Meet a Prospect: Layne Somsen

The New York Yankees made a move recently this week that did not get a lot of headline or news time. The team claimed right-handed relief pitcher Layne Somsen off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds as the Reds tried to slip their Triple-A pitcher through waivers to clear a spot on their 40 man roster. Brian Cashman was paying attention and claimed the 27-year old pitcher with the intent of placing him with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders. Somsen has minor league options left, which obviously intrigues the Yankees very much these days, and now joins the Scranton Shuttle and the organization. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Layne Somsen Edition.

Layne R. Somsen was born on June 5, 1989 and began his amateur baseball career in South Dakota with the South Dakota State University Baseball team. While at SDU Somsen earned the Summit League Pitcher of the Year award during his senior season in 2013 which caught the eye of the Cincinnati Reds who came calling in the 22^nd round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Somsen signed quickly and immediately began his professional career with the franchise getting all the way to Triple-A by the end of the 2015 season.

After a strong 2015 season Somsen was sent to the Arizona Fall League to pitch for the Peoria Javelinas which prepared him for the 2016 season. Somsen was added to the 40 man roster and was called up on April 25, 2016 when Jay Bruce was placed on the paternity list although Somsen never appeared in a game nor made his MLB debut. Somesen was recalled on May 9^th of this year and made his MLB debut on May 14^th before Cincinnati tried to sneak him off their 40 man roster and back to Triple-A in recent weeks.

Somsen was pitching to a 1.89 ERA at Triple-A Louisville at the time of the claim despite not appearing on any top prospects lists for the organization this winter. Now Somsen will take that effectiveness with him to the RailRiders and maybe, quite possibly, eventually all the way to the Bronx. Welcome to the organization and the team Layne but more importantly welcome to the family. Make us all proud!