at least 20 home runs in a non-strike year since 1968.

That year Mickey Mantle hit just 18 home runs in his final year in pinstripes as the team's regular first baseman. Since then there have been some close calls dipping below 20. Throughout the dark years of the early 70's Graig Nettles an Bobby Murcer were their only power sources. In 1973 they each left the yard 22 times and in 1974 Nettles repeated that number to lead the team. The Yankees again tread that line pretty closely in the even darker years of the late 80's and early 90's. In 1989 Don Mattingly was swiftly exiting his prime and hit just 23 home runs to lead the team. A year later Jesse Barfield paced them with 25 followed by 24 from Matt Nokes in 1991 and Danny Tartabull's 25 in 1992. After those forgettable years the Yankees have enjoyed a steady supply of sluggers and from 2000 through 2012 they had at least one player hit 30 or more home runs each year.

So if the big three sluggers on the 2014 version of the Yankees continue or start to miss significant playing time, who will lead the team in home runs? Will that player reach 20 or will this team break a streak that started 46 years ago?

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• The Yankees and 20+ home run hitters
• Carlos Beltran could return from injury later this week
• Yankees 2, Twins 7: Twins score six in the ninth to take series
• Signing Kendrys Morales no longer a terrible idea
• Yankees Injury Updates: Kelley and Beltran could begin rehab assignments this week
• Daily Yankees Predictions 6/1/14: Whitley vs Hughes for the series win
• Baby Bomber Recap 5/31/14: Rob Refsnyder stays hot and extends hit streak to six games

Yankees News

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Michael Pineda describes his injury setback and an update on Francisco Cervelli.

Nomaas | SJK: If Mark Teixeira is out for a prolonged time, the Yankees should call up Kyle Roller.

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins: Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte has returned from injury and just might be the next in line if the Yankees need a lefty reliever.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Phil Hughes admits that it was hard to live up to the expectations that the Yankee put on him.

Newsday | David Lennon: The Yankees are looking into alternative ways to fill in the looming hole at shortstop once Derek Jeter retires, like signing Korean prospect Hyo-Jun Park.

Fangraphs | David Laurila: Joba Chamberlain talks about his time as a prospect in the Yankees system and Dan Otero recalls the short time he was a member of the organization.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from June 1st.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 7-9 vs. Indianapolis Indians

2B Jose Pirela 5-6, 2 doubles, triple, 3 RBI, K - batting .316 this season
LF Ramon Flores 1-1 - left game with ankle injury
3B Scott Sizemore 1-5, RBI, K
RF Adonis Garcia 2-5, double, RBI, K - batting .305 this season
SS Zelous Wheeler 0-4, BB, 2 K, E6 - fielding error, sixth of the season
DH Russ Canzler 1-5, K
1B Francisco Arcia 4-5, 2 doubles, RBI
C Austin Romine 0-3, 2 BB, K
CF Antoan Richardson 1-5, double

Bruce Billings 3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, pickoff - 39 of 62 pitches for strikes
Jose Ramirez 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Mark Montgomery 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R/1 ER, 1 BB
Jim Miller 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, K

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 6-4 vs. Portland Sea Dogs

CF Mason Williams 2-4, K, CS
LF Ben Gamel 1-3, BB, SB, OF assist, E7(3rd) - batting .283 this season
1B Tyler Austin 0-3, BB, 3 K
C Gary Sanchez 1-3, 2 RBI, BB - batting .326/.356/.605 over his last 10 games
DH Peter O'Brien 1-3, RBI, BB, K - five walks in last six games
2B Rob Refnsyder 2-4, double, RBI, K - batting .475/.500/.950 over his last 10 games
RF Taylor Dugas 2-4, RBI, K, OF assist
3B Dan Fiorito 1-4, RBI, K
SS Carmen Angelini 0-4, K

Matt Tracy 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K - 65 of 105 pitches for strikes
Aaron Dott 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
Cole Kimball 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, K
Tyler Webb 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 0-3, L 4-8 vs. Fort Myers Miracle

Game 1:

