2034 North Carolina Aviators News & Notes

[Chappy]

Delray Beach Grasshoppers Outlook
A brief look at the North Carolina Aviators' Liberty League (R) Affiliate

The Liberty League is an offense-heavy developmental league, so you have to overlook the lofty ERAs and not get overly excited about every .300 hitter.  Here's a look at the upcoming season's Delray Beach squad...

Last Season
76-65 (.539), 4th place, missed playoffs.
AVG: .280 - Highest DB team average since 2023.
ERA: 6.32 - Slightly better than 6.59 ERA in 2032.

Newcomers
Guys just drafted, traded for, signed as free agents or activated from International Complex...

SP Josh Brantley - Draft (4th round, 79th overall) - 22 years old - 1/2* - 1/2*
SP Dave Murphy - Draft (8th round, 159th overall) - 18 years old - 1/2* - 1/2*
SP Jorge Ramirez - Draft (2nd round, 39th overall) - 17 years old - 1/2* - ****
RP Cisco Delgado - Scouting Discovery - 19 years old - 1/2* - 1/2*

CA Juan Rodriguez - Draft (3rd round, 59th overall) - 1/2* - ****
1B Joe Arroyo - Draft (7th round, 139th overall) - 18 years old - 1/2* - 1/2*
SS Eddie Wheeler - Draft (1st round, 19th overall) - 21 years old - 1/2* - *****
SS Jesus Lopez - Scouting Discovery - 18 years old - 1/2* - 1/2*
RF Brad Cooke - Draft (5th round, 99th overall) - 19 years old - 1/2* - *

Almost New
Guys who were on the Delray Beach roster last season but saw very little action...

CA Ashwin ven den Broek - Scouting Discovery - 18 years old - 1/2* - 1/2* - .182 in 4 Games (12 PA) last season.
CA Greg Hall - 2032 Draft (7th round, 134th overall) - 20 years old - 1/2* - 1/2* - 0-for-1 in 1 game last season.
3B Sean Casey - 2032 Draft (6th round, 114th overall) - 20 years old - 1/2* - 1/2* - 0 appearances last season.

Key Returning Players and Starters

SP Ryosei Saikawa - 18 years old - Was 5-6 with a 7.61 ERA in 28 starts.  Has a nasty curveball but little else going for him.
SP Tzu-hsia Xie - 18 years old - Was 3-9 with a 6.39 ERA in 29 starts.  Has the potential to throw 4 good pitches if he develops.
CL Brad Gates - 21 years old - 4-2 with 28 Saves in 53 appearances last season.  Lowered ERA from 8.47 in 2032 to 5.66 last season.


DH Dan Curry - 20 years old - Hit .271-24-84 in his first season as a pro, not including a .261-1-5 mark as a September call-up to OBX (A).
CA Juan Rodriguez - 18 years old - Newcomer will start at Catcher in place of Curry, who moves to DH this year.
1B Chris Grant - 19 years old - First season as a starter for Grant, who hit .150-1-3 in 20 games as a reserve last season.
2B Anastasio Batista - 19 years old - Second full season starting at 2B for DB, hit .282-13-72 in 133 games last season.
3B Shumei Umaba - 21 years old - Fell from .294-3-23 in 2032 to .207-6-38 last year, starting 55 games in each season.  Fantastic fielder, needs to hit more.
SS Eddie Wheeler - 21 years old - Newcomer will start at SS in place of DeJesus, who was promoted to OBX (A).
LF Kazuhiko Ito - 20 years old - Started 125 games (.253-9-51) in 2032 but just 10 last season.  Starts in place of O'Brien who was promoted to OBX (A).
CF Juan Munoz - 20 years old - Started 84 games last season, hitting .279-9-47.
RF Juan Jose Ortiz - 20 years old - Started 128 games last season, hitting .326-11-48 while stealing 51 bases.

[Chappy]

OBX Privateers Outlook
A brief look at the North Carolina Aviators' Confederation League (A) Affiliate

OBX has been the worst performing member of the NC system the past two seasons, but the team has made 2 playoff appearances in the past 6 seasons.

Last Season
63-77 (.450), 9th place, missed playoffs.
AVG: .266 - up from .252 in 2032.
ERA: 5.03 - worst OBX staff ERA since 2029 (5.19)

Newcomers
Guys just drafted, traded for, signed as free agents or activated from International Complex...

RP Jacky Montagne - Draft (6th round, 119th overall) - 21 years old - 1/2* - 1/2*

Fresh Faces
Guys just promoted from Delray Beach (R)...

CL Ivan Julio - 18 years old - 5-14 with a 5.98 ERA in 30 starts for Delray Beach last season.  Moves to the closer role.  Has great Fastball & Slider and horrible Change-up.
RP Kenshin Kichikawa - 23 years old - 5-5-2 with a 5.28 ERA for Delray Beach last season.  Spent 5 seasons in Rookie Ball.  Needs to develop quickly or he will be let go.
RP Tony Medrano - 19 years old - 7-1-1 with a 4.96 ERA in 61 games for Delray Beach last season.  Scouting Discovery entering 3rd pro season.

