The Daily Jumper - 2031

[MikeB]

San Juan 2031 Preview - The Outfield

The Coqui enter 2031 with the best starting outfield they have had in a long time. In recent years the team had resorted to platooning all three positions but no more.

Right field last year was claimed by Roberto “Fudd” Martínez who posted a .283 batting average and career highs in RBI (81) and stolen bases (88). Unlike two prior years at Toyoma, he struggled against lefties coming over to the Imperial League but was still the Coqui’s best option. Defensively Fudd’s arm is as strong as they come and he led all PEBA right fielders in assists (21).

Left field last year belonged to Mike Rose. Although he missed 33 games the last two months of the season due to injuries, Rose claimed the job after proving he could hit right handed pitching consistently, raising his average against them from .217 in 2029 to .304. He finished at .299 overall and his .428 slugging percentage was second on the team only to Martínez’ .437.

Rose seems the ideal candidate for the backward bounce seen so often in San Juan, where players rarely sustain success. A two-time 40 home run hitter in the minors, he hit seven home runs in his first seven major league games. However, the 29-year old has just 15 in 950 or so at bats since. Nonetheless his on-base percentages in his three PEBA seasons have been .333, .336 and .341, well above league average, and the team will likely find a role for him even if he does regress.

Centerfield has two strong candidates vying for time. Kelvin McDonald, the $19.5 million free agent signee, proved a disappointment last year despite his line drive swing seeming ideal for the gaps at PRTC Stadium. His .243, .311 numbers were only league average when it came to getting on base. But he did give the Coqui a solid option against lefties, something the team seems to always be short on, batting .311, 388, .496 against them. Defensively he made a seamless transition to center making just one error and showing respectable range (3.23).

He will be challenged by phenom Wally Glasser who hit .280 after being called up in late August. The 24-year old is a three-time minor league all-star and was the Amber Waves (A) Most Outstanding Hitter in 2029. While he has great speed and a good glove, he has just one home run in 200 at bats at the AAA and PEBA levels. He showed decent power in A and AA but scouts do not believe he will develop it further. He also has only six walks in those 200 at bats. Still he should be an above average player and made his case hitting .474 in high leverage situations for San Juan as it made a surge down the stretch for a playoff bid.

After carrying seven outfielders at times the past two seasons, the team will no longer have to stock up for support. Vying for maybe one more bench slot will be fielding whiz Caspar Gray (career 3.50 range and +16.5 ZR in center); Kelsey van Wingerden (19 HR in 415 career at bats); former second round pick Toju Samurakami (.269, .326 in AAA as a 23-year old last year); and former fourth-rounder Alberto Morán, who hit .268 with 24 home runs between AA and AAA last year. Bo Banks, a 33-year old right fielder with limited range was also brought in on a minor league option deal. Banks flashed power early in his career but failed to distinguish himself the last two years at Amsterdam’s cavernous Stadium Urbanus.

Rule 5 draftee Ronald Amery, a defensive whiz who can play six positions, may also make Gray’s job expendable.

[MikeB]

San Juan 2031 Preview - The Infield

The Coqui filled two gaping holes in the offseason giving fans hope the team could finally make a serious playoff run. Coming over from the Sovereign League (SL) are third baseman Harley Schneider and catcher Dan Collins who have three rings between them.

It is well known that Schneider was San Juan’s third haggle at the position in free agency but they benefited needing a third basemen in a year when the crop was deep. Jack Speed filled the hole admirably in two stints with the team (.343 OBP, 43 SB last year) but was more suited defensively as a first baseman, routinely sat against lefties and slugged just .294. Schneider won’t get on base at the same rate but has previously led the SL in doubles and triples and has 175 career home runs.

San Juan dealt two promising pitching prospects and a first round pick to get Collins, who spent all six years of his career with Fargo. He’s not a big run producer and has few accolades but he is considered an excellent glove man with a strong arm who can keep rallies going at the plate (.266, .330). As a line drive hitter he should find some gaps at PRTC Stadium.

Holdover Ju-chan Park, an outstanding fielder who hit just .194 last year, will back him up. The position was a disaster last season after three-time all-star Jesús Negrete hit the 34-year old wall, his batting average dropping from .258 to .175, his slugging from .420 to .250 and his defense noticeably slipping.

