2036 North Carolina Aviators News & Notes

[Chappy]

Well, a LOT went down while I was on vacation that I haven't had time to document.

Aviators Surprise Many with Cuts

Several veteran stars were among the players cut during our annual organizational housekeeping.  The players cut were:

35-year-old infielder Les Walls, 0-for-12 with 2 walks in his big league career.
28-year-old pitcher Jose Avila, no big league experienced, already been claimed by Kentucky and is in their system now.
40-year-old pitcher Don Wilson, an original Aviator.  248-231 in his big league career for us, 3.93 ERA.
26-year-old first baseman Kimi Ishikawa, no big league experience.
26-year-old infielder Orlando Gallo, no big league experience.
37-year-old outfielder Jerry 'Burger' King, .219-205-584 in 1066 big league games. 
28-year-old pitcher Micah Carr, no big league experience.
26-year-old pitcher Shinki Yoshida, no big league experience.
25-year-old pitcher Kenshin Kichikawa, no big league experience.
29-year-old pitcher Gabe Wilkerson, 3-0-2, 2.05 in 17 big league appearances on the mound.  He was also an All-Star outfielder and Platinum Stick Award winner in 2030 before converting to pitcher.  Career .307-38-204 hitter before he suffered a mysterious talent drop at age 24.
30-year-old pitcher Rod Strong, 0-0-0, 6.75 in 2 big league appearances.

Thanks to all these guys for their service to the Aviators....  apologies for the unceremonious dismissals!

[Chappy]

Aviators Shrink Staff to 11

After using a 12-man pitching staff for the past 23 seasons, the Aviators are moving to an 11-man staff to make room for an extra outfielder.

26-year-old outfielder Dylan Holmes (.183-4-11 in 100 career games), a standout in AAA Raleigh for the past few seasons, will provide extra depth for the club.  While he hasn't found his groove yet at the big league level, Holmes has the tools to be very successful in North Carolina.

28-year-old pitcher Trey Drackley has moved from the pen to the rotation.  The former 7th round pick by West Virginia, later released and claimed as a free agent by North Carolina, has come a long way since joining our organization.  A move the bullpen in AAA in 2033 paved the way for him to make the Aviators bullpen in 2034, and now he's come full circle as a starter again.  In his first two starts this season, Drackley has posted a 1.80 ERA.  He replaces Ruben Soto, who failed to make the 25-man roster, in the rotation. 

Also failing to make the 25-man roster is veteran pitcher Yu-zeng Sung, who will be one of our top arms in AAA.  Sung was 6-3-2 with a 2.19 ERA last year, which shows you how deep out pitching is. 

Two rookies will be in the Aviators bullpen this season.  Relievers Dean Edwards (25 years old, 8/6/7 ratings) and Rob Williams (24 years old, 7/7/8 ratings).  Williams appeared in 7 games with the Aviators last year, allowing 0 hits and fanning 5 batters.

The rest of the roster is pretty much the same as last year, just a year older and wiser!

[Chappy]

Top 8 Prospects
7 of them are in AAA

#1 - SP Norman Cornell - 21 years old - Last Season - 14-7, 3.35 in 30 starts for AA Greensboro  -  This Season - Rated 7/6/4 over 9/7/7 in AAA.

Got lucky on Cornell, a scouting discovery from Australia.  Had 5/4/3 potentials when he was discovered.  Boosted to 8/5/5 after winning the AA Championship with Greensboro in 2034 and again to 9/7/7 after finishing 2nd in MVPitcher voting for AA last year.

#2 - CF Jorge "Chewie" Baca - 21 years old - Last Season - .297-19-69 in 85 games for AAA Raleigh.  -  This Season - Rated 5/8/5/4/4 over 6/8/7/4/6 in AAA.

Chewie has blazing speed, successfully stealing 24 bases on 28 tries a year ago.  Like Cornell, he was a scouting discovery.  Chewie was named the #27 prospect in the league prior to this year.  Was seen as a 7/7/4 prospect for most of his time in the organization, but was downgraded to 6/7/4 after missing 12 weeks to injuries (elbow, abdominal muscle) last season. 