CA Eddie Tas - 19 years old - .241-1-8 in 86 games with Delray Beach.  Not a high ceiling on this guy.
3B Meiji Tsuji - 22 years old - Finally made it out of R-ball after 5 seasons there.  Hit .273-8-86 in 132 starts.
LF Jim O'Brien - 20 years old - Crushed it to the tune of .314-39-142 last season in Delray Beach.  Good looking prospect.

Key Returning Players and Starters

SP Ron Powell - 21 years old - 7-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 30 starts in pro debut last year.  Upset that he didn't get promoted to AA.
SP Terrence Jackson - 20 years old - Needs to improve from his 3-12 record and 8.57 ERA last season.  He's a 4-star prospect, but doesn't look like one yet.
SP Lou Moore - 21 years old - 5-9 with a 7.23 ERA in 21 starts.  We need to get more from Moore.  Like Jackson, he has big league potential but is not performing well.

DH Jim O'Brien - 20 years old - Already mentioned him, but he'll be starting at DH.  The outfield in OBX is filled with potential.
CA Eddie Richardson - 22 years old - Started 21 games last year and appeared in 71, hitting .398-11-30 in 133 PA. 
1B Arturo Gonzalez - 19 years old - Started 8 games last year in OBX and hit .353-2-9.  Started 134 games in Delray Beach last year and hit .278-25-100.
2B John Hollins - 20 years old - Started 77 games last season and hit .268-0-32 while stealing 10 bases.  Better with the glove than the bat.
3B Luis DeJesus - 19 years old - Started 6 games and hit .158-0-1 for OBX last season, but also started 54 games for Delray Beach and hit .292-8-41.
SS Edgardo Madrigal - 19 years old - Started 130 games last year for OBX, hitting .220-12-41 with 20 SB.  Might not have a big league bat, but he's got everything else.
LF Jim Shepherd - 21 years old - Made pro debut in OBX last year and hit .300-18-70.  Only a **1/2 star prospect, but could be a diamond in the rough.
CF Chewie Baca - 19 years old - Started 137 games here last season and hit .277-15-81.  Also swiped 17 bases.  Great gap power.  ****1/2 prospect.
RF Frankie Ax - 22 years old - Ax hit .266-11-46 in OBX last year and .304-0-3 in 6 Greensboro (AA) starts.  This will be his 3rd season in A, so he needs to shine.

[Chappy]

Greensboro Green Sox Outlook
A brief look at the North Carolina Aviators' Union League (AA) Affiliate

The Union League is where the ERA's start to settle down and the numbers get a little more meaningful.  There's a good mix of younger and slightly older players who have been around the block a time or two.  The Greensboro staff has set new franchise records for lowest team ERA in each of the past 4 seasons.

Last Season
78-62 (.557), 3rd place, made playoffs (Defeated Savannah 3-1 in Round 1, Lost to Ocean City 4-2 in Round 2)
AVG: .262 - lowest team average since 2016 (.260)
ERA: 3.53 - lowest staff ERA in franchise history (old record was 3.80 in 2032)

Fresh Faces
Guys just promoted from OBX (A) or Delray Beach (R)...

SP Cristo Perez - 21 years old - 8-8 with a 3.52 ERA in 27 starts for OBX (A) and 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 2 starts for Greensboro last season.
RP Don Ray - 21 years old - 5-4-3 with a 4.57 ERA in 51 games for OBX (A) and 1-0-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 4 appearances for Greensboro last season.
RP Mauro Ramirez - 21 years old - 6-2-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 51 games for OBX (A) and 0-1-0 with a 14.54 ERA in 1 game for Greensboro last season.
RP Tynan Duncan - 22 years old - 2-2-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 66 games for OBX (A) last season.  Will be making his AA debut this season.

CA Kosaku Jouda - 24 years old - .258-24-65 in 115 starts for OBX (A) last season.  24 SB; not bad for a Catcher.
1B Luis Aragon - 22 years old - .229-13-69 in 140 starts fir OBX (A) last season.
2B Juan Baez - 21 years old - .291-11-58 in 119 starts for OBX (A) last season.
2B Orlando Gallo - 24 years old - .300-6-26 in 82 starts for OBX (A) last season.  Started 106 games (.311-1-45) for Greensboro in 2032.
RF P.J. Everett - 21 years old - .246-2-10 in 66 games for OBX (A) last season and .200-0-0 in 2 games for Greensboro.

Key Returning Players and Starters

SP Esteban Puente - 21 years old - 13-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 31 starts last season.
SP Toshuyuki Sato - 25 years old - Former closer was 3-4 with a 2.27 ERA in 6 starts and 50 appearances last season.
CL Dean Edwards - 23 years old - 2-3-6 with a 3.24 ERA last season in 46 appearances.

