Spokane Indians 2025 season review: Lack of offensive production leads to diminished record; team goes from champs to last place

The Spokane Indians 2025 season came to an unceremonious close on Sunday with a 9-1 loss to the Eugene Emeralds, the Northwest League second-half champions. Though there were some impressive individual performances this season, the end product turned out to be fairly underwhelming.

The Indians entered play this season with hopes to defend its 2024 league title, but a nine-game losing streak to end the season doomed them to the bottom of the standings. They really struggled down the stretch, scoring just seven runs – four in one game – in their season-ending sweep by Eugene. Since the all-star break, they averaged exactly three runs per game over their last 45.

The Indians finished the second half in fourth place at 29-37, a whopping 20 games behind Eugene. Combined with their last-place first-half record of an identical 29-37, the Indians finished last overall in the NWL at 58-74 (.439).

Rather bizarrely, the Indians were also 29-37 at home and on the road.

Indians batters scored the second-fewest runs in the league this season, just three more than last place Tri-City, and the pitchers were third in runs allowed (658), which led to a run differential of minus-83 – next to last in the league by a single run ahead of Hillsboro.

Hitting review

Aidan Longwell was the team MVP. The 23-year-old first baseman, a 17th-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2023 MLB draft, spent the entire season in Spokane and hit .274/.345/.465 with 15 homers, 35 doubles and 80 RBIs. Longwell had a total of 53 extra-base hits this season, the most by an Indians player since 1982.

Like the rest of his teammates, the long High-A season caught up to Longwell. Through Aug. 1, Longwell hit .301 with a .509 slugging percentage. But from Aug. 1 until the end of the season, he hit .198 with just 11 extra-base hits in 33 games.

The Indians saw three significant hitters promoted midseason: Jared Thomas, Charlie Condon and Braylen Wimmer. All three hit over .300 during their time in Spokane this season and their departures left gaping holes in the Indians batting order.

Wimmer, in 86 games with the Indians, finished second on the team in home runs with 14. Thomas, in just 73 games, was third with 11. Of the hitters to play all season in Spokane, only Skyler Messinger joined Longwell in double-digit home runs with 10.

Not surprisingly then, Spokane was next to last in home runs in the NWL with 107, last by far in walks (463, 56 behind fifth place), and last in on-base percentage.

The Indians, as they have been in manager Robinson Cancel’s three-year tenure, were active on the basepaths. They were second in the league in stolen bases with 201, and were caught stealing 46 times (81.3%).

Tevin Tucker led the team with 33 steals in 34 attempts over 86 games, though he hit just .197/.324/.289. Caleb Hobson (.158/.317/.234) went 30 of 36, and Wimmer was third on the team with 26.

Pitching review

Konner Eaton was promoted to Double-A Hartford late in the season, but led the Indians with 23 starts. He went 5-8 with a 3.56 ERA and accumulated 125 strikeouts over 121 1/3 innings, earning the team Cy Young. The 22-year-old lefty was the sixth round pick of the Rockies in the 2024 MLB draft.

Fellow lefty Stu Flesland really came on once he was promoted to the starting rotation. In his first 21 appearances, the 24-year-old Mt. Spokane grad made just one start and went 1-2 with a 5.89 ERA, allowing an opponents batting average of .290. He was moved into the rotation on July 10 and excelled, though he only had a 1-1 record to show for it.

In those nine starts, Flesland allowed a 2.29 ERA and gave up 34 hits and struck out 45 over 51 innings. Batters hit just .188 off him and he gave up just 16 extra-base hits.

Michael Prosecky was another hurler to start in Spokane and get promoted to Hartford. In 18 starts for the Indians, Prosecky went 7-5 with a 3.86 ERA over 88 2/3 innings.

Griffin Herring made just seven starts for the Indians down the stretch, but was more than solid going 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 30 innings. Everett Catlett went 2-3 with 45 Ks over 50 innings in nine starts.

In the bullpen, Welington Herrera dazzled before he was promoted, with 10 saves in 11 chances. He gave up just one earned run over 18 1/3 innings and struck out 29.

Cade Denton converted 7 of 10 save opportunities with a 3.73 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings. Late-season addition Fidel Ulloa went 5 of 6 in save opportunities with a 1.06 ERA. He allowed two earned runs over 17 innings and struck out 23.