Chihuahuas 5, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 1
Key Stats: LHP JP Sears 4 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K; LHP Omar Cruz (W, 5-5) 2 IP, H, 4 BB, 2 K; RHP Sean Reynolds, IP, 2 Ks; 1B Marcos Castañon, 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R; C Luis Campusano, 1-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 3B Ripken Reyes, 2-for 3, R
Marcos Castañon has continued to get big results from his aggressive approach in the PCL. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: JP Sears got the start and worked four innings, allowing one run on two hits. The lefty issued three walks but struck out six. His most effective offering of the night was his four-seam fastball, which he threw 50 times among his 81 pitches. It generated a 26.3% whiff rate and an excellent xwOBA of .181. The shape of the pitch remains rather uninspiring, averaging just 14.5 inches of induced vertical break and 10.6 inches of arm side run while sitting 92 mph. In total, Sears generated just six whiffs, good for only a 19.4% whiff rate. Command was also an issue for Sears, who landed just 41.5% of his pitches in the zone. That allowed Sugar Land hitters to lay off 79% of the pitches outside the zone. … Marcos Castañon put together a 1-for-4 night that featured a single, walk, and two runs scored. Castañon has clearly enjoyed his short time in the PCL, hitting .377 with a 140 wRC+ and 1.033 OPS in 57 plate appearances. It’s not luck either; the 25-year-old’s batted ball data has been excellent. His 91.3 mph average exit velocity and 106.9 mph 90th percentile EV rank in the 91st and 89th percentile among Triple-A batters. … Luis Campusano‘s stellar 2025 season in El Paso rolled along Thursday as he had a two-out bases-clearing double to put the Chihuahuas ahead. When the 2025 season does officially wrap up, the 26-year-old will have produced the best PCL season in two years, with a .335 average, 1.036 OPS, .450 wOBA, and 148 wRC+ that all comfortably lead the league. Yet somehow the batted ball data remains even more impressive than the back-of-the-card stats. His 93.4 mph average exit velocity, 55.6% hard hit rate, 13.2% barrel rate, and 108.2 mph 90th percentile EV are all in the 95th percentile or better among Triple-A hitters. The Padres would have to tender him a contract in his second year of arbitration to keep him in the organization this winter. … Sean Reynolds worked a clean ninth inning with two strikeouts. Reynolds’ slider, as it often is, was his best offering of the night. Sitting at 87.4 mph, it averaged 0.4 inches of induced vertical break and -4.9 inches of horizontal break and got both a 50% whiff rate and 50% chase rate. While thrown in a limited capacity, the right-hander’s fastball looked slightly improved from recent outings, sitting 95-96 mph with 16.8 inches of induced vertical break.
