The Yankees selected Patterson in the first round (7th pick) of the 1975 MLB Draft out of Miami Dade Community College in Miami, FL [REF].
In 10 starts, Patterson went 5-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 71.0 innings,[REF] totalling 248.0 innings in less of a year, a significant work overload for a young pitcher that eventually took a toll on his throwing arm.