Shorebirds' month in review: June 2025

A check on how my local team is doing as the calendar turns.

Summary:

Thankfully this is the month we are out with the old (the first half) and in with the new (the second half.) Unfortunately, we’ve gotten off to a similar brutal start in the second half that we did in the first half. But there are a few players who I think are ripe for a promotion after the All-Star break, which occurs with the MLB All-Star break July 14-17: Yasmil Bucce, Raylin Ramos, Kevin Guerrero, Michael Caldon, and Ben Vespi top the list.

All numbers are compiled through June 30.

Record:

For month: 9-16. In 2024 we were 14-12, and in 2023 we were 8-17.

Overall: 29-46. We finished fifth in the CL North at 27-39 - escaping last by three percentage points over Salem - and 14 games out for the first half but are 2-7 in the second half and already five games behind Carolina, who just left here after beating us 4 out of 6. In 2024 we had a 29-45 record overall. In 2023 we were 31-40.

vs. opponents: 1-6 vs. Hickory (Rangers, 3-9 overall, season series complete), 2-4 vs. Fredericksburg (Nationals, 6-6 overall), 4-2 vs. Salem (Red Sox, 8-7 overall, season series complete), 2-4 vs. Carolina (Brewers, 3-9 overall so far).

By the Numbers - Offense:

After the horrific offensive start we had, we’ve had enough of a resurgence that the Shorebirds are now almost precisely a league-average hitting team, at least as far as batting average goes. Our .230 mark is actually one point over the .229 league average, which is a miracle after the April I saw. One key example: despite his anemic .168 average overall, Maikol Hernandez hit .233 in June, with an acceptable .700 OPS.

But we’re still being held up by only Fredericksburg in runs, as they have 8 fewer than our 199 total (in one fewer game.) This despite now being fourth in hits overall. We lag in last in the doubles department but are somehow second in triples (6 behind Carolina) and middle of the pack in home runs and stolen bases. (Yet we’ve been caught 62 times, one off Fayetteville’s most in the league.)

Our offensive improvement is such that we are now 7th in all three of on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS - now at a collective .659, 9 points below league mean.

By the Numbers - Pitching/Defense:

The reason why our record is the worst in the CL is because both our pitching and defense are the worst, at least as measured in ERA and fielding percentage - not to mention a few other categories. While our 4.75 team ERA is only last by 0.12, our 5.49 runs allowed per game is a staggering 0.38 worse than Salem’s (they’re 11th) and a full half-run behind 10th place Columbia at 4.91. (Yet they won the Southern Division in the first half.)

The funny thing is that we’re not a team that gives up gopherballs, as our 30 home runs allowed is second-best in the league to Myrtle Beach’s 25. But our 415 walks are 27 worse than anyone else’s and 97 wild pitches places us 11 behind the second-worst team (again, Columbia.) Needless to say, our 1.51 collective WHIP is also the bottom of the barrel as is our ratio of strikeouts to walks.

And don’t get me started on our league-worst fielding percentage of .958 - 10 points worse than the league average and being - by far - the only team with triple-digit error numbers at this point with 113. (Next worst is 97, league average is 85.) We’ve only nabbed 31 base stealers (tied for last with Hickory) for a league-low 18% success rate. In short, that part of our game is a mess.

Comings and goings:

We began the month with the following players:

Pitchers (18): Chase Allsup, Bryan Bautista, Jared Beck, Luis Beltran, Ryan Cabarcus, Michael Caldon, Yeiber Cartaya, Jacob Cravey, Jack Crowder, Deivy Cruz, Adrian Delgado, Sebastian Gongora, Adrian Heredia, Simon Leandro, Kenny Leiner, Chipper Menard, Ben Vespi, Evan Yates.

Catchers (4): Yasmil Bucce, Andres Nolaya, Colin Tuft, Cole Urman.

Infielders (5): Edwin Amparo, Edrei Campos, Elis Cuevas, Maikol Hernandez, Alfredo Velasquez.

Outfielders (3): Kevin Guerrero, Raylin Ramos, Braylin Tavera.

Once the month got underway, here were the additions and subtractions:

Additions: A batch on June 10: IF Joshua Liranzo, IF Luis Almeyda, and OF Nate George all came up from the FCL. P Reese Sharp came back on rehab from Aberdeen on that same day. P Devin Kirby-Williams, who was released from the Twins’ organization, was added to the roster that day as well. IF Fernando Peguero, fresh off a walkoff homer for Norfolk, was rewarded by being sent back here on June 14. IF Thomas Sosa came back here for a rehab assignment beginning on June 17, as did P Carson Dorsey on June 24.

Subtractions: P Sebastian Gongora was promoted to Aberdeen June 3, and C Cole Urman broke up the catcher logjam by being promoted to Aberdeen on the 6th. On June 9th P Adrian Heredia was demoted to the FCL. IF Edwin Amparo was placed on the IL on June 10. IF Edrei Campos placed himself on the voluntarily retired list June 17. P Chipper Menard found himself on the IL June 25.

In and out: IF Luis Guevara was returned from Chesapeake on June 5 and sent down to the FCL June 10. (Tragically, he was killed there in a jet ski accident a few days later.) IF Felix Amparo came back from Florida on the 7th only to go back two days later. That same day (the 7th) IF Alfredo Velasquez was bumped up to Chesapeake and returned June 17, only to head back to AA a week later.

The important part:

Attendance so far: 75,560 in 36 dates (four rainouts). In 2024 we had 103,747 in 42 dates (one rainout.) Compare to 104,957 in that same 36 dates (three rainouts) in 2023. The weather hasn’t given us much of a break, but hopefully extra home dates in July will help us catch up. (A hot streak on the field may help too.)

A look ahead:

We began July with a three-game series against Fredericksburg (Nationals), playing just three here to finish the first of two nine-game homestands before shifting venues to take on the FredNats at their home for Independence Day and wrapping up the sextet there - as well as the season series against our divisional rival. They’ll continue that roadtrip to take on the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros) to wrap up before the All-Star break.

After the break, it’s a quick 3-gamer hosting the Carolina Mudcats (Brewers), with the remainder of that nine-game home stretch playing out with the first six of 18 games among the last 42 against the Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians) in our long-delayed first meetings of 2025. (It’s crazy that we’ll be finished against both Salem and Fredericksburg before even starting against Lynchburg.) The initial three of a six-game set in Kannapolis against the Cannon Ballers (White Sox) wrap up July, with the next monthly review scheduled for August 7, in the midst of a homestand against Fayetteville.

In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, since I have a page there now.