Jersey Clinches Playoff Spot Despite Decimated Starting Rotation

Jose Ramos, Roland Martin, Ramon Ruiz, Sergio Martinez and Stephen Puckett.  The forceful rotation that was set to lead the Jersey Shore D-Bags to the playoffs and contend for their first BSA title.  That's what many of fans and management alike saw heading into Spring Training for the 2026 BSA season.  Fast forward to today, just 7 days left in the regular season and the D-Bags have clinched a playoff spot, but the starting rotation wasn't how they got there.  

The injuries started on April 27th, when 5th starter and former Vista Panther, Cristobal Santos would leave a home game in the 2nd inning against Chicago with immense pain his shoulder.  Jersey trainers were hoping it was a sprain, but news quickly came that he had a partially torn labrum which would require surgery and keep Santos out of action up to 4 months.  To the DL goes Santos.

The D-Bags would promote super prospect Stephen Puckett to take his place and hopefully cement his place in the rotation for years to come.  Everything was going smoothly especially with Jersey Shore up in 1st place in the CL East until June 6th when Puckett left a contest against the Madison Bombers with discomfort in his elbow.  A worst case scenario was soon found out as Puckett would need surgery to remove bone spur from the elbow on his pitching arm.  Best case scenario following surgery was a 4-5 month time frame, which would put Puckett out for the rest of the season.

Before the D-Bags had time to re-group, just 4 days later, 15 game winner from 2025 Ramon Ruiz would be pulled after 2 innings against Chicago and not return.  Similar results would come back and Ruiz would require surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow and would miss the rest of the season and could possibly push into Spring Training.  What now?

With AAA also having a few injuries and the talent level barren, the D-Bags looked outside the organization and quickly sparked up a trade with the Vista Panthers.  Jersey would bring in veteran starting pitchers Jesse Green and Jose Zamora looking to patch the rotation.  To Vista went promising former 1st round pitching prospect Sloan Sanders, who at the time was dominating single-A pitching.  Though neither were world beaters, Green and Zamora slotted into the 4th and 5th rotation slots.

With a strong bullpen and very strong offense, the D-Bags would trudge on through the summer months with the CL East lead in hand.  On August 17th, Santos was sent to AAA for rehab and was recalled to the big club on September 7th.  He was slotted back into the rotation and Zamora would head to the bullpen, though this wouldn't last long.

Just 10 days later staff ace and one of the team captains, 3 time 20 game winner Jose Ramos would leave a game with the Kings in the 2nd inning.  Jersey brass feared the worst and soon received news that Ramos would be on the shelf for 3 months with bad elbow inflammation, effective ending his season.  Since then the D-Bags have gone 3-7, coughing up the division lead.

With a week to play, the D-Bags who have clinched a playoff spot, trail their arch rival Greenville 84er's by 2 games and eye the playoffs down their top 2 starters and their ace young gun who they had such high hopes for.  If the season ended today Jersey would host division rival St. Louis in the best of 3 Wild Card round with a win pitting them against the best team and a similiar built team in the Springfield Stars.  For the D-Bags to advance deep into the playoffs, they must have Roland Martin and Sergio Martinez step up and lead this staff as winning slugfests in the playoffs are not how you win ballgames.

Can the D-Bags do it?  Of course.  Is the road a tough and very uncertain one?  Very much so.  

GO D-BAGS

Li-xue Si-ma Jersey's Best Pitcher?

On Saturday Li-xue Si-ma was named the winner of the Pitcher of the Month award winner for the month of May in the CL.  During the month Si-ma started 6 games, going 5-0, giving up only 20 hits in 43.2 IP while walking 15 and striking out 29 batters.  It was his first such honor in his career and those 5 wins were nearly 30% of Jersey's 18 wins during the month.  But where did this come from?

Si-ma signed a 2 year deal with Jersey Shore this past offseason after spending the rest of his career in Maui.  Last season he went 11-7 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.6 WAR.  Jersey signed Si-ma to be the 5th starter and more of a place holder until top pitching prospect Stephen Puckett was ready to join the rotation.  Now let's look into the numbers.

On the season Si-ma is 7-0 through 10 starts and has a BSA low 1.24 ERA to go with a 0.90 WHIP.  While he is striking out 6.0 batters per 9 innings which is right along with his career average, his BB/9 sits at 2.9 which is nearly a full walk below his career numbers.  Batters are also hitting a BSA low .169 against him.  Is it all good pitching, or is he getting lucky?  His FIP currently sits at 3.60 which is 2 runs higher than his actual ERA and .70 better than his career norms.  The number that really stands out is his .197 BABIP which is absurd and very not sustainable.

While I think everyone in Jersey does not expect Si-ma to continue this amazing season, with Jose Ramos struggling to the tune of 6-4 with a 3.99 ERA, Si-ma has helped pick up the pieces and keep Jersey near the top of a crowded playoff race.  Currently the D-Bags sit 3rd in the CL East and are 3 games behind the division leading Greenville 84's and 1.5 games behind the St. Louis Browns. In the Wild Card race, they are currently tied with the Portland Philosopher Kings for the 2nd wild card spot.  With the added playoff spot the CL is shaping up to be a great race and probably won't be settled until very late in the season.

GO D-BAGS

Meet the 2024 Pitching Staff

2023 saw the Jersey Shore D-Bags take another deep run into the playoffs before eventually falling to the World Champions Greenville 84's.  While only losing one piece of the staff in the off-season, the staff remains nearly unchanged. 

