The Daily Jumper - 2032

[MikeB]

Meet the 2032 Coqui, Same as the 2031 Version

It was a quiet offseason for the Coqui. But whose to argue that returning pretty much the same lineup that won the PEBA Championship is a bad strategy? So, as with the last couple years, fans should expect heavy platooning.

“Always good to have new blood but then maybe we will bond that much more too,” said General Manager Mike Best. “We did try to re-tool some but finances and options just didn’t pan out.

After looking at second basemen, Boxcar Gonzales was eventually re-signed. Since moving to second upon arrival in San Juan two years ago, Boxcar has had 4.9 range and a +14.1 ZR. That, and that he is entering his prime at 27, gave him the edge over others available.

The team also sought potential DHs, lefty and righty, and discussed bringing in a star outfielder (thus moving Mike Rose to DH) but nothing materialized.

The team was hampered by low trade interest for veterans Luis Bonilla and Dmitri Hill, both of whom tie up money. Bonilla, at $14.75 million, mostly platooned last season although he had a headline grabbing postseason. Hill is essentially $10.5 million insurance for oft-injured Roberto Salazar but not a bad option considering he was an all-star two years ago. When he hit .349 in the postseason after a middling performance post-midseason trade, the team grew warmer on keeping him. Word is San Juan did have an appealing offer for Bonilla from a Sovereign League team but didn’t pull the trigger fast enough.

The only new offensive face is Valentin Nieto, claimed off waivers from Havana Dec. 13. Nieto is happy because he was sent to his home country - the Dominican Republic - where Santo Domingo (AAA) plays but the Coqui will give the 25-year old a shot at that potentially open outfield slot. He has a career .393 on-base percentage and 233 stolen bases in the minors.

One area San Juan would like to have improved was starting pitching. The team has mostly relied on a deep staff of number-three type guys. But the feeling is there is an outside chance one of those in waiting at AAA might be that guy. If not, the team has sufficient depth to go with the five hottest arms.

That said, two Rule 5 hurlers were brought in mainly to get a look in spring training. Silvio Bolt is a 28-year old career minor leaguer who is 27-14, 2.75 in three AAA seasons, primarily as a starter.

“Kid deserves a chance,” says Best.

The other is Gennaro Averlino, a 23-year old former international bonus baby. According to scouts Averlino not only alerady has big league stuff but possesses an elite slider and change-up. Control and the long ball are said to be his weaknesses.

“We felt those were mostly projections,” Best said of the shortcomings. “The stats didn’t jibe with the reports so we want to take a closer look at him. He did throw a perfect game in A-ball three years ago and then got buried there but had a fast rise last season so he might be ready.”

Pitching slots will be scarce in San Juan so both need to impress to make the squad.

[MikeB]

Scammell Out Again As Injuries Strike

It may be time to say rest in peace to Pete Scammell, the Coqui’s overachieving but oft-injured hurler. Scammell’s forearm became inflamed again the first week of spring training and this time he’s out for three months. Elbow, foot, leg, arm, hand and even non-throwing arm are among the ailing body parts that have caused the 27-year old to miss games since 2029.

San Juan has been able to count on him for parts of summers though. He’s 18-10, 2.91 over his three seasons in the PEBA, all but three of his 65 appearances as a starter. The team did try to increase his stamina in winter ball once but he generally is limited to five or six innings. The team’s record is even better in his starts.

Until winter ball, Scammell had spent his minor league career as a closer, posting 100 saves. But he has four pitches that he mixes well so the team tried to push him probably more than it should have. Word is that due to injuries and competition for rotation spots that Scammell would return to the pen this year.

It was a rough starting week for the team as Infielder Dmitri Hill was lost for eight weeks with a fractured foot (done at his home) and centerfielder Wally Glasser out for six weeks with a neck injury. Regarding the 34-year old Hill, the team is worried the injury might contribute to his declining speed. He’s remained a high percentage base stealer picking his spots and but with other diminishing skills, losing an edge like that could be devastating to his value.

Although the team will not admit it publicly, observers have noticed that it almost seems there is a ban on the team running in preseason. Last year’s spring injury to star shortstop Roberto Salazar on an attempted steal may have been the impetus.

