Latest news with #SomersetPatriots
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Yankees' injured reliever takes another step forward in rehab assignment
When New York Yankees' righty Scott Effross grabbed at his hamstring in February, it wasn't just muscle fibers that tore—it was his hopes, too. For a pitcher who's logged only 3.1 MLB innings since 2022, another setback felt like life pressing 'pause' on a dream. Advertisement Imagine climbing a mountain, nearly reaching the peak, only to be yanked back by an invisible rope. That's been Effross' journey. And yet, the right-hander isn't giving up. While fate hit him hard with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, he's writing a comeback story worth rooting for. Now, he's not just rehabbing—he's reviving. Throw by throw, inning by inning, Effross is stepping back toward the light. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Effross dominates in rehab with Somerset Patriots This week, Effross continued his rehab assignment with the Double-A Somerset Patriots—and he made it count. On Thursday, he fired a scoreless inning with no hits and just one walk, showing the control and poise that once made him a bullpen weapon. Advertisement Somerset shared the outing on X, noting he threw 11 pitches, 7 for strikes—efficient, smooth, and encouraging. It was his second appearance with Somerset, and his third overall since beginning his rehab journey earlier this month. The most impressive stat? Zero earned runs across all three games. That's not just rust coming off—that's a statement. Reclaiming the form that once made him elite In 2022, Effross wasn't just 'good'—he was quietly dominant. He posted a sub-3.00 ERA with excellent strikeout rates and ground-ball mastery. A sidearm reliever who lives on deception and precision, he forced batters to beat the ground, not the scoreboard. Advertisement Those days now feel like a distant dream, but with every rehab outing, the 31-year-old creeps closer to being that pitcher again. He's regaining the rhythm, the timing, and the critical 'feel' for his mechanics that separates pitchers from throwers. More than anything, Effross is finally feeling like himself on the mound again—a feeling no stat can fully capture. Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images Injuries stole two years, but not his fire Elbow surgery ended his 2023 campaign before it began. Then, back issues flared, stealing even more precious time. When the hamstring strain came in February 2024, it felt cruelly repetitive—a domino effect of physical breakdowns. Advertisement But Effross didn't cave. Instead, he embraced the rehab grind once more, refusing to let his story end in a trainer's room. The Yankees have missed his unique delivery and reliable arm, and if this progress continues, they may not have to wait much longer. He's not just close—he's knocking on the door of a major-league return, and he's bringing energy with him. Why the Yankees bullpen should make room Relievers like Effross don't grow on trees. He's quirky, effective, and different—three traits that can confound opposing hitters. His ability to induce weak contact with movement and placement could offer a fresh look in a bullpen that needs variety. Advertisement With injuries and inconsistencies plaguing New York's relief corps, a healthy Effross could be more than helpful—he could be clutch. Manager Aaron Boone and the front office will be watching his next few outings closely, gauging readiness and recovery. But if his recent performances are any indicator, that next call-up might not be far off. The road back isn't just physical—it's emotional Every pitch thrown in Somerset isn't just part of a rehab—it's part of a redemption arc. Effross has spent nearly two full seasons in the shadows, battling surgeries and setbacks in silence. Now, with each step onto the mound, he's writing a powerful answer to every moment of doubt he's had. Advertisement And when he finally returns to Yankee Stadium, the roar of the crowd might echo a little louder—for a man who refused to quit. Popular reading: Yankees' sneaky pitching prospect leads the charge in Game 2 win in Somerset
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
New York Yankees Prospect Rafael Flores Looking Like An Undrafted Gem
Rafael Flores has been a good hitter everywhere he has played. Yet no MLB team bothered to draft him. The New York Yankees were prepared to do so and passed. They eventually signed him and are delighted they did. Flores currently leads the Double-A Eastern League with 10 home runs. In 44 games this year for the Somerset Patriots, the 24-year-old has also hit .306 with 12 doubles and 36 RBI in 44 games. He has 13 multi-hit games, including six with three hits. SARASOTA, FL: Rafael Flores of the New York Yankees bats during a Spring Breakout game against the ... More Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) That's no surprise to the 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-handed slugger who divides his time between catcher and first base and was named the Yankees' 2024 Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. 'The hitting side of my game, there's no drastic changes anymore, I'm just trying to fine tune some things like my approach and my swing decisions,' Flores told Mike Ashmore of at the start of the 2025 season. 