2035 North Carolina Aviators News & Notes

[Chappy]

Aviators Open Series with Four Wins
Squad sits at 5-3 after 8 games.

North Carolina opened the 2035 season by sweeping Virginia on the road, and took game 1 at Maryland before dropping games 2 & 3 of that series, ultimately dropping game 1 of a two game set with Ohio before finishing the week with a win against the Knights.

The club sits in first place, 1 game ahead of Maryland and Virginia in the South Division.

The Lineup

For the start of the season, the Aviators are all healthy.  Here's a look at the lineup (with stats through the first 8 games):

1. CF Francis Ridley (rookie) - .308-0-3
2. RF Cristobal Castillo - .457-0-4
3. 3B Goppy Gopalakrishnan - .333-0-3
4. LF Sal Belcher - .306-0-3
5. DH Shane Schute - .265-1-5
6. 1B Eric Schultz - .294-0-5
7. CA Adam Wakeling - .259-1-5
8. 2B Slappy Orozco - .182-0-1
9. SS Jose Martinez - .348-0-3

The biggest change from last year is Ridley in CF, which shifts Castillo to RF and knocks Rod Mosley out of the starting lineup.  Also, Slappy Orozco leaves the top of the lineup for the bottom.

Pitching Staff

SP1 - Bertil Aarden - 0-0, 4.80
SP2 - Jesus Ortega (rookie) - 0-0, 1.42
SP3 - Rod Carmichael - 0-1, 4.91
SP4 - Jorge Luna - 0-0, 4.50
SP5 - Ruben Soto - 1-0, 1.00

MR - Gabe Wilkerson - 1-0, 0.00
MR - Yu-zeng Sung - 1-0, 0.00
SU - Chris Beard - 0-1, 13.50
SU - Edgardo Rosas - 1-0, 1.80
CL - Tim Brown - 1-0-1, 2.84

Tim Brown replaces Chris Beard as the team's closer, while Don Wilson is replaced by rookie Jesus Ortega.  Wilson, who turns 40 August 9th, is at AAA for the time being. 

[Chappy]

Lou Moore Finds his Groove
Pitcher finally showing public what scouts have always known was possible.

When scouts heavily advised the Aviators management to select Lou Moore with the 11th pick of the 3rd round of the 2030 draft, they reluctantly obeyed, expecting jeers from the few Aviators fans paying attention to the draft.  And who could blame them?  The Anaheim High School pitcher had just finished his lone high school season with a whopping 8.31 ERA in just 13 innings of work.

But - and there's always a 'but' - the scouts overlooked the 8+ ERA and saw a 6'3" lanky kid with terrible mechanics who could throw 95 miles per hour.  Fix the mechanics, and you may have a first-round caliber pitcher with a 3rd round price tag.

The 18-year-old was assigned to Delray Beach, where coaches would struggle to keep the young pitcher focused.  He bought a Corvette and partied a lot, and wound up with a 7.70 ERA in 49 games in rookie league.  And while the fans mocked him, the scouts saw the improvement.  The kid lowered his ERA while facing pro talent instead of high school talent. 

After an off season in which Moore failed to follow his workout regiment, he came back to Delray Beach at age 19 and was beat up by opposing bats.  Moore appeared in 65 games and posted a 9.46 ERA, with his WHIP ballooning from 1.96 in '31 to 2.40 in '32.  At the season-ending exit interview, coaches met with Moore for nearly 3 hours.  They discussed a change in role... a change in responsibility.  If Moore would work out all off season, the team would let him try to be a starter. 

With the extra motivation, Moore rolled into Spring Training in top shape.  He took the mound as a starter, and after just 6 starts he was on his way to A-ball.  Moore posted a 1-0 record with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in those 6 starts.  The Hawthorne, California native finally saw what scouts had seen all along.

But the bats in A-ball were tougher, and Moore battled to a 5-9 record with  7.23 ERA in his remaining 21 starts that season. But his numbers were better than they were in High School, and better than they were when he started his R-league career.

Last season, Moore started just 3 games (1-0, 3.27) before an injury ended his season.  But he spend a lot of time perfecting his mechanics during rehab, and has come back smarter and better than ever.