#3 - CL Lou Moore - 23 years old - Last season - 20-3, 2.08 ERA in 27 starts for AA Greensboro.  - This Season - Rated 7/5/7 over 8/6/9 in AAA.

Lou makes the move to the pen this year.  It really stinks to lose him as a starter, but he just doesn't have the endurance to cut it in the rotation above AA.  A third round pick in 2030, Lou was originally scouted at 4/5/5 coming out of High School.  He bumped up to 7/5/5 as he entered rookie ball, and then crept up gradually over the years to his current 8/6/9 prediction.  Lou had an ugly 8.31 ERA in High School and had ERA's of 7.70 and 9.46 his first two years as a pro.  It looked for a moment like he would flounder, but the scouts were right and he developed into a star, winning the AA MVPitcher last year.

#4 - LF Jim O'Brien - 22 years old - Last Season - .352-21-68 in 63 A games and .302-18-39 in 61 AA games - This season - Rated 6/5/7/3/5 over 6/5/9/3/5 in AAA.

O'Brien is a guy we've been high on ever since drafting him 8th overall in 2031.  He hit 17 HR his first pro year, followed by 39 in '33, 37 in '34, and 39 again in '35.  A true slugger with a .300+ career average to boot.  He should get a shot at making the team next season with a good September with the big league club later this year. 

#5 - SS Eddie Wheeler - 23 years old - Last Season - .273-9-69 in 135 games at AA Greensboro - This Season - Rated 5/6/3/4/6 over 6/7/5/4/7 in AAA.

Wheeler was drafted 19th overall in 2033.  His first pro season was a success, as he hit .306-10-65 in 111 games for Delray Beach of the rookie league before capping off the year with 5 games (.350-0-1) with A OBX.  In addition to a decent bat, Wheeler is a sensational defensive SS and has excellent speed.  He stole 21/30 bases last year and was named MVP of the first round of the playoffs.  Among his many accolades are 2 defensive awards and 3 All-Star selections.  He also won an MVP award during college.

#6 - CL Terrance Jackson - 22 years old - Last Season - 5-5, 4.79 ERA in 14 starts for AA Greensboro and 6-1, 2.87 in 14 starts for A OBX.  - This Season - Rated 5/8/5 over 6/5/5 in AA. 

Jackson returns to Greensboro but moves from the rotation to the bullpen, where he is a perfect 4-0 in Save opportunities this young season.  A former 2nd round pick (#28 overall) in 2031, Jackson has progressed methodically through the system and has gone from being unranked to the #79 prospect to the #58 prospect in the entire league.  Terrence is our only top prospect below the AAA level, and he's close.... very close.

#7 - 1B Luis Aragon - 24 years old - Last Season - .308-22-83 in 126 games for AAA Raleigh.  - This Season - Rated 5/5/6/5/5 over 6/5/7/5/6 in AAA.

Aragon, a 2030 2nd round pick (32nd overall), is stuck behind Shane Schute and Eric Shultz, and is getting up there in age.  It's one of the reasons the Aviators would like to trade Shultz.  While he probably won't be an all-star caliber 1B, he should have a solid bat and a decent glove. 

#8 - 2B Juan Baez - 23 years old - Last Season - .302-12-55 in 114 games for AAA Raleigh.  - This season - Rated 5/5/3/5/6 iver 5/5/4/5/6 in AAA.

While possessing just an average bat, Baez is a nice little middle infielder prospect.  Good speed, good glove; he's hit well at every level so far.  A scouting discovery from Mexico, Baez is close to ready and could be a call up in the event of an injury this season.

[Chappy]

Aviators Start Season Strong
26-14 start puts North Carolina 1st in the South Division by 2 games.

Phenomenal starting pitching has lifted the Aviators to a nice start to the 2036 campaign.  First year starter Trey Drackley, who spent the past two seasons in the bullpen, is the weakest link in the 5-man rotation with a 2-0, 3.10 record.