Starting Pitching - Bags bring back the Big 4 with a new face

SP Jose Ramos - Coming off a 24 win season and 2nd in the Cy Young voting, this is the first year in his $163M contract.  Ace.

SP Roland Martin - 2022 Rookie of the Year and 17 game winner last season, Martin is a budding star.  With a devastating change-up, he and Ramos make a mean 1-2 punch.

SP Ramon Ruiz - Hard throwing lefty who struggled last season after 2 good years.  Control will always be his issue, but has the stuff to strikeout 10/9 and be a great 3.

SP Sergio Martinez - Martinez has won at least 14 starts in 5 straight years now and rounds out a very good 1-4 staff.  He is in a contract year and it will be interesting to see if this is his last year in Jersey.

SP Li-Xue Si-ma - With SP Gianluigi Ciotton being selected in the expansion draft to Nassau, the D-Bags looked to free agency to fill their #5 spot.  Si-ma has previously won 14 games on 2 occasions in Maui and came over on a cheap 2 year deal.  He walks a lot but does keep the ball in the ballpark.

The Bullpen 

MR Angel Lara - Had an awful 2023 but won the job in ST.  Hits 99 with his fastball but needs to improve on his K/BB which was less than 2.

MR John Hall - Groundball pitcher with a good fastball.  Had his best season as a pro last year and will work middle relief.

MR Luis Cortez - 29 year old righty coming off 3 straight solid years.  Won't overpower many hitters, but does have a tricky curveball in his arsenal, will also work the middle innings.

MR Claude Pinard - Left handed power arm who had 129 K's in 105 innings last year.  Historically has been tougher on righties than lefties.  His sinker is his out pitch and home runs off of him is a rarity.

MR Hyo-chin Kim - At 27, Kim is probably one of the best non-closers in the BSA.  Career 3.03 ERA in 424 appearances and is only 27 years old.  Coming off two sub-1.80 ERA years and will act as the set-up man.

CL Gerald Johnson - With back-to-back All Star appearances, Johnson is becoming one of the premier closers in baseball.  He led the league with 42 saves last season while striking out more than 13 batters per 9.  

In the Wings 

SP Stephen Puckett - Former 2nd round pick out of High School, Puckett had a full year of AAA last season with decent results.  He may not be ready now, but could be an injury fill in and possibly a staple in the rotation as soon as next year.

MR Gil Dickson - Dickson looked good and improved in what very little time he got after missing most of all 2023 to injury.  If he can limit walks he should be an average reliever down the road.

MR Jonathan Phillips - Very hard throwing 25 year old right hander who can hit triple digits.  He struck out 171 batters in 108 innings last year in AAA, but managed to walk 81 as well.  Don't be surprised if he is the first reliever up this season.

MR Alfonso Martinez - 23 year old junk ball pitcher who survives with a great change-up.  Struggled in AAA last year after walking more than 6 per 9 innings.  He is still young, but the jury is still out.

GO D-BAGS

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

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.

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 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

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

Your All-Time Jersey Shore Team

I thought this seemed like a fun idea.  To find the best team I could from former Jersey Shore teams.  Rules: You can only use a player once, regardless if he played another position.  Some decisions were tough, some were easy, but here you have it:  

SP: 2019 Jose Ramos.  23-6, 2.76 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 8.2 WAR

SP: 2014 Dan Macias. 20-8, 2.82 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 8.9 WAR

SP: 2015 Art Ellis. 13-8, 2.94 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 5.0 WAR

SP: 2019 Sergio Martinez. 17-3, 3.08 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 4.5 WAR

SP: 2017 Greg Schaefer. 18-3, 3.82 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.9 WAR

MR: 2016 Jose Gomes. 10-1, 4 saves. 1.31 ERA, 2.05 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 3.6 WAR

MR: 2014 Daniel Morris. 6-5, 31 saves.  1.52 ERA, 1.94 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 2.0 WAR

MR: 2013 Lucio Tapia. 8-1, 2 saves.  2.19 ERA, 1.77 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 3.0 WAR

MR: 2019 Jose Ruiz.  6-3, 40 saves. 2.83 ERA, 2.92 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 1.3 WAR

MR: 2013 Ciro Roghi. 1-0, 0 saves. 1.95 ERA, 2.15 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 1.2 WAR

CL: 2017 Jaime Saenz. 8-2, 49 saves.  1.94 ERA, 1.96 FIP,  0.99 WHIP, 2.8 WAR

C: 2013 Jorge Lozano. .303/.388/.511.  36 2B, 24 HR, 107 RBI, 5.1 WAR

C: 2017 Warren Goyer. .257/.329/.541. 20 2B, 42 HR, 116 RBI, 3.4 WAR

1B: 2015 Matt Doyle. .302/.386/.572.  25 2B, 44 HR, 147 RBI, 5.7 WAR

1B: 2021 Tadahisa Kisuki.  .366/.424/.560.  32 2B, 18 HR, 57 RBI, 5.7 WAR

2B: 2016 Mike Bryant.  .347/.407/.618.  48 2B, 40 HR, 158 RBI, 9.6 WAR

3B: 2015 Adam Morrow. .282/.402/.360.  31 2B, 4 HR, 61 RBI, 3.9 WAR

3B: 2012 Parker Morrow. .313/.390/.418.  29 2B, 10 HR, 62 RBI. 3.6 WAR

SS: 2020 Lawrence Schroeder.  .306/.341/.542.  27 2B, 19 HR, 74 RBI, 4.7 WAR

SS: 2011 Jerome Lindsey.  .343/.427/.480.  23 2B, 9 HR, 56 RBI, 4.2 WAR

UTIL: 2020 Fabrice Brodeur.  .325/.365/.465.  29 2B, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 3.4 WAR

