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MLB

Patriots Notebook 8/6/24: Subway Series Rolls Into Somerset

August 6, 2024

Bridgewater, New Jersey – Somerset returns home this afternoon to open up the next installment of the Double-A Subway Series with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies after a successful 4-2 road trip to Bowie last week. The Patriots (20-13) sit in third place in the Northeast Division just one game behind

Bridgewater, New Jersey – Somerset returns home this afternoon to open up the next installment of the Double-A Subway Series with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies after a successful 4-2 road trip to Bowie last week. The Patriots (20-13) sit in third place in the Northeast Division just one game behind first place Portland with 36 games left to play in the campaign. Meanwhile, Binghamton (17-15) is just 3.5 games behind the top of the division as they come off of a disappointing 2-4 homestand against New Hampshire. The Patriots last tangled with the Mets affiliate back in mid-June when the two clubs split a six-games slate. Since becoming the Yankees Double-A affiliate back in 2021, Somerset is 24-20 all-time against Binghamton.

Spencer Reigns: Minor League Baseball announced on Monday afternoon that outfielder Spencer Jones was the Eastern League Player of the Week for the second time this season for his torrid stretch in Bowie last week. The Yankees second ranked prospect was a hot name on the rumor mill last week as the MLB trade deadline came and went, but the 2022 first-round draft selection scorched at the plate, going 9-for-22 with 2 homers, 9 RBI, with 6 extra-base hits and 5 runs scored. The 23-year-old Vanderbilt-product is slashing .245/.331/.758 on the season with 13 homers and 21 stolen bases while his 58 RBI rank 3rd in the EL and 2nd most in the Yankees minor league system.

Hampton Reports for Duty: Yankees third ranked prospect made his long-awaited season debut for Somerset on Friday night in Bowie after being sidelined with a UCL sprain since the early juncture of spring training. The organization’s top–pitching prospect tossed 57 pitches over 3.2 shutout innings against the Baysox – he allowed 3 hits and issues 2 walks while fanning 4 batters in an eventual 3-2 loss.

Hampton made 5 rehab starts between the Florida Coast League and Low-A Tampa before being slotted back into the Somerset rotation. The 2022 6th round draft selection out of Texas Tech threw 13 innings for those clubs – he allowed 5 earned runs on 7 hits to go with 12 strikeouts.

Go with the Flo: Patriots catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores has been one of the standout hitters in the Eastern League since the All-Star break last month. The 23-year-old undrafted JUCO product has hit safely in 5 straight contests– he homered twice and drove home 5 runs while scoring 4 times during the series at Bowie last week. In 89 games this season between Somerset and High-A Hudson Valley, Flores is slashing .268/.375/.464 with 13 homers and 52 RBI with 36 extra-base hits.

So Long, Farewell: Infielder Ben Cowles, who spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign with Somerset, was shipped to the Chicago Cubs along with former Patriot Jack Neely in a trade deadline deal that netted Mark Leiter Jr. last week. Cowles had just landed on the IL after being hit by a pitch against Portland at the end of July – at the time of the deal, he led all Yankees minor leaguers in batting (.294) and doubles (25) while his 96 hits on the season ranked 2nd in the EL. Cowles was 1 of 4 former Patriots, along with Jack Neely, Agustin Ramirez, and Brandon Lockridge to have been shuffled off to other clubs by the Bombers at the deadline to bolster the big league roster.

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble: When the Mets and Yankees meet in the Big Leagues, there is always a little added juice and excitement in the air for that series. While bragging rights amongst fans fuel the rivalry, the players are also eager to showcase themselves in front of the eventual crosstown foe and that holds true in the minor leagues as well.

Somerset is catching the Rumble Ponies at the right time as the Mets top-pitching prospect Brandon Sproat has reportedly been promoted to Triple-A Syracuse on the heels of one of the most dominant pitching performances in 2024. The reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week fanned 13 Fisher Cats last Friday night, including 11 in a row to conclude his masterful outing.

First baseman Ryan Clifford, the Mets 3rd ranked prospect, is the most dangerous bat in the Binghamton lineup. While the 21-year-old is hitting just .216 since being promoted to Double-A on May 14, the slugging lefty is coming off of a July in which he hit .277 while posting a .355 on-base mark. Clifford, who has 14 homers and 48 RBI this season, was acquired by the Mets from Houston along with outfielder Drew Gilbert in exchange for right-hander Justin Verlander just over a year ago at last summer’s MLB trade deadline.

Series Probable Pitching Matchups:

Tues: RHP Joander Suarez (6-5, 4.30 ERA) vs. RHP Bailey Dees (4-6, 4.63 ERA)
Wed: RHP Nolan McLean (0-7, 5.10 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Messinger (3-8, 3.61 ERA)
Thu: TBD vs. TBD
Fri: RHP Jonathan Pintaro (0-1, 40.50 ERA) vs. RHP Chase Hampton (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sat: RHP Luis Moreno (3-3, 3.82 ERA) vs. LHP Ben Shields (2-1, 1.95 ERA)
Sun: RHP Joander Suarez (6-5, 4.30 ERA) vs. RHP Trystan Vrieling (8-7, 5.22 ERA)

Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer

Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 12th 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.