Real or Not Real

Contribute by Richard Salas While not quite to the all star break, most teams have played ~40 games, leaving us in a position as journalists where we can start looking at surprising developments this season as more than happenstance or the result of a small sample size. In this segment, I will be pointing out some of the WPBL most intriguing storylines, and try to broadly label them as Real or Not Real. The definitive nature of this is not meant to take anything away from players and/or teams who have been successful so far, but more so for fans to try to begin to guess what might happen in the second half of this wild 2026 season.

Kennewick’s Superb Start

Verdict: REAL

Kennewick came into the season with an obvious goal, go young and try to build for the future. Some other GMs have even come out and said the Atom’s GM made some calls to others in the preseason, letting them know anyone is available. What has happened was probably just as surprising in the Tri-Cities area as it is league wide. The Atoms, with the 4th youngest roster, have raced out of the gate with the best record in the WPBL. 25 year old Pete Freedom has burst onto the scene, slashing .331/.454/.579. His ascension has been one of a kind, and his jersey has become one of the most popular jersey sales-wise league wide. Most of Kennewick’s main contributors are only a few years above the legal drinking age, and the front office is starting to think they may have a special group here.

Although it’s tempting to say these young guns will falter down the stretch, nothing on this roster screams unsustainable. Will guys like Pete maintain this level all year? Maybe not, but their start has been so good it’s highly unlikely they miss the playoffs(99.8% chance as it stands).This group has a young swagger to them, and their self belief is palpable.This team is good, and have that sort of youthful ignorance that can lead them to playoff glory.

I sat down with the Atom’s GM Konrad Moverlock to delve further into the budding superstar Pete Freedom.

RS- “Thanks for meeting with me today. Pete Freedom has become a fan favorite. I’m even starting to see kids in Freedom jerseys at opposing ballparks. Could you tell us your thoughts when Pete was drafted? What were you hoping he was to become?

KM-”Pete was the one guy that really impressed us during his draft interview. It was just a matter of him being available when it got to us. As the top picks progressed we knew we had to make a move and that he wouldn’t fall too much and decided to pull the trigger and make trades to get our guy

RS-”For me, it has been awesome to see Freedom succeed, adding another young player from the 2023 draft that is high impact. How does his current production compare to his expectations on draft day, especially seeing as he is one of the best bats in the WPBL right now ?

”

KM-”Pete actually got a chance with the atoms last season but didn’t get the success he wanted right away. We sent him back to work with our hitters coach in AAA, matured a bit and gave him another chance this season and boy are we glad he had that time to work on his skills. It just goes to show that sometimes those guys need to see what it takes to play in the big leagues and then go to work to get there. Pete put in the work and is getting rewarded for it”

RS-”That turnaround truly is amazing. Well thank you for your time. Could you provide my readers with a little fun fact before you go?”

KM-”Pete is the cheapest guy in the team. Even now that he’s got a chance to make it to the big leagues he’s still driving his grandmas old Honda Odyssey he got when he turned 16”

The Mainland Division remains the better division

Verdict: Not Real

Elko and Pocatello look formidable this year, but don’t inspire the same fear in their opponents as they did last year. Pocatello got off to a slow start and are just now finding their footing, meanwhile Elko have struggled to find much consistency. Both teams look good but have their flaws.

Meanwhile, Bandon and Lake Tahoe join Kennewick as the class of the coastal division. 2-way phenom Colby Stillman looks like his prowess on the mound has caught up with his ability with a bat. Out in Tahoe, the big Joey Hoffman trade looks like it’s paying dividends and their pitching remains in the upper tier of the league, even with SP Danny Schumacher’s slow start. Victoria is hanging tough, buoyed by budding young star 2b Frank Vitela. They might be a long shot, but they remain in the playoff picture. 32 year old RF Antonio Caamano has bounced back from injury well, and if their front off decides to, could yield some long term pieces if traded by the deadline.

King Kong has taken a major step back

Verdict: Not Real

As good as King Kong was in his first year, he has been that bad so far in 2026. With that said, everyone knows what he is capable of. Is there a championship hangover in play? Maybe, but as Pocatello starts to find their stride as a team, it’s likely King Kong will follow. It’s hard to imagine a talent like that keeping this low level of production all year long. If/when he does find his stride, Pocatello could find themselves as the team to beat, again.

Randy BBQ will break the HR record

Verdict: Not Real

After a hot start, Randy BBQ has slowed down. While he leads the league in Home Runs, he only does so by 1 at time of writing. With Randy, you know he has the power, but lacks the consistency needed to do something like breaking the HR record and being the first WPBL star to hit 30 jacks in a season.His last home run was almost 3 weeks ago! Obviously, he could refind his form, but the 12 he hit in one month seems to be more of the exception as opposed to the rule. You know Truckers fans are hoping he can turn it on again, as although you can’t put it all on Randy, his power carried them to a good start, and as his production has gone down, the Trucker’s overall record has followed suit.

