By The Numbers: The 2024 Trash Pandas Season
The fourth season of baseball in Rocket City was one to remember, so let's break it down by the numbers. 1 FUTURES GAME SELECTION On July 13th, Caden Dana represented the Trash Pandas at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, TX. Following a stellar season in Rocket City, he
The fourth season of baseball in Rocket City was one to remember, so let's break it down by the numbers.
1 FUTURES GAME SELECTION
On July 13th, Caden Dana represented the Trash Pandas at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, TX. Following a stellar season in Rocket City, he went on to make his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Angels on September 1st.
2 100-HIT SEASONS
For the fourth consecutive season, the Trash Pandas lineup boasted a pair of players with 100 hits or more. Tucker Flint led the way with 104 knocks, and 19-year-old Nelson Rada reached 100 on the dot.
3 CAREER COMPLETE GAMES FOR JACK KOCHANOWICZ
The big right-hander tossed a pair of complete games in a span of just 10 days this summer. On June 26th in Chattanooga, Kochanowicz went the distance against the Lookouts and follow it up against the Barons two starts later at Toyota Field. After making his MLB debut on July 11th, Jack went on to register nine quality starts with the Halos.
Why have just one complete game when you can have ✌️?
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 7, 2024
Jack Kochanowicz (@Angels) goes the distance twice in the past 10 days for the @trashpandas. pic.twitter.com/zR0lZwDoC5
4 WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Four different players racked up Southern League honors during the 2024 campaign: Gustavo Campero on July 15th, Christian Moore on August 11th, Tucker Flint on August 19th, and George Klassen on September 16th. In addition, Campero, Caden Dana, and Eric Wagaman were also named Southern League All-Stars.
5 CHRISTIAN MOORE HOME RUNS
Drafted eighth overall out of the University of Tennessee, Moore lit the baseball world on fire with the start to his professional career. After racking up 6 hits and 6 RBI over his first two games with Single-A Inland Empire, "CMO" was assigned to the Trash Pandas on August 3rd. He then proceeded to blast five longballs in a span of six games, including a pair of multi-homer performances.
Christian Moore is unlike anything we have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/hTozxz0Zte
— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) August 10, 2024
6 WALK-OFF WINS
The Trash Pandas certainly had a flair for the dramatic in 2024. Rocket City played a whopping 92 games this season decided by three runs or less, which mean they nearly always had a shot to win. Those shots amplified playing at home in front of raucous, raccoon-clad fans, which led to five home walk-offs...and weirdly one on the road.
Gustavo Campero slid home on a wild pitch on May 23rd, Denzer Guzman obliterated a grand slam two nights later on May 25th, Nelson Rada slapped a successful single on July 15th, Christian Moore ripped an opposite-field home run on August 8th, Campero delivered a strange 7th inning victory in a makeup game at Chattanooga on August 15th, and Tyler Payne was the hero in arguably the wildest sequence of the season for Huntsville Stars Night on September 8th.
BALL DROPS IN THE OUTFIELD
— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) September 8, 2024
GAME IS TIED UP
THROW TO THIRD GETS AWAY
BALLGAME OVER
STARS WIN ON THE WILDEST WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/cKIXqQnyl8
7 PLAYERS FROM OPENING DAY ROSTER TO MLB
Ben Joyce, Victor Mederos, Kyren Paris, Jack Kochanowicz, Caden Dana, Eric Wagaman, and Gustavo Campero all started the season in Rocket City before making their way to the Halos.
8 PLAYERS FROM OPENING DAY ROSTER TO TRIPLE-A SALT LAKE
Ivan Armstrong, Michael Darrell-Hicks, Brett Kerry, Hayden Seig, Kenyon Yovan, Eric Torres, Houston Harding, and Tucker Flint all received promotions after successful stints with the Trash Pandas.
9 ORLANDO MARTINEZ FRANCHISE RECORDS
May as well call him "Mr. Trash Panda" at this point. Outfielder Orlando Martinez has now spent the better part of four seasons in North Alabama, where he now holds all-time records for Games Played (296), At-Bats (1,107), Hits (296), Runs (150), Home Runs (34), RBI (178), Doubles (62), Triples (8), and Total Bases (476).
NUMBER 10 NAMED TRASH PANDAS HITTER OF THE YEAR
In 2022, Gustavo Campero played just six games all season and mostly served as a bullpen catcher. Two years later, the catcher-turned-outfielder put up an incredibly impressive campaign of 14 homers, 45 RBI, 29 steals, and a league-best .888 on-base + slugging percentage. This earned him the recognition of Trash Pandas Hitter of the Year, a Southern League All-Star, and September call-up to make his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels.
Wednesday's doubleheader suspended, will resume on Thursday
Madison, Ala. – Game one of Wednesday's doubleheader between the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the Chattanooga Lookouts at Toyota Field has been suspended. This game will resume on Thursday at 4:05 pm, followed by a second seven-inning game approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first. On Wednesday,
Homestand Highlights: June 17-22 vs. Chattanooga Lookouts
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas continue their longest homestand of the season as they close out the first half welcoming the Chattanooga Lookouts, the Cincinnati Reds' Double-A affiliate, at Toyota Field for seven games over six days, from Tuesday, June 17 to Sunday, June 22. The second
Fatherhood, Baseball, and Life Lessons
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Trash Pandas show off their Butts, and win 4-1 over Blue Wahoos
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (24-35) kicked off a weekend celebration of Alabama's rich BBQ history on Friday night by playing as their alternate identity, the Bama Butts. They posted a 4-1 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (30-21) in front of 5,381 fans at Toyota Field.
Christian Moore Launched to the League
MADISON, Ala. – Former Trash Pandas infielder Christian Moore is headed to the majors after the Los Angeles Angels purchased his contract today. He becomes the 41st Trash Pandas player to make his major league debut. After a slow start to the season, Moore was riding a seven-game hitting streak
Pandas win second-straight over Wahoos, 5-4, on Thursday
MADISON, Ala. – On Thursday night at Toyota Field, the Rocket City Trash Pandas (23-35) captured their second consecutive victory, knocking off the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (30-30) 5-4. Mitch Farris struck out 10 batters over 6.1 innings, allowing the Pandas' offense to overcome a 3-0 deficit. The win gives Rocket
Pandas walk off Pensacola on Cole Fontenelle's 10th inning single
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (22-35) bounced back on Wednesday with a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (30-29), thanks to Cole Fontenelle's RBI single in the 10th inning. The Pandas out-hit the Blue Wahoos 12-11 and received another quality start from pitcher Walbert Ureña.
Hurtado stymies Barons 3-1 on Saturday night
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Joel Hurtado (W, 5-4) delivered his team-best sixth quality start of the season on Saturday night, leading the Rocket City Trash Pandas (21-33) to a 3-1 victory over the Birmingham Barons (30-25). The win gives Rocket City a 3-2 advantage in the series, heading into the finale
Barons win slogfest over Trash Pandas 11-6
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Nelson Rada extended his league-leading on-base streak to 15 games on Friday night, but the Rocket City Trash Pandas (20-33) fell 11-6, their second straight loss to the Birmingham Barons (30-24) at Regions Field. Rada recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season, finishing 3-for-5 with a
Trash Pandas shut out Barons 1-0 in Rickwood Classic
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (20-31) continued their winning ways on Wednesday afternoon, grabbing a 1-0 victory over the Birmingham Barons (28-24) during the Rickwood Classic. With this win, the Trash Pandas improved to 6-2 over their last eight games and took a 2-0 lead in the
Pandas start road trip with extra-inning win over Barons
The Rocket City Trash Pandas (19-31) started their six-game road series in Birmingham on Tuesday night with a 3-2 victory over the Birmingham Barons (28-23) in 10 innings. This win improved the Pandas' record to 5-2 in their last seven games as the series moves to historic Rickwood Field on
Sam Aldegheri recalled by Angels, Blankenhorn begins rehab assignment
MADISON, Ala. – The Los Angeles Angels made the following roster moves on Monday, impacting the Rocket City Trash Pandas. They have recalled left-handed pitcher Sam Aldegheri, who will be joining the team in Boston. Additionally, outfielder Travis Blankenhorn has begun a rehabilitation assignment with the ACL Angels. This season,
Trash Pandas beat Shuckers 2-1 on Saturday behind Hurtado, homers and 7,162 fans at Toyota Field
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (18-30) picked up a 2-1 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers (29-21) on Saturday night, thanks to two solo home runs and a quality start from Joel Hurtado. The win secured the series victory for the Trash Pandas, as they have taken four
Streaking Pandas sweep doubleheader from Shuckers
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (17-29) swept a doubleheader against the Biloxi Shuckers (28-20) on Thursday night at Toyota Field, winning game one 2-1 and game two 4-1. The sweep extended their winning streak to three games, taking a 3-0 series lead over the first-place Shuckers. Rocket
Bullpen comes up big in 3-2 win over Shuckers
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (15-29) returned to Toyota Field for the first time since May 11 and picked up a 3-2 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers (28-18) on Wednesday night. All three of the Pandas' runs came in the fifth inning, ignited by a solo home
Welcome Home: Daly returns to the Rocket City
Mitch Daly’s baseball career started in Madison as a Bob Jones Patriot before taking him to Texas, Kentucky, and the rest of the country, chasing his dream of playing in the Major Leagues. Wednesday marks his return to Madison, making his home debut for the Rocket City Trash Pandas after
Trash Pandas Unveil Two New Alternate Identities: The Bama Butts and Alabama White Sauce
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Homestand Highlights: May 27 - June 1 vs. Biloxi Shuckers
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas return to Toyota Field for their fourth homestand of the 2025 season, welcoming the Milwaukee Brewers affiliate Biloxi Shuckers, May 28 – June 1. The homestand features a promotional lineup that includes the following highlights: Wednesday, May 28 | First Pitch: 6:35
Toyota Field welcomes summer with a variety of events for fans of all ages
MADISON, Ala. – Toyota Field is thrilled to welcome summer with a variety of events for fans of all ages. Kicking off today at 4:00 pm, the Trash Pandas will host The Big Ol' Ballpark Fair and Yoga in the Outfield. Other upcoming events include the rescheduled Rocket City Spring
Pandas use six-run sixth to earn late-night win on Saturday in Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (14-28) endured a 69-minute rain delay on Saturday night in Chattanooga and then utilized a six-run sixth inning to secure an 8-5 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts (21-22). The Trash Pandas recorded 11 hits and worked nine walks in a game that
Lookouts' gaffe, Guzman's blast lifts Rocket City to 7-5 win
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (13-27) secured a 7-5 victory against the Chattanooga Lookouts (20-21) on Thursday night at AT&T Field, snapping their four-game losing streak. The win featured home runs from Josh Crouch and Denzer Guzman, along with five unearned runs scored in the sixth inning.
Big Ol' Ballpark Fair returns to Toyota Field, May 15-25
MADISON, Alabama – The Rocket City Trash Pandas have partnered with Kissel Entertainment for the sixth annual Big Ol’ Ballpark Fair in the Toyota Field parking lot from Thursday, May 15, through Sunday, May 25. The Fair will be closed on Monday, May 19. Similar to previous years, the Big
Rada runs wild on Friday, but Lookouts beat Pandas 4-2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Nelson Rada became the first player in Double-A this season to steal 20 bases on Friday night, but the Rocket City Trash Pandas (13-28) lost to the Chattanooga Lookouts (21-21) by a score of 4-2 at AT&T Field. Rada finished the game 1-for-3 with an RBI, a
Lookouts blank Trash Pandas 3-0 on Wednesday
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On Wednesday, the Rocket City Trash Pandas (12-27) were shut out for the second time this season, losing 3-0 to the Chattanooga Lookouts (20-20) at AT&T Field. This defeat marks the Trash Pandas' fourth consecutive loss, with the Lookouts winning the series' first two games. Wednesday's game