OF: 2021 Dave Dodd.  .388/.455/.799.  46 HR, 119 RBI, 9.7 WAR

OF: 2011 Mason Bonniface. .328/.433/.556.  23 HR, 78 RBI, 6.1 WAR

OF: 2010 William Hinson.  .308/.404/.538.  23 HR, 91 RBI, 4.3 WAR

OF: 2013 Leon Foster.  .272/.338/.567.  33 HR, 105 RBI, 3.7 WAR

Starting Lineup:

SP: 2014 Dan Macias. 20-8, 2.82 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 8.9 WAR

1.  SS 2011 Jerome Lindsey

2. DH 2021 Tadahisa Kisuki

3. 2B 2016 Mike Bryant

4. RF 2021 Dave Dodd

5. 1B 2015 Matt Doyle

6. C 2013 Jorge Lozano

7. LF 2011 Mason Bonniface

8. CF 2013 Leon Foster

9. 3B 2015 Adam Morrow

How does your team stack up?

GO D-BAGS

Meet Your 2021 Jersey Shore D-Bags Pitching Staff

A late in season run saw Jersey Shore capture their 3rd CL Eastern Division title in 4 years and their 2nd ever World Series appearance last season.  Though they fell to Boston in 5 games, the season was considered a success and saw a lot of young players step in and make big contributions.  A year later and a new season are upon us and we have a lot of familiar faces but the staff also has a few changes.  Jersey lost 4 fairly big contributors from the past couple years.   Those names include SP Art Ellis, SP Greg Schaefer, MR Phillip Moran and MR/CL Jose Ruiz. Who will be taking their spots?  Find out below.

Pitching
Art Ellis really showed his age in the past 2 seasons and declining his large option was a no brainer for Jersey.  Greg Schaefer on the other hand wasn't the easiest decision.  Rumors have it that Jersey was in talks with Schaefer and at least 2 other clubs for a sign and trade, but nothing materialized.  Coincidentally both of these players, including MR Jose Ruiz are all with division rival Madison now.
The Rotation
Jersey brings one of the strongest rotations we have seen from them in years.  4 members are under the age of 26 and Jose Ramos is coming off his best season as a pro.  If they pitch up to their potential, Jersey should be very much in the hunt to win the East for a 4th time in 5 years.

Jose Ramos - 25 years old, IFA signing 2013 season.  Ace of the staff, 41 wins over the last 2 seasons and finished 2nd to Lebel in Cy Young voting last season.  
2020 stats: 18-5, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.27 FIP, 3.45 K/BB
Contract: $7.06M.  Signed through 2023 season.

Sergio Martinez - 24 yeras old, IFA signing 2013 season.  After great 2019 season he took a step backwards last year.  Jersey is hoping it was just a sophomore slump.  Highly talented.
2020 stats: 14-10, 4.27 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.88 FIP, 1.61 K/BB
Contract: $2.59M. Signed through 2024 season.

Ramon Ruiz - 24 years old, IFA signing 2013 season.  Ruiz got his feet wet last year getting 12 starts with mixed reviews.  He really burst onto the scene in 2019 winning 21 games in AAA after being thought of as a C type prospect.  His only downfall would seem to be his stamina.
2020 stats: 6-2, 4.46 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 3.65 FIP, 3.05 K/BB
Contract: $400K. Should become Arb eligible in 2023.

Jose Lara - 30 years old, acquired via trade with Toronto after the 2017 season.  The elder statesman of the rotation, Lara has been a polarizing, up and down starter since coming to Jersey, not what they expected when the trade was made.
2020 stats: 12-10, 5.70 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 5.14 FIP, 2.23 K/BB
Contract: $15M.  Signed through 2023 season,

Javier Garcia - 24 years old, acquired via trade with Vista during 2015 season.  A strong spring training won the 5th spot for Garcia this year.  After 3 straight years of striking out 225+ batters in AAA he got 3 starts last year for Jersey.  Probably not a long term option, but can throw heat.
2020 stats: 1-1, 5.12 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 4.18 FIP, 2.75 K/BB
Contract: $400K.  Should be arb eligible in 2024.

The Bullpen
The only loss in a fairly inexperienced pen was Ruiz but Jersey had the man power in AAA to replace him internally.   Mungo's option was picked up to anchor the bullpen as it should be one of the team's strong points again this season.

Jaime Saenz - 35 years old, re-acquired via trade with Baffin Island during the 2020 season.  The 2021 season will be the 10th Saenz will appear in Jersey.  One of the better relievers in the game and hardest throwing pitchers.
2020 stats: 6-3, 35 saves.  2.43 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1.99 FIP, 4.95 K/BB.
Contract: $9M.  Signed through the 2021 season.

Gerald Johnson - 25 years old, drafted 2015 in 1st compensatory round.  Johnson is a closer in the wings, who is said to have one of the better fastballs in the league.  Likes to keep the ball on the ground, only flaw is he lacks control at times.
2020 stats: 7-2, 10 saves.  2.45 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 2.76 FIP, 3.45 K/BB.
Contract: $1.04M.  Signed through the 2025 season.

