Anatomy Of A Relegation: Inside The Denver Disaster
ANATOMY OF A RELEGATION: INSIDE THE DENVER DISASTER
By C.C. McCandless
The Denver Wolves began the 2025 season with high hopes and boundless optimism. In 2023, they played their way out of the Silver League and were promoted to the big time. They finished with a 59-67 record in 2024 in their first Premiere League campaign, but despite the losing record, the Wolves gave every indication that they were here to stay. The 6th place finish came despite constant shuffling of the 4th and 5th starter spots, as well as in-season transitions at first base and left field.
With a young core of potent bats returning, the Wolves lacked just one thing to make them feel like they could contend in 2025: an ace. So they opened up the wallet and got one, shelling out $79 million, making Jose “Blinky” Guzman the highest paid player in CBA history. Would that be enough to elevate the Wolves to hallowed Tournament of Champions territory? Could they truly contend with the likes of Dallas, Detroit, and Florida?
It was an inauspicious debut for the big right hander, as he was knocked around in his first outing, a President’s Cup pool play qualifier against the Iowa Predators. Denver lost two of their next three pool play contests, and their chances of surviving looked very slim. But Guzman redeemed himself, working 6.1 scoreless innings against the tough Florida Giants en route to a must-win shutout. Mike Becklin, Bob Pisano, and Kevin Rayos each homered in the next contest, and the Wolves found themselves qualifying to play in the mid-season tournament.
Buoyed by their pool play rally, the Wolves came barreling out of the gate as the regular season began. They ripped off eight straight victories, the highlight being a 22-3 drubbing over the rival Cincinnati Royals. They were averaging over nine runs per game while allowing just over four. It was the best stretch in team history, and it found them sitting well atop the Premiere League.
Then it all began crashing down.
The Wolves dropped their next three games, surrendering 28 runs in that span. They followed that with a defeat in Portland and two more in Detroit. Their lead atop the league had evaporated, and by now they just hoped to weather the storm until the return of Dozer Becklin. The spark plug of the Wolves offense missed the season’s first month with shoulder tendinitis. However, even his presence in early May could not stop the bleeding, as the club dropped seven of eight. Then the unthinkable happened: Becklin went down again, but this time, for the season, with a shattered elbow.
One week later, starter Alex Escalante tore his UCL and joined the “Out for the Year” list. He would not be the last. Reigning Coke Blak Surge winner DH Greg Pacheco slugged 21 homers through 65 games…until he tore his labrum. He would miss the year as well. The Wolves limped into the break, their lineup now in shambles and their rotation an inconsistent mess, as the same 4th and 5th starter issues carried over from 2024. The President’s Cup gave them a chance to regroup.
Somehow, they got hot and won the tournament, the first championship of any kind in the club’s history. Guzman quite simply put the team on his back, tossing a shutout in the opener and returning to throw seven innings of one run ball in the championship game.
Essentially, this is when the winning stopped in Denver.
The jubilance of the tourney victory helped them begin the second half with a brief three game winning streak. They followed this in astoundingly horrid fashion, dropping 14 of their next 15 games. As July turned to August, any prior dreams of qualifying for another tournament were long dead. The team only hoped to survive. But outfielder Tony Lara tore an ab muscle in August, knocking him out for six weeks. Center fielder Dave Grafton joined him on the DL with a back strain. Jobu Serrano battled through a hip injury as the team tried to piece together an outfield…until he tore a ligament in his thumb on the 23rd. At this point, the team’s entire outfield consisted of players that began the year in the minors.
Despite all of this, Denver still had a chance to salvage their season. The Midwest Plainsmen were firmly entrenched in the PL basement, so spots 7-8-9 became the battleground over the year’s final weeks. The weary Wolves wilted completely. They dropped six in a row against the iron of the league (a pair each at Detroit, home for Florida, and at Dallas), but managed to take two of three after that.
Little did they know that their August 31 victory in Dallas would be the last win of 2025. Always known for their big bats, the Wolves were now completely punchless. Over the season-ending 11 game losing skid, they were shutout twice and scored a lone run five times. Their winning percentage fell below .400 as they plummeted to 9th place and the relegation series. The Gale breezed through both games and Denver was sent packing, back to the Silver League.
It’s easy to look at the injury blotter and assume that it was the lone cause of the Wolves’ woes. But a closer examination shows this wasn’t the case. They still finished in the middle of the pack in runs and most batting categories. It was starting pitching that doomed them, as they logged the worst ERA in the league. Their run prevention in any manner was atrocious: 9th in runs allowed and 10th in defensive efficiency. Eight different Wolves got a chance in the 4th and 5th slots in the rotation.
What began as a season of hope had turned into an utter disaster. It was a tough lesson for the Wolves, but an important one. One ace isn’t enough to compete with the big guns in the Premiere League. It wasn’t even enough to keep them competitive. And question marks elsewhere in the rotation are a recipe for destruction. They are now headed to the Silver League, with this rough experience under their belt and an entirely uncertain future ahead.
Welcome to the Premiere League, indeed. It now could be quite a while before the Wolves get to hear “Welcome Back” instead.