Moore began 2035 at AA Greensboro, where he has posted a 5-0 record in his first 7 starts.  He has a career-low 1.84 ERA this year, as well as a WHIP of 0.84.  He's fanning a batter an inning, and has walked only 11 in 44 innings.  It's up to Moore to keep progressing, but nobody is questioning whether he's worth a 3rd round pick any more.

[Chappy]

Teimua Kirisitopa joins Delray Beach Grasshoppers
18-year-old prospect discovered in American Samoa could be big find for Aviators

Teimua Kiristopa was discovered by North Carolina scouts in December of 2033, and the now-18-year-old prospect has finally been activated from the International Complex roster and assigned to Delray Beach (R).  Scouts originally rated the young pitcher 3/4/5 (Stuff/Movement/Control), but upgraded their projections last year to 6/5/6.  However, a current scouting reports shows Kiristopa at 7/5/6, which places him in the 'Major League Potential' deck within the North Carolina system.  As such, Kiristopa needs to be seeing live game action and can no longer be housed in the International Complex.

The pitching in Delray Beach has been among the worst in the Liberty League.  Kiristopa will hopefully help get that club going; they've struggled to a 10-23 start this year.

To make room for the young prospect, Orlando Valverde has been released. 

Valverde was discovered by NC scouts in the Dominican Republic, but a pair of serious injuries his first year in the US hampered his development.  The 23-year-old leaves with a combined (R and A) record of 22-29 with 2 saves and a 6.08 ERA.

[Chappy]

Around the Organization
A look at the Delray Beach Grasshoppers of the Liberty League (R)

Only one team within the North Carolina organization is struggling, and that's the Delray Beach Grasshoppers.  While we knew this was a young club, as are most rookie league squads, we still thought there'd be enough talent to push for a playoff spot.  But right now, the Hoppers are 21-31, 9th in the East Division, and 14 games out of first. 

On a more optimistic note, the team has won 6 games in a row and sits 7.5 games out of the final wildcard spot.  Here's a look at the notable prospects in Delray Beach:

Teimua Kirisitopa - SP
Featured in our previous write-up, Teimua has been successful in his first 4 starts with the club, posting a 2-0 record and a 1.77 ERA.  He's allowed just 1 HR in 20.3 innings of work.

Dave Murphy - SP
Scouts have recently boosted their projections on Murphy, a throwaway 8th round pick from the 2033 draft who had a 9+ ERA his senior year in high school.  While he was an abysmal 3-12 with an 8.85 ERA in his first year as a pro last season and is an even more abysmal 2-4 with a 9.66 ERA this year, the one-time 5/4/5 prospect is suddenly a 7/5/6 prospect.  With 4 decent pitches in his repertoire, that makes Murphy a big league prospect, even though he doesn't look like one so far.

Jorge Ramirez - RP
This 18-year-old scouting discovery, like Murphy, has ugly stats (7.16 ERA this year, 6.38 ERA last year) but pretty potential ratings (8/6/5).  Once he masters his Cutter and Curve, he should be on the fast track to the big league bullpen. 

Chris 'Foghorn' Cleghorn - CL
Our 2nd round pick last fall is a 4.5 star prospect, and although he's struggled to adjust to the pros, his 3-3-6, 6.33 line doesn't look so bad after checking out Murphy and Ramirez.  The Foghorn has top shelf stuff, at least potentially.  A 10/7/6 potential talent, he's a guy to keep a real close eye on.

Juan Rodriguez - CA
19-year-old Juan Rodriguez is looking pretty good for a 3rd round pick.  Drafted 59th overall in 2033, he's followed up .227-10-55 season with a .324-8-40 start...  so after hitting 10 HR in 106 games last season, he's already got 8 in 47 games this year.  His 5/7/7/6/5 ratings potentials are solid, though a bump to a 6 in contact would put him in very good shape to start in NC someday.

Kazuhiko Nakashima - 1B
Our 4th round pick last fall looks like a keeper with potentials of 6/7/6/6/6.  He's off to a .303-11-32 start, 46 games into his pro career.  He needs to improve in the field or else he'll be a DH down the line.

Jimmy Dixon - 2B
Infielder Jimmy Dixon, our 7th round pick last year, is off to a .220-9-27 start.  He's expected to be more of a 'hit for average' guy than a 'hit for power' guy, but he's doing his best Willie Mays Hayes impersonation so far.  Still, it's rare to have a 7th round pick you think can make the show, but that's what we have in Dixon.