DH Juan Baez - 21 years old - Already mentioned him... Speedy, good glove, hit .417 in 6 games with Greensboro last season.
CA Moromao Ine - 25 years old - .283-9-45 in 95 starts last season.
1B Luis Aragon - 22 years old - Power-hitting prospect hit 24 HR in R-ball 2 seasons ago but fell to 13 in A-ball last year.  Can he step it up?
2B Orlando Gallo - 24 years old - Returns to G'boro after a season exiled in A-ball.  Make-or-break time for Gallo as he nears 25 years of age.
3B Pete Farmer - 29 years old - Once a big league fringe player, Farmer is now as much a coach as a player.  Hit .294-12-60 for Raleigh (AAA) last season.
SS Duane Watkins - 23 years old - Hit .320-0-0 in 31 games as a reserve infielder last season.  Amazing glove and speed but not much of a stick.
LF Ptjor Roos - 22 years old - Hit .253-9-46 last season in 96 starts.  36 Steals, but nobody can pronounce his name correctly.
CF Huang-di Sima - 22 years old - Hit .232-5-38 with 36 steals last year.  This is one speedy outfield.
RF Jesus Lopez - 23 years old - Hit .279-12-60 with 22 steals in 124 starts last season. 

[Chappy]

The AAA Raleigh Explorers preseason outlook will be posted after Spring Training.

In the meantime, here's a look at the top prospects in the organization:

TOP PROSPECTS

*****

SS Eddie Wheeler - Delray Beach Grasshoppers (R) - 19th overall pick, 2033 - 21 years old
Our newest 1st round pick is our only 5-star prospect.  Wheeler projects to be a fantastic defender with blazing speed and a good contact hitter to boot.  He is expected to have only average power and a slightly below-average eye, although he should be tough to strike out.  Last season: .285-11-57 with 29 steals for Santa Ana College (ACOL).

****1/2

SP Jesus Ortega - North Carolina Aviators or Raleigh Explorers (AAA) - 10th overall pick, 2028 - 23 years old
'Hey Zeus' is currently on the Aviators Spring Training roster and has a chance at making his big league debut this season.  Scouts like his stuff - like REALLY like his stuff - and think his movement and control will also be good.  He throws a nice fastball and has an elite splitter.  His change is below average but should get better.  His curveball is what's killing him right now.  Ortega has great stamina and should be able to go the distance when he's hitting his spots.  Last season: 16-9, 4.52, 173 K in 181 IP for Raleigh (AAA).

SS Jose Martinez - Raleigh Explorers (AAA) - Scouting Discovery - 20 years old
Jose is climbing the organizational ladder one season at a time.  From .229/.353./398 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with Delray Beach (R) in 2031 to .228/.285/.341 with OBX (A) in 2032 to .282/.357/.422 with Greensboro (AA) last season.  Now he's set to begin at AAA Raleigh, and if he stays on target he could be the answer to NC's SS woes by 2035.  Martinez projects to be a very similar player to the aforementioned Eddie Wheeler.  Martinez is an elite SS defensively, and while his speed is not quite as good as Wheeler's, he did steal 31 bases last season in AA.  He should have more HR power than Wheeler, yet less gap power.  Martinez also distributes the ball a little better, while Wheeler is a straight pull hitter.  Martinez is closer to the bigs but is actually a year younger than Wheeler.  No matter the outcome, the competition to be the starting SS in North Carolina should be fun to follow.

OF Jorge Baca - OBX Privateers (A) - Scouting Discovery - 19 years old
Jorge - better known as 'Chewie' - as in Chewbacca - is probably to top power-hitting prospect in the organization.  In addition to a powerful swing, he's a very good outfielder and can cover a lot of ground in LF and CF.  He is a bit less comfortable in RF, but can do the job if needed.  Baca has very good speed and awareness on the basepaths too, as evidenced by his 43 SB over the past two seasons.  Right now, he's fanning way too much (180+ each of the past two seasons), but he should be able to get that number down to around 100 per season.  Last season: .277-15-81 with 36 2B, 7 3B and 17 SB in 137 games for OBX (A).

OF Juan Munoz - Delray Beach Grasshoppers (R) - Scouting Discovery - 20 years old
I'll be honest here; I don't see what makes Munoz a 4.5 star prospect.  He has elite speed, good stealing ability; he's a good defensive outfielder too.  But he projects to be an average contact hitter with modest gap power, below-average HR power, a slightly better-than-average eye and not much else.  He's a bright kid, but his work ethic (or lack thereof) is a concern.  If he makes it to the Aviators as more than a 4th outfielder, I'll be surprised.  Last season: .279-9-47 in 84 games for Delray Beach (R).

****

OF Francis Ridley - Raleigh Explorers (AAA) - Scouting Discovery - 24 years old
Much like Munoz, Ridley is a 4-star prospect that will not likely amount to anything but a 4th outfielder.  Great defensive player with great speed, only an average hitter although Ridley does have very good power to the gaps.  Ridley needs to cut down on his strikeouts (143 last season) and perhaps he can be in the bigs in a couple seasons.  Last season: .324-14-97 with 52 doubles, 12 triples and 28 SB for Raleigh (AAA).