'This offseason, I'm just tried to feel the same things, feeling the same leg kick, feeling the same bat path. It's kind of just clicked, and it's been good so far, I love it.' Now in his fourth year in the minors, Flores has a ,278 career average with 59 doubles, 41 homers and 149 RBI in 277 games. He's working hard to remain at catcher, where he has thrown out only 17 percent (45 of 271) runners attempting to steal in 132 games behind the plate. That's why he has also played 103 games at first base. His hustle on defense does impress, however. Flores played baseball and basketball at Katella High School in Anaheim, then went off to nearby Cypress College for two years. In 49 games for the Chargers in 2018-20, he hit .342 (38-for-111) with 11 doubles, a triple and two homers. He had 24 walks to 14 strikeouts and drove in 28 runs. After sitting out 2021, it was off to Rio Hondo College in nearby Whittier. The Roadrunners have produced three MLB players: PITTSBURGH: John Urrea of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three ... More Rivers Stadium in 1977. (Photo by) ST. PETERSBURG, FL: Third baseman Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a home run in the second ... More inning against the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the American League Divisional Series at Tropicana Field on Oct. 2, 2008. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) Flores was sensational at the school. He hit safely in his first 13 games, starting with a 4-for-5 debut featuring two homers and four RBI. After going 0-for-6, he hit safely in another 12 straight games. In 39 games overall, he batted .380 (63-for-166) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 41 runs and 36 RBI. He also had 19 walks to 19 strikeouts. After playing all his games close to home in southern California, Flores went to play in the Land of the Midnight Sun with the Alaska Goldpanners in the summer collegiate league. He hit .348 with 36 RBI in 28 games. The Yankees signed him for $75,000 one week after the draft on July 25, 2002. His coach at Rio Hondo, Mike Salazar, told reporters then that The Bronx Bombers had been watching Flores for some time and intended to draft him in the middle rounds. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 15th overall in the Yankees system and explains that Flores' career path is like that of current New York catcher-first baseman Ben Rice. Rice, 26, has 10 homers in 44 games for New York this year. He's built about the same as Flores but hits left-handed. Baseball America ranks Flores as the Yanks' 10th-best prospect. TAMPA, FL: Rafael Flores of the New York Yankees bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates at George M. ... More Steinbrenner Field on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) 'That's about right from what I have seen,' said a scout for a rival AL team. 'He's got raw power to the pull side, for sure, and doesn't chase out of the zone. His strikeouts have come, from what I can tell, on pitch recognition, change of speeds. That gets the best of them. 'The best of them learn to adjust and become more selective. Flores has got to do that. 'Defensively, he's got an average arm for a catcher but pretty good footwork for such a big guy. He needs to play there and gain experience. 'I think he could be an average catcher with big power, probably off the bench as a backup or in a platoon and get some ABs at DH and first base.' The New York Yankees have the reputation of buying free agents. Shrewdly scouting players such as Rafael Flores at small schools sometimes pays off, too.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Slugger who put High School Home Run Derby on map in 2013 resurfaces in Yankees system
BRIDGEWATER – More than a decade removed from an unforgettable performance, Jake Gatewood remains on a mission to make sure the game doesn't forget him. Anyone at Citi Field during the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Home Run Derby surely never will. Advertisement A relatively unknown prep prospect out of Clovis, Calif. who was a last-minute addition to the high school portion of the event that wasn't even televised, the now-Somerset Patriots infielder had fans and even big leaguers on their feet with a stunning power performance that saw baseball after baseball sent careening into the upper deck level club seats that also served as the auxiliary press box that night. Nine homers and the unforgettable images of him being congratulated by a who's-who list of his major-league idols later, and the memories remain fresh for Gatewood, now 29. 'It was a whirlwind, for sure,' he said. 'It was a late call, I was at a tournament in Georgia, and I was flying home. My dad was like, 'Do you want to hit in the Home Run Derby,' and I said, 'No, I've done enough, I want to stay in Georgia.' He was like, 'No, the Home Run Derby,' and then he explained it all to me. 