Yankees prospects strike out 24 times in minor league game

Sun, May 15, 2022
MLB News (AP)

You only receive 27 outs in a baseball game, so if 24 of those outs are strikeouts, it's either a remarkable pitching feat or an amazing example of hitting futility - or maybe a little bit of both.

Either way, that's what happened on Saturday night in Dunedin, Florida, when prospects on the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays struck out 24 batters in a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees' Tampa Tarpons.

The Toronto minor leaguers ended up pitching a combined two-hitter in the Florida State League contest.

According to MLB.com, it was the most strikeouts by a Minor League team since at least 2005. It came a few weeks after the Single-A Clearwater Phillies struck out 22 in their April 23 win - also against Tampa.

The MLB record for team strikeouts in a nine-inning game is 20, last accomplished by the White Sox over the Tigers on April 28, 2019. It's happened six other times at the big league level as well.

"It was honestly one of the most unbelievable things I've ever seen," Dunedin pitching coach Drew Hayes told MLB.com. "I started in pro ball in 2010 and I don't have words for what I watched tonight."

Nick Frasso, a 24-year-old right-hander, struck out eight over three innings. Dahian Santos, a 19-year-old right-hander, struck out 10 over four innings. Braden Scott, a 24-year-old left-hander, struck out six over two innings.

Alexander Vargas, Jasson Dominguez and Marcos Cabrera struck out four times each, and Alan Mejia and Connor Cannon struck out three times apiece. Anthony Garcia and Robinson Chirinos struck out twice each, and Anthony Seigler and Grant Richardson once apiece.

"Tonight, we got to 20 in the eighth inning and I said: 'Oh my god, this is kinda crazy,'" Hayes said. "There are really good hitters on the other side, and that makes it all the more impressive for our guys. It speaks to how nasty their stuff was."

MLB Pipeline ranks Dominguez as the No. 3 prospect in the Yankees system and No. 59 in baseball. Vargas is ranked No. 17 in the Yankees system.

The only outs not on strikeouts Saturday night were Richardson's flyout ending the second, Seigler's flyout ending the fourth and Mejia's groundout for the second out in the seventh.

Chirinos singled in the third and Seigler leading off the seventh. Tampa also walked five times and had one batter reach when hit by a pitch.

Cameron Eden hit a fourth-inning homer off Chandler Champlain.

Associated Press contributed to this story.