The two newcomers will join an already solid infield. Shortstop Roberto Salazar, at age 27, emerged as an elite leadoff hitter last year, reaching career-highs in batting average (.302), on-base percentage (.378) and stolen bases (91). The latter led the Imperial League.
Box Car Gonzáles solidified second base last year, hitting .274 with 54 stolen bases. The 26-year old, for the first time in his six-year PEBA career, also shrugged off the platoon label and held his own against lefties (.256).

At first base Luis Bonilla has been the team’s sole power hitter with 63 home runs the past two years but he regressed last season, his batting average dropping from .263 to 212. After some investigation after the season ended, the front office determined hitting coach Juichi Matsumoto may not have had the best relationship with seven hitters, five of whom, Bonilla included, had poor seasons. Matsumoto was demoted back to AAA where he had spent 2027-29 and has been replaced by former Yuma Manager Alfonso Gonzales.

Compounding Bonilla’s regress is the team has never been happy with his defense and noticed quickly after he arrived in 2029 that the team’s fielding numbers were not up to par.

“We had a philosophy of pitching and defense,” said one front office employee who wished not to be named. “First base might not be the most important spot for that but what’s the point if the first baseman isn’t helping the rest of the infield?”

If Brendon Robertson can emerge, the team would prefer to shift Bonilla to DH, at least against right handed pitching. The 25-year old Robertson, a former college star taken in the first round in 2027, was a decorated fielder in the minors. He also showed a penchant for being a tough out in the lower levels while collecting 68 home runs and 72 stolen bases. He did see limited action with San Juan last year, hitting just .222 in 63 at bats but contributed two doubles, a triple and three home runs to slug .429.

The Coqui got a surprising rookie season in 2030 from Oscar Wetherby, a competent middle infielder who converted to third base in AAA early last year in anticipation to fill a need with the big club. The 25-year old one-time waiver pickup batted .252, .333 for San Juan but mainly started against lefties (.340, .431).

Also in the mix is 26-year old second baseman John Gosselin who the Coqui obtained from West Virginia in midseason last year. Gosselin was once a promising hitter in the minors but regressed at AAA in 2030. San Juan believes he got lost in the Alleghenies deep organization and promoted him to the PEBA at season’s end in hopes of rebuilding his confidence.

In the Rule 5 Draft, the team also added Ronald Amery who can field first, second, and third as well as anyone; man all three outfield positions; and likely help as a pinch runner (188 steals over six professional seasons). In 2024, he was the #1 prospect in the WIL. “A perfect 26th man,” said GM Mike Best. “We probably could use him at shortstop just as much so that’s where he will get reps in spring training.”

[MikeB]

San Juan 2031 Preview - Pitching, The Bullpen

You can never have enough pitching the saying goes…and with injury issues last season, San Juan is buying into that motto. Fifteen players are making cases to be on the roster and several others are knocking on the door in AAA. Today we look at the the relief unit that was second in the Imperial League (IL) in e.r.a. (2.63) last year

While the staff is deep, there is only star. San Juan native José Gómez has posted e.r.a.’s under 2.00 the past three seasons while being a workhorse in the stopper role. He earned his first all-star berth last season and finished second in the IL Shutdown Reliever Award voting.

Gómez will sometimes go several innings, opening the door up for a couple setup men to share the spotlight other days. Veteran Otis Pearson, one of the clubhouse leaders, posted a 1.51 e.r.a. last season and has 77 career saves. Gary Walker, a former first round supplemental pick, is the lefty late inning option. He has a 2.49 e.r.a. In 114 PEBA games and last year was 11/14 in save situations.

Twenty-eight year old Marty Bernard is almost their equal if not for control issues. The 12th overall pick in 2024, Bernard has now lasted three years in the big leagues and has posted a 14-11 record, 3.17 e.r.a. and nine saves over that time.

He will be challenged as the top call in middle innings by rookie Ray Medrano who has nowhere else to go but the big league roster at this point. Medrano, the 11th overall pick in 2027, was rocked hard in the PEBA last season trying to make the jump from AA (10.05 e.r.a. in 14 1/3 innings) but wound up with a dominant performance at Santo Domingo (AAA) where he had a 0.25 when used out of the bullpen and was 16/16 in save attempts.