'So, I flew home and we did a mock derby at my high school the day before, and then I flew to New York. After that, it was kind of a whirlwind. I remember being on the field, and my first time out there, I was like, 'All right, just make sure you hit one home run.' But, I hit a lot more than one.' Jake Gatewood is back in affiliated baseball for the first time since the end of the 2022 season in Somerset It was Gatewood's first time playing in a big league park, and he soaked in the experience, particularly being around players he'd looked up to for the majority of his life. Players, Gatewood says, that never forgot that night when he eventually got to play with and against some of them. Advertisement 'I remember when I got to the Angels, (Mike) Trout, right away (remembered), so that was cool,' he said. 'Even some of the guys, like Manny Machado, I played against him in big league camp, and he came right up to me and said what's up. It's cool that a lot of those guys still remembered me. Having those guys there that night was nuts.' More: Yankees second-rounder dazzles in Double-A debut following devastating setback He ended up skyrocketing all the way into the first round of the following year's draft, taken 41st overall by the Brewers. He didn't start feeling the pressure of the expectations of the hype that came with both his lofty draft status as well that Derby performance until things started to not go well in the Brewers organization. 'Early in my career, I think that started to get to me,' he said. 'But later in my career, I think I did a better job of handling it, for sure.' Advertisement Gatewood reflects on his seven years in Milwaukee's system – a stay in which he did not get past Double-A and was held back by both injuries and a strikeout rate common of a player with a power-first profile. He says e's grateful for the lessons learned there, and isn't bitter about the way things ended; Milwaukee didn't end up putting him on their extended 60-man player pool roster during the COVID year and let him walk in free agency. Ultimately, it led to an opportunity that by many accounts should have led to his first big league playing time. Gatewood signed with the Angels and finally seemed to put it all together in the hitter-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League, hitting a combined 50 homers and posting a total of 150 RBI in two seasons there in 2021 and 2022. But the call-up never came. That was a bit more difficult to accept. Advertisement 'I had the COVID year to work on stuff, and I matured a lot, my faith helped me handle the pressure a lot better and I was able to put together a better approach,' said Gatewood, who also credited his wife and his work with a sports psychologist for his marked improvement. '(The Angels) were honest with me. They were like, 'Hey, we think you have a chance.' I remember talking to (then-manager) Joe Maddon, and he said, 'We'd love to have you be a part of this team.' But, getting to the big leagues, it's not just playing well, it's being in the right spot at the right time. There were some moments where I thought this could be it, but if you get caught up playing GM? That's not my job.' More: Yankees undrafted slugger looks to continue unexpected breakout with Double-A Somerset A path to Major League Baseball became far more rocky after that. Advertisement In 2023 A year spent playing in Mexico, away from affiliated baseball. 2024? A season in the independent Atlantic League with the Gastonia Baseball Club, where he put up video game-type numbers with a .295 average, 33 homers and 121 RBI, but received only minimal interest at best from MLB clubs during the year. 'I didn't feel like I was done yet,' Gatewood said. 'My faith kept me going. My wife was the same way, we talked, and we didn't feel it was time. But, there was a lot of ups and downs; going to Indy ball, there's a lot of times you're playing there and there's nobody there and it feels like you're the furthest away you can be from the big leagues and sometimes you wonder, 'How did I get to this point.' But, look where we're at now.' Gatewood is back in affiliated baseball for the first time since the end of the 2022 season in Somerset, having signed a deal with the parent Yankees this offseason. After two years of seemingly being off the radar and on the cusp of being forgotten, he's now on a mission to make what may be a last chance to get to the big leagues his best one yet. Advertisement An unforgettable one. 'After you have that year in Indy ball – I kind of had the year everybody wanted me to have … it was a thing where the talent was always there, I just needed to put it together consistently – having that year, and going into the offseason and hearing nothing from affiliated (baseball), I had to take a step back,' said Gatewood, who was hitting .281 with no home runs and five RBI through April 17 as the Patriots shortstop. '… It's been a journey, but I'm grateful for my experiences,' he said. 'My goal here is to be the best player I can be; I know I have a unique skillset where I can hit with power, play shortstop and be a bigger guy. 'The development here is unbelievable, it's the best I've ever seen in my career,' he added. 'Using some of the stuff that they're helping me with … they have plans for me, and the goal is to get to the big leagues. I've been through the minor leagues. I've been here for a while. My goal is to be in the big leagues. I want to do well, and I want to help them win in the big leagues, and whenever that happens, that happens. But right now, my focus is on being the best player I can be in Somerset.' This article originally appeared on High School Home Run Derby champ Jake Gatewood resurfaces with Yankees
