Despite inconsistency, Biscuits in contention for first-half division title
Biscuits manager Kevin Boles has his team in contention for a first-half division win despite a frustrating season at the plate. The Biscuits travel to Biloxi this week for a six-game set. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
It’s been a wildly inconsistent start to the 2025 baseball season, but the Montgomery Biscuits remain in the hunt for the Southern League’s first-half division race despite an up-and-down performance
The Biscuits are two games behind Biloxi with three remaining series, including this week’s battle with the Shuckers in Biloxi.
“I think we’re in a great spot,” Biscuits infielder Braden Taylor said. “There are a lot of things we can learn from but I have a lot of faith in these guys and this team. We’re a bunch of good ball players and I believe in us every time we go out there.”
Taylor, Tampa Bay’s top prospect in Montgomery, epitomizes the Biscuits’ season to this point. He was batting .168 entering Friday’s game with the Blue Wahoos, part of a team that hasn’t lived up to expectations at times but at other times has looked the part of a championship contender.
“There is some inexperience here,” Montgomery manager Kevin Boles said. “This is a new level for a lot of these guys. But it’s more the mentality. We talk to these guys all the time about not being a front runner with your results, to keep the big picture in mind, show up on a daily basis and get your work in.
“They’re doing that, but I think some of the guys are a little too tough on themselves. When things aren’t going well, they change a little bit from a mental standpoint. We’ve got to get them tougher. They need to stay organized but if they’re not getting the results, let’s not dwell on it. Let’s move forward and get to the positive results in a quicker time.”
The Biscuits (28-23) spent the first three weeks hovering near the top of the standings but two weeks later they were closer to the bottom. After battling Biloxi evenly in a six-game series, the Biscuits lost five straight games in Columbus, then won seven straight before dropping the home series finale against Pensacola on Sunday, taking five of the six games.
“We’ve really pitched well on the mound,” Boles said. “We’ve seen some consistency there. The quality of play has been consistent from week to week. Two weeks ago, we were playing very good baseball; then, last week, not so much; then, this week, it seems like we’ve turned it around. So we’re a little too streaky at this point. I’d like to be more consistent, moving forward.”
While their pitching totals aren’t that far off from the rest of the league (despite ranking seventh in an eight-team league), their hitting statistics provide a clue as to the source of Boles’ frustration. Montgomery is second in the league (to eighth-place Rocket City) in strikeouts and third in the league in leaving runners stranded on base.
“Offensive execution is key,” Boles said. “The problem with our game these days in professional baseball is there’s so much swing and miss now. The bat-to-ball skills, the guys who are really good at it stand out these days. I’d like to see the strikeouts start to be eliminated. The other day, we had seven walks and three strikeouts. That’s what we’re looking to accomplish. The 12- to 15-strikeout games, throughout the league, that’s not quality baseball.”
Despite Boles’ frustration, the Biscuits’ better-than-.500 level of baseball has them in contention to win the first-half division race. After six games at Biloxi, the Biscuits return home for six games with last year’s champ Birmingham, then close out the first half with six games at Pensacola.
After an up-and-down season through the first 51 games, the Biscuits hope to be a little more consistent over the final 18 games.
“I think it’s just the nature of this sport,” Taylor said. “Sometimes you have your days, sometimes you don’t. It’s a really hard game that we play but the only thing we can control is getting our work in and coming out here prepared every day. And I think we do that well.”