Somerset Patriots

• Location: Bridgewater, NJ
• League: Atlantic League 1998-2019; Double-A Northeast 2021; Eastern League 2022-
• Affiliation: New York Yankees 2021-
• Ballpark: TD Bank Ballpark

Team History

The Somerset Patriots, formerly of the independent Atlantic League, briefly in Double-A Northeast, and now in the Eastern League, bounced the Trenton Thunder out of the EL's successor circuit. The New York Yankees farmhands play their home games at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County, NJ.

While "Patriots" fits nicely with "Yankees", the nickname obviously precedes the partnership. The team says the actual inspirations for its nickname is the fact that the first flying of an official United States flag happened in the township in 1777.[1]

The franchise's largely unforeseen coming to the Yankees was one of three teams MLB's 2021 Minor League Reorganization pulled from independent into affiliated baseball. The Thunder could have had the Pats' Atlantic berth, but they instead joined the new MLB Draft League. They might be able to seek another affiliation; the Somerset and Trenton stadiums are just far enough apart under the old protection zones, but it isn't clear whether those rules remain as-was after the reorganization.

Managed by former Yankees' reliever Sparky Lyle for their first 15 seasons, they captured league titles in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2015 - the last under the stewardship of Lyle's successor, Brett Jodie.

In 2000, infielder Billy Hall stole a record 66 bases in a row, on the way to 104 for the season.

The Patriots play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Los Zorros de Somerset (Somerset Foxes, after the one that scurried across their field during the 2021 Patriots-Yankees affiliation announcement). In 2024, they announced that they would have another alternate identity for some games as the "New Jersey Diners".

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1998	40-60	5th	Sparky Lyle
1999	60-60	3rd	Sparky Lyle	Lost League Finals
2000	74-66	4th (t)	Sparky Lyle	Lost League Finals
2001	83-43	1st	Sparky Lyle	League Champs
2002	65-60	5th	Sparky Lyle
2003	67-59	4th (t)	Sparky Lyle	League Champs
2004	68-49	4th	Sparky Lyle
2005	78-61	3rd	Sparky Lyle	League Champs
2006	65-61	5th	Sparky Lyle
2007	75-51	1st	Sparky Lyle	Lost League Finals
2008	74-66	1st (t)	Sparky Lyle	League Champs
2009	86-54	1st	Sparky Lyle	League Champs
2010	75-65	3rd	Sparky Lyle	Lost in 1st round
2011	49-74	7th	Sparky Lyle
2012	65-74	5th	Sparky Lyle
2013	90-49	2nd	Brett Jodie	Lost League Finals
2014	85-55	1st	Brett Jodie	Lost in 1st round
2015	89-50	1st	Brett Jodie	League Champs
2016	77-63	1st	Brett Jodie	Lost in 1st round
2017	74-65	2nd	Brett Jodie	Lost in 1st round
2018	72-54	1st	Brett Jodie	Lost in 1st Round
2019	69-69	5th	Brett Jodie
2020	season cancelled

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs	Hitting coach	Pitching coach	Coach
2021	72-47	3rd	Julio Mosquera		Ken Joyce	Daniel Moskos, Travis Phelps	Jose Javier
2022	83-53	1st	Dan Fiorito	League Champs	Jake Hirst	Gerardo Casadiego	Aaron Bossi
2023	84-53	1st	Raul Dominguez	Lost in 1st round	Jake Hirst	Grayson Crawford	Aaron Bossi
2024	75-62	5th	Raul Dominguez	Lost in Finals	Kevin Martir	Brett DeGagne	Aaron Bossi

Further Reading

• Benjamin Hill: "Order up! Yankees' Double-A affiliate unveils Jersey Diners alternate identity", mlb.com, January 23, 2024. [2]

External Link

• The official home of the Somerset Patriots