Angel Lara - 25 years old, signed as an IFA 2013 season.  Hard throwing right hander and 2021 will be his 4th season in the Jersey pen.  Like Johnson, groundball pitcher who avoids giving up the long ball.
2020 stats: 5-4, 2 saves.  3.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.18 FIP, 2.42 K/BB.
Contract: $820K.  Signed through the 2022 season.

Hyo-chin Kim - 24 years old, signed a MLC during 2013 season.  After tearing his UCL in spring training of the 2019 season and missing the entire year, he came back in 2020 and the best season of his career.  This will be his 5th season in the pen and could be a future closer.
2020 stats: 6-1, 2 saves.  2.43 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.78 FIP, 5.71 K/BB
Contract: $1.49M.  Signed though the 2026 season.

Luis Cortez - 26 years old, received via trade with Vista during the 2014 season.  Talented hurler spending his 4th year as part of the Jersey pen, but has never pitched a full year, always bounced between Jersey and AAA.  Out of options so it's time to put up numbers.
2020 stats: 0-1, 1 save.  5.14 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 5.63 FIP, 2.00 K/BB
Contract: $400K.  Should be arb eligible in 2023. 

Claude Pinard - 27 years old, drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft.  Pinard is a true rookie after taking a couple extra years to reach the pros.  Was great last year as the closer in AAA and impressed in spring training.
2020 stats (AAA): 7-3, 16 saves.  2.45 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 3.05 FIP, 3.17 K/BB
Contract: $400K.  Should become arb eligible in 2024.

Yin-zeng Zong - 30 years old, drafted in the 7th round of the 2013 draft.  Zong is the only 7th round pick from 2013 to see major league action.  Put up his best numbers as a pro last season and throws very hard.
2020 stats: 3-1.  1.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 3.58 FIP, 2.78 K/BB
Contract: $830K. Signed through 2023 season.

There you have it.  Your 2021 Jersey Shore pitching staff.  The 12 man rotation is a lot for the D-Bags who usually only carry 11 men.  There are a few options in AAA including top prospect SP Roland Martin if injuries or poor play arise.  Can this staff be one of the best in the CL?  Only time will tell.

GO D-BAGS

2020 Season Overview; The Jersey Offense

After an exciting back and forth season full of good performances and ending with a division title, comeback playoff series wins and disappointing showing in the World Series the 2020 season as a whole can only be called a success.  Yes, the ultimate goal to bring the first championship to the Jersey Shore didn't happen, but the D-Bags did win the CL Crown for the 2nd time in 11 years and the CL East crown for the 3rd time.

Instead of breaking down the games and playoff series, we will look at the roster as a whole.  The first segment we will break down the offense.

With the addition of some young players, a FA acquisition and big time stars Jersey put up an offensive show for the ages in 2020.  With a combined slugging percentage of .486, this Jersey Shore team slugged higher than anytime in the history of the BSA and it's 244 HR were 2nd only to the 2018 Greenville 84's.  They lead the CL in batting average, OPS, hits, extra base hits and runs to go with the HR.  In a league and especially in a division that is known for it's hitting Jersey bested them all.  The team had 9 players in double digit HR's and 5 of them slugged 20 or more this season.  The team also boasted 7 players who hit 29 or more doubles, a category in which they lead the CL with 327.  

The Stars

The offense was led by the team's best player two-time MVP Mike Bryant.  At age 32 he showed small signs of slowing down but still led the team with 40 HR and 133 RBI.  It was the first year in his career that he failed to secure 200 hits and hit .300, but still managed 64.1 VORP and 6 WAR.  Not to be out shined, but a slow first half "slowed" down up and coming superstar Dave Dodd hit 39 doubles, 37 HR and knocked in 117 runs to finish a little behind last year which was his best season in the pros.  His 6.7 WAR was a team best and reduced his strikeouts for the 4th year in a row.

The Career Year

When you have an offense that helps break records you have to have career years as well.  Jersey got just that from their 28 year old SS Lawrence Schroeder playing in his 4th full season as a starter.  He had a career year across the board posting a .306/.341/.542 line with a career best 132 OPS+ and 4.7 WAR.  His 50 doubles was a career high and good for the 2nd in the league and he hadn't missed a month during the year his HR and RBI totals would have been a career high as well.  2nd year starter 

The Breakout Year

In his 2nd year as a full time starter, former 1st round pick, Fabrice Brodeur had that breakout year for the team.  Starting mainly at 3B he played above average defense while posting a line of .325/.365/.465 and finishing the season with 155 hits and 52 extra base hits mainly hitting towards the bottom of the order.  If he would have gotten just 18 more plate appearances he would have been eligible for the batting title and would have finished 5th in the CL in hitting.

The Rookie

What's a successful offense without a hot hitting rookie?  For Jersey it was 1B Tadahisa Kisuki.  After mashing in AAA over a span of 3 seasons he got the call and started from day 1.  His 30 HR and 105 RBI both ranked 2nd on the team and he led the team with 189 hits.  At only 24 years old he looks like he could be a force in the league for a long time.  With his 30 2B and 30 HR, he becomes on the 4th player in franchise history to hit the 30-30 mark behind Bryant, Dodd and Matt Doyle

The Acquisition

After hitting 38 HR in 2019 it was a little surprising that D-Bags signed 31 year catcher Fernando Ramos formerly of the Boston Rebels.  GM Swain must have seen something we didn't.  While they split time very evenly behind the plate, Ramos had a career year while only getting 305 AB.  He posted a line of .298/.396/.577 hitting 24 HR.  A full season of that he is posting 6.5 WAR and hitting nearly 50 HR.  With Goyer being a pending free agent, all signs point at Ramos being a full time starter next season.

