The PEBAlmanac is proud to follow the 2036 season of the New Jersey Hitmen. In the second season of their return from the World Independent League to the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance and the franchise's 30th overall year of baseball, the Hitmen are ready to make that all important playoff push and continue the hot streak they left behind in the WIL.
With Spring Training 2036 wrapping up, and after a quick discussion with 3rd year Manager Hugh MacLardy, let's take a look at this year's New Jersey Hitmen.
Starting Pitching
- Chris 'Liver' Pate; lefty - Pitching Coach John Franklin recently named Pate the opening day starter for the Hitmen in their season opener against the New Orleans Trendsetters. Pate came off of arguably his most proficient season of his career in 2035 where he set career records in WHIP 0.96, BB/9 1.9, and ERA at 2.40 for the season. His 14 wins also allowed him to pass former Hitmen, and current Hoboken Crooner Pitching Coach José 'Twinkle Toes' Cruz's, all-time win record for the Hitmen of 98 wins, with the new team record of 106 wins. The former #2 overall pick of the WIL's 2027 draft is in the 3rd year of his recent 6-year extension with the team that drafted him, and all expectations are pointing to another solid year for the power throwing lefty.
- Brendon Cardenas; lefty - While Pate was having a career 2035, fellow lefty and former #1 overall pick of the 2029 WIL draft, Cardenas worked to not be outdone and to try and keep pace with Pate as he continues to show why the Hitmen picked him first. While relying more on the movement of his pitches than sheer power, Cardenas has been a reliable second arm in the rotation for the Hitmen and fully expects the friendly competition inhouse will allow him to shine this coming year.
- Orlando Trujillo; righty - Entering year 2 of a 5-year deal with the Hitmen, Trujillo has recovered from his spring training ankle sprain and is looking to give the lefties a run for their money. The only righty in the rotation, Trujillo calls himself the team's Ace and is excited for what 2036 has to offer after a busy offseason of working on his Curveball and Slider in hopes of focusing less on his fastball which admittedly has lost some of its umph. The former Duluth standout says he still throws with a chip on his shoulder to prove that letting him walk was the wrong decision.
- Naoaki 'The Cat' Gato; lefty - The low man on the totem pole, 'The Cat' has experienced the most difficulty transitioning from the WIL to PEBA hitters. While playing dominantly for the Kure Arsenal in his final 3 seasons, Gato had one of his best seasons in New Jersey's final WIL season of 2034. The big difference in 2035 being the drop off in strike outs and some confidence issues. Pitching Coach John Franklin believes 2036 will be a turnaround year for Gato as work continued this offseason to increase his confidence and groove.
- Young-jae Yi, lefty - The Rule V draftee from 2034 had a great first season last year where he was thrust into the rotation and expected to produce at only 22 years of age. Yi, a power pitcher was able to rely on his nasty fastball and forkball combo while mixing in 3 other pitches as well to keep hitters on their toes. While still young, Yi has a lot of expectations on his shoulders to be able to continue to develop and deliver at the back end of the rotation until he can grow and move his way up to the projected #2 spot. Growth won't come without its lumps however as Yi had a rough go this spring.
- Paco Martínez; lefty - The lefty specialist and emergency starter brings only one of two lefty options to the pen for the Hitmen to start the season. In contrast to the starting rotation, which is lefty heavy, the bullpen lacks a balanced approach. That only makes the load Paco has to carry larger with similar newcomer to the Hitmen, Grady Logan. Coming off a hot spring training performance, Paco hopes to solidify his role on the team as the 31-year-old has not had much consistency since joining Madison back in 2032 after winning the Liga Dominicana de Beisbol Invernal Serie de Dominicana Final with the Bani Depredadores del Peravia in 2031 and finishing second in the Outstanding Pitcher Award voting. Paco can expect to put the work in, but only time will tell if he isn't destined for a return to the LDBI.
- John 'Pig' Jenkins; righty - The 'Pig' joins New Jersey after leaving the Okinawa minor league system in 2035. After bouncing back and forth between AA and AAA ball, Jenkins finally has gotten his opportunity to show what he can bring to the table, and he sports some nasty stuff with an aggressive 3 pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup. He turned heads in his 6 spring training outings, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 7 with no walks or runs allowed in 4.1 innings of work. The 28-year-old rookie is out to show just how hungry a 'Pig' can get.
- Yoshifumi 'Snuffy' Ohara; righty - The clubhouse leader, 'Snuffy' will look to reprise his role as the team's stopper and back up closer in 2036. Hopefully all of the bugs he was trying to work out during spring training are figured out as he enters the year with a freshly signed 2-year extension that will make him a Hitman through the 2038 season.
