The 2022 North Carolina Aviators

[Chappy]

After coming very close to tearing apart the team in 2021, management has decided to try once more to compete for the Patriot League South crown in 2022 before beginning the rebuild that surely needs to take place soon.

At 71-91, the Aviators finished below .500 for the first time in franchise history.  However, much of that can be tied to bad management, untimely injuries and just plain bad luck. 

For instance, Jesus Gutierrez, the 2019 AFBL PL Most Valuable Hitter, forgot how to field some time during the 2020 season.  A two-time gold glove award winner at 3B with ZR between +7 and +24 in each of his first seven seasons literally forgot how to play 3B (position rating went from 10 to -).  After posting a ZR of -21.3 in 2020, I decided to keep him in the lineup.  Probably a bad idea, as Gutierrez committed seven errors in his first 22 starts, costing us multiple games in the process.  He spend the majority of the season in AAA learning to play the outfield, costing us one of our better bats.  We're pleased to say he played error-free in 6 games in RF during roster the expansion period.

On the injury front, All-Stars Dax Rutherford and Curds Campos both missed significant time this season.  They ranked 1st and 4th on the team in batting average, and their replacements were not very good.  With Gutierrez in AAA and Campos on the DL, we were down 2 infielders from the year before... just too much to overcome.

And then there was the bad luck....  We left far too many players on base (4th in Batting Average, but 10th in Runs Scored), and seemed to struggle to score when we had our better starters on the mound.  For instance, Norberto Leon led the team in Losses AND ERA.

But enough with the excuses!  It's do or die time.  And if we're not in the race come the trade deadline, it will be time to start the painful rebuilding process.

[Chappy]

2021 Draft Update #1

First Round, #6 Overall

Kevin Howard - First Base
The Aviators dumped positional needs aside (pitching, 2B/SS/3B) and spent their first pick on Kevin Howard.  The Saxonburg, PA native is a big (6'4", 210 LB), powerful hitter.  In just two seasons at O'Hara Township College, Howard has proven he knows how to win.  Kevin was named an All-American as a freshman with 39 home runs and 95 RBI in just 100 games.  He improved his batting average from .263 to .278 as a sophomore, duplicated his 39 home runs, and drove in 99 runs, earning him All-American honors again and landing him the 2021 ACOL AC Outstanding Hitter Award as O'Hara Township College won the AFBL College College Cup.  Having accomplished all that in just 2 years, Howard entered the draft, and we are pleased to have him in North Carolina.

Second Round, #26 Overall

Steve Bowles - Pitcher
Since the Aviators need young arms in general, they selected a guy who could start or come out of the pen with their second pick.  Steve Bowles - a Canadian - used a fake address to attend high school in Buffalo, NY.  He improved each of his three seasons at Buffalo High, posting WHIPs of 1.81 as a Sophomore, 1.16 as a Junior, and 0.76 as a Senior.  During his time at Buffalo High, he appeared in 72 games, all out of the bullpen.  Steve was named an All-American in his Junior and Senior seasons.  Bowles entered the draft after graduating High School, but was not selected and decided to attend Ft. Wayne College.  Contrary to his high school days, at Ft. Wayne College he was used exclusively as a starting pitcher.  In 25 starts as a freshman, Bowles went 13-5 with a 3.34 ERA, leading Ft. Wayne to the playoffs (they bowed out early).  He was named an All-American and finished 3rd in ACOL NC Outstanding Pitcher Award voting.  Pretty impressive for a freshman, so he entered the draft and North Carolina made him their 2nd round selection.

[Chappy]

Third Round, #46 Overall

Gaston L?pine - Pitcher
L?pine is another interesting player.  Maybe a bit of a stretch at #46, but the Aviators brass like the way he plays; smart.  The 20-year-old Canadian is a pretty good athlete, which should help him compensate for his lack of size.  He's just 5'11" 155lbs, but if he bulks up a little he should be durable enough to start on occasion.  But realistically, Gaston is destined for the bullpen.  He has a good fastball and an even better curve, but his change-up needs lots of work. 

L?pine's family moved to the southwest prior to his starting high school.  He was a 3-year starter on the varsity team at Tucson High, where he compiled an 11-12 record with a 3.66 ERA in 29 career starts.  Despite a good high school career, he was overlooked in the 2020 draft and enrolled at El Paso College.

Gaston was among the best freshmen in the nation numbers-wise.  He led El Paso the the college playoffs, posting a 14-3 record and a 2.96 ERA in 20 starts.  Those numbers were good enough to earn him the 2021 ACOL AC Outstanding Pitcher Award.

[Chappy]

Fourth Round, #66 Overall

Johnny Travis, Catcher
Travis, a high school all-american in his senior season, was a nice find for North Carolina in the 4th round.  The California native hit .306 as a sophomore and .303 as a Junior before exploding for a .341 average as a senior.

Behind the plate, he has a solid arm but needs to develop quite a bit more defensively. 

Fifth Round, #86 Overall

Mike Williams, Catcher
A backup plan for Travis, North Carolina still went with Williams in the 5th despite landing Travis in the 4th round.  Williams is a much more balanced player, yet he also requires a bit of defensive seasoning.  Williams hit .294-5-27 as a senior at Lackland AFB HS.

Sixth Round, #106 Overall

Jorge Qui?ones, Pitcher
Over three seasons at Akron High, Jorge compiled a 2-3-10 record and posted a 3.53 ERA.  Scouts really like his curve ball, but he'll need to improve his average fastball or refine another pitch if he's to make it to the big leagues someday.

Seventh Round, #126 Overall

Steve Crouch, 3B
An All-American third baseman at Stockman College, Crouch is a good defensive 3rd baseman with an outside chance at developing into a power-hitter at the major league level.  He hit .270-23-53 as a sophomore before declaring for the draft.

Eighth Round, #146 Overall

Colt Cook, Left Field
Cook, a member of the 2020 College Champions from OKC College, performed so poorly as a senior (.177-1-9) that he went undrafted in 2020 and unsigned in the post-draft signing period.  After working out all year, Cook entered the draft again and was selected by NC with their final pick.  He possesses a few positives; he's tough to fan, he's got a strong arm, and he's got a good head on his shoulders.  That said, expectations are low.