Final Record: 63-76
Final Position: Last Place (Eastern Division - 15.5 Games Back of Trenton)
As we move up the ladder in out season ending reports, we eventually his a point where the hopes and dreams of the next great prospect hit the reality of the cruel world of baseball. While, for any individual, the end may appear much earlier, I always hit an inflection point when we get to AA. Below this level, I feel as if every player could make it if they mature, if they continue to improve, if they stop getting injured. For me, Single A and Rookie Ball is really a Dream Theater where we just kind of ignore the bad signs and lean on the hopeful. AA? It can become a Nightmare Cinema.
However, AA is also the last step of the ladder which can be considered primarily a development stop... with AAA being utilized more as a large extension of the major league roster. So, let's keep our dreams alive as we look north to Portland and find some prospects whose dreams have not been crushed to dust.
Team Offense:
The first thing we have looked at throughout our series is how old the team is relative to the league, and the Portland offense slides in as slightly older than the median at 24.5 years of age (24.2 average). At least they were in the upper half of the league in total offense (.718 OPS ranked in a tie for fourth) as opposed to the Richmond Flying Squirrels who were the oldest offense in the league and the worst (via OPS).
The team as a whole put up a triple slash of .254/.329/.389 which were all between fifth and seventh in the league. They produced 647 runs (5th) on 1174 hits (4th), 466 walks (8th), and 66 HBPs (5th). The team his 224 doubles (t-7), 25 triples (9th), and 116 homers (5th). Their 85 stolen bases were in the middle of the pack while their 90 GiDPs were in the bottom quartile.
Team Pitching:
The pitching staff was on the younger side of the ledger, falling in as the third youngest staff in the league at 23.9 years (24.4 League average). However, they fell down the charts when looking at performance, being second worst to Bowie with a 4.52 ERA and last in the league in WHIP at 1.407. Their defense as a whole did not help, as they also rated last in R/9 at 5.17. Portland gave up the third most hits (1209) as well as the third most home runs (137). They were fifth in walks allowed (474), third in HBPs (66), and uncorked the fifth most wild pitches (81). They were midpack in the league with 1068.
But, as is always the case, the team numbers are only relevant in this grand overview... it is the individual prospects that make a difference in the long haul. So, let's get to it.
Final Position: Last Place (Eastern Division - 15.5 Games Back of Trenton)
As we move up the ladder in out season ending reports, we eventually his a point where the hopes and dreams of the next great prospect hit the reality of the cruel world of baseball. While, for any individual, the end may appear much earlier, I always hit an inflection point when we get to AA. Below this level, I feel as if every player could make it if they mature, if they continue to improve, if they stop getting injured. For me, Single A and Rookie Ball is really a Dream Theater where we just kind of ignore the bad signs and lean on the hopeful. AA? It can become a Nightmare Cinema.
However, AA is also the last step of the ladder which can be considered primarily a development stop... with AAA being utilized more as a large extension of the major league roster. So, let's keep our dreams alive as we look north to Portland and find some prospects whose dreams have not been crushed to dust.
Team Offense:
The first thing we have looked at throughout our series is how old the team is relative to the league, and the Portland offense slides in as slightly older than the median at 24.5 years of age (24.2 average). At least they were in the upper half of the league in total offense (.718 OPS ranked in a tie for fourth) as opposed to the Richmond Flying Squirrels who were the oldest offense in the league and the worst (via OPS).
The team as a whole put up a triple slash of .254/.329/.389 which were all between fifth and seventh in the league. They produced 647 runs (5th) on 1174 hits (4th), 466 walks (8th), and 66 HBPs (5th). The team his 224 doubles (t-7), 25 triples (9th), and 116 homers (5th). Their 85 stolen bases were in the middle of the pack while their 90 GiDPs were in the bottom quartile.
Team Pitching:
The pitching staff was on the younger side of the ledger, falling in as the third youngest staff in the league at 23.9 years (24.4 League average). However, they fell down the charts when looking at performance, being second worst to Bowie with a 4.52 ERA and last in the league in WHIP at 1.407. Their defense as a whole did not help, as they also rated last in R/9 at 5.17. Portland gave up the third most hits (1209) as well as the third most home runs (137). They were fifth in walks allowed (474), third in HBPs (66), and uncorked the fifth most wild pitches (81). They were midpack in the league with 1068.
But, as is always the case, the team numbers are only relevant in this grand overview... it is the individual prospects that make a difference in the long haul. So, let's get to it.