Rumble Ponies 2023 Season Recap
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies had a historic 2023 season, high- lighted by the franchise reaching the Eastern League Championship Series for the first time since 2014. Binghamton, with a surging second half in which they went 39-27, reached the postsea- son for the first time since 2017, and for the 11th time in franchise history. Under sec - ond-year manager Reid Brignac , the Ponies went 18-5 over their last 23 games and swept their Subway Series-rival, the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees Double-A Af- filiate) in the best-of-three Eastern League Division Series. ‘23 Ponies Surging Second Half Leads to Historic Playoff Run
The division series was highlighted by Jett Williams’ three-run home run in a 9-2 Game 1 victory, which capped off a dramatic six-run bottom of the fourth. In Game 2, RHP Dom Hamel led the way in a 2-0 victory to win the series. Hamel allowed just three hits over seven and two thirds’ innings with eight strikeouts and only two walks.
Second-half surge The Ponies’ second half was highlighted by the Mets’ mid- season acquisitions, Luisangel Acuña and Drew Gilbert , being assigned to Binghamton. Acuña, acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Max Scherzer trade, had 57 stolen bases on the year between Double-A Frisco (Texas) and Double-A Binghamton. Gilbert, acquired from the Astros in the Justin Verlander trade, had a .325/.423/.562 slash line with a .984 OPS over 35 games with the Rumble Po- nies. Gilbert quickly established himself as a clutch performer, showcased by his game-tying three run homer in Game 1 of the Eastern League Championship Series against Erie. He also pa- trolled centerfield with fierce intensity resulting in terrific catch - es. The 23-year-old was the Astros’ first-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Tennessee. The Rumble Ponies celebrate after their 2-0 win over Somerset in Game 2 of the ELDS at TD Bank Ballpark to advance to the Eastern League Championship Series for the first time since 2014.
Drew Gilbert was an integral part of the Rumble Ponies sec- ond-half surge after joinng the Mets organization as part of the players who were acquired from the Astros in exchange for Justin Verlander
The Ponies’ offense was also propelled by the second-half return of 1B JT Schwartz . Schwartz, the Mets’ fourth-round pick in 2021 out of UCLA, returned from injury on July 27th and hit .327 with 32 runs batted in the rest of the season.
2023 also saw the late-season call-ups to Double-A of Williams and catcher Kevin Parada . Williams, the Mets Minor League Player of the Year, joined the Ponies for the final six games of the regular season, along with the playoffs. The 20-year-old shortstop was se- lected by the Mets with the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Rockwall-Heath High School in Texas. He played at three different levels in 2023 (Single-A St. Lucie, High-A Brooklyn, and Double-A Binghamton), racking up 108 hits and finishing with the second-most walks (104) in all of Minor League Baseball. Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña both made up a dynamic middle infield for Binghamton
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