Ron Carmichael is leading the rotation with a 5-1, 1.99 start while Bartil Aarden isn't too shabby at 6-1, 2.20.  The starters have combined for a 2.45 ERA through 40 games, which ranks first in the Patriot League.  The bullpen has struggled (relatively speaking), posting a 3.52 ERA this year.  Tim Brown and Dean Edwards are both off to slow starts, posting ERAs of 5.52 and 5.40, respectively.

Shane Schute has not hit particularly well this year and is currently on the disabled list.  The DH-turned-first-baseman is hitting .252-1-7, well below his .290-1-81 line he posted last season.  He should return to the team in a week, but it is unknown if he'll return to 1B or go back to DH'ing.  Veteran Rod Mosley has DH'd most days this season, but his .177-3-16 start is worst on the team in terms of batting average and OPS.

Prospect Jim O'Brien is crushing the ball in AAA Raleigh.  He's hitting .348-10-26 in 34 games and could provide the power that the Aviators have lacked over the past few years.  The only problem is with where to play him.  A left fielder, O'Brien is not going to unseat starting LF Sal Belcher, one of our most consistent hitters over the past 6 years.  Right field is currently occupied by Cristobal Castillo, who lacks power but is a lifetime .308 hitter with 3 200-hit seasons in the last 4 years.  Shifting someone to CF would remove Francis Ridley, who led the team in WAR last season out of the lineup, though Ridley's number are down from his Rookie-of-the-Year campaign last season.

He could slide in at DH, replacing Mosley, who as I mentioned earlier is struggling.  But then we'd be keeping Schute at 1B, and he's a bit of a defensive liability there. 

The good news is as long as the team continues to win we don't need to make any changes, so for the time being, O'Brien - who is only 22 - can stay in Raleigh.

[Chappy]

Aviators Release Mosley
Former #1 overall pick is now a Free Agent

It was a somber day in Charlotte as former #1 overall pick (2022 draft) Rod Mosley was released from his contract with the only organization he's ever played for. 

After winning back-to-back collegiate MVP's, Mosley was selected by a down-in-the-dumps North Carolina team to be the first building block in the team's return to greatness.  And while Mosley did have his moments, with just 1 All-Star appearance in 10+ seasons, it's safe to say his big league career was a huge letdown.

The Brooklyn native became a regular for the Aviators at age 24, and at age 26 had his best season - .292-30-98 in just 138 games.  Unfortunately, Mosley would never hit above .280 again and would only top 30 HR in one other season (2032, when he hit .240-31-91). 

Mosley leaves North Carolina ranked 5th in team history in games played (1394) and tied for 2nd in HR (205). 

[Chappy]

Aviators Ride 9-1 Streak to Best Record in the AFBL
NC now 40-19 thanks to consistent pitching, timely hitting.

Minutes before Rod Mosley was released, a deal was made sending him to rival Ohio in exchange for a 4th round pick in the next draft.

Mosley's departure shocked many fans, but there was no time to grieve as the Aviators took flight.  Mosley's replacement in the lineup, veteran outfielder Jesus Martinez, stepped into the lineup and has hit .391 with 3 HR and 12 RBI in the 17 games since Mosley left.  The jolt in the lineup has lifted the NC offense to 3rd in the league in Average, Slugging, OPS and Runs Scored. 

Meanwhile, the pitching has continued to be great.  North Carolina is 2nd in the league in ERA and 1st in SP ERA.  Three starers have WHIPs below 1.00 this season.  The Bullpen is ranked 4th with a respectable 3.07 mark.

[Chappy]

Minor League Update - Catching
Discovery of top prospect leads to organizational reworking behind the plate.

On June 28th, scouts signed catching prospect Jose Rodriguez out of Venezuela. 

After getting a close look at the almost-17-year-old, the club decided they needed to get him into the Rookie league right away. 

It was bad news for Angus Trembath and Moromao Ine, a couple of scouting discoveries from the past that never really developed.

Trembath, a 27-year-old Australian import, spent 11 years in the system, posting a 162-game average of .245-5-50 while never advancing above AA Greensboro.

