There are two completely divergent ways to assess the Buffalo Bisons’ 2025 season.
Looking strictly at numbers, the most losses since 2009 make it easily one of the worst in the franchise’s modern era of Triple-A. But in the eyes of the parent Toronto Blue Jays, so many success stories emerged from their top affiliate to help a postseason team at the major league level that it’s hard to gripe about a 61-85 season.
Look no further than Sunday. The Herd wrapped up its campaign with a 2-1 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on yet another day in Sahlen Field where its offense was non-existent. But out in Kansas City, 22-year-old pitching phenom Trey Yesavage was a week removed from Buffalo, where he struck out 26 in 17 innings, and getting the start for the Blue Jays in a game that would see them post an 8-5 win and clinch a postseason berth.
“That’s the satisfaction: Seeing those guys playing in the pennant race, possibly winning the division and clinching a playoff berth,” said Bisons manager Casey Candaele. “It’s very satisfying because looking up there at the TV when they’re celebrating after a game, and you go, “Yeah, that guy was here, that guy, that guy, that guy, that guy’. So many guys up there were here and that’s your objective.”
Buffalo’s love affair with the Robert Redford film “The Natural” has never seemed to dim in the more than 40 years since the film was made here, but it will become a little more wistful now with the announcement of the actor and filmmaker’s death on Tuesday at age 89.
There have been 19 position players and 16 pitchers to see time in both Toronto and Buffalo this season, including prominent injury rehab players like George Springer, Anthony Santander, Daulton Varsho, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber.
Utility man Addison Barger started the season in Buffalo before becoming a regular in Toronto. Infielder Davis Schneider needed some time with the Herd in June to snap a slump and head back to the Jays while outfielder Joey Loperfido played 91 games in Buffalo and hit .337 in 40 games in Toronto. And 2024 Herd MVP Alan Roden hit .331 here before being used as tradebait with Minnesota to acquire reliever Louis Varland and utility man Ty France.
On the mound, Herd opening day starter Eric Lauer became an invaluable member of the Toronto rotation and relievers Tommy Nance, Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty have all graduated to become keys in the Jays’ bullpen.
“You would give up going to Las Vegas here (for Saturday’s Triple-A National Championship game) and winning the division here for what they’re doing up there,” Candaele said. “They’re going to the playoffs and that’s the most important game every day. We’ve got guys up there contributing and helping them win.”
Offensive offense
Story of the season: In the 20-team International League, the Bisons finished 17th in batting average (.244), 18th in home runs (128), and 19th in runs (642), slugging (.383) and OPS (.723).
“We had trouble scoring,” Candaele said. “Getting on base wasn’t the thing. It was getting the big hit or doing damage when we had multiple runners on base. … It’s not that our players aren’t capable of doing it. It just wasn’t a year that we were going to do it.”
A big reason the Buffalo offense suffered was the flameouts of infield prospects Orelvis Martinez and Damiano Palmegiani, who combined for 36 home runs and 118 RBIs with the Herd last season. Martinez (.176-13-32) was released last week while Palmegiani batted just .159 and finished in Double-A.
Other numbers
• The club’s MVP was infielder Riley Tirotta (team-high 108 hits and 60 RBIs). Reliever Andrew Bash (6-2, 2.57) was the pitcher of the year for the second straight season and got the Hometown Hero award for his work in Sahlen Field (6-1, 1.95). Other awards went to infielder Michael Stefanic (inspirational player), catcher Phil Clarke (comeback player) and reliever Hayden Juenger (community service).
• Bisons starting pitchers posted a record of 14-52 with a 5.30 earned-run average − and no starter won more than four games.
The July 3 game has been a staple since its birth in 1995 and is annually one of the team’s biggest drawing nights. This year’s crowd of 13,204 pushed the total attendance for the event in Sahlen Field to more than 506,000.
• Buffalo was just 26-45 on the road, its worst showing since posting the same record in 2011 as a Mets affiliate.
• The offense had zero comeback ability as the Herd was just 2-64 when trailing after seven innings and 1-65 when trailing after eight.
• Sunday’s paid crowd of 5,643 left the Bisons with a season attendance total of 450,139. The total and the per-game average of 6,166 are both the lowest in ballpark history (previous lows of 456,144 in 2022 and 6,588 in 2024).
The Triple-A playoffs
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will play in the best-of-3 IL championship series at Jacksonville starting on Tuesday. Las Vegas hosts Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League, with the winners battling in the Triple-A title game.
Williamsville East product Joe Mack batted .250 with a team-high 18 home runs and 53 RBIs for Jacksonville in 99 games after an early season call-up from Double-A Pensacola. The 22-year-old catcher is the Miami Marlins’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB.com.
The Canisius High graduate became the winningest manager in the 41-year history of the Las Vegas Aviators when he won his 324th game to eclipse the mark former big-league infielder Jerry Royster set in 2006.
Las Vegas is managed by Canisius High graduate and offseason Buffalo resident Fran Riordan, who is in his sixth season and is the franchise’s all-time victory leader with 451.
Looking ahead
• Candaele and some of his coaches will remain at the ballpark running a “stay hot” group of player workouts for the final week of the MLB regular season in case the Blue Jays need any injury replacements.
• The Bisons will host a game of the “Cosmic Baseball Tour” next season on a date to be determined. Inspired by the Savannah Bananas, Cosmic Baseball is the creation of the Tri-City Chili Peppers, a Virginia-based college wood bat league team. They use bats, balls, bases and uniforms that glow under black lights and games are played in both normal light and in full darkness. Signups for the Cosmic ticket lottery are already open at Chilipeppersbaseball.com.
• The Bisons’ 2026 IL schedule opens just as this year’s finished, with a home series against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Opening Day is Friday, March 27.
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Mike Harrington
Sports Columnist
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