GO D-BAGS

Superstar in the Making?;Meet Rookie Ricardo Berroa

Not really too surprising but in his 2+ months in the big leagues, rookie Ricardo Berroa is excelling and adding another dangerous bat into an already potent offense in Jersey Shore.  He was called up June 21st to play mainly against right handed pitching and hasn't looked back since.  He started his career with a 16 game hit streak and through 49 games played and 194 plate appearances, Berroa has a line of .324/.387/.497 to go along with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 3 home runs and 6 stolen bases.  

Berroa was discovered by scouts early in the 2016 season in Cuba and began his ascent through the Jersey Shore farm system.  He came out of the gates a raw but talented 19 year old and was named the #22 prospect in all the BSA by the OSA scouting department prior to the 2017 season.  That season he would go on to have a monster season in A ball putting up a 5.9 WAR and rightfully earned promotion to AA the following year.

As a 21 year old in AA, he would top his monster year in A ball by posting a 6.1 WAR to go with his .562 slugging percentage and 49 doubles.  Jersey knew they had something special in Berroa.  He was kept in AA the first month and a half of the 2019 season before being promoted to AAA Tuscaloosa.  He would struggle adjusting to AAA pitching at first, but ended the 2019 season with a .273/.398/.528 in 66 games.  

With a crowded outfield in Jersey Shore which included Vancini, Dodd, Torres, and Ibarra, Jersey chose not to invite Berroa to spring training and named him the starting LF in Tuscaloosa.  The first 2.5 months of this season showed Jersey management they had no choice but to promote him.  Berroa was hitting a career high .351 to go with an outstanding .466 on base percentage and an OPS of 1.207 when he got the call to the big league club.  It was also the first time in his career where his walks would out number his strikeouts. 

Combined with Jersey's 24 year old rookie starting 1B Tadahisa Kisuki and their trio of young starting pitchers in Jose Ramos, Sergio Martinez and Ramon Ruiz the future is bright for the D-Bags. Though it seems like he has been on the team forever as well, Dave Dodd is just 26 and on pace for another 5.5+ WAR season.  So while the days of the solid core of Bryant/Perez/Morrow/Ellis get older this new group of core players look to help Jersey remain competitive well beyond the foreseeable future and hopefully for the next decade.

GO D-BAGS

Jersey Pitching Sizzles in July; Ramos Takes Home Award

It was a great month for the Jersey Shore D-Bags, whom at the end of July saw themselves with a 3 game lead over slumping St. Louis in the CL East.  While the bats continue to lead the league in most offensive categories, it was the pitching that came through to drive Jersey Shore to an 18-5, easily their best of the season.  The starters combined to go 16-4 with 15 quality starts, 3 complete games and 1 personal shutout to go with another team shutout.  

Ace Jose Ramos led the way, being named the Pitcher of the Month for the CL, the 4th time in his career he has been donned with that honor.  He won all 5 starts he had in July, getting a quality start for every one of them and averaging a little over 8 innings per start.  His final numbers for the month: 5 starts, 5-0, 41.2 IP, 1.51 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 21 K's to go along with just 5 BB. With a 13-4 record and league leading 2.34 ERA he might have a chance to catch up with Toronto phenom Albert Lebel in the Cy Young race who is out for the next 2-3 weeks.

Not only was Ramos perfect for Jersey, but we saw glimpses of the Jose Lara of old as he went 6-0 for the month, winning everyone of his starts as well, including a 109 piece masterpiece on 7/7 against Chicago.  Lara threw his first shutout since 2014 and it was the 14th complete game of his career.  His final numbers for the month: 6 starts, 6-0, 40.1 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 34 K's.  Before the month began Lara was 2-6 with a nasty high ERA of 7.20.  Through his 6 starts in July he lowered that to 5.64.  While Lara is still only a fraction of the Lara we saw in Boston, stretches like this give Jersey fans hope that he can make some meaningful starts down the stretch and help lead Jersey back to the playoffs.

Is Art Ellis's job in trouble?  After bouncing back somewhat from a horrible 2019 campaign, veteran Art Ellis had a good April and May before slipping in June and having a fairly terrible July.  In his last 4 starts, though he is only responsible for a 0-1 record, he hasn't gotten out of the 5th inning and twice hasn't even gotten out of the 3rd.  The almost 35 year old is making $12.25 million this year and has a team option for $14.75 million next year.  At this point that option being picked up has to have a very slim chance of happening.  24 year old Ramon Ruiz who has ripped up AAA pitching this year, but struggled through 4 big league starts is slated to come off the DL this week and with a couple more bad Ellis starts.....could a change be made?  If Jersey remains in a tight race down the stretch can they really send a struggling Ellis who has obviously lost a step and several MPH off of that fastball?  As much as we would hate to see him go out on a low note....Ellis's days in Jersey might be limited.

GO D-BAGS

Jersey and Baffin Make Deal; Mungo Coming Home

After 8 seasons in Jersey blue, Jamie "Mungo" Saenz became a free agent and eventually signed a 3 year, $19 million dollar deal to switch coasts and pitch for the Seattle Pikes.  Jersey was the only team and organization he had ever known after joining the Jersey organization in April 2010.  Ownership wanted to keep him but salary restraints and the fact that the D-Bags have a knack for producing a high level of major league quality middle relief pitching, the fans had to watch their closer, 2-time All-Star and 2017 Reliever of the Year leave.