[MikeB]

Robertson Latest Injury Woe

First baseman Brendon Robertson is the latest San Juan casualty, going out with a partially torn labrum April 16. The 26-year old Robertson, like seemingly all the Coqui hitters, came out of the gate tearing the ball (.333, .407).

With him expected to be out until mid-July, San Juan will likely move 1B-3B Harley Schneider to first full time but the question becomes who will play third? Dmitri Hill is out for three more weeks with a fractured foot and Oscar Wetherby is suffering with back spasms. Wetherby, also 26, has had just 10 plate appearances this season but is slugging 1.000.

In fact, the Coqui lead the Imperial League is batting average (at .307, 26 points better than second-best West Virginia), OBP (.354), slugging (.453) and batting WAR (4.5) although with a derth of long ball power the team is fourth in runs scored. Schneider and Roberto Salazar have led the way, tied at the top of the league with 18 hits each.

The team still has two pitchers - Keith Dupree and Pete Scammell - on the DL although in a bit of good news centerfielder Wally Glasser is expected to return a week early this week from a herniated disc in his neck.

Robertson’s absence could open the door for 24-year old Tracy Young, a left-hand hitting first baseman at Santo Domingo (AAA). Young has hit 67 home runs the last two years in A and AA but didn’t show much in spring training. He is hitting just .222 so far in AAA but has four home runs. The team would like to see him get going before giving him a shot in the big leagues.

Young recently had been mentioned in a GM roundtable discussion as a possible Wunderkind candidate this season.

[MikeB]

Pitching Rotation Continues to Rotate

Pundits had starting pitching as a weak spot for San Juan and it seems it has become an annual tradition for the Coqui to try to find hot arms to ride.

Three guys look like locks though.

Fernando Castro, at 28, seems to be settling into the PEBA. He has improved on his breakout 15-win, 63% quality start season in 2031, by being fourth in the Imperial League with an 1.11 e.r.a. thus far. Long known for giving up the long ball, he has allowed just one dinger in 32.1 innings and his GO% of 0.56 is the highest of his career.

Likewise, 24-year old Tetsuzan Shimada is following a solid rookie performance with the makings of an ace at 4-1, 1.91. His walk totals are down from 3.4 BB/9 his rookie season to 1.9 this year.

Masaru Kouki (four of five quality starts) is also throwing well (3-1, 2.76) although he has been a streak player in the past. Kouki posted a 3.02 e.r.a. last year but finished 9-10 after failing to win a game the final two months.

The remaining spots the team is still figuring out but have plenty of young arms to throw into the fire.

Hou Hao (14-11, 3.22 last year) has returned to his inconsistent self which has opened a spot for 24-year old Jesus Luna to make his debut this week. Luna has a 1.38 e.r.a. in five starts at Santo Domingo (AAA). “Moonball” is getting the call simply because Marcel Osterhout (1.28 in six starts) won’t be ready to throw when Hao’s turn in the rotation comes up.

Eli McKnight, 24, made the team out of spring training but the Coqui feel they rushed him coming out of AA and he never really settled in at AAA and is not likely to stay on the big league roster much longer. But he did pitch one-hit ball over four innings in relief against Arlington keeping him up for the moment. Meanwhile, Robby Parker, 26, will likely stay in the big leagues but his penchant for walking batters is keeping him from getting more starts.

Keith Dupree has also come off the disabled list. The 26-year old has been as solid as any hurler the team has (20-12 over two PEBA seasons) but has ruptured his UCL twice and the team can’t count on him at this point. He was sent to Santo Domingo for a rehab assignment.

FROM THE MINORS: The team has been pleasantly surprised by Santo Domingo’s 19-7 start under former Manchester skipper Abel Beaulieu. The team has a 0.55 bullpen e.r.a. backing up a deep rotation. Two players making the jump from A ball have turned the most heads. Juan Ortiz, 23, has won a hotly contested closer position with 10 saves already while Motoki Sakei, 22, threw 10.2 innings of scoreless ball before being sent to AA to get more starts. Both were impressive in spring training as well.

[MikeB]

Bayamón Bay Native Shipped to Madison

Native Puerto Rican outfielder Alberto Morán was dealt to Madison last week for veteran first baseman Enrique Rios.