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees' top prospect hits injured list in Double-A
The New York Yankees' farm system has been buzzing lately, and one of its brightest lights, outfielder Spencer Jones, has been turning heads down in Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. Ranked as the organization's No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline—trailing only George Lombard Jr.—Jones was making a strong case for a ticket to Triple-A Scranton. But that train has hit a temporary stop. Unexpected Detour Just as whispers of a promotion were growing louder, the Yankees announced Jones had been placed on Somerset's 7-day injured list. The news came via a team post on X, which also mentioned the return of Christopher Familia from the development list. Beyond that, the curtain hasn't been pulled back—there's no word yet on the nature of Jones' injury or how long he might be out. Think of it like a novel where the next chapter was just getting good—then suddenly, the page is torn out. For now, fans and scouts alike are left guessing what comes next. Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Powering Through Struggles Jones' 2025 season, up to this point, was shaping up to be a breakout. Sure, his strikeout rate—north of 36 percent—hasn't shown much improvement over last year. But when he connects, the results are loud. He's already launched nine home runs and backed them with a disciplined eye at the plate, earning a walk rate that keeps pitchers on edge. All of it adds up to a 165 wRC+, a metric that puts his offensive performance far above league average. Advertisement It's like watching a high-strikeout artist in a heavyweight bout: he might miss a few swings, but when he lands a punch, it's a knockout. Wait and See For now, the spotlight on Jones dims slightly as the Yankees keep their cards close. Whether it's a minor tweak or something more serious remains to be seen. One thing's for sure—his early season surge had momentum, and the Yankees will be eager to see him back in the box as soon as possible. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Until then, Scranton will have to wait. Related Headlines
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SeaWolves unveil back-to-back championship rings
(WJET/WFXP)– An incredible feat deserves an incredible design and on Tuesday the Erie SeaWolves unveiled the designs for their newest championship rings. The back-to-back Eastern League champions' newest rings help tell the story of the 2024 SeaWolves featuring the team's logo in the center with 81 stones, one for each win, 'EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS' surrounding the top of the ring all punctuated with 'BACK-2-BACK' on top of each ring. Erie SeaWolves release promotional schedule for 2025 season 'Winning back-to-back championships is no small feat. Gabe Alvarez led a young and ambitious group of players to a third consecutive Eastern League championship,' SeaWolves Owner Fernando Aguirre said. 'Playing against the Somerset Patriots for the second time in three years for a league championship was a tall order. But Gabe and the team did it again and accomplished what only very few teams have done. Winning back-to-back is the highlight of my ownership of the team. We are ready to support our team during the 2025 season, aiming at something that is more difficult to achieve, winning a third championship in a row. We know the entire fan base in Erie will be there. And I'll be ready to design a third championship ring. Go SeaWolves.' The right side of the ring features each player's last name above eight red stones and the team's Howling Wolf logo, while the left side of the ring features the championship year, the Detroit Tigers' Olde English D logo, 'AA' for the Eastern League and is stamped with 81 WINS on the bottom. Erie SeaWolves host book signing for local student's new children's book After receiving their rings for their 2023 title, General Manager Gabe Alvarez said he was worried about this year's design being up to the task but like the team, it more than lived up to the hype. 'I was not sure if we would be able to outdo the rings from last year, but these rings have surpassed my expectations,' SeaWolves manager Gabe Alvarez said, 'They more than encapsulate the unique and exceptional accomplishment of winning back-to-back championships. Thank you, Fernando Aguirre, for these gorgeous rings and for always providing us with what we need. SeaWolves fans deserve the best and I am sure they will be very proud of these rings.' The SeaWolves are the first team since 2007-08 to win back-to-back Eastern League titles and the 11th team since 1923 when the league was founded. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The team will receive their rings during a special ceremony on March 22 in Lakeland, FL before the Tigers and Atlanta Braves go head-to-head in the Grapefruit League. Opening day for the SeaWolves 2025 season is set for April 4 against the Harrisburg Senators, single game tickets are available on the Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
