2024 Trinidad Triggers Season Recap - A 36-Win Summer Sends Trinidad Back to the Playoffs

The 2024 Trinidad Triggers continued the franchise's resurgence at Central Park, building upon the winning season they had produced one year earlier and developing into one of the strongest clubs in the Mountain Division. Trinidad finished the regular season with a 36-17 record, improving upon its 32-win performance in 2023 and giving the franchise consecutive winning seasons. The Triggers combined the high-powered offensive style that had traditionally defined baseball in Trinidad with a deeper and more dependable pitching staff, allowing them to win games in several different ways. The season ultimately ended on the road against the Garden City Wind in the playoffs, but the postseason disappointment did little to erase a summer in which Trinidad had once again established itself as a serious Pecos League contender.

A Difficult Beginning Gives Way to a Winning Team

The season did not begin like one that would eventually produce 36 victories. Trinidad opened the year on the road and lost its first three completed games by scores of 13-3, 10-9 and 11-2. Instead of allowing the difficult opening trip to define the season, the Triggers responded immediately when they returned to Central Park. Trinidad won its first four June games by scores of 15-13, 10-8, 14-3 and 11-3, quickly moving above .500 and showing the offensive potential that would become one of the defining characteristics of the team. The early turnaround also demonstrated an important quality of the 2024 club. Trinidad could recover from difficult stretches without allowing a few losses to become extended slumps.

The Triggers remained somewhat inconsistent through portions of June, alternating impressive victories with several difficult losses, but the foundation of a strong team was already becoming visible. Trinidad had the ability to overwhelm opponents offensively, but it was also beginning to win lower-scoring games in which the pitching staff carried a larger share of the responsibility. Victories such as 5-1, 6-2 and 7-6 showed that the Triggers were developing into something more complete than a team that simply expected to outscore opponents every night. By the final week of June, Trinidad was playing some of its best baseball, winning games by scores of 6-2, 16-4, 14-3, 23-13 and 7-6 before closing the month with a 12-8 victory.

A Deep Trinidad Lineup

Offense remained the centerpiece of Trinidad baseball in 2024, and the Triggers once again assembled a lineup with threats throughout the batting order. Jakobe Smith was one of the club's most dynamic players, appearing in 44 games and producing 62 hits while scoring 68 runs. Smith combined his ability to reach base with power and speed, making him dangerous whether he was driving the baseball or creating pressure once he reached base. Jacob Mitchell became another major part of the offense, while Humberto Maldonado, Peter Bocchino and Jordan Anderson gave Trinidad an experienced core capable of producing runs throughout the summer. Maldonado appeared in 48 games and collected 59 hits, while Bocchino continued the strong offensive production he had provided Trinidad in previous seasons, recording 65 hits in 40 games.

The depth extended beyond the primary middle-of-the-order hitters. Leyton Barry provided significant production during his time with the club, Chris Lopez supplied additional power, and Omar Ortiz and Marcos Cabrera produced major offensive contributions during shorter stretches of the season. Dustin Chartrand added speed to the lineup, while players such as Luis Amador, Andrew Mason and Peter Pena gave Trinidad additional depth. The result was a batting order that rarely offered opposing pitchers an easy inning. Trinidad could hit for power, take extra bases and manufacture runs, but the greatest pressure came from the fact that damage could come from almost anywhere in the lineup.

July Turns Trinidad Into One of the League's Hottest Teams

The defining stretch of the regular season came during July. Trinidad opened the month with victories of 7-5 and 14-3 before the offense erupted for 21 runs, 25 runs and 18 runs in three consecutive games. The Triggers followed those performances with victories of 4-2, 8-6 and 13-11, demonstrating the balance that had become an important part of the team's identity. Some nights Trinidad overwhelmed opponents with offense, while on other nights the Triggers were capable of playing close games and protecting smaller leads. The ability to win both types of games helped separate the 2024 team from several earlier Trinidad clubs whose success was much more dependent upon constant offensive production.