Jose Ruiz stepped in last year, saved 40 games and was elected to the All-Star team.  He struggled this season blowing 2 saves and having 4 losses pinned on him before handing the reigns to the young Gerald "Top Dog" Johnson.   While Johnson has an electric fastball that can reach 99 on the gun, first time closing duties aren't always a success. Johnson was lights out as the setup man before taking over the closer role.  Since he has blown 5 of 14 save chances and left GM Josh Swain with question marks what to do with his closer role.  The team's 15 blown saves leads the entire BSA, and in a race as tight as we have this season, losing games in 8th and 9th is not something a team like Jersey can afford to do.

In a casual conversation with Aaron Blank, GM of the Baffin Island Beavers, Blank made a comment on how old his relief pitching had gotten. With Daniel Morris and Saenz at 34, Tapia at 35, J-Rod and James Kelly 33, and Pedro Castillo at 31, the bulk of the relief corps is 33 or over.  With the Beavers struggling mightily this year, and at the time were sitting 15+ games under .500, Swain simply asked about Saenz and his large $9M dollar team option for next season.  Talks progressed and eventually a deal was in place for Mungo to be sent back to Jersey for a pair of young middle relievers.  

Those relievers are Pedro Vega and Antonio Ramos.  Vega was discovered as an 18 year old in 2013 and has slowly worked his way up through the Jersey system spending multiple seasons at every level before seeing action in the Jersey bullpen last season as a 24 year old.  Now at age 25, Vega throws 2 above average pitches and his fastball reaches the mid-to-upper 90's.  His arm isn't nearly as live as Saenz's arm, but at 10 years younger he could be a nice cheap bullpen fixture on a team who will probably have to re-tool their bullpen in the near future. 

Ramos actually came from Baffin Island when Jersey traded starting pitcher Dan Macias to the Beavers after the 2017 season.  Macias would pitch one year in Baffin before deciding to hang them up.  Ramos is also 25 and your typical hard throwing bullpen arm.  He has averaged just a shade under 12 K/9 in his minor league career and his knack has been giving up the long ball, but being in Baffin should help that tremendously. 

For all intents and purposes this move for Jersey looks like a rental, as Saenz's $9 million dollar option next season seems like a stretch for Jersey to be picked up, but if Saenz keeps up his great numbers he has put up in Seattle and Baffin this year, you never know what will happen.  For the season Mungo's stat line looks like: 4-2, 15 saves. 1.93 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and is striking out 11.6 K/9.  He will step into the closer's role immediately and being added to the CL's 2nd best bullpen (statistically wise) should make a good pen even better.

"We hope this is a move that helps push us over the hump," GM Swain exclaimed, "If we had only won a third of those 15 blown saves we would be sitting in 1st place with the best record in the CL.  The fans are excited to have him back and the veterans are as well."  Saenz will go back and wear his #99 jersey that he wore for all 8 seasons in Jersey.  Welcome back Jaime!

GO D-BAGS

Interesting Start in Jersey & an Interesting Season for The BSA

23 games into the 2020 season and what is going on?  The Frenzy, Bombers, and Stars sit in first place while the Titans, Beavers and 84's all occupy the cellars in their respected divisions.   Scott Hill is lost for the season and All-Stars John Doby, Al Mills, Zach Hutchinson and Kyuso Fujita are all hitting under .200.  This is The BSA this season.

Meanwhile in Jersey, it has been an up and down 3 weeks to start this season.  The top of the rotation has been excellent.  Jose Ramos and Sergio Martinez account for half of Jersey's wins though both have been blown up once this season. They have a combined record of 6-3 and includes one of Jose Ramos's better starts in his career when he struck out a career high 13 Pikes in his last start against Seattle.  On the other hand the older veterans have been.....terrible and that's putting it lightly.  After an injury riddled season which looked like he was getting back on track, Jose Lara has nearly a 9.50 ERA after 4 starts and has given up 5 or more ER in each of his starts.  Greg Schaefer finally showed life in his last start going 8 shutout innings, but before that he had only gotten out of the 4th inning once in 4 starts.  The good news for the staff is the bullpen leads the CL with a 3.09 ERA, even though they account for 4 losses and 3 blown saves.

Offense has been the tell tale story of the D-Bags season though.  Jersey has scored at least 2 runs in every game this season and in 6 of their 11 losses they have scored 4 or more runs.  In 11 of their 12 wins they have scored 4 or more runs that that includes scoring 8 runs, 6 or more times.  The offense is Top 5 in almost every major offense category, which is a good sign considering Dave Dodd, John Warner and Fransisco Ibarra are all hitting under .220 for the year.

While those 3 have been bad, there have been some very good though.  Lawrence Schroeder is out of the gate scorching hot hitting .393/.446/.786 and has 19 extra base hits in 22 games.  He has hit safely in 20 of those 22 games and leads the CL in OPS and is 2nd in batting average and batter WAR.  After ripping through AAA pitching for 2+ seasons Tadahisa Kisuki is off to a great start to his major league career as well.  He is acting a platoon with John Warner at 1B/DH and hitting mostly out of the 2 hole has put up a .309/.350/.443 line while adding 5 doubles, a triple and 2 HR.  

