2023 Year in Review

A Combination of Savvy Vets and Talented Youngsters Helped Usher in A New Era in the Alamo City

SAN ANTONIO – The offseason heading into the 2023 season saw two notable changes for the San Antonio Missions organization. The first notable change came with the official announcement of Designated Bidders, LLC taking over as owners of the club. The other change was the San Diego Padres’ announcement of the field staff for the affiliates.

As for the ownership group, this consisted of local business experts such as Hope Andrade, Bruce Hill and Randy Smith. The group also consisted of notable sports figures such as Reid Ryan, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson and Roger Clemens.

As for the field staff, Luke Montz (Manager), Jeff Andrews (Pitching Coach), Pat O’Sullivan (Hitting Coach), and Felipe Blanco (Bench Coach) were tasked to bring another championship to San Antonio. Montz had previously served as manager in Lowell and Salem. Andrews, who once served as the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach, had been coaching since 1986. O’Sullivan won the 2022 California League Championship as a coach with Lake Elsinore. Lastly, Blanco played for the Missions in 2016 and 2017. Like O’Sullivan, Blanco was a part of the championship staff in 2022 with Lake Elsinore.

April

The 2023 season kicked off with a three-game road trip to Tulsa. With the offense struggling out of the gate, the Missions dropped two of their first three games. San Antonio’s first homestand of the season saw the Frisco RoughRiders return to Wolff Stadium. The slow start continued for the Missions as the club dropped four of the six games in the opening series. Despite starting out 3-6, the club found its groove in the next two series and won seven of 11 games. At the end of April, San Antonio was 10-10 and was fourth in the South Division.

For the month of April, Juan Hernandez led the offense with a .487 average (19-for-38) in 12 games. Pedro Castellanos led all Missions hitters with four homers and was tied for the lead with 11 runs batted in. As for the pitching staff, Nick Hernandez and Jackson Wolf each had two wins while six different pitchers each recorded a win. Wolf led the pitching staff with 26 strikeouts across 15.2 innings pitched. CD Pelham converted both of his save attempts.

May

The month of May was a busy one for San Antonio as they played 27 games. This month again started with the Missions visiting the Tulsa Drillers. San Antonio avoided a six-game sweep with a one-run victory in the series finale. The club bounced back as the Corpus Christi Hooks came to town for a seven-game series (one of which was a make-up from April 23rd). San Antonio took five of seven from the Hooks to get to 16-17 on the year. After splitting the next series in Midland, the Missions finished the month with a series win against Amarillo and two wins against Frisco. San Antonio finished the month of May with a 25-22 record, and they were tied with Midland for the lead in the division.

Jorge Ona and Daniel Johnson carried the offense in May. Ona batted .308 across 16 games while Johnson tallied 22 hits. Ripken Reyes led the team with 13 runs batted in while Tirso Ornelas drove in 11. Daniel Camarena was awarded Texas League Pitcher of the Week after tossing six one-hit innings against Frisco on May 31st. Nolan Watson led all Missions pitchers with three wins in May. Hernandez carried the bullpen with three saves. Efrain Contreras collected 31 strikeouts across 23.1 innings.

June

June was the first month with a lot of changes to the Missions roster. There was a total of 29 transactions including the additions of Jared Kollar and Bobby Milacki plus the transfer of Tirso Ornelas, Nolan Watson and Nick Hernandez to Triple-A El Paso.

After taking the first two games of their series in Frisco, the Missions split the final four games. San Antonio continued their winning ways with series victories over Wichita and Amarillo. With a 35-29 record, the Missions welcomed Midland back to The Wolff with the chance to clinch their second consecutive postseason berth. On June 21st, San Antonio defeated Midland 5-0 and secured the South Division First Half Title. With seven games remaining in June, the club went 3-4 over that stretch to finish the month at 39-33 overall.

Ornelas carried the offense with a .378 average (34-for-90) in 21 games. He was named Texas League Player of the Week for June 18th and Texas League Player of the Month. Ornelas also had six home runs and 26 RBI during the month. As for the pitchers, Contreras and Wolf each recorded three wins. Hernandez and Alek Jacob each converted three saves. Contreras again led the club in strikeouts with 34 in 25.0 innings.

