The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have announced the re-signing of infielder David Vidal.Vidal returns for his third season with the Somerset Patriots and the Atlantic League. He was recently named the #17 Patriots in the team’s 20th season countdown of the top players in franchise history.
The San Juan, Puerto Rico native enjoyed a memorable 2016 campaign in Somerset in which he finished second in the league in home runs (26) and hit .320 with 62 RBI despite only playing in 85 games. Vidal was later named to the End-of-the-Season Atlantic League All-Star team thanks to his strong year that garnered him serious Player of the Year attention.
In a 12-game stretch from August 5 to August 16, he hit .340 with seven home runs, 18 RBI and 14 runs scored. Vidal also had two separate stretches over the season in which he scored a run in at least seven-straight games (July 24-31, August 9-17) and a 20-game on-base streak (August 4-24).
Vidal began his time with the Somerset Patriots in 2015. That season, he hit .259 with 12 home runs and a team-high 63 RBI. Vidal also led the team in games played (124), at-bats (471) and hits (122) during the regular season. In the postseason, Vidal hit .297 with a home run and seven RBI en route to Somerset’s sixth Atlantic League Championship in franchise history.
He returns to Somerset with a career .283 average with 38 home runs, 125 RBI and 45 doubles in 209 games over two years as a Patriot.
Following his 2016 campaign, Vidal went on to win the MVP of the Caribbean World Series and signed with the Miami Marlins organization, where he hit a combined .269 with in 131 games, 62 runs, 124 hits, 27 doubles, 12 home runs, and 52 RBI in Double-A and Triple-A earlier this season.
Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary and the upcoming Playoffs, are on sale now. 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.