Player Spotlight: SP Freddy Velasques

It is time to celebrate a player who has been a part of the WPBL since its inception, Starting Pitcher Freddy Velasques. Freddy was not a star coming in (an 11th round pick in the WPBL Inaugural ), nor has he been a star player with the luxury of staying in one city (3 different teams in his 6 years ). Freddy has signed a big contract, been a part of a trade, made all star games, and even won a championship. With that said, even with all his accolades and achievements, Freddy lacks national recognition and nobody is rushing to put him in the “Ace” category. I sat down with Freddy, to discuss this and his journey as a bonafide WPBL innings eater.

After a pretty subpar 2021 season, Freddy came out hot for Walla Walla in 2022, where he pitched 70 innings with a 0.92 WHIP and a 2.17 ERA in a contract year with his first all star game appearance. I asked Freddy about this turnaround early in his WPBL career.

“I know I’m currently an Old Timer, but even before that, I was an old timer. I’ve been a professional pitcher for 11 years. I’ve seen many ups and downs even before the WPBL. I think the main reason for the turnaround is related to me settling in. I was wrapping up my last year for the Saranac Surge in the Empire Baseball league when I got the opportunity to join the WPBL. My agent told me of the upside of this league and how I couldn’t turn it down. The thing is, I’m a Rochester boy and have never lived outside of the Northeast region. It took me a while to adjust to the PNW and the increased talent level. By the second year, I was getting really comfortable with the staff and even my opponents, allowing me to utilize my outstanding control to paint the corners and get me through some innings.”

This led to a big 2 year, 252k AAV deal with the Crescent City Kodiaks. In 2023, he got off to a good start that led to another all star game. Some of his numbers slipped up by the end of 2023(1.24 WHIP, 4.30 ERA), but he did pitch a lot of innings and increased his total WAR. That led to a sizable 4 year contract extension towards the end of 2023. Then, surprisingly, he was traded to Pocatello in 2024 after 1 start with CCK. I asked Freddy to talk about this time of transition:

“I was really confused. After the extension, I thought I would be a Kodiak for a long time. When I was traded, I felt a little jaded. I had to find a new house, my kids had to leave some of their friends, it was a tough time for my family. It was really hard getting used to the new team. As a pitcher who relies mainly on my control and spin rates, it took a little bit to build that rapport with the new pitching staff, and it showed in my production that year(4.55 ERA with Pocatello that year). I think the best thing that ever happened to me was when Moises Batista was traded to Pocatello at the end of 2024. Here’s a guy who was the number 1 pick, who was traded TWICE. I couldn’t wait to pick his brain on everything. When I asked him about how he has dealt with getting traded, he said, ‘Man, Freddy boy, you can’t take it personally. If anything, you have to take it as a complement! Look what the team had to give up to get you! You have value! You weren’t traded and DFA'd. You’re wanted here in Pocatello, just like me’. That conversation really helped me change my entire mindset.It’s weird to say, since I’m so much older than Havoc, but he has definitely served as a mentor for me. A lot of people may be surprised by that, but look at his resiliency! He’s lost fingers and is still a good pitcher.”

With Batista by his side, Freddy has found his footing again, much to the benefit of the Old-Timers. In 2025, he threw 97 innings with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He doesn’t strike a lot of men out, but he keeps his cool and pitches out of jams consistently. He lasts well into games. When rotations were shrunk for the postseason, as is customary, Freddy found himself outside of that rotation, but he even took that in stride.

“You think you’re going to hear me complain about being a part of a good pitching staff? No way. Do I wish I could get a start? Of Course, I’m a competitor. But I know how good my teammates are and I understand the decision. I’m always working though, and I’m always ready. I’m getting old, but I know I have some solid playoff starts in me. Batista said he’d even start mowing his lawn again, so he could be injured and I could take his playoff rotation start. He’s something else, man.”

Freddy isn’t the first guy you look to when you think of the best pitchers the WPBL has to offer, which is a little unfair. What Freddy is, is what every good team needs, a bonafide innings eater, and we mean that will all due respect. Will he give up runs? Sure. Will he set strikeout records? Probably not. Is he capable of shutting down the opposing team a few nights a season? Absolutely. Players like Freddy endear themselves to their local fanbase, not because of their indomitable skill, but because you can rely on them. They show up and give their all, even if their stuff isn’t there a certain night. Freddy is the player you can run into at the store, and won’t be upset if you ask for a picture. When Freddy decides to retire, it will likely be done with little fanfare. There weren't any big ceremonies, or jersey retirements, but everyone knows having a solid starting pitcher like him is what gets you through long, grueling seasons. Here’s to Freddy, and to everyone out there putting in the work every day.