RP Dean Edwards - Greensboro Green Sox (AA) - 62nd overall pick, 2029 - 23 years old
Edwards is a closer right now but could be a starter if needed, with 3 good pitches (FB, Slider, Change) in his arsenal.  He's low stamina, so he'd only be good for 5-6 innings per start on a good day.  So right now, he's in the pen.  Dean saved 25 games for Delray Beach (A) in 2031, his only other season in the closer role.  Projects to have great stuff, good movement and great control.  Last season: 2-3-6, 3.24, 37 Ks in 33 IP for Greensboro (AA).

SP Terrence Jackson - OBX Privateers (A) - 28th overall pick in 2031 - 20 years old
Jackson was 17-2 in his high school career, but learned to lose quickly in the pros.  After a 6-9 campaign for Delray Beach (R), he went 3-12 in Single-A OBX, posting an eye-opening 8.57 ERA.  Still, scouts are very high on Jackson, who projects to be a solid finesse pitcher.  His change is currently his worst pitch, but scouts assure us it will end up as his best.  If that happens, than Jackson should be on the fast track to the bigs.  Last season: that 3-12, 8.57 season we told you about.  WHIP of 2.16, for crying out loud.

LF Jim O'Brien - OBX Privateers (A) - 8th overall pick in 2031 - 20 years old
O'Brien hit over 50 HR in 100 high school games, and was billed as a great slugger entering the 2031 draft.  His first pro season, he hit .238-17-86 in 132 games for the Delray Beach rookie league squad.  He exploded last year in his second pro season, hitting .314-39-142 and earning a promotion to OBX for the coming season.  O'Brien could develop prime power if all goes well, and his contact and gap power should both be above average.  His eye is a concern; he isn't expected to walk much and will K a lot (168 per season average so far).  But he should hit enough long-balls to justify the strikeouts. 

SP Jorge Ramirez - Delray Beach Grasshoppers (R) - 39th overall pick, 2033 - 17 years old
Ramirez probably will need to move to the pen eventually, but we're trying him out in the rotation for now.  He's got good stuff, movement and control potential and has 2 very good pitches, but his 3rd pitch is not projected to go above a 2, and that might not be good enough for a starting pitcher.  Ramirez has no stats, as he is an international free agent that was taken by North Carolina in the draft.  He has a very high baseball IQ.

CA Juan Rodriguez - Delray Beach Grasshoppers (R) - 59th overall pick, 2033 - 18 years old
Juan projects to be a good defensive catcher with an average bat, but with good power both to the gaps and over the wall.  Better-than-average discipline at the plate should help hide his shortcomings.  There's no rush to get Rodriguez up, as we've got lots of good catchers in the system.  But he's one of the best, at least potentially.  Last season: .324-12-53 in 47 games for New Orleans High School. 

[Chappy]

2034 North Carolina Aviators Preview - Starting Lineup
Here's a look at what positions are set vs which positions are up in the air.

In Aviatorland, nothing is given to anyone.  Every position is technically an open competition.  Just because you were an all-star last season doesn't mean the job will be handed to you this year.  That said, through 14 spring training games we have a pretty good idea about who's starting the season where - with a couple of exceptions.  Here's a look at who will be starting where - ranked from most secure to least secure:

Firm
Little or no competition going on at these spots

1B - Eric Schultz - 28 years old
The only person in camp competing with Schultz is 22-year-old prospect Jeremy Bascombe, but the reigning starter (who earned his second Best Defender Award in as many seasons last year) is batting .359 with a team-high 11 RBI this Spring, while Bascombe comes in at .231-1-1. 

2B - Slappy Orozco - 28 years old
Slappy was named MVP of the PLCS last season as the Aviators went to the championship series and fell short.  It was a down year for him though, as he battled injuries and hit .286, not terrible, but down from .325 the year prior.  His 138 games was the fewest he's appeared in since 2028 (126).  Slappy is off to a good start, hitting .325 this spring in 14 games.  His primary competition, Kichibei Aoki, is playing well too - .333 in 18 AB - but not well enough to slap Slappy off his throne.

3B - Goppy Gopalakrishnan - 30 years old
Goppy won the PL MVP, 3B Platinum Stick, and the 3B Best Defender Award last year and led the PL in runs (110) and hits (235), so you better be having the best Spring ever if you want to win the battle for 3B.  This Spring, he's hitting .310-0-6 in 14 games while backup 3B Antonio Pineda is batting .300-0-1 in 7 games.

LF - Sal Belcher - 24 years old
In Belcher's 2nd season as a starter he was voted an All-Star and earned the LF Platinum Stick Award and was named Wild-Card Round MVP in the playoffs.  His .308-17-88 line was about what we expected, and he's good in the field too.  His .426 average this Spring will help him fend off Kevin Howard, who is just 1-for-12 so far. 

CF - Cristobal Castillo - 26 years old
If he can avoid the DL, Castillo should start in CF.  He was an All-Star last year despite injuries limiting him to 93 games.  He hit .340-1-32 in those games, a year after winning the PL batting title with a .362 mark.  He started slowly this Spring but has gotten his average up to .286.  It shouldn't be much of a concern as his competition is batting just .154 (Dylan Holmes) and .176 (Jerry King). 

