We are four weeks into the Spring 2023 Maui Adult Baseball League season which has featured some new faces, and plenty of familiar ones, tearing it up on the beautiful ball fields of Maui. The Kihei Centipedes, fresh off a Championship Series appearance last season, have come out of the gates hot, with a perfect 4-0 record entering March. Bouncing back from a 4-win season last Summer, the West Maui Brewers join the ‘Pedes atop the standings, with a 4-0 mark of their own. Most of the new faces this season come as members of the expansion Nahiku Gorillas, who have been welcomed as the 8th team this season.
Some of the biggest contributors to these teams’ early accomplishments, as well as some incredible performances by players from some other teams are recognized below as MABL Player of the Month nominees. The candidates listed below were selected based on their performances up to this point of the season, with no more than one candidate per team. Voting is open to players, fans, and family, and is limited to 1 vote per individual.
The Makena Royals’ Dreyson Cordova has been arguably the league’s top pitcher through the first 4 weeks of the season. The veteran righthander is 1-0 with a minuscule 0.60 ERA over 15.0 IP. Cordova leads qualified pitchers with an .135 opponents’ average, 0.80 WHIP, and 12 ERA- to go along with a 4.76 FIP.
Chuck Gibson has led the Centipedes’ early charge on offense, posting a ridiculous .667/.800/1.222 AVG/OBP/SLG line, good for a 549 OPS+ through 15 plate appearances. Gibson is leading the league with 2 triples, 11 total bases, and 6 runs scored.
The Brewers’ Dan Katayama has come out hot after taking the Summer season off. Katayama is leading the league with 3 doubles and 6 runs scored to go along with a .444/.643/.778 AVG/OBP/SLG line, and his 354 OPS+ is the second highest mark in the league. To top it off, Dan picked up his first career save last weekend with two strikeouts as part of a 1-2-3 inning on the mound.
John Lamb of the Lahaina Warriors is making an early case to repeat as the MABL Cy Young award winner. The big lefty leads the league with 22 Ks through 12 IP, and a 2.56 FIP. Over his first two appearances of the season, Lamb is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
Dylan Lewis will forever hold the distinction as the first POTM nominee in Gorillas’ history. After spending a year as a regular at MABL workouts and in the Centipedes dugout, Lewis has hit the ground running as a member of the MABL’s newest team. Over his first 4 games, Dylan is hitting .455 (5 for 11) with 3 walks and a team-best 255 OPS+.
Check out the stats page for complete hitting and pitching stats for every player in the league, and cast your vote below for the MABL Player of the Month for February 2023. The poll will remain open through March 7.
Vote for the MABL Player of the Month
- Dan Katayama (60%, 153 Votes)
- Chuck Gibson (23%, 57 Votes)
- Dreyson Cordova (7%, 17 Votes)
- John Lamb (6%, 15 Votes)
- Dylan Lewis (4%, 11 Votes)
Total Voters: 253
Of course I’m support Royals but would like to know stats between the pitchers and batters that are nominated