Record: 34-35, Third in North Division, Eight Overall in American Association

Season Recap:

The season began quite well for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. They were 13-7 at one point and had been second in the North Division, but MLB organizations came and took some key assets from the team and they have not been the same since. The RedHawks have shown spurts where they look as good as any team in this league, posting a five-game winning streak near the end of June, but they have not been able to sustain that.

The pitching has been absolutely awesome, but a tough July has really hurt this team. A 12-18 run in July has all but knocked this team out of contention. That has been disappointing because this team has a dominant pitching staff. They are second in ERA (3.86) and they are first in strikeouts. There are plenty of pieces to stick around the playoff race, but time is running out.

Mid-Season MVP: Keury De La Cruz

The RedHawks outfielder has been having an outstanding season. His .338 average is second in the American Association and he has scored 62-runs, tops in the league. He has 55-RBI and 12-homeruns, and will be a serious choice for the league’s MVP. He also has 15-stolen bases and has been a star on defense. Add in that he has 27-doubles, first in the American Association, and this is a real MVP season by De La Cruz.

Mid-Season Top Pitcher: Tyler Alexander

Before Tyler Herron had his contract purchased he would have easily been the choice and may have been on his way to being named the league’s best pitcher. Herron is gone and Tyler Alexander has established himself as one of the best starters in the league. The left-hander has been outstanding, going 8-3 with a 3.46 ERA. He has struck out 104, which is first in the league. The lefty has made 14-starts and has been a true anchor at the top of the rotation. It is too bad that Herron signed because this would have been the best 1-2 combination in the league.

Prognosis:

Fargo-Moorhead has as good of a pitching staff as anyone in this league, but they are a long way back in their division. They are just five back in the Wild Card race, however, and if they can get a run going with this pitching staff they can easily erase that deficit and get themselves right back in the race. The RedHawks play seven games against St. Paul and eight against Winnipeg, so they will have their chances to make some noise.

By Robert Pannier