After two final place finishes, the Columbia Fireflies loved their first successful season since turning into a Royals affiliate, with a report of 66-65. The Carolina League was heavy on steals – each group however one stole not less than 150 bases, with the Fireflies ending second with 252 swipes. However energy was missing with just one group topping 100 dingers, and Columbia completed seventh with 76 house runs. The league batting common was simply .237 with a .352 slugging share, not stunning contemplating the shortage of professional expertise and youth for a lot of hitters.

Columbia Fireflies

Document: 66-65

End: third (tied), South Division of the Carolina League (Low-A)

Supervisor: Tony Peña Jr.

Runs scored-per-game: 4.37 (tenth out of 12 groups)

Runs allowed-per-game: 4.33 (third out of 12 groups)

Like most Low-A groups, the group that started the season appeared completely different than the group that ended it. One fixed was first baseman Brett Squires, who performed in a team-high 122 video games. The previous Oklahoma Sooner was an undrafted free agent a couple of years older than most of his teammates, however he anchored the lineup with 15 house runs (third within the league), 32 steals (eighth within the league) and a .381 on-base share that was fourth-best within the league for anybody with not less than 300 plate appearances.

The double play mixture of second baseman Lizandro Rodriguez and shortstop Daniel Vazquez additionally spent all the season in Columbia. The switch-hitting Rodriguez got here on on the finish of the yr to complete at .235/.325/.347, close to league-average. Vazquez confirmed some on-base expertise – his 13.2 p.c stroll charge was eighth-best within the league. However he had little energy with a .288 slugging share.

Brennon McNair started the season because the third baseman, however he struggled to get his common over the Mendoza Line and he had loads of defensive points. He was taken off the roster in August, leaving Austin Charles and 2023 draftee Trevor Werner to man the recent nook the remainder of the yr. Werner was terrific proper out of the gate, hitting .352/.450/.703 with 9 house runs in 35 video games, incomes Carolina League Participant of the Month honors in August. Charles confirmed some flashes of brilliance, however slumped because the season went on, not stunning contemplating his youth and inexperience.

Erick Peña was the massive identify among the many outfielders to start the yr, however he struggled mightily with a line of .133/.276/.296. He hit 10 house runs in 75 video games and had a stroll charge of 16.2 p.c, however his 52.8 p.c strikeout charge was the highest amongst all minor leaguers with not less than 250 plate appearances,

Jean Ramirez had a strong season in his third stint at Columbia. The 22-year-old led the group with a .298 batting common, however he was caught stealing 17 occasions in 45 tries, a 38 p.c fail charge. Roger Leyton and Levi Usher did not hit a lot within the outfield, and by mid-season they have been changed by 2023 draftees Spencer Nivens, Carson Roccaforte, and Jared Dickey. Dickey hit the very best of the the three, hitting .347/.434/.463 in 28 video games, whereas Roccaforte and Nivens confirmed robust good plate self-discipline.

Fireflies pitchers had the fifth-highest strikeout charge and the fifth-lowest stroll charge within the Carolina League, and had the bottom ERA within the first half out of all minor league groups. Former first spherical decide Frank Mozzicato was probably the most notable participant for the Fireflies to start the yr. His stroll charge was excessive (5.6 per-nine-innings) however he in any other case impressed early on with a 3.04 ERA in 12 begins, with 85 whiffs in simply 56 ¹⁄₃ innings earlier than being promoted. Ben Kudrna could be promoted the subsequent week after placing up a 3.56 ERA in 14 outings and a a lot decrease stroll charge than Mozzicato.

School pitchers drafted in 2022 – David Sandlin, Steven Zobac, and Ryan Ramsey – excelled with the Fireflies. Sandlin and Zobac posted two of the highest 5 strikeout-to-walk ratios within the league for pitchers with not less than 50 innings. Zobac’s 2.09 ERA was the bottom within the league for anybody with not less than 10 begins, incomes him a promotion. Ramsey set a membership report with a 30 ²⁄₃ inning scoreless streak and lasted simply seven begins with a 0.54 ERA earlier than heading as much as Quad Cities.

Former second-round decide Ben Hernandez missed the primary half of the season with harm, then returned with blended outcomes, posting a 4.71 ERA however with horrible peripherals. Shane Panzini and Mauricio Veliz additionally stuffed out the rotation, however struggled with an ERA nicely above the league common of 4.14, though Veliz had an honest stroll charge and Panzini missed some bats.

Reliever Cooper McKeehan was a Carolina League All-Star, main the league with a 1.08 ERA earlier than he was promoted. McKeehan, Ben Sears, and Oscar Mayo have been among the many prime six pitchers within the Carolina League in lowest stroll charge. Lefty Chazz Martinez and righty Eduardo Herrera every had a strikeout-per-nine-innings charge of 12 or larger, however with excessive ERAs. Former Clemson pitcher Mack Anglin had a strong 2.09 ERA however with a excessive stroll charge.