The club feels comfortable in what it has in 33-year old lefty Will Garza as well. Garza has been 26-7 as a starter in his AAA career but has proven more effective in relief at the PEBA level. Obtained in midseason last year, he was unable to claim a spot in the Coqui rotation but was effective out of the pen (0.33 e.r.a. in 13 innings). It was Garza’s first PEBA action since 2028 when he posted a 2.19 e.r.a. in 70 relief innings for Palm Springs.

The team isn’t as certain in what it has with 23-year old Jorge Pagán who was brilliant in relief last year (1.76 in 30 2/3 innings) but was shallacked in four starts. Pagán had been a starter throughout his minor league career and the hope is he can eventually win a spot in the rotation.

Also vying for a spot in the pen is Christián Contreras who either got his fastball by people last season (10.4K/9) or didn’t (5.74 e.r.a.). To be fair, Contreras did improve as the season went on and overwhelmed competition in four AAA starts (0.93 e.r.a.) but the team may not have room for him.

San Juan also has seven experienced starting pitchers, two of whom will wind up joining the battle for bullpen spots. We’ll look at those in the next issue.

[MikeB]

San Juan 2031 Preview - Pitching, The Starting Staff

There is no clear ace in San Juan but if one goes by salary, Edgardo Diaz, an $11.5 million free agent signee before last season, tops the group. Diaz was coming off a 19-4 season for Palm Springs but San Juan only got flashes of that last year. The 32-year old had elbow and neck issues that caused him to miss more than three months of the season. He was 2-0 with a 3.32 e.r.a. in his final four starts in September so the hope is the injuries will not linger.

Diaz is one of seven starting pitchers who return but how healthy the staff will be is a major question.

One of the team’s two most consistent starters last year was 26-year old Pete Scammell who had elbow injuries of his own but posted a 2.58 e.r.a. in 18 starts. His lack of wins (5-2) is indicative that efforts by the team to build his stamina have never took. The team wouldn’t mind moving him to the pen but, considering how solid that unit is, they are happy to use Scammell as a limited inning starter for the moment. The Coqui did go 14-4 in games he started.

Keith Dupree was the other pleasant surprise last year, going 12-8, 3.37, as a rookie. Dupree’s home run (1.0) and walk (2.1) numbers were up and his strikeout numbers down (7.0) from his minor league days so the team is hoping there may be more upside to come from the 25-year old.

Fernando Castro (9-6, 3.93) and Juan Santana (11-9, 4.32) are inning eaters marred mainly by giving up the long ball. Castro is more suited as a starter but Santana’s 100-mph fastball could be intriguing in the bullpen.

Other staff contenders include Masaru Kouki who had a disappointing follow-up to his 2029 14-4, 3.16, campaign going 8-15, 4.13. Kouki did rebound the last two months, however, posting a 2.81 e.r.a. in his last 10 starts. He proved to be the 2030 version of Hou Hao who went 15-12, 3.29, in 2028 before lapsing to 10-15, 4.31, in 2029. Hao tore his UCL in his first start last year and spent the season on the disabled list.

Starters knocking on the door in AAA are 23-year old Seong-chae Somun (11-7, 2.91 at Santo Domingo); 22-year old Tetsuzan Shimada (12-6, 2.66 between AA and AAA last year); 23-year old Jesus Luna (33-17, 2.02 in the minors); former first round supplemental pick Robby Parker, 25, and former second rounder Eli McKnight, 23. Luna and McKnight went to winter ball in the offseason.

[MikeB]

Team Effort Lifts Coqui to Top of Division

It’s been a team-wide effort that has propelled San Juan to the top of the Trans Atlantic Division three weeks into the season, and four weeks after shortstop Roberto Salazar, the team’s only hitter to make the 50 PEBA’s Most Valuable Players list, went down with a fractured fibula.

Salazar, one of the top leadoff hitters in the league, has for the moment been amply replaced at the time of the lineup by Fudd Martínez who has a .350 batting average leading off against righties and Oscar Wetherby who has a .517 OBP leading off against lefties.

Martínez’ 10 RBIs in the leadoff role alone (he has 14 overall - good for second in the Imperial League) shows how well the lineup is working from top to bottom. The Coqui lead the IL in runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and are third in stolen bases with its best base stealer sidelined.