Rumors out of Jersey is that we will probably see SP Ramon Ruiz sooner than later.  After a very rough Spring Training he has completely dominated AAA in 4 starts to a tune of a 4-0 record, 0.59 ERA, 0.68 ERA while striking out 32 batters and walking 3 in 30.1 IP.  Jersey is almost ready to welcome back hard throwing lefty Hyo-Chin Kim who had suffered a torn UCL tear early in last season's spring training and has missed nearly 14 months time.  He has been rehabbing in AAA and has looked better and better and would be a much welcome addition to the bullpen.  

All things considered, it has been a decent start for Jersey who is more known for stumbling out of the gate than coming out hot.  They sit 3 games out of first place and 1 game out of the wild card.  The D-Bags would prefer to sit back in the shadows than be up at the top with a target on their backs because we have seen that movie before.  Let's hope for a strong close the month and a head of steam going into May.

GO D-BAGS

Ramos Masterful; Jersey Takes 1-0 Series Lead

Jose Ramos showed today why he is one of the favorites to take home the CL Cy Young Award and why he is considered one of the best starters in the BSA.  Ramos sprinkled 4 hits in a complete game, giving up 1 earned run on a 5th inning Kevin Beasley single, walking no one and striking out 7 in a 120 pitch performance.  Only 5 balls left the infield all day, as Ramos induced 15 groundballs, including a double play. 

Ramos was aided by 11 hits by the offense, including back to back to back singles in the 4th to tie the game and 3 singles and an error in the 5th which would put the D-Bags up for good.  For the most part starting pitcher Albert Lebel for Toronto kept Jersey guessing all day, striking out 9 in 6.2 innings.  On the 10 hits that Lebel surrendered  only 1 went for extra bases.  Lebel got in trouble when he gave up multiple hits as he did in all 3 innings that Jersey scored in.  Dave Dodd added a solo HR in the 8th inning for extra measure making the score 5-1 which would be the final.

Ramos brings up his post season record to 2-5 with the win.  He had hard two years against against Austin where he went 1-2 despite only giving up 3 ER and only allowing 12 hits in 19 innings pitched.  This was Lebel's 1st post season loss after going 2-0 in 5 starts in Toronto's World Series run last season.  For the 2019 season this marked the 4th time Jersey has beaten Lebel this season.

Game 2 in Jersey Shore features SP Tim Harmon for Toronto vs. SP Sergio Martinez for Jersey

GO D-BAGS

D-Bags Send 5 to All-Star Game

During a bounce back season from what we want to forget about 2018, Jersey Shore sent 5 players to the All-Star game this year which was played in Boston.  1 All-Star game staple, 1 2nd year selection and 3 new-comers made up this year's class.  Though no one was voted in as a starter, it was the tied for the 2nd most players Jersey has ever sent to the mid-summer classic only trailing 2017 where the D-Bags sent 6 players.  

2B Mike Bryant: .318/.400/.533, 17 2B, 17HR, 66 RBI.  Bryant's 6th full year in the league and his 6th All-Star game appearance.  One of 7 players ever to make 6 or more All-Star games.  With Jeff Cole coming over to the CL, the reigning MVP Jorge Martinez playing for Seattle and 2 time batting champ Joe Sanders.....2B is a crowded position this year in the CL.  Byrant hasn't dissapointed though, having a very Bryant-like season, despite the HR being slightly down.  He is currently 2nd in the CL and hits, total bases and RBI.

SP Jose Ramos: 12-4, 3.42 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.95 fIP.  After missing most of the 2018 season with injury, Ramos has found his 2016-2017 form and has come out of the gate strong here in 2019.  Ramos leads the league in BB/9 and is 2nd in FIP, wins and WAR.  If Jersey is going to stay atop or near the top of the CL East for the rest of the season they will be relying on their ace to keep it up.

SP Sergio Martinez: 11-1, 2.74 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 4.06 FIP.  After being called up at 22 years old for a spot start last season, he won the job and pitched well down the stretch in 11 starts.  This year starting the year off in the rotation, Martinez has been very good.  Sure he has been a little lucky and bailed out by his defense, but is getting a quality start at over a 70% clip, has hurled one shutout and has won 11 of his 17 starts.  At only 23 years of age this could be the first of many All-Star nods for Martinez.

MR/CL Jose Ruiz: 4-1, 23 saves.  2.41 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.99 FIP.  Being named the closer this off season, Ruiz knew he would have to be good to keep that job with a very talented bullpen.  He has been that more so far.  Leading the CL in saves with 23, he has converted 23 of 27 saves and is striking out over a batter per inning.  In the total of 10 years in the league, this is the 7th time Jersey has had a bullpen arm represented in the ASG.

RF Dave Dodd: .294/.366/.571.  23 2B, 21 HR, 66 RBI.  After predicting big things out of Dodd for the 3rd year in a row now, at age 25 it looks like he is finally maturing into a dangerous hitter.  He currently leads the CL in total bases, is 2nd in slugging and tied for 3rd in HR and RBI.  Maybe most importantly his strikeouts are down again for the 2nd straight year and his numbers across the board are up, including AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS.  A good finish and he could finish above Bryant in VORP, which no player has done since 2013, Bryant's rookie season in which he only played in 91 games.

5 All-Stars and a handful of very good candidates to go with a 2 game lead in the East at the break.  A very good start for the D-Bags. There are a lot of games to go yet this season, anything can still happen

GO D-BAGS

Sergio Martinez; Jersey's Next Ace?

