Fargo Dinosaurs 2026 Year End Review

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Fargo Dinosaurs 2026 Year End Review

#1 Post by Dinosaurs »

(edit: I managed to lock myself out of the PEBA homepage, so I'll post this article there once I am allowed to get back in, decided to post here for now.)

Though the ultimate outcome was another season missing the playoffs, this years Fargo Dinosaurs squad finished third in the Great Lakes Division and achieved an above .500 record going 85-77 (.525), which they haven't been able to do the last couple seasons. The hope is that this is a trend and not just a blip such as the last time the Dinosaurs finished above .500, in 2023. That season was then followed by a disappointing year in 2024 which saw the team end up with a 68-94 record.

Current Fargo manager, Kenny Butler, had been promoted from AAA Sioux Falls prior to that surprise 2023 season, and has survived the following two disappointing seasons, rewarding the front office with another step forward this year, but will his job be on the line if the team sees another year of regression after progress in 2027?

When looking back at the 2023 squad and comparing it to this season's team in hopes of determining a different path forward, one thing that stands out, and likely was a red flag going into 2024 was the age of many of the starting players that team. The top three hitters, Harry Crawford (33), Trent Jackson (34), and Min Xian (33) were all nearing or in their mid 30's at the end of 2023. You add in contributors
Matt Holcomb (31) and Jamie Boyd (35) and the risk of major regression for the offense was sitting right there. The pitching side was much younger in general, Ernesto Molina, Miguel Vega, Bernardo Moreno, Manuel Hernandez, and Roberto Miranda were all under 27 at that time, but the performances where top heavy, and the depth was simply not there.

The 2026 version of the Dinosaurs features some younger talent on the hitting side. Yes there were a couple veterans in catcher Carlos Galvan (traded to Duluth) and second-baseman Tony Brown (traded to Crystal Lake) that had were older and saw their performances lead to deals sending them out of town, but apart from them and left-fielder Matt Carter (35 years old), the majority of Fargo's above league average hitting came from the likes of Luis Mercado (27), Cesar Torres (31), Gustavo Lopez (24), Francisco Murillo (26), Manuel Smith (27) and Pat Watson (24). All of these younger players should be back with the team next season.

On the pitching side, only relievers Tse-peng Yong (30) and Tatsukichi Matsumoto (32) were above the age of 30 this season. Both of these relievers are set to become free agents and although Yong was able to salvage his season down the stretch, in reality they both under-performed this season, had lost their roles as high-leverage innings guys and worked out of the front-end of the bullpen by season's end. Neither of them will be missed much from a performance stand point going into next season.

One key player that is likely to depart via free agency is the aforementioned Matt Carter LF. Carter had signed a two year $19 million deal with the Dinosaurs prior to the 2025 season, and that contract has turned out to be quite successful, as he accumulated 5.8 WAR over these two seasons, and had a particularly strong showing this season, hitting for a 123 wRC+, and a 3.1 WAR value. That WAR value placed him tied for fourth on the team (Luis Mercado had the same value). His departure brings with it questions of how and who can replace that loss performance? Internal options include a pair of prospects that have had strong showings at AAA most recently, outfielder Jose Diaz (25), and outfielder-third baseman Lorenzo Castanieda (21), both of which look ready for the jump to majors, but neither should be expected to come out of the gates and perform as well as a veteran slugger like Carter per se. The other option may be through free agency, including bringing back Carter on a short-term deal. It is expected that the team will have enough financial flexibility to bring on a couple free agents this offseason.

--Steve Youngblood
Fargo Gazette
Cristian Shofar - GM Fargo Dinosaurs
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