Jose Ramos to Stay in Jersey; Signs Huge Extension

Lost in the shuffle of the playoff race and the playoffs themselves, Jersey announced on September 28th that they had come to terms with superstar ace Jose Ramos on a 7 year contract extension.  Ramos the 6 time All-Star and 3 time 20-game winner was rewarded with the most lucrative contract in Jersey Shore history.  The extension will pay him $163.52 million over the next 7 seasons, which comes to an average of $23.36M per season.  This number is over 3 times what he made this season and the contract will pay him through his 35 year old season.

"It was an easy but yet a tough decision for us," GM Josh Swain commented, "the guy has won 49 games over the last 2 years and is one of the elite starters in the game.  It was a no brainer to re-sign him in the position we are in right now.  The money was a little difficult, but you have to pay to keep top talent and that's all it really comes down to."

With Los Angeles likely to decline Stan Hickman's $23.7M team option, Ramos will become the 3rd or 4th highest paid player of the 2024 season at the moment.  Jersey's decision on star Mike Bryant's team option of $26M would be third if it's picked up.

Ramos led the league in wins for the 2nd straight year with 24 and finished 2nd only behind Kevin Bush in pitcher WAR with 7.9 compared to Bush's 9.3.  It was the 6th season of Ramos's career that he surpassed 225 innings pitched and age 28 he sits with a record of 136-46.  The 136 wins place him in a 2-way tie for 20th place all time with Chuck Phillips.

Finances with Jersey Shore might get interesting next season with Dave Dodd, Mikey Bryant and Sergio Martinez contracts are all up, but the D-Bags should bring a loaded team next year still searching for that 1st title.

GO D-BAGS

Jersey Active at Deadline; Makes 2 Trades

Mixed in with a whirlwind of deadline trades, the Jersey Shore D-Bags were active and finished deals with both the Baffin Island Beavers and the Chicago Machine.  Not that it comes at a surprise, but GM Josh Swain isn't known throughout the BSA community for his wheeling and dealing.

The biggest name brought in is 3 time Gold Glover and and former All Star, Catcher Bryan Sandstrom.  The California born and longtime Maui Tropic, comes over from Chicago where he spend the last 3.5 seasons after signing a 5 year deal in the winter of 2019.  At 35 years old, Sandstrom doesn't seem to be slowing down and was having the best year he has had at the plate since coming to Chicago, while still posting a positive WAR behind the plate and throwing out near 40% runners trying to steal on him.  He definitely adds to the Jersey Shore catching situation which has mainly featured 2nd year player Owen Carter as their starter.  As a rookie Carter split time with now departed Fernando Ramos, but now with Ramos gone and Carter given the full time duties his numbers have dropped across the board.  Jersey is hoping they can find a medium between Sandstrom and Carter, though both seem to prefer hitting against left-handed pitching.  Either way Sandstrom should provide a boost for Jersey on both sides of the ball.

Departing to Chicago is a pair of players, the first most notably is 3B Fabrice Brodeur.  Brodeur, a former Jersey Shore 1st round pick, turned 30 years old this past offseason and has another year left on his contract.  He did win the Gold Glove at third base last year and where he had primarily played this year as well.  What helped make him available was the acquisition of Gerardo Escobedo in the offseason as well as the emergence of rookie Ricardo Gonzalez.  Brodeur should slide right into Chicago's lineup.  Also going to Chicago is 22 year old CF Adrian Prouse.  Prouse was discovered by Jersey scouts in Australia during the 2018 season and is spending his 7th season in the minor leagues.  Once heralded a Top 100 prospect, Prouse has speed and plus power and projects as a corner OF.  If his 2022 numbers in AA have anything to say about his future, he might be a good one.  He finished the season hitting .286/.414/.521 with 29 HR and 89 RBI.

Jersey Shore also shipped off 22 year old AAA starting pitcher Jose Bamuelos to Baffin Island for a trio of players.  Bamuelos was originally drafted by San Francisco in 2016 in the 3rd round but failed to sign.  Jersey signed him as a free agent after he went undrafted the following season.  He spent parts of 4 seasons in A ball, before being promoted in 2022 where he would go 14-10 with a 4.80 ERA last season.   This year he is 7-7 in 24 starts while maintaining 10 K/9, but finding control will be make or break for him.

Coming to Jersey were the following 3 players: 2B Orlando Bruno, RF Pat Zimmerman and RF Mark Wells.  Bruno was drafted in the supplemental first round and 38th overall by Baffin in 2020 and has played in the majors in every season since.  He is a plus contact hitter with above average defense and blazing speed.  It's unknown if he will join Jersey or head to Tuscaloosa after struggling with the bat so far this year.

Pat Zimmerman was originally drafted by the Orlando Calrissian in the 6th round of the same 2020 draft and spent 3 years in their minor league system before being traded to Baffin Island just last month in exchange for catcher Yaichiro Sugahara.  Zimmerman also has blazing speed with above contact and decent gap power as well as raw power potential.  He profiles to be an average fielder at best, but his bat should carry him.

Mark Wells was originally selected by the Calrissian in the 2020 draft but he failed to sign and headed to college where he could play one year at Oklahoma before becoming a 2nd round selection and 50th overall pick by the Madison Bombers in the 2021 draft.  He would spend the entire 2022 season playing for Madison's A ball affiliate where he played decent.  In a surprise move Wells made the Madison roster this past Spring and has started 79 games for the Bombers this year with less than desired results.  His .211/.269/.374 line with 8 HR and 31 RBI to go with a historically bad -24.9 ZR has produced a -3.0 WAR this year.  Jersey Shore will send him to AA Gainesville where hopefully he can regain his stroke and improve on his fielding.  Overall though, Jersey receives 3 players who all project to have MLB potential for Bamuelos.

Though some blockbuster trades were discussed, not a whole lot will change for Jersey Shore.  Look for Sandstrom to be in the Jersey Shore starting lineup this week. Rumors have it that he will wear number 26.

GO D-BAGS  

Dodd Clubs HR # 300; Joins Elite Group

At age 29, Dave Dodd has a lot of accolades already to his name.  He is a 4-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover, 2 time MVP and a Triple Crown Winner.  He has also played in 2 World Series and has 3, 20+ game hit streaks to his name.  On July 20th in St. Louis he added his name to a list only 16 names long as he joined the 300 HR club.  He is the youngest member by 3 years and 200 days, next to Manny Copriviza who sits with 412 HR.  He teammate and the only person he is behind on the Jersey Shore HR list, Mike Bryant, hit his 300th, 3 weeks after his 33rd birthday.  That just shows where he is ranks all time, and it's looking pretty good.

His 300th HR came on a warm down in St. Louis in a game that Jersey would eventually lose 7-6.  2nd year flame thrower John Allan had just taken the mound after Mike Bryant's solo HR off of Dae-hyun Mae sent him to the showers.  Dodd met Allan's fastball with a deep blast to straight away CF which easily cleared the 10 foot wall, 405 feet away from home plate.  The shot was estimated at 431 feet and for a short while gave the D-Bags a tie with St. Louis at 6 apiece.  To go with Dodd's 300th HR, he is rapidly approaching 1500 hits and 1000 RBI, both which should be reached next season and probably before his 30th birthday.

Dodd, who signed a 4 year contract in 2019, has his contract expire next year and if anyone had to guess it will probably be one of the richest the BSA has ever seen, at least from a positional player.  With Mike Bryant's 26M dollar option next year is the last on his contract, there should be money to keep Dodd in Jersey Shore, but regardless he is on pace to be one of the best sluggers the BSA has ever seen.

2013 Draft; A Look Back

As we embark on the 2023 amateur draft his week, let's look back at the draft that happened 10 years ago.  The players were drafted were generally between the ages of 18 and 22 and at the time when selecting teams might have been thinking they just signed a star for the future in those rounds.  Or possibly just taking a waiver on someone late not thinking they would ever see a ML roster.  I will warn you, the 2013 draft was light.......to say the least.

The 1st overall pick in the draft went to the New Orleans Looters who selected 5-tool potential CF Arturo Rodriguez out of Maris High School.  He signed for $8M and was assigned to the Looters minor league system where he would spend nearly 5 years before making his debut in New Orelans during the 2018 season.  He would spend 5 years there peaking in the 2020 season with a 7.4 WAR before leaving this past offseason and signing with Los Cabos.  Career wise for a #1 pick his stats are a little under whelming.  .285/.330/.456, 17.8 career WAR, 110 HR, 447 RBI.

