Dario Gomez Becomes the First 30/30 Club Member in League History

In the last two series of his first season in the Pioneer League, Northern Colorado's Dario Gomez hit five home runs and stole 10 bases to propel himself into league history as the first player ever to record a 30 home run, 30 stolen base season.

Gomez and the Owlz got hot just a bit too late to sneak into the playoffs, as they finished in third place in the first half and fourth place in the second half, but for Gomez's personal game, it was perfect timing. In the 24-year-old's first professional season, he was expected to show flashes on the offensive end, as he slashed .330/.370/.507 in three years of play at the NCAA level and impressed in two years in the Northwoods League. But Gomez stole a combined 23 bases in his NCAA career — last stealing even close to 30 bags back in his second season with San Joaquin Delta Community College when he nabbed 28 — and his speed on the basepaths was an unexpected spark for the Owlz this year.

His 30 home runs were the most by one player on the team, and the third most in the entire league, with a 10-homer gap between him and the second-most. He ended tied with Dave Matthews for the most steals on the season, ranked third in the league with 105 runs scored, fifth with 98 RBI, and held the third-best slugging percentage at .693.

Gomez started the year hot, hitting five home runs in his first eight games played, but ended the month of July with only 17 home runs. He got back on track with 12 bombs in August before hitting his 30th and final home run in a Sept. 5, 6-5 win over the Vibes. Similarly, Gomez had only 12 steals heading into August before doubling that number in the month and stealing six bags in seven games in the first week of September to get to 30 steals.

This final push included a five-steal game, a career-high for Gomez, in his last full game of the year on the penultimate day of the season to clinch the 30/30 mark. 

Gomez's inaugural season in the pros won't be one to forget, as he augmented his already impressive offensive game by becoming a serious threat on the basepaths, scoring the most runs for a team that fell painstakingly short of a shot at the postseason, all the while etching his name in Pioneer League history.