Moran, from Bayamón Bay, had been an all-star in college and AA but saw his numbers fall off his first full season in Santo Domingo (AAA). But he has hit .317 in 25 playoff games for the Tourists. He is expected to provide depth for the injury-riddled Malt outfield. He played his college ball at Minnesota so is familiar with the northern Midwest.

With Brendon Robertson hurt and Luis Bonilla struggling, San Juan has been forced to retool the first base position. Rios will likely platoon with rookie Tracy Young, who has made a splash in his first two weeks (.324). That the 36-year old Bonilla didn't have an extra base hit in April forced the team to begin considering he may done as a PEBAer.

A former middle infielder for New Orleans, Rios’ poor range has been more suited to first base in recent seasons. He’s no stranger to long time Coqui fans having had walk off hits versus the team three times in his first two seasons in the league and a grand slam to seal another game. After making $10 million in 2030, the 32-year old was signed to a minor league deal by Madison in the offseason and 19 of his 20 games have been at AAA this season where he was hitting .310.

“We explored several options but Rios is the type of role player we’ve had success with before. He’s proven he can get on base and he can run,” said Best. “Comparable to Jack Speed but he swings the bat more and has some pop.”

The hope is Rios will be a placeholder until 23-year old Ippei Ishikawa is ready. Ishikawa is on a 38-home run pace at Santurce (AA) after hitting 31 in A ball and 24 in SA.

[MikeB]

McDonald Early Contender for Batting Title at .372

A Coqui leading the league in hitting isn’t something fans are used to seeing. Since moving to San Juan there have only been three .300 performances that qualified for the batting title: Dean Walden at .309 and .308 and Roberto Salazar two years ago at .302. Although Mike Rose has snuck in among the leaders hitting .299 two years in a row.

But at the top? And 42 points higher than the franchise record (.330 set by Félix Lima in 2014)? And 18 points higher than any other PEBA player?

Even more surprising it is 33-year old Kelvin McDonald, a career .252 hitter who, until a couple weeks ago, usually sat against a lot of right handers.

“Kelvin is a streaky guy. We’ve seen that before,” said San Juan GM Mike Best. “And generally when he is hitting well, he hits righties well too so we ride him. But nothing like this.”

McDonald has been known to hit into gaps - he’s led the league in triples three times - but his career slugging percentage is just .384. This year it’s .562 and, if the pace continues all season he’d finish with 39 doubles and 18 home runs.

“As he is getting older, some of those triples are probably turning into doubles but all four of his homers have been to deep left center, not cheap shots at the pole,” said Best.

Getting on base more means McDonald is stealing more as well and he is 15-for-15. While the other paces aren’t likely to continue, he should give his career high in steals (27) a good run.

While he is hitting .333 against righties, he’s absolutely crushing lefties at .429. San Juan, a heavy platoon team, struggled out of the gate against lefties but with McDonald hot, Wally Glasser (.340) and Dmitri Hill (.389) back from early season injuries and second baseman Oscar Wetherby (.325) improved, the team is now formidable. The 26-year old Wetherby batted .264, .355 against lefties last year. This year he is up to .414, .452.

San Juan is first in the league in on base percentage (.334) and second in batting average (.275). While the lack of home run power is a sore weakness, getting men on base makes the team dangerous as the team ranks second in stolen bases (72) and first in base running (+4.6).

More importantly, the first of two weeks with Salazar out of the lineup, the team has gone 5-1 including payback of a disastrous last weekend at San Antonio with a three-game sweep of the Calzones.

[MikeB]

A Look at Four Minor League Hopefuls

THE NEW PHENOM
Twenty-three year old Juan Ortiz made the rare jump from A-ball to AAA this season. Called up to spring training after being putting on the 40-man roster just before the Rule 5 Draft, he stunned the front office brass, allowing just three hits in nine innings of shutout ball. He struck out at least two batters in each of his four relief appearances, earning the double promotion to Santo Domingo (AAA).

The Panamanian came out of the international complex at age 20 and looked decent for a couple years as a swingman. He became a starter his second year of A ball going 12-3 with a 1.65 e.r.a., showing markedly improved control. and earning the 40-man protection. As the Tourists have a deep rotation, he was given the closer role and has responded going 17/17 with a 0.62 e.r.a. It’s been more than a month since he gave up an earned run.

His deceiving fastball (only 93 mph) and biting curve are major league stuff but he has been prone to the long ball in the past. Dispensing with his hanging change while in relief is likely helping him.