July

The second half of the season officially started on June 28th and the Missions started strong with a 2-1 record. Following a busy month of June, the month of July would see San Antonio gain an almost entirely new roster. July 14th in particular saw 12 transactions highlighted by the arrivals of Jairo Iriarte, Adam Mazur and Jackson Merrill. Jacob and Wolf also made their way to the big leagues during this month.

The club struggled in July going 8-16. San Antonio went just 3-9 across the first two series against Frisco and Corpus Christi. After the All-Star Break, the Missions then dropped two of three to Northwest Arkansas. Despite the new additions, San Antonio dropped the final two series of July against Frisco and Corpus Christi. The overall record fell to 47-49 and the second half record was 10-17. The Missions found themselves in last place in the second half division standings.

Merrill lived up to the hype in July as he batted .323 (21-for-65) in his first 15 games. Johnson left the yard five times while driving in 16 runs. Johnson was named Texas League Player of the Week for the week of July 23rd. Newcomer Raul Brito led all Missions pitchers with three runs in July. Kevin Kopps and Jose Quezada each converted two saves. Jose Espada compiled 24 strikeouts in 16.0 innings of work.

August

With the month of July in their rearview, the Missions had a resurgence in August. Meanwhile, the Padres front office continued to shake things up. Wolf was traded to Pittsburgh on August 1st. Ornelas returned to El Paso with Espada, Kopps and Chandler Seagle joining him. On August 22nd, 17-year-old Ethan Salas was announced to be joining the Missions. Jakob Marsee, Graham Pauley and Robby Snelling also joined the club for the postseason push.

San Antonio started off strong with a six-game series sweep on the road against Arkansas. Still on the road, the Missions split their series with Springfield. Midland spoiled the Missions return to Wolff Stadium with a 4-2 series defeat. San Antonio recovered and took down Amarillo with a series victory. In game one of that series, Salas ended the game with a walk-off double in his Double-A debut. Heading to Wichita, the Missions won two of their last three games to conclude the month of August. San Antonio went 17-10 in August and brought their overall record to 64-59. The second half record was now 27-27.

Prior to being transferred to Triple-A, Johnson had another strong stretch of games as he batted .281 in 15 games with five home runs. Marcos Castanon played 25 games in August and batted .267 with 10 doubles. Bobby Milacki recorded five wins which tied the Missions record for most wins in a single month. He was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 27th. Robby Snelling was named Pitcher of the Week after striking out nine batters in five no-hit innings on August 30th. Justin Lopez led the staff with four saves. Ryan Bergert collected 28 strikeouts in 21.2 innings of work.

September

With the regular season nearing its end, the Missions began the month of September with road games in Wichita and a six-game road series in Midland. San Antonio dropped two of three to conclude their series against the Wind Surge. The Midland series saw the Missions drop another series as they claimed just two victories in their final road trip of the regular season. The Springfield Cardinals came to town for the final series of the year. Hoping to gain some momentum before the playoffs, the Missions split the series as Springfield clinched a postseason berth in the North Division. San Antonio went 6-9 in September to finish with a 70-68 overall record. Their second half record was 33-36.

Homer Bush Jr. was the story of the Missions offense in September. Bush Jr., after being drafted this summer, made his way to the Texas League and played in eight games. The outfielder batted .429 (12-for-28) with the Missions and recorded a four-hit game in the regular season finale. Meanwhile, Connor Hollis, Pauley and Cole Cummings all swung hot bats in September. Six different pitchers recorded a win for the Missions. Lake Bachar and Camarena each converted two saves. Jairo Iriarte recorded 24 strikeouts in 13.2 innings of work.

Postseason

In winning the first half, the Missions had home field advantage in the first round of the Texas League Postseason. Their opponent was the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Game one would be played in Amarillo with games two and three in San Antonio. In the hitter-friendly confines of Hodgetown, San Antonio took game one 12-11 in 10 innings. The teams combined for 31 hits including 10 home runs.

Bergert was the Missions starter for game two. Between him and Gabe Mosser, the hurlers allowed six runs in five innings. The Missions scored twice in the sixth and twice in the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough as Amarillo evened the series with a 7-4 win.

The deciding game three was the following night, and the Missions turned to Adam Mazur to get the job done. With a 1-0 lead, Amarillo plated four runs off Mazur in the fourth inning to capture the lead. San Antonio brought it to within one after scoring in the fifth inning. However, Amarillo pulled away and ended the Missions season with a 6-3 win. Amarillo would go on to defeat Arkansas and claim the 2023 Texas League Championship.

