Current Cincinnati Reds hitting coach Chris Valaika hit a mediocre .235/.271/.344 for the 2009 Louisville Bats, doing so while primarily playing shortstop. He was flanked on that roster by the likes of Norris Hopper, Danny Dorn, Corky Miller, and Drew Stubbs, with young bucks like Todd Frazier and even Jay Bruce sprinkling in some of their time, as well.
That ‘09 Bats club won 84 games and finished in 1st place in International League play, and that marks the last time the Bats won their league. They’d
go on to finish 2nd the following year (and lose in their semi-finals for the third consecutive year), yet they’ve failed to qualify for the playoffs in every single season since.
There’s a decent chance that changes in 2026, however, as the Bats look like they may well have the most talented, big-league-ready roster they’ve had in years – at least to begin the season.
Their offense should be paced by the likes of Rece Hinds, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Tyler Callihan, and Blake Dunn, each of whom has spent significant time perfecting their craft at that level. Joining them will be Hector Rodriguez from day one, as well as the likes of Edwin Arroyo and even Cam Collier.
Their pitching staff, meanwhile, could feature a starting rotation of Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, Chase Petty, Julian Aguiar, and Jose Franco, with arms like Lyon Richardson, Luis Mey, and Zach Maxwell all there to back them up – and Tejay Antone off his third Tommy John surgery, too.
It’s perhaps as talented as that roster has been in quite some time, with almost every single player featured a guy who’s still on the up-and-up of their career path (and not just bouncing around, hoping for a chance).
Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be a special season for the Bats at AAA.