THE PRANKSTER
Shortstop Simon Eykelbosch was taken out of Rikkyo University in the third round in 2028 and likely wouldn’t have fallen much further. No one doubted his range, arm and double play abilities. The question was wether he could hit. Scouts were skeptical despite his .288 college batting average, including .318 as a freshman starter. But they believed he had a good eye and, if he could manage to hit his weight and draw walks, his glove and speed could get him to the big leagues.

Scouts have been right about his bat. He got stuck for four years at Kingston (A), even regressing for two after his high of .228 in 2029. His walk totals weren’t off the charts either but he showed improvement (33 to 45 to 59) over the last three seasons. But him turning 25 as much as merit got him to Santurce (AA) this year. And being the type that goofs off in the locker room there have been worries, particularly flubbing easy balls in the field despite making the difficult ones routinely, that he might not be sufficiently focused.

Expectations were low and tendinitis in his biceps sidelining him April 15 for five weeks barely registered a shrug in the front office. He had the best game of his pro career the day before, getting five hits against the Den Bosch Dykes. But even then, he went on IR with a .286 average.

However, he now has three multiple-hit games in a row and is up to .312, giving the Coqui brass some hope for the first time.

UNDER THE RADAR
When he was promoted from the international complex at 19, Miguel Hinojosa was considered to have just a 1.5-star ceiling. But the Dominican Republic native has consistently been a starter at third base in the organization, first at Homer (SA), and then four seasons at Kingston (A). He posted a .354 on-base average in his time with the Suns and hit 23 home runs in 2030.

Although he struggled to hit consistently in his promotion to Santurce (AA) last year (.189), he still put 17 over the fence. And now, heading toward his 26th birthday in July, he appears headed to AAA soon, hitting .319 and slugging .538.

MISSCOUTED
Manual Romero was a rare find in the 13th round in 2027. OSA had him as a potential three-star hurler while San Juan (and, as it turned out, most other teams) viewed him merely as a half-star guy. Romero had not been impressive at Keio University, a 4.01 e.r.a. in 33 starts.

However, the Cuban earned a spot in the starting rotation at Homer (SA) early and has proven a reliable rotation workhorse in his climb through the minors. After making the all-star team at Homer, he was 8-4, 1.97 at Kingston (A) and 13-4, 2.67 at Santurce (AA). Competition for mound innings is fierce at Santo Domingo (AAA), however, and Romero was less effective moving to a swingman role (4-4, 3.38) in 2031. This year, he wasn’t getting any work out of the bullpen so has was given a spot start, did well pitching five, got another, and repeated the effort. His e.r.a. is now 2.45 and he has muscled his way into a rotation with five guys that have long been PEB prospects.

“Romero had good control in college and OSA saw him that way but for some reason our scouts did not. That suggested perhaps our scouts were off on him as to why we took him,” says General Manager Mike Best. “Generally a 21-year old not expected to get past rookie ball is something we’d have passed on.”

The book now Romero now is that while he has developed a good repertoire, batters get solid wood on his pitches and he could get shelled at the next level much like former third-rounder Juan Gonzales, taken in the same draft. Gonzales is 10-5, 1.31, 21/24 in saves in AAA but was shelled in the bigs in a couple short appearances.

[MikeB]

Day One of the 2032 Draft

SECOND ROUND

2.26 DAVID ALEJO, OF
A two-time all-star at Tulane, Alejo had a knack for big home runs including three walk-offs. And on March, 4, 2029, he took Penn State deep for three, including two grand slams and 11 RBIs. A centerfielder in college, he is more suited to the corners as a pro and, while plus speed, probably won’t be a big base stealer. His on-base percentage was an identical .364 his past two seasons. Locals will be happy as he is a native of Arecibo on the northern coast of Puerto Rico.

THIRD ROUND

3.27 LIAM MARSHLAND, CF
A conservative pick, Marshland does most things well but his ceiling is likely a backup outfielder. A remarkably consistent hitter over four years at Curtin University, his average fluctuated from .272 to .286 and his on-base percentage from .330 to .335. He can play center field, has blazing speed and can even bunt for a hit as well as anyone in baseball. His power isn’t special but he did slug over .500 twice. He won the ICBA 2030 Platinum Stick Award and was selected to the 2032 all-star game.