DH - Shane Schute - 23 years old
Schute is our best bat and our worst defensive 1B, so he's a shoe-in for DH.  Last year he was an All-Star and won PL Rookie of the Year with a .326-12-91 season (including 51 doubles).  His best competition for playing time is most likely the loser of the RF starting job, more on that later, but his .400 average this Spring sets him up to start the season at DH.

Wide Open
The next two weeks will weigh heavily in who starts at these spots

C - Bob Hopkins or Adam Wakeling or Mashashi Ageda
Ageda (25 years old) was an All-Star catcher in 2031 and 2032 but fell out of favor with a .266-13-62 line last year.  Hopkins (26) got playing time late but didn't do any better at .261-4-18.  Wakeling (22) is a would-be rookie who hit .333-17-95 in Raleigh (AAA) last season and was 1-for-5 as a AFBL September call-up.  Hopkins and Wakeling are both MUCH better defensively than Mashashi, so if they can give us similar production at the plate, they will be starting in his place.  In fact, it's very likely that Ageda will end up in Raleigh this year, washed up at the age of 25.  None of them are playing like they want the job.  Ageda and Hopkins are batting .167 this Spring and Wakeling is batting .179.

SS - Doug Butler or Onel Elemia or Ismael Mora
Onel (23 years old) is playing like he wants this job (.371 in 35 at bats this Spring), but Butler (26) is still in the mix (.500 but only 10 AB).  Mora (27) is out (.125), which will allow Butler significantly more playing time over the final 2 weeks.  Both Butler and Elemia are fantastic defensive players and could earn gold gloves with enough innings, but both struggled at the plate last year (Elemia hit .237, Butler .207).  Whichever player has the best 2nd half of Spring Training will be the opening day starter.

RF - Rod Mosley or Jesus Martinez
Two veterans duke it out for the starting RF job.  The 32-year-old Mosley hit .241-25-84 last year in 137 starts, while Martinez, 28, hit .320-17-59 in 93 starts.  A lot of Martinez's playing time came out of position in CF in place of an injured Cristobal Castillo, but his numbers indicate he needs more playing time.  Mosley hits for power, but his .240 average leaves a lot to be desired.  This Spring Mosley is batting .273-1-5 while Martinez is at .308-1-4.  Mosley has an edge defensively, but we're talking about right field here.   Gonna be an important 2 weeks.

[Chappy]

Aviators Release Opening Day Roster
Elemia, Hopkins, Mosley win starting jobs.

25-year-old Bertil Aarden, who led the Aviators with a 2.81 ERA last season but missed the postseason due to injury, has been named the opening day starting pitcher for the North Carolina Aviators as they battle Virginia at Bojangles Park next week.

Aarden was 12-9 with a league-low 0.5 HR allowed per 9 IP last season before a sore shoulder ended his season on September 7th.

He will be followed in the rotation by 29-year-old Ron Carmichael (14-15, 3.99), 31-year-old Jorge Luna (12-6, 3.60), 34-year-old Ruben Soto (15-9, 4.06) and 39-year-old Don Wilson (4-2, 3.77).

24-year-old Sal Belcher will lead off and start in LF.  Belcher hit .308-17-88 last season and stole 28 bases.

30-year-old Goppy Gopalakrishnan hits 2nd and starts at 3rd.  The PL MVP hit .347-8-68 last season with 25 steals.

28-year-old Eric Schultz bats 3rd and plays 1st.  He hit .271-18-87 last season.

24-year-old Onel Elemia will hit cleanup on opening day and play SS.  He hit .338 this Spring. 

Batting 5th and starting in RF is 32-year-old Rod Mosley.  He hit .367 with a team-leading 19 RBI in 19 starts this Spring.

2B Slappy Orozco, now 28 years old, will hit 6th.  He hit .286-3-53 last season and stole 49 bases.

2033 Rookie of the Year Shane Schute will DH in the 7 spot.  The 23-year-old hit .326-12-91 last year.

26-year-old Cristobal Castillo will hit 8th and try not to get hurt.  He hit .340-1-32 in his injury-riddled campaign last year.

26-year-old Bob Hopkins has won the starting Catching job and will bat last.  He hit .400 in the Spring with a HR and 7 runs scored.

The bench will consist of C Adam Wakeling (who beats veteran C Ageda for the backup role), infielders Kichibei Aoki and Doug Butler, and outfielder Jesus Martinez.  Martinez his .310 this Spring but couldn't beat out Mosely's .367-6-19 Spring line.

Outlook

OSA predictions currently project NC finishing 86-76, 3rd in the PL South behind Georgia and West Virginia.  Keep in mind that these predictions can change as rosters get trimmed to 25 players. 

Statslab predictions project the Aviators first in the PL South with a 102-60 record and eventual champs over Washington in 8 games.  That would be nice, but we'll have to wait and see!

