High-A Clearwater Threshers
The Threshers had a so-so season, finishing the year with a 67-71 record. Both their pitching staff and hitting was middle-of-the-pack but they didn’t have enough to get into the palyoffs.
Cornelius Randolph didn’t have the best batting average, but he was tied for second on the team with 13 home runs and walked 10.8 percent of the time. His .740 OPS was the best among Clearwater’s qualified hitters. Jan Hernandez led the team with 16 home runs while Wilson Garcia tied with Randolph with 13. No one had a true breakout season, but no one ever does in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League.
Several pitchers had strong seasons for the Threshers. Cole Irvin had a 2.55 ERA and five percent walk rate before being promoted to Double-A. Harold Arauz struck out 9.38 batters per nine innings between the bullpen and rotation. Franklyn Kilome had a 2.59 ERA and 3.54 FIP in 19 starts before his promotion to Reading. JoJo Romero had a 2.24 ERA in 10 starts after a midseason promotion.
Luke Leftwich emerged as an effective reliever, logging 80 inings in 42 relief appearances. He struck out 30.1 percent of opposing hitters while walking just 6.4 percent. He led all pitchers with 60 or more innings with a 2.12 FIP. Tyler Gilbert finished the season with a 1.30 WHIP and 2.95 ERA in 35 appearances. Jacob Waguespack made 24 appearances between the rotation and the bullpen and had a 2.89 FIP before being promoted.