Trio of Former Storm Enjoying Global Success

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. - While baseball is dormant during the winter months in the United States, a trio of former Storm are enjoying successful campaigns in competitive leagues around the globe. Luis Torrens is enjoying time in his home country, competing in the Venezuelan Winter League for the first place Navegantes del Magallanes. Franchy Cordero is roaming the outfield for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League as they make a run at a championship. Michael Gettys is putting up appealing numbers for the Adelaide Bite of the Australian Baseball League.
The former second round pick out of Gainesville HS in Georgia, Gettys has already connected for seven home runs in 32 games, averaging a home run every 16.5 at-bats. Power, however, is a trait the Padres are familiar with from Gettys. The 23-year-old connected for 17 long balls in 2017 with the Storm and 15 last year with Double-A San Antonio.
What Padres fans should get excited about are his .310 batting average, his .406 on-base percentage and his 1.026 OPS, suggesting a return to his 2016 self when he hit .305 with 154 base knocks between Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore.
Baseball fans got to enjoy the emergence of the Padres charismatic 2016 second round selection Buddy Reed last year, when he tore up the California League months after his outstanding ABL campaign with the Canberra Calvary to earn a spot in the 2018 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and then on to Double-A. Prior to his stint in Australia, Reed experienced the early struggles of Minor League Baseball before finding his swing overseas. Could Gettys enjoy a similar path and have a breakout year stateside in 2019?
Meanwhile, Torrens, a familiar name to Storm faithful after batting .280 and leading Lake Elsinore in doubles (36) and RBIs (73) last season, is seeing time at first base and behind the plate while hitting .308, suggesting that his hot bat could carry over to the upcoming Minor League season.
Cordero, who played in 40 games with the Padres last season, is seeing quality playing time in the ultra-competitive Dominican Winter League. The 24-year-old from Azua, Dominican Republic is in the midst of a playoff run with Leones del Escogido.
While baseball may not be top-of-mind here in the U.S., its go time in several countries around the world and the Storm eyes have been well represented as we wait patiently to take the field again at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.