May 2024 Review

For most of the month of May, the Beavers saw some good wins offset by an equal number of losses. The team finished strong, however, by winning the final three games to finish with a record of 16-12 for the month. The surge enabled the Beavers to end May continuing to lead the Earl Weaver Division with a 33-22 record. 

Fan interest continued to be on the rise. During the first two months attendance has averaged over 48,500 per game, an increase of 14.2% over 2023. Owner William McAllister is very pleased in that this exceeds one of the goals he set for the front office.

Top Performances

For a few years the front office team has been searching for a long-term solution in center field. In early July of last season Wilson Flores took advantage of the opportunity to play every day. He performed very well during the latter half of the season. This year he continues to demonstrate that he deserves to continue to start. In May he led the Beavers with 24 RBI. He also clubbed 6 HR, batted .302/.348/.519, and stole 7 bases in 8 attempts. 

Wilson Cruz led all pitchers by posting a 4-2 record with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in six starts. For the season, he leads the club with a 6-3 record and a 3.00 ERA. In his third full season with the Beavers, he continues to improve. He seems to be developing the skills necessary to contribute over time as a solid member of the rotation.

During the month of May, three-time MVP Nick Holmes was once again an offensive force. Holmes led the Beavers with 30 runs scored, was second in RBI with 22, and led the team with a .982 OPS. Two months into the season he is scoring runs at a pace that could result in 173 runs scored for the season.

Notes

During May Wilson Flores and Nick Holmes each were awarded TML Player of the Week honors.

Starting pitcher Fred Watson was suspended 10 games after a wild altercation with Frank Coleman of the Mustangs. To date Watson has been terrible, so the suspension may prove to be a blessing. He will have some time to work on his skills and, hopefully, pitch much better after he returns to action.

Current Injuries

Thankfully current injuries include only carryovers Alfonzo Alonzo and Antonio Barbarro. Alonzo's shoulder is healing as expected. He may see action in September. Barbarro will not be ready for action until next season.

Down on the Farm

Vancouver, Boise, and Eugene each are playing lousy baseball.

The emotions bubbling through the minor league organization erupted during a game involving the Emeralds and the Winfield Warriors. The principals brawled, benches cleared, and a whole lot of shoving took place among the bystanders. When the dust settled, shortstop Horiuchi Rin, of the Emeralds, and reliever Banyu Rais, of the Warriors, each were suspended for 5 games.

April 2024 Review

During April the Portland Beavers compiled an excellent 17-10 record and jumped out to a four game lead in the Earl Weaver Division. The train wreck that was 2023 is fast being forgotten by local fans as evidenced by a 12.6% increase in attendance. The Beavers are playing very well so far in the early stages of the young season.

Top Performances

Valentin Alvarado (SS) -- Signed as a free agent during the off-season, Alvarado was en fuego throughout April. For the month he registered a .306/.374/.649 slash line, launched 11 big flies, and drove home 35 runs. Also of note is that he led the club in extra-base hits, with 16, and led starting players with a wOBA of .417. The 30 year-old shortstop seemed to enjoy batting immediately after Nick Holmes!

Baber Davi (1B) -- Davi, now 23 years old, provided assurance that the excellent production and fielding prowess he contributed during his first full season in the bigs was no fluke. His April slash line of .375/.407/.571, 14 extra-base hits, and 23 runs batted in batting in the heart of the order helped fuel the offense.

Nick Holmes (LF) -- In a way, listing Nick as the third star is very positive. For the Beavers it means that two players played even better than the three-time MVP outfielder. Holmes had an excellent month in his own right ending with a .360/.431/.533 slash line. He also scored a team-leading 29 runs and walked a team-leading 15 times. Finally, he generated 27.2 runs created to edge both Alvarado and Davi for the team lead.

Notes

It is often said that the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So true. On April 10 rookie Antonio Barbarro suffered a ruptured medial collateral ligament legging out a base hit during a game in Kansas City. At the time of the injury Barbarro was hitting .368. As important had been his defense in right field. Two outfield assists and a 1.179 EFF in six starts suggested that he might provide the upgrade in the field we had been seeking. Unfortunately the front office team must wait for next year to see him contribute. In the meantime, it's back to the drawing board.