Picks 2 and 4 were taken by Reno and Maui and were not signed, so let's take them out of the equation.

Pick 3 went to the Seattle...at the time....Kings, who selected SP Drew "Onion" Schaefer, 22 year old starting pitcher out of Texas A&M. He signed for $9.69M and was given a 2 year major league contract worth $2.9M.  Less than 2 months after he was selected there was some controversy, but it will go down as Niagara Falls claimed Schaefer off of waivers.  He would spend 2 season in the NFF system before being called up at age 25. He was traded to Jersey Shore 2 years later where he would struggle, bounce around the league to 5 more franchises before ultimately being released by Vista early this season.  He is currently a 32 year old free agent.  It was a tough ride.  At the moment he has a 16-20 record, 6.20 ERA and a career WAR of 0.4.

Rounding out the Top 5, St. Louis selected 2B Joe Sanders out of Purdue University.  He signed for $5.29M.  He spent almost 3 years in the Browns system before being called up.  He won the 2017 ROY award, has a gold glove and has been selected to 2 AS games.  While he has a great bat and even better eye, injuries have really limited his production.  Nonetheless at age 32 he is starting for the Browns, has 26.9 career WAR and a .310/.384/.379 line and is probably the best pick of the Top 5.

The best player overall in the draft is the unquestionable Dave Dodd of Jersey Shore.  Selected as the 2nd pick in the 2nd round by Reno, Dodd was released the same year he was drafted. Jersey took a flyer on the power bat where he toiled around the Jersey Shore system for 3 seasons before making his debut in 2016.  Always good speed and glove, Dodd started out as a boom or bust hitter, hitting a lot of home runs and striking out more often than not.  Dodd since then has established him as one of the game's most feared hitters, posting a league record in WAR at 12.1, winning a triple crown and 2 MVP trophies.

Currently the best pitcher in the draft would be SP Carlos Lopez, selected by St. Louis as the 1st pick in the Supplemental 1st round.  Lopez was drafted out of Texas Tech and made his debut in 2015.  2016 was his break out year where he would 10-3 and a 2.56 ERA.  His season was cut short with major arm surgery and he was never the same pitcher.  He would pitch in the Browns rotation until 2021 where he came out of the bullpen.  He signed a 3 year deal with Austin prior to the 2022 season and is currently part of their rotation.  His career stats stand as: 54-50, 4.11 ERA and 9.8 WAR.

Other notable picks include All-Stars OF Alden Lindsey picked 6th overall by Irvine, 3B Richard Coker picked 20th overall by Jersey Shore, and Eliot Helen selected in the 2nd round by St. Louis.  

Late round steals include Ryan Campbell selected in the 4th round by San Francisco, Tom Carey 5th round pick of Baffin Island and Jose Padilla 6th round pick of Greenville.  All 3 have played in more than 350 games at the major league level.

The 2nd to last pick in this draft actually made the Major Leagues, which is mind boggling.  SS Finley Frogley was taken by Hendersonville out of the University of Michigan in the 10th round, pick 27.  A pure utility infielder, Frogley appeared in 1 game for the Hitmen in 2018 and actually started 22 games for them in 2018.  While his bat was well......not good.  .167/.183/.218, he did put up a +1.7 ZR playing shortstop.

As for pitchers, the last pitcher selected to make the Majors was Ramon Soto taken as the 3rd pick in the 8th round by Seattle.  He appeared in 3 different seasons from 2018-2020, pitching in 34 games to the tune of a 5.77 ERA.  He is currently pitching for Maui's AAA club.

What will this year's draft bring?  Will you draft a bust like Schaefer? Will you find a gem like Dodd in the 2nd round or maybe a utility man late?  That's the fun in the draft, no one knows what will happen.  Happy Drafting!

Future of the BSA; All 24 and Under Team

There are names around the BSA you hear from on a daily basis.  Taking a look at the standings can generally give a decent view of who the best team is out there.  But who are the BSA's young stars and future faces of franchises?  Here is a team of all player's 24 years or younger, whom you will be hearing about over the next decade of BSA baseball.  I only included players who are currently on a BSA roster.  There's a ton of talent not quite here and they have been omitted.  Here's your 25 man roster:

The Rotation

SP: Kevin Bush, Pocatello, Age 23.  Already one of the best pitchers in the BSA, Bush won 25 games last season as a 22 year old.  He was discovered in Canada as a 17 year old and spent 3 years in the minor leagues before earning a spot in the Boccabellas' rotation full time in 2020.  He will likely get to 60 career wins before the age of 24 and his 9.2 WAR from a year ago ranks the 20th best season ever from a starting pitcher.

SP Hong-Ryul Yun, New York, 22 years old.  Hailing from South Korea, Yun burst on to the scene last year with a 21-6 record and leading the Knight's rotation to their first playoff appearance ever.  A lefty who can hit triple digits on the gun, had 254 K's last season averaging nearly 10 per 9 innings.  Awarded $4.75M this past season in arbitration, he could be headed towards one of the biggest contracts in BSA history if he ever were to hit the FA market.

SP Roland Martin, Jersey Shore, 24 years old.  The oldest of the bunch, Martin turns 25 in just 2 weeks.  He was the D-Bags 1st round choice in the 2017 amateur draft.  He spent parts if 5 season in the minors before making his debut in 2021.  Martin made a name for himself last season with a 16-9 record winning himself the CL Rookie of the Year award and also a 5 year contract extension that will keep him in Jersey Shore through the 2027 season.

SP Dionisio Penni, Reno, 23 years old.  Penni was the 1st overall pick in the draft in 2020 out of Maryland who spent parts of 3 seasons in the Reno minor league system.  He dominated AAA batters in AAA last season before being called up.  Despite struggling as a rookie in 10 starts last season, he came out hot this season, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in 38 innings before shoulder inflammation put him on the DL.  He will miss most of this season, but watch out for him in the future.

SP Jose Martinez, Austin, 23 years old.  Martinez was the 14th overall pick in the talent rich 2020 draft, hailing from Villanova.  Making the Austin rotation this season, he is the only true rookie on the list.  In his 1st 10 BSA starts he is 6-1, 2.13 ERA while striking out 9.1 hitters per 9 innings.  He can hit triple digits with his fastball to go with a nasty splitter and a great cutter.  He will turn 24 next month, watch out CL Central.

Honorable Mentions: Eduardo Trujillo GRN, Vicente Duran LCC, Arthur Green BRM, Geoffrey Keller CHI, Daniel Grant TOR

The Pen

MR Jorge Aybar. Cleveland, 23 years old.  Aybar was signed out of Cuba as a 19 year by the San Francisco organization.  Since then he has been traded twice, first to Toronto and then to Cleveland.  Though he has pitched very little over AA ball and only 15 innings as a rookie, he has big potential.  A left hander who can hit 100 MPH with a nasty cut fastball, he could one day anchor a bullpen.

MR Ienobu Sato, New Orleans, 23 years old. Sato was discovered in Japan by a Looters scout and signed in March of 2019.  A true rookie this year making the New Orleans pen after an excellent 2022 campaign in AA.  He has an electric fastball which has helped him average 9/k per 9 innings over his minor league career.  He avoids giving up home runs and has future closer written all over him..

MR Valentin Resendez, Chicago, 24 years old.  A Cuban left hander who signed with Chicago during the 2017 season.  He pitched for 5 season for Chicago's A club, dominating from the closers role the last 3 years before making the Chicago pen last year.  He had a great rookie season with a 2.97 ERA in 91 innings, tallying 107 K's.  He is currently working in a setup role, but wouldn't be surprised to take over the closer's role sometime as early as this year.

MR Cesar Menendez, Chiago, 24 years old.  Teaming up with Resendez, these two have the makings of a devastating back end of a bullpen.  Discovered in Venezuela by St. Louis, he has since been traded to Los Angeles and then to Chicago. A right hander who can hit 100 with his fastball, put up a 3.04 ERA in his rookie year last in 53 innings.  

