A Zephyrs Season for the Ages
11/17/2017: Reno, NV – For those of you who haven’t paid particularly close attention to the PEBA standings this past season, the Reno Zephyrs managed to set a franchise record in wins while appearing in their first ever post season series and coming within a single win of the Championship series. All-in-all, it was a great year to be a Reno fan.
Reno has such a long history of losing that their 94 win season seems too good to be true. Reno managed to rack up 5 straight 100-plus loss seasons from 2011 through 2015. The front office took a large step forward in 2016 by winning 70 games and optimism was running high for the 2017 season. Still, winning 94 games, capturing 2nd place in the Desert Hills division, challenging the Bakersfield Bears for the division title and coming within a single win of the PEBA Championship Series was not exactly expected.
As we close the book on the 2017 PEBA season, it would appear to be a good time to look back and ask; how did Reno do it?
The 2017 Reno Zephyrs were constructed with an emphasis on power and speed. The Zephyrs offense ranked 1st in SLG and 3rd in stolen bases on the year. No one played a bigger role for the Zephyrs offense this season that Ramón Leach. Leach became the first player in PEBA history to record a 40/40 season. His 50 home runs tie him for 3rd place on the single season record.
Much had to go right in order for the Zephyrs to play as well as they did in 2017. The Reno front office took a patient approach to building a contender. Over the course of five-plus seasons, they drafted, traded and signed key free agents, all with their eye on the long term goal. In short, all avenues were thoroughly explored on the road to contention.
Of the players on the 2017 Reno Zephyrs 25-man roster; 9 were acquired via trade, 7 were signed as free agents, 7 were drafted in the amateur draft and 2 were discovered through the international scouting department. With the oldest player being 37 and the youngest 22, you can make the case that this team was well balanced in its construction and composition.
On the hitting side, Leach was a clear standout as he took home the 2017 Royal Raker Award. The twenty-six year old managed to rake 50 home runs, drive in 145 RBI and stole 42 bases. Leach also had help from his teammates. Catcher Tony ‘Whitey’ Carmona managed to put up impressive numbers in his 2nd season since signing his mammoth contract as an international free agent. One-year rental Sok-man Yi had a great year posing an impressive 147 OPS+. Twenty-three year old Gilbert Murray also had a great season posting a 148 OPS+ in his 359 at bats. Leon ‘Smooth’ Brunelle and Dale Griffith both put up impressive home run totals while providing spectacular defense at key positions on the diamond.
The Reno pitching staff was led by twenty-two year old rookie Jhong-shun ‘Earthquake’ Kong and 30 year old international free agent Octávio Rivera. Both players look like they should anchor the Zephyr rotation for the next several seasons.
Reno saw the need to acquire a lock-down closer and traded for David ‘Cheese’ Chesney in July from the Duluth Warriors. After the trade, Cheese looked quite comfortable as the Reno closer posting 19 saves, a 2.08 ERA, 40 Ks and not a single walk allowed in 30.1 innings.
If there was one area of disappointment for the Zephyrs in 2017, it would have to be third base. Kurt Keller came over via trade in the deal that brought Leach over from the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. Keller is still young enough to make improvements in his game but, he has struggled at the plate posting an 87 OPS+ in his first two big league seasons. On the bright side, the 24 year old took home the All-Leather Award in 2017.
All-in-all it was undoubtedly the greatest season ever for Reno baseball fans. Most fans would be smarting from a game seven loss that kept them out of the PEBA championship series. Not in Reno! This season was one for the ages and Reno fans are still basking in the glow of their first ever post season appearance!