A Brief Look at the Hawk 2025 Position Players
Spring Training About to Get Underway
by Caitlen Sullivan
Halifax Chronicle Herald Sports Editor
February 27, 2025
A quick look at the lineup prospects for the Hawks in 2025.
INFIELD
The Cisco Kid. Cisco Guerrero, was Rookie of the Year last season, so he’s entrenched at first. The Hawks were reasonably happy with last year’s starters in the middle infield, so we fully expect José Rivera to be at second base and Victor Trevino at short. Third base was a crap shoot of offensive fustily last year until Ben McLaughlin stepped in in August and hit over .300 the rest of the way. Alas, that performance could well be a one off since his career average is a much less impressive .246. He will battle for the hot corner job with last year’s major disappointment, Wilton Sanders, and with the improbable Keith Young, who once hit 38 home runs and batted .300 for Las Vegas and who now returns from four years of exile in the EBA where he averaged 33 home runs per season. Lúcio Gutiérrez will provide superb overall fielding while servings as the utility backup. With a 25-man roster Haku A'amakualenalena would be destined for AAA yet again, but the MBWBA 27-man roster gives him an unlikely chance to stick around.
OUTFIELD
Edgar Jones’s bat (32 home runs, 98 batted in) pretty much guarantees him the left field job despite his butcher-like fielding capabilities. He’s be much better at DH, but that spot is spoken for. Right field will be in the capable hands of Gilberto Pacheco who seemingly finally reached his full offensive potential in his first year as a Hawk. Center field remains the weak link. With the poor fielding Jones in left, a good defensive center fielder is a must. Last year Lightnin Hopkins provided OK but less than hoped for defense and hit .233, a figure that was actually better than expected. Free agent Barry Allen has a shot at the job if can prove his pathetic .194 effort last year was a fluke. He’s never been a regular but sports a lifetime average of .256. A host of others will contend for the backup jobs with 16-year veteran Barry Allen probably having the inside track.
CATCHING
The backstop job will be in the capable hands of Elroy Hinson with Juan Jose Torres again providing backup. Hinson is excellent offensively and defensively whereas Torres provides just good defense. Journeyman David O’Sullivan will be around at Montgomery in case of injuries.
DESIGNATED HITTER
Come hell or high water, this job belongs to Bo Jordan who at age 33 could reach 500 career homers if he could rebound from a sub-par season and hit a career high 53 home runs. He hit 52 just two years back.
We’ll be back soon to preview the pitching.