MR David Simpson, Birmingham, 24 years old.  Drafted in the 2nd round and 48th overall by the Steeldogs in 2020, Simpson only threw 143 innings before making his BSA debut in 2021.  His true rookie year was last year where he was excellent with a 2.31 ERA in nearly 60 innings.  He has increased his K totals this year which could mean he still has room to grow.

CL Christian Escobar, Seattle, 24 years old.  Former Top 5 prospect hailing from Mexico who server as the Pike's primary closer last season, saving 22 games.  He was set have a breakout year this year, before being sidelined with shoulder inflmmation that will keep him out nearly the entire season.  With an excellent fastball and splitter as well as impeccable control, he has the potential to be one of the best relievers out there in the long run.

The Lineup

C Rich Anderson, Orlando, 22 years old.  Anderson was the 19th overall pick out of Washington in 2020.  He was ranked the 35th overall prospect before this season where he made his BSA debut.  His bat profiles as potentially one of the better ones under the age of 25.  He has hit .276/.308/.379 in his first 91 PA before going down with a torn abdominal muscle which will keep him out another month.

1B Jeff Daniels, Reno, 24 years old.  The 8th overall pick from Reno in 2018, Daniels was a Top 20 prospect for years before busting out last year.  he hit .320/.395/.443, good for 39 doubles a 3.4 WAR.  His average and OBP were both Top 10 in the BSA last year and he should contend for batting titles for years to come.

2B Jose Sanchez, Birmingham, 24 years old.  A Cuban born player who came to Birmingham via Boston in the Jose Hildalgo trade of 2020.  He finished 2nd in the NL ROY voting last year, where he finished with near 3 WAR with his .324/.383/.406 line.  Sanchez has elite speed and rarely ever strikes out.  He should become a threat at 200 hits every season in the future.

SS Dani Vazquez, Reno, 22 years old.  Vazquez was discovered by an Irvine scout in 2017 before being dealt to Toronto in 2018.  He was one of the main pieces in come to Reno in the famed Seung-chun Mun trade.  Vazquez was once thought to be a glove first SS, but now profiles as a top of the order threat.  Plus contact, eye and powers to the gap could eventually make him one of the game's best table setters.

3B Jose Salazar, Irvine, 24 years old.  Yet another Cuban who was traded to Irvine in 2018 from Baffin Island in the Kyuso Fujita trade. Salazar broke out in 2021 when he won the NL's ROY award as well as a Gold Glove at 3B.  He went through a sophomore slump last year and looks to bounce back this year.  He rarely strikes out and could walk more than K's in the future.  Even if his bat never matures like his potential say they could, his defense is elite.

LF Vicente Bueno, Greenville, 24 years old.  A Mexican born player who was signed with the Kansas City franchise in 2016.  He was traded twice that year, first to Baffin Island and then to Greenville.  A plus-plus defender with elite speed and above average gap power and contact, he is a weapon.  Bueno hit .288/.319/.505 in 25 games last year as a rookie and this season already has 10 HR and is hitting .335 in just 42 games.

CF Dante Owens, Niagara Falls, 22 years old. A Candian import for the Frenzy, Owens was considered a Top 5 prospect last season when he made his BSA debut.  In 373 PA, Owens hit .290/.342/.470 while leading the BSA in triples with 14.  While his power doesn't seem to be matured yet, Owens has the speed and gap power to possibly hit 60 doubles in the future and carry above a 300 average.  With decent defense in CF, he could be great sooner than later.

RF Jesus Campos, Irvine, 24 years old.  Drafted 5th overall in the 2020 draft out of Cal, it only took him 64 minor league games to reach the pros.  He was selected to the NL All Star team, won the NL ROY award and a Gold Glove all in his rookie year in 2021.  He has top of the line elite speed, one of the better OF defenders in the game and is only getting better with the bat.  He is on pace this season for 23 doubles, 30 triples and 20 Homers to go with 23 stolen bases. Scary good.

DH Antonio Ortega, Seattle, 24 years old.  Ortega came to Seattle via UCLA in the 2nd round of the 20202 draft.  Always a good contact hitter, Ortega was never seen as a big prospect until lately.  Last season in AA, he hit 43 doubles, 23 HR and 88 RBI putting up 4.5 WAR.  He made Seattle's roster this year and has played 50 games at 1B, hitting .298/.332/.468 with 12 doubles, 6 HR and 31 RBI.  He signed a very cheap extension that will keep him in Seattle for the next 5 years.  Is he the next big thing in the pacific northwest?

The Bench

C Vicente Aguirre, Madison, 22 years old.  A former Top 50 prospect from the Dominican Republic, he won the Bombers backup catcher position this season.  While his strikeout numbers in the minors are a little alarming he profiles out to be a plus contact hitter with great gap power and could add 20 HR a year one day.

2B Marcos Vargas, Chicago, 24 years old.  Cuban born, signed with Greenville during the 2015 season.  He was traded to Los Angeles in 2018 and then on to Chicago in 2020 in the Jose Valdez trade.  Vargas had a solid rookie year in 2021 with 45 extra base hits to go with a .270/.345/.396 line.  He slumped badly last year, being one of the worst full time starting options in the BSA.  He has bounced back in a big way this year, hitting .336 through 150 PA and on pace for 50+ doubles.

SS Taylor McFarlane, Hendersonville, 23 years old.  A 3rd round pick by Los Angeles, he was traded to the Hitmen in this offseason's trade to acquire SP Mendez.  Though his bat doesn't quite seem ready for the BSA, his defense is what lands him on this list.  He is an elite defender all over the infield, his bat should be good enough to land him as a starter at any infield position.

LF Troy Donaldson, New York, 24 years old.  The 6th overall pick in 2018 out of High School, Donaldson spent years on the Top 25 prospect lists before making his debut in 2021.  He struggled as a rookie, but had a nice sophomore season last year, hitting .99/..327/.513 with 20 doubles, 7 triples, 10 HR and 14 stolen bases.  He should be one of the better defenders in LF this season and if his bat comes around he could over 300 with 25+ home runs.

RF Tom Blake, Reno, 24 years old.  Drafted 34th overall by the Cards in 2020, Blake has hit over .300 at every stop in the minors before debuting last year for Reno.  He struggled with the stick last year, striking out over 31% of his at bats.  2023 has been a whole new world for Blake though.  He is hitting .361/.429/.660, has 13 HR, 48 RBI and 2.5 WAR through just 49 games.  This could shape up as a very special season for Blake and the Cards.

There were a ton of choices for bats, it was tough picking just 14 for the roster.  And there you have it, your all 24 and under team.  The future of the BSA.

April Breezes By; Jersey Leads CL East

The Jersey Shore D-Bags have loaded up once again and take aim at their try for a first World Series title ever after failing in 3 previous attempts.  First off though, they must get make their way through a grueling season, but with a 16-8 April they are off on the right foot, but it didn't begin that way.  The month got off to a rough start losing the first 4 games of the season, including a 3 game sweep at the hands of division rival, the St. Louis Browns.  That was followed up by a 8-6 loss in Seattle and not a start they had envisioned.  Things changed from there as they would only lose one other series all month and that was to John Bosma's Greenville 84's.

Led by ace Jose Ramos, who would win the CL Award for Pitcher of the Month, going 4-1 in 5 starts with a 0.88 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and a 27/4 K/BB ratio.  It is Ramos's 6th POTM award.  The rest of the staff overall was brilliant outside from the struggles of SP Sergio Martinez who did only finish the month at 0-1, but a 6.33 ERA averaging just over 5 innings per start didn't help.  

After a great 2020 season which earned 1B Tadahisa Kisuki the CL Rookie of the Year honors, a 2021 season which Kiuski had a WAR of 6.6 and looked he was a for sure superstar to be was derailed in 2022 when his numbers fell sharply in all categories.  He looks out to regain that momentum he had in 2021 with a monster April.  Kisuki hit .391/.436/.736 with 8 HR, 13 RBI, 6 2B and scoring 17 runs primarily hitting out of the 2 hole in the lineup.

Not to be outdone was your 2 time MVP Dave Dodd who was right behind Kisuki with 6 HR, 19 RBI, a CL leading 4 intentional walks to go along with 10 stolen bases.  Dodd has started the 2023 campaign on pace for 11.6 WAR which would be his 2nd highest total behind his Triple Crown season.

