Isotopes: By the numbers and player awards as team wraps up 2025 season

Isotopes' Jose Torres (6) takes a swing at the ball during the game against the Reno Aces at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.

Chancey Bush/Journal

Geoff Grammer Geoff Grammer Geoff Grammer Journal Staff Writer

Published September 21, 2025 - 9:49 p.m. Modified September 29, 2025 - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, the team welcomed its 12 millionth fan over 22 seasons.

Sunday, the Albuquerque Isotopes locked up their fourth-consecutive year leading the Pacific Coast League in average home attendance — 6,765 fans per game — and third straight leading the way in overall attendance — 493,849 fans over 73 “openings” (double headers count as one opening; games that were canceled, even after fans arrived before it was canceled, do not count).

And Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Reno in 10 innings clinched for the Isotopes last place in the PCL — the team’s second-consecutive season with the worst record — only seemed to add to the charm of what’s going on at Isotopes Park.

The Isotopes were the only team in professional baseball to finish last place in their league standings and first in their league’s attendance.

“I was talking with (Isotopes manager) Pedro Lopez the other day and he, on his own, brought up how much the fans seem to help the team — how much energy our crowd gives the team and how it is so noticeable to them as compared to when they’re on the road in a lot of other places,” said John Traub, the Isotopes’ general manager since Game 1 in 2003.

“They’re so appreciative that we have fans that are passionate. They’re here every night.”

An announced crowd of 10,114 showed up Sunday — many lining up several hours before first pitch of the afternoon game to snag one of the free Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico jerseys handed out to the first 3,000 fans.

Player Awards

Sunday featured a pregame ceremony honoring players for season-long awards — most chosen by their teammates, one by the Isotopes front office and one voted on by the fans.

Most Valuable Player: OF Sam Hilliard

Pitcher of the Year: RHP Connor Van Scoyoc

Defensive Player of the Year: 3B Aaron Schunk

Hustle Award: OF Braiden Ward

Power Hitter of the Year: IF Keston Hiura

Fan Favorite: Hilliard (fan vote)

Jackie Robinson Most Community Minded: Schunk and LHP Lucas Gilbreath (Award chosen by Isotopes front office)

Fast food!

In what will clearly go down as one of the underdog sports stories of the year, Salsa Jar won the annual chile race competition, not only beating fan favorite albeit aerodynamically challenged Taco, but also two usual speedsters in Red and Green chile.

FINAL STANDINGS:

23 wins — Salsa Jar

19 wins — Green Chile

17 wins — Taco

15 wins — Red Chile

Other notables...

• The Isotopes finished 62-87, 10th place in the 10-team PCL. They had a 31-43 record in the first half of the season (one game was cancelled due to rain) and 31-44 in the second half.

• The Isotopes led the PCL in home runs (199), triples (63) and total bases (2,480).

• The Isotopes had 263 player transactions with a total of 67 players suiting up at one point or another.

• Transactions include players being sent up, sent down, traded, waived or placed on the injured list.

The Rockies called up players from Albuquerque 57 times.

Some of those were the same player multiple times, including 11 Isotopes who made their big-league debut this season.

Only RHP Karl Kauffmann and OF Sterlin Thompson were on the roster all season without a call up or down.

• The Isotopes led all of Minor League Baseball in triples with 63. Team and PCL leader Hilliard had 12 this season and is the franchise all-time record holder with 28.

• Nonprofit organizations earned more than $600,000 working concessions at Isotopes games this season, according to Traub.

• The 12,184 fans at the Isotopes’ July 4 game was the fourth-highest Minor League single-game attendance of the year.

• Adding Sunday’s announced attendance of 10,114, there have been an announced 12,014,216 fans walk through the gates at Isotopes Park.

• Warren Schaeffer became the first former Isotopes manager to become a Major League manager this past season when, in May, he took the reins of the Colorado Rockies.

Related, when Schaeffer replaced the fired Bud Black, the Rockies also fired their hitting coach, which opened the door for Albuquerque native — former La Cueva High School and UNM Lobo star — Jordan Pacheco to get called up in-season from being the Isotopes hitting coach to be the Rockies hitting coach.

• The Isotopes were outscored 956-895.

• The Isotopes hosted their first-ever American Sign Language (ASL) night this season. They auctionedoff highly-popular ASL jerseys on which the letters “I-S-O-T-O-P-E-S” were replaced with hands showing the ASL signs for those letters, as well as several other ASL-related promotions that night that seemed to resonate with fans as much as the players themselves.

“One of my favorite events this year was the ASL night, and they had us all sign our names for intros,” said 24-year-old pitcher Gabriel Hughes, a former first-round draft pick of the Rockies. “And they had brought an ASL club to the game and had them do the national anthem. I think it was really cool.”

• The Isotopes have been nominated for the MILB Community Award —open to 120 MILB teams. It’s awarded in October.

• There were 30 Isotopes home games broadcast on television this year for the first time — 15 by either KOAT or the channel’s True Crime Network and 15 more on the Colorado-based MTN Sports channel.