Season in Review: Omaha Storm Chasers
The International League Champions had a strong season.
The minor league season is officially and for the Omaha Storm Chasers, it was a fantastic season. The team went on a torrid start to the year. The first half saw them finish with a 49-24 record, clinching a postseason berth. The second half was a bit more down to earth at 40-35, giving the Storm Chasers a franchise record 89 wins on the season.
Omaha faced off against the Columbus Clippers in the International League Championship Series. With a 2-1 series win, the Storm Chasers took the International League Title and would go on to play Sugar Land in Las Vegas for the Triple-A Title. Unfortunately, the Astros’ affiliate got the best of Omaha in the one-game winner-take-all Championship series. Despite the runner-up finish, it was still a phenomenal season for Omaha. It was the team’s first-ever International League Championship after moving over from the Pacific Coast League back in 2022. The Storm Chasers last won the PCL Championship in 2013 and 2014.
A look back at hitters to appear for Omaha in 2024
In all, 22 different position players took at-bats for Omaha in 2024. Outfielder John Rave — named the Storm Chasers Hitter of the Year — led the team with 129 hits. He appeared in 131 games, slashing .259/.346/.470, and was also named the team’s Fan Favorite for 2024 (an award voted on by the fans). The rest of the Omaha roster was made up of current and former top prospects, as well as a handful of minor-league journeymen. It was a mixture of talent and experience that led to a successful season.
Drew Waters and Nick Pratto spent the full season with Omaha, each finishing with varying levels of success. Waters was named the International League Player of the Week in late September and finished the year with 13 home runs and a .872 OPS. Catchers Brian O’Keefe and Logan Porter were offensive forces for much of the season. Porter was traded mid-season to the San Francisco Giants in a cash deal.
Another top hitter for Omaha ended his season in another organization as well. Infielder CJ Alexander slashed .303/.352/.554 in 82 games for the Storm Chasers. He was designated for assignment toward the end of the season and was subsequently claimed by the Oakland Athletics.
A look back at pitchers to pitch for Omaha in 2024
The Storm Chasers used 36 pitchers that threw at least one inning this season. The pitching was often a strength of the team’s roster and was led by some eventual key contributors for the Royals. Lefty Daniel Lynch IV led the team with 119.1 IP. His 95 strikeouts finished second behind only Jonathan Bowlan and his 3.54 ERA was his best in a season since 2019. Lynch was named the International League Pitcher of the Month for July.
Lynch wasn't the only Omaha pitcher to be named a Pitcher of the Month this season. Lefty Noah Cameron received International League honors for August after dominating in his Triple-A debut. Cameron started the season in Double-A Northwest Arkansas but moved to Omaha in late July. In his first four Triple-A starts, he pitched to a 1.07 ERA across 25.1 IP. That success didn’t falter much all season. He finished the year with nine starts for Omaha, striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings with just a 2.32 ERA. He also walked fewer than two batters per nine innings.
After standout seasons, Relievers Walter Pennington and Evan Sisk were named International League All-Stars at the end of the year. Pennington was traded to the Texas Rangers in July for Michael Lorenzen. Sisk spent the entire year in Omaha. He’s a soft-tossing lefty but pitched to a 1.57 ERA this season with 81 strikeouts in just 57.1 innings of work.
Other notable prospects this season to appear for Omaha were Chandler Champlain, Tyson Guerrero, Eric Cerantola, and Luinder Avila. Will Klein, who appeared for the Royals in last year’s Futures Game, spent the bulk of this season with Omaha before being traded to Oakland in the Lucas Erceg trade this July.