2013 AB4AR MiL Season Preview: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

While Double-A has a much sexier collection of prospects, the newly named Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are more than holding their own when it comes to quantity of prospect talent on their roster this season.  After being the bare bones level for most of 2012, SWB boasts a well-rounded collection of guys who could be breaking into the show sometime in the next year or so.  In fact, with the problems injuries and payroll crunches are taking on the Major League team this season, we could see a few guys from here in the Yankees' dugout in the near future.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLL...

(Courtesy of MLB)

Real talk, I bet The Big Show would be a better option as a righty DH than Ben Francisco.

P.S.- Good to see the Yankees still had one of Cecil Fielder's old jerseys laying around in the locker room to give to Show.

2013 AB4AR MiL Season Preview: Double-A Trenton

If there's one MiL team to pay the most attention to this season, it's hands down the Double-A Trenton Thunder.  And it's not just because they have a badass name and logo, which they do.  This year's season-opening edition of the Thunder will be stacked with high-end prospect talent, both in the field and on the pitching mound.  There will be no less than eight top 20-30 organizational prospects on the roster to start this season, and that's not even counting the rehabbing Jose Ramirez, who will get some time in Extended ST to let a couple of small nagging injuries heal before joining the rotation.  Check out the rest of this All-Star collection after the jump.

Game 2 Wrap-Up: BOS 7 NYY 4

(Never a good sign.  Courtesy of the AP)

With a day to let the initial excitement and eventual disappointment of Opening Day settle down, the Yankees returned to the diamond last night for the second game of their season-opening series against Fraud Sawx Nation.  They had Hiroki Kuroda on the mound making his 2013 debut, the "better" version of their starting lineup on the field, and hit-or-miss right-hander Clay Buchholz as the opposing pitcher.  If there was anything that could have made the situation better to get a W, it would have involved a batting tee.  Unfortunately, that situation fell apart pretty quickly.

Game Notes:

- The weather wasn't kind (low-30s wind chill, 25 MPH winds), and Kuroda never looked comfortable with his grip or slider command.  He gave up a run on 3 hits in the top of the 1st, and then had to leave the game with 1 out in the 2nd after taking a line drive off his pitching hand and following up with 2 HBPs and a walk to force in another run.

- Cody Eppley relieved Kuroda, and got out of the 2nd with a well-timed double play ball, but Joe elected to go back to Eppley instead of Adam Warren to start the 3rd and Eppley put 4 more runs on the board before Joe finally pulled the plug.

- Down 6-0 early, the Yanks got on the board via a solo HR by Travis Hafner in the bottom of the 4th.  Good to know they still have a few healthy guys who can hit bombs.

- After that, Buchholz settled down and worked through the next 3 frames scoreless, including wiggling out of a 2-on, 1-out jam in the 7th.

- Nobody was expecting him to do much more than take one for the team, but Warren was actually very good in his 5.1 innings of work.  He allowed just 1 more run, got the game to the 9th without using up any major 'pen guys, and threw both his fastball and his changeup very well.

- Vernon Wells was the big offensive star of the night for New York, racking up 3 hits in 4 ABs.  His last one was a 3-run homer off former Yank Alfredo Aceves in the bottom of the 8th.  It was enough to make the game look respectable, but in the end the Yanks still came up short.