By Eli Halverson | June 30, 2025

We’ve officially hit the halfway point of the 2025 GLSCL season, and with that, it’s time to check in on your Hamilton Joes. Sitting at 10-11, the Joes are still very much in the playoff hunt but face a critical stretch ahead if they hope to repeat as league champions. Let’s take a look at how the first half has gone—and what needs to happen for Hamilton to make a second-half push.

Joes At the Plate

At the plate, the Joes have been about league average in most categories. They currently rank fifth in both batting average and OPS, and sixth in hits and total bases. However, one area where Hamilton stands out—unsurprisingly—is stolen bases. The Joes lead the league with 79 stolen bags, eight more than second place. Aggressive baserunning has been a major part of their offensive identity all season. Aidyn Coffey leads the team with 13 steals, while Mark Nowak isn’t far behind with 11.

Individually, Jackson Wang has been one of the top hitters in the GLSCL. Wang is tied for fourth in the league with 22 hits, is batting .338, and ranks fourth with five doubles. Miguel Correa has also stepped up in a big way, especially lately. Over his last six games, Correa has driven in nine runs, bringing his total to 19 RBI—second-most in the entire league. He also leads the Joes with two home runs and will need to continue his hot streak to help fuel a playoff push.

Joes On the Mound

On the mound, the Joes’ pitching numbers stack up a bit better than their offense. As a team, Hamilton ranks third in WHIP, second in hits allowed, and fourth in strikeouts. The biggest issue has been free passes—106 walks and 51 hit batters so far—which have consistently put pitchers in tough spots and played a huge role in Hamilton’s struggles in close games.

Individually, Hamilton has some of the top arms in the league.  Starting pitcher Michael Bilo has consistently delivered in every start this season and the numbers back it up.  Bilo leads the league with a 0.87 ERA and making it all the more impressive, he’s done that while pitching the third most innings in the league with a little over 20 on the season.  Dale Ellis has been about as  strong a No. 2 starter as you could ask for, sitting third in the league with a 1.83 ERA and racking up over 19 innings.

Finally, in terms of relievers, I’m not sure there’s a better one than Carson Brower.  The lefty is third in the league with 22 strikeouts and owns a 2.00 ERA, frequently being Head Coach Aaron Brill’s go-to option in high-leverage spots. Other key bullpen pieces like Marc Iozzo (1.08 ERA), Matty Helms (2.25 ERA), Dean Brown (2.31 ERA), and Jordan Taylor (2.31 ERA) may not qualify for league leaderboards yet but are having impressive seasons in their own right.

Second Half Outlook 

Moving forward, the Joes are at a critical turning point of the season.  After dropping back-to-back crucial division games to the Xenia Scouts, Hamilton now sits 10-11 on the season, and are 2.5 games back of first place.  Every game is all the more important and I think we’re reaching a point where every game is a “must-win” if Hamilton wants to achieve their goals.

The first and most obvious thing that needs cleaning up is the defense. Hamilton is tied for the league lead in errors with 37—an average of 1.76 per game. Combine that with the high number of walks and hit batters, and the Joes have a serious issue of giving opponents free runs without forcing them to earn hits. It’s a big reason why Hamilton is 0-5 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

If the Joes can tighten things up defensively, limit the free passes, and continue getting production from their stars at the plate—while possibly getting more consistent offense overall—there’s still plenty of reason for optimism. The pieces are there for Hamilton to turn things around and make a run at defending their title.