[Chappy]

Raleigh Explorers Outlook
A brief look at the North Carolina Aviators' Explorer League (AAA) Affiliate

The Explorer League is an offense-heavy league where an ERA below 4.00 is quite the accomplishment.  Last season's 4.74 team ERA was the third lowest ever for an Explorers team, and one of only 3 Explorers team ERAs below 5.21 ever.  The club's lifetime ERA is 5.88 and the team's lifetime Batting Average is .300. 

Last Season
91-49 (.650), 1st place, made playoffs (Defeated Toronto 4-1 in Round 2, Lost to Colorado Springs 4-2 in Round 3)
AVG: .301 - T-lowest since 2026 (.295)
ERA: 4.74 - Down from 5.61 in 2032

Fresh Faces
Guys just promoted or demoted to the club...

SP Bob Fisher - 28 years old - 9-9-1, 3.46 in 28 games for North Carolina last season.
RP Rob Williams - 22 years old - 1-1-16, 1.57 in 43 games for OBX (A) last season.
CL Gabe Wilkerson - 27 years old - 5-5-25, 2.50 in 51 games for Greensboro (AA) last season.

CA Mashashi Ageda - 25 years old - .266-13-62 in 129 games for North Carolina last season.
SS Jose Martinez - 21 years old - .282-11-70 in 135 games for Greensboro (AA) last season.  Will be making AAA debut this season.
SS Ismael Mora - 27 years old - .232-1-14 in 63 games for North Carolina last season.

Key Returning Players and Starters

SP Jose Avila - 26 years old - 5-3-0, 6.05 ERA in 28 games last season.
SP Jesus Ortega - 23 years old - 16-9, 4.52 ERA in 31 games last season. ****1/2 prospect.
RP Rod Strong - 27 years old - 6-1-27, 2.79 ERA in 46 games last season.

CA Mashashi Ageda - Mentioned earlier, still young enough to climb back to the bigs with some development.
1B Kevin Howard - 32 years old - .273 with a record 64 HR and 157 RBI as AAA MVP in 127 games last season.
2B Ismael Mora - Mentioned earlier, probably peaked.
3B Antonio Pineda - 28 years old - .315-9-59 in 85 games with Raleigh (AAA) and .308-0-3 in 22 games with North Carolina last season.
SS Jose Martinez - Mentioned earlier, could be NC's SS of the future.
LF Luke Huisman - 25 years old - .315-13-54 last season. 
CF Francis Ridley - 24 years old - .324-14-97 last season.  **** prospect.
RF Jerry Burger King - 35 years old - .264-5-11 in 18 games with Raleigh (AAA) and .167-5-14 in 11 games with North Carolina.  5 of his 6 big league hits were HR.
DH Dylan Holmes - 24 years old - .176-2-7 in 38 games with NC, .345-7-32 in 62 games with Raleigh (AAA)

[Chappy]

Slow Start for Aviators
First month of the season a rough one for North Carolina squad.

You can't blame North Carolina's 11-13 start to the 2034 season on injuries.  And you can't blame it on the starting pitching, which ranks 3rd in the league with a 3.10 ERA thus far.  But you don't have to look very far either...

Those same positions that were up in the air in Spring Training are still without answers - with the exception of SS.

Bob Hopkins and Adam Wakeling have both hit exactly .200, with Hopkins making 14 starts at catcher and Wakeling making 10.

Rod Mosley is hitting .180 in 16 starts in RF while Jesus Martinez is hitting .182 in 9 starts. 

Onel Elemia hit .140 in 16 starts at SS, but was relieved by Doug Butler.  Butler has started the last 9 games at shortstop and is hitting .351 with 8 RBI.

We need somebody to step up at C and RF like Butler has stepped up at SS. 

The other early area of concern is the bullpen, which is typically strong in NC.  Yu-zeng Sung is 1-4 despite a decent 3.68 ERA.  Tim Brown is 0-3 with a 4.85 ERA.  Chris Beard has a ERA of 5.19 and is 0-2.  Tim Chase has no decisions, but he does have a very lofty ERA of 7.88.  These guys are going to need to perform better if the Aviators are to get back on course.

[Chappy]

Stuggling Aviators Make Changes
#2 Prospect Martinez to make big league debut

Late last season, North Carolina couldn't decide whether to start Rod Mosley or Jesus Martinez in RF because each of them was hot at the plate.  Now, they can't decide who to start because one of them is hitting .151 and the other .172.

As their fates would have it, both will be in the lineup for the next 10 days.

With 1B Eric Schultz (.258-3-23) hitting the DL for a few weeks with a rib injury, Shane Schute (.290-7-29) will move from the DH role into the starting 1B slot.  Rod Mosley will continue to start in RF despite his .172-7-14 line, while Jesus Martinez (.151-2-2) will DH. 

The Aviators have lost 6 games in a row, falling to 24-29 (.453), 7 games behind division leader Virginia. 

In an effort to generate more offense, last year's starting catcher, Mashashi Ageda has been promoted and will start immediately.  Ageda was hitting .380-2-15 in 28 starts behind the plate in AAA Raleigh.  Adam Wakeling (.213-0-7 in 25 starts for NC) has been demoted and will start for Raleigh.  Bob Hopkins (.194-0-4) will stay in NC as the backup. 

