Patriots Notebook: Final Week of the First Half
Bridgewater, New Jersey – While the calendar may only read June, a playoff atmosphere is in the air as the Patriots pack their bags and embark on a season-long 12-game road trip that kicks off in Portland with a deciding six-game set with the Sea Dogs (31-31) at Hadlock Field.
Bridgewater, New Jersey – While the calendar may only read June, a playoff atmosphere is in the air as the Patriots pack their bags and embark on a season-long 12-game road trip that kicks off in Portland with a deciding six-game set with the Sea Dogs (31-31) at Hadlock Field. Somerset (35-28) remains just 0.5 games behind first place Hartford (35-27) in the Northeast Division and a spot in the Eastern League playoffs come September. Meanwhile, the Yard Goats will be on the road for a six-game slate in Reading in the first half’s final week.
The Patriots took five-of-six games against Binghamton last week to conclude their season series with an 11-7 record against the Rumble Ponies. Somerset has now won nine of 12 games in June, while its 20-10 record since May 12 is the best in the Eastern League. Here are some news, notes and tidbits surrounding the Patriots heading into this week’s action.
Chase Hampton (@Yankees No. 8 Prospect) strikes out the side in the second on 3️⃣ sweepers! 🧹 pic.twitter.com/XEgFya6geB
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 12, 2026
Back in the Chase: The Patriots received a huge jolt late last week when No. 8 prospect Chase Hampton was returned from minor league rehab assignment and activated off the IL to make his season debut for the team. Hampton, who made just seven starts in 2024, underwent Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2025 campaign.
The 2022 sixth-round draft selection out of Texas Tech returned to the bump on Friday at TD Bank Ballpark after posting a 5.59 ERA over 19.1 innings spanning six rehab starts with Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. In his first start for Somerset in 671 days, the right-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits over 3.0 innings of work. He fanned three batters and walked three across his 61-pitch outing.
ACTION JACKSON 4⃣
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 13, 2026
Jackson Castillo clubs his 4th home run of the week to give Somerset back the lead. pic.twitter.com/BNVh1AXdjY
Action Jackson: There might not be a hotter hitter right now than Patriots outfielder Jackson Castillo. The 23-year-old is coming off a series against Binghamton last week in which he hammered four homers and drove in 11 runs across the six games. Castillo has found himself as an everyday regular in the lineup and is slashing .276/.365/.431 with 5 HR and 25 RBI in 44 games of action for Somerset.
"474 FEET ON THE 3⃣PT BALL FOR DJ!" 🏀
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 12, 2026
DJ Gladney DESTROYS his 12th HR of the season 111.6 mph off the bat! pic.twitter.com/gLtjCCHBY3
Go DJ: Outfielder DJ Gladney continues to be a vital cog in the Patriots order after another impressive series against the Rumble Ponies. The 24-year-old Chicago-native hit his 12th homer of the season and drove home six runs on the week as he enters action on Tuesday night riding a team-high 14-game on-base streak. Gladney failed to record a homer in the month of April but since going deep for the first time on May 2, the former White Sox farmhand is tied with teammate Garrett Martin for the most HR in the EL (12) over that time.
“I feel really good,” Gladney said. “I had a great offseason, and I learned a lot in previous years from different people, and I feel like now I am just implementing everything that I have learned over the years into a single season.”
Rossi Dominance: Right-hander Tony Rossi has been arguably the most dominant relief arm in the Yankees system this season. The 26-year-old Florida-native allowed his only two earned runs of the year in his second appearance of the season back on April 7 with Hudson Valley.
Rossi has posted a 0.54 ERA this year and is working on 18 consecutive appearances spanning 19.1 innings in which he has not been scored upon. Over that stretch, Rossi allowed just six hits and issued three walks while fanning 28 batters and holding the opposition to a mere .095 batting average.
Knowing the Opponent: The Patriots are set to meet Portland for the first time on the road this season after going 7-2 against them in two prior series at TD Bank Ballpark. While the Patriots trail first place Hartford by just 0.5 games for a playoff berth, the Sea Dogs are still very much alive in the postseason hunt as well. At 31-31, the Red Sox affiliate trails the Yard Goats by four games entering action on Tuesday and could make things interesting this week.
The Sea Dogs are paced by Boston’s two top ranked prospects in infielder Franklin Arias (No. 1) and right-hander Anthony Eyanson (No. 2).
Arias is ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect in baseball and at just 20 years-old looks like an emerging star for the Red Sox. In his first full season at Double-A, the Venezuelan-product has been a force in the Eastern League, slashing .318/.397/.579 with a career-high 13 HR and 35 RBI while having only whiffed 29 times in 195 AB this season. Arias is 8-for-28 with a HR and 4 RBI against the Patriots this season.
Eyanson is in his first season of professional ball after the Red Sox took him No. 87 overall out of LSU just last summer. The 21-year-old righty from Long Beach, CA is ranked as the No. 69 prospect in baseball and has looked the part in his debut campaign. Eyanson opened the season with High-A Greenville and after posting a 0.44 ERA in five starts, Boston bumped him up to Portland on May 5 and while the level has brought stiffer competition, Eyanson has held the Eastern League to a 1.74 ERA in 20.2 IP across five starts.
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday 6/16: RHP Blake Wehunt (2-4, 4.32 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Smith (4-3, 5.24 ERA)
Wednesday 6/17: LHP Patrick Sandoval (MLB Rehab Assignment) vs. LHP Xavier Rivas (3-3, 6.13 ERA)
Thursday 6/18: LHP Hayden Mullins (3-1, 4.85 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Cebert (2-1, 6.62 ERA)
Friday 6/19: RHP Gage Ziehl (2-2, 4.66 ERA) vs. RHP Chase Hampton (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
Saturday 6/20: RHP John Holobetz (3-3, 4.70 ERA) vs. LHP Kyle Carr (6-4, 4.31 ERA)
Sunday 6/21: RHP Anthony Eyanson (2-0, 1.74 ERA) vs. RHP Ben Hess (1-0, 4.12 ERA)
Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer
Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 14th 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.