Last week, António Correa was called up from AAA to step into the shortstop slot and, in his first PEBA at bat since 2026, hit a two-run homer. The next day he hit another to win a game in the 15th inning.

As far as pitching goes, the overall numbers are misleading. While the top four crunch guys out of the bullpen combine for a 1.80 e.r.a., there have been some games lost in the late innings. Closer José Gómez has two losses and setup man Gary Walker one, resulting in half of the team’s six defeats.

“That will level out over time,” said General Manager Mike Best. “The important thing is their stuff looks good.”

One of the most active players out of the pen has been Masaru Kouki who failed to earn a spot in the starting rotation this spring but has a win, a save and a 2.01 e.r.a. over 13 innings of long relief work. Kouki has been on the trade block for some time.

Meanwhile, without a clear ace, that starting staff statistically has not been great (11th in IL in e.r.a.) but has had its highlights. Pete Scammell (2-1, 2.31) hasn’t given up a run in his last two starts. Edgardo Díaz has one of the league’s three complete game shutouts. Rookie Robbie Parker impressed in his big league debut, allowing two runs over six innings. And Fernando Castro (2-0, 4.05) pitched seven innings in his first two starts and went a strong six in his last one.

As to whether the strong start will continue, Best is hesitant to say at this early juncture. "Last year we struggled against the very top teams and we've yet to face them," he said. "Thus far we've mostly beaten up on San Antonio."



FROM SANTO DOMINGO (AAA):

Several pitchers are knocking on the door to get into the PEBA including starters Jesús Luna (3-1, 1.91) and Tetsuzan Shimada (2-1, 0.93) and reliever Ray Medrano (5 saves, 1.12 e.r.a.).

Among hitters, unheralded right fielder Alberto Morán (.360, .441) continues to make himself difficult to be ignored. In spring training he hit .312, .450.

“I don’t think he is the second coming of Wade Boggs,” says Best. “But you always have to keep a lookout for those guys and be willing to second guess the scouts at some point.”

[MikeB]

Starting Rotation Still a Work in Progress

While San Juan has come out of the gate in the wild card race, the team is still shuffling pitchers to settle on a starting rotation.

Three slots seemed filled so far: Keith Dupree, Pete Scammell and Fernando Castro. Dupree has taken the next step after a solid rookie campaign and is among the league leaders at 4-0, 1.14. Scammell, although rarely going deep into games, continues to perform well (3-2, 2.45). And Castro (3-1, 3.58) has been surprisingly consistent with four quality starts in five outings. And the lone outlier he pitched a full seven, giving up four runs to collect a win in his first start of the season.

Out at the moment is veteran Edgardo Díaz who was waived after refusing a AAA demotion. Rookie Tetsuzan Shimada has taken his place for the moment, was a bit shaky in his debut but ultimately gave up just two runs in five innings and will get another look.

Word is Masaru Kouki (2-0, 1.50 in relief) may get a chance to get back into the rotation soon and Hou Hao (two good starts, two bad, one so-so) could also get another look after a brief demotion to the pen.

Next in line would be Robby Parker, who had one good and one poor start in his first two PEBA games before being sent down. Parker’s achilles heal had always been his control but he’s shown vast improvement there, walking just four in his five PEBA and AAA starts.


FROM THE MINORS:
First baseman Ippei Ishikawa has continued his minor league exploits. After winning three playoff MVP Awards and a Platinum Stick last year with Homer (SA) (but unfortunately only 2nd in the SS-A AL as Outstanding Hitter), the former 7th rounder slugged three home runs in one game April 30. In fact, he hit four and drove in seven in back-to-back Kingston (A) victories over Bismarck. He’s at .324, .424, .590 for the season.

[MikeB]

Defensive Concern Equally Drove Trade for Hill

San Juan trading for all-star infielder Dmitri Hill may have been as much for defensive reasons as offensive. The Coqui, without starting shortstop Roberto Salazar until likely July, are 10th in the IL in defensive efficiency, 9th in ZR and 7th in errors. Those are not familiar numbers for the team.

More and more the team has been shifting weak fielding first baseman Luis Bonilla to DH and if he doesn’t start hitting soon, he may wind up on the pine altogether. But that has meant shifting Harley Schneider from third base leaving two holes on the left side to fill. António Correa and Oscar Wetherby have some offensive value but mainly against left handed pitching while Ronald Amery realistically is just a glove man.