Below is a list of the players who suited up for the San Antonio Missions in the 2023 season, including a brief synopsis of their impact.

Hitters

Luis Aviles Jr.: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, the infielder appeared in 31 games for the Missions to start the season. He batted .184 with a pair of home runs while stealing nine bases. Aviles Jr. was cut by San Diego in May and signed with Houston a couple weeks later.

Brantley Bell: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, the utility man appeared in 30 games for the Missions to start the season. He batted .232 with nine doubles and 12 runs batted in. He was released by San Diego on the same day as Aviles Jr. Bell signed with Long Island in the Atlantic League soon after.

Homer Bush Jr.: After being selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, Bush Jr. Quickly made his way to Double-A and joined the Missions in September. Playing in eight games, he batted .429 (12-for-28) and recorded a four-hit game during the regular season finale.

Marcos Castanon: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Castanon joined the Missions in July. Playing in 54 games, he batted .280 with 19 doubles and 26 runs driven in. Castanon finished tied for the team lead in doubles.

Pedro Castellanos: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, the veteran first baseman appeared in 74 games for the Missions. He was cut by San Diego in July. Before his release, he batted .234 with six homers and 29 runs batted in.

Cole Cummings: After beginning the season in Single-A Lake Elsinore, Cummings joined the Missions in May. The California native played in 84 games and batted .245 while slugging 12 home runs and 15 doubles.

Michael De La Cruz: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, the veteran catcher spent the entire season in San Antonio. The switch-hitting catcher appeared in 100 games and batted .256. De La Cruz left the yard seven times while hitting 17 doubles and driving in 54 runs. He finished tied for the team lead in RBI.

Ray-Patrick Didder: San Diego signed Didder after the start of the season and he joined the Missions on April 28th. The veteran infielder batted .197 across 54 games while hitting six home runs and stealing 13 bases. Didder was transferred to Triple-A El Paso in July and spent the remainder of the season in the Pacific Coast League.

Justin Farmer: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, the outfielder joined the Missions in June. Playing in 29 games, the Florida native batted .157 while scoring 10 runs. He was released by San Diego in August.

Juan Fernandez: Fernandez spent his third consecutive season with the Missions. The converted catcher played in 102 games and batted .261. He slugged seven homers and 19 doubles while driving in 45 runs. His 19 doubles tied him for the team high.

Connor Hollis: The reigning Texas League Batting Champ returned to San Antonio in 2023. Injuries delayed Hollis and limited him to 72 games. The Texan batted .240 with nine doubles and 20 runs driven in. He was transferred to Triple-A El Paso following the end of the Missions season.

Korry Howell: Another player beset by injuries was Korry Howell. The talented outfielder was limited to 63 games after two stints on the Injured List. He batted .171 on the year while swiping 18 bases.

Daniel Johnson: Signed as a free agent in the offseason, the former big-leaguer played in 98 games for the Missions. During that time, he compiled a .263 average while slugging a team high 13 home runs. His 54 RBIs tied him for the team lead. Johnson showcased his speed with 21 steals out of 27 attempts. He was transferred to Triple-A El Paso in August. Johnson was named Texas League Player of the Week for the week of July 23rd.

Jakob Marsee: After spending much of the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Marsee joined the Missions on August 22nd. Playing in 16 games, he batted .286 while leaving the yard three times. After the season, the Michigan native was named Arizona Fall League Most Valuable Player.

Nathan Martorella: Like Marsee, Martorella spent most of the year with High-A Fort Wayne and joined the Missions on August 22nd. The first baseman played in 23 games and batted .236 along the way with three home runs.

Evan Mendoza: Mendoza was selected by the Padres in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft after spending the previous six seasons within the Cardinals organization. The veteran infielder played in just 11 games for the Missions mainly due to an injury he suffered in April. That injury held him out until late-July. Mendoza rehabbed in Arizona and joined Triple-A El Paso upon his return. In a small sample size, he hit .195 (8-for-41) with the Missions.

Jackson Merrill: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Merrill joined the Missions in July. Listed as the #1 Padres prospect by multiple outlets at the time, the 20-year-old played in 46 games for San Antonio. He compiled a .273 batting average while leaving the yard five times. He missed the postseason after being placed on the Development List.

