North Carolina Post-Spring Training Update
Cristobal Castillo begins season on DL... again...
Spring Training has never been kind to Cristobal Castillo. In 2028, he broke his thumb and missed the start of the regular season. In 2029, he strained his hammy and and missed the start of the season. In 2030, he suffered a concussion and missed the start of the regular season. In 2031, he survived Spring training but sprained his elbow during the 2nd week of the season and missed 6 weeks. In 2032, he strained his oblique and missed the start of the season.
So, this Spring, he separated his shoulder and will miss the first month of the season. Last year's late start, however, didn't bother to slow down Castillo too much; he went on to win the batting crown.
New Faces
Last season, Eric Schultz and Sal Belcher finished 1st and 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting. Here's a look a the three rookies on the NC opening day roster.
Relief pitcher Jose Estrada, NC's 4th round pick in 2025, is the only fresh face on the Aviators pitching staff. As a starter last year in Raleigh, Estrada was 2-4 with a 4.60 ERA in 15 starts. As a September call-up, he saw 6.1 innings of action in 4 games and posted a 2.84 ERA. Estrada has had 3 cups of coffee with the Aviators in his career, but it looks like this will be his breakout year now that he's been moved into the bullpen. As a big leaguer, he has a 3.21 ERA in 25 career appearances including 1 start.
2026 3rd round pick Bob Hopkins made the roster as the backup catcher, forcing veteran Johnny Travis down to the minors. Travis was a reliable backup catcher, posting a career .302 average, but he lacked the defensive skills and power Hopkins brings. Travis hit just 6 HR in 232 career games, while Hopkins hit .277-22-84 last season in Raleigh (AAA) after hitting .260-23-70 the year before in Greensboro (AA). The 25-year-old will be making his big league debut this year. He replaces Tim Wilder on the roster. Wilder will begin the season on the staff in Raleigh (AAA).
Doug Butler's emergence surprised even GM Chappy, as he was a last minute addition to the spring training roster. Late last season, defensive whiz and speedster Onel Elemia was named starting SS for the Aviators, but he got hurt just 17 starts into his career and missed the close of the season and the playoffs. Elemia entered the spring as the expected starter, but Butler was able to win the job, sending Elemia to Raleigh to start at SS there. Butler, who signed with the organization as an undrafted free agent back in 2030, has never played above the AA level. He hit just .236 in rookie ball and .208 in A ball in 2030, but a light came on in 2031 and he improved his A ball average nearly 70 points. Last year, he a Union League (AA) All-Star and hit .305-9-63 in 90 starts. The same scouts who dismissed Butler a few years ago - he went undrafted in 2028 AND 2029 - now can't stop raving about him. He's a 4.5 star prospect and one to keep an eye on for the Rookie of the Year award.
Reinforcements are Ready and Waiting
With the infusion of young talent over the past couple of seasons including Schultz, Belcher, Shane Schute, Yu-zeng Sung and others, you'd think the North Carolina minor league system would be bare. But, it's not. Four of the team's top 6 prospects are starting the year in Triple-A Raleigh, including the aforementioned Onel Elemia, outfielder Francis Ridley and pitchers Jesus Ortega and Jose Avila. Management has shown they will not keep aging players around for nostalgia's sake, so if veterans struggle, these guys are ready and willing to step in and see what they can contribute.
Ron Powell
The controversial loudmouth has been granted his wish and bypassed the rookie league. Powell begins his first pro campaign as the staff ace of the OBX Privateers. The 4th round pick is known for getting mouthy when his team is struggling, so he'll be an interesting player to keep an eye on, especially since OBX was just 69-71 last year, good for 5th place in the East.