Recapping Week 1 of the 2026 MiLB Season

This past week, the Double-A, High-A, and Low-A levels began their regular seasons — which means baseball is back in its entirety. It also meant that many new Minor Leaguers made their pro debuts, part of what was a busy first full week of the 2026 MiLB season.

Tibbs has big week

Dodgers outfielder prospect James Tibbs III had a great week statistically for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets.

Tibbs had five home runs in the Pacific Coast League, most over the last week. His 10 hits were also tied with Ryan Fitzgerald for second-most in the circuit.

There are still kinks to work out in Tibbs’ game. Currently, his swing-and-miss rate is 30.1% Whiff%, and his in-zone swing-and-miss rate is 24.5%, inside the bottom 25% at the Triple-A level. Still, a very impressive week.

Pro debuts

Because of when the MLB Draft takes place, many first-round picks, whether it be because of workload management or injuries, don’t play in their draft year. Meaning this past week served as several pro players’ first taste of the Minors.

Kade Anderson, the third-overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, struck out six over four scoreless innings for Double-A Arkansas this past weekend (34.3% Whiff%). Former Florida State ace Jamie Arnold (25.7%) struck out six over five innings for Double-A Midland.

Tyler Bremner, the second-overall pick by the Angels, started in High-A Tri-City. He punched out six over three scoreless innings.

Perhaps the loudest debut came in the Florida State League, where Pirates prospect Seth Hernandez flirted with 100 MPH and struck out eight over three innings.

Billy Carlson, the 10th-overall pick by the White Sox, racked up four hits for Low-A Kannapolis. JoJo Parker, taken two picks earlier by the Blue Jays, went 1-10 in his first weekend in Low-A Dunedin.

Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond picked up their first professional hits. Jace LaViolette, meanwhile, is still looking for his first. LaViolette (64.7% Whiff%) went 0-8 with seven strikeouts in his first weekend with High-A Lake County.

Kyson Witherspoon (10.80 ERA, one HR over 3.1 IP) was hit around in his pro debut. Anthony Eyanson struck out six over three innings with the High-A Greenville Drive.

Pico Kohn (36.9% Whiff%) and Joseph Dzierwa (37% Whiff%), both of whom were top collegiate pitchers