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Shorebirds 2024 Season Recap

By Mitchell Speltz
September 23, 2024

The 2024 season was a year of development for the Delmarva Shorebirds featuring a young team, specifically on the position player side, that endured their struggles in the early season. The team fought through a tough April where they finished 3-18, but began to find their way in May. In

The 2024 season was a year of development for the Delmarva Shorebirds featuring a young team, specifically on the position player side, that endured their struggles in the early season. The team fought through a tough April where they finished 3-18, but began to find their way in May. In a game against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on May 2, the Shorebirds railed from down 3-0 to walk off the Woodpeckers on a single by Maxwell Costes in the 9th inning earning a win that turned out to be an early turning point for the Shorebirds.

Delmarva rode that walk-off win to a three-game winning streak, leading them to a series split against Fayetteville. They carried that success into a 12-game road trip where they split with the first half champs of the South division, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. The road trip concluded with the Shorebirds’ first series win in Lynchburg as they topped the Hillcats 2-1 in the series finale to take the series and secure a winning road trip.

A developing offense sparked the turnaround for the Shorebirds. 19-year-old infielder, Aron Estrada led the charge and became a revelation for Delmarva. After a slow month of April where he batted .155, he bounced back with a .330 average in May, and he took a step further in June raising it to .356. He quickly transformed into one of the best hitters in the Carolina League, putting Shorebirds fans on notice after being named the Player of the Month for June, posting his .356 average along with 4 home runs, 15 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.005. All in all, Estrada's season was well recognized around the league as his great season landed Estrada Postseason Carolina League All-Star accolades.

Two other young, prospect bats found their groove in June. After missing a month with injury, Leandro Arias returned at the end of May and posted a .298 batting average in 36 combined games in May and June with 24 RBI and 16 extra-base hits. Outfielder, Thomas Sosa batted .288 during June, but most impressively put together a hitting streak of 12 games, tying Aron Estrada for the longest run by a Delmarva position player during the season. The offensive surge helped the Shorebirds finish June with a winning record of 14-12 as the young team started to find their stride near the midway point.

Delmarva’s pitching staff was a steady force all season, led by their starters who finished the season with a 3.41 ERA. Left-hander, Luis De León led the staff early in the season as he struck out 41 batters compared to 7 walks in 7 starts with the Shorebirds. Blake Money led the Shorebirds in innings pitched with 103 while striking out 119 batters, good for fourth-most in the Carolina League. Braxton Bragg finished just ahead of Money in strikeouts with 122, ranking third-most in the league.

Bragg established himself as one of the best pitchers in the Carolina League as he dominated August by allowing 2 runs in 26.2 innings, including a scoreless streak that lasted 21 innings. He struck out 37 batters compared to 3 walks in five August starts, including his first 6-inning start against the Carolina Mudcats on August 15. He followed that by striking out a personal-best 11 batters in Down East a week later. His efforts earned him recognition as the Orioles’ Minor League Pitchers of the Month for August.

During the home stretch, the Shorebirds added 6 players from the Orioles’ 2024 draft class who helped the Shorebirds finish the season strong. Those draft picks included OF Vance Honeycutt, INF Griff O’Ferrall, C Ethan Anderson, OF Austin Overn, C Ryan Stafford, and C Colin Tuft.

In addition, Delmarva got notable contributions from a pair of standouts in the Florida Complex League. Infielder, Edwin Amparo joined the Shorebirds on August 5, and he reached base in 18/27 games with Delmarva. Amparo saved his best for last as he homered twice in the final week of the regular season against the Carolina Mudcats.

Lastly, utility man, Elis Cuevas made his presence known by reaching base in all 20 games he played with the Shorebirds while stealing 14 bases during that time. The impact of all the new additions led them to a winning record in August at 14-13.

The final record wasn't where the team and fans would have hoped, but the improvement from start to finish was a sight to behold. There were several exciting moments including 8 walk-off victories at Perdue Stadium in 2024. The team finished first in the league with 307 stolen bases while slugging 72 home runs. After a strong finish to 2024, there is strong momentum for the Shorebirds entering the 2025 season.