Onel Elemia (.162-1-3 in 20 starts at SS) has also been demoted and will start for Raleigh.  In his place will be the organization's #2 propsect, SS Jose Martinez.  Martinez was hitting .273-3-23 in 49 starts for AAA Raleigh.  Doug Butler (.264-2-18) will backup Martinez for the time being.

Next 10 games:

6/1 vs Washington (26-27)
6/2-6/4 vs Ohio (31-22)
6/5-6/6 at California (22-31)
6/7-6/8 at Texas (26-27)
6/9-6/10 vs Georgia (29-24)

[Chappy]

Injuries Pile Up, But Aviators Improve Standing
Team is 7-3 in last 10 games, now just 1 game out of Wild Card

Outfielders Sal Belcher (1 month) and Rod Mosley (2 weeks) both joined first baseman Eric Schultz (5 more days) on the DL in the past week, leaving the Aviators without 1/3 of their opening day starting lineup.

But the move to bring up Mashashi Ageda and Jose Martinez paid immediate dividends, with Ageda accounting for more runs (7), HR (2), and RBI (7) in his first 9 games with the club than Bob Hopkins had accounted for (4, 0, 4) in 30 starts behind the plate.  Jose Martinez hit .378 with 6 runs scored and 3 RBI in a hot start to his big league career.  He hit 7 doubles in 10 games for the Aviators.

Rookie Jeremy Bascombe will join the Aviators for a week until Schultz returns to take 1B.  Shane Schute was fine there, but with multiple outfielders now on the DL, Schute will shift back to DH so Jesus Martinez can move back into RF.  He's still hitting below .200, but has hits in his last 4 games.

[Chappy]

Martinez Demoted to AAA, Aviators Move into Wildcard Spot
Plus a brief look at the minor league system's top hitters.

Despite recently being swept by Maryland, the Aviators have surged into the top wildcard spot as we reach the All-Star break.  The Aviators now sit at 48-41 (.539), 1 game ahead of the other wildcard team (Ontario).

Sal Belcher returns from the DL at the end of the All-Star break, and instead of seeing Jerry Burger King get the assignment to AAA, it was struggling OF Jesus Martinez that was sent packing.  Martinez will hit third for the Raleigh Explorers, who are currently in first place in the Explorers League East with a 55-30 record.  If all goes well, Martinez will return to the Aviators September 1st, or sooner if an injury occurs.

Checking in around the low minors...

22-year-old 1B Luis Aragon (2030 draft, 32nd overall) leads the AA Greensboro Green Sox in hitting this year with a .298-19-66 line.  The 2.5 star prospect has improved drastically from his A-ball numbers last year, when he hit .229-13-69, and looks a lot more like the kid who hit .311-24-92 in rookie ball two seasons ago.

It's no surprise that the A-ball OBX Privateers are led by oufielder Jim O'Brien (2031 draft, 8th overall).  The 21-year-old caught the attention of scouts with a .314-39-142 line for rookie league Delray Beach last season, and his promotion to A-ball has not slowed him down at all.  He's on pace for a .325-37-110 line this year. 

Our first round pick in the most recent draft, Eddie Wheeler (19th overall), is leading the charge in Delray Beach of the rookie league.  The 21-year-old shortstop is hitting .327 with 6 HR and 45 RBI 83 games into his pro career. He also leads the team in 2B (22), Runs scored (76), and Stolen bases (34). 

[Chappy]

...and Down the Stretch they Come!
Aviators now have 3rd-best record in PL as September nears.

The trade deadline passed quietly in North Carolina, as the Aviators continue to win with talent from within.  As of August 11th, the Aviators stand firmly in 2nd place at 62-49 (.559), 11 games behind Virginia.  They hold the top wildcard spot, 2 games ahead of New York (60-51). 

As has been the case all year, Catcher, Shortstop and Right Field have been revolving doors for North Carolina.  All 3 positions were carefully considered at the trade deadline, but the decision was made to go forth with what we already have.

Veteran Mashashi Ageda, who began the season in AAA, currently starts as the backstop, but is batting just .205-5-22 in 43 games.  His backup, Bob Hopkins, is hitting .218-1-12 in 52 games including 44 starts.  Adam Wakeling, who appears to be the backstop of the future (until he struggled to a .213-0-7 mark in 25 starts), is doing well in AAA Raleigh (.313-9-39 in 56 starts).

Doug Butler is currently starting at SS.  He's playing well (.283-3-20 in 53 starts), which is a relief.  Jose Martinez, a top prospect who started at SS for a while this season, is back in AAA where he is batting .279-6-35 in 65 starts.  His brief big league stay was a mixed bag, as he hit .241 but had 10 doubles in 152 plate appearances.  Defense is what he's known for, and he made just 2 errors in 42 starts at SS.

