Shelley Duncan likes the team he has been given this season. A lot.
He realizes it could totally change in a few weeks, given the nature of minor-league baseball. But for now, the manager of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders is excited about the group he currently has. It has some experience, plenty of talent, and certainly built some good chemistry in spring training.
“Our goal here is to make every single one of those players a better baseball player and get them to the big leagues,” said Duncan, who is in his fourth season as RailRiders skipper and was the 2025 International League Manager of the Year. “We love the way the roster is right now, but everyone knows it could be completely different in two weeks. You just have to appreciate the moment, appreciate what we’ve got right now. There’s some very fun baseball players to watch in that locker room. It should be exciting for the fans, exciting for us and something to really look forward to.”
The season got off to a good start in Buffalo over the weekend with the RailRiders taking two of three from the Bisons in the opening series. They were scheduled to begin a six-game series Tuesday in Rochester against the Red Wings, but the first game was rained out. The series is set to begin Wednesday.
Topping the roster are outfielders Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones and infielder Oswaldo Cabrera.
Domínguez, a.k.a. “The Martian,” spent all of last season with the Yankees. Due to the crowded outfield situation in the Bronx, Domínguez is back in Triple-A with a chance to play every day and continue to work on aspects of his game that will get him back to the majors for good.
Jones is rated the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-7 slugger totaled 35 home runs and 80 RBIs at two stops in the minors last season, including 19 homers and 48 RBIs in 67 games with the RailRiders. He hit his first home run this season in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday at Buffalo.
“I expect to see Spencer work hard. Go up there locked in every at-bat. Give everything he can every single day,” Duncan said. “He’s made a couple swing changes that are really promising. His energy, his attitude is always top-notch. That’s what I expect to see. The results will take care of themselves. You never know what kind of pitcher you’re going to face, what the weather is going to be like, any of that stuff. Just go out there and play the game.”
Cabrera will continue to work his way back from a fractured left ankle suffered during a slide into home plate in a game in Seattle last May.
Despite the fact that Domínguez and Cabrera spent time last season in the major leagues, Duncan doesn’t expect them to show any disappointment at being in the minors.
“The time I’ve spent with those guys, I expect them to play with energy; to not let that woe-is-me enter their minds,” Duncan said. “They’re not going to go out there and give three-quarters of an effort. They’re going to give everything they have. That’s who they are. You know their character, that’s how they go about their business. There is letdown in people. A lot of times you don’t have that same adrenaline that you’re used to getting on a nightly basis in the big leagues. If it’s not there for them in the beginning, these guys will figure it out. But I don’t expect any letdown from them when it comes to work, effort, attitude, preparation. They’re going to be good.”
Also back from last season are infielder Braden Shewmake and speedy outfielder Duke Ellis.
Newcomers include infielders Max Schuemann, who played 101 games with the Athletics last season; Paul DeJong, a nine-year MLB veteran who spent last season with the Washington Nationals; Jonathan Ornelas, who split time with the Round Rock Express and Gwinnett Stripers last season and also appeared in six major league games with the Texas Rangers (4) and Atlanta Braves (2); Ernesto Martinez Jr., who played last season with the Nashville Sounds’ and outfielder Yanqiuel Fernandez, who played 52 games last season with the Colorado Rockies.
Behind the plate, the RailRiders have a pair of veteran catchers in Ali Sanchez, who has 50 games of major league experience with five teams over four seasons; and Peyton Henry, who played last season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and had five home runs and 15 RBIs against the RailRiders. Edinson Duran is also back as the third catcher.
“Our defense is amazing,” Duncan said. “All the infielders are shortstops except for the first baseman, so we’re going to move those guys around. As a manager, you’re getting to play a shortstop at second, short and third every single day, that’s lucky. Our outfield is extremely fast. Right now, it’s lined up that we can win games in multiple ways. That’s what you love to see. Very solid right now. You just hope it lasts.”
On the mound, three top prospects are in the starting rotation.
No. 22 Brendan Beck returns after going a combined 13-5 last season with Double-A Somerset and the RailRiders with a 3.36 earned-run average and 123 strikeouts. The right-hander started opening day in Buffalo and allowed no runs or walks and one hit with nine strikeouts in five innings to get the victory.
Right-hander Carlos Lagrange is ranked No. 2 and earned the James P. Dawson Award as the most outstanding Yankees rookie in spring training. Lagrange made his Triple-A debut Sunday in the doubleheader opener in Buffalo and allowed one run and four hits in four innings with no walks and three strikeouts. He threw the fastest pitch in the minor leagues during the opening weekend at 101.3 mph in the first inning to Yohendrick Pinango.
Fellow right-hander, Elmer Rodriguez, the No. 3 prospect, is coming off a season that saw him win 11 games and strike out 176 batters at three levels. He is scheduled to make his season debut during the Rochester series.
Another starter is righty Dom Hamel, who spent last season with the Syracuse Mets. And notably, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is expected to begin the season with the RailRiders until the Yankees need a fifth starter.
The bullpen, which does not have a left-hander, had a strong opening series with one win, one save and a 0.73 ERA. in three games. Among the relievers is Harrison Cohen, the Yankees No. 28 prospect; Kervin Castro; Yerry De Los Santos; Zach Messinger; and Angel Chivilli, who was acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rockies for T.J. Rumfield.
Last season, the RailRiders had an overall record of 87-60. They won the second-half title in the International League, but lost in the final in three games to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, top affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
Despite having a talented roster, Duncan said getting back to the postseason will be a 150-game grind.
“We have a really, really good team on paper to start,” Duncan said. “But when I look around the league, this is probably, in all my years of Triple-A baseball, the strongest with teams across the board. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s not going to be easy for anyone. You’re going to face good pitching. Pitchers are going to face good hitters. It’s going to be really exciting.”
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