Photo Credit: Brooklyn Cyclones
A high-powered offense helped the Brooklyn Cyclones make it back to the High-A playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Brooklyn was down 4-2 headed to the eighth inning on Thursday night when they scored four runs to clinch a playoff spot. Chris Suero capped the scoring with a two-run homer to give the Cyclones a 6-4 lead they would hold onto.
Outfielder Carson Benge, last year’s first round pick (19th overall) out of Oklahoma State (.302/.418/.491, four homers, 12 steals), 3B-1B Jacob Reimer (.289/.388/.514, eight homers, 11 steals) and C-LF-1B Chris Suero (.250/.386/.444, eight homers, 20 steals) helped lead Brooklyn, which was tied for tops in runs scored in the South Atlantic League entering Thursday. (All player stats are as of pre-game Thursday as well.)
Outfielder A.J. Ewing (.297/.412/.400, 32 steals in 41 games), shortstop Jesus Baez (.257/.347/.399, six homers) and outfielder Eli Serrano (.245/.361/.436, six homers) contributed as well. Brooklyn was averaging 5.5 runs per game entering Thursday for second-year manager Gilbert Gomez.
On the mound, Noah Hall sported the best ERA (2.39) and tallied the most strikeouts (65, 60.1 IP) of the starters who have thrown at least 40 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander was a seventh round pick in 2023 out of the University of South Carolina.
A trio of college pitchers taken in last year’s draft also bolstered the starting rotation. RHP R.J. Gordon (2.73 ERA, 62 strikeouts, 52.2 IP) was a 13th round pick out of Oregon, LHP Jonathan Santucci (4.06 ERA, 53 strikeouts, 51.1 IP) was a second round selection from Duke and RHP Brendan Girton (2.91 ERA, 55 strikeouts, 46.1 IP) was taken in the 10th round from Oklahoma.
Girton, 23, threw five perfect innings last Saturday to earn SAL Pitcher of the Week.
RHP Joel Díaz, 21, of the Dominican Republic (3.59 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 47.2 IP) rounded out the top five in games started.
Saul Garcia, a 22-year-old righty from Venezuela, leads the team with six saves and has struck out 31 in 17 innings. The Cyclones entered Thursday second in the SAL in runs allowed per game (3.6).
The Cyclones joined Mets affiliates Low-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton to clinch playoff spots.
The High-A playoffs pit the winners of each half in each division against each other in the first round. (If the same team wins both halves, then the team with the second best winning percentage in the second half earns a playoff spot.)