Signed as a 16 year old in March of 2013 as a international free agent out of Puerto Rico, Sergio Martinez looked like a kid who possibly had a chance at securing a bullpen job if everything went right and he could stay in the minor leagues.  Equipped with 2 above average pitches but little control he was mature beyond his age and was almost immediately put into AA only after 11 innings in A ball.  He took his lumps in AA ball and became a staple in the Gainesville rotation......for 5 different seasons.  

In 2013 he walked more batters than he struck out at a 0.62 K/BB rate, had an ERA north of 5.40 and was the youngest player on the roster.  Fast forward to 2017, he struck nearly twice the batters he walked, compiled an ERA of 3.81 and a FIP even lower when he finally got the call to AAA for good.  In 26 AAA starts over the next 14 months he would post a FIP of 3.10 on way to 150 strikeouts with 68 walks.  A better rate than he posted in an of his full AA years.  

It wasn't suppose to happen in 2018.  Jersey Shore had a deep staff and Martinez was only 22.  Pre-season rankings had him ranked 8th on the depth chart.  Injuries to Ramos and Burgess combined with ineffective pitching by Goodship caused a temporary turned permanent call up for Martinez in July.  In 11 starts last season, Sergio went 5-3, had an ERA of 3.65, WHIP of 1.35 and was one of the few brights spots on a disastrous season for Jersey Shore.

Martinez began the season as the 6th man in a 6 man rotation but 3 weeks into the season, seasoned veteran Jose Lara went down with a 3+ month injury which assured Martinez a spot for the remained of the season.    So far in 2019 Martinez has been stellar and leading the staff in most categories.  He is  6-1, an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.37.  His promising start has made us look into what the future of Jersey pitching will look like.  With Jose Ramos being young and great, he should anchor the staff for years to come.  But with Art Ellis showing his age, Jerry Burgess in the last guaranteed year of his contract, Jose Lara's terrible season last year and Greg Schaefer not looking like the pitcher who won 18 games just 2 years go.....Martinez seems heir apparent to the #2 on this staff far earlier than anyone could have expected.  With Ramon Ruiz shooting up the prospect rankings inside the Top 100, Jersey looks to have a solid young trio to build around in the next wave of the league.

It's uncertain to how far along Sergio Martinez is to reaching his full potential, but what he has shown us in his short big league career is he very well could be the next star in Jersey.  

Jersey Sends 3 to All-Star Game; Jose Ramos Timeline

For the 7th year in a row Jersey Shore has sent multiple people to represent the team in the annual All Star game.  The contest was held earlier this month on the 9th of July.  The CL team behind very strong pitching blanked the NL All-Stars 2-0, in only their 2nd win in the series. Representing Jersey Shore were 2B Mikey Bryant, C Warren Goyer and SP Jerry Burgess.

After a terrible start Bryant and a terrible month of April, Bryant stepped up his game like we have seen him time and time again and won Player of the Month for the CL in the month of May.  Even with his hot May and above average June he was still on the cusp of not making the team due to Jorge Martinez's MVP type season and the continued success of Joe Sanders.  Bryant was rewarded one of the last spots on the team.  This is Bryant's 5th selection to the AS team, putting him in some very good company beside some of the BSA's best players.

Goyer has obviously liked his time he has spent in Jersey.  After becoming the team's starting backstop last year and making his 1st AS team on the way to 40+ HR, he followed that up this season with his 2nd straight AS game nod.  While he isn't on pace to best 40 HR again, he has been quite consistent.  In all 3 months thus far this season he has clubbed 6 HR and between 15-18 RBI.  At his current pace he would hit 36 HR and drive in 96 runs.  

The last of the 3 All Stars took a different road to get there.  After trading for SP Jerry Burgess from El Paso in 2015, Jersey was hoping they were getting a legitimate SP to join Macias and Ellis.  Burgess pitched good enough down the stretch and in the playoffs to earn a 5 year extension that off season, and that's when his well documented struggles started.  2016 was a trying year where his control was almost completely lost.  He only started 22 games and came out of the bullpen 12 times to a ERA of 5.20 plus and Jersey wondered what to do with him.  He cleared waivers before the playoffs last year and started this year in the bullpen with Jersey's plethora of starting pitching.  He entered the bullpen when Jose Ramos went down with injury and hasn't looked back since.  While his control is has not been great, it's better than his career average and he is striking out people at all time high.  He leads all starters in the BSA with 11.39 K/9 and only trails Lebel of Toronto and Haynes of LA in strikeouts this season.  For this Burgess has earned his first career nod to the AS game. 

Speaking of the injury who allowed Burgess another change at the starting rotation, Jose Ramos will start his injury rehab tonight after missing 4 months with a torn labrum in his shoulder.  With Jersey in a very tight 5-team race, it couldn't have come at a better team.  GM Swain said that a timetable for his return isn't known yet, but depends on results we see from Ramos in AAA.  What we know from previous rehab stints is Ramos will not be rushed, and could use the entire 30 day rehab limit on pitchers.   Even if Ramos does use the full 30 days he would return towards the end of August and have 5.5-6 weeks to help his team down the stretch.  Swain has said that this will likely be the teams "trade deadline" move as no other big moves plan on being made.

As of right now, July 25th, Jersey is tied for the WC lead with fellow division rival St. Louis and Vista/Seattle.  They are 1 game up on Toronto and 2 up on Kansas City.  This looks like it might come down to one of the better races we have seen in the BSA thus far.  

GO D-BAGS