Almost all, perhaps all of the teams in the Irvine organization will be/are balling in the postseason this year – uncertain about the status of A ball Jasper who was the first half division leader but I don’t really quite understand how that league’s playoff structure works!
IRVINE Gang Green: (1 game ahead in the race for best record in NL and clinched NL West)
Biggest Disappointment:
Dao Kim who returned to Irvine in a big trade has been very disappointing thus far to the point where he pitched himself back down to AAA where he stunk it up some more until he finally appeared to right the ship in his last couple starts. The team is bringing him back up for one final start in the season against SF which may determine if he makes the playoff roster. With Irvine, Kim was not even pitching at a replacement level player with a -0.1 WAR largely due to being plagued with longballitus giving up 2.3 HR/9. Irvine management wonders if he was so used to watching Springfield hitters drive the ball out of the park that when he came to Irvine and rarely saw one jacked out of the park he took it upon himself to still see those long balls the chicks dig by serving them up himself.
Biggest Surprise:
Tie between 2B Jose Sanchez and SS Aaron Wilson. Jose Sanchez signed a nice free agent contract last season and stunk up the joint leading the team to try and trade him a couple times to no success. However, he turned his game around this season and came to play as he’s been one of the team’s leading hitters this year with a .301 batting average. The team still wishes he would not run on the basepaths so much, but he refuses to listen to his coaches and has continued to steal bases despite being told to stop as he’s only been successful on 12 out of 27 attempts. His defense started strong but has tailed off a bit but is still serviceable.
Aaron Wilson’s glove and range at SS has never been questioned but his ability to hit at a major league level was always in doubt. However, this season he’s had a career year hitting .291 while providing a 2.3 WAR. This is his career high by a mile. He’s also been strong on the basepaths stealing 10 of 12.
MVP:
Duh – Koyama. Koyama has been flat out dominant this season posting a 21-2 record, 1.60 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, and 9.4 WAR. Just another Cy Young coming up for him again.
Honorable mention goes to 1B Victor Quinones who, while streaky, once again hits over 30 homers and batted in over 100 (not a very common feat on the Gang Green team!). His batting average may never be great, but he’s come up with some big hits over the years and this season as well. However, if we were only looking at the last 6 weeks, Geddes would be in the conversation as he has hit 10 homeruns in those 6 weeks and given a punchless offense some spark.
HOUSTON Hammertime (AAA): Currently tied 1-1 in the first round of the PCL playoffs)
Biggest Disappointment:
None really. The only players that mattered performed well enough and no veteran was absolutely horrible.
Biggest Surprise:
SS/3B prospect Carlos Cordova moved up the minor league ranks quite rapidly and has performed at unheard of levels although he struggled in his 2-3 weeks in the BSA to get on base like he has in the minors. This season, in 589 plate appearances for Houston, Cordova has gotten on base more than he’s gotten out. Yep, he currently sports a .503 OBP thanks to his .301 batting average and 156 walks. Not only does he get on base, he’s a demon on the basepaths as he’s stolen 60 of 87 bases and scored 138 runs. He even showed a wee bit of power with 15 jacks and 78 RBIs as a leadoff hitter while playing top notch defense at SS. In his brief appearance in the BSA, he struggle greatly hitting .098 with a .211 OBP but did steal 8 of 10 bases.
MVP:
Cordova. Nothing more needs to be written.
MOOSE JAW Ghostbusters (AA): (Won first round series of NWL and about to start the final)
Biggest Disappointment:
Brandon Williams, CL – He has pitched well for AA but this was supposed to be the year he broke out in AAA and demonstrated he belonged in Irvine’s bullpen next season. Instead, he imploded in AAA and was demoted to find his game. Perhaps he was just unlucky but his slow start with a 6.50 ERA and 1.55 WHIP was eventually just too much as he couldn’t turn the corner. In AA, he’s been solid and locked down the 9th inning.
Biggest Surprise:
Ron Elazar was a draft pick a couple season ago and has progressed quickly up the minor league ladder as he moved up from A ball to AA ball this season. He has played extremely well with a .345 batting average, 19 homers, 102 RBIs, with a .972 OPS and has even been a threat on the basepaths while playing the excellent D expected of Irvine prospects. An unfortunately injury did cut his season short by 4 weeks, but he’s returned for the playoffs and has not lost a beat.
2027 draftee Franciso Cardenas has also just simply hit wherever he’s played as he moved up from A ball early in the season after dominating there and has continued to hit well in AA Moose Jaw where he’s hit .332 with a .450 OBP while also hitting 11 homers in 336 plate appearances.
MVP:
Ron Elazar although a couple others almost caught up to him due to his injury.
JASPER Cougars (A): Won first half standings but I don’t understand the playoff system fully. 15 game losing streak in September took them from 5 up to 6 down in the division.
Biggest Disappointment:
September – that 15 game losing streak was dreadful. No excuses. Lack of a fifth starter has hurt the team as well as the team has tried a number of pitchers there to no avail.
Biggest Surprise/MVP – C Tony Beck was hitting well and guiding a less than talented pitching staff quite well. Then he got hurt on Sept 1. Then the team lost 15 games straight.
Santa Anna Dukes (R): Up 1-0 in Divisional Round of Playoffs after winning division! But we also didn’t start a ton of 16 year old international players…
Biggest Disappointment:
C Ken Perez – Granted he is only 19 years old but the organization had higher hopes of him. Instead, he hit .186 with a .461 OPS and -0.4 WAR. I suppose on the flip side he did well defensively as the team’s pitching was stellar.
Biggest Surprise:
Lefty Brown was really really hard to hit at this level even though the organization doesn’t think he has a huge upside in the long run. He had a 6-2 record, 1.63 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 9K/9 while walking less than 2BB/9.
MVP:
Jerry Young showed some promise that led the team to select him in the second round of the 2027 draft as he hit .259 with 11 home runs.
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