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After two consecutive seasons that ended in the postseason, with the team winning a title in 2018 and falling in the National League Championship Series in 2019, the St. Louis River Walkers finally learned what it was like to not play meaningful games in October with a third-place finish in the National League South Division in 2020.
Their 93-69 record still ranked as fifth-best in the Midwest Baseball League, but it still landed them four-games behind NL South champion Des Moines in the standings. Cedar Rapids took the second spot at 94-68. The Harvesters did go on to claim the league championship.
The reason for the drop-off, a lot of little things. Although, the offense ranked among the NL’s best, it was probably not quite as strong as the previous two seasons.
The starting pitching took a step back as 2018 ace Jake de Grom never did take the mound due to injuries, while others – primarily Kyle Hendricks and Trevor Bauer – had trouble with the long ball.
If there was one major area of concern, it was the bullpen. No pitcher ever clearly settled into the closer’s role and their outings were inconsistent almost the entire season. Some of that may have been due to the fact many of the pitchers were in their first full season in the majors. It also may be because, those same pitchers were not as good as expected. The addition of Tommy Kahnle as the closer, hopefully, will help to bring some stability to the bullpen.
The starting eight will remain the same, as is the starting rotation as it stood at the end of the season. The bullpen added Kahnle and a couple of other new names, with maybe more to come as some top free agent relievers have yet to sign.
Led by defending MBL champion Des Moines, the division figures to be tough with a figure of close to 100 wins probably being needed to win it.
Departures
SP: Jacob de Grom – Age 32, B-L, T-R.
Reason for departure: Did not pitch in 2020 after suffering a torn rotator cuff during the 2019 season. He won the Cy Young while pitching for the 2018 championship team, going 14-5 with a 3.05 ERA, but it will still be a few months before he is ready to pitch again. Scouts rate him as being a shell of his former self.
Landing spot: Signing a one-year contract with Cincinnati for $1,280,000.
SP: Trevor Bauer – Age 30, B-R, T-R.
Reason for departure: Hit free agency and was wanting a major deal. With ace Aaron Nola hitting free agency after 2021, the team could not afford both so went with the younger, seemingly better pitcher. Bauer was outstanding in his three seasons with the Walkers going a combined 37-25. His 14-10 with a 4.16 ERA in 2020, however, was easily the worst of the three.
Landing spot: Signed a seven-year deal with Cedar Rapids worth $21.2M per season.
RP: Daniel Hudson – Age 34, B-R, T-R
Reason for departure: Signed as a free agent to a one-year deal before the 2020 season, Hudson had a solid season for the Walkers going 3-2 in 59 games with a 3.06 ERA. His 15 saves led the team.
Landing spot: Signed a two-year deal with Cedar Rapids worth $3.8M per season.
RP: Chaz Roe – Age 34, B-R, T-R
Reason for departure: The veteran right-hander pitched well after missing much of the early portion of the season with a torn meniscus. He got into 31 games, posting a record of 1-3 with a 3.77 ERA. Surprisingly, he thrived against left-handed hitters but struggled against those hitting from the right side.
Landing spot: Signed a one-year deal with Cincinnati worth $1.66M.
C: Manny Pina – Age 33, B-R, T-R
Reason for departure: Gave the River Walkers three strong seasons as the backup catcher to Tucker Barnhart, but wanted a contract more along the lines of a starter. In 2020, he played in 52 games, hitting .284 with six home runs and 21 RBIs.
Landing spot: Signed a one-year deal with Ann Arbor worth $750,000.
RP: Keone Kela – Age 27, B-R, T-R
Reason for departure: Going into the final weeks of the 2019 season, Kela ranked among the best closer’s in the National League. That was before he suffered a torn labrum in his throwing arm. He has not been the same since, in terms of further injuries and ineffectiveness. Kela got into 34 games with the Walkers in 2020, going 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
Landing spot: Remains a free agent.


Newcomers
CL: Tommy Kahnle – Age 31, B-R, T-R
Acquired: Signed as a free agent to a three-year deal worth $7.5M.