Hill, much like Wetherby and Correa, does not have as much experience at short as he does at second and third but should bring an everyday answer to the position. Expect him to shift to third when Salazar returns.

It is unlikely the team will be able to re-sign second baseman José Gonzales next year while still agreeing to arbitration with Hill. While Hill is 33 and Box Car just turned 27 last week, it is Box Car likely to be on the outs after a poor start to 2031 and because he demands a higher price. The team is burdened by Edgardo Díaz’s $11.5 million contract that Diaz has an option on for another season. The team waived him last week but he refused a demotion to AAA.

Another disappointment has been catcher Dan Collins who the team gave up two pitching prospects and a first round pick for in the offseason. Collins, a low adaptability player, is hitting just .175 and has just about lost his job to Ju-chan Park who is hitting .333 and just hit a double and a home run in his first start against a righty this season. While both catchers are believed to have strong arms, the Coqui are next to last in the league in throwing out base stealers at 7.9% although there is evidence they have deterred attempts.

FROM THE MINORS:
António Ávila, the only pitcher to ever win 20 games in the NAFTA, has settled in nicely in AA ball. After getting hammered in his first start, the 23-year old former first round pick is 6-1, 1.22 in his last eight. Despite a sub-90 mph fastball he struck out 11 in two of those starts. He is vying with Marcel Osterhout, also taken in the first round in the 2026 draft, to be Santurce’s ace. Osterhaut is 7-1, 2.39 this season.

[MikeB]

Pagan Gets the Call - This Time as a Hitter

Hurler Jorgé Pagan has gotten the call to return to the PEBA. The 23-year old began DHing at Santo Domingo (AAA) about a month ago and could be in the San Juan lineup as soon as tomorrow.

The Coqui have been going with six starters and that has left just six relievers who are showing fatigue for the first time this season. So in a sense Pagan is getting the call as an extra arm in the bullpen but he should also give the team another left-handed option at the plate as well.

Pagan has hit just .241 but is .333 his last five games and has slugged .444 overall. A look at his spray chart shows that while he has just one home run, he has hit the wall twice for doubles, has had two balls caught at the wall and another four caught pretty much on the warning path.

Paga.png

The Coqui also welcome back starting pitcher Hou Hao (6-1, 2.61) and 2030 all-star shortstop Roberto Salazar this week. Salazar was hurt in spring training. Hao missed four starts.

[MikeB]

Dracula Returns

Roberto Salazar has pushed aside concerns that he may be lamed from fracturing his fibula in spring training. Since returning to the lineup June 27, the 2030 IL stolen base champ has swiped five bases in six attempts.

And he has had the opportunity to run. He has hit safely in all of his nine games, sporting a .395 average and a .477 on-base percentage.

San Juan is also eagerly looking forward to the return of 1B/3B Harley Schneider at the all-star break. The hope being the fourth best scoring offense will get that much with two of its best hitters back.

The return of Dracula is an exciting addition to the top of the lineup that has featured Roberto Martinez (.289, .347, .466, 28 steals) and Mike Rose (.325, 390, .469). Martinez is slugging .512 against righties and will likely sit more against tougher lefties when Schneider returns. Schneider will man first and push Luis Bonilla to the DH slot.

Bonilla, meanwhile, has been red hot after a slow start, hitting .280 in June and .389 so far in July with 7 home runs and 7 doubles during that time.

FROM THE MINORS: While the Coqui have some promising pitching prospects at AAA, a logjam will ensue soon as Kingston’s (AA) starting staff boasts a league leading 2.22 e.r.a. Marcel Osterhaut (12-2, 1.77) and Salvador Chacón (10-4, 1.72) are a formidable 1-2 duo with António Ávila (9-3, 2.24), Bryan Scott(7-6, 2.24) and Joey Hazen (8-4, 3.42) being almost equally tough to hit.

[MikeB]

Scouting Work Paying Dividends With Internationals

While the Coqui have had a couple feeble drafts, a combination of dealing picks and losing others as compensation, the gap has been filled nicely at Port Royal (R) thanks to the work of scouting director Robert Franklin who retired at the end of 2030.