- Grady Logan; lefty - Another older rookie for the Hitmen is first time major leaguer, Grady Logan who has spent his minor league career with the Madison Malts. New Jersey showed interest in Logan back in 2034, selecting him with the 34th overall pick of the Rule V draft, however he ended up partially tearing his labrum and being returned to the Malts minor leagues before he ever got to pitch in New Jersey. After becoming a free agent, the Hitmen pursued him again which will bring Logan to his first opportunity in the bigs this year. The hard throwing lefty comes with a 3-pitch arsenal of a cutter, curveball, and slider and focuses more on his ball movement rather than trying to overpower his opponents.
- Hideaki 'Dash' Hara; righty - The 34-year-old veteran continues to find new life in the later years of his career as a pinpoint accurate over the top pitcher for the New Jersey Hitmen. A career 3.15 ERA in over 1,000 innings pitched over 9 seasons of major league ball has given 'Dash' some wear and tear over the years, but that is not stopping him from going out on his terms. Hara is in the final season of a 2-year contract and will see what is in store for him this coming offseason.
- Gideon Byrd; righty - After tearing his rotator cuff in his throwing arm and missing 8 months in 2035, Byrd is excited to start fresh for the Hitmen this season. The long-time veteran that saw his most success early on in London back in the 2025-2028 seasons, is well traveled and an experienced hand in the bullpen. He depends only on his fastball and wicked curveball to get hitters out. After 2 seasons in the WIL with the Kuwana Steel Dragons, Byrd is excited for the next chapter and showing that his signing was not a mistake for the Hitmen.
- Mike Bernard; righty - The hard throwing sidearm magic of Mike Bernard is something to behold. The righty has been named the Closer again to start the season after renewed life with his move from Madison to New Jersey last season. The 32-year-old also is excited for his 3-year extension that will make him a Hitmen through 2039. Not many sidearms last in the majors, but Bernard has found a way, all while throwing a 101 Mph fastball and slippery slider along the way.
- Lee Ray; Catcher - Ray returns as the defacto starting catcher for the Hitmen this year after winning his arbitration case and then following that up with a bigger 1-year extension for 2037 as well. While not the long term-deal he was hoping for, Ray is happy he was able to come to terms on the short-term extension. "I like New Jersey, and they have faith in me here." claimed Ray in a recent interview when asked about his 2034 trade from Gloucester. Ray is a 2x Platinum Stick winner at Catcher in the WIL and 2x playoff MVP, so he brings a lot of success and experience to the table every day while handling the main pitching staff.
- John Lightbody; First baseman - Lightbody was brought in as part of the contract swap deal with the Neo-Tokyo Akira that saw New Jersey take on Tomás's 3-year and $144M guaranteed salary while moving 3B Marcos Sánchez's remaining 1-year and $34M salary. Lightbody had some success in West Virginia but appeared to slump upon arrival to Neo-Tokyo. 2036 will be a test to see whether Lightbody prefers the Seaboard division and can once again make an impact. While starting at 1B for Martínez who is serving a suspension from the end of 2035, Lightbody will be slotted back into 3B upon his return.
- Marvin Miller; Second baseman - In year 4 of his 5-year deal with Gloucester, Miller looks to continue his hot streak at the plate. While never making an All-Star appearance, Miller has provided a quiet consistency while playing at first or second base throughout his career. Miller would attribute his resurgence and confidence to his stint in the WIL where he posted his career best season in 2033 with 195 hits, 43 doubles, 16 home runs, 86 RBI, and a .329/.403/.483 line which equated to 6.2 wins above replacement.
- Guinn Leith; Third baseman - Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Leith gets the starting nod at third with Martínez serving his remaining 3-game suspension. Leith has proved critical as a super utility man able to play all four infield positions, as well as the corner outfield without breaking a sweat. He does relish the opportunity to start however and has shown in 2032-33 as well as short spurts after that he can be a consistent presence in the lineup if given the opportunity. The right injury, or shift in focus may give Leith that chance to show he can be more.
- Marvin 'Horror Show' Gorrie; Shortstop - Recently named Bench Coach, Ieyoshi Ishikawa stated that "'Horror Show' struggled last year, but I hope to get him to trust himself like I do." and that could not resonate more for Gorrie. The team trusts him, he has shown the capability to exceed in the minors and has the defensive awareness to excel at multiple positions in the infield, but at 24 years old only, Gorrie needs to start seeing in himself what others do with all the work and effort he puts into his workout regimen and batting practice. Like others, these are the growing pains that Gorrie will have to overcome in order to become an effective part of the lineup.
