Ken Abbott, 3b
San Diego Hops
Pre-season 2027
San Diego enjoyed only its second .500 season in the last
seven, and notched its best record since 2019. The 83 wins tied for the second
best record in franchise history, so fans rightfully are more optimistic than
recent seasons. As spring pints are quaffed, Hops stalwarts are looking with
interest at this year’s outlook.
Rotation: Jeff Kimball was the lone off-season trade
acquisition, coming over from Eureka in exchange for reliever Javier Galindo,
and OF prospect Will Trenholm. Kimball will likely start the season in the
rotation, (but is now on the disabled list until at least May), joining Lorenzo
Pueblo, 15-9 in ’26, 200 inning eater, Mal Tosewell, 11-11, Jose Ramos, 11-9
and waiver claimer, Kyoji Mizutani. Veterans, Walt Lawson, Francisco Rolon and
Chris Hastings, wait in the wings should there be an opening. Pueblo was the
ace in 2026, but there are hopes that another star emerges from the host of
.500 pitchers.
Bullpen: Ajdir Kasakya rose to the closer role, and nailed
down 29 saves to go with a 9-7 record. With confidence gained from his
increased presence in the ninth inning, he looks to be the breakout pitcher for
the Hops in ’27. Jesus Ramirez and Cipriano Sousa are the right-left setup
combo, and have ample bodies, if not talent, with the likes of Barnes, bin
Atif, Dieguez, etc. waiting in the wings.
Catcher: Easily the weakest position in the San Diego
system, though major leaguers, John Calderon and Manny Fernandez are seasoned
big league ballplayers. AA prospect, Hae-nim Kim is the highest rated catcher
in the system, but has an attitude that needs adjusting if he’s going to make a
big league impact.
1b: Kyle Reader spends most of his time at the corner sack,
but can also play the outfield. With Reader and his .344 career average, and
two-time batting champion, entrenched, San Diego can afford to wait on
prospects Tokuhei Taniguchi and Susumu Yamamoto. Jejomar Butardo will also see
some time at 1b, as well as the hot corner, DH and outfield.
2b: Gerard Leeder continued to blossom into a star at the
keystone for the Hops. While starting 150 games, the slick middle-infielder cut
down his strikeout total by 20%, and for the second straight season, scored
over 100 runs. Carlos Gamboa backs him up in veteran fashion.
SS: San-Pan Chio emerged as the Hops’ starting SS in ’26. He
displayed surprising alacrity with the stick, hitting .311 and garnering an
.867 OPS. With 88 starts at the six hole, Chio fielded well above average,
committing only nine errors. Tae-Kyun Hong looks not quite ready for the bigs,
and it is hoped he can spend ’27 in AAA.
3b: Ken Abbott gives veteran solidity to the hot corner, and
is hoping to continue anchoring the position for years to come. A product of a
deal with South Carolina in ’24, Abbott has been consistent, but it is hoped he
can drive home more runs in ’27. Paul Miller backs up 3b, and can play 2b and
SS.
OF: Tom Cassidy is poised to make his first All-Star
appearance, given his continuing improvement over the last three seasons. He
starts in LF, while it is a rotating cast in the rest of the outfield. RF will
most likely be Jejo Butardo, spelled by Ricardo Romo and Dan Lopez who both
also play LF. The only true CF is Xavier Encarnación, who hit a paltry .193 in
’26. That opened the door for aging vet, Stan Cheslin, who started 40 times in
CF to the dismay of the Hops’ pitching staff. Daniel Lopez was even worse, so
watch for experimentation in CF this spring. Carl Questi and Jaen Rossell are
both years away from producing in CF for SD, so like the catching position,
this is one to watch deal-wise, in coming months.
Though picked to finish above .500, San Diego is not poised
to contend unless the C/CF/rotation questions are answered.
