After being roughed up in their first four games, a new crop of talent brings hope to the Amberjacks.

To say the Monterey Amberjacks are off to an inauspicious start to the 2025 season is a bit of an understatement—0 and 4, outscored 57-10 in those games. But Pecos League commissioner Andrew Dunn says that the team’s fortunes may be about to change dramatically.

“It’s going to be a very different team tonight,” he says.

Seven young prospects from the Mexican League’s Pericos de Puebla arrived Sunday evening, May 25, too late to take part in the home opener, a 10-4 loss to San Rafael. Three—Alain Quintana, Diego Fernández and Ramiro Sánchez—are catchers. Alberto Gálvez and Alain Reyna will bolster the pitching staff.

All seven were expected to be in uniform on Tuesday, May 27—after the Weekly went to press—as the Amberjacks traveled to Martinez.

The arrangement bringing young Mexican professionals to Monterey was not without off-field drama. Before the start of the season, Dunn announced a deal with Charros de Jalisco to stock the Amberjacks’ roster. Those players never arrived, but the commissioner had made a similar agreement between Puebla and the Pecos League franchise in Roswell, New Mexico. With the Invaders roster settled and Monterey in need of help, Dunn worked quickly to amend the deal.

In addition to the pitchers and catchers, the transplants include infielders Ivan Verdugo and Luis Medina. They can be expected to shore up a defense that committed 14 errors in the first three games, lopsided losses of 17-5, 17-1 and 13-0 at Bakersfield.

Despite the opening woes, there have been some bright spots on manager Manny Corpas’ squad. Starting pitcher Greg Salazar limited San Rafael to 2 earned runs on 5 innings pitched at Sollecito Ballpark Sunday afternoon. Second baseman Oswaldo Calderon is 6-for-11 at the plate through four games—a .545 clip.

Still, in the routs at Bakersfield and the somewhat more respectable performance at home against the Pacifics, Corpas trotted 17 different pitchers to the mound. Dunn points out that the addition of two hurlers and the steadying influence of a corps of catchers cannot hurt.

“[Puebla] is using it as an opportunity to showcase their players,” he adds.

The Amberjacks play home games Saturdays-Sundays through July. Sollecito Ballpark, 777 Pearl St., Monterey. $10. montereyamberjacks.com.