Salt Lake Bees 2019 Season in Review

SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 5, 2019) - The 2019 Salt Lake Bees finished their 25th anniversary season with a 60-79 record, finishing third place in the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern Division.  

The season was highlighted by the Bees breaking several offensive records, including launching 222 home runs during the season, shattering the previous record of 185 set in 2000. The home run barrage was led by Jared Walsh who tied Mark Trumbo's individual record of 36 home runs in a season and was followed by Jose Rojas who hit 31 home runs to tie for fourth most in franchise history. Rojas and Walsh became the first pair of Salt Lake teammates to hit 30 home runs in a season.
Of the 222 home runs, a franchise record-tying 10 were grand slams. Home runs came in bunches as the team tied the franchise record hitting back-to-back home runs nine times and went back-to-back-to-back two times. Salt Lake batters had 16 games with multiple home runs including two games with three home runs from Walsh and one each from Jarrett Parker and Michael Hermosillo.
Walsh was named the All-PCL team designated hitter following the season, marking the first All-PCL nod for a Bees since 2014. Rojas won the PCL RBI crown with 107 runs driven in during the season and led the PCL with 77 extra-base hits and 297 total bases while finishing second in doubles with 39.
On the mound 53 players threw a pitch during the season including MLB rehab assignments from Andrew Heaney, Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill and Keynan Middleton as well as top pitching prospects Griffin Canning, Jose Suarez and Patrick Sandoval. Salt Lake also had three players develop as two-way prospects as Walsh, Kaleb Cowart and Bo Way each saw significant time on the field and on the mound.
Change was a constant of the Bees season as the team saw 343 transactions during the season and sent 32 different players to the Angels over the course of the year. Nine players made their MLB debut including Canning, Suarez, Sandoval, Walsh, Matt Ramsey, Luis Rengifo, Matt Thaiss, Jose Rodriguez and Miguel Del Pozo.
The 2020 Bees season begins at Smith's Ballpark on Thursday, April 9 as the Bees host the El Paso Chihuahuas. More information about 2020, including game times and ticket information will be available later during the offseason.  
--slbees.com--