Although the team is not going with a complete youth movement, there will be a shuffle to both the pitching staff and position players. Oscar Wheeler and Ben Moody are staying put, despite their popularity in trade offers that St. Charles has received the past couple of seasons. Both pitchers started 33 games, and Wheeler led the team in wins (15) and ERA (2.69) last season, while Moody had more strikeouts (283 in 247.2 innings) and narrowly edged him out with the better WHIP (0.94).
In the bullpen, Jeff Lynn and Alex Villegas were the workhorse pitchers for the Sheens, appearing in 88 and 75 games, respectively. Lynn had a quality sophomore season, going 11-8 with 10 saves, while allowing just 90 hits and 29 walks in 103 innings (1.16 WHIP). Villegas, meanwhile, took a minor step back from his 2026 numbers, and it's obvious that the righty flamethrower needs to work on his control, as he nearly allowed a walk per inning.
As for position players, Juan Jose Rojas is penned in at catcher, but his backup has yet to be determined. Rojas hit .300 last season, and his work with the pitching staff has never been questioned. The Sheens have a glut of talent at first base, with the veteran Judson Backstrom grooming the young guns, Stan Bates and Larry Howard. Fans in St. Charles have started to demand that Henry Copeland, a living legend in Vancouver, spend a full season in St. Charles to see if he can put his power to use against BSA pitching.
The Sheens gave Miguel Palacios a taste of the big leagues in 2027, and the young second baseman has a good chance at spending all of 2028 with the Sheens. That might mean that Kel Pierce will return to the bench, although Pierce put up decent numbers when given an opportunity to start, hitting .288 in 92 games. Gene Cooper was a reliable fielder at shortstop for the Sheens, however his batting stats took a dip in 2027. He hit 10 points below his career average of .262, but was on par in terms of OBP, SLG and was a hair off his career OPS. At third base, Max Rash put up arguably his best career numbers in 2027, reaching career highs in HRs (18), RBIs (87), walks (50) and stolen bases (11). He hit a career best .267 and also had his best OBP (.325) and WAR (3.4) last season. He likely cemented his spot as the team's starting third baseman.
The outfield for the Sheens was a MASH unit, with nearly 10 players starting at least one game in the outfield in 2027. Jesus Hernandez had the most at bats for the team's regular outfielders (659), but it was Jason Lambert who raised the most eyebrows, hitting .372 with a .407 OBP in 129 at bats. The team will find a way to get him more playing time next season. Bob Ware let the team in HRs with 14, but Lambert led the team in SLG with his .566. Ben Dougherty was a close second with .565, as he flourished in his role as a pinch hitter, fill-in outfielder.
What does the Front Office expect of the Sheens in 2028? That question received a lot of shoulder shrugs from the guys in the suit and ties. As the saying goes, "anything can happen."
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