Even when the long July winning stretch finally ended, Trinidad continued to respond quickly to losses. The Triggers won 9-8 after a 12-5 defeat and later bounced back from an 11-5 loss with a 17-8 victory. Trinidad then produced another outstanding stretch that included wins of 18-3, 6-1, 21-5 and 8-7. After a narrow 15-14 road loss, the Triggers again responded by winning 17-5, 7-6 and 21-4. By that point, Trinidad was no longer simply having a good season. The Triggers had become one of the most dangerous teams in the Pecos League and were positioning themselves for postseason baseball.

The 35-Run Game

The most spectacular offensive performance of the season came on July 25 when Trinidad defeated the Santa Fe Fuego 35-5. The 35-run performance continued a remarkable tradition of offensive explosions by the Triggers and followed a 2023 season in which Trinidad had also produced several extraordinary run totals. The victory was impressive on its own, but what happened afterward demonstrated the greater significance of the 2024 team. Trinidad followed the 35-run outburst with a 10-0 victory and then an 8-2 win. The Triggers had gone from scoring 35 runs to winning consecutive games in which their pitching allowed a combined two runs, perfectly illustrating the improved balance that had developed during the season.

A Stronger Pitching Staff Changes the Equation

The pitching staff was one of the biggest reasons Trinidad was able to improve upon its 2023 record. Ben Kowalski became one of the most dependable members of the rotation, finishing 5-2 with a 3.73 ERA in nine starts while working 50.2 innings. Jeremiah Williams provided even more innings, going 4-3 with a 3.76 ERA over 57.1 innings in eight starts. Their ability to consistently give Trinidad competitive starts meant the offense did not have to produce extraordinary numbers every night.

Josh Mendez and Rafael Castaneda gave the Triggers additional options in the rotation. Mendez finished 5-2, while Castaneda went 5-0, providing Trinidad with another pitcher who regularly put the club in position to win. Cutter Smith also supplied important innings during the season. The bullpen featured Angel Garza, who emerged as one of Trinidad's most effective late-inning pitchers, along with Colin Kelly, Paul Mendoza and several other arms. Jacob Mitchell also contributed on the mound in addition to his work as one of the team's leading position players. The staff was not perfect and there were still high-scoring games throughout the schedule, but Trinidad entered far fewer games with the expectation that it needed to score 15 or 20 runs simply to have a chance to win.

Finishing the Regular Season at 36-17

Trinidad remained strong through the final days of July. After consecutive victories of 10-0 and 8-2, the Triggers suffered a difficult 14-13 loss but responded with a 6-4 victory on July 29 and a 5-3 win on July 30. Those final victories completed a 36-17 regular season, representing another significant step forward for a franchise that had gone through several uneven seasons earlier in the decade. The 2023 Triggers had restored winning baseball to Central Park with 32 victories, but the 2024 club raised expectations by winning four more games while losing five fewer. The improvement was not based solely on another explosive offense. Trinidad had become deeper, more balanced and more capable of surviving nights when the bats were not producing at their usual level.

The Playoffs Lead to Garden City

The postseason sent Trinidad on the road to face the Garden City Wind. The opening game on August 1 did not go the way the Triggers hoped, as Garden City defeated Trinidad 11-5. That loss placed the Triggers in an immediate elimination situation and required them to win the following night to keep the season alive. Trinidad fought much closer in the second game, but Garden City again prevailed, this time 9-7, ending the Triggers' season with consecutive postseason defeats. The playoff exit was disappointing for a team that had spent much of July playing championship-caliber baseball, but it could not erase the progress Trinidad had made during the previous two months.

Aliemon Cruz Earns an Opportunity with the Detroit Tigers

The 2024 season also produced one of the most significant individual advancement stories in recent Trinidad Triggers history when Aliemon Cruz signed with the Detroit Tigers organization at the end of the season. Cruz's signing represented exactly the type of opportunity players come to independent baseball hoping to earn, and it gave Trinidad another example of a player using the Pecos League as a pathway into affiliated professional baseball. His development did not stop with the signing, as Cruz has continued progressing well through the Detroit Tigers' minor league system. For the Triggers organization, his advancement became another important success story from a season that had already been defined by winning baseball, postseason competition and player development.

