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EL Somerset Patriots

OF Elijah Dunham Named Eastern League Player of the Week for the Second Consecutive Week

July 15, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Somerset Patriots News Release


Somerset Patriots outfielder Elijah Dunham
Somerset Patriots outfielder Elijah Dunham
(Somerset Patriots)

Bridgewater, New Jersey - For the second consecutive week, Minor League Baseball has named Somerset Patriots OF Elijah Dunham the Eastern League Player of the Week.

Over five games played during the Patriots' six-game series facing the Erie SeaWolves from July 8-14, Dunham went 8-for-19 (.421) with 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 4 XBH, 2 SB and a 1.342 OPS. Dunham had multiple hits in three of his five games and concluded the series by homering in back-to-back games.

Dunham has been one of the hottest hitters in Minor League Baseball since his return to Somerset after a four-game stint with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Over his last 24 games since 6/13 @ BNG, Dunham is slashing .365/.425/.719 with 7 HR, 22 RBI, 19 XBH and 18 R. Since 6/13, Dunham leads the Eastern League in SLG (.719), H (35), 2B (11), XBH (19), and TB (69).

On Tuesday, Dunham set a Patriots Double-A era record by hitting safely in his 17th consecutive game. He also extended his on-base streak to 21 games, the second-longest streak by a Patriot this season.

Over his 17-game hit streak, which was snapped on Friday, Dunham slashed .352/.395/.662 with 4 HR, 14 RBI, 12 R, and 13 XBH.

Dunham is the only player in the Eastern League this season to be named Player of the Week more than once, and becomes the first player in Patriots history to earn back-to-back Player of the Week honors.

The Evansville, IN native earned Player of the Week honors last week for his efforts in Somerset's six-game series vs. Reading, where he went 10-for-25 (.400) with 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R and 6 XBH.

The honor is the third of Dunham's career, the first of which came in 2022, his first season with the Patriots.

Initially signed by the Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Dunham has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Patriots. He was named an Eastern League All-Star and Yankees Organizational All-Star in 2022 when he hit .248 with 17 HR, 63 RBI, and 37 SB for the Patriots, guiding them to their first Eastern League Championship.

The University of Indiana product has also seen time with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he has played 73 total games between 2023 and 2024.

Dunham has played in 225 career games with Somerset, the most of any player in the team's Double-A era. The 26-year-old serves as the Patriots affiliate era career record holder in H (215), HR (37), RBI (128), XBH (99), TB (395), SB (71), and 2B (55).

The Patriots have produced the Eastern League Player of the Week in three consecutive weeks, after Spencer Jones became the first Patriot to be named to the honor for 6/24-6/30. Trystan Vrieling was the Pitcher of the Week for 4/16-4/21, while Vrieling and INF Benjamin Cowles were named Pitcher and Player of the Month for April.

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Somerset Patriots outfielder Elijah Dunham
Somerset Patriots outfielder Elijah Dunham
   

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