To fill the void created by the injury to Barbarro the front office team signed free agent Mario Rivera to add outfield depth.

A record of 7-3 in head-to-head competition within the Earl Weaver Division bodes well. Clearly we need to beat up on the Jacks, Toreros, and Grays at every opportunity.

Current Injuries

Alfonso Alonzo (IF) -- Alonzo, recovering from a torn labrum injury suffered in early December, is not expected to be available for another four months.

Antonio Barbarro (OF) -- The injury sustained by Barbarro is a season-ending injury.

Down On The Farm

Determined that he deserves a shot at playing in Portland, 22 year-old shortstop Bobby Flannery recorded a .270/.383/.450 month with 21 runs scored and 10 stolen bases playing for the AAA Vancouver Canadians. 

Darren Payne launched 9 homers in the first 26 games of the AAA Vancouver season. The 26 year-old center-fielder ended the month with a .287/.376/.596 slash line. He also led the club with 21 runs scored and 23 runs batted in.

In 26 games playing for the AA Boise Hawks, 20 year-old second-baseman Mun-wah Lok registered a .316/.409/.500 slash line, 11 extra-base hits, 18 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases.

2024 Season Preview

After capturing the Earl Weaver Division pennant in 2022, the Portland Beavers entered the next spring training period with high hopes. Nick Holmes had just garnered his third consecutive MVP award, led the TML in batting for the second consecutive season, and won the TML triple crown. The front office team also had made several moves that everyone thought would improve the squad.

The optimistic mood was, however, short-lived. In the first week of spring training Holmes fractured a bone in his elbow and was lost to the team for the first half of the season. The players pulled together and attempted to remain competitive, but after a decent showing in April the team imploded. A 5-23 record in May followed by an 8-18 record in June sealed the team's fate. The silver lining was that we were able to experiment in an attempt to identify players who could play more significant roles going forward.

In early July, Wilson Flores was called up and handed the starting job in center field. Flores had been tearing it up (.411/.479/.532 in 34 games) with the AAA Vancouver Canadians. Meanwhile Takiji Ojima had been a disappointment in that role playing for the parent club. Flores settled in and played very well (.314/.367/.444 in 77 games) for the Beavers throughout the remainder of the season. It appears that Flores is here to stay, one of the more positive outcomes that resulted while the franchise struggled to win 57 games.

Looking ahead to 2024, in the early off-season the front office allowed several players who had become dead weight to become free agents. Then, in December, three players each of whom could play a key role in the upcoming season were acquired. Infielder Valentin Alvarado was signed to a three-year contract. Alvarado will assume the role of starting shortstop. Reliever Tsuneyo Kakutama was obtained via the Rule 5 draft; he will have the opportunity to strengthen the quality of the bullpen. Finally, Starting pitcher Shayne Linnie was signed to a modest, one-year contract to eat some innings as the fifth starter.

The remaining two open spots on the roster will be filled from within the organization. Antonio Barbarro will start in right field and southpaw Felix Barrera will function as a swingman who will provide support in relief and, if necessary, be available to start.

In summary, although the composition of the roster has not significantly changed the front office team believes the moves will improve overall offense and defense. Pitching remains the primary weakness, but hopefully some of the younger pitchers will exceed expectations. If it all comes together we could, once again, compete for a playoff berth. If we do, we should be able to revive fan interest, which suffered in 2023, increase attendance, and avoid the financial loss we incurred as a result. Let's have some fun, win some games, and generate a profit in 2024.

The opening day roster includes:

CATCHER - Mike Hobbs (.254, 22 HR, 66 RBI in 2023) again will catch the majority of innings and Miguel Leon (.205 in 2023 after batting .286 in 2022) catching one or two games a week and providing late-inning defensive support.

INFIELDERS – In his first full season in the bigs, Baber Davi (.291/.343/.461, 21 HR, 86 RBI), now 23 years old, sparked the offense and captured a Gold Glove award at first base. We look for him to build on this and continue to contribute for us. Two time all-star Pat Thompson (.337/.378/.482, 16 HR, 68 RBI, 22 SB) again will start and play second base. WAR totals of 3.8, 3.8, and 4.8 over the last three seasons are evidence that he is one of the better second basemen in the league. Bob Hennessey (.299/.356/.378), who has a cannon for an arm, will man the hot corner. Last season Hennessey played third for the second half and did an excellent job (+2.2 ZR, 1.016 EFF). Newly acquired Valentin Alvarado (.258, 32 HR, 93 RBI for Quebec) should generate improved run-producing punch while providing very good defensive support at the shortstop position.

