Pictured: 1B/DH Livingston Morris

We are currently 16 games through the regular season in Great Falls, and despite the team's rocky start, there are a bunch of positives and things to build on when we look around the team. First, we're gonna look at how the team has been batting to start off the season.

When we look at the offensive side of the game, it has been a very productive start to the year for the boys in green and red. The Voyagers have spent the entire season over a .300 batting average as a team, and have also spent the majority of the year in the top five in batting average across the Pioneer League. The Voyagers also have shown prowess when it comes to power hitting. They have 26 home runs through 16 games, giving them third best in the Pioneer League.

Pictured: 1B/Outfielder Mahki Backstrom

I also got a chance to talk to a few players on the team, one being first baseman/outfielder Mahki Backstrom, on how the season has been going so far offensively. Backstrom has been on a tear the past 4 games, batting .562 with 3 homers and 6 RBI's over that span. He is one of just twenty-some players in the league batting .400 on the season, and is currently tied for most home runs on his team with 6.

When I asked Mahki about his thoughts on the offense so far, he said he feels like they can compete with anybody; "it may be the best offense I've been a part of ever, guys like Hylan Hall who is a two-way player and can really hit, Xane Washington and Livingston Morris [too], it's an exciting offense to watch and be a part of."

He also went on to praise his guys for their communication with each other so far this year, highlighting it as their biggest strength as a unit; "Us hitters talk to each other. We're always in the dugout talking about approach, what this guy has, and what we're seeing with each other." That communication is an irreplaceable asset, as knowing what to expect from pitchers day-to-day is such an advantage.

Pictured: Outfielder Marcos Castillo

I also got to talk to outfielder Marcos Castillo on the offense's performance this season. Marcos is part of a very talented outfield, and started off the season getting spot appearances. Marcos stayed ready, and once he started getting more playing time, he was undeniable in his performances. He is currently batting .344, good for 4th on the team, and is 2nd on his team in slugging percentage with .688. In a small sample size, Marcos has shown versatility. He has hit a couple home runs, he has stolen a base, and driven in runs in clutch situations. He also has two 3-hit games in just seven starts. When I talked to Marcos, he had a lot of praise for the guys around him and how they've been hitting the ball.

"We got hitters that definitely don't belong in this league and should be playing affiliated or higher level baseball. We got guys who can hit for power, hit for high average and get on base, you can't ask for more out of hitters than that. We also have guys who can come off the bench and do the same thing, and when their number is called they fill those roles effectively. That, to me, is our strength of the team."

Castillo also spoke on how talented the other outfielders on the team are, and how it affects his approach to the game.

"Each outfielder has the 5 tools and has the ability to be the most dominant in the league - this definitely helps me stay prepared and stay on my A game so I can be just as dominant when my number is called. My practice reps are more focused, my mentality is stronger because it has to be. If it's weak, I won't be ready when my number is called - I don't feel pressure, I feel it's part of the game. I take it as a challenge to thrive when my number is called."

In my convos with Mahki and Marcos, I asked both of them what they thought was something the hitters needed to work on as a unit looking forward, and I found it pretty interesting that they had essentially the same answer. Backstrom said that they needed to work on finishing, "Wanting to execute from the first pitch to the last pitch; having that intestinal fortitude to compete every single pitch for every single out."

When I asked Marcos Castillo the same question, his response was "the ability to not let off the gas for all 9 innings. Seeing how the games have been played, no team is out of it. Especially later in the game, so we will have to always be competing until the last pitch of the game." The Voyagers have given up leads late in games a few times this season, so if there was something for the offense to work on, it sounds like it'd be that late game execution and being able to put up runs when it matters the most.

The Voyagers are wrapping up their series against the powerhouse that is the Missoula Paddleheads, with two games remaining tonight and tomorrow. They look forward to coming back home for three games against the Glacier Range Riders starting next Tuesday.