Single-A baseball is about as far from glamorous as the sport can get. Recently drafted players are pitted against each other in small towns across the country, and young athletes (most of whom cannot yet legally drink alcohol) are playing their hearts out in near-complete obscurity in the hopes of making it to the majors. They’re subjected to long, monotonous bus rides; they play for crowds composed primarily of bored locals with little else to do and even less team spirit; they’re paid so poorly that they would be below the poverty line in any other profession. In spite of all this, they trudge on, determined to rise from the minor-league ashes reborn as a highly lauded major leaguer.
As a result, this is where the game is played in its purest form. Fundamentals are reinforced here with a strong emphasis on taking these slabs of raw meat and turning them into prime rib. If the team happens to win a few games along the way, it’s just icing on the cake.
For the Hillsboro Hops, an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, their cake is starting to look quite enticing. They finished the first half at the top of the standings, two games ahead of the Salem-Kaizer Volcanoes (the San Francisco Giants’ affiliate) with a record of 11-7. What makes them so dangerous is that they play spectacularly as a cohesive unit. This is crucial to success in baseball, unlike basketball or football where one player can carry a team.
This Hillsboro team knows that quite well – they are, after all, the reigning Northwest League champions and are securely poised to defend their title. To that end, various Hops are doing their part to strengthen their team’s postseason hopes. Centerfielder Zach Nehrir ranks fourth in the league with a .311 batting average and has notched at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games. Second baseman Fernery Ozuna is tied for second in the league with four triples, showing power atypical of a middle infielder. Starters Carlos Hernandez and Jared Miller are first and second in the league in ERA, with figures of 1.52 and 1.81, respectively. The two also rank first and second in strikeouts with 75 and 61, joined by teammate Cody Reed in third with 57. Dansby Swanson, the D-backs’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, joined the team on Wednesday and has two doubles and a triple through his first four games as a professional.
With the playoffs already guaranteed thanks to their strong first half, excitement is reaching a fever pitch for the Hops. There’s still plenty of room on the bandwagon, although you’re running out of time; the first round begins Monday, Sept. 7 with the first-half winner (those titular Hillsboro boys) facing the second-half winner (which, hilariously, could end up being the Hops as well). If they bring the championship home for the second consecutive year and you’re not there to see it, you have nobody to blame but yourself.
Stats courtesy of MiLB.com, are current through 8/16
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