Down on the Farm

Leading the AAA Tuscaloosa charge are two bats you very might well see in Jersey this season.  Those two players would be RF Albert Morgan and 2B Ricardo Gonzalez.  They combined for 79 hits, 16 doubles, 36 RBI and 36 walks in 26 games for the month.  Morgan, who profiles as a DH and possibly a RF in a pinch saw a little use in spring training and as of right now he sits off of the 40 man roster.  Gonzalez was seen a lot in Spring Training, starting at both middle infield positions but struggled mightily with the stick.  His improving bat and eye to go along with his elite defense are good reasons why he has seen as Jersey's long term solution at 2B to replace the eventual face of the franchise, Mike Bryant.

Even with Jersey's hot start, the Greenville 84's finished the month 15-10, while the St. Louis Browns sit at 13-13.  This year should be another tight race as we trudge through the last year of the league containing 28 teams.  There is a lot to watch for in Jersey and around the league as a lot of young and upcoming stars are replacing the stars of yesteryear.  2023 is a transition for the BSA and hopefully that means Jersey Shore transitioning into finally getting over the hump and winning that title.

Tracking Mikey Bryant's Assault on the Record Books; Volume 6

This will be 6th year in a row we will continue to follow Mikey Bryant's rise on the career leaderboards.  The recently turned 35 year old is entering the twlight of his career as evidenced by a 4th straight year in decreasing statistics, but he was still good for a 5.0 WAR season last year.  2022 marked a decade for Bryant entreched in the middle of the Jersey Shore offensive assault and a third trip and third failure for Jersey Shore in the World Series.  Bryant for the 7th year of his career hit 37+ HR, had his 8th 200+ hit season and his 9th straight 100+ RBI season.

On the downside, his 147 strikeouts were a career high as well as his stolen bases, where he only managed to swipe 2 bags all season long.  His OPS of .932 was the 2nd lowest of his career, but only 1 point below that of what he put up for 2022.

Bryant's average of .322 was just 4 points below his career average and dropped him to only 2.2 points ahead of Adam Mason.  Paco Rosas raised his career average by almost 4 points and is just a shade below .340 for his career.  We do have a new comer to the list though, as Bill Wilson of Boston has enough career at bats to qualify and is your new leader at .3438.  Bryant who fell to 3rd in career OPS last year when Paco Rosas passed him, was passed this past season by teammate Dave Dodd.  Bryant sits in 4th place just a small fraction of current free agent Shumei Yokoyama.

Last season we saw Oliver Hernandez take over the career hits top position over Jason Jackson.  He will get number 2700 this year as he marches towards the first BSA player to achieve 3000.  With his 9th 200 hit season, Bryant he entered the Top 10 in all time hits with a tie for 9th with Manny Copriviza for 9th with 2024 hits.  He should pass John Crowe this year leaving Sam Sagar as the only retired player ahead of him on the list.  Bryant also had his 9th straight season with 30+ doubles which moved him into 25th place and a decent shot at hitting 400 this upcoming season, which would make him the 17th player to do so.  Bryant also finished the 2022 season 4th in total bases which put him solidly in 8th all time.  A good season will put him less than 100 shy of 4000, a number only achieved up to this point by Sam Sagar.

His 37 HR last year was enough to keep him in 8th place, but former teammated Matt Doyle is gaining on Mikey.  Sagar should be passed and current free agent Cade Delaney sits on 14 ahead of Bryant. 35 HR will get him to the 400 mark, currently the only two BSA players to make it that high are Crowe and Yoko.  Yoko enters the season 1 shy of tying Crowe for the all-time make, but is currently unsigned.  Mikey drove in 115 runs last year which was enough to pass Delaney.  Newell and Rivas sit in front of him, while Crowe and Sagar he would need 130+.

Another year, another productive one for Bryant who is showing gradual age, which in the BSA can be a rare thing.  While he is signed through 2023, his contract for 2024 is a big one with a team option.  Will this be the last year in Jersey for Bryant?  Will Jersey work out a deal to keep him here or accept the $26M option?  Time will tell.  Father time will be telling as well.  

Current All-Time Rank.  (Previous 5 years are in parenthesis)  

BA: 3rd (2nd, 2nd 2nd, 2nd, 1st): .3259

OPS: 4th (3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd): .9593

SLG: 2nd (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st): .5779

VORP: 8th (8th, 9th, 13th, 20th): 624.94 - apparently OOTP doesn't track anymore

Hits: 8th (14th, 27th. 34th, 57th, 96th): 2024

Doubles: 25th (29th, 42nd, 57th, 82nd, NR): 371
Triples: 15th (17th, 28th, 46th, 75th, NR): 51

Total Bases: 8th (11th, 14th, 23rd, 41st, 73rd): 3236

HR: 8th (8th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 35th): 365

RBI: 7th (8th, 9th, 19th, 32nd, 53rd): 1230

Runs: 11th (14th, 22nd, 28th, 55th, 86th): 1133

WAR: 6th (10th, 11th,13th, 18th, 24th): 62.28

D-Bags Head to Playoffs; Face Off Against Sheens

After missing the playoffs in 2021, the Jersey Shore D-Bags stormed back in 2022 winning 107 games and claiming the CL Wild Card with a comfortable margin.  Those 107 wins are the 2nd best in team history after the 119 they won back in 2017.  There were big years across the board as 4 starters won 15+ games, including Ramos and Martinez who both won 20+.  Dave Dodd repeated as the CL Batting champion, while adding in 48 dingers and 130 RBI while Mike Bryant put up a very Bryant like line of .332-37 2B-37 HR-115 RBI.  3 others hit 20+ HR and they had a staggering 11 players hit double digit home runs. A great regular season no doubt, but the real season is about to begin and is the BSA playoffs.

In the 1st round the D-Bags will meet the St. Charles Sheens who won the CL West with a franchise best 101-61 season and the franchise's 1st playoff appearance since 2013 when they were located in Denver. The Sheens feature a good core of homegrown talent that includes Ware, Moss and Cantu.  A group of players that joined through savvy trades including O'Sullivan, Wheeler, Mendelson, Escobedo, Carter and Rivera.  And it's a young team with the only player over the age of 30 multiple All-Star catcher Victor Antelo.  A well rounded team, young, hungry team.

With Jersey getting the Wild Card, St. Charles will be the host team and have the home field advantage at 4 games to 3.  St. Charles won the season series 5-4 with 5 of those games being decided by only 1 run.  Expect these series to be similar and close like the season series was.

Jersey Projected Starting Rotation:
Game 1 - Jose Ramos
Game 2 - Sergio Martinez
Game 3 - Roland Martin
Game 4 - Ramon Ruiz

Projected Starting Lineup Game 1:
LF Ricardo Berroa
1B Tadahisa Kisuki
DH Mike Bryant
RF Dave Dodd
C Fernando Ramos
2B Lawrence Schroeder
CF Fransisco Torres
3B Fabrice Brodeur
SS John Moore

GO D-BAGS

2022 All Star Game Roster Breakdown

In a tight All-Star game this year it was the NL scoring a run in the Top of the 9th inning to prevail in the Mid-Summer classic in a 5-4 game.  Joe Cameron of Los Angeles earned the win, Ramon Velez of Springfield being handed the loss and Santiago Gonzalez of Hendersonville notching the save.  Judson Backstrom earned the MVP award by going 2-4, scoring twice, hitting a double and Home Run while driving in 2 runs.  In what will be remembered as another notch in the NL's belt as they have dominated the game in it's history. Let's break down the rosters and find a few facts.

