Rocket City Trash Pandas’ 2025 season was one of ups and downs
MADISON – The front office staff of the Rocket City Trash Pandas is as busy as ever prepping for numerous upcoming events at Toyota Field including the Fall Festival on Oct. 31 and the always popular Christmas Light Show Nov. 21-Dec. 28, which this year will include a new spectacle of lights inside the confines of Toyota Field, as the 2025 baseball season is now complete and in the record books.
The on-the-field record books will not indicate a season most teams will be proud of as the Trash Pandas were overall 45-92 which placed the team in fourth place in the North Division of the Southern League. The team’s winning percentage of 32-percent put the team 35.5 games behind the division winners. The Trash Pandas were 21-47 on its away game schedule and 24-45 at home. As for the action of the diamond, the team scored 445 runs, but gave up 637 runs on the season. Shortstop Denzer Guzman was named a Southern League Postseason All-Star while Dylan Culwell was named the Southern League Athletic Trainer of the Year and David Robertson was tabbed the Southern League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.
“Despite the wins and losses, the team kept having fun always showing new things and overall we hope the people attending our games had fun,” said Garrett Fahrmann, executive vice president and general manager of the Trash Pandas.
Through the season, the Los Angeles Angels’ franchise made a franchise record 111 transactions including 54 in the month of August, which meant the team on the field was always revolving in and out of the dugout. Fahrmann explained, “The Angels were trying to find a good combination and a great formula to showcase the promising talent within the organization, and because of that, we had a constant new team every other day.”
For the most part, the 2025 season was a huge success for the Double-A club, which included having former Bob Jones High standout Mitch Daly make the team where he played in 21 games with 63 at bats and a .143 average. Daly ended the season as a member of the Trash Pandas and Fahrmann has hinted that another former Bob Jones Patriot, Slate Alford, who was chosen by the Angels in the ninth round as the 259th pick overall in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, may make his way back home to Madison for the 2026 season as a member of the Trash Pandas. Alford completed his collegiate play at the University of Georgia where he was named First-Team All-S.E.C. and in 2025 for the Bulldogs he batted .331 with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 63 RBIs.
An additional highlight promotion was on Aug. 28 when the Trash Pandas celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Huntsville Stars Baseball Team, which won the Southern League Championship in its inaugural season in 1985. The Trash Pandas invited former Stars’ players to help celebrate the 1985 season with the biggest names being twin brothers Jose and Ozzie Canseco. Both brothers greeted hundreds of fans, many of which saw them play for the Stars before advancing to the Major Leagues. It was a great night of sharing memories of years gone by.
The Trash Pandas finished second in all of Minor League Baseball in merchandise sales again in 2025. Even with five rainouts and 22 games which featured sometime long weather delays, the Trash Pandas’ total attendance for 2025 was 275,423. Many of those attending consumed over 24,000 hot dogs from the concession stands within Toyota Field.
Besides the possibility of both of the former Bob Jones Patriots teamed together for Rocket City, 2026 will see the erecting of a one-story building in left field behind the visitors bullpen by the City of Madison to accommodate certain Major League Baseball requirements. New restrooms will also be built in the outfield area. In addition, the City of Madison purchased land between the stadium and J. Alexander’s and a new paved parking lot will be installed to help with any parking woes next season.
One area Fahrmann was extremely proud of for the just completed 2025 season was the fact the team in some representation in over 300 community appearances. “We made a huge stride out in the community and enlarged our relations with the communities who support our team,” he said. “Our reading program was a big hit within the community, and our donations and community involvement was a big hit. Sprocket, the Trash Pandas official mascot, and a number of players made their way into the community throughout the season. People support us. We want to support them.”
The 2025 season, fifth in the history of the franchise, was very successful and Fahrmann feels the entire franchise is getting better in what they do each year and not afraid to try something new.
“We’re way ahead of 2025 in our sales already selling 40 of our 69 days next season,” added Fahrmann.