Jorge Ona: Due to injuries, Ona had played in just 74 games the previous two seasons. He returned to the Missions for the 2023 season but, once again, fell victim to an unfortunate circumstance. The outfielder broke a bone in his hand after being hit by a pitch in Amarillo on June 16th. In 35 games played, he had an average of .218, three homers, and 10 doubles.

Tirso Ornelas: One of the fan favorites from the 2022 season, Ornelas returned to San Antonio for the 2023 season. The slugger played in 72 games while also spending time in Triple-A El Paso. The Mexico native hit .284 in the Texas League with 11 home runs, 17 doubles and 51 RBI. Ornelas was named Texas League Player of the Week for the week of June 18th. He was also named Texas League Player of the Month for June.

Graham Pauley: Pauley began the year in Single-A Lake Elsinore before moving to High-A Fort Wayne and finishing the season with San Antonio. All-in-all, he put together an incredible 2023 campaign. In just 20 games with the Missions, he batted .321 (26-for-81) with three homers, 10 doubles and 12 RBI. When you combine his time in the California and Midwest League, he batted .308 with 23 homers, 32 doubles, 94 RBI and 22 stolen bases.

Jake Perez: The Costa Rica native joined the Missions in June and played in just nine games. During that time, he batted .167 (4-for-24) with two of those hits leaving the yard. After a brief stint in Triple-A El Paso, the Padres released Perez in July.

Kervin Pichardo: After beginning the season with High-A Fort Wayne, Pichardo joined the Missions in early-June and appeared in 15 games. Along the way, he batted .205 (9-for-44) while slugging two homers. On June 30th, Pichardo became the only Missions player to drive in six runs in a game during the 2023 season. He rejoined Fort Wayne in July.

Alison Quintero: Since being signed by San Diego in 2016 out of Venezuela, Quintero has played in just 136 games. Serving as mainly a bullpen catcher, Quintero went hitless in the two games he played for the Missions in August. He was transferred to the Arizona Complex League shortly after.

Ripken Reyes: Reyes began the season on the Development List and rejoined the Missions on April 21st. Reyes went on to lead the Missions in multiple categories including games played (119), hits (105), runs (82), walks (56) and steals (30). The utility man also broke an MiLB record after being hit by a pitch 49 times. The Washington native finished the season with a .257/.408/.359 slash line, six homers, 16 doubles and 49 RBI.

Yorman Rodriguez: After beginning the season in Triple-A El Paso, Rodriguez joined the Missions on May 31st and played in nine games. During his brief return to the Alamo City, he batted .179 (7-for-39) with two home runs. He was placed on the 7-day Injured List on June 14th and did not play again until September when he rejoined El Paso.

Ethan Salas: After being signed in January of 2023, Salas worked his way through Single-A and High-A before joining the Missions on August 22nd. The 17-year-old played in just nine games before having his season cut short due to injury. In his Double-A debut on the 22nd, he recorded a walk-off double to defeat Amarillo. Salas hit .179 (5-for-28) with the Missions while driving in three runs.

Chandler Seagle: Another fan favorite in San Antonio, Seagle returned for his third consecutive season with the Missions. Seagle played in 52 games before being transferred to Triple-A El Paso in August. The Padres selected his contract on September 30th, and he made his MLB debut that same day. With the Missions, he batted .200 while driving in 15 runs.

Brandon Valenzuela: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Valenzuela joined the Missions on June 27th. The switch-hitting backstop played in 27 games before suffering a knee injury that ultimately ended his season. The Mexico batted .181 with San Antonio while driving in six runs.

Juan Zabala: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Zabala joined the Missions in August. Playing in 23 games, the Colombia native hit .191 while driving in six runs.

Pitchers

Lake Bachar: Returning to San Antonio for the third time, Bachar put together a strong campaign as a full-time reliever. In 42 appearances out of the bullpen, he went 5-1 with a 2.69 ERA while converting five out of six save attempts.

Michel Baez: The tall right-hander began the season with Triple-A El Paso before joining the Missions in May. Baez was later placed on the Injured List and rejoined the club in August. In total, he pitched in 18 games for San Antonio and compiled a 3-1 record with a 6.75 ERA. He finished the season in El Paso.

Edwuin Bencomo: The right-hander split time between San Antonio and High-A Fort Wayne throughout the season. In the Texas League, Bencomo went 1-0 with a 5.01 ERA in 12 relief appearances.