What he brings: He’ll be slotted in as the closer from day one. In 2020, he didn’t fill that role for a deep Cedar Rapids bullpen but has two 23-plus save campaigns to his credit. He got into 77 games for the Golden Grapplers, going 3-3 with a 3.70 ERA and five saves.
C: J.T. Realmuto – Age 30, B-R, T-R
Acquired: Signed as a free agent to a one-year deal worth $1M.
What he brings: Like Barnhart, is a top defensive catcher who carries a solid bat. A year ago, when he was not a happy camper with the Chicago G-Men, he batted .234 with six homers and 27 RBIs in 99 games.
RP: Omar Garcia – Age 26, B-R, T-R
Acquired: Signed to a one-year contract worth $545,000.
What he brings: A hard-throwing Cuban signed out of the Australian Baseball League. Garcia brings raw skills that could translate into the back of the bullpen reliever. He went 1-3 with two saves in nine games for Adelaide, posting an ERA of 9.64.

Starting pitchers
SP1: Aaron Nola – Age 27, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 33 G, 16-9, 3.28 ERA
What’s expected: Over the past three seasons, Nola has ranked among the best pitcher’s in the MBL going 43-20. A big reason the Walkers rewarded him with a four-year deal worth $25.84M per campaign. A big-game pitcher who has avoided injury, he’ll once again be asked to lead the pitching staff.
SP2: Yu Darvish – Age 34, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 30 G, 6-10, 3.40 ERA (St. Louis and Dayton); 10 G, 4-3, 3.09 ERA (St. Louis)
What’s expected: Acquired in a trade with Dayton on July 27, Darvish pitched fairly well down the stretch for the Walkers. He’ll be asked to provide plenty of quality innings as the team’s No. 2 starting pitcher.
SP3: Danny Duffy – Age 32, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 21 G, 7-7, 4.85 ERA
What’s expected: Duffy struggled through much of the first half of the season before being sidelined in mid-July with a strained abdominal muscle. He returned in early September and turned in some of his best starts of the season down the stretch.
SP4: Kyle Hendricks – Age 31, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 32 G, 11-10, 3.97 ERA
What’s expected: A solid inning’s eater (186.0 IP) who probably performed better than what his record shows. Finished as the league leader in BABIP at .255. Home runs allowed (32) is a concern.
SP5: Luiz Gohara – Age 24, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 31 G, 14-6, 3.59 ERA
What’s expected: Gohara got better and better as the season progressed and by September, probably was the team’s best starter behind Nola. Has some work ethic issues, but if he continues to improve should be a top three rotation guy by season’s end.
Relief pitchers
RHP: Reyes Moronta – Age 28, B-R, T-R
2020 season, 70 G, 59.1 IP, 3-4, 2.88 ERA, 6 Svs.
What’s expected: Moronta was quite impressive in his first full season in the majors. There were few relievers better against right-handed hitters. Improvement against left-handed hitters could make him one of the elite.
LHP: Grant Dayton – Age 33, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 66 G, 55.0 IP, 5-4, 2.62 ERA, 4 Svs.
What’s expected: Dominated against left-handed hitters and for the most part could be trusted against batters who swung from the right side.
RHP: Phil Maton – Age 28, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 70 G, 58.0 IP, 3-2, 4.34 ERA, 1 Sv.
What’s expected: Improvement. The 2020 campaign was Maton’s first real chance in the majors and while at times he shined at others the right-hander could not get anyone out. Needs to perform to his capabilities.
LHP: Bobby Poyner – Age 28, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 68 G, 63.1 IP, 2-4, 4.26 ERA, 7 Svs.
What’s expected: Poyner started the season as probably the team’s most versatile lefty in terms of getting any batter out. But he faded down the stretch. Weather it was fatigue or team’s figuring him out, he needs to get the job done from April to October in 2021.
RHP: John Curtiss – Age 28, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 36 G, 28.0 IP, 2-1, 8.04 ERA, 2 Svs.
What’s expected: Maybe the highest-touted of the team’s young relievers, Curtiss was among the most frustrating as he bounced back and forth between St. Louis and Memphis. He was very good in the majors in 2019, going 3-1 with a save and 2.79 ERA in 34 games, what happened?
