As the Savannah Sand Gnats celebrate winning the first-half title of the Class A South Atlantic League’s Southern Division, it’s a win-win-win situation.
Friday’s 2-1 win over Greenville locked up a playoff berth for the Gnats, repeating a scenario they accomplished in 2010 and ’11 but not often over many, many previous futile seasons.
No longtime fan of the franchise — whether affiliated as currently with the New York Mets or other organizations before them — will take the current success for granted. Enjoy winning while you can because of the high turnover on player rosters — whether at season’s end or at the all-star break, when current standouts might get promotions and less-tested players fill their spots.
Winning also helps sell the team in this market, just as losing makes it harder to draw fans. The Sand Gnats offer a family-friendly experience from pregame to between innings to postgame to the game itself. It’s a total package made better by better baseball.
Winning games is not the main thrust from the New York Mets’ perspective, player development is. Success ultimately is not measured in the SAL standings but in how many individual players climb the ladder from low Class A to the majors and help New York win. As much as Gnats players enjoy Savannah, they’re trying to move up as quickly as possible — which is rarely quick.
It’s called a farm system for a reason.
Winning games has a place in the big picture. Players that know how to win and perform in clutch situations are integral parts of any team, and they can show those abilities right here, right now.
“(Winning) is big because it’s part of our development to win and learn to be in a playoff race and overcome (adversity) and get used to this pressure,” Savannah outfielder Brandon Nimmo said.
He was interviewed Tuesday night just after teammates mobbed him in celebration of his game-winning, bases-loaded, 12-pitch walk-off walk to lift the Sand Gnats over Asheville 1-0 in 11 innings.
See, it’s not only about hitting for power or average or improving discipline at the plate — though all are important for players such as Nimmo, one of the organization’s top prospects.
It’s also about finding ways to consistently win, which was true on every team Nimmo’s ever suited up for. You know, the thrill of victory, as he and his teammates were feeling that night.
“It’s part of this development just as much,” Nimmo said. “It is a learning experience, but hey, we want to win, too. We’re all competitors here.”
An examination of how the Sand Gnats have been so competitive this season — they sported the league’s best record at 41-26 through Friday — begins, as usual, with pitching.
Under the guidance of second-year pitching coach Frank Viola, the staff is tops in the SAL. Through Thursday, the Gnats collectively had the best earned-run average (3.00), most wins (40), fewest runs allowed (220), fewest earned runs allowed (194), fewest walks (102) and third-most strikeouts (570) behind Charleston (615) and Augusta (571).
Go back and read that part again about bases on balls. Savannah has 102 walks — 100 fewer than the next-best squad, Charleston. Look at the individual performances. Matt Koch is 5-2 with a 4.56 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings, which is solid, but what’s really incredible is his one walk conceded. Yes, one walk.
Another starter, Rainy Lara, was 4-2 with a 1.42 ERA and six walks with 51 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings before he was promoted to high Class A St. Lucie.
Starter Gabriel Ynoa was selected to the SAL All-Star Game next week, and he’s earned it with seven wins (tied for best in the league), a 2.97 ERA (14th), 69 2/3 innings pitched (third) and nine walks with 57 strikeouts.
Bret Mitchell (10 saves, fifth best) is another All-Star and shares closer duties with Beck Wheeler (six saves, tied for 10th). Luis Cessa is a strong starter at 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA (17th), nine walks and 56 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.
Recent Gnats squads also have been among the league’s best staffs. The 2013 team also can hit, ranking fourth in the SAL in batting average (.256) and hits (560), sixth in runs (307) and, tellingly, first in walks (261) and third in fewest strikeouts (468) .
The brightest lights at the plate are three All-Stars: catcher Kevin Plawecki, first baseman Jayce Boyd and Nimmo.
Boyd leads the league in hitting (.346), with Plawecki tied for eighth (.322) and Nimmo 13th (.300). Plawecki leads in doubles (23), Boyd is tied for 14th (16). Plawecki is in the top 10 in RBI (42, 10th), total bases (118, tied for ninth) and slugging percentage (.506, ninth). Boyd is ninth in RBI (43) and 12th in total bases (113). All are more impressive because half of their games are in cavernous Grayson Stadium.
Enjoy them while they’re here, Savannah, as they celebrate a title.
Nathan Dominitz is a sports reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at 912-652-0350 or nathan.dominitz@savannahnow.com.