Central Park Renovations Transform the Triggers' Home

The 2024 season represented an important year for the Trinidad Triggers away from the standings as well. The City of Trinidad completed major renovations to Central Park that significantly improved the facility for the Triggers, visiting teams and fans. The improvements included a new FieldTurf infield, a turf pitching mound and chairback seating, giving the historic home of the Triggers one of its most significant upgrades since the franchise began playing there.

The FieldTurf infield immediately changed the day-to-day operation of professional baseball at Central Park. Maintaining a natural infield throughout a Pecos League season requires considerable time, labor and water, particularly with teams playing games almost every day during the summer. The new turf substantially reduced the amount of maintenance necessary to prepare the field and allowed the Triggers to spend less time dealing with field conditions and more time preparing for baseball.

Perhaps the greatest benefit came when the summer weather arrived.

Rain had always presented challenges at Central Park. Afternoon and evening storms could leave the natural infield requiring extensive work before a game could begin, and significant rainfall could result in postponements or cancellations. The FieldTurf infield and turf mound dramatically changed that situation. Water could clear from the playing surface much more quickly, field preparation following storms was reduced and the Triggers experienced almost no rainouts during the 2024 season.

That reliability was particularly important in the Pecos League, where the compressed summer schedule leaves very little room for postponed games. Teams travel long distances between cities, and finding an open date to make up a rainout can be extremely difficult. Having a playing surface capable of recovering quickly from summer storms allowed Trinidad to keep games on schedule that might have been lost or postponed in previous seasons.

The turf pitching mound provided pitchers with a more consistent surface throughout the summer, eliminating many of the maintenance issues associated with rebuilding and repairing a traditional dirt mound after games. The addition of chairback seating also represented a noticeable improvement for fans, making Central Park more comfortable while preserving the intimate atmosphere that has always made the ballpark unique.

The renovations represented an important investment by the City of Trinidad in Central Park and in the future of baseball at the facility. More than a decade after the Triggers first began playing professional baseball there, the City continued improving the team's longtime home while making the facility easier to maintain and more dependable throughout the summer.

The timing could not have been better. As Central Park was being improved physically, the baseball being played inside it was improving as well. The Triggers finished 36-17, returned to the playoffs and gave Trinidad fans one of the franchise's strongest seasons in years. The combination of a renovated ballpark and a winning team made 2024 an important year in the continuing history of professional baseball at Central Park.

Aliemon Cruz Earns an Opportunity with the Detroit Tigers

The 2024 season also produced one of the most significant individual advancement stories in recent Trinidad Triggers history when Aliemon Cruz signed with the Detroit Tigers organization at the end of the season. Cruz's signing represented exactly the type of opportunity players come to independent baseball hoping to earn, and it gave Trinidad another example of a player using the Pecos League as a pathway into affiliated professional baseball. His development did not stop with the signing, as Cruz has continued progressing well through the Detroit Tigers' minor league system. For the Triggers organization, his advancement became another important success story from a season that had already been defined by winning baseball, postseason competition, improvements to Central Park and player development.

Back-to-Back Winning Seasons at Central Park

When viewed alongside the previous year, the 2024 season represented clear evidence that the Triggers had reestablished themselves as one of the stronger franchises in the Mountain Division. Trinidad had finished 32-22 in 2023 and followed that performance with a 36-17 regular season in 2024. The offense remained capable of producing the enormous run totals historically associated with Central Park, but the pitching staff gave the team another dimension. Kowalski, Williams, Mendez, Castaneda and Cutter Smith provided legitimate starting options, while the bullpen gave Trinidad enough depth to protect leads and survive stretches when the schedule became demanding.

