INF Benjamin Cowles And RHP Trystan Vrieling Sweep April MiLB Award Honors
Bridgewater, New Jersey – Minor League Baseball has announced that Somerset Patriots INF Benjamin Cowles and RHP Trystan Vrieling have been named the Eastern League Player and Pitcher of the Month for April.
Bridgewater, New Jersey – Minor League Baseball has announced that Somerset Patriots INF Benjamin Cowles and RHP Trystan Vrieling have been named the Eastern League Player and Pitcher of the Month for April.
ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMIN | Benjamin Cowles has been named the Eastern League Player of the Month for April!🎖
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) May 3, 2024
In his first month at Double-A, Cowles led the league in batting (.351), total bases (48) and extra-base hits (13), while ranking second in OBP (.433) and OPS (1.056)!🔥 pic.twitter.com/sJRU4tKyov
Cowles batted .351/.433/.623 and led the league in average (.351), hits (27), doubles (eight), total bases (48), on-base percentage (.433), slugging percentage (.623) and OPS (1.056). He was fourth in runs scored (14).
He recorded seven multi-hit games and hit safely in six straight games to start the month and eight straight games to end the month.
Cowles, recently promoted to the Yankees No. 29 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was selected by the organization in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Maryland.
HOOKED ON A VRIELING | Yankees No. 22 prospect Trystan Vrieling has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for April!🎖
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) May 3, 2024
In his first month at Double-A, Vrieling led all pitchers with a 0.75 WHIP, while posting a 1.88 ERA and .145 BAA!🔥 pic.twitter.com/U2H2kixFCH
Vrieling went 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his first four professional starts and held opponents to a .145 average. He struck out 25 and walked six over 24.0 innings.
Vrieling was recently named the Pitcher of the Week for games played April 15 -21. During that period, Vrieling started on April 19th with 7.2 hitless and scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts in a win against the Hartford Yard Goats.
Vrieling, the team’s No. 22 prospect, was selected by the Yankees in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Gonzaga University.
It’s the second time that Somerset has swept Player of the Month honors. Cowles and Vrieling join INF Diego Castillo and RHP Janson Junk, who were both selected for June of 2021. They become the 7th and 8th Patriots to receive the honor, with the last going to C/1B Ben Rice in August of 2023.
About the Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are the New York Yankees Double-A Affiliate and develop today’s top minor league talent into the pinstriped superstars of tomorrow for MLB’s winningest team. The Patriots 2024 season is presented by New Jersey Office Systems, LLC. Home games are played at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ, where fans of all ages and levels of baseball fandom get to enjoy the unique experience that is minor league baseball. To learn more, visit: somersetpatriots.com.