ROCHESTER, N.Y. --- The Rochester Red Wings 2022 season was full of highs and lows, but it was definitely a season to remember for a few players on the roster.
The Red Wings got off to a hot start and were in first place in April, May, and June. The Wings had a really hot May winning series against Syracuse, Scranton Wilkes-Barre, and sweeping Worcester. After the month of June things went south for the Red Wings. The wings lost 19 straight games through the months of July and August. They won on July 15th and didn’t win again until August 11th.
Outfielder #12 Andrew Stevenson had a really good 2022 campaign. He ended the season with a .279 batting average 67 RBI’s and an OPS of .801. He tied for the minor league lead in hits for the season.
“I really enjoyed my time here. It was definitely fun to come out here and play in front of the community. I was just trying to get out there and have fun.” Stevenson was named Red Wings Most Valuable Player and Most Popular Player. Stevenson also said that his goal for next season is “…To build of this season and be a better Baseball player.”
The Red Wings called up 36 different players to the major leagues, including four who made their Major League debuts. One of those players that made their debut was outfielder/first baseman Joey Meneses. Meneses was hitting .286 with 20 Homeruns, 64 RBIs and had an OPS of .830 before being called up to the majors. Meneses made his Major League debut on August 2nd. Meneses then went on to hit .312 with 12 Homeruns, 29 RBI’s and .922 OPS from August to September.
3rd Basemen # 15 Jake Alu also had a really nice 2022 season. He led the team in batting average, hitting .299 for the season. He also had 20 Homeruns, 81 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and an OPS of .871. Alu also had a 15-game hitting streak during the month of September and was named MILB September player of the month.
Infielder Adrian Sanchez was the recipient of the Rochester Red Wings 2022 Civic Minded award for his efforts in the Rochester community.
Rochester Red Wings Manager Matthew LeCroy talked about how although the season didn't go how he wanted it to, it was still great to see all the players get called up to the major leagues. He also appreciated how is team still battled even though they were already eliminated from playoff contention.
Andrew Stevenson and Jake Alu will definitely be players to keep an eye on. The pitching staff for the Red Wings was not great this year averaging about 5 runs per game so it's something they will have to improve on for next season. It will also be interesting to see if Joey Meneses can keep up his success with the Washington Nationals.
Opening day for the 2023 season is Friday March 31st.