Selvidge, Vrieling must-watch arms at Double-A Yankees affilliate

The Somerset Patriots remain a must-visit for prospect-watchers this year, and although their roster isn’t quite as deep with some of the top names as it’s seemingly been over the past season or two, there are still some intriguing arms and a Top 100 prospect in the game in Spencer Jones who are certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Brock Selvidge, LHP — (No. 12)

We caught Selvidge’s home debut on Tuesday, where he picked up the loss in allowing four runs (two earned) over five innings of work, walking just one while striking out six.

The 21-year-old southpaw, who had a breakout showing this spring for the Yankees, used a fastball-cutter-changeup-slider mix, with the fastball routinely sitting at 91-93 on the gun.

Trystan Vrieling, RHP (No. 25)

Vrieling dazzled on Friday, eventually being removed after throwing 100 pitches of no-hit ball. The 23-year-old is technically making his pro debut — save for a handful of innings in the Arizona Fall League at the end of 2023 — at the Double-A level, an extremely rare occurrence.

He seems to have handled it quite well and used a fastball-curve-slider-change mix against the Hartford Yard Goats, with the fastball coming across at 93-95.

Spencer Jones, OF (No. 2)

With the start of his season delayed about a week by a stiff neck, it’s taken a bit for the big, athletic outfielder to get going. He did most of his damage on the week when we were elsewhere, including his first homer of the season on Sunday, but showed his usual tools earlier in the week as well.

He’s the Yankees’ best currently-active position player prospect and should end up in Triple-A sometime toward the end of this season.

Ben Rice, C/1B (No. 16)

Rice is a pure hitter and continues to be one of the most underappreciated prospects in the system. He brings legitimate in-game pull-side power as a lefty bat and can handle the catching position for now, although he may ultimately move to first base or elsewhere to get that bat into the lineup as he continues to move up the ladder.

At 25, he’s likely not long for Double-A but would need to get through a logjam of catchers at the upper levels to stay there.

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Mike Ashmore

Mike Ashmore is a veteran baseball writer. Since 2003 he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for Future Stars Series, the New Jersey native currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian. Ashmore has worked six Super Bowls, ten Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,000 games covered in his career.

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