Ryan Bergert: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Bergert joined the Missions in July. The right-hander went 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts).

Jason Blanchard: After having his 2022 season cut short due to an elbow injury, Blanchard began the year with High-A Fort Wayne. After joining San Antonio in May, the southpaw appeared in 29 games. During that time, he went 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA.

James Bourque: The Padres signed Bourque to a minor league contract on May 17th and joined the Missions a few weeks later. The veteran right-hander pitched in 11 games while going 0-1 with a 3.46 earned run average. San Diego released Bourque on July 25th.

Raul Brito: After beginning the season in High-A Fort Wayne, Brito joined the Missions in late-June. The right-hander was a solid addition to San Antonio’s bullpen. In 17 appearances, he went 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA while racking up 52 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.

Daniel Camarena: After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, Camarena joined the Missions on April 30th. The veteran southpaw spent the entire season in the Texas League and pitched in 25 games while making 17 starts. Camarena went 1-7 with a 6.20 ERA while converting all three of his save attempts. He was awared Texas League Pitcher of the Week after tossing six one-hit innings against Frisco on May 31st.

Blake Cederlind: Cederlind began the season in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before being released on May 30th. San Diego signed the right-hander to a minor league contract a week later. Cederlind joined the Missions on June 26th and appeared in just three games before being released. In his brief stint in the Texas League, he went 1-0 with a 10.13 ERA while pitching 2.2 innings.

Efrain Contreras: Contreras was the opening night starter for the Missions and spent the entire season in San Antonio. The right-hander made 35 appearances, including 17 starts. The Mexico native put together a 6-7 record with a 4.92 ERA while converting four of his five save attempts. Contreras led the Missions pitching staff in innings pitched (97.0) and strikeouts (117).

Jose Espada: Espada began the season with the Missions and made 26 appearances including seven starts. The right-hander went 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA while in the Texas League. The Puerto Rico native joined Triple-A El Paso on August 10th and later made his MLB debut for the Padres on September 24th.

Brian Gonzalez: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Gonzalez battled injuries during the 2023 season and was limited to six games with the Missions. The veteran southpaw went 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA with the Missions.

Henry Henry: Henry returned to the Alamo City for the third consecutive season. The right-hander made 24 appearances for the Missions and went 1-3 with a 5.85 ERA. He was sent down to High-A Fort Wayne on August 3rd before returning to the Texas League at the end of that month.

Nick Hernandez: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Hernandez pitched in 24 games for the Missions. The veteran reliever went 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA while converting six of his eight save attempts. Hernandez joined Triple-A El Paso on June 28th and later made his MLB debut with San Diego on September 12th.

Jairo Iriarte: After the beginning the season with High-A Fort Wayne, Iriarte joined the Missions in July. The right-hander pitched 13 games with seven of those being starts. Iriarte went 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA while striking out 51 batters in 29.1 innings of work.

Alek Jacob: Jacob started the season with the Missions and made 18 relief appearances. The Washington native went 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA while converting all five of his save attempts. The Padres purchased his contract, and he made his MLB debut on July 15th. After just three appearances, an elbow injury ended the season for Jacob.

Jared Koenig: Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Koenig made 12 relief appearances for the Missions to start the year. The southpaw went 1-0 without allowing an earned run. Koenig was transferred to Triple-A El Paso in May and finished the season with the Chihuahuas.

Jared Kollar: After starting the season with High-A Fort Wayne, Kollar joined the Missions on June 27th. The former Rutgers hurler made starts for San Antonio and went 2-2 with a 4.62 earned run average.

Kevin Kopps: Kopps returned to the Alamo City for the 3rd consecutive season. In 33 relief appearances, he went 4-3 with a 2.63 ERA while converting six of his eight save attempts. The Arkansas native was transferred to Triple-A El Paso on August 15th and made 13 appearances in the Pacific Coast League.

Austin Krob: Krob only pitched for the Missions during the Texas League Postseason. The left-hander allowed one run across 2.1 innings during the game three defeat to Amarillo. During the regular season, Krob went 5-4 with a 2.72 ERA in 22 combined games between Single-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne.

Aaron Leasher: Recovering from a knee injury, Leasher joined the Missions on May 23rd. The veteran southpaw allowed one earned run in 10 relief appearances before returning to Triple-A El Paso.

