By The Numbers: The 2024 Trash Pandas Season
The fourth season of baseball in Rocket City was one to remember, so let's break it down by the numbers. 1 FUTURES GAME SELECTION On July 13th, Caden Dana represented the Trash Pandas at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, TX. Following a stellar season in Rocket City, he
The fourth season of baseball in Rocket City was one to remember, so let's break it down by the numbers.
1 FUTURES GAME SELECTION
On July 13th, Caden Dana represented the Trash Pandas at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, TX. Following a stellar season in Rocket City, he went on to make his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Angels on September 1st.
2 100-HIT SEASONS
For the fourth consecutive season, the Trash Pandas lineup boasted a pair of players with 100 hits or more. Tucker Flint led the way with 104 knocks, and 19-year-old Nelson Rada reached 100 on the dot.
3 CAREER COMPLETE GAMES FOR JACK KOCHANOWICZ
The big right-hander tossed a pair of complete games in a span of just 10 days this summer. On June 26th in Chattanooga, Kochanowicz went the distance against the Lookouts and follow it up against the Barons two starts later at Toyota Field. After making his MLB debut on July 11th, Jack went on to register nine quality starts with the Halos.
Why have just one complete game when you can have ✌️?
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 7, 2024
Jack Kochanowicz (@Angels) goes the distance twice in the past 10 days for the @trashpandas. pic.twitter.com/zR0lZwDoC5
4 WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Four different players racked up Southern League honors during the 2024 campaign: Gustavo Campero on July 15th, Christian Moore on August 11th, Tucker Flint on August 19th, and George Klassen on September 16th. In addition, Campero, Caden Dana, and Eric Wagaman were also named Southern League All-Stars.
5 CHRISTIAN MOORE HOME RUNS
Drafted eighth overall out of the University of Tennessee, Moore lit the baseball world on fire with the start to his professional career. After racking up 6 hits and 6 RBI over his first two games with Single-A Inland Empire, "CMO" was assigned to the Trash Pandas on August 3rd. He then proceeded to blast five longballs in a span of six games, including a pair of multi-homer performances.
Christian Moore is unlike anything we have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/hTozxz0Zte
— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) August 10, 2024
6 WALK-OFF WINS
The Trash Pandas certainly had a flair for the dramatic in 2024. Rocket City played a whopping 92 games this season decided by three runs or less, which mean they nearly always had a shot to win. Those shots amplified playing at home in front of raucous, raccoon-clad fans, which led to five home walk-offs...and weirdly one on the road.
Gustavo Campero slid home on a wild pitch on May 23rd, Denzer Guzman obliterated a grand slam two nights later on May 25th, Nelson Rada slapped a successful single on July 15th, Christian Moore ripped an opposite-field home run on August 8th, Campero delivered a strange 7th inning victory in a makeup game at Chattanooga on August 15th, and Tyler Payne was the hero in arguably the wildest sequence of the season for Huntsville Stars Night on September 8th.
BALL DROPS IN THE OUTFIELD
— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) September 8, 2024
GAME IS TIED UP
THROW TO THIRD GETS AWAY
BALLGAME OVER
STARS WIN ON THE WILDEST WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/cKIXqQnyl8
7 PLAYERS FROM OPENING DAY ROSTER TO MLB
Ben Joyce, Victor Mederos, Kyren Paris, Jack Kochanowicz, Caden Dana, Eric Wagaman, and Gustavo Campero all started the season in Rocket City before making their way to the Halos.
8 PLAYERS FROM OPENING DAY ROSTER TO TRIPLE-A SALT LAKE
Ivan Armstrong, Michael Darrell-Hicks, Brett Kerry, Hayden Seig, Kenyon Yovan, Eric Torres, Houston Harding, and Tucker Flint all received promotions after successful stints with the Trash Pandas.
9 ORLANDO MARTINEZ FRANCHISE RECORDS
May as well call him "Mr. Trash Panda" at this point. Outfielder Orlando Martinez has now spent the better part of four seasons in North Alabama, where he now holds all-time records for Games Played (296), At-Bats (1,107), Hits (296), Runs (150), Home Runs (34), RBI (178), Doubles (62), Triples (8), and Total Bases (476).
NUMBER 10 NAMED TRASH PANDAS HITTER OF THE YEAR
In 2022, Gustavo Campero played just six games all season and mostly served as a bullpen catcher. Two years later, the catcher-turned-outfielder put up an incredibly impressive campaign of 14 homers, 45 RBI, 29 steals, and a league-best .888 on-base + slugging percentage. This earned him the recognition of Trash Pandas Hitter of the Year, a Southern League All-Star, and September call-up to make his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels.