NOTEBOOK: Bisons Have Excelled In Trenton This Season

Often referred to as their home away from home, Trenton Thunder Ballpark and the Trenton Thunder organization have stepped up to the challenge in 2021 and embraced the arrival of the Buffalo Bisons.

But just how good have the Herd been at home?

Well, they have been so good that it might be time to retire the “home away from home” title and refer to Trenton as the Bisons’ second home.

“We enjoy coming home and enjoy playing here,” said Buffalo manager Casey Candaele. “We have not had any problems being here and we have been treated tremendously well.”

The Herd has posted a 26-13 record at home this season while outscoring their opponents 208-140, an average of 1.7 runs per game. Buffalo has also won four of the six series they played at home, produced one series split and one series loss.

The home victories have not been specific to one opponent either, Buffalo has claimed series victories over four of their five different Northeast Division opponents.

“We know we are in a hotbed of the Yankees and Phillies fans and basically almost every team that comes in here,” said Candaele. “But we still have a fan base that cheers for us and so it has been really cool.”

Comparatively to the rest of Triple-A East in their own home stadium, Buffalo’s offense and defense have been immensely more impressive.

Buffalo’s offense has scored the second-most runs at home in Triple-A East and posted a league-best batting average, .281, and on-base percentage, .371.

In particular the bats of Christian Colon and Kevin Smith have found new life in New Jersey.

Colon has hit the second-most home runs, 6, and driven in the second most RBIs, 22, on the team at home and has embraced the return of fans to stadiums even if the fans may be hostile outside of Buffalo.

“You feed off the energy when you play at home and when you go on the road and the fans are getting on you,” Colon. “I think it's just part of the game that we missed last year and even being here with different fans it has been awesome.”

Smith has been one of the best home hitters in Triple-A East in 2021 leading multiple statistical categories. In 37 home games, the shortstop has the most hits, 44, and runs, 28. In addition, Smith is second in RBI’s with 31 and sixth in home runs with nine.

Defensively the Bisons’ top-notch pitching staff has found comfort in what has been known around the league as “pitchers park.”

The Herd has posted a league-best 3.17 home ERA and paired that with the second-best WHIP in the league, 1.17 and third best opponent’s batting average, .220.

Buffalo is set it play just two more games at their temporary New Jersey confines before heading back to Sahlen Field on August 10th. But during their run at Trenton Thunder Ballpark, sporting Thunder jersey, it has been nothing but a grand success for the Herd.

“It was cool Trenton opening their arms to us and allowing us to come and be a part of their city and their baseball park and their tradition of minor league baseball,” said Candaele. “We're looking forward to going to Buffalo where we were supposed to be playing all year, but again, we've been treated really well here and had a wonderful time.