The Woodpeckers had some ups and down in 2022, but still had some noteworthy performances. Let’s take a look.
2022 Record: 55-75, Carolina League South Division
The Woodpeckers got off to a rough start going 8-12 in 20 games in April. May was a little rough too as they went just 12-14 in 26 games. Things got better in June as they went 13-12 for their first month above .500. July was rough month as they Woodpeckers finished just 8-15 in 23 games. August was another tough month as they suffered some promotions and went 9-18 in 27 games. They finished the month of September going 5-5. Unfortunately some injuries and promotions led to some of their struggles down the stretch.
Here are the team leaders (min 150 AB or 40 IP):
TEAM LEADERS
Hits – Leosdany Molina (98)
2B – Tyler Whitaker (19)
3B – Logan Cerny (4)
HR – Logan Cerny (15)
RBI – Logan Cerny/Tyler Whitaker (54)
BA – Joey Loperfido (.304)
SB – Logan Cerny (35)
OPS – Joey Loperfido (.872)
wRC+ – Joey Loperfido (143)
IP – Carlos Calderon (104.2)
W – Edinson Batista (8)
SV – Jayson Schroeder/Jose Betances (3)
SO – Miguel Ullola (120)
ERA – Valente Bellozo (1.73)
NOTABLES
Logan Cerny, OF
Cerny was acquired in the off-season trade that sent Garrett Stubbs to Philadelphia. Cerny came over as a high potential outfield prospect who had loud tools and he showed that in 2022. The 23-year-old posted a .832 OPS with 15 HR and 35 SB in 86 games. He finished the season really well hitting .318 with a .997 OPS over his final 48 games. He also made improvements with the strikeouts as the season went on, which is a good sign moving forward.
Logan Cerny (@logancerny_) solo HR for the Woodpeckers! His 13th HR of the season! #Astros pic.twitter.com/gfDWhh1awD
— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) July 9, 2022
Joey Loperfido, OF
Loperfido’s first season in the Astros system went really well. The 7th round pick from 2022 played in 108 games between Single-A (82) and High-A (26) and posted a slash line of .316/.408/.492 with 25 2B, 12 HR, 32 SB. He played all over the field and provided plus defense in the outfield and infield. He might start 2023 in Double-A and could really move up the rankings.
Joey Loperfido (@joeyloperfido) 2 run HR for the Woodpeckers! His 5th HR of the season! #Astros pic.twitter.com/k7t8E2Zvxc
— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) June 30, 2022
Tyler Whitaker, OF
Whitaker was the Astros first pick in the 2021 draft (3rd round). This season was his first full year in professional baseball and he struggled early. Overall he had a .579 OPS in 122 games but finished the season a lot stronger including a .795 OPS in August. He was only 19 years old for the majority of the season and still has plenty of upside.
Miguel Ullola, RHP
Ullola put together a strong season overall but had some up and downs. The 20-year-old posted a 3.25 ERA with 120 K in 72 innings, though he walked 55. He had some really good months and some tough ones but what really stuck out was how good he was in relief. He posted a 1.70 ERA with 20 BB/76 K in 42.1 innings in relief versus 5.46 ERA with 35 BB/44 K in 29.2 innings as a starter.
Miguel Ullola had another dominant outing. He struck out 10 over 4.2 innings allowing just 1 unearned run for Fayetteville. He now has 74 K in 47.2 innings this season. #Astros pic.twitter.com/P73lmWnFND
— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) July 30, 2022
Edinson Batista, RHP
Batista was one of the breakout pitchers of the 2022 season. The 20-year-old started the season in Single-A and posted a 2.60 ERA with 113 K in 93.1 innings before earning a promotion to High-A where he had a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings. He was the opposite of Ullola as he pitched deeper into games and had a 2.01 ERA with 62 K in 49.2 innings as a starter this season.
Another dominant performance from Edinson Batista:
5 IP | 2 H | 0 R | 2 BB | 8 K
The 20-year-old now has a 2.66 ERA with 100 K in 84.2 innings this season! #Astros pic.twitter.com/GF8e9L15Oq
— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) August 11, 2022
Carlos Calderon, RHP
Another 20-year-old in Single-A, Calderon pitched the entire season with the Woodpeckers. Overall he had a 4.13 ERA with 113 K in 104.2 innings, though he did walk 60 batters. He was up and down some but still managed to hold batters to just a .222 BAA during the 2022 season.
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