With an injury replacement for both squads, both team's actual roster was 33 players, equaling a total of 66 All-Stars.  Every team had at least 1 representative at the game and the Greenvillle 84's led the way with 7 players off of their squad.  The CL was a much more experience group as only 13/33 players were making their 1st or 2nd appearance compared to the 22/33 for the NL. As usual the more appearances you add, the less players you have. The totals broke down like this:

1st Time: 24
2nd Time: 11
3rd Time: 12
4th Time: 3
5th Time: 6
6th Time: 3
7th Time: 3
8th Time: 2
9th Time: 2

 Notes:

* It was the 1st time since 2012 that Los Angeles didn't have a Starting Pitcher in the game
* For 11 seasons from 2010-2020, the Frenzy always had 1 or 2 representatives.  Last year they sent 3 and this year was a franchise record of 5.
*Shumei Yokoyama represented St. Louis this season making it the 4th team he has been selected for.  The others were Alaska (Now Irvine), Hendersonville, Kansas City (Now Springfield)
* The only team to have the exact same representatives as last year was the Toronto Titans who sent Albert Lebel, Matt Doyle and Luis Gonzalez for the 2nd straight year
* Julian Madrid not making the team broke a streak of 6 straight times dating back to his rookie season
*The oldest player in this year's game was Tommy Smith at 37 years old
*The Youngest player in this year's game was Kevin Bush who had just turned 23, who made his 3rd straight appearance.  Bush edged out fellow 23 year old Jeff Daniels by about 290 days.

2022 Summer Brings Jersey Shore Milestones Galore

Despite just a 13-13 month in July, both June and August have been great months for your Jersey Shore D-Bags which see them sit at a 88-43 record which is good for the 2nd best record in the entire BSA, but still trail rival Greenville by 8.5 games in the CL East standings.  The 84's are on pace to best their last year's franchise record of 118 wins and to tie Jersey Shore's CL record of 119 wins.  

Along with great team play from your D-Bags, we have seen many players hit milestones hit so far this season and here are a couple notable ones:

Mikey Bryant HR #350.  It was July 1, 2022 when Bryant stepped to the for the 4th time in the 8th inning against the Kansas City Cougars.  He was riding a 2 game HR streak to put him on #349 the day before against Toronto.  With the Cougars up 5-1, they brought in tough lefty and former All-Star Joey Smith to hold down the Jersey offense. With 2 outs and no one aboard, Bryant stepped up to the plate.  Before this AB Bryant was just 2-14 against Smith.  Smith got ahead 0-2 before Bryant sat on a fastball and deposited 382 feet away in the RF bleachers for his 350th HR and a standing ovation from the hometown crowd.  Jersey would go on to lose the game 5-2, but Bryant joined elite company.  He became the 8th player to reach the 350 HR mark behind only Crowe, Yoko, Cobra, Sagar, Newell, Delaney and Rivas.   At the current moment Bryant sits at 360, 13 behind Rivas, 15 behind Delaney and 17 behind Newell.  400 is certainly in Bryant's sights.

Dave Dodd HR #250.  Just 2 weeks to the day after Bryant went for 350, Jersey was playing against a red-hot Pocatello team.  The Bocabellas would go on to win the game which was their 19th straight win, but it was Dodd doing most of the damage for the limited Jersey offense.  He gave Jersey a quick lead in the 1st with a 2-run HR off of starter Bill Bygrove, his 249th of his career.  It was in the 6th inning with Jersey down 1 run that Dodd would meet Bygrove on his first offering with a mammoth 412 foot HR to Right-Center.  For his career Dodd is hitting 7-8 with those 2 HR against Bygrove.  At age 28, Dodd is the youngest member of the 250 HR club by 3 years and if keeps hitting at his current pace he could be joining the elite of the elite sluggers in his early 30's.

Lawrence Schroeder Hit #1000.  2014 1st round pick SS Lawrence Schroeder joined Bryant and Dodd as only the 3rd Jersey Shore player to accumulate 1000 hits in their career.  On July 31st playing in San Francisco against the Bandits Schroeder would leadoff the 6th inning with a single against Pierre Dumont.  It would be his only hit of the game, but would be a special one as it was his 1000th career hit.  He became the 9th shortstop in BSA history to reach the mark.  2022 is proving to be Schroeder's best season as a pro and couldn't come in a better year as he is set to hit free agency this winter.

Jose Ramos Win #100.  Coming into 2022 at age 26 Jose Ramos was already the franchise leader in wins at 87.  A great total at only age 26 but always quite telling about the quality of starting pitching that has been in Jersey Shore over the years.  With 16 wins in 2021, getting 13 wins in 2022 was almost a shoe-in without an injury, but no one predicted how quick it would come.  Ramos won 9 of his 1st 10 starts and on June 17 Ramos sat with a 12-2 record through 15 starts and took the mound against St. Charles. While it wasn't his most dominate start of the season, Ramos gave up 4 runs on 7 hits while walking no one and striking out 5 in 7.2 innings, a 4-4 game from Kisuki led the Jersey offense good enough for a 5-4 victory and win #100 for Jose.  The next two highest win totals for Jersey in their history are Greg Schaefer with 84 and Rob Goodship with 71.  Ramos became the 56th pitcher to record 100 wins, beating Los Angeles pitcher Ramiro Jimenez to the mark by just 2 days.

A lot of celebrating has gone on this season for Jersey Shore.  With just over a month left and an 8.5 game lead in the Wild Card race, could this be the year that Jersey finally celebrates the raising of a trophy in October?

GO D-BAGS

Jersey Ends 1st Half Strong; Sends 6 to Mid-Summer Classic

The Jersey Shore D-Bags entered the All-Star break with a 62-26 record, 2.5 games back of the Greenville 84's for 2nd place in the CL East and the 2nd best record in the CL.  They ended the 1st half with a 6 game winning streak which included a 4-game home sweep of division rival Chicago.  Both the pitching staff and the offense have been ranked in the Top 5 of the CL all season long with the offense ranking a little bit higher being only behind the 84's in almost all offensive categories.  With the All-Star game taking place earlier this month, the D-Bags sent 6 players to game.  3 on on the offense and 3 from the pitching staff.  Here they are:

SP Jose Ramos - 5 time All-Star - Entering the break at 16-2 with a 2.79 ERA, Ramos is on track for a career best year.  His 16 wins lead the entire BSA and at one time he put together a streak of 10 straight wins.His K/BB of almost 5 is a career high.

MR Hyo-Chin Kim - 1st time All-Star - Pitching from mainly out of the set-up role, Kim entered the break with a minuscule 0.82 ERA, appearing in 38 contests and pitching 42 innings.  With only 2 HR given up on the season, it marks a big improvement from last season where he gave up 22 in 136 IP.   His 11.7 K/9 is a career high.

CL Gerald Johnson - 1st time All-Star - Johnson took over the closing duties last year for Jersey Shore and has been one of the best in the league this season.  Entering the break Johnson had converted 20/22 saves while posting a 1.72 ERA while striking out over 12.5 men per 9 innings.  Kim-Johnson presents one of the toughest 8-9 inning combo in the BSA.

2B Mike Bryant - 9 time All-Star - For the 9th time in a row Bryant was chosen to participate in the All-Star game.  Bryant enters the break hitting in 19 straight games with a triple slash line of .357/.416/.616.  His 24 HR put him on pace for 40 and at age 34 he is on pace for one of his more productive seasons as a pro.

SS Lawrence Schroeder - 1st time All-Star - After a fairly productive career thus far, Schroeder was awarded with being named to his 1st AS game this season , being voted in as the starter for the CL.    His slash line of .318/.374/.500 would represent career highs in batting average and on base percentage while the slugging would be 2nd in his career.  He is on pace for 20 HR, 100 RBI and 35 doubles this season.

RF Dave Dodd - 3 time All Star - For the 3rd year in a row your reigning CL MVP was voted in to start for the CL.  While Dodd hasn't kept up with the historic season he put last year, his .365/.424/.662 line are eye popping none-the-less.  His batting average is 2nd in the BSA behind Greenville's Paco Rosas, meanwhile his pace of 46 HR don't look like they will be nearly enough as Matt Doyle of Toronto was approaching 40 near the break.  Regardless, Dodd is on pace for a back to back 11+ WAR season.

The 6 All-Star selections ties a Jersey Shore record matching the mark they set back in 2017.  Both Ramos and Bryant were part of that group in 2017.  Jersey has sent 5 players to the game on 3 other occasions, with those being in 2016, 2019 and 2021.

GO D-BAGS

2022 Jersey Shore Amateur Draft

The draft has always been one of GM Josh Swain's favorite events of the year and this year was no exception despite it's critical reception.  Many GM's raised concerns about lack of top end talent available in this year's draft, but Swain saw it differently seeing a draft that was high on middle round talent despite lacking superstar talent.  Here is what Jersey Shore came away with with the draft was done.