LHP: Jake Diekman – Age 34, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 73 G, 53.1 IP, 2-1, 2.36 ERA, 4 Svs.
What’s expected: While he was not nearly the pitcher he was in 2019, when he was selected the top reliever in the NL, Diekman remained one of the toughest hurlers on left-handed hitters in the game. Just don’t let him throw to anyone who bats from the right side.
Catcher
Tucker Barnhart: Age 30, B-S, T-R
2020 season: 123 G, .253 BA, 16 HRs, 67 RBIs
What’s expected: Barnhart ranks among the top defensive catchers in the league, does a great job handling the pitching staff and carries a bat that has to be respected.


Infielders
1B: Rhys Hoskins: Age 28, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 141 G, .286, 40 HRs, 128 RBIs
What’s expected: After a somewhat disappointing 2019 campaign, where he still hit .250 with 30 homers and 88 RBIs, Hoskins exploded in 2020 to rank as the best hitting first baseman in the National League. The team captain, he combined with Andrew Benintendi and Michael Conforto to give the Walkers perhaps the best Nos. 3-4-5 hitters in the game.
2B: Bo Bichette: Age 23, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 61 G, .306, 9 HRs, 42 RBIs
What’s expected: With highly-paid second baseman Jin-Hwan Chung struggling at the plate, the Walkers decided to take a gamble and dealt him to Dayton, where he played great, to acquire Yu Darvish. Finally given his chance, Bichette fulfilled all expectations playing great over the final two months of the season.
SS: Adeiny Hechavarria: Age 31, B-R,T-R
2020 season: 144 G, .275, 4 HRs, 47 RBIs
What’s expected: While he doesn’t receive All-Star accolades or Gold Gloves, those go to Francisco Lindor, Hechavarria just supplies the River Walkers with outstanding defense at a shortstop and a bat that his much more than fodder in the No. 8 spot in the batting order.
3B: Nicky Delmonico: Age 28, B-L, T-R
2020 season: 121 G, .257, 31 HRs, 86 RBIs
What’s expected: He missed some games to injuries, but Delmonico continues to be a pleasant surprise as a power source at third base and an above average defender.
IF: Carlos Arroyo: Age 25, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 65 G, .251, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs
What’s expected: Right now, he’s a utility infielder who can supply plus-defense at second shortstop and third base. If he continues to improve at the plate, the opportunity to be a starter down the road is not out of the question.
Outfielders
LF: Andrew Benintendi: Age 26, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 150 G, .298, 38 HRs, 123 RBIs
What’s expected: His batting average dipped 42 points from his league high average of 2019, but his home runs and RBIs remained right up there as Benintendi remains one of the elite players in the league. He was rewarded with a six-year contract totaling $150M in the offseason.
CF: Ender Inciarte: Age 30, B-L, T-L
2020 season: 132 G, .295, 8 HRs, 49 RBIs
What’s expected: Inciarte remains among the top defensive center fielders in the game and continues to get on-base at a decent clip.
RF: Michael Conforto: Age 28, B-L, T-R
2020 season: 140 G, .256, 26 HRs, 84 RBIs
What’s expected: His power numbers saw a slight decrease from 2019, when he hit 41 homers and drove in 118 runs, while they were still more than respectable. This is his final season before free agency, and the team has a couple of nice outfield prospects in AAA, so his future with the Walkers is a question mark.
OF: Albert Almora: Age: 26, B-R, T-R
2020 season: 80 G, .274, 4 HRs, 20 RBIs
What’s expected: Missed some time to injury but plays above average defense and does a good job getting the bat on the ball.
OF: Andrew Toles: Age: 28, B-L, T-R
2020 season: 60 G, .270, 1 HR, 15 RBIs
What’s expected: Very similar type of player to Almora but hits from the left side. Outstanding defensively, gets the bat on the ball with good speed.

Final notes: On paper, this team looks good. 90-plus wins good. But it just seems like everyone just needs to do a little better than they did a year ago to get back to the postseason. Also, while a poor spring training performance, where the team finished 9-21, should not be a concern. There still is some concern about carry over into the season