Ine, also 27, spent 10 years in the organization, making it as high as AAA Raleigh where he appeared in a grand total of 14 games.  His 162-game average for his minor league career was .279-15-81.  He hopes to return to his native Japan to play professionally there.

The release of Ine from AAA and Trembath from AA allowed a handful of catching prospects to earn promotions, most notable 4-star prospect Juan Rodriguez, who moves from OBX (A) to Greensboro (AA).  The Aviators 2033 third round pick (59th overall) is 21 years old and definitely has big league potential.

While Juan Rodriguez gets the promotion, these moves were really about Jose Rodriguez, no relation.

Jose will be the starter in Delray Beach for now, and is currently rated by scouts 3/3/1/1/2 over 8/8/8/4/7.  He is a 4.5 star prospect, and is an above-average defensive catcher in addition to being a nice contact/power hitting prospect.  He possesses catcher speed though, and will be a liability on the basepaths.

[Chappy]

Broken Elbow Ends Schute's Season
Aviators lose arguably their biggest bat just before playoffs

With just 17 games remaining and a cozy 9-game lead on the final wild card spot, the North Carolina Aviators are going to need to replace DH Shane Schute's big bat.  The 25-year-old DH/1B broke his elbow after being hit by Texas Isotopes hurler Jim Koker in the 4th inning of an NC 8-3 win over Texas. 

Solid play by a couple of expanded roster players give the Aviators brass a couple of options for the remainder of the season and into the postseason.

Rookie 1B Luis Aragon is one option.  Aragon has hit .269-4-12 in 29 games including 26 starts this fall.  He had hit .320-36-106 for AAA Raleigh prior to being called up September 1st.

Another option is rookie outfielder Jorge Baca, who is batting .274-3-12 in 30 games (27 starts) after hitting .317-17-69 for AAA Raleigh prior to September 1st.

A third option weighing heavily on the minds of management would be to bring up 23-year-old prospect Jim O'Brien, who is currently hitting .384-54-126 for AAA Raleigh.  He could provide more power than the other two options, but seriously lacks discipline at the plate at this point in his career.

One thing is certain; it's nice to have options.

[Chappy]

Aviators Prepare for First Round Playoff Matchup vs Ontario
Two late season call-ups to stick around for playoffs...

The North Carolina Aviators finished the 2036 regular season with a 95-67 (.586) record, 7 games behind the Virginia Diamond Club.  This marks the 10th trip to the playoffs for coach Chappy and company, and the 5th straight trip following a 12-year drought.

Ron Carmichael won 20 games for the Aviators and led the team with a 2.77 ERA.  The well-balanced staff led the league in Starters' ERA witha 3.35 mark. 

Cristobal Castillo (.312) and Sal Belcher (.301) each hit .300+, but there were no 20+ HR hitters on the squad this year.

North Carolina will face Ontario (92-70) in the wildcard round of the playoffs.  Sal Belcher will miss the first 2 games of the series; which is actually good news, considering he originally was not going to be back until next Spring.  The Blue Pirates won the season series with NC 7-3, so this could be a tough matchup for our guys.

Late season call-ups Luis Aragon (.236-5-13 in 44 games) and Jorge Baca (.259-6-20 in 44 games) both wound up on the postseason roster and will start in the opening pair of games at DH and CF, respectively. 

[Chappy]

Aviators Defeat Ontario, then Fall to Maryland in Playoffs
Select Chris May in first round of draft as booby prize.

It was a decent postseason for the Aviators, who in the end couldn't muster up enough offense to beat the Maryland Bridegrooms. 

To console themselves, Aviator officials have turned their attention to the amateur draft. 

They Aviators have selected Chris 'the Hope' May out of Phoenix High School with their late first round pick.  May was 3-9 with 26 saves and a 4.77 ERA in his career; by no means fantastic numbers, but there is a lot of talent to work with.  May has some of the best stuff our scouts have ever seen, and if he can develop it all the way, he should be a first class closer in the AFBL down the road.