CF Jake Cave 0-3
SS Cito Culver 0-3, 2 K
1B Greg Bird 0-3, 2 K
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 0-3, 2 K
DH Matt Snyder 1-3, double, K - fourth double of the season
RF Zach Wilson 0-2, 2 K
LF Danny Oh 0-2, 2 K
C Trent Garrison 0-2, K
2B Claudio Custodio 0-1, K, HBP

Rafael De Paula 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, WP - 3 GO/4 AO
Stefan Lopez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2:

CF Jake Cave 2-4, double, K - batting .313 this season
SS Cito Culver 1-4, double, K
DH Greg Bird 0-2, RBI
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-3, K - batting .281 this season
1B Zach Wilson 1-3, K
LF Jose Toussen 1-3, RBI
2B Claudio Custodio 1-3, K, E4 - fielding error, third of the season
C Wes Wilson 1-2, 2 RBI, BB
RF Cody Grice 0-3, 2 K

James Pazos 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R/3 ER, 0 BB, K
Miguel Sulbaran 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, hit batsman
Kyle Haynes 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K, WP
Nick Rumbelow 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 5-7 vs. Asheville Tourists

SS Tyler Wade 2-5, RBI
LF Michael O'Neill 1-5, K
RF Aaron Judge 2-3, triple, HR, RBI, BB - seventh homer of the season, 1.123 OPS last 10
3B Miguel Andujar 1-4, RBI
C Jackson Valera 1-4, K, E2 - throwing error, second of the season
CF Dustin Fowler 1-4
1B John Murphy 2-4, K
2B Gosuke Katoh 1-4, double, RBI, K, E4 - throwing error, sixth of the season
DH Brandon Thomas 1-4, RBI, 2 K

Caleb Smith 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, BB, 4 K, hit batsman - 57 of 89 pitches for strikes
Jaron Long 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, hit batsman

The name at the top of the minor league home run, unsurprisingly, is Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers. The surprise is the name that is tied with him, Yankees' prospect Peter O'Brien. What could O'Brien do for fantasy owners, and when could we see that happen?

Throughout the minor league season, the prospect staff here at Fake Teams will look at a number of prospects for your fantasy and dynasty teams. Some will be prospects that you'll see this year in the majors, while others are interesting targets in longer term formats. Up today is a prospect who has been a surprise name at the top of the home run leader boards in the minors, Yankees' prospect Peter O'Brien.

The Basics

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215 lbs.
On 40-Man Roster: No
Protect After: 2016 Season
DOB: 7/15/1990 (Age 23 Season)

His History

O'Brien went undrafted out of high school, and attended Bethune Cookman College for his first three seasons. He was drafted in the 3rd round by the Rockies in 2011, but did not sign with the team at that time. He transferred to Miami for his senior season, and was drafted by the Yankees in the 2nd round in 2012. He signed for a bonus just under half a million dollars, and spent most of his first professional season with Staten Island in the NY-Penn League. O'Brien hit just .212 in 52 games, but added 10 home runs to the stat sheet.

He split his time in 2013, starting the year in Low-A Charleston and moving up to High-A Tampa after just 53 games. On the year, he hit .291/.350/.544 with 23 home runs, 91 runs batted in, and 78 runs scored, while playing catcher and third base primarily. He returned to Tampa this year, but after 30 games was moved up to AA Trenton. Through 50 games, O'Brien has 20 home runs to go with a .297 batting average between the two levels, playing mostly catcher and some in the outfield.

The Scouting Report

Hit (AVG): While O'Brien has been hitting for a high average at some of his stops, he's not expected to provide a high batting average as he moves up in the organization. There are concerns about his ability to make consistent contact, striking out at least 21% of his at bats at every stop so far, but has been better this year than in previous seasons. There are also questions about his approach at the plate, so it will be interesting to see if he can continue this level of performance this year.

Power (HR, RBI): The power will be O'Brien's calling card as he continues to develop. He has potentially elite power potential, but when paired with the questions about his hit tool, may not play to its' full potential. If everything clicks, he could hit 30 home runs a season, but the odds of that are extremely low. More likely, he could provide 15-20 home runs on a regular basis.