Carter Loewen: Like Krob, Loewen only pitched for San Antonio during the Texas League Postseason. The hard-throwing reliever tossed one scoreless frame during game two against Amarillo. In the regular season, Loewen went 6-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 34 combined games between Single-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne.

Justin Lopez: A converted infielder, the 2023 season was Lopez’s first full season as a pitcher. In 37 relief appearances, he went 3-1 with a 4.60 ERA and converted four of his five save attempts.

Seth Mayberry: After briefly pitching for the Missions in 2022, the right-hander began the 2023 season in San Antonio. In 31 relief appearances, the Virginia native went 3-4 with a 5.05 ERA. Mayberry missed time in June with an injury and had a rehab assignment in Arizona before rejoining the Missions in late-July.

Adam Mazur: After being drafted in 2022, Mazur did not appear in a professional game until the 2023 season. The right-hander began the year in High-A Fort Wayne and joined the Missions on July 14th. The former Iowa hurler made 12 appearances with seven of those being starts. Mazur compiled a 2-3 record with a 4.03 ERA.

Bobby Milacki: Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Milacki began the season with High-A Fort Wayne. The right-hander joined the Missions in mid-June. Milacki went 5-5 with a 4.85 ERA in 18 games. He tied the Missions franchise record with five wins in the month of August. Milacki also received Texas League Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of August 27th.

Gabe Mosser: After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, Mosser returned to San Antonio in mid-July after a rehab assignment in Arizona and Lake Elsinore. The Pennsylvania native went 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA in 10 outings.

Cole Paplham: Paplham made one regular season appearance for the Missions on September 17th. He allowed one run on two hits in one inning of work. The right-hander spent the majority of the regular season with Single-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne.

CD Pelham: Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Pelham made 12 relief appearances for the Missions. He was limited to those games after a stint on the Development List and the 60-day Injured List. Following a rehab assignment, the veteran southpaw rejoined the Missions in September. Pelham had a 1-0 record with a 12.00 ERA.

Jose Quezada: Quezada returned to San Antonio for the 3rd consecutive season. The right-hander made 17 appearances for the Missions and went 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA. He missed time in May and June after being placed on the Injured List. The Padres released Quezada on August 6th.

Fred Schlichtholz: Recovering from an injury, Schlichtholz rejoined the Missions in early-May. The southpaw allowed one earned run in three relief appearances. San Diego released Schlictholz on May 22nd.

Robby Snelling: After being drafted in 2022, Snelling did not appear in a professional game until the 2023 season. The 19-year-old put together one of the finest seasons in Minor League Baseball and was named a finalist for the Pitching Prospect of the Year at the MiLB Awards. Snelling joined the Missions on August 22nd and went 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in four starts. Combined with his time in Lake Elsinore and Fort Wayne, the 19-year-old went 11-3 with a 1.82 ERA. He was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week after striking out nine batters in five no-hit innings on August 30th. Snelling was also named the California League Pitcher of the Year.

Duncan Snider: Despite a limited minor league baseball career, Snider began the season in San Antonio and made 13 appearances, including 11 starts. The right-hander went 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA. Snider was limited to 13 games due to two stints on the Injured List.

Nolan Watson: Watson returned to San Antonio for the 2nd consecutive season. The veteran right-hander made 14 appearances, including 12 starts. During that time, he went 3-3 with a 4.08 ERA. He was transferred to Triple-A El Paso on June 28th and pitched in 12 games for the Chihuahuas.

Jackson Wolf: After a brief stint with the Missions in 2022, Wolf began the 2023 campaign in San Antonio. The southpaw made 18 starts for the Missions while going 8-9 with a 4.08 ERA. Wolf made his MLB debut on July 22nd and recorded the win in Detroit. After making one more start for the Missions, Wolf was traded to Pittsburgh as part of the Rich Hill and Ji-Man Choi deal. He finished the season with Double-A Altoona and made eight starts for the club.

The San Antonio Missions will begin the 2024 season on the road against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. The two clubs will play a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 5th. The Missions will host their home opener on Tuesday, April 9th against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

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The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The 2024 season will be the 122nd professional season for the San Antonio Missions. Season seat memberships, as well as group tickets, for the 2024 season are available now. Call 210-675-PARK to discuss pricing for season tickets, group tickets and hospitality. The Missions Box Office is cashless, and fans can purchase tickets using credit cards. For more information, call 210-675-PARK (7275) or visit samissions.com.