FOURTH ROUND

4.13 TOYOKAZU KODO, 2B
Kodo emerged his senior year at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional hitting .282 and drawing 55 walks in 207 plate appearances. He’s an adequate glove man with the speed San Juan likes and has the potential to be a gap hitter. However, he lost the starting job after his freshman year and did not look like much of a prospect for two seasons.

4.25 YASUOKA YAMADA, RHP
A wide discrepancy between San Juan (1.5 stars) and OSA (2.5 stars), both nonetheless see Yamada with three quality pitches (fastball/curve/splitter) and decent movement. His weaker areas are a sub-90 mph fastball and poor stamina. Yamada finished 3rd for the International High School Reliever Award (5-1, 1.95) this spring and played on the San Carlo 2031 championship team. He had a 1.80 e.r.a. in postseason play over two seasons.

FIFTH ROUND

5.24 BEN HICKS, 2B
A team leader and a hard worker, Hicks nonetheless proved streaky at Stanford. After a .302 freshman season, he dropped into the .230s for two seasons before emerging again as a senior (.303, .364, .433) thanks to a 25-game hitting streak. And he was named to the USCBA all-star team. He has major league range but likely will be limited to second base.

[MikeB]

Day Two of the 2023 Draft

SIXTH ROUND

6.25 ROGER ANGUS, RHP
After handling closing duties as a freshman (16 saves, 0.65 e.r.a.), Angus went 14-10, 2.11, as a starter at Rice over his final three seasons. He has four pitches - a 92mph fastball, a slider, a curve and a changeup but scouts are mixed as to whether a couple will be major league material. They are equally mixed as to his control and movement, neither of which were a problem in high school.

TWELFTH ROUND

12.25 KARL SHAW, 2B
From nearby Bayamón Bay, Shaw improved every year at Guantanamo High School, ultimately hitting .308 as a senior. Scouts also think he will develop a good eye and strike out less but he hasn’t shown it yet. Is limited as a fielder and likely will have to move to first base. Taken due to a local kid who may be hitting better than scouts are noticing.

12.30 PETE GRADY, LHP
Scouts seem to think Grady’s curve could be elite and his fastball major league material but they also think he is a finesse pitcher who can’t get the ball over the plate and tops the radar gun at just 90 mph. Still, he did well as a middle reliever at Horizon High School, striking out 149 in 113 innings overall and posting a 1.85 e.r.a. as a senior.

FOURTEENTH ROUND

14.25 DYLAN RAMSDEN, RHP
A sidearm hurler who was an average starter for Tokoha High, 8-12, 3.10, over four seasons. His sinker and cutter are well developed for an 18-year old and he mixes in a slider as well although how much better this pitches get is debatable. His control and movement are not big league stuff but weren’t a problem in high school.

FIFTEENTH ROUND

15.25 JOSH KELLEY, LHP
Scouts say Kelley just wants to play baseball and not be bothered but so far he hasn’t played much at all, not seeing any action at all at Lakewood High School. While completely off the radar scouts do believe he can develop an effective curve and.slider to go with a fastball that already looks good in batting practice.

SIXTEENTH ROUND

16.25 JEREMY DAVIS, LHP
A baseball rat, Davis’ 95 mph fastball is already well developed and scouts believe he can add a curve and change as well that could give him a shot at a minor league career. However, he allowed five homers in 47 innings his first year at Winter Springs High, played little his second year and not at all his last two. Still he was effective when he got a chance, with a 2.04 e.r.a.

SEVENTEENTH ROUND

17.25 CHRIS IBARRA, 3B
A decent defensive third baseman with good speed Ibarra should fit in the Coqui organization for a couple years. He hit well at San Felipe High School, .283 in 2031 and .286 in 2032, slugging .491 against lefties. But he started just 29 of the 67 games he played in those two years.

EIGHTEENTH ROUND

18.25 FRANCISCO MIRANDA, LF
A string bean at 6’6” 205, Miranda had a couple middlings seasons at West Lauderdale High before losing his starting job as a junior, the year the school won the IF Championship. As a senior, he again got the starting nod and hit .295.

NINETEENTH ROUND

19.25 ARTIE LEACH, RF
Made the best of his two seasons Mobile Christian, hitting .261 and .275 with 25 doubles overall. Has limited power, however, and is likely not going to make it above rookie leagues.

