The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ – The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Mike Thomas. The Rider University alumnus owns a 12-10 career record with a 2.98 ERA, 19 saves and 297 strikeouts over 250.2 innings of work.
“I have heard that the Atlantic League is a cool, competitive league where I know I will be tested,” Thomas said. “I’m just excited about joining the team and helping out any way that I can.”
Thomas begins his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The southpaw spent the first five years of his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Last year, he split time between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. Combined between the two stints, Thomas was 1-1 over 28 relief appearances with 32 strikeouts in 34 innings of work.
The Baltimore, Maryland native has spent the majority of his career as a reliever. His best season came in 2012, where he combined to go 4-2 with a 1.24 ERA and five saves between time with Single-A Great Lakes and High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Additionally, Thomas has registered a strikeout-per-nine-inning ratio of over 10.0 in four of his five seasons.
“We love to have guys on the team like Mike,” manager Brett Jodie said. “Mike is a guy that has done nothing but put up good numbers throughout his career. He has great strikeout numbers and keeps his walks to a minimum. He also can be a tough guy for hitters to square up. Mike will be a solid lefty option for us out of our pen, and is a welcomed addition to our clubhouse.”
The Somerset Patriots won their Atlantic League leading sixth championship during the 2015 season. Tickets are now on-sale for the upcoming 2016 season and the schedule can be viewed at www.somersetpatriots.com. For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2016 season, stop by TD Bank Ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 34 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.
For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com
