Hops Even at One Third: June 2026

San Diego Hops
June 8, 2026
29-30, 16 GB, Fifth Place

San Diego made some cost-cutting moves that have led to a lack-lustre opening to the 2026 campaign.

The offseason pre-Christmas gift, featured this blockbuster:

Followed by:

Meaning former first overall pick, Goldi Lebel, long considered the anchor of the franchise was gone, and veteran Stan Cheslin and a number of seeming journeymen had joined the Hops contingent. How has that paid off for San Diego? The answer is mixed, at best.

Catcher: Grade=B
With Lebel not an option, Manny Fernandez, obtained in the Lebel deal, has stepped in to the tune of a .261 average, but more important, has handled a fragile minded pitching staff. Five-time All-Star, 37 year old, Phillip Smith, is playing out his career string as his backup. In the minors, South Korean import, Hae-Nim Kim is showing promise in AA, while the AAA duo of "Tangles" Calderon, and Ekansa Sathiamoorthy has stalled short of the majors.

First Base: Grade=A
Kyle Reader seems to mellow with age, but like a fine wine, or barrel-aged porter, keeps getting better. His .360 average stands fourth in the division, and he looks to be headed to his fifth All-Star game. He is spelled by former phenom, Jejomar Butardo, whose sheen has dimmed somewhat at only 23. Susumu Yamamoto, a 2nd round pick in '23, has 10 homers, destined to top his career high of 14 in AAA Coronado.

Second Base: Grade=B+
Gerard "Mastodon" Leeder is the captain of the team at 23, and is gaining momentum towards a career topping season. Although he led the league in the unenviable category of strikeouts at 244, he is on course for under 200 this year while increasing his OBP from .320 to .380. He continues to look like the fielder that won a Gold Glove in '25. The only other potential keystone mainstay in the system, is injured infielder, Paul Miller, with no prospect in the minors.

Third Base: Grade=B-
Ken Abbott, veteran from the trade with South Carolina, has been a solid, if unspectacular, addition, with a slash line in '26 of .301/.361/.433. His lack of power, parallel to Reader at the other infield corner, means the San Diego offense relies almost exclusively on its outfield for the long ball. Paul Miller backs up adequately, but little depth in the system leads to the overall downgrade from B to B-. Butardo is having a two-week tryout while Abbott is on the DL.

Shortstop: Grade=C
Paul Miller has been playing out of position here, then hurt his back and is out until September. San-Pao Chio will have an opportunity to warrant his international signing back in 2018 as a 17 year old Taiwanese import. "Racetrack" Hong, a waiver pickup, has been brought up as a backup for now. In the minors, Aanand Selvam, is looking to be the first Bangladeshi major leaguer.

Outfield: Grade=B
Left field: Tom Cassidy is in his fourth season as a Hops starter, and may be heading to his first All-Star appearance. An early power surge has him at 14 dingers, leading the team, and until recently ranking high in the division. He is on course for 200 hits for the first time in his career. Ricardo Romo is an adequate backup, and has been part of a modest DH group including Butardo and Stan Cheslin. No corner outfielders of note are clamoring for attention in the minors.
Center field: Two time All Star, Carlos Avila, is in severe decline, batting only .190 in AAA after manning CF the last few seasons in San Diego. No outfielder has stepped up at the major league level, with waiver pickup Xavier Encarnacion the latest attempt until he landed on the DL this week. Another waiver claim, Julio Ruiz has been called up to shore up defense, but this is a huge weakness for SD. It is hoped that nineteen year old International signee, Jayden Rossell, from England, will be the future answer, but he just got moved from A to AA, and is the youngest member of the Jacksonville squad.
Right field: Stan Cheslin has nine Gold Gloves, and at 32 still has gas in the tank as evidenced by his .314/.397/.568 slash line. He did not look good in CF, so the move to RF should pay dividends for a San Diego team looking for answers on both offense and defense. His backup, Daniel Lopez, slides into the DH position and is mashing at a .300 clip. As mentioned, beyond Butardo, nothing looks promising as a power-in-waiting option for the Hops.

Bullpen: Grade=C+ to B
One of the multiple Achilles heels of the San Diego team, the bullpen is showing signs of hope as the Hops have concentrated on pitching during its last few drafts. South African, Ajdir Kasakya, a fastball-slider slinging southpaw, has been moved into the closer role, and has responded well after replacing aging veteran, Ed Downing, no doubt in his last season with SD after a venerable twelve season run. His 222 career saves promise to be a San Diego record far into the next decade. Cipriano Sousa brings a 100 mph heater to the mound, and he seems to finally have harnessed his command. Jesus Ramirez has also contributed. Down on the farm, Zong-yuan Sang, Abdul-Fattah Arfan, Gonzalo Dieguez, Fu Po Eng, Javier Galindo, Shiro Hatsutori and Jeff Hodge are all clamoring for attention, and many will see major league action this season or next.

Starting Pitching:=B-
Hope springs eternal in the southland, maybe this year will be the nectar of an Imperial IPA, or at least a rotation that can stand up to the rigors of the big leagues. Lo, this year's Speakeasy Blind Tiger is exquisite, but the rotation?