Big Train Names 2025 Pitcher Awards

Big Train celebrating championship

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Bethesda Big Train named their 2025 team awards. Four pitchers took home the hardware in the team’s championship-winning season. The awards were handed out by Manager Sal Colangelo and the coaching staff. Let’s take a look at each award and the players’ most memorable moments. 

Cy Young: Kide Adetuyi, Left-Handed Starting Pitcher (Florida Atlantic University)

Adetuyi pitched to a miniscule 0.31 ERA this season. He did not surrender an earned run in the regular season after his first appearance. In early July, against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, the southpaw tossed six shutout innings and only allowed two hits. The Big Train needed every ounce of Adetuyi’s dominance in their tight 2-1 win. The Big Train’s ace’s best start was against the Metro South County Braves on June 24 when he went five shutout frames and racked up nine strikeouts. He also only surrendered one hit in the contest. 

“Being able to land every one of my pitches for a strike when I want to and then when I don’t want to,” Adetuyi said as the key when everything is going right for him. 

Kide Adetuyi by Caroline Smith

Manager Sal Colangelo was impressed with Adetuyi’s evolution as a starter throughout the season. The manager emphasized that he wants to see his pitchers throw first pitch strikes about 65% of the time. Adetuyi did that throughout the season, and the win against the Braves showed that.

“He just had great command,” Colangelo said of Adetuyi’s dominant outing. “[He threw] first pitch strikes that we preach. He really executed pitches when he needed to. He had a really good tempo.” 

The summer season was significant for the lefty. Although he had made 21 appearances out of the bullpen at FAU in the spring, he still was looking to regain his form after he underwent Tommy John Surgery in October 2023. Adetuyi appeared to be back to his dominant ways and also regained his confidence. He only gave up more than three hits in one start during the regular season. 

“I’m not going out there to be cocky, but I know that I’m better than the hitter and that I am going to get the hitter out,” Adetuyi said. “I know if I can get ahead of you quickly, then I’m in the driver’s seat.”

Adetuyi is excited to return to campus where he will compete to be a starter for the FAU Owls. 

Pitcher of the Year: Drew Bellis, Left-Handed Starting Pitcher (University of Central Florida)

Bellis had a Cy Young-worthy season of his own. The lefty now holds the Cal Ripken Sr, League single-season strikeout record with 61 punchouts. Bellis said “it was very cool” that he broke the record. Despite not pitching more than five innings in any one of his starts, Bellis had three games of 10 or more strikeouts. In a 12-0 blowout against the Braves on July 13, Bellis tossed five shutout frames and racked up 10 punchouts.

“He’s got good stuff,” Colangelo said. “His breaking ball, slider is pretty devastating. If you’re a left-hander, it’s very hard to hit.” 

Drew Bellis by Caroline Smith

When the Big Train fell to 0-2 to start the season, Bellis was the one to get them back on the tracks. He tossed three shutout innings against the Thunderbolts to help the Big Train secure their first win of the year.

“I’m not a guy who is going to do well off of trying to be super intense,” Bellis said. “I like to go out there and have the mindset of this is a kid’s game.”

Bellis has always been someone who focuses on his routine in-between starts. He went to IMG Academy for high school, which gave him great exposure to some of the other top baseball prospects. Bellis is excited for an increased role at UCF for his sophomore season. 

Max Martzolf Relief Pitcher of the Year: Owen Stewart, Right-Handed Reliever (George Mason University)

Stewart was nothing short of dominant for the Big Train in 2025. The reliever secured the final outs against the Alexandria Aces to clinch the three-peat for his team.

The right-hander made 13 appearances in the regular season and playoffs and consistently brought wipeout stuff. The relief ace did not give up a run until July 15. He demonstrated impeccable command, as he only issued six walks in the regular season. He tore through batters by leaning on devastating sweepers and sliders as his two primary off-speed pitches.

Owen Stewart by Caroline Smith

His most memorable performance came on June 30 against the Metro South County Braves. The Big Train were in the midst of a slugfest when Colangelo brought Stewart in on just one day of rest. The righty fired four sparkling innings of one-hit ball and picked up a season-high seven strikeouts. 

“He just changed the tempo a little bit,” Colangelo said after the game. “Just motivated us with his will and his competitive nature on the bump.”

Stewart’s heroic outing propelled the Big Train to a 15-13 extra-inning win against the Braves. 

“I’m used to coming in with runners on base,” Stewart said after the contest. “Felt good, so I just kind of threw my stuff down the middle, and my whole mentality is, ‘if you can hit it, you can hit it.’”

This season, almost nobody could get anything past Stewart. After a stellar season, he’ll look to build on his summer for the George Mason Patriots.

Comeback Player of the Year: James Gladden, Right-Handed Reliever (University of Maryland)

The Big Train played one half inning against the Southern Maryland Senators in the preseason before the skies opened up. Gladden pitched in that frame and gave up five runs and appeared to have control issues. Fast forward to the end of the season, and the Maryland native was tasked with closing out an elimination game in the first round of the playoffs against the very same ballclub. He retired the Senators with ease. The righty showed significant improvement throughout the year. Even after his third appearance, it was clear the arrow was pointing upward.

“[He’s] coming back from an injury, had three outings and has gotten better every outing,” Colangelo said in late June. “I can’t be any prouder of him.”

James Gladden by Caroline Smith

In the regular season, Gladden only gave up two earned runs. He finished first on the team with a dominant .027 batting average against. The righty recorded the save and picked up two strikeouts in the 15-13 chaotic victory against the Braves on June 30. Against a red-hot Gaithersburg Giants team late in the season on July 18, Gladden was trusted in a tight game. After a walk loaded the bases, the reliever picked up a huge strikeout to keep the Big Train ahead. In the ninth, Gladden worked in and out of a bases loaded jam for the save. 

“When I hear that I’m next up, I just start locking in from there,” Gladden said. “Just [have to] keep being me.”

Gladden explained that he needs to remember to stay positive and not get “mad at myself” when he does briefly lose the zone. The righty showed he has some of the best pure stuff in the summer league and can be a lethal weapon for the Maryland Terrapins next season.