Eight Patriots Invited To 2024 Yankees Major League Spring Training
The New York Yankees announced today that they have invited 26 players to 2024 Major League spring training. The number includes 11 non-roster invitees, eight of which have time at Double-A with the Somerset Patriots.
The New York Yankees announced today that they have invited 26 players to 2024 Major League spring training. The number includes 11 non-roster invitees, eight of which have time at Double-A with the Somerset Patriots.
Eight former Somerset Patriots have earned non-roster invites from the @Yankees to Spring Training in 2024. pic.twitter.com/RbDrh1I2tW
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) February 6, 2024
C Josh Breaux, 26, has hit .244 (297-for-1,216) with 152R, 59 doubles, 2 triples, 67HR, 197RBI, 90BB and 4SB in 315 games over five minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2018-19, ’21-23). The right-handed batter combined to hit .243/.302/.466 (46-for-189) with 26R, 6 doubles, 12HR, 22RBI, 14BB and 1SB in 50 games with High-A Hudson Valley, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset last season. The Houston, Tex., native was selected by the Yankees in the second round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of McLennan Community College (Tex.).
INF Caleb Durbin, 23, has hit .266 (184-for-691) with 126R, 39 doubles, 4 triples, 12HR, 93RBI, 81BB and 79SB in 191 games over parts of three seasons in the Atlanta Braves (2021-22) and Yankees (2023) organizations. In 2023, Durbin combined with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset to hit .304/.395/.427 (77-for-253) with 46R, 17 doubles, 1 triple, 4HR, 25RBI, 26BB and 36SB in 69 games. His 36SB were tied for the fourth-most among Yankees minor leaguers. Following the season, the right-handed batter was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star. Additionally, he was selected to the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game after batting 353/.456/.588 (30-for-85) with 18R, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 3HR, 12RBI, 14BB and a league-leading 21SB in 23 games for the Mesa Solar Sox. Durbin was acquired by the Yankees from the Atlanta Braves along with RHP Indigo Diaz in exchange for LHP Lucas Luetge on December 28, 2022. The Evanston, Ill., native was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.).
RHP Chase Hampton, 22, made his professional debut in 2023, splitting the season between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, and going 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA (106.2IP, 85H, 51R/43ER, 37BB, 145K, 13HR) in 20 combined starts. Among Yankees minor leaguers, he ranked sixth in strikeouts and ninth in innings pitched. Following the season, Hampton was tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in the Yankees organization and the No. 72 prospect in baseball. He was also labeled by the publication as having the “Best Fastball” and “Best Curveball” among Yankees farmhands. The right-handed pitcher was also tabbed as the No. 92 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. The Kilgore, Tex., native was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas Tech University.
OF Spencer Jones, 22, has spent two minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2022-23), hitting .279/.351/.459 (160-for-573) with 92R, 35 doubles, 4 triples, 20HR, 78RBI, 60BB and 55SB in 142 combined games. In 2023, he hit .267 (128-for-480) with 71R, 29 doubles, 4 triples, 16HR, 66RBI, 49BB and 43SB in 117 combined games with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. Among Yankees farmhands, Jones ranked first in doubles and stolen bases, third in hits, tied for third in triples, fourth in extra base hits (49) and total bases (213), tied for seventh in runs and 10th in RBI. He was also named to the American League roster for the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on July 8, 2023, starting the game in center field (0-for-1, 1BB). Following the season, the left-handed batter was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Yankees organization and the No. 46 prospect in baseball. He was also labeled the No. 84 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. The Encinitas, Calif., native was selected by the Yankees in the first round (25th overall) of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Vanderbilt University (Tenn.).
OF Brandon Lockridge, 26, has hit .263 (415-for-1,576) with 243R, 88 doubles, 15 triples, 43HR, 187RBI, 151BB and 101SB in 422 combined games over parts of five minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2018-19, ’21-23). He split the 2023 season with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .296/.379/.414 (83-for-280) with 42R, 16 doubles, 4 triples, 3HR, 28RBI, 36BB and 40SB in 92 combined games. The right-handed batter was tied for second among Yankees minor leaguers in stolen bases and tied for third in triples. Following the season, Lockridge was named by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Outfielder” among Yankees farmhands. The Pensacola, Fla., native was selected by the Yankees in the fifth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Troy University (Ala.).
C/1B Ben Rice, 24, has hit .287/.398/.519 (157-for-547) with 102R, 29 doubles, 1 triple, 32HR, 117RBI, 85BB and 16SB in 163 combined games over parts of three minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2021-23). In 2023, he was named by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees’ “Hitting Prospect of the Year” after batting .324/.434/.615 (89-for-275) with 62R, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 20HR, 68RBI, 44BB and 11SB in 73 combined games with Single-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. Rice ranked among qualified Yankees farmhands in home runs (seventh) and RBI (tied for eighth). The left-handed batter earned Eastern League “Player of the Month” honors for August after batting .345/.397/.700 (38-for-110) with 24R, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 10HR, 29RBI, 8BB and 6SB in 26 games with Somerset. Following the season, he was tabbed by Baseball America as the “Best Hitter for Average” among Yankees farmhands and was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star. The Cohasset, Mass., native was selected by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Dartmouth College (N.H.).
INF T.J. Rumfield, 23, has hit .243 (145-for-596) with 85R, 30 doubles, 21HR, 100RBI, 90BB and 12SB over parts of three minor league seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies (2021) and Yankees (2022-23) organizations. In 2023, the left-handed batter hit .222/.320/.437 (69-for-311) with 45R, 16 doubles, 17HR, 58RBI, 40BB and 8SB in 86 combined games with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. Following the season, he was named the 2023 MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at first base. Rumfield was acquired by the Yankees from the Phillies along with LHP Joel Valdez in exchange for RHP Nick Nelson and C Donny Sands on November 19, 2021. The Richmond, Va., native was originally drafted by Philadelphia in the 12th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Virginia Tech.
RHP Will Warren, 24, has gone 19-13 with a 3.63 ERA (258.0IP, 228H, 130R/104ER, 101BB, 274K, 25HR) in 53 combined appearances (51 starts) over two minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2022-23). In 2023, he went 10-4 with a 3.35 ERA (129.0IP, 109H, 60R/48ER, 59BB, 149K, 15HR) in 27 combined games (25 starts) with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Among qualified Yankees farmhands, the right-handed pitcher ranked third in wins and winning percentage (.714), fourth in games started, fifth in ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched, sixth in opponents’ batting average (.226) and eighth in WHIP (1.30). He earned International League “Pitcher of the Month” honors in September with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after going 1-0 with a 0.63 ERA (28.2IP, 15H, 2ER, 11BB, 36K, 0HR) in five games (three starts). Following the season, Warren was tabbed by Baseball America as the Yankees’ No. 9 prospect and was also labeled by the publication as having the “Best Control” among Yankees farmhands. The Brandon, Miss., native was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University.