Right fielder Xavier Metzler (.340, 11 SBs), left fielder Luis Archuleta (.356), DH Manny Santana (.291), second baseman José Lópes (league leading 13 HR), Martin Gallegos (tied with league leading 11 SBs) and pitcher Raul Sierra (4-1, 1.91) were all Franklin finds in his international travels. Even bench performers Marcos Lopez (.297) and Paco Juarez (.311) are playing well.

With the exception of Metzler, who is German, all the finds hail from the Caribbean or Latin America.

In addition, international free agents, first baseman Florian Antuofermo (.307) and center fielder John Lortie (.318), were offered deals at a combined cost of $4 million based on Franklin’s recommendations and have substituted as high draft picks nicely.

The result is that Port Royal, a team that struggled to put a roster together in its inaugural year, is atop the Paradise League at 30-12 this season and boasts a team batting average of .296.

Manager Pepe Rico is a former hurler so most of the accolades have fallen to Franklin as well as hitting coach Dan Calderón who until the Privateer gig came along hadn’t been heard from since he played in the PEBA in 2008.

It remains to be seen whether new scouting director Arturo Torres will have the same success but he had 10 years experience with London and Arlington after entering the PEBA at age 39.

[MikeB]

Not the Expected Names Leading the Way

The big offseason splash seems more of a pebble plunk as August closes. San Juan traded two pitching prospects and a first round pick for veteran catcher Dan Collins, who is hitting 18 points below his 220-pound weight and 56 points below his career average. And in free agency, it dumped $23 million a year on veteran third baseman Harley Schneider who, while a contributor at .242 with 16 home runs, hasn't distinguished himself beyond a role player.

Instead, the newcomers making the Coqui thrive have been the youngsters. Rookie Brendon Robertson has taken over at first base. His 11-game hit streak came to end last week a day after a walk-off two-run homer defeated division leading Havana. Robertson is hitting .284 with a .523 slugging percentage and more impressively, .353 with five of his 11 home runs when in high leverage situations.

Meanwhile, pitcher-convert Jorge Pagán, who hadn’t swung a bat in organized baseball since grade school, is hitting .294 and slugging .518. He has effectively benched the team’s home run champ Luis Bonilla against righties.

“You have to be happy when you are in a wild card spot and then you have two rookies push their way to the middle of the order,” said General Manager Mike Best. “But fact is that middle of the order has been a turnstile for us forever so it doesn’t take much to get a shot there.”

Pagán’s pitching duties last year negate him from being a true rookie. But it's his arm that got him to the majors. Since being called back up in June after a poor spring, he has a 2.14 e.r.a., all relief innings.

While he resides in the back of the pen, rookie Ray Medrano has pushed his way into a setup role. Medrano’s e.r.a. at 1.88 joins fellow setup man Gary Walker (1.99) and closer José Gómez (1.78) to make possibly the best threesome in the league.

Two other rookies have also impressed. Tetsuzan Shimada has looked solid all year getting starts as an injury replacement and been even better in the pen. The pressure is on him now though to replace Keith Dupree, who was 8-3 when he got hurt. A former 4th rounder, Schimada is 3-5 with a 3.14 e.r.a. But throw out one bad start and one dreadful relief appearance and he has 20 respectable outings.

Meanwhile another rookie, Robby Parker, has given up just one earned run in 15 innings since being called up again last month. The 25-year old now looks like he may be up to stay. He has thrown multiple innings in all six of those relief appearances.

***

It certainly feels like pennant fever. Especially after three walk-off home runs in the span of six games, two of them three-run blasts coming with the team down two runs in the ninth. The other was Robertson’s two-run blast that stunned Havana and led to the Coqui taking two of three.

[MikeB]

Coqui Lay Claim to IL's Top Pen

As San Juan holds the edge for a wild card spot with six games remaining, it is the bullpen that is getting most of the credit. Although the unit ranks second - 2.50 to Kentucky’s 2.44 - there is no question they are the league’s finest right now., particularly with the Thoroughbreds’ Michael Vincent’(0.31) out for the season since July.

A look:

CLOSER
José Gómez, 10-6, 1.44, 33 saves

SETUP
Gary Walker, 5-1, 1.93
Ray Medrano (a rookie), 3-0, 1.53

MIDDLE RELIEF
Otis Pearson, 1.44 e.r.a. since Aug. 1
Jorge Pagán, 1.93 since June 26 (after his last call-up)
Marty Bernard, 2.08 since July 10


Eleven pitchers currently on the roster have earned at least one save.

