Jace Avina Named MiLB’s Eastern League Player of the Week For 5/26

Bridgewater, NJ – Minor League Baseball has named Somerset Patriots OF Jace Avina as the Eastern League Player of the Week for games played May 26 – May 31.

Avina, the Yankees No. 19 prospect, hit .417 (10-for-24) with 6 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI and 1 SB last week against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays). In the six-game series at TD Bank Ballpark, Avina had four consecutive multi-hit games including a 3-for-5 performance on Sunday with 2 2B, a HR and a 3B.

Avina currently has a career-high on-base streak of 29 games, which leads all active Double-A hitters and is the longest by a Patriot this season.

On the year, Avina is slashing .279/.361/.589 and is among the Eastern League leaders with 30 XBH (1^st), 112 TB (1^st), 44 R (1^st), 14 HR (2^nd), 15 2B (3^rd), 53 H (4^th) and 35 RBI (5^th). His 44 runs are the most by a Patriot through the season’s first 51 games in team history. He also ranks among all Yankees minor leaguers in 2B (1^st), XBH (1^st), TB (1^st), R (1^st), H (2^nd), HR (2^nd) and RBI (6^th).

Originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Yankees acquired Avina in a trade for DH Jake Bauers on 11/17/23.

This is the second time Avina has been awarded MiLB’s Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season, having been selected for games played 5/12-5/18. Overall, he is the third Patriot to be selected in 2026, joining INF Coby Morales (4/20-4/26). Avina joins former Patriots Glenn Otto (2021), Tyler Hardman (2023), Elijah Dunham (2024) and Spencer Jones (2024) as multi-time MiLB Player/Pitcher of the Week winners in a given season.

About the Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are the New York Yankees Double-A Affiliate and develop today’s top minor league talent into the pinstriped superstars of tomorrow for MLB’s winningest team. The Patriots were named Double-A Organization of the Year by Minor League Baseball (2025) and Baseball America (2024). Home games are played at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ, where fans of all ages and levels of baseball fandom get to enjoy the unique experience that is minor league baseball. To learn more, visit: somersetpatriots.com.