The 2022 season for the Brooklyn Cyclones was a tale of two halves. The Cyclones began the year with perhaps the least-talented roster among the Mets’ minor league affiliates, and they certainly played like it. The team posted a 30-36 record through the first half of the season, finishing 13 games back in the division. They had the second-worst offense in the league in terms of runs scored, their pitching was very middle-of-the-road, and they did not have the look of a competitive team on just about any level.

The Cyclones needed a spark, and they got one in the form of Alex Ramirez and Dominic Hamel, two of the organization’s most heralded prospects who were called up from St. Lucie in early July. That move corresponded with a substantial turnaround in the Cyclones’ season, as the team finished atop the North division of the South Atlantic League in the second half with a 41-25 record. The lineup was much more complete from top to bottom which helped the team score far more runs, while the pitching staff allowed the fewest runs in the league. The team played particularly well outside of the friendly confines of Maimonides Park with a 22-11 record away from home.

The team’s second-half success earned them a spot in the playoffs, their first postseason berth since the 2019 season. They faced off against the Aberdeen IronBirds in the South Atlantic League Division Series, winning Game 1 but losing both potential series-clinching games to fall short of the Championship Series.

Even though the year ended on a sour note, the Cyclones demonstrated incredible resolve in overcoming early-season adversity and making a series push for title contention by year’s end. First-year manager Luis Rivera did a fantastic job with the pieces that he was given, and the Cyclones will likely continue to be very good in 2023 with many of the players on the impressive St. Lucie roster graduating to the High-A level. There’s a lot to be excited about in Brooklyn.

Coaching Staff

Manager – Luis Rivera
Bench Coach – Chris Newell
Hitting Coach – Richie Benes
Pitching Coach – AJ Sager
Development Coach – Chris Jacobs
Athletic Trainer – Austin Dayton

MMN Top 30 Prospects

4 – Alex Ramirez, CF
13 – Mike Vasil, RHP
14 – Dominic Hamel, RHP
17 – Stanley Consuegra, OF
22 – William Lugo, INF
23 – Christian Scott, RHP
27 – Junior Santos, RHP

Team Batting Leaders (league ranking in parentheses)

G: José Peroza 115 (2^nd)
AB: JT Schwartz 400 (9^th)
R: JT Schwartz 57 (T-20^th)
H: JT Schwartz 109 (7^th)
2B: JT Schwartz 25 (T-4^th)
3B: Brandon McIlwain 6 (T-3^rd)
HR: Jaylen Palmer 9 (T-57^th)
RBI: Jose Peroza 52 (T-28^th)
SB: Jaylen Palmer 22 (T-16^th)
TB: JT Schwartz 160 (17^th)
BB: Jaylen Palmer 50 (16^th)
BA: JT Schwartz .273 (17^th)
OBP: Matt Rudick .366 (12^th)
SLG: JT Schwartz .400 (26^th)
OPS: JT Schwartz .756 (23^rd)

Team Pitching Leaders

W: Junior Santos 8 (T-6^th)
ERA: Junior Santos 4.47 (6^th)
SV: Daison Acosta 10 (T-3^rd)
HLD: Nolan Clenney 9 (T-1^st)
G: Nolan Clenney, Justin Courtney 33 (T-27^th)
GS: Junior Santos 23 (T-7^th)
IP: Junior Santos 116.2 (3^rd)
K: Junior Santos 105 (T-19^th)
WHIP: Junior Santos 1.46 (8^th)

It took the 19-year-old Alex Ramirez some time to get adjusted to the High-A level, but he provided valuable pop in a lineup desperate for offensive production. He was a force to be reckoned with by season’s end, finishing out the year strong with a .359 average in 11 September games before hitting .333 in the playoffs. He hit 11 home runs, tallied 30 doubles, and stole 21 bases across two levels during the 2022 season, more than demonstrating why he is one of the best prospects in the organization and a name to look out for moving forward.

The offense outside of Ramirez was helmed by JT Schwartz, José Peroza, and Jaylen Palmer, three of just five hitters to have enough at-bats during the season to be designated as qualified batters. Schwartz, a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft, led the team in most statistical categories, including hits, runs scored, doubles, batting average, and slugging percentage Peroza drove in the most runs for the team with 52 RBI and hit .500 in the playoffs, while Palmer led the Cyclones with nine homers.

Another big contributor on offense was Brandon McIlwain, who posted a .861 OPS and collected 12 steals in 48 games. McIlwain carried the offense through the early part of the season before earning a call-up to Binghamton in mid-June. Stanley Consuegra was called up from St. Lucie at the same time as Ramirez and had a .690 OPS with 20 extra-base hits in 56 games.

On the pitching side, Junior Santos was the only qualifying pitcher and thus led the team in just about every statistical category by default. Santos’ season was not particularly impressive, posting an 8-13 record with a 4.47 ERA in 26 games (23 starts). He did a great job of limiting the long ball, allowing just four homers in 116 2/3 innings, but he allowed a lot of contact on his way to a less than stellar 1.46 WHIP.

The second-half surge from the Cyclones was thanks in large part to the much-improved starting rotation. Luis Moreno was called up from St. Lucie in early June and posted a 2.92 ERA in 77 innings, earning a win in Game 1 of the Division Series by pitching six innings and allowing just one run. Dominic Hamel was brought into the fold in early July and pitched to the tune of a 2.59 ERA in 11 starts.

The Cyclones also got impressive production from Nick Zwack (1.84 ERA in 63 2/3 innings) and Carson Seymour (3.68 ERA in 51 1/3 innings) before both were shipped off to the San Francisco Giants organization in early August as part of the Darin Ruf trade.

One of the most surprising developments of the 2022 minor-league season was Grant Hartwig, who quickly rose through the ranks of the organization and succeeded at every turn. He was called up to the Cyclones in late May and posted a microscopic 0.59 ERA in 11 appearances before earning another promotion to Binghamton in early July. He ended the season with Triple-A Syracuse and figures to make a push for the major league roster at some point during the 2023 season.

Daison Acosta was a Swiss Army knife for the Cyclones’ pitching staff, making 10 starts but also leading the team with 10 saves. Nolan Clenney and Justin Courtney appeared in 33 games apiece, with Clenney collecting nine holds to lead the team.