Speed (R, SB): O'Brien is not considered a good runner, and is unlikely to provide more than a token stolen base or two, if that. I wouldn't bet on even that, as he has just 2 caught stealings to his name as a professional.

Defense: One of the biggest questions for O'Brien is where he will play on the diamond. He has been catching primarily since signing with the Yankees, but is considered a below-average defender at the position and is not expected to profile there long-term. The team tried him at third base as well, but isn't expected to profile there either. He seems destined to be either a left fielder or a first baseman down the line, essentially somewhere they can put him where he won't kill you on defense.

When Could He Arrive in the Majors?

O'Brien could be up in the majors by the end of 2015, assuming he continues to hit like he has this year.

What Can He Do for Your Fantasy Team?

I could see him hitting in the .240-.250 range with 20+ home runs if he was given a full season of playing time, but that remains a giganticly large question given his defensive liabilities.

Conclusions

In the best case scenario, you're probably looking at a .240-.250 hitting catcher with 20+ home runs if he gets everyday playing time. The key for him is whether he does get that playing time, and whether it happens behind the plate enough to stay qualified at the position consistently. If he only ends up with 1B or OF eligibility, he becomes essentially an AL-only play most likely. We should learn more about him as the season progresses, and whether he can keep the performance up at AA for the rest of the year.

The 2014 MLB Draft is only days away, so you would figure we'd have reported the results of mock drafts being conducted throughout the internet. Unfortunately, most mock drafts only do the first round, so no one has predicted who the Yankees would pick this year. Minor League Ball, however, has decided to do a community mock draft that covers the first four rounds.

Round 2: With the 55th overall pick, the Yankees have selected Chase Vallot, a catcher and outfielder from St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Listed at six-foot-one and 205 pounds, Vallot bats right-handed, and though he will be taken as a catcher, is unlikely to last behind the plate for very long. Based on my research of the Yankees' drafting patterns, he could be a guy they have been scouting as Louisiana has been a hotbed for Yankee draft picks in recent years.

What they're saying about him:

MLB.com has him ranked 49th on their list and grades him out to having a 50-hit tool, 60 power, and a 60 arm. They say "Vallot has a quick swing with a lot of leverage, giving him above-average power. The Mississippi State recruit has a reliable approach and consistently makes hard contact."

Over at Minor League Ball, Matt Garrioch ranked him at 39 and says he has a 60-grade ceiling with a 35-grade floor. He describes Vallot as having "big bat speed and power. Good arm. Good athelte. Hit tool questions. Needs work defensively but is young for the draft. Intriguing potential."

Baseball America ranks him at 48 and is the No. 2 prospect out of the state of Louisiana. They spoke highly of his work ethic and gave a detailed report on his troubles behind the plate:

He has plus arm strength, although the arm doesn’t consistently play at that level in game action. Vallot struggled to receive on the showcase circuit, especially out of the strike zone and can have what one scout called an "ejecto mitt". His footwork and blocking skills will also require improvement at the professional level. Although scouts are not confident he can stay behind the plate, they believe his bat has a chance to play wherever he lands on the defensive spectrum, including left field or first base, where he saw time on the showcase circuit.

Averaged out, Vallot ranked 45, making the possibility that he will drop to the Yankees in the real draft relatively slim. Still, if it's one thing the Yankees like, it's offensive-minded catcher who hit for power and Vallot profiles exactly as that. The one hold up I see is that the system is already filled with 1B/DH type hitters with Peter O`Brien, Greg Bird, and Mike Ford all making good impressions this season. While he sounds like a very solid pick, the Yankees could probably do without another player like that.

Round 3: With the 93rd overall pick, the Yankees have selected Aaron Brown, an outfielder/left-handed pitcher from Pepperdine University in Malibu California.

