Aviators Take Flight
Team to experiment with 10-man rotation this season.
The roster is down to 25 players, and surprisingly, the Aviators are going with 15 position players and 10 pitchers.
Here's a look at their 2038 roster:
1 - CF - Francis Ridley - .255-18-64 - 41 SB last season with NC
Ridley moved into the starting lineup after a slow start last season, and ignited the NC offense. While his OBP is low and strikeouts are high, there's no denying the club seems to score more runs with him at the top of the order than they do without him. The 28-year-old provides excellent defense, too.
2 - LF - Cristobal Castillo - .339-0-38 - 13 SB last season with NC
Castillo suffered an injury-plagued campaign last year, which limited him to 100 games. But when he's healthy, he's a great singles hitter and a real defensive presence in left field. While slower than he once was, he still converted 13 of 15 stolen base attempts last year. Hopefully this 30-year-old can stay healthy for the entire season.
3 - DH - Jim O'Brien - .209-6-14 in 34 games with NC, .368-59-148 in 124 games with Raleigh (AAA) last season
Although I think he has too many career plate appearances to be considered a rookie (189), this 24-year-old slugger is coming off back-to-back 50+ HR seasons in AAA and is finally ready to give NC its first legitimate consistent home run threat in years. O'Brien, a late season call-up last season, hit .259 with 2 HR in 13 playoff games, so this young star already has a ring.
4 - RF - Chewie Baca - .304-26-99 - 40 SB last season with NC
Chewie is loved by fans, but despised by his teammates and the members of the local media. Last season alone, he won PL Rookie of the Year, was named an All-Star, won the PL RF Platinum Stick Award, was a world champion, and was named Federation Cup Series MVP. He also led the PL in runs scored and triples. Yep, all that as a rookie. And now he's complaining about having to protect O'Brien in the lineup instead of having O'Brien protect him. This 23-year-old should be both a joy to watch and a headache for the next decade.
5 - 3B - Goppy Gopalakrishnan - .308-8-77 - 16 SB last season with NC
In order to soothe Chewie the Diva, 9-time All-Star and team captain Goppy Gopalakrishnan will follow him in the lineup. It will give Goppy a chance to be more of a run producer now that he's 34 years old and on the downside of his career. The 2023 #1 overall draft pick is closing in on 3,000 hits, and if he can stay healthy, should reach that mark next season or early in 2040.
6 - 1B - Shane Schute - .257-18-71 last season with NC
Last season was a down one for Schute, a career .293 hitter. He made the transition from DH to 1B well enough, and should be a bit better defensively this year than he was last season. Schute, 27, has twice led the PL in doubles, but hit just 27 last year. He'll need to return to form or else his job could go to youngster Arturo Gonzalez, who is a clear defensive upgrade and has hit for power in the minor leagues.
7 - SS - Jose Martinez - .209-10-54 - 22 SB last season with NC
Jose Martinez is not on the team for his hitting ability, but let's be honest, he needs to hit better than .209. At 25, he's already been named to the All-Star team twice and has 2 gold gloves on his shelf. There's no denying that he is one of - if not the - best shortstops defensively speaking. Fantastic range, fantastic glove, fantastic arm... he's got it all. Hopefully he can return to form at the plate; he hit .249 as a rookie and .257 his 2nd year.
8 - CA - Dan Curry - .333-1-7 in 11 games with NC and .376-28-102 in 111 games with Raleigh (AAA) last season.
Curry is on the DL for the first 2 weeks of the season, but we are excited about him. He has more postseason experience than regular season (13 reg season vs 20 playoff games in the AFBL) experience, and hit .364-3-15 for the Aviators last fall en route to a Wildcard Series MVP and a championship. He provides the type of leadership we like to see from our catchers, and has an above average bat as well. Bob Hopkins is starting behind the plate until Curry comes back.
9 - 2B - Slappy Orozco - .282-0-65 - 28 SB last season with NC
Fan favorite veteran - now 32 years old - Slappy Orozco hits 9th this season. He's closing in on 2,500 career hits and can reach that mark late this season if all goes well. He's a dependable 2B and he still runs well. There's nothing not to like about him other than his lack of power.
Backup CA - Juan Rodriguez - .300-34-110 last season with Greensboro (AA)
Juan makes the jump from AA to the bigs. The 22-year-old looks to be a great defensive catcher and carries a modest bat.
Backup 1B - Arturo Gonzalez - .361-45-124 last season with Raleigh (AAA) and .212-4-10 in 25 games with NC
23-year-old is decent with the glove and hits for power. Also sneakily good on the basepaths. Could steal Schute's job if Schute struggles this year.
Backup SS - Doug Butler - .259-1-6 in 24 games with NC last season
Solid if seldom used as a backup last year. Butler is one of the best bunters in the game. Probably won't see action in more than 25 games again this year.
Backup 2B/SS/3B - Eddie Wheeler - .328-13-82 in 121 games with Raleigh (AAA) last season.
We are excited about this 25-year-old former first round pick. Blazing speed, second only to starter Martinez in SS fielding ability, solid bat. Could be a future starter for us, but right now, he'll provide depth in the infield.
Backup OF - Sal Belcher - .291-10-41 in 80 games last season with NC
An injury cost Belcher half of last season, and in turn his starting position. Still, having a guy like Belcher as a reserve will be nice. Only 28, he's a two-time all-star and a former platinum stick winner in LF.
Backup OF - Jesus Martinez - .243-13-57 in 113 games last season with NC
Like Belcher, Martinez is another guy that could start for a lot of teams but will be providing depth for us. At 32, this veteran has the most pop on our bench, but he's not particularly good in the field any more.
Pitchers to come!