Off the bench, 1B Jesus Cruz will platoon vs. left-handed starters. He can back-up at first, but he is such an awful fielder that we prefer not to hand him a glove. Dan Best will provide back-up support at the first, second, and third sacks. Fortunately the starters play multiple positions, so we should be able to juggle the lineups to cover for short-term ailments and provide players with opportunities for rest days.

OUTFIELDERS – From left to right, the outfield positions will be patrolled by Nick Holmes (.344/.445/.533 in 71 games), Wilson Flores, and rookie Antonio Barbarro (.305/.363/.478 for Vancouver). During the last half of 2023 Holmes demonstrated that he has fully recovered from the elbow injury. The entire Portland fan base is looking forward to a full season of thrills and chills generated by one of the better players on the planet. Flores is eager to play his first full season for the Beavers. Starting Barbarro at right field will enable us to move Pat Bancroft to the designated hitter role. Bancroft has regressed into a pathetic fielder (-27.0 ZR, .830 EFF). Undoubtedly Barbarro will shore up the defense.

In addition to Bancroft, Mathieu Bodin and Allen Cummings will provide back-up support. Bodin can flash the leather at all three outfield positions. Cummings can hit, but he is a one-dimensional player who can hit but stumbles around in the field.

DESIGNATED HITTER – Although Pat Bancroft is a liability in the field, he still can hit (.330/.387/.471, 42 2B, 13 HR, 71 RBI). He will start most games with Jesus Cruz enabling him to take an occasional day off when the Beavers face a southpaw.

STARTING PITCHERS – Pitching remains problematic. Until the Beavers can address the overall quality – or lack of it – of the starting five, we will have to go with what we have. We will open the season with a rotation of Nate Gary, Manuel Garcia, Fred Watson, Wilson Cruz, and Shayne Linnie. Despite a 5-17 record in 2023, Gary maintained a 4.04 ERA and accumulated a 4.0 WAR in 33 starts. In his first full season with the Beavers, Garcia registered a 9-10 record and a 4.91 ERA in 200 innings pitched. After three solid seasons, Watson was an extreme disappointment (6-17, 6.19 ERA), but he somehow accumulated a 2.1 WAR. He arrived at spring training determined to bounce back in 2024. Cruz (9-10, 4.74 ERA) showed improvement in his second full season and he is looking to continue to improve this season. With a 1.80 ERA during spring training, he appears to be primed to do so. Linnie hasn't had a great deal of success at the major league level, but a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered. He will have an opportunity to start the season as the fifth starter. If anyone falters, untested Felix Barrera will get a shot.

RELIEF PITCHERS – After missing the second half of last season with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, Troy Fountain (11 saves, 2.60 ERA in 30 appearances) will return and anchor the bullpen in the closer role. In the setup role, Larry Foley and Weldon Hoskins will attempt to hold late-inning leads and pass the game to Fountain in a position for a save. Foley missed most of 2024 with an injury. It is good to have him back on the active roster. Hoskins (3.78 ERA in 43 relief appearances) is looking forward to a more demanding bullpen role. Other members of the bullpen include lefty Carlos Rubio, righty Pablo Alomar, and righty Tsuneyo Kakutama.

THE BOTTOM LINE

In 2024 the Beavers should bounce back at the plate. We hope to once again prove to be one of the top run-scoring offenses in the TML. If we do, we should be able to be competitive. In the field, our overall defense should improve, especially since the more significant defensive liabilities have been replaced by players with improved fielding skills. Pitching should again be an adventure. The front office team is hopeful that a better defense will translate into fewer runs scored by opposing teams, but the pitching staff must step up and produce.

The bottom line is that this is the ABL and anything can happen. In the last four seasons the Beavers have bounced around from 1^st, to 3^rd, to 1^st, and to 4^th in our division. Can we improve by about 30 wins and again be in the playoff hunt? Who knows? The opening day prognosticators believe we can compete in a hotly contested race for the Earl Weaver Division pennant. We hope they are right.

Go Beavers!