Patriots Notebook 7/9/24: Hitting The Road Before The All-Star Break

Bridgewater, New Jersey – After taking four-of-six ball games last week from Reading in a rare home-and-home series with the Fightin’ Phils, the Patriots are flying high, tied with Akron for the best mark in the Eastern League to open the second half of the season with a 9-3 mark after winning back-to-back series for the first time this season. The recent hot streak has brought the club’s overall mark to 41-40 on the season as they get ready to make the trek out to Erie where they will battle the SeaWolves before heading into the All-Star break.

The Tigers affiliate took four-of-six from the Patriots at TD Bank Ballpark just three weeks ago as they closed out the first half as Southwest Division Champions, guaranteeing an automatic playoff berth with a 38-29 record. The SeaWolves are 7-5 thus far in the second half and are coming off a series in which they dropped four-of-six to the first place RubberDucks.

𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄🧀😀

OF Elijah Dunham has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week after going 10-for-25 with 2 HR, 8 RBI, and 6 XBH vs. Reading! pic.twitter.com/9xF6KXPGvh

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 8, 2024

The Big Cheese: Patriots outfielder Elijah Dunham continued his torrid hot streak last week in Reading and as a result was honored as the Eastern League Player of the Week on Monday. The 26-year-old Dunham went 10-for-25 with multi-hit performances in four of the six games against the Phils last week. He led the EL in total bases (20), extra base hits (6), doubles (4) and was tied for first in RBI (8), which was highlighted by a go-ahead grand slam last Friday night. The University of Indiana alum is in the midst of riding a 15-game hitting streak and an 18-game on base streak. The summer has brought a resurgence for Dunham, who is hitting .400 in the month of July and is coming off a June in which he hit .295 after hitting just .228 over the first two months of the campaign.

Congratulations to Spencer Jones and Brock Selvidge on their selection to the @mlb 2024 All-Star Futures Game. pic.twitter.com/hh3VXjSn7T

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 2, 2024

Back to the Future: Last week, it was announced that Patriots southpaw Brock Selvidge and outfielder Spencer Jones had been selected to represent the Yankees and the American League in this Saturday’s MLB All-Star Futures Game from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas as part of the MLB All-Star festivities. The Futures Game has long been heralded as the premiere showcase for the best prospects across all levels in baseball – Selvidge will be making the trip for the first time while Jones will be making a second consecutive appearance.

“I’m just blessed and honored to represent an organization like the Yankees,” Selvidge said to The Trentonian following his selection. “Growing up, big baseball fan, the Yankees are the most talked about, I would say, and just to be able to represent them and be in that atmosphere I think is going to be incredible. I think I’m just excited to go out and do what I can to best represent and hopefully go win.”

Selvidge is third in the EL in wins with a 7-6 mark and has posted a 4.25 ERA in his first taste of Double-A action in 2024. The Yankees 2021 third-round draft selection has fanned 83 batters in 84.2 innings of work spanning 16 starts.

Meanwhile, Jones is hitting .241 with 10 homers and 46 RBI, but is coming off of a scorching June in which he slashed .296/.355/.546 with six homers and 29 RBI. The organization’s top active prospect is looking forward to making a return trip with his teammate this weekend.

“Brock is the best,” said Jones. “I am excited that he is going to have this opportunity. He has already asked me a bunch of questions and he is excited.”

Jones added, “I just told him that it is a pretty quick event and that it is going to happen fast, so just enjoy those days that you are there because it is over quick.”

#Yankees No. 29 prospect Ben Cowles in today's doubleheader:

7-for-8, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2B, 3 R, BB pic.twitter.com/27TXg41ayF

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 6, 2024

Consistent Cowles: The faces have changed, and the streaks have come with ebbs and flows, but no hitter in the Somerset lineup has been more consistent this season than shortstop Ben Cowles. The Patriots infielder is hitting .301, which is good for the second-best mark in the EL while his .377 OBP ranks fifth. Cowles is 8-for-24 in his last six games with two homers, giving him eight for the season with well over two months left to play – his career-high mark is 10, which he hit last season.

Knowing the Opponent: While Jones and Selvidge will leave the team at some point this week to head to the Futures Game, so too will Erie infielder Hao-Yu Lee. The 21-year-old Lee is slashing .299/.370/.511 with 46 RBI and a career-high 12 homers in his first taste of Double-A action after being acquired from the Phillies organization at last summer’s trade deadline for Michael Lorenzen.

While the Patriots look like they will miss a decent amount of Lee, they should run into right-hander Jackson Jobe, whom they missed a few weeks back when the Tigers top-prospect was on the IL after straining his hamstring on May 1. Jobe returned to the mound for Erie last Friday night and tossed five innings of one-run ball while fanning eight batters and reportedly hit as high as 99 MPH on the radar gun.

Series Pitching Probables:

Tue: RHP Zach Messinger (2-5, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett Burhenn (3-1, 4.02 ERA)
Wed: LHP Ben Shields (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Carlos Pena (4-3, 3.45 ERA)
Thu: RHP Trystan Vrieling (7-6, 5.67 ERA) vs. RHP Jackson Jobe (0-1, 2.08 ERA)
Fri: RHP Bailey Dees (4-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Troy Melton (4-5, 4.81 ERA)
Sat: TBD vs. RHP Wilkel Hernandez (4-4, 3.34 ERA)
Sun: RHP Zach Messinger (2-5, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett Burhenn (3-1, 4.02 ERA)

Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer

Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 12th 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.