TWENTIETH ROUND

20.25 JUAN JOSE HINOJOSA, C
San Juan went local again to grab a third catcher for its Port Royal (R) roster. The Coama native didn’t hit much at Benedictine Prep (.165 overall) and lost the starting job his senior year. But he has a decent arm and ability behind the plate and scouts believe he has some pop in his bat and can draw a few walks.

[MikeB]

Young Pitchers Making Mark; Hitter Still Needed

Marcel Osterhaut is the newest rookie call-up hurler making a good impression. The 24-year old former first rounder threw seven innings in his debut, allowing two runs on five hits. Then he teamed up with starter Fernando Castro on a near no-hitter against West Virginia, losing it on the first pitch in the ninth inning. Still Osterhaut threw three scoreless innings for a save, allowing three baserunners, two of whom were eliminated on double plays.

He follows in the footsteps of Jesús Luna who made his debut in May and is 6-3. Six of his nine starts have been quality material although his e.r.a. sits at 4.14 due to getting hammered in two. He also is fresh off a win over the Alleghanies.

Osterhaut, called up after throwing in the Global Brotherhood all-star game, was by no means an easy decision. Reports are that the Coqui were deciding between him, fellow all-star Eli McKnight (5-0, 0.70) and fellow former first rounder António Ávila (5-4, 2.42).

While pitching is in deep supply, the Coqui continue to search for a an outfielder or DH who can hit lefties. Luis Bonilla (.173) has been demoted twice this season and the team has waived Enrique Rios (.118) who it traded for in May.

Thirty-four year old Eitoku Hirano, who last got more than four at bats in the PEBA in 2023, is the latest desperate plug-in. Hirano was a rising star back then, hitting .321 or better at three minor league levels but, after failing to make the bigs, has been a minor league journeyman ever since.

[MikeB]

Road, Bullpen Woes Plague Coqui Heading into Break

As the Coqui hit the all-star break there are two concerns that have kept the team from putting together a streak this season. The bullpen has not been as effective as last year and the team has struggled to win on the road (20-26).

The best streak this season was six games back in May but that followed a five-game losing streak. Other than that the team has had just two four-game win streaks, the last coming over a month ago.

In the bullpen, there has been no issue at closer where Josė Gómez (6-1, 1.01, 22 saves) earned his fourth trip to the all-star game. Gómez gave up his first run in 45 days last week, but in a brilliant three-inning stint where he collected a win versus Havana.

But setup man Ray Medrano hit the sophomore slump this year, going out with shoulder inflammation in mid-June with a whopping 5.08 e.r.a. The e.r.a. is mainly due to two outings where he gave up 5 and 7 runs, the latter coming when he was left in the game due to a tired bullpen after multiple extra inning games. Still, while his strikeout totals increased, which the team anticipated, so have his walks and home run numbers.

The lefty setup man, Gary Walker, has also seen his e.r.a. jump nearly two runs to 3.72 due to three consecutive bad outings leading into the break. Meanwhile, Otis Pearson has allowed 50% of inherited runners to score this year and Pete Scammell has been shaky since coming back from his latest injury.

Jorge Pagan (2.84) has been a bright spot but Manager Sergio Manetti has been reluctant to pull him from the DH spot to come in to pitch. The 24-year old leads the team in home runs (12) while batting .267, .320.

As for the road discrepancy, the team’s two offensive all-stars, Roberto Salazar and Kelvin McDonald are hitting .397 and .354 at PRTC Stadium but just .271 and .276 away. Other notable gaps include Wally Glasser (.357 vs. .280) Harley Schneider (.322 vs. .220), Dmitri Hill (.315 vs. .125) and Ju-chan park (.315 vs. .184).

[MikeB]

San Juan a Mere 17% on Pitching Call-Ups

It’s a big jump from AAA to the big leagues, a reality that has caused no shortage of anguish in the San Juan front office this year as it struggles to find pitching help.

The staff has been beset by injuries as Keith Dupree can’t get past the early innings in half his starts and Ray Medrano’s absence has left a hole in the bullpen. Several others have fallen off from the 2031 mastery that led the team to the title.

