Sometimes over the course of a season players who are figured as bit players need to step up and play a larger role. Luis Bernardo is one of those players for the Shorebirds this season.
With his previous statistics (hitting just .197 for Bluefield last season) one may not expect much of the 21 year old Dominican product, but Bernardo has hit well in spots as he’s become the starting catcher for Delmarva. At the moment he’s hitting just .185 in his first taste of full-season ball. However, his value has been helping a solid Shorebirds pitching staff while the starting catcher envisioned for this year, Brendan Monaghan, missed time due to injury. With Monaghan healthy once again the Shorebirds will likely platoon both he and Luis in the starting role, possibly sending another catcher out to Aberdeen for more playing time.
With a recent slump pushing his average back below .200 this may be a better situation for Luis and a chance to observe, work with the coaching staff, and learn how to better handle the Shorebirds pitchers.