1.21 - OF Ed Murray - 18 years old - Broken Arrow High School. Murray is a 3 year High School starter who projects to be a corner OF in the bigs who's contact was ranked among the highest in this year's draft class.  While he displays little power and and patience at the plate is lacking, he rarely strikes out and speed + gap projects him as a 33-35 doubles a year guy in the future.  His final high school slash line was .451/.505/.595, while only striking out 18 times in over 100 games.  It may be awhile for him to mature and move up through the system, but projects out as a 2-slot hitter.

2.54 - SP Rodney Hall - 20 years old - University of Washington.  A 2-year full time starter pitching for UW, Hall throws 3 above average pitches while throwing in low 90's.  He projects out to be an innings eater with high stamina and while he never may be an ace, a ceiling of say a pitcher like Ron Eager could be in his future.

3.92 - SP Sloan Numbers - 18 years old - Dublin Jerome High School.  Dipping back into the HS pool for the third pick, the D-Bags selected 3 year high school starter Numbers.  While he won't overpower you and hasn't developed an "out" pitch yet, he does throw 4 pitches and has shown his strength in control.  He projects out to be a mid-low end starter at the time.  Jersey scouts hope that when he grows into his 6'5" frame he can add a couple MPH to his fastball and improve his K numbers, but that's just a hope.

4.124 - C Greg Lee - 18 years old - Broken Arrow High School.  Lee was a bit of a head scratching pick just because so little was known about him.  In 3 years in high school he only played in 25 games and only appearing in 1 game his senior year.  Jersey held a private workout and found he had a good swing and great fundamentals behind the plate, but just very, very raw.  He doesn't project to have much power, but as a 4th round pick if they can find a spot starter at catcher in the future, this pick could be worth it.

5.152 - SP Matt Johnston - 18 year old - Madawaska Valley High School.  For the 4th time in 5 picks Jersey went with a HS player, and this being the third starting pitching as well.  Johnston actually pitched out of the pen his sophomore and junior years before starting this last one.  He is a big kid sitting at 6'2", weighing 220 pounds and throws 3 pitches.   None of his pitches are dominant but knows how to pitch low in the zone and keep the ball on the ground.  His lacking of an out pitch could hold him back, but if he improves could be a low end rotation type guy.

6.180 - CF Jeff Bane - 18 years old - Sante Fe High School. Didn't sign and will attend college next season

7.208 - SP Enrico Lozano - 20 years old - Georgia Tech University.  College starter that will be converted to a reliever.  Only throws 2 pitches and lack in speed only hitting 90 or so on the gun

8.236 - SS Mitch Thomas - 20 years old - University of Oregon.  Top end speed and who's top attribute is his glove and not hit bat.  Needs to limit K's because he doesn't walk much, projects out to be a utility type player.

9.264 - SP Bryan Glover - 18 years old - Billings West High School.  Didn't sign and will attend college next season

10.292 - CF Mark McDonald - 21 years old - Ohio State University - Can play all over the diamond, but specialized in the OF.  Has top end speed and can steal bases at will.  Was 20/22 in SB's in his last season at OSU.  Won't make it far with the bat.

Hopefully a couple of these names will rise through the ranks and being playing nightly in Jersey someday.  The current Jersey Shore roster contains 5 former 1st round picks (Bryant 2010, Schroeder 2014, Brodeur 2015, Martin 2017, Carter 2018) while 2016 1st round pick SP Ciottone is AAA and 2013 Coker and 2011 Doyle are on other rosters.  When will Murray join these ranks? Only time will tell.

GO D-BAGS 

D-Bags Owner Seung-min Kim Dies; Son Takes Over

A sad day in the midst of a great season happened this past week as the Jersey Shore D-Bags announced the passing of the only owner this franchise has ever seen.  Seung-min Kim died of natural causes in his Manhattan penthouse early Sunday morning on June 5th.  His wife reported he was up late with the BSA network on when he never came to bed.  She found him dead in his favorite easy chair.

His son, Seung-min Kim Jr. has been groomed to take over his position for sometime now.  Born in Atlantic City, Kim Jr. grew up playing ball and attended Rutgers, followed by Business School at nearby Penn.  He graduated with his MBA just 2 years before the BSA formed and his father purchased the D-Bags.  He was immediately hired and ran analytics behind the scenes but was always a clubhouse staple.  A person with a lot of power within the organization, but a young enough one to fraternize and see eye-to-eye with the players.  The transition should be an easy one for the franchise as in the past 1-1.5 years the Sr, Kim's duties became less and less as he spent less time at the ballpark and more time in the families vacation home in the Caribbean island of St. Marteen.  

While Kim Sr. was known through baseball circles as a cutthroat business man who always wanted results, the Jr. Kim has praised patients and will give the GM a bigger leash with the payroll.  It is a sad thing that Kim Sr. could never see his team bring home a championship as Jersey Shore made it to the World Series, only to come up empty both times.  Once to Hendersonville in an epic 7 game battle and the other just 2 seasons ago to the Boston Rebels.

For the remainder of the season the team will wear a patch on their left shoulder with SKS to commemorate the late owner.  At the time of his death, the Jersey Shore D-Bags currently sit atop the CL East division with a 3 game lead over rival Greenville and boast the best record in the CL at 41-16.

GO D-BAGS 

Jersey Rallies From 5 Down & Wins in Extras; Seattle Butt hurt in Process

The Seattle Pikes visited Jersey earlier this month for a 3-game set which the D-Bags would eventually sweep.  The middle game of the series was the game of the year for Jersey Shore and one of the biggest comebacks in team history.  Down 5 going into the bottom of the 9th, there was little hope for the home town team.  Especially considering a comment GM Kevin Carter made just days earlier on Twitter about "the great pen" Seattle is suppose to have.  The best part about the comeback is All-Star Jim Nelson retired Kisuki and Bryant back to back to start the inning with 2 outs.  Then all hell broke loose.

A single from Dodd gave an extra batter and the next man up was Francisco Torres would would take a 1-2 pitch and deposit it the Right-Center bleachers for a 2-run HR.  Still, the Bags would still trail by 3.  Seattle would go to the pen and bring in wonderkid Christian Escobar and his 99 MPH fastball.  Rookie Own Carter would leg out an infield single that "King" Martinez couldn't make a play in time with.  3B Fabrice Brodeur would then walk on 5 pitches to put the tying run at the plate, another rookie, 2B John Moore.  Moore would fight off 3, 1-2 pitches, fouling them all back before slicing a double down the left field line.  Both Carter and Broduer would score, making it a 1 run game.  Seattle would opt to leave Escobar in the game to pitch to SS Lawrence Schroeder, which would turn out to be a bad decision.  Schroeder would take a 2-2 pitch and knock it up the middle scoring Broduer.  The game almost ended when Moore, who was off with the pitch, came sliding home only be to be tagged out at the last second to send the game the extras.

Both bullpens would match each other until the 14th inning when Ricardo Berroa would walk, take 3rd on a single from Brodeur and score on an errant throw when he was sliding into 3rd base.  It was a walk off win but there was more talk about the HBP from Jersey closer Gerald Johnson that broke Seattle's DH Luka Lagerweij's hand in the 13th inning.  

Seattle GM Kevin Carter came out in the post game press conference and blamed the Jersey staff for intentionally hitting and hurting Lagerweij.  GM Swain had this rebuttle. "I completely respect Lagerweij's game.  I actually feel bad for the guy.  He has supreme power and he plays his home games in one of the hardest parks to hit a HR for a left-handed hitter.  One thing I don't respect though is showing up pitchers.  In the 1st inning he hit a 3-run HR.  Yes, our pitcher Garcia made a mistake and he capitalized on it, but you don't stand and admire your work, plus it was a 349 foot shot.  He acted like he hit 500 feet.  Our catcher Carter noticed he kept creeping closer and closer jamming the plate and our Manager Negrete told Johnson to brush him off the plate.  The ball tailed a little bit and got him on the hand.  No negligence.  Part of the game.  We hope for a speedy recovery and this conversation is over."

Through Saturday May 28th, Jersey Shore sits with a 35-16 record which is the best in the CL, and that's after a current 4-game losing streak.  With 3 games left in May, the D-Bags need to win 2/3 for a 20 win month.  They finish a quick 2-game tilt with Vista before finishing the month with 2 @ division rival Chicago.

