What Pioneer League Contenders Need To Do In The Second Half of 2024

This article was originally published by Kyle Kensing for FloBaseball. To read the full article, please visit https://www.flobaseball.tv/articles/12710875-what-pioneer-league-contenders-need-to-do-in-the-second-half-of-2024

In 2023, the Missoula PaddleHeads reached the Pioneer Baseball League's midway point with the best record: 35-13 for an eye-popping .729 winning percentage. Fast forward to 2024, and Missoula was guaranteed the Pioneer's best mid-point record when it improved to 32-10 on July 8. 

The Pioneer League's second half begins on July 15, and Missoula will look to finish the goal it fell short of reaching despite its outstanding start a season ago. 

The Billings Mustangs, who came on strong in the back-half with the Pioneer League's top record in the second half of 2023, rode that momentum into the postseason. Billings bounced Missoula from the Pioneer League Playoffs in the divisional series, two games to one. 

However, it was the Ogden Raptors bringing home the championship. Ogden sputtered in the second half of 2023, going 19-29 — worst in the Pioneer League. 

Because of its outstanding first half at 31-17, however, Ogden qualified for the playoffs where it ripped off four straight wins in the divisional series against Rocky Mountain and the championship series vs. Billings. 

Ogden Raptors 

Repeating as Pioneer League champions requires the Raptors to flip-flop its 2023 fortunes in 2024. 

Ogden went into the final weekend of the regular season's first half below .500 and in the lower half of the league standings. The good news for the Raptors, though, is that the middle of the Pioneer pack is a logjam. 

Another bit of good news for Ogden's prospects in the second half is that two of the top four hitters in the Pioneer League are Raptors. Jack Cone is hitting .430 in 179 at-bats as of July 12 with 18 doubles — tied for third-most in the league — and has drawn 20 walks. Pearce Howard is batting .407 in 189 at-bats. The duo have paced Ogden to the second-best team batting average in the Pioneer League at .331 through July 12. 

Missoula PaddleHeads 

League-leading Missoula approaches the official midway point with a team batting average of .344 and an astounding team .587 slugging percentage. The club's 89 home runs going into the final first-half weekend are far-and-away tops in the Pioneer League, with Adam Fogel's 20 setting the pace. 

Teammate Roberto Penay has added 13 home runs, good for the league's top six as of July 12. With the power-hitting chops the PaddleHeads have demonstrated, few teams anywhere in baseball can put up runs as effectively. 

Missoula's pitching has been solid, ranking in the top-half of the league with a collective 6.71 ERA, but hardly unhittable. Shoring up their push for the Pioneer championship could depend on the PaddleHeads pitching keeping opponents' bats in check to complement Missoula's plate presence. 

Glacier Range Riders 

Second-place in the Pioneer League just ahead of the midway point, the Glacier Range Riders have flourished with the Pioneer's best all-around pitching. Glacier pitchers have combined to strike out 445 batters over 401 combined innings, and the lineup boasts a team ERA of 5.66. 

Kaleb Sophy has mowed down 51 batters in 43 innings pitched, while two-way player Brady Held is averaging 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings of work with his 48 Ks in 36 2/3 innings. 

Christian Kirtley's pacing Glacier at the dish with 16 home runs and 54 RBI through July 12, part of a healthy .755 slugging percentage. 

Oakland Ballers 

The Oakland Ballers have impressed in their first season of Pioneer League play. The B's went into the final weekend before the midway point in position for a playoff berth if the postseason began now, thanks in part to the performance of its pitching staff. 

Christian Cosby has been outstanding through eight starts, striking out 66 in 40 1/3 innings and posting a 5.58 ERA. Carson Lambert has struck out 40 in 35 2/3 innings pitched, walked just eight batters and has a WHIP of 1.35. 

Oakland needs more consistency from its bats in the second half to finalize a push to the playoffs. The B's rank in the lower half of most offensive categories through the first portion of the 2024 campaign.