Central Park itself had also changed. The FieldTurf infield, turf mound and chairback seating provided the Triggers with an improved home while substantially reducing maintenance and weather-related problems. Almost no rainouts meant fans could have greater confidence that when a Triggers game was scheduled at Central Park, baseball would be played. For the organization, that reliability made operating a professional baseball schedule considerably easier.

Central Park remained one of the most entertaining environments in the Pecos League throughout the summer. Trinidad fans saw another lineup loaded with power, speed and run production, but they also saw a team increasingly capable of winning games in different ways. The same club that could score 35 runs could also win 4-2, 5-1, 6-1 or 10-0. That ability made the 2024 Triggers more complete and helped explain why they were able to remain among the league's strongest teams through the end of July.

A Season That Raised Expectations

The 2024 Trinidad Triggers did not finish the season with a championship, and the two playoff losses at Garden City created a disappointing ending to an otherwise excellent summer. The larger story, however, was the continued rise of the franchise. Trinidad had improved from 32 victories in 2023 to 36 victories in 2024, produced another powerful lineup, developed a deeper pitching staff and returned to postseason baseball. At the same time, the City of Trinidad completed significant improvements to Central Park that reduced maintenance, virtually eliminated weather-related cancellations and improved the experience for players and fans.

The season also produced an important player-development success when Aliemon Cruz earned an opportunity with the Detroit Tigers organization and began progressing through affiliated minor league baseball. His advancement provided another reminder that success for the Triggers was not measured entirely by the standings. Developing players and helping them reach higher levels of professional baseball remained an important part of what the Pecos League and the Trinidad Triggers were designed to accomplish.

By the end of the summer, the expectations surrounding Trinidad baseball had changed. After several seasons in which the primary goal had been rebuilding and returning the franchise to winning baseball, consecutive successful seasons had moved the standard higher. A winning record was no longer enough. Making the playoffs was no longer enough. Trinidad now had an improved Central Park, consecutive winning seasons, a 36-win team and another player advancing into affiliated professional baseball.

The next objective for the Trinidad Triggers was obvious.

Turn all of that progress into another championship run.

Back-to-Back Winning Seasons at Central Park

When viewed alongside the previous year, the 2024 season represented clear evidence that the Triggers had reestablished themselves as one of the stronger franchises in the Mountain Division. Trinidad had finished 32-22 in 2023 and followed that performance with a 36-17 regular season in 2024. The offense remained capable of producing the enormous run totals historically associated with Central Park, but the pitching staff gave the team another dimension. Kowalski, Williams, Mendez, Castaneda and Cutter Smith provided legitimate starting options, while the bullpen gave Trinidad enough depth to protect leads and survive stretches when the schedule became demanding.

Central Park remained one of the most entertaining environments in the Pecos League throughout the summer. Trinidad fans saw another lineup loaded with power, speed and run production, but they also saw a team increasingly capable of winning games in different ways. The same club that could score 35 runs could also win 4-2, 5-1, 6-1 or 10-0. That ability made the 2024 Triggers more complete and helped explain why they were able to remain among the league's strongest teams through the end of July.

A Season That Raised Expectations

The 2024 Trinidad Triggers did not finish the season with a championship, and the two playoff losses at Garden City created a disappointing ending to an otherwise excellent summer. The larger story, however, was the continued rise of the franchise. Trinidad had improved from 32 victories in 2023 to 36 victories in 2024, produced another powerful lineup, developed a deeper pitching staff and returned to postseason baseball. The season also produced an important player-development success when Aliemon Cruz earned an opportunity with the Detroit Tigers organization and began progressing through affiliated minor league baseball.

By the end of the summer, the expectations surrounding Trinidad baseball had changed. After several seasons in which the primary goal had been rebuilding and returning the franchise to winning baseball, consecutive successful seasons had moved the standard higher. A winning record was no longer enough. Making the playoffs was no longer enough. After a 36-17 regular season, another summer filled with memorable baseball at Central Park and another player advancing into affiliated professional baseball, the next objective for the Trinidad Triggers was obvious: turn regular-season success into another championship run.