Brown is listed at six-foot-two and 200 pounds, giving him a solid build. He bats and throws left-handed and was previously drafted in the 30th round of the 2013 draft by the Cleveland Indians. While the Yankees have gone big in California, they haven't exactly flocked to the Malibu area in the last five years, having also backed away from Los Angeles as well.

What they're saying about him:

Garrioch at Minor League Ball isn't as confident in his abilities, ranking him 169th and giving him a 45-grade ceiling. He believes Brown to be "A solid hitting corner outfielder without the needed power. Decent pitcher without dominant stuff. He's a tweener each way."

Baseball America, on the other hand, includes him in their top 100 at No. 88, which is a huge variance from his other two rankings. Despite some nagging injuries that have plagued him in his early years, Brown has reached stardom this season by going 9-1 with a 2.34 ERA and hitting .331/.370/.579 with nine home runs so far. BA believes that he will be taken in the top four rounds as either a pitcher or an outfielder:

Scouts widely agree that he is a top-four-rounds talent as both a pitcher and an outfielder, and they are divided about where he fits best. Off the mound, he is physical, athletic and aggressive and attacks hitters with an 89-91 mph fastball that bumps 92-93. His ability to throw quality strikes with his fastball has improved, and his 82-85 mph slider has become a plus pitch with good depth, generating swing-throughs against righties and lefties. He mixes in a changeup that has a chance to be an average pitch and gives him a chance to start, though some scouts still see him as a better fit in the bullpen because of his fair command. If a club drafts Brown as a position player, he has the plus raw power and solid arm strength to profile in right field, though he plays center for the Waves this spring. The biggest knock on Brown’s bat is his tendency to swing and miss, as evidenced by his 36-7 strikeout-walk mark through 178 at-bats.

Brown averages out to a 125 ranking, making him a slight overdraft for the Yankees at No. 93. To take him they would have to be very impressed with his ability to maximize his skillset because he doesn't seem to stand out in any regard. I suspect he might be taken as a pitcher where he could end up as a David Phelps-type who mixes his pitches well, but isn't overpowering, though it seems that everyone, including the Minor League Ball community members, are in disagreement about where his future lies:

Round 4: With the 122nd overall pick, the Yankees have selected Alex Pantojas, a shortstop from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy.

Pantojas is listed at five-foot-eleven and 150 poounds, so there's plenty of room for him to fill out and get stronger.While they haven't been big on drafting out of Puerto Rico in the past, the Yankees might be enticed by the switch-hitting shortstop.

What they're saying about him:

MLB.com ranks him at 176 overall and grades him out to a below-average 40-hit tool, with 30-power, and 45-run. However, they did give him a 55-arm grade and 60-field grade, showing that he could be an elite defender, but his offensive game might not be much to look at. MLB praises him on his aggressive style of play and high baseball IQ, though his actual talent might be lacking as "Pantojas' defense is well ahead of his offense, and scouts wonder if he will hit enough to be an everyday player."

Matt Garrioch of Minor League Ball ranks Pantojas at 133rd, believing he has a 50-grade ceiling and describing him as having "Long arms. Long swing. Skinny. Great defender at short and should stick there. Gained some muscle over winter and should have some pop because of it." He seems more optimistic about his bat, but the flaws are still there. It's also nice to finally read about someone who will definitely stick at shortstop.

Baseball America has him ranked No. 173 overall and is the No. 1 prospect coming out of Puerto Rico. They believe that he is one of the best defensive shortstops in the draft class, but not much is thought about his offense:

He grows on scouts in game action because of his defensive prowess as a soft-handed, reliable defender with above-average range and a strong, accurate arm. Pantojas' speed plays as average out of the box and better on the bases with good baserunning instincts. Added strength has helped his swing as a contact-oriented hitter with a slightly uphill path, but he’s still unlikely to produce much impact with the bat and will have well below-average power.

Pantojas averages out to a 160 overall ranking, which makes him somewhat of an overdraft by over a round. Pantojas sounds a lot like Gosuke Katoh, who they actually ended up drafting in the second round last year, and Cito Culver, who they took with their first-round pick in 2010. I'd prefer they go with someone who can actually hit the ball, though.