Whenever someone asks you, “hey, want to go to the game?” your first instinct is to just say yes. NO MATTER WHAT!
Wait, I’m the only one that doesn’t completely forget your real life responsibilities when there is an opportunity to go to a game because someone has an extra ticket? “Yes of course I can go to the game,” I replied without even checking my calendar.
“Sounds good. I’ll meet you at the stadium an hour before the first pitch,” says the man I refer to as ‘Coach”. The day was April 7th, 2023, and I walked up to TD Bank Ballpark to meet my mentor and friend, Coach Shilts, for the home opener for the Somerset Patriots.
It was a cloudy night, which didn’t help with the temperature, and there was a slight breeze rolling into the stadium so it felt colder than it really was. I probably should have brought gloves, but we’ll talk about my unpreparedness later. First stop inside the ballpark is the team store that is perfectly placed right at the front of the stadium. Coach always has to get the new hat of the year, and I’m left checking my bank account to see if I have enough money to buy any merch.
The short answer, NOPE! Luckily, the giveaway for the night was a magnetic schedule, which is always nice for the fridge at home. As we are wrapping up in the store, Coach and myself take a picture of the day’s lineup and ready the official scorebook.
TD Bank Ballpark is a small and intimate stadium without feeling like you’re jam packed together like sardines. Total capacity for the stadium is just over 8,500, and on this very night I’d say the stadium was just shy of half of that. Tons of fans line up wearing their Yankees gear, and then there are the handfuls of people that are wearing Somerset Patriots swag. Coach has some excellent seats behind home plate and slightly to the left field side, so you can gaze right down the foul line to get a good look at those close throws to first base.
We plop down and just enjoy the night as the fans file in. We shared a great conversation with one of the park attendants, Steve, so if any Somerset Patriots managers are reading, this guy needs a raise! Right before game time, I hop up and grab my food and snacks for the game. Personally, I’m always a hot dog and cracker jack guy that also enjoys a Dr. Pepper in a souvenir cup.
But now for the things you’re here to actually read about.
Anyone can take a look at a box score to see that Trey Sweeney was great that night. The leadoff man went 2 for 3 with two stolen bases while also drawing a walk and scoring a run. When I watch Trey, I see an extremely mature infielder that can make all the plays. He’s smart and takes a subtle command of the infield, and his mannerisms while he’s in the field remind me of DJ LeMahieu. He also has some pop in the bat. If you’re excited about Anthony Volpe, who in his own right is a phenomenal player and we all hope he has a successful career, you SHOULD be excited about Trey Sweeney. He can make the same plays, maybe a few more than Volpe because of his height and reach advantages. He’s also got more pop in his bat. I’m really high on Trey Sweeney. Maybe he could learn to play third base and replace an aging Josh Donaldson?
Batting second in the lineup was spring training superstar, Jasson Dominguez. The Martian had a rough night at the plate going 0 for 3, but he did work a walk and scored a run. He had a couple foul balls that he barely missed and I think could have been in orbit if he hit them flush. If you’ve listened to the podcast, you’ve heard me say he needs to work on his ability in the outfield. Well, let me tell you, being in spring training with the MLB club definitely improved his fielding. I’m wondering if Aaron Judge’s elite defensive ability that John extolls about (while Luke says “he’s just shagging fly balls”) has rubbed off on the 20-year-old centerfielder. Dominguez, while still raw and needing some time, has made a lot of progress and took better routes to fly balls. I’m really excited to watch what will probably be a very short stint here in Somerset, as he will probably move to AAA fairly quickly in 2023.
To round out some of the other positional players, I really enjoyed watching the Yankees’ sixth ranked prospect, Everson Pereira, who went 1 for 4 with two RBIs, and Tyler Hardman, the Yankees’ 20th ranked prospect, who hit a two-run homer. Other contributors included Jeisson Rosario, who worked two walks and scored two runs, and Max Burt, who hit a game tying home run in the bottom of the 7th. I was slightly disappointed with Anthony Seigler, who a catching prospect. It looked like he was trying too hard. He got a hit, but was also picked off at first base.
I was impressed with starting pitcher Richard Fitts, the Yankees’ tenth ranked prospect, who struck out eight batters in four innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Not exactly what you want to see, but he definitely impressed me. He threw 72 pitches, 50 of which were strikes. That’s what I really like to see from a young pitcher. Someone that attacks the strike zone. His velocity wasn’t overwhelming, but he had good command of the strike zone.
A relief pitcher that caught my eye was Alex Mauricio. The new pitcher in Somerset came in to get four outs and only made one mistake, which resulted in a solo home run. I haven’t seen or really heard of Mauricio, but he caught my attention and I look forward to seeing him in some more games in 2023.
The final score was 6-5 in favor of the Patriots. I love going to Somerset Patriots games. It’s always a great time, especially when I’m with Coach. I love how easy it is to get to the park, I love the atmosphere, and it’s always nice getting a chance to see a possible future Yankee! I’d love the opportunity to work the scoreboard down in Somerset (they usually have a few hiccups up there), so hey, if someone in Somerset is still reading this, I”ll work the scoreboard for you!
If you’re in the area, make sure you get to a game at TD Bank Ballpark. And let me know if you’re going (even if you don’t have an extra ticket). I’d love to meet you and talk some Yankees and Patriots baseball with you!
-Your Boy, Barnes