Neither Jesus Martinez (.209-4-17 in 64 games) nor Rod Mosley (.201-13-35 in 86 games) seems to want the RF job, but both are currently in the starting lineup.  Martinez is starting in RF and Mosley in LF while LF Sal Belcher is on the DL for the next 2-3 weeks.  Maybe one of them will get hot and solidify RF down the stretch.

Also on the DL for the next few weeks is 2B Slappy Orozco.  The Slapster has been replaced in the lineup by Ismael Mora, who is hitting just .222 in 8 games this season.  Hurry back, Slappy.

[Chappy]

Injury Bug Bites Big
Aviators currently without 4 opening day starters.

Infielders Slappy Orozco and Goppy Gopalakrishnan and outfielders Rod Mosley and Sal Belcher are all on the shelf right now.

The good news is that Orozco and Belcher are both due back in a week - both will likely spend the time between when they are healthy and rosters expanding on rehab assignment with Raleigh, a club also depleted by injuries.

Rod Mosley is out the rest of the regular season but could be back for the first round of the playoffs.

Then there's reigning MVP Goppy Gopal...  He's out for the regular season and postseason and may even miss the start of Spring Training.  That blow hurts the most.  28-year-old rookie Jose Aguilera - who is 0-for-4 in his big league career - will start at 3rd base until 2B Slappy Orozco returns.  Aguilera was batting .31-10-49 in 103 games with AAA Raleigh, but scouts say don't expect numbers anywhere near that at the big league level.

While the Aviators still have a solid shot a the postseason, the club's chances of advancing far took a tremendous hit the day Goppy went down.

[Chappy]

Expanded Rosters Provide Boost to Limping Aviators
North Carolina Down 3 outfielders, but help is on the way.

After a short rehab stop in Raleigh, Slappy Orozco and Sal Belcher have rejoined the Aviators as rosters expand to 40 players today.

The additional bodies come just in time, as outfielders Jerry King, Rod Mosley and Kevin Howard are all on the disabled list.  They join RP Yu-zeng Sung and 3B Ahilocana Gopalakrishnan to give the Aviators a total of 5 players on the DL.  As of right now, the only player not expected back before the playoffs is last year's MVP, Goppy.

King should return next week, while Howard follows sometime in the next 1-2 weeks.  Mosley is expected back in 3 weeks, while Sung should be ready just before the playoffs begin.

With all the injuries, the Aviators have just 4 active OF despite the expanded rosters.  That's partly because AAA Raleigh is in first place and ready to make a AAA playoff run.  Raleigh themselves are down a couple outfielders, with only 3 on their roster that have appeared in more than 45 games this year.

[Chappy]

Revisiting the Draft
A brief look at where the newest Aviators are after late season call-ups

Round 1 - Eddie Wheeler
The 19th overall pick, Wheeler is off to an all-star start.  On 4/3 he was named the #59 prospect in the AFBL, and on 6/14 he was selected to the Liberty League All-Star Game.  After a .306-10-65 start in 111 games with Delray Beach (R), Eddie was promoted to OBX (A), where he will start at SS and lead off in the batting order.

Round 2 - Jorge Ramirez
Jorge has missed about a month of action due to a pair of injuries, and has posted a 3-6 record and a 6.26 ERA in 22 starts for Delray Beach (R).  We've always seen him as more of a reliever, but he's needed in the rotation in Delray.  He is currently the #3 starter in Delray Beach.

Round 3 - Juan Rodriguez
Juan has started just 7 games behind the plate for Delray Beach (R), but has started 94 more games at DH.  Quite frankly, he has not hit up to expectations.  His .228-9-50 line leaves much to be desired.  Maybe some time in the field will do him some good; Catcher Dan Curry's promotion to OBX (A) will allow Roddy to start the rest of Delray's games (just 5 plus the playoffs) behind the plate.   

Round 4 - Josh Brantley
Brantley, the #79 overall pick, has been impressive.  He was named to the Liberty League All-Star game 6/14, and his 5-6, 5.25 line at Delray Beach (R) was good enough to earn him a promotion to OBX (A).  An ERA in the 5's is not an unusual thing in the LL.  Brantley will finish the season as the #3 starting pitcher in OBX.

Round 5 - Brad Cooke
Cooke's career is off to a slow start.  He's been buried on the bench, only appearing in 8 games so far for Delray Beach (R).  He has hit 3 HR in those 8 games, but his average is a mere .222.  Cooke will start in RF for Delray for the rest of the season though.

Round 6 - Jacky Montagne
The 119th pick in the draft started the season in OBX (A), which is also where he'll finish the season.  He's gone 4-4-1 with a 6.44 ERA in 52 games.  We haven't gotten much out of him, but then again, not much was expected.
 
Round 7 - Joe Arroyo
Nobody is more anxious to get out there than Joe, who has yet to appear in a game as a pro.  With two other, better, first basemen on the roster, Arroyo might be waiting until next year to show off his talents.

Round 8 - Dave Murphy
We were dumb enough to draft they guy that had a 9.43 ERA his senior year in HS, and whaddya know, he has an 8.97 ERA in rookie league.  Murphy is 3-12 in 28 starts for Delray Beach.  That ERA though... ugh.