Somerset Takes On Reading One More Time
Bridgewater, New Jersey - After returning from the All-Star Break, the Somerset Patriots will take on the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) at TD Bank Ballpark for a three-game series between July 22 to July 24.
Bridgewater, New Jersey - After returning from the All-Star Break, the Somerset Patriots will take on the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) at TD Bank Ballpark for a three-game series between July 22 to July 24.
It will be the final meeting of 2022 between the two teams with the Patriots having won nine of 15 against the Fightin Phils this season.
After finishing in fifth place of the Northeast Division of the Eastern League in the first half, Reading has started the second half of the season with a 7-5 record including four wins over Somerset.
Since their previous visit to Bridgewater, the Fightin Phils have added the Phillies number four overall prospect, and number one outfielder prospect, Johan Rojas. Reigning from San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Rojas was signed to a minor league contract in January of 2018 and began 2022 with High-A Jersey Shore before being promoted to Double-A Reading at the end of June. The 21-year-old played his first four Double-A games against the Patriots and batted 5-for-16 with a walk and three runs scored.
Behind the plate, Logan O’Hoppe has continued to excel this season and was recently selected to the 2022 Futures Game. The 22-year-old was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft by the Phillies and has since spent over four years in the minor league system prior to his assignment to Double-A Reading this season. In the Fightin Phils’ previous trip to TD Bank Ballpark, O’Hoppe hit 11-for-20 with five home runs, eight RBI, and eight runs scored and went on to be named the Eastern League Player of the Week for his efforts.
Much like Reading, the Patriots added the Yankees number four prospect, and number one catcher, Austin Wells. Drafted 28th overall by the Yankees in 2020, a year after Anthony Volpe’s selection, Wells catapulted himself to the top of the prospect rankings and saw an eventual promotion to Double-A Somerset at the beginning of July. On July 10, Wells recorded his first Double-A RBI with a double that scored Volpe and helped the Patriots defeat the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles) 3-1.