2019 Preview: Pensacola Blue Wahoos

A new major league affiliate has brought a fresh pipeline of talent toward the Florida panhandle… will it be enough to make the playoffs for a fifth straight season?
2018 RECORD: 69-68, 2^nd in the Southern League's South Division
2018 PLAYOFFS: Lost in South Division Playoffs to Biloxi, 3-1
OPENING DAY: Wednesday, April 10 vs Jacksonville (MIA)

WHAT'S NEW?

• This past offseason the Pensacola Blue Wahoos aligned themselves with the Minnesota Twins. While Minnesota's Southern League squad (Chattanooga) struggled last season, their Hi-A affiliate won the Florida State League and were led by Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff; who both appear ready to start the season with an aggressive AA assignment.
   
• As part of the Blue Wahoos new affiliation, they will have a new field manager joining the franchise. Minnesota has tabbed Ramon Borrego, who has been a manager in the Twins organization since the 2009 season. Prior to that he coached Minnesota's summer league team in his native Venezuela, and played in the Twins organization from 1996-2002. He managed last year's championship-winning team in Fort Myers.
   

TOP 100:

• INF Royce Lewis - Tabbed as the no. 5 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Lewis was the no. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft. He posted a .726 OPS as a 19-year-old in the Florida State League last year, and has all the tools to become one of baseball's brightest stars.
   
• OF Alex Kirilloff - Selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Kirilloff had an impressive pro debut but was set back by Tommy John surgery prior to the 2017 season. Last year Kirilloff not only returned to the diamond, but posted one of the best seasons in Minor League Baseball; leading all MiLB players in total bases while ranking third in batting average and seventh in RBIs.
   
• RHP Brusdar Graterol - An international signing in the summer of 2014, Graterol got off to a slow start in the Dominican Summer League before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2016. While 2017 was focused primarily on rehab, 2018 saw renewed optimism as the then 19-year-old continued to develop his 70-grade fastball and feature a four-pitch mix against Florida State League competition. With just 11 starts and 60.2 innings at Hi-A entering his age 20 season, the Twins may send Graterol back to Fort Myers for a few more starts before seeing if he can earn a promotion up I-75 to Pensacola.
   

NEXT UP:

• INF Jose Miranda - A second round selection from Puerto Rico, Miranda started slow but has begun to pick up the pace in his development after a solid 2018 season. A pure hitter who can play both second and third base, expect Miranda to make his way onto the Blue Wahoos roster at some point in late 2019.
   
• INF Luis Arraez - A torn ACL cost Arraez his 2017 season, but the 21-year-old hit his way to AA Chattanooga last year and posted a .711 OPS. Minnesota may send Arraez back to the Southern League to start 2019, hoping to add some power to his swing and a few more defensive positions to his arsenal.
   
• RHP Jorge Alcala - After Minnesota acquired Alcala from the Houston Astros organization last year, the 23-year-old made five Southern League appearances. The Twins will likely have Alcala start the 2019 season in Pensacola in order to evaluate him as a starter within their own organization.
   
• RHP Griffin Jax - Lieutenant Griffin Jax is one of the most unique stories in professional sports, Jax pitched in Hi-A last year while enrolled in the Armed Forces' World Class Athlete Program. Jax, who is a member of the United States Air Force and played collegiate baseball at the Air Force academy, is allowed to live off-base while training with the Minnesota Twins. In 2018, Jax made 14 starts for the Fort Myers Miracle and pitched in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  He is currently assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, just a few hours from the Twins spring training facility. The Blue Wahoos are located roughly an hour from Eglin Air Force base and less than three hours from Tyndall Air Force base.