Jose Medrano - SS
Our first round pick has already been dinged by scouts, dropping from 8/6/5 to 7/6/4 potentials in Contact/Power/Eye.  But he's still a good looking prospect, and his .273-7-38 start to his pro career isn't terrible.  He's going to have to work on his fielding ability, because a SS with a 2 rating won't cut it in NC.  Medrano is on pace for a .272-19-102 season.

Charlie 'Smarty Pants' Dickinson - RF
Dickinson, our 3rd round pick last fall, has been outstanding.  He's hitting .308-11-35 (paced for .309-30-94) and has done everything you can expect from a 3rd round pick.  He's one of the guys - along with Medrano - that can really turn this team's season around. 

[Chappy]

Around the Organization
A look at the OBX Privateers of the Confederation League (A)

The coastal towns of the Carolinas are kings of the Confederation League this year, as 2nd place OBX trails 1st place Hilton Head by 5.5 games in the East. 

The Outer Banks club ranks first in the league in Runs Scored, Batting AVG, and OBP while ranking 3rd in Home Runs and Starters' ERA.

Here's a look at the notable prospects in OBX:

Terence Jackson - SP
Jackson is 6-0 with a 2.66 ERA in 13 starts this year.  He was the Aviators' 2nd round pick in 2031, and after a slow start to his pro career, he's now a 4.5 star prospect. 

Teddy Mailing - SP
Could Teddy be that rare 8th round pick that makes an impact in the pros?  He was drafted 142nd overall in 2029, and has progressed from being a 2/8/5 pitching prospect into a 4/8/8 guy.  Now a 2.5 star prospect, Mailing is one to keep an eye on.  He might be a fine finesse pitcher one day.

Ryosei Saikawa - SP
This Japanese scouting discovery is off to a 4-1 start in 13 starts, and has a 3.84 ERA and 73 Ks in 68 IP.  Saikawa has a curve ball scouts praise as potentially one of the best of all time, but he cannot throw it consistently yet.  He's only 20 though, and if he can master that curveball, Saikawa could be a fantastic starting pitcher.  For now, he's just a 2.0 star prospect though.

Dan Curry - CA
Our 1st round pick from 2032 has faired well in his first 2+ seasons as a pro.  Curry hit .271-24-84 in 2033 in Delray Beach (R), followed it up with a .322-25-114 campaigne in 2034, and has hit .348-8-52 so far in his first full season in OBX (A).  He's also won best fielder at C in each of his two full seasons as a pro.

Jim O'Brien - OF
The 8th overall pick in 2031, O'Brien moved slowly through the system.  He hit .238-17-86 his first year in Delray and then hit .314-39-142 the next year.  In 2034, his first year in OBX, Jim hit .318-37-127.  In his second season in OBX, he's batting .371-20-65 through 59 games.  Jim is in line for a promotion to AA, which will probably come this September. 

Jim Shepherd - OF
Sometimes called 'The Other Jim', Shepherd was the team's 2nd round pick in 2032.  He skipped rookie league altogether and hit .300-18-70 here in OBX in his first year as a pro.  He followed that season up with a .284-22-54 season last year, missing a month with injuries.  This year, his 3rd in A-ball, he's batting .323-10-37 and - like the other 'Jim' - in line for a promotion as soon as there's room.

Juan Munoz - OF
A scouting discovery from Mexico, Munoz combines blazing speed with outstanding outfield play and can hit a little too.  He spent two years in the rookie league, hitting .279-9-47 and .307-11-79 before getting the call up to A-ball this year.  He's off to a .284-7-42 start.  Juan has battled injuries a bit in his brief career, which is not a good sign.  But still, he's a 4-star prospect and if he can stay healthy, he'll be a good guy to have around.

Juan Jose Ortiz - OF
We have the other 'Jim', and here's the other 'Juan'.  Ortiz was discovered in Venezuela, and hit very well in 2 season with Delray Beach.  He hit .326-11-48 in '33 and .331-13-96 in '34.  This year, he's batting .293-8-31.  He's a very similar player to Munoz...  great speed, great defense, decent bat but modest power. 

[Chappy]

Ruiz (DB) Out For Season
Grasshoppers make contingency plans

David Ruiz was having the best year of his young career, posting a .313 average 36 games into the 2035 season, when he was hit in the head.

