Chihuahuas Announce 10-Year Team as Voted by Fans

As part of the the 10th Year Celebration, presented by GECU, the Chihuahuas named their 10-year team as voted upon by fans. The list includes a MLB All-Star, PCL Player of the Year, Triple-A All-Stars, and players who went on to The Show!

CHIHUAHUAS 10-YEAR TEAM

Manager: Rod Barajas managed the Chihuahuas from 2016-2018 and the team won division titles in all three of his seasons. The Chihuahuas beat Oklahoma City in the 2016 Pacific Coast League Championship series and made it to a decisive Game 5 in the 2017 PCL Championship Series, losing to Memphis. In Barajas’ final season managing El Paso, the Chihuahuas went 82-57, posting the best winning percentage in team history (.590).

Starting Pitcher: Pedro Avila has pitched for the Chihuahuas from 2021-2023. The Caracas, Venezuela native has also pitched parts of four major league seasons with the San Diego Padres, including 13 games for San Diego in 2023. Avila has struck out 196 batters in 190 innings in his Chihuahuas career.

Relief Pitcher: Kevin Quackenbush pitched for the Chihuahuas for parts of their first four seasons from 2014-2017. He became one of the first Chihuahuas to make their major league debut on April 25, 2014 for San Diego at Washington. Quackenbush appeared in 53 games in his Chihuahuas career.

Catcher: Brett Sullivan had two strong-hitting seasons for El Paso in 2022 and 2023. He’s batted .300 in 174 Chihuahuas games. Sullivan became one of the 87 players to make their major league debut after playing for the Chihuahuas when he was recalled by the Padres in April 2023. He also caught 31 runners trying to steal in his two seasons with El Paso.

First Base: Cody Decker played for the Chihuahuas for the entirety of their first two seasons and he became a popular player throughout the city. Decker hit 48 home runs in his 254 career games with the Chihuahuas. He was called up by San Diego after the Chihuahuas’ 2015 playoff series vs. Fresno and appeared in eight Padres games.

Second Base: Luis Urías played for the Chihuahuas briefly in 2016 and was a regular player for the team in 2018 and 2019. Urías had a .398 on-base percentage in his 193 games with El Paso. He’s since played six seasons in the major leagues with San Diego, Milwaukee and Boston.

Third Base: Ty France joined the Chihuahuas late in the 2018 season and helped the team clinch a division title. He won Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player in 2019, batting .399 with 27 home runs and 89 RBIs in 76 games. He hit a home run at Southwest University Park in the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game and was given the PCL Star of Stars Award in the game.

Shortstop: Matthew Batten joined Kyle McGrath as the only players in Chihuahuas history to appear in five different seasons with the team. Batten has played for the Chihuahuas from 2018-2019 and 2021-2023. Batten has played every position except catcher in his five seasons with El Paso.

Left Field: Alex Dickerson played for the Chihuahuas from 2015-2016 and in 2019. He still holds multiple team records. Dickerson’s 36 doubles in 2015 and his 29-game hitting streak in 2016 are both team records. Dickerson has played six seasons in the major leagues with San Diego, San Francisco and Atlanta.

Center Field: Manuel Margot was the Chihuahuas’ everyday center fielder on the 2016 PCL Championship team. He batted .304 and stole 30 bases that season. He’s since played eight seasons in the major leagues with San Diego and Tampa Bay. He had six hits in the 2020 World Series for the Rays against the Dodgers.

Right Field: Hunter Renfroe was the Chihuahuas’ first PCL MVP, winning the award during the 2016 championship season. Renfroe also played for El Paso in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Renfroe’s played eight years in the major leagues with San Diego, Tampa Bay, Boston, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati. He homered in the 2020 World Series for the Rays.

Designated Hitter: Luis Liberato has had two strong seasons for the Chihuahuas in 2022 and 2023. He’s hit 29 home runs in 168 career Chihuahuas games. Liberato was called up by San Diego late in the 2022 season and appeared in his first seven major league games.