- Kazunari Ito; Left field - Ito brings flexibility and swagger to the outfield, and it is that flexibility as of late that the Hitmen are happy to have. Ito has speed, pop and an eye at the plate who can flirt with being a 20/20 guy and has even flirted with a 30/30 season after his 2032-33 campaigns both came close at 25HR/38SB and 31HR/28SB as well. He just wants to do it all or anything he can to help his team win. Ito begins the first year of his recent 2-year extension at $7M a year.
- Eugenio Domínguez; Center field - Acquired in an offseason trade with Madison, involving SS Martín Gallegos, Domínguez provides the Hitmen with another legitimate lead off option after Lightbody. His speed allows him to bunt, slap, bat his way on base where he can then take advantage of his speed to move along the basepaths and harass pitchers while on the mound. Domínguez has averaged 74 stolen bases a year in his 4 major league seasons but did experience a drop last year. He has shown that the change of scenery should not be an issue as he nabbed 5 bases without being caught this spring. Despite Romero's solid 2035, Domínguez will ge the initial nod to start the season at center.
- Denis 'The Don' Johnson; Right field - 'The Don' as dubbed by Bench Coach Ishikawa, Johnson is expected to take on more of a locker room leadership role which fits him well. 2035 was a bit of a coming out season for him in PEBA, but leadership expects much more from him going forward.
When asked about the nickname, "I will have to watch the movie. Coach mentioned it's from a movie that came out about 40 years before I was born and continues to quote lines to me, but I haven't seen it yet. It fits the franchise theme though he says, so I can't complain. It sounds cool. Like he said, I won't refuse. *laughs* I do think he is right though as I need to take charge; this team needs leadership, and I am happy to help TM provide that leadership. I want to become that center piece of the franchise." - Tomás Martínez; Designated Hitter - The big acquisition in the offseason was a salary swap that gave Neo-Tokyo some much needed flexibility they just no longer had. While it pained the team to move TM, his $48M a year deal still fits within the budget in New Jersey as the team continues to find its footing after landing back in PEBA. TM appears to be the stud Neo-Tokyo fans came to love and is already the #1 jersey sale in town. In the third year of his massive 6-year, $288M deal that takes him to 35 years of age, the question becomes how long TM stay will stay productive.
- Davey Short; Catcher - What seemed to be New Jersey's cornerstone catcher while in the WIL the final 3 seasons, has really took a turn once the Hitmen traded for Lee Ray. Was there something we weren't see or privy to? But Short seems like a different player barely one season after the transition. Still one of the best arms and defensive catchers in PEBA, Short has seemed to have lost his swing and confidence behind the bag. Still a favorite of the pitching staff, Short has one more arbitration year left, it's a question of the Hitmen will decide to keep him around and continue to pay him especially with similar and cost-effective leaders like Tony 'Boy Scout' Jarvis waiting in the wings.
- Alfredo 'The Sauce' Martínez; First baseman/DH - New Jersey's first baseman for the past 4 seasons ended 2035 in a brawl that ended with a 4-game suspension. The man known as 'The Sauce' would have to start the 2036 campaign riding the pine. Luckily the Hitmen have a deep bench of versatile hitters with Lightbody shifting over to a more natura role at 1B, and swiss-army-knife utility man Leith slotting himself into third. Alfredo is excited for the coming season however and believes that this season is the one the Hitmen will make a splash back into the playoff picture. Alfredo has been able to average about 20HR/80RBI a year in the past 4 seasons and has been a great contributor off of firstbase.
- Orlando 'Vapor Lock' García; IF Utility - 'Vapor Lock', a former 5th round pick of the Alleghenies, was a Rule V pick in 2035, going 14th overall. The multi-talented glove man can play the entire infield and has a growing swing that could land him a starting role one day. For now, his role will be supportive to and to give others a day off during his Rule V season. Last season in AAA, Garcia put up a respectable .266/.335/.345 with 40 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases.
- Tom Graves; IF Utility - A waiver claim in the offseason of 2034, Graves is another super infield glove with a specialty at second and short. He's been able to wow in the minors, outperforming those around him with his glove skills, but it just has not been able to translate at the major league level. In this instance, his tendency to hit ground balls without the speed to outrun them is his downfall at the major league level, but his glove will always be his saving grace.
- Miguel Romero; OF Utility - Romero got the opportunity to show what he can provide last season and jumped all over the opportunity with a .270/.284/.445 line, 12 home run, and 45 runs batted in. Romero struggles to draw walks and has a swing for the fences mentality that gave him a chance to shine last year but that will not work once pitching staffs have been given the chance to prep for him. Romero will split time with Domínguez this year and play the outfield utility role.
– Lee Kohler, PEBAlmanac Contributor: Former New Jersey Hitmen IF, @alleatherKohler