Since then, Ruiz has been suffering from Post-Concussion Syndrome, and is expected to miss the rest of the Grasshoppers season.

Fortunately, Deron Boyd was still available.  The 5'8" son of a Rochester College dean, who played on the Rochester baseball team as a favor to his father by the Rochester coach, hit .286 in his collegiate career (which consisted of 7 at bats).  Better known as 'Squirt', Deron once again had his dad call in a favor; his father's former secretary now works in the North Carolina Aviators front office.  So, Boyd's career will continue.

Boyd can play infield and outfield, although neither very well.  He has good speed but cannot steal bases, let alone run them, very well. 

On the bright side, he doesn't eat a lot and he can fit in kid sized clothes, so he's relatively inexpensive.

[Chappy]

Martinez Named All-Star Game MVP
He was one of five Aviators on the All-Star team.

Relievers Yu-zeng Sung & Tim Brown, infielders Jose Martinez & Ahilocana Gopakrishnan, and outfielder Francis Ridley were all named to the Patriot League All-Star Team, with Martinez being named MVP after his 2-run pinch hit double in the 8th inning powered the PL to a 4-2 win.

It was the first All-Star appearance for Sung, Martinez, and the rookie Francis, the second appearance for Brown, and the seventh ASG appearance for Goppy.

[Chappy]

Aviators Build on Lead
NC sweeps Georgia, is 7-1 in last 8 games.

Sal Belcher and Shane Schute, two guys who have hit below expectations this year, are heating up at the right time.  Schute is now hitting and even .300 on the year, thanks to a .347 average in the month of July.  Belcher, who hit .316 in July, is now up to .252 on the season.  He drove in just 5 runs in April, 8 in May and 8 in June, but exploded to drive in 17 in July.

Their bats have allowed the Aviators to build a 4 game lead in the division and actually pass Ontario for a wildcard spot should Georgia pass us in the South standings. 

The Aviators sit at 63-41, 5 games behind rival Ohio for the best record in the PL.

[Chappy]

REINFORCEMENTS!
September brings extra arms and bats to Aviators

The North Carolina Aviators have fallen into 2nd place, one game behind Virginia, and are tied with New York for the 2nd and final wild card spot.  Fortunately for the Aviators, their next 5 games are against either Oregon (51-81) or West Virginia (44-88).  NC will then play a pair of games against a strong Ontario squad before facing Pennsylvania (61-71) for 3 games.  Needless to say, with 8 of their next 10 games being very winnable, now is the time for the team to play strong.

The team has added a catcher, a first baseman, 3 infielders, 3 outfielders and 5 pitchers from the minor leagues to add depth down the final stretch of the season.  Among them are a trio of players who will be making their big league debuts:

RP Dean Edwards - Drafted in the 4th round, 62nd overall in 2029 - 24 years old
Dean has worked his way methodically through the system spending 2 seasons in R, 2 seasons in A, 2 seasons in AA and then spending this year in AAA.  With the Explorers (AAA), he posted a 6-7 record with 31 saves and a 3.73 ERA in 60 appearances.  Scouts grade him 8/6/6 with 8/6/9 potential, and while he's spent the majority of his career in the pen, he does have 3 good pitches and can start if needed.

RP Rob Williams - Drafted in the 3rd round, 42nd overall in 2029 - 24 years old
Yes, Williams was drafted one round before Edwards in the same draft.  He was 4-1-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 58 appearances with Raleigh (AAA) this year, his 2nd in AAA.  Scouts see Williams as fully developed at 8/6/7.  He throws two good pitches so he's strictly a bullpen guy, but he was a starter in High School and the low minors. 

1B Luis Aragon - Drafted in the 2nd round, 32nd overall in 2030 - 23 years old
Once a top power hitting prospect, Aragon has not developed the pop we had hoped for, but he still could become a capable big league 1B.  He hit 24 HR in his first full season in R, 13 in his only full season in A, and exploded for 33 in his lone full season in AA.  This year, his first as a AAA player, he hit 22 homers and drove in 83 runs while hitting .308, his highest average since High School.

Also among the call-ups are veteran SP Don Wilson, who was 11-9 with a 4.92 ERA in 26 starts for AAA Raleigh this season.  Wilson turned 40 23 days ago, making him the oldest player on the team.