Editing Somerset Patriots (section)

==History==

The Somerset Patriots were one of the founding members of the Atlantic League in 1998.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/2017/05/19/somerset-patriots/332767001/ | title=Somerset Patriots mark 2 decades of baseball success }}</ref> However, the team spent its inaugural season as a road team while TD Bank Park was being constructed. In the 1999 season, the Patriots opened their ballpark, where they quickly became one of the most successful franchises of the league in both the win and attendance columns.

For spring training in 2009, the Somerset Patriots became the first Atlantic League team to hold its spring training in its own locale, at the Jack Cust Baseball Academy in nearby [[Flemington, New Jersey|Flemington]], instead of the traditional site in [[Lakeland, Florida]]. The [[Lancaster Barnstormers]] and the [[York Revolution]] followed suit in 2009, primarily because of the [[2008 financial crisis]] and the [[Great Recession]].<ref>[http://www.somersetpatriots.com/news/index.html?article_id=1211 Spring training to take place in New Jersey]</ref>

The Patriots, and then manager [[Sparky Lyle]], won their 1,000th game on July 24, 2012. The Patriots defeated the [[Sugar Land Skeeters]] with a score of 6–5, in the day game of a day/night doubleheader.

On November 27, 2012, it was announced Somerset's pitching coach and former major league pitcher, Brett Jodie, would become the new manager with Lyle becoming manager emeritus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somersetpatriots.com/ |title=Home |website=somersetpatriots.com}}</ref>

Former professional football player [[Donald Jones (wide receiver)|Donald Jones]] briefly played for the Patriots during his recovery from a kidney transplant.<ref>Sambrotto, Anthony. [http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Alumni-Rewind-Donald-Jones’-pursuit-of-endless-opportunities/72118232-4fc7-4ca3-8970-85e0b9581e76 Alumni Rewind: Donald Jones' pursuit of endless opportunities]. ''BuffaloBills.com''. Retrieved February 16, 2017.</ref>

With the Atlantic League's 2020 season cancelled by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Somerset organized a twelve game series called the SOMERSET Professional Baseball Series, which would feature the Patriots and the New Jersey Blasters, a team created for the series.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Somerset Patriots |title=SOMERSET Professional Baseball Series Rosters Announced |url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/bridgewater/somerset-professional-baseball-series-rosters-announced |access-date=September 7, 2024 |work=The Bridgewater Patch |agency=Patch.com |publisher=Patch Media |date=July 9, 2020}}</ref> The rosters were composed mostly of players from the state of New Jersey.

In November 2020, the Patriots were announced as the new [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] affiliate of the [[New York Yankees]], replacing the [[Trenton Thunder]].<ref>{{cite news|title=New York Yankees announce new Minor League affiliation structure|url=https://www.mlb.com/yankees/press-release/press-release-yankees-announce-new-minor-league-affiliation-structure?t=yankees-press-releases|access-date=November 7, 2020|work=MLB.com|date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> They were organized into the [[Double-A Northeast]].<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> Somerset began competition in the new league as a Yankees affiliate on May 4 with a 6–0 victory over the [[Harrisburg Senators]] at TD Bank Ballpark.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/gameday/senators-vs-patriots/2021/05/04/645343#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=645343|title=Senators vs. Patriots Box Score 05/04/21|website=Minor League Baseball|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 5, 2021}}</ref> They won the 2021 Northeast Division title with a first-place 72–47 record.<ref name=BR2021league>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=2f659236 |title=2021 Double-A Northeast |website=Baseball-Reference |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Despite winning the division, their record was third-best in the league, and only the two teams with the highest winning percentages in the regular season competed for the league championship.<ref name=KHenegan7-1-2021>{{cite news |first=Kelsie |last=Heneghan |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/playoffs-return-to-minor-league-baseball |title=Playoffs Return to the Minor Leagues |website=Minor League Baseball |date=July 1, 2021 |accessdate=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Oswaldo Cabrera won the league's Most Valuable Award.<ref name=2021awards>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/fans/postseason-all-stars |title=Postseason All-Stars |website=Minor League Baseball |access-date=October 8, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008130129/https://www.milb.com/fans/postseason-all-stars |archive-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.<ref name=ELrename>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>

On September 28, 2022, the Patriots won their first Eastern League Championship and seventh league championship overall with a 15–0 combined [[no-hitter]] victory over the [[Erie SeaWolves]] at TD Bank Ballpark.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/somerset/news/somerset-patriots-win-eastern-league-championship-with-15-0-no-hitter-shutout|title=Somerset Patriots Win Eastern League Championship with 15-0 No-Hitter Shutout|website=MiLB.com|date=September 28, 2022|accessdate=May 22, 2024}}</ref>