It was a rough year for the Storm Chasers as they scrambled to find pitching all season. They finished 62-86, tying the St. Paul Saints for the worst record in the International League. It was the fourth-worst
record for Omaha since they began their affiliation with the Royals in 1969.
The International League is hitter-friendly, with a league-wide ERA of 4.67. But the Storm Chasers had the second-worst ERA in the league at 5.50, and they threw just five shutouts all year. Noah Cameron was a bright spot for seven starts with a 3.31 ERA, but was called up to the big leagues for good in May. The best starting pitcher for most of the season was Thomas Hatch, who came up briefly with the Royals for one inning in August, but was designated for assignment and ended the year with the Twins. His 4.22 ERA in 18 starts was the lowest for any pitcher with at least 50 innings pitche,d and his five wins tied for the team high.
Luinder Avila flashed good stuff with a 26.7 percent strikeout rate as a starter, although his 4.46 ERA in starts was average. Chandler Champlain led the team with 25 starts, but had an ugly 7.84 ERA and allowed opponents to hit .352 against him at home. The rest of the starting staff was a mix of aging former MLB pitchers like John Gant, Stephen Nogosek, Dallas Keuchel, Spencer Turnbull, and 45-year-old Rich Hill.
The Storm Chasers got better work from their bullpen, in particular Jonathan Bowlan and Andrew Hoffmann. Bowlan was up and down between Omaha and the big leagues all year, maxing out on his options, but posting a solid 2.25 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 36 innings. Hoffmann also had a 2.25 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 40 innings before he was traded to the Diamondbacks for outfielder Randal Grichuk. Eric Cerantola battled injuries but still managed a respectable 4.04 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 49 innings. Evan Sisk recorded a 3.77 ERA prior to being dealt to the Pirates.
Veteran MLB relievers Ryan Hendrix and Junior Fernández could not work their way back to the big leagues, and the latter was released in July. Former Orioles reliever Joey Krehbiel was signed late in the year and provided some stability with a 4.09 ERA. Other veterans like Nick Robertson, Geoff Harlieb, Justin Dunn, and Michael Fulmer found less success. Noah Murdock was returned as a Rule 5 pick from the Athletics, but had a 6.00 ERA in 21 innings. Beck Way struggled to find consistency out of the bullpen, while Brandon Johnson and Chazz Martinez had difficulties adjusting to Triple-A after promotions.
Offensively, the Storm Chasers were better, capped off by a 23-run performance in an August game against Columbus. Omaha averaged 5.13 runs per game, good for sixth-best in the league, and they led the league in slugging and tied for the lead in home runs with 199. Royals opening day left fielder MJ Melendez was demoted in April, but enjoyed a 20/20 season in Triple-A. He hit .261/.323/.490 with 20 home runs and 20 steals, and hit for the cycle in a September game. Infielder Harold Castro went on a tear in August and was named International League Player of the Month, eventually hitting .307/.354/.538 with a team-high 21 home runs. Cam Devanney chipped in with 18 home runs and was among the league leaders in OPS at .931 before he was traded to the Pirates in July for Adam Frazier.
Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone each destroyed Triple-A pitching in short stints with the Storm Chasers before getting the call to the big leagues. John Rave also earned a promotion after hitting .285/.373/.515 with 11 home runs and 19 steals in 60 games. Nick Loftin was an on-base machine, drawing 39 walks in 43 games with a .447 on-base percentage. Dairon Blanco led the team with 32 steals. Luca Tresh showed some pop behind the plate with 10 home runs in 72 games. Veteran utility infielders Cavan Biggio and Diego Castillo were solid in limited action. Tyler Tolbert and Luke Maile also played well before joining the Royals. Former Red Sox third baseman Bobby Dalbec was signed late and flashed some power with eight home runs in 32 games.
Former first-round pick Nick Pratto continued to struggle, .196/.289/.331 with just nine home runs in 114 games and a 29.6 percent strikeout rate. Tyler Gentry also had a drop in power with just nine home runs in 86 games, while hitting .206. Joey Wiemer, acquired from the Reds in the Brady Singer trade last winter, was a disappointment and was claimed off waivers by the Marlins in August. Nelson Velázquez was released in May, eventually signing with the Pirates.
