No. 6 Prospect RHP Drew Thorpe Highlights Promotions To Double-A Somerset
Bridgewater, New Jersey - The New York Yankees have announced the promotions of No. 6 prospect RHP Drew Thorpe, C Agustin Ramirez and RHP Jack Neely to the Double-A Somerset Patriots. Thorpe, the team's top-ranked pitching prospect, leads all Yankees minor leaguers in ERA (2.81), W (10), SO (138) and
Bridgewater, New Jersey - The New York Yankees have announced the promotions of No. 6 prospect RHP Drew Thorpe, C Agustin Ramirez and RHP Jack Neely to the Double-A Somerset Patriots.
Thorpe, the team's top-ranked pitching prospect, leads all Yankees minor leaguers in ERA (2.81), W (10), SO (138) and WHIP (1.07) at the time of his promotion. The second-round pick by the Yankees in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo made his professional debut in 2023. Thorpe’s 138 strikeouts over 108 innings pitched with High-A Hudson Valley are the second most in MiLB.
The @Yankees have announced the following transactions:
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) August 8, 2023
🔹Drew Thorpe – Transferred Hudson Valley to Somerset
🔹Jack Neely – Transferred Hudson Valley to Somerset
🔹Agustin Ramirez – Transferred Hudson Valley to Somerset
🔹Blas Castano – Released from Minor League Contract pic.twitter.com/Qeo8qtmFCW
Thorpe has twice been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week this season, most recently for the week of July 17-23, where the 22-year-old right-handed starter set a new Hudson Valley franchise record with his 13-strikeout performance on July 22 vs. Brooklyn over eight shutout innings, allowing only two hits. With the performance, Thorpe also surpassed the Renegades single season strikeout record of 119.
Additionally, Thorpe was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month for June, going 3-0 with a 0.31 ERA in four starts over the month, highlighted by a 25-inning scoreless streak, where he allowed just an earned run on 12 hits over 28 ⅔ innings pitched.
Somerset’s starting rotation now features five top 30 Yankees prospects per MLB Pipeline in Thorpe, Richard Fitts (No. 8), Yoendrys Gomez (No. 9), Matt Sauer (No. 20) and Chase Hampton (No. 24).
Ramirez made his full-season debut in 2023, opening the season with Single-A Tampa where he hit .245 with seven home runs in 56 games prior to a promotion to High-A Hudson Valley on June 29. Ramirez found an immediate spark following the callup, hitting .529 over his first six High-A games en route to a torrid month of July which saw him earn South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors.
Ramirez hit .415/.467/.756 for Hudson Valley in July, leading the South Atlantic League in AVG, H (34), 2B (10), TB (62), SLG and OPS (1.223). He homered six times in 20 July games, including in four straight games from July 23-27.
Initially signed by the Yankees as an international free agent out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2018, Ramirez was a Dominican Summer League All-Star in his first pro season in 2019, where he hit .239 with four home runs in 41 games.
Ramirez played 32 games for the FCL Yankees in 2021 when he hit .220 with four home runs, before a breakout campaign in 2022. He was named an FCL All-Star, slashing .304/.399/.517 with six home runs and 51 RBI in 44 games.
Neely has been one of the top pitchers in the Hudson Valley bullpen ahead of his promotion, pitching to a 2.03 ERA with 74 strikeouts over 48.2 innings pitched with six saves, marking the second most in the Yankees farm system.
The Yankees 11th round draft pick in 2021 out of Ohio State, Neely made his professional debut in 2021 with Single-A Tampa, throwing two shutout appearances out of the bullpen.
The 6’8” 225-lb right-hander returned to Tampa in 2022, where he posted a 3.94 ERA over 34 appearances, striking out 79 in 45.2 innings pitched before a High-A promotion on August 31, throwing 4.2 shutout innings pitched out of the bullpen for Hudson Valley.
Thorpe, Ramirez and Neely will all be making their Double-A debuts as the Patriots open a six-game series with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets) beginning Tuesday at 6:05 P.M.
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 are the reigning Eastern League Champions and play their home games 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.