A Brief Look at the Hawk 2025 Pitchers
Looks Improved, Time Will Tell
by Caitlen Sullivan
Halifax Chronicle Herald Sports Editor
February 28, 2025
A quick look at the pitching prospects for the Hawks in 2025.
ROTATION
Last year the success of the rotation seemed to depend on two things:
1) Sancho Delgado and Domingo Castillo staying healthy for the season
2) Some others guys stepping up and over performing.
Delgado and Castillo stayed healthy all year and each managed to win 12 games. Rookie Pedro Torrez also won 12 games (although he lost 14). Alberto López definitely pitched better than expected and also won 12. At first blush José Gutiérrez was the weak link at 8-12 but his ERA was second best in the rotation at 3.70 and he had a 2.5 WAR.
So now we roll around to 2025. The Hawks still need Delgado and Sanchez to stay healthy and maybe have them both step up the pace a bit and win 15 each. Torrez can hopefully improve in his sophomore season. If Lopez repeats last year’s effort, everyone will be delighted. Gutiérrez is shifting his tack to the pen; more about him later.
The big news in the rotation is the addition of $20 million man Martin Lewis. (His front loaded salary drops to $15.0 million, then $10.0 million, and finally $8.0 million for the last two years of his contract. The final year is a team option.) Lewis was 17-10 last season with Tucson, and he is expected to challenge Castillo and Sanchez for the top spot in the rotation. (Spring Training is relatively meaningless, but Martin’s first two starts were impressive: 8 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 11 Ks, and just 1 BB.)
BULLPEN
Last year the bullpen was expected to suck. It didn’t and was a major reason for the Hawks challenge for the Johnson League Atlantic title and their Wild Card playoff appearance.
Tommy Gardner was a revelation last year as the Hawk closer. He led the MBWBA in saves with 45 (in 49 tries). He’s not a strikeout pitcher, but he used his ball movement and control to be very effective. He’ll be back in that role once again. Pretty darn good for a 19th round draft pick in 2017.
Last year’s set-up guys will be back as well. The eighth inning guy will be Fernando Rivera who was arguably the best overall reliever on the team: 77 Ks in 68 innings and an impressive 2.11 ERA. The early set-up guy will be either Bobby Gutherington or young José Perucho. Guth wants to be the closer, so he may be unhappy and sulking in a set-up role. Perucho was a mid season call up last year and his 1.88 ERA and 0.79 WHIP speak volumes about his success.
The Wild Card in the bullpen will be José Gutiérrez who is converting to the pen after a pretty effective albeit losing year as a starter. He will concentrate on throwing his effective fastball and changeup, and there are those who think that he might be effective enough to displace Gardner, Rivera, or Gutherington/Perucho in their finish up roles. Or he might become a superlative middle inning guy.
The best of the rest will probably be Jesús Gonzáles. The club hopes former EBA pitcher Bonaventure Habermas will continue to be as effective as he was last season for the Hawks although he is unlikely to be seen in critical situations.
