After kicking off the season with a nine-game road trip, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are finally set to play their home opener tonight at 6:35 p.m. at PNC Field in Moosic. They’ll begin a six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.
At 5-4, the RailRiders are the final team in the International League to host a home game this season. They dropped two of three in their opening series against Lehigh Valley before bouncing back with four wins in six games against the Syracuse Mets.
Erick Leal (0-1, 3.60 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the RailRiders. The 30-year-old right-hander made his first affiliated appearance since 2019 last week in Syracuse, where he allowed two runs on five hits, striking out seven in five innings. Leal spent the last few seasons in the Mexican League before signing a minor league deal with the Yankees last September.
Offensively, the RailRiders lead the International League with 58 total runs and rank third in home runs with 12. Outfielder Ismael Munguia is off to a hot start, hitting .314 (11-for-35) with a pair of three-hit games. Signed as a minor-league free agent after time in the Giants’ system, the 26-year-old impressed during spring training with a .372 average.
Yankees’ No. 14 prospect Everson Pereira is also producing, batting .310 with a home run and six RBI. His clutch two-run homer Sunday in Syracuse tied the game before a five-run ninth inning gave the RailRiders an 8-4 win. No. 21 prospect Jorbit Vivas sealed that rally with a three-run homer and currently leads the team with nine RBI, hitting .303 on the season.
Other key contributors include:
• T.J. Rumfield: team-high three home runs, eight RBI, .270 average.
• Andrew Velazquez: .265 average, one home run, five RBI, and four stolen bases.
• Braden Shewmake: after a slow start, he’s hitting .233 with two homers and four RBI.
Four of the team’s five wins have come via the bullpen, including one from No. 23 prospect Eric Reyzelman, who earned his first Triple-A victory with 1.2 scoreless innings and three strikeouts on April 1.
Veteran outfielder Cooper Hummel may make his RailRiders debut during this homestand. The 30-year-old has appeared in 82 MLB games and signed with the Yankees after electing free agency this offseason.
Notably, the RailRiders’ March 28 season opener marked the franchise’s 5,000th regular-season game. Since their inception in 1989, they’ve compiled a strong track record under different names and affiliations, currently holding a 868-710 record as the RailRiders since 2013.
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