A look at what Santo Domingo (AAA) has offered in way of help:

—Starter Eli McKnight’s AAA e.r.a. has hovered below 1.00 much of the season. He is now 10-1, 1.41. But he was ineffective in the bigs as both a starter (7.36) and reliever (4.26).

—Jesús Luna (4-0, 1.20 to begin the season in AAA) did show promise for a bit. But a 4-1, 3.03, performance in May has turned into 8-7, 4.17 now that September has rolled around.

—Seong-Chae Somun (34-22, 2.85 over three AAA seasons) was a disaster in his one big league start, allowing seven hits, four walks and four runs over five innings.

—Juan Ortiz has strung together a 45-save, 0.88 season as a closer at Santo Domingo but had a 9.45 e.r.a. in four appearances with San Juan.

—Juan Gonzales, one of the top relievers in AAA ball (14-6, 1.57 over two seasons), has a career 9.00 e.r.a. in the PEBA.

The lone exception has been Marcel Osterhout who has been the most reliable starter in the rotation at times at 5-3 2.80.

That makes San Juan 1-for-6 on pitching call-ups this year or a mere 17%.

[MikeB]

Three Wake Just in Time

As San Juan heads into the final five games with with a slim half game lead on the Wild Card, the team’s three biggest underperformers this season are waking up from the dead.

José Gonzáles who hovered just over .200 much of the season after signing a six-year $81 million deal, has exploded in September hitting .343 with 5 home runs.

Dmitri Hill, who looked pretty much washed up as his 35th birthday approaches, has hit .333 in September, although all singles.

Luis Bonilla, who didn’t hit his first home run until July, and was struggled to get at bats in AAA, began to get his swagger back with Santo Domingo late summer hitting .360 with 12 home runs in July and August. One of the biggest in-season comebacks seen in these parts, Bonilla, who was almost demoted to AA at one point, got a final shot at the PEBA in September mainly because the Coqui had yet to find a replacement for him. He’s hit .438 although no home runs yet.

The hope for the final week is the team can get a comeback from Ray Medrano who has only been trusted once since coming back from a shoulder injury. He was hit hard. He has yet to work out the rehab kinks so it will be a mystery what the team will see when it has to call on him.

The hottest player, however, has been Harley Schneider for the second September in a row. Schneider has 10 home runs this month to go with eight doubles and a .348 average.

San Juan hosts Amsterdam, the team they are tied with for the wild card, for two at home before finished with three at Havana. The Leones have not won a series with San Juan dating back to the IL Championship last year. A sweep by the Coqui would be necessary for a hope at the division title.

[Leones]

A sweep of Havana by San Juan is a very good possibility. It's going to be close, whoever wins the ILTA (don't forget Amsterdam) :)

[MikeB]

San Juan's Best Performers of 2032

Nine players who exceeded expectations for the Coqui this year:

José Gómez - Gómez finished 9-1 with a 1.46 e.r.a. and 34 saves. The numbers were similar to 2031 but his WAR was 5.2, 3.0 higher, first among IL relievers, fifth among IL pitchers in all.

Roberto Salazar - His .303 average .368 OBP and 55 SBs placed him among league leaders. Missed 20 games to injury.

Kelvin McDonald - At age 33 posted several career highs: OBP (.348), doubles (30), home runs (15), WAR (5.3), SBs (34), runs (71) and RBI (70).

Jorge Pagán - In his first full season as a two-way player, Pagán batted .264, .332, .466 with 17 home runs while posting 2.92 e.r.a. in 71 innings of work.

Tetsuzan Shimada - The 24-year old locked down a spot as a starter going 15-8, 3.26 and led team in IP (187.2).

Fernando Castro - Second on team in IP (185), Castro (13-11) saw his e.r.a drop for the third consecutive year to a career best 3.36.

Otis Pearson - Bounced back from a rough 2031 to be the #2 out of the pen finishing 7-2, 1.96.

Marcel Osterhout - Making his PEBA debut in June, the 24-year old held down a starting spot in the rotation finishing 6-4, 3.01. His only two non-starts he collected a win and a save.

Ju-chan Park - A team captain and top-level defensive catcher (1.151 efficiency, 26.2% CS), Park was one of just two backstops in the IL who played more than 50 games to slug over .400. He batted .242, .275, numbers virtually identical to 2031 but his OBP vs. lefties was .319.