Ramos-Bryant-Bags Off to Hot April Start

April has come and May begins tomorrow and the Jersey Shore D-Bags can look back with an approving look on their face after going 17-9 and ending the month tied atop the standings with the reigning BSA champs Greenville 84's.  The team tallied that record despite only playing 10 of their first 26 games at home.  For once the pitching has led the team.  The club's ERA sits 2nd in the CL while the offense doesn't trail far behind finishing the month 5th in CL in runs scored.

The pitching staff was led by staff ace Jose Ramos who is hoping to bounce back from his down year last year after finishing 2nd in Cy Young award voting in 2020.  Ramos started 6 times for Jersey in April and won all 6 starts, giving up more than 2 ER only once and went 8 innings in every start except a rain shortened start vs Springfield.  He finishes the month with a 1.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP to go with a an excellent 5 K/BB ratio.  In his last 2 starts he beat 1st place teams St. Charles and Toronto as well.  

On the offensive end of things, it's but who else, Mike Bryant leading the team in almost every category.  Reigning MVP Dave Dodd had a slow start and is starting to pick things up, but it's Bryant who has been Mr. Consistent thus far for the Bags.  He has played in all 26 games so far and finishes April with a slash line of: .377/.431/.726 to go along with 5 doubles, a triple, 10 HR and 28 RBI, good for 2.1 WAR in the first month alone.

Look ahead to the May schedule, we have inter-league play starting where the Bags will travel to the bayou for a 3 game set with New Orleans before welcoming the Maui Tropics to town for a 3 game set.  May will also feature the first of 17 games between Jersey and Greenville when Jersey travels to Greenville to play a 4-game tilt on May 23rd.

GO D-BAGS

Tracking Mikey Bryant's Assault on the Record Books; Volume 5

For the 5th straight year we will track where and how high 2B Mikey Bryant climbed in the career leaderboards. The superstar and everyone's favorite player turned 34 during Spring Training and as heads towards the Twilight of his career, he will try to keep up with a league that is focused on the young star.  Last season Bryant played in his 9th season in the BSA and 2022 will mark a decade for him in the big leagues.  While his power numbers dropped a bit, we saw Bryant's hits and average tick back up.  His .337 average was the 2nd highest of his career, while his slugging was the 2nd lowest.

Falling from 40 to 31 HR and keeping his doubles the same in 45 more AB could be a little troubling going forward but the increase in hits and average might bode well for him as he hits his mid-30's.  His 103 RBI is the lowest in his career for a full season, while he reached the 125 run mark for the 4th time in his career.  Overall it was a successful season for Bryant as he saw his teammate Dodd win the triple crown and MVP in a season where Jersey struggled and missed the postseason.


After failing to hit .300 in 2020, Bryant's .337 this past year raised his career average from .3246 back up to .3267.  Paco Rosas who is in the prime of his career continues to rake in Greenville and increased his lead to 8 points. Rosas sits at .3351.  We will see if Bryant can stay on top of Adam Mason who he currently has a 3.1 lead on for 2nd all time.  Bryant who had been 2nd all-time in OPS since creating this tracking report was finally passed by Rosas as he had a giant 2021.  He remains 7 points ahead of Mel Fields and 11 points ahead of next active member Yokoyama

Ever since we started tracking Bryant has been the king of slugging and  that didn't change despite the worst slugging percentage for a full season in his big league career.  He was once the only player in BSA history to have a career slugging over 600, but those times are gone as Bryant now sits at .581.  After his moster season, teammate Dave Dodd has taken over 2nd place 11 points behind Bryant.

Bouncing back in a huge with hits he has moved from 27th all the way up into the Top 15 while surpassing 1800 career hits.  With a Bryant like season he should hit the 2000 hit mark by the end of 2022.   Bryant surpassed the 300 2B mark and ended the season just outside the Top 30 career wise. 2021 ended a 5 year run of leading the BSA in total bases as he finished 3rd with 372.  That number is good enough for 12th and a good season should put him in the Top 10 at the end of the year.

With a down year in HR and RBI, Braynt finds himself in a tough position to climb in both categories.  He passed fellow veterans George Alston and Shizue Chouda this past year, but the only players within 40 HR are Cobra, Newell and Rivas.  This could be the 1st year where he stays stagnant in a category.  Sitting at 332 HR, Bryant has a chance to reach that magical 400 HR plateau late in 2023.  After becoming the 9th player to knock in 1000 career runs last time, he now sits 8th in the category.With Delaney's injury Bryant has a chance to pass him, but realistically no one else is within reach.  

If you are a Bryant fan, 2021 was very much a positive as his bat does not seem to be slowing down.  In a league where there is so much uncertainty after age 30, a strong season from Bryant at age 33 is a great sign.  Jersey rewarded him with a 2 and possibly 3 year contract last year which will keep him in Jersey at least through the 2023 season.  If Bryant can stay productive through these next 2 years, major milestones are in reach, but only time will tell.  

Current All-Time Rank.  (Previous 4 years are in parenthesis)  

BA: 2nd (2nd 2nd, 2nd, 1st): .3267

OPS: 3rd (2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd): .9644

SLG: 1st (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st): .5817

VORP: 8th (8th, 9th, 13th, 20th): 624.94

Hits: 14th (27th. 34th, 57th, 96th): 1831

Doubles: 29th (42nd, 57th, 82nd, NR): 335
Triples: 17th (28th, 46th, 75th, NR): 49

Total Bases: 11th (14th, 23rd, 41st, 73rd): 3260

HR: 8th (10th, 15th, 20th, 35th): 332

RBI: 8th (9th, 19th, 32nd, 53rd): 1128

Runs: 14th (22nd, 28th, 55th, 86th): 1027

WAR: 10th (11th,13th, 18th, 24th): 60.86

A Tale of Perseverance, Uncertainty and Dissapointment; The Javier Martinez Story

If I say the name Javier Martinez it might ring a faint bell in the back of some BSA owner's minds.  But I am not talking about the one who appeared in 435 games and once saved 27 games for the Sacramento Mentalists.  No, I am talking about the slick fielding middle infielder who was released by the Maui organization earlier this month.  The Martinez who spent the last 6+ seasons in Maui's AAA affiliate in Denver, the Mile High Broncos.  Martinez never received more than 200 plate appearances in any of those seasons, but kept coming back to spring training every year.  Martinez's story does not being there in Maui 6 years ago, not even close.  We must go back further....much further to tell his whole tale.

As a 21 year old in the first year of a crazy idea called the VBL, Martinez played for Indiana University in the year of 2007.  A star by no means, he got by with the glove.  While not having the strongest arm, he always had the softest hands, got to balls other players didn't and turned the double play almost poetically.  He was drafted in the 2007 amateur draft by the Shelton Mighty Smiths and would play most of his first professional season in A ball in the city of Gates Mills, a small suburb of Cleveland.  He would play 129 games in Gates Mills, hitting 25 doubles and racking up a 2.4 WAR before a trade that would send him to the Kansas City Kings organization.  The Kings would send him to AA Bakersfield where he would play out the rest of the 2008 season and start for the Saboteurs for the entire 2009 season.  While not with the bat, he was a key component of a Bakersfield team that would bring home Northwest League titles on both of those seasons.

As 2010 rolled around the rumors about the league getting a complete makeover turned to be true.  The cities scrambled and re-named and an expansion draft was held.  The now 24 year old Martinez would be selected in the 71st round by the newly named Quebec Les Capitales.  He would be assigned to AA Granby, a small town 150 miles outside of Denver.  Martinez would join a team that featured some names you might now know.  Former MVP Luis Padilla, SP David Evans and SP Mal Windham.  He would play in 100 games for Granby before a late season call up to AAA Montreal where he would struggle in the only 9 games he would see that season for a team that would finish an abysmal 19-143.  Would you believe that Cordell Gibson would be on that team and wouldn't see the minor leagues once sense?  