Three long relievers have earned or been forced into starting duty. While in relief: Robby Parker (1.54), Tetsuzan Shimada (1.74), Masaru Kouki (1.50).

Unfortunately the starting staff (7th in the league at 3.45) lacks a clear ace, hindered further with two hurlers out for the season.

[MikeB]

San Juan See Slight After Playoff Victory

In a rare decision, the Imperial League Wild Card Series MVP went to a player on the losing team. The narrative emerging is that many of the league media felt the series would have been over for Hartford much sooner if not for the contribution of right fielder Tom Patton.

“Patton did a lot to keep Hartford in it, no doubt about that,” San Juan Manager Sergio Manetti said when asked about Patton afterward. But, while it reads one way in the newspaper, witnesses say he said it in a dismissive tone and told his players in the locker room that it was bull$%#t.”

General Manager Mike Best had a similar take in his press conference. “We had a lot of guys deserving so I’m a bit miffed about it,” he said.

Best singled out José Gómez who threw five shutout innings in relief to close out the win in Game 5 and had a save earlier in the series.

“If a guy gets the winning hit, a lot of times that is enough to give him the MVP,” he said. “So you’d think a stellar appearance like that should be enough.”

There was no winning hit in this wild card matchup. The Coqui won it on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the 13th. Rookie Brendon Robertson got the winning RBI, leaning in on a three-two count and making sure there was no doubt the umpire would see it as out of the strike zone. At one point in the at-bat, Robertson was down 1-and-2 and fouled the next pitch off before continuing to work the count.

Patten did hit .480 in the series with three runs and five RBI. He hit safely in every game and had four hits in two of them. But he also set an IL playoff record for whiffing five times in Game 5.

“I know the guy had a couple big games in the series and he’s a marquee name,” Best added. “But we had three different pitchers strike him out when it was on the line.”

The GM closed by singling out a few others.

“Harley hit .300 for us in the series with some power, Dracula hit .304, Hou pitched well in two starts. Brendon crushed the ball too, although he didn’t play much because of the lefties...And he took a big one for the team!”

[MikeB]

Some Highlights From the Best Week in Coqui History
Key Innings that changed the outcomes


WILD CARD GAME 5 in San Juan
13th inning, Hartford 1, Coqui 1
Bonilla leadoff double
Glasser infield hit, Bonilla to 3rd
Glasser steals 2nd (uncontested?)
Martinez strikes out
Schneider walked intentionally
Robertson HBP on 3-2 count with bases loaded
Coqui win Series

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF ROUND

GAME ONE in WV
7th Inning: WV 2, Coqui 0
One out, Martinez singles
Gonzales singles him to 3rd
Glasser triples both in
McDonald walked intentionally, steals 2nd
Park singles, Glasser scores but McDonald out at home
Salazar doubles Park in
Four runs in
San Juan holds on 5-2

GAME TWO in WV
8th inning: WV 4, SJ 3
Bonilla leadoff single
Pagan singles him to 3rd
Glasser grounds out, Pagan to 2nd
Martinez singles, two runs in
San Juan holds on 5-4

GAME THREE in San Juan
6th Inning: WV 4, Coqui 2
Robertson reaches on E4
Rose looper over 2nd, runners on 1st and 2nd
Schneider strikes out
Gonzalez infield hit
Glasser grounds double barely fair along third base line
Pagan flies out, Glasser to 3rd
Wild pitch, Glasser scores
4 runs in, Coqui win 6-2

GAME FOUR in San Juan
5th inning: WV 1, Coqui 0
Schneider doubles
Hill walks
Park bunts runners over
Schneider eventually scores on a wild pitch

7th inning: WV 1, Coqui 1
(Coqui had just left bases loaded in 6th without scoring)
One out, Salazar infield hit
Rose shallow liner to right, runners on 1st and 2nd
Bonilla walks, loading bases
McDonald grounder, runner out at home
(Would they leave bases loaded again?)
Glasser doubles in three runs
(fans go wild)
Weatherby and Schneider back-to-back home runs
(series virtually over as fans continue to go wild)
Six runs in
Coqui hold on 7-3

[Borealis]

Outstanding performance by the Coquis!!