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MLB

Patriots Notebook 4/22/25: Back To Bridgewater

April 22, 2025

Bridgewater, New Jersey – The Patriots (6-9) are looking forward to getting back to the friendly confines of TD Bank Ballpark this week after dropping four-of-six ball games to Altoona on the road last week for their first ever series loss to the Pirates affiliate. The Curve managed to outscore

Bridgewater, New Jersey – The Patriots (6-9) are looking forward to getting back to the friendly confines of TD Bank Ballpark this week after dropping four-of-six ball games to Altoona on the road last week for their first ever series loss to the Pirates affiliate. The Curve managed to outscore Somerset 29-27 despite posting an Eastern League worst -17 run differential after three weeks of play. The Patriots now sit one spot above last-place Reading in the Northeast division but remain just 3.5 games behind the division lead with first place Hartford (9-5) coming to Bridgewater this week for a six-game slate.

Somerset opened the season with a quick three game series against the Yard Goats earlier this month when the Rockies affiliate outscored them 23-15 en route to taking two-of-three contests. That also marked the team’s first series defeat to Hartford since their run in affiliated ball began back in 2021.

Here are some of the latest news, notes and storylines surrounding the Patriots heading into this week’s action.

Right-hander Brendan Beck, fresh off of being named the Eastern League "Pitcher of the Week" on Monday, is slated to take the ball for Somerset in the opener on Tuesday night. The Yankees 2021 second-round pick has allowed just one hit and one walk with 10 strikeouts over 10 scoreless innings in his first two starts of the season. The 26-year-old Beck had pitched just 34 pro innings due to elbow injuries over the last four years before making his Double-A debut earlier this month. Now with a clean bill of health, the Stanford-product is opening eyes as he looks to set the tone for the Patriots in tonight’s series opener.

Hey, Mr. DJ – The Patriots begin their second homestand of the season on Tuesday night and they’re expected to play host to their second Major League rehab assignment in the early going when infielder DJ LeMahieu is slated to begin his comeback trail to the Bronx in Bridgewater. The 36-year-old LeMahieu, a three-time MLB All-Star, two-time MLB Batting Champion and four-time Gold Glove award winner, has been on the shelf since straining his left calf during a spring training contest back on March 1. LeMahieu suffered a similar fate last season when he opened the regular season on the IL with a fracture to his right foot that would cost him most of the season’s first two months before returning in May after a rehab stint with Somerset.

Jonesing for Power: Yankees second ranked prospect Spencer Jones appears to have put last season’s inconsistency behind him with a torrid stretch to open the 2025 campaign. Entering action on Tuesday, Jones leads all of Double-A baseball and is tied for second in minor league baseball with six home runs after the 2022 first-round draft selection blasted three in Altoona last week. Despite his .236 batting average, the 23-year-old Jones has posted a .936 OPS while going 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts.

Cole World: Outfielder Cole Gabrielson was a player that Patriots hitting coach Mike Fransoso identified as someone that stood out during spring training that he was looking forward to seeing as the season progressed. Entering action on Tuesday, the 24-year-old USC-product is riding a seven-game hitting streak, which is tied for the longest in the EL while slashing .250/.349/.417 with a homer and five RBI. Gabrielson has also gone 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts, which is good for sixth in the league.

“He [Gabrielson] had a really good camp – he came in and he was a guy that kind of jumped off,” said Fransoso prior to the seasons start. “You watch their BP and watch their work and your kind of just drawn to it. He’s got a good routine going right now and we’re excited for what he’s done and what he’s going to do this year.”

Meeting in the Middle: With the end of April rapidly approaching, Somerset sits at 6-9 overall and a lot of that is a result of the offense being a bit further along than the pitching in the early going of the season.

The Patriots offense has slugged a league-high 15 homers and 30 doubles while trailing first place Hartford by just four runs scored for the most in the division. While the offense is clicking, the Somerset pitching staff has posted an EL-high 4.81 ERA while surrendering the most walks with 71.

For a team with perennial championship aspirations, the pitching staff is going to have to find consistency, particularly in the later innings out of the bullpen. The starting rotation has been excellent – their ERA is a cumulative 2.79 mark, which is second best in the EL while their batting average against is a league best .175. But when you break down the splits, the Somerset bullpen has a league worst 6.75 ERA, which is nearly a full run higher than the next highest club.

Tending to the Goats: The first place Yard Goats make their first trip into Bridgewater this season as winners of three consecutive series and four straight games overall.

Infielder Cole Carrig was the 65th overall draft selection in 2023 out of San Diego state and less than two years later, the Rockies third ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline is already thriving at Double-A. The 22-year-old Carrig smashed his second homer of the season on Sunday, and he has already stolen six bases, which is tied for the Eastern League lead entering action on Tuesday night.

Right-hander Gabriel Hughes was the 10th overall pick by Colorado in 2022 and after pitching to an ERA north of 7 in a small taste of Double-A last season, the 23-year-old Gonzaga product is off to a strong start for Hartford in 2025. In three starts thus far, Hughes has posted a 3.09 ERA and has a 10:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 11.2 innings of work.

Series Pitching Probables:

Tue: RHP Blake Adams (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Brendan Beck (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Wed RHP Connor Staine (1-1, 5.00 ERA) vs. RHP Bailey Dees (0-1, 8.59 ERA)
Thu RHP Gabriel Hughes (0-0, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP Cam Schlittler (1-1, 1.80 ERA)
Fri LHP Mason Albright (1-2, 2.76 ERA) vs. RHP Baron Stuart (0-0, 2.84 ERA)
Sat RHP Jack Mahoney (0-1, 9.31 ERA) vs. LHP Edgar Barclay (1-0, 2.61 ERA)
Sun RHP Blake Adams (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Trent Sellers (0-0, 4.15 ERA)

Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer

Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 13th season on the beat covering the Patriots for SomersetPatriots.com. Throughout his career, Matt has contributed to MLB.com, YES Network and Pinstriped Prospects. When he’s not at the ballpark, Matt enjoys traveling with his wife Kimberly, watching Jets football and collecting sports cards.