An interesting thing happened in 2011 as Martinez would sent to start the season in A ball Waterloo where he would play in 4 games before being shipped back to Granby where he would start 88 games despite struggling with the bat.  Near the trade deadline he was included in a trade with the Vista Panthers.  Now playing for his 4th franchise, the Panthers would send him to A ball affiliate Chula Vista where he would play 5 games before the organization felt he would be better used in AAA Santa Monica, which is 140 miles north on I-5.  Martinez would play out the last part of the season with Santa Monica playing in 21 games and posting an eventual -0.3 WAR with his newest team.  Turning 26 in the off season he was now no longer considered a prospect....if he ever was considered one, he would start the season in a new city, AA affiliate of the Vista Panthers, the San Diego Smashers.  He would travel the 133 miles back south down I-5 where he would be sparingly used during the season and only see 105 plate appearances in 28 games played. 

After the 2012 season he would become a minor league free agent and would eventually sign a minor league deal with the Denver Dynasty and would be assigned to AA Ocean Park, which lies in the southwest corner of the state of Washington.  This would make the 10th city that Martinez had played in since being drafted out of Indiana at the ripe age of 26.  2013 was an interesting year.  Lingering foot injuries would keep him sidelined for much of the season and whether or not he was in the doghouse of because of injury, he would see the field in all of 2 games during the entire season and not get an AB.  But Martinez did not give up.  

Before the 2014 season, the Denver franchise was bought by Glenn Polyn, who would relocate to St. Charles.  The AA affiliate of Ocean Park would move to Culver City, a suburb of the city of Los Angeles, and just 7 miles down the road from where he played 3 years earlier in Santa Monica.  As a full time starter in 2014 he put up his best season since 2009 in Bakersfield, which was coincidentally just 120 miles North of Culver City.  His 2 home runs would would bring his career total to 7, where his 1.3 WAR would place him 6th on the team.  His above average season would have the St. Charles organization assign him to AAA Vancouver for the 2015 season, just 320 miles North of where he spent 2013 in Ocean Park.  Injuries kept him out of the lineup for much of the season, but when he was healthy towards the end of the season he played well.  Hitting .318 in 44 AB.  His parent club the St. Charles Sheens were in need of a body when veteran 2B Jeff Haris went on the DL and something happened for Javier.  After 12 minor league cities, he was being balled up the bigs!  The 28 year old would see the bench taking everything in before he got his chance.  He was called to be a defensive replacement in the 8th inning of a tight game with his former organization, Vista.  He would play 2 defensive innings before getting his first career at-bat.  Never known as a wiz at the plate he took a few cuts and eventually hit a harmless grounder on the infield for an out.  Later that week, Harris would come off the DL and instead of sending him back to AAA, Martinez was traded to the Maui organization, where he would be sent not to Maui, but to their AAA team, Mile High.

That summer in 2015 would start a 6+ year stretch of Martinez playing for the team in Denver.  He was always used as a utility player, but always proving his worth with the glove.  Mile High would mark his 14th team with his 5th franchise.  As the Tropics struggled in 2019 and 2020, Martinez saw his playing time drop for younger players and as 2021 rolled around, Martinez was in his 14th professional season as a 35 year old.  While he play admirably this season in 41 games, compiling 1.0 WAR, the writing was on the wall.  He was released on August 11th.  Now we sit at August 29th, 80 days to Martinez's 36th birthday and his career BSA stat line looks like this:

1 G, 1 PA, 1 AB, .000/.000/.000.

He is one of only 3 players currently in the BSA to get a single AB and not get a hit.  The others being 34 year 1B Gerald Booth (currently a free agent) and 32 year old 2B Dennis Lowney (currently with Birmingham's AAA club).  Martinez is looking for a last chance.  Looking for a 15th team to join and looking for that first career hit.  With rosters expanding just this week, who will give him that chance?  His glove is still very worthy for a utility position up the middle, someone has to have room.  Will Martinez get the chance to get that first hit and retire after a long 15 year trek or will he retire with a single, hitless at-bat?

GO JAVIER

Gianluigi Ciottone; A Long Road to the Majors

With their 1st round pick and the 31st overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft, the Jersey Shore D-Bags selected SP Gianluigi Ciottone, a 4-year starter form the University of Nebraska.  Starting 42 games as the primary ace of the staff, Ciottone averaged over 11 K/9 while accumulating an ERA of 3.58 and a WHIP of 1.19. Ciottone was 22 at the time of the draft and while his third pitch (changeup) wasn't that strong, Jersey management viewed him as a mid-rotation starter who was matured enough to a candidate to shoot up the minor league ranks quickly and possibly see the major league roster in as little as a year.  They were wrong.

After being drafted he was sent to AA Gainesville where his current talent should have pushed him, but he was dominated.  He walked 6.5 batters per 9, which resulted in more walks than K's and led to a 2-9 record with an abysmal 8.02 ERA in 14 starts.  Perplexed by the results he started the 2017 in A Manhattan where he did walk 2 batters less her 9 while his K/9 nearly doubled.  He was still getting hit fairly hard but his BABIP of .354 led Jersey brass to believe it was more a defensive problem than Ciottone's pitching.  Towards the end of the 2017 season he was sent to AA and slotted in the bullpen to ease him into a starting role.  In 11 appearances at age 23, he pitched 12.2 innings, gave up 15 hits, 3 HR, 8 walks and struck out 10.  Good for a 7.82 ERA to finish out the year.  Again perplexed by these results he would again start the 2018 season in A ball.  He turned 24 during the 2018 season making him one of the older players in the league.  While he did improve on his rate stats, he still gave up more hits than innings pitched and was still walking over 4 batters per 9.  

When the 2019 season rolled around, management really had no other option than let him pitch in AA.  When he was drafted, ownership pictured him starting the season in the BSA already, while in reality he barely had any success, even in A ball.  His 24-25 year old season in AA he finally started to show some promise.  Maybe it was because he was taken completely out of a starting role.  He pitched 77 games out of the bullpen, mainly in the setup role.  In 90 innings he allowed 75 hits, 41 walks and struck out 108 batters.  While still walking 4.1 batters per 9 he was back up over 10K per 9 for the first time since college.  As the 2020 season rolled around, Ciottonne was now 25, in his last half a season considered a prospect and hadn't seen AAA yet.  At this point, a 1st round pick should be considered a bust.  Gianluigi would start the year in AAA as a member of the Tuscaloosa bullpen.  He would only see 6 games before injuries on the big league club pushed him into the starting rotation.  In 32 starts he would win 10 games while posting a 5.44 ERA to go along wit ha 1.67 WHIp and a .357 BABIP.  The good news was his walks had fell below 4 per 9 for the first time in his professional career while his K's stayed at 8 per 9.  Maybe there was hope.  He was added to the 40 man roster before the Rule V draft and would head back to AAA to start the 2021 season.  In 9 starts he would go 4-1 posting a 3.67 ERA (best ever since college) as well as lowering his walks to 2.8 per 9 innings.  When Jose Lara forgot how to pitch Jersey came calling and Ciottone would make his debut.

3 days after his 27th birthday and a month short of 5 years after being drafted, Ciottone started against Madison and while he didn't earn the win he pitched 6.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 8 hits while walking 3 and striking out 2.  He would go on to win his next 4 starts and would undeafeated in his first 7 starts compiling a 4-0 record.  Ciottone would  go through a rough patch in his next starts giving up at least 5 ER in all 4 going 1-3 before just last week having the best start of his career.  Against division rival St. Louis, the team Jersey is also chasing for the Wild Card, Gianluigi would throw his first career complete game, holding the Browns to 1 run on 6 hits, walking just 1 while striking out 4 in a 7-1 win.  In 12 starts for Jersey he has a record of 6-3 a 4.06 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.  

While it may have taken a lot longer than expected and while he isn't an ace the 1st round pick of 2016 looks like it is finally starting to pay off.  One interesting fact about Gianluigi is that since being draft in ever level he has never had a BABIP lower than .310 and has had a FIP lower than his ERA in every single stop he has made along the way.  That's 8 stops including this year in the BSA.  Does he have misleading numbers? Is the defense that bad?  Is he just unlucky?  It's really hard to say at this point.  If he keeps it up though he will find a spot in the Jersey rotation for the foreseeable future though.  He is set to pitch against the Titans in today's sim down in Toronto against a tough lineup.  With both teams looking for a win to stay in the playoff picture we will see how he succumbs to the pressure.

GO D-BAGS