Boardwalk Empire - 2038.4 - Salazar has Career Year

[Joshua Biddle]

Adrián Salazar has Career Year, Breaks Franchise Single Season Home Run Record

In a year of diminished excitement around Atlantic City baseball, first baseman Adrián Salazar helped keep the fan interest afloat with one of the most electrifying season-long performances seen by a Gambler in quite some time. Salazar, 24, broke the Gamblers’ single season home run record with a 50 home run season, breaking the record held by long-time Gamblers’ slugger and current Rookie Class Albany Atoms manager António Sánchez’s single season record of 49 home runs set in 2024. Salazar entered the season at #7 on the Gamblers’ all-time single season home run list for his 44 home run season in 2035, but took a step back the past two seasons, including seeing a reduction in games played and plate appearances last season as the team opted to platoon. Salazar played in all 162 games for Atlantic City this season and that was awarded with other single-season milestones: RBIs (#3 - 142), slugging percentage (#3 - .628), OPS (#6 - 1.014), total bases (#4 – 385).

Salazar finished the season with lofty numbers: .320/.386/.628 with 99 runs scored, 39 doubles, 50 home runs, 142 RBIs, 12 stolen bases in 16 attempts (.750 success rate), and a 5.6 WAR in 613 at-bats, registering career-highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, and WAR. Though Salazar played through the season after being platooned last season, a significant platoon split still existed:

VS LHP - .230/.299/.453, 4 doubles, 9 home runs, 26 RBIs in 139 AB
VS RHP - .346/.412/.679, 35 doubles, 41 home runs, 116 RBIs in 474 AB

Salazar will enter the 2039 season in the final year of the three-year, $13.26 million contract signed in November 2036 to buy out his arbitration years. It will be interesting to see if Atlantic City broaches the topic of an extension this offseason or if possible drama will carry over into next season regarding the long-term prognosis of Salazar in Atlantic City.

[RonCo]

Big time platoon bat. It's good that he can actually play vs. LHP if pressed so you can platoon other places if the roster needs it.