2025 Rocket City Trash Pandas Season Summary
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

2025 Rocket City Trash Pandas Season Summary

Published on November 4, 2025 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


TRASH PANDAS OVERALL: The Rocket City Trash Pandas, managed by Andy Schatzley concluded their fifth season with a 45-92 record, finishing fourth in the Southern League's North Division, 35.5 games behind the champion Birmingham Barons. Rocket City went 24-45 at Toyota Field and 21-47 on the road, being outscored 637-445 for a -192 run differential.

In the first half, the Trash Pandas posted a 24-44 record, placing fourth, 15 games back of the Chattanooga Lookouts. The team went 13-26 at home and 11-19 on the road, ending the half on a nine-game losing streak, in- cluding a seven-game sweep by Chattanooga, a new club record. Rocket City scored 219 runs while allowing 310.

The second half saw the team finish 21-48, again fourth in the division and 22 games behind Birmingham. The Trash Pandas went 11-19 at home and 10-29 on the road, scoring 226 runs while surrendering 327.

PACKING OUT TOYOTA FIELD: Since the opening of Toyota Field in 2021, the Trash Pandas have outperformed every other Southern League team in fan attendance, welcoming a remarkable 1,511,011 fans--an impressive average of 6,559 per game.

The April 4 crowd of 6,597 led the Southern League in attendance on Opening Night, with Birmingham coming the closest at 5,346. Through the first two months of 2025, and despite two brand new ballparks, Rocket City led the league by averaging 4,432 fans per game. According to wunderground.com, rain was recorded on 22 out of 37 home game days. Despite these challenges, Rocket City led the league in attendance by averaging 4,366 fans per game. The Trash Pandas led the Southern League in attendance over the Independence Day stretch, drawing a league-best 7,157 fans to Toyota Field on July 3. The next closest was Chattanooga, which welcomed 6,311 fans on July 4.

CLOSE CALLS: Of Rocket City's first 60 games, 31 were decided by two runs or fewer, with the Trash Pandas posting a 17-14 record in those contests. They went 9-10 in one-run games, including 7-4 at Toyota Field, and 8-4 in two-run games, with a 3-1 mark at home. When scoring four or more runs, Rocket City had a 17-9 record.

Through the first 84 games of the season, 51% of their contests were decided by two runs or less, including 26 one-run games (11-15) and 17 two-run games (9-8).

SEASON SUPERLATIVES: The Trash Pandas had three Southern League Players of the Week -- Denzer Guzman

(June 30-July 6), Sam Brown (July 7-13), and Walbert Ureña (Sept. 8-14). OF Nelson Rada ranked among league leaders, finishing 4th in OBP (.380), 6th in stolen bases (34), and 7th in batting average (.277). LHP Mitch Farris, who was promoted to the Angels on September 1, led the league with 142 strikeouts and ranked top 10 in ERA (4.27) among qualified starters.

AT THE PLATE: Offensively, the Pandas struggled at the plate, finishing with a .203 team batting average, last in all of Minor League Baseball and nine points behind the 119th-place clubs. Despite that, Rocket City hit 94 home runs, ranking third in the Southern League and 18th in Double-A.

ON THE MOUND: On the mound, Rocket City posted a 4.26 ERA, ranking eighth in the Southern League and 24th in Double-A. The staff recorded 1,184 strikeouts, third in the Southern League and 13th in Double-A, but issued 578 walks, the most in the Southern League and 29th of 30 teams in Double-A.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: The Trash Pandas ended the season 21-57 over their last 78 games. Their 92 losses were the most in Minor League Baseball this season, with Corpus Christi (AA-HOU) next at 89. Since 2022, only five MiLB teams--and just one at the Double-A level--have reached 90 losses: Albuquerque (92 in 2024), Charlotte (92 in 2022, 96 in 2023), and Chattanooga (90 in 2024). The only other in the Southern League teams to lose 91 games in a single season was Birmingham (49-91 in '16), and Carolina (52-92 in '92).

The Trash Pandas also endured a Southern League-record 16-game losing streak from June 14 to July 2, the longest of the Minor League Baseball this season. The streak surpassed the previous Southern League mark of 15 straight losses set by the 1971 Columbus (GA) Astros during the interloTcking the "Dixie Association" schedule with the Texas League.

MONTHLY BREAKDOWN July:

Record: 11-13.

Batting average: .218 (7th in SL).

ERA: 4.23 (7th in SL).

August: Record: 8-19 (matched 2024 mark).

Batting average: .192 (last in SL).

ERA: 3.86 (5th in SL).

September:

Record: 2-10, tied for fewest September wins in franchise history.

Batting average: .179 (last in SL).

ERA: 4.71 (7th in SL).

April:

Record: 6-16 (.250) - lowest April win total in team history.

Batting average: .201 (last in SL).

ERA: 4.58 (last in SL).

Second-lowest monthly winning percentage in team history (behind .133 in Sept. 2023).

May:

Record: 12-14.

Batting average: .212 (7th in SL).

ERA: 3.63 (7th in SL).

June: Record: 6-20 - tied for fewest wins in any month in team history.

Batting average: .204 (T-7th in SL).

ERA: 4.82 (last in SL).

FIRST SERIES WIN: The Trash Pandas earned their first series win of the 2025 season by taking three straight games to close out the May 4 doubleheader in Knoxville. The 3-2, rain-shortened series victory from April 29- May 4 marked not only the team's first series win of the year but also their first series win since June 25-30, 2024, at Chattanooga, when they won four of six games.

SPORTS CENTER? MORE LIKE PANDA CENTER: The Trash Pandas grabbed national attention in 2025 with four highlights on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 and one on the "Not Top 10," putting Rocket City in front of millions of viewers.

Joe Redfield's leaping catch over the berm railing at Toyota Field landed at No. 6 on May 15, while in- tern Cason Clarke's tarp slip and barrel roll five days later earned a Not Top 10 nod. The team closed the season with three more Top 10 plays in the second-to-last week: Mac McCroskey's sliding stop at No. 8 on August 31, and Ben Gobbel earning back-to-back spots with a barehanded play (No. 9, Sept. 2) and diving snag (No. 7, Sept.

5). In total, Rocket City delivered four Top 10 moments--and one unforgettable blooper--that reached ESPN's massive national audience.

BUILDING THE BRAND: From January through August 2025, the Trash Pandas generated 41.3 million social media impressions--an average of 5.2 million per month--ranking second among all Double-A clubs and ninth across Minor League Baseball. The team's combined audience on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and X grew by 10% this year to 356,000 followers. Since debuting in 2021, the Trash Pandas have surpassed 200 million total impressions, establishing themselves as one of the most consistently engaging brands in MiLB. In addition, The Trash Pandas hit the West Coast in 2025 with four games (July 31 vs. Birmingham, August 14 vs. Knoxville, August 28 vs. Columbus, and September 10 vs. Chattanooga) televised and streamed live on FanDuel Sports Network West during the second half of the 2025 season.

WALK-OFF MAGIC: The Trash Pandas delivered plenty of late-inning drama in 2025, recording three walk-off victories at Toyota Field. The first came on April 5, when Denzer Guzman capped a six-run comeback with a three-run walk-off homer in the ninth to beat Chattanooga 8-6 -- his second career walk-off with Rocket City, following a grand slam in May 2024.

Cole Fontenelle added the second on June 11 with a walk-off single in the 10th against Pensacola, and Oscar Colás provided the third on August 27, ripping a three-run walk-off triple to stun Columbus 6-5 after the Trash Pandas rallied from three runs down in the ninth. Overall, the club notched its 24th walk-off win in Toyota Field history, adding to a tradition of dramatic finishes that included six walk-offs in 2024.

BRUNCH BASEBALL: The Trash Pandas finished the 2025 season 2-3 in midweek school day games and are now 2-11 over their last 13 such contests. They snapped a 10-game losing streak in midweek day games with a 5-1 win over Birmingham on April 23 at Toyota Field. Their previous midweek day victory came on May 18, 2022, at Birmingham.

WEATHER WOES: The 2025 season was marked by persistent weather challenges at Toyota Field, as rain impacted 14 home games, resulting in five postponements and more than nine hours of total delays. According to Wunderground.com, rain was recorded on 22 of the first 37 scheduled home dates. During the June 10-22 homestand alone, the Trash Pandas endured 6 hours and 20 minutes of stoppages, while from June 12-29, weather delays totaled 9 hours and 20 minutes, making it one of the most weather-disrupted stretches in franchise history.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE: David Mershon was selected to represent the Angels in the Arizona Fall League, suiting up for the Salt River Rafters. He'll be joined by fellow Angels prospects RHP Ryan Costeiu, RHP Brandon Dufault, LHP Will Gervase, RHP Fulton Lockhart, RHP Najer Victor, C Juan Flores, and OF Raudi Rodriguez. The 2025 AFL season runs from Oct. 6 through Nov. 15, concluding with the Championship Game at Salt River Fields.

THE ROSTER AND HISTORIC MOVEMENT: The Trash Pandas made a club record 128 roster moves during the 2025 season, reflecting a busy and ever-changing lineup. The moves were distributed throughout the year with eight in April, 13 in May, 28 in June--including 11 on June 17--plus 17 in July, 24 from August 1-6 (16 on August 2), six on June 2-3, and 16 in September. These frequent changes shaped the team's roster and contributed to the dynamic nature of the season. 57 players took the field for the Trash Pandas in 2025, which included 32 pitchers and 25 position players.

THE SHUFFLE: In May, the team added veteran pitchers Jordan Holloway, Sean Poppen, and José Quijada, while several positional moves included Christian Moore being promoted to Triple-A, Cole Fontenelle transferring to the ACL Angels, and Mitch Daly joining Rocket City. Injuries and devel- opment assignments also impacted the roster. June saw recalls, releases, and transfers involving players such as Sam Aldegheri, Oscar Colás, Jared Southard, Korey Holland, and AJ Block. August brought the promotions of Brady Choban, Denzer Guzman, and Nelson Rada, while injuries, releases, and new arrivals from Triple-A and High-A continued to shuffle the roster. In September, the roster saw additional additions, including Mitch Daly, Chris Clark, Carlos Espinosa, and Keythel Key, keeping Rocket City's lineup constantly in flux throughout the season.

BRIEF STEADYING OF THE SHIP: From May 26 to June 13, the Trash Pandas went 10-6 and posted a 2.59 ERA, ranking second in the Southern League, third in Double-A, and tied for sixth among all full-season Minor League teams. After 10 roster moves significantly impacted the roster on June 17, the Pandas did not win another game until July 3.

YOUNG GUNS: Rocket City featured three of the nine youngest players in the Southern League.

Nelson Rada (8/24/05) was the youngest player in the league for the second consecutive year.

Denzer Guzman (2/8/04) was the eighth-youngest, and Walbert Urena (1/25/04) was the ninth-youngest, just 14 days older than Guzman, showcasing a promising core of young talent on the roster.

IT JUST MEANS MORE: The 2025 Opening Day roster featured seven players with SEC roots, beginning with Hoover native and Auburn standout Sonny DiChiara. Other SEC alumni included Ryan Costeiu (Arkansas), Houston Harding (Mississippi State), Luke Murphy (Vanderbilt), Jared Southard (Texas), Evan White (Kentucky), and Christian Moore (Tennessee).

PROSPECTS WITH A HALO: The Opening Day roster featured five of the Angels' top 10 prospects and 11 of the top 25. In the top 10 were OF Christian Moore (1), RHP George Klassen (3), LHP Sam Aldegheri (5), OF Nelson Rada (6), and INF Denzer Guzman (9). The other members of the roster included in the Top-30 include LHP Samy Natera Jr. (16), RHP Walbert Ureña (17), RHP Joel Hurtado (19), RHP Camden Minacci (20), INF Cole Fontenelle (23), and RHP Ryan Costeiu (24).

PAST MLB EXPERIENCE: The 2025 Trash Pandas roster featured seven players with Major League expe- rience, combining for 231 MLB appearances.

Sam Aldegheri debuted with the Angels in 2024, Kelvin Cáceres also pitched for the Angels in 2023, appearing in two games. J esús Cruz logged eight outings between the Cardinals and Braves since his 2020 debut.

Jordan Holloway appeared in 15 games (four starts) for the Marlins from 2020-23 with a 3.29 ERA.

Sean Poppen pitched in 63 games for four MLB teams since 2019.

José Quijada owned 140 career appearances and eight saves with the Marlins and Angels. The lone position player, Travis Blankenhorn, debuted with the Twins in 2020, appearing in 100 games between the Twins, Yankees, and Nationals.

HOMECOMING FOR MITCH: On May 20, Mitch Daly was added to the Trash Pandas roster, becoming the first player in team history to hail from the Madison area. A 2019 graduate of Bob Jones High School, Daly was a four-year starter at shortstop under head coach Jared Smith, earning All-State and All-Region hon- ors in 2018 and 2019. As a junior, he hit .321 with 18 doubles, eight home runs, and 52 runs scored, ranking as Alabama's top shortstop by Perfect Game. The son of a U.S. Army four-star general, Daly grew up in a military family, moving eight times before settling in Madison. He was born in Fort Hood, Texas, and comes from an accomplished family -- his mother, Cathy, played volleyball at Army West Point; his sister, Nicole, is a Yale graduate; and his brother, Connor, graduated from Auburn University.

DRESSED TO IMPRESS: The Trash Pandas wore 17 different uniform combinations, led by the Halo Blue top (52 games), followed by the gray jersey (25), white jersey (22), military camo (11), throwback pinstripe (10), Lunáti- cos de Rocket City (3), and Rickwood Classic Huntsville Stars jerseys (2). From May 28 to June 4, the Pandas completed an eight-game stretch in which they wore a different jersey for each game. Highlights included the home white jersey, military camo, throwback pinstripe, Oat Milkers, Harry Potter-themed, Lunáticos de Rocket City, Halo Blue, and the Huntsville Stars Negro Minor League jerseys for the Rickwood Classic.

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Southern League Stories from November 4, 2025


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