The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of Major League right-handed pitcher Vin Mazzaro.
Mazzaro enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and in the Atlantic League. He has eight seasons of Major League service for the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants. He pitched in two games for the Giants last season and has appeared in the Majors in each of the last eight seasons, dating back to 2009.
The Hackensack, New Jersey native’s best season in the big leagues came in 2013 with the Pirates, when he went 8-2 over 57 relief appearances with a 2.87 ERA and one save in 73.2 innings of work. Mazzaro has compiled a 24-23 record, 4.79 ERA and 233 strikeouts over 383 innings pitched in 140 games (45 started) at the Major League level.
The 2005 third-round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics out of Rutherford High School spent most of the 2016 season at the Triple-A level and finished with a 2-2 record, a 3.22 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 67 innings in 38 games pitched.
Entering his 12th season in professional baseball, 11 of which were in Triple-A, Mazzaro has a minor league career record of 59-40 with a 3.76 ERA and 704 strikeouts over 383 innings pitched in 243 games (130 as a starter).
Mazzaro is expected to be active for the upcoming series against the Bridgeport Bluefish this week.
In other team news, the Somerset Patriots have released right-handed pitcher Hassan Pena.
Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary, are on sale now. TD Bank Ballpark will be the host of the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by RWJBarnabas Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on Wednesday, July 12th. For more information, stop by the 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 36 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.
