2025 Season Review: RiverDogs finish another winning season 

CHARLESTON, SC – The Charleston RiverDogs continued their tradition of winning and ‘making fun’ for fans across the Lowcountry, posting their sixth consecutive winning season while leading Single-A in attendance in 2025.

The RiverDogs finished the campaign 68-62 – one game shy of the best overall record in the Carolina League South division, behind second-half champion Myrtle Beach. Despite the winning record, this season marks the first time the club missed the postseason since renewing their affiliation with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021.

Despite opening the season 0-6, the ‘Dogs surged down the stretch of the first half to finish 35-31 – one game shy of a playoff berth. Charleston’s season was defined by streaks, as the team had four losing streaks of five or more games this season, as well as four win streaks of five or more games.

264,227 fans streamed through the gates at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in 2025 – the most in Single-A by over 20,000 fans. Fans were treated to a winning effort often, as the RiverDogs racked up a 38-28 record at home.

The winning brand of baseball started with Charleston’s starting staff. The club’s starters led Single-A with 606.1 innings pitched and a whopping 34 quality starts.

Ryan Andrade led the way in both those categories, posting 2.87 ERA in 119 innings with 10 quality starts in his first professional season. Andrade’s 11-win season was just the 12th 10+ win season by a RiverDog since 2005.

Jose Urbina was voted 2025 Top Dog, as the 19-year-old right hander was one of the most dominant pitchers in the Carolina League throughout the season. Before his promotion to A+ Bowling Green in the final week of the season, Urbina fired a 2.05 ERA in 92.1 IP with 96 strikeouts. Urbina is one of just three RiverDogs on record (since 2005) with an ERA of 2.50 or better with 90 or more innings pitched.

Rays’ No. 10 prospect Trevor Harrison completed the fearsome trio at the front of the RiverDogs rotation, chucking a 2.61 ERA in 82.2 innings across 17 starts before being promoted in August.

Andres Galan delivered some of the most memorable starts by a RiverDog in 2025, throwing seven perfect innings on June 20 at Kannapolis. Galan was also the only RiverDog to strike out 10 batters in an outing this season, doing so on June 6 at Carolina. The California native finished the season with a 3.31 ERA in 81.2 innings.

The RiverDogs bullpen, despite nine promotions to High-A, was one of the best units in the Carolina League, finishing second in the league in saves (35) and first in holds (51).

In the field and at the plate, the RiverDogs group of position players steadily improved throughout the season.

Outfielder Angel Mateo broke out at the plate in his second full season in the Lowcountry, batting .282 with a .726 OPS before being promoted on August 12. His 66 RBIs led the Carolina League at the time of his promotion, while his batting average ranked second.

Rays’ 2024 first round selection Theo Gillen played 73 games with the RiverDogs and posted a .433 on-base percentage. Gillen is the first RiverDog since 2019 (Canaan Smith-Njigba) to play 70 or more games and post an on-base percentage of .400 or higher.

Gillen reached base in 43 consecutive games to open his season, a streak that ran from April 27 through June 25. The on-base streak was the longest in Single-A this season and longest by a RiverDog since 2012.

Catcher Nathan Flewelling was another on-base stalwart, leading the Carolina League in walks with 89 – the most by a RiverDog since Greg Bird’s 107 in 2013 and the most by a Carolina Leaguer since 2022. In his first taste of pro action after being drafted in the third round in 2024, Flewelling posted a .393 on-base percentage and .729 OPS in 102 games (including 75 behind the dish).

Infielder Narciso Polanco proved to be an ironman, leading the circuit with 120 games played. The speedster ranked second on the club in stolen bases and finished second to Flewelling in the Carolina League rankings with 73 walks.

The campaign also provided a milestone for third-year manager Sean Smedley, who collected his 200th victory as RiverDogs manager on August 27 against Augusta.

The RiverDogs will return to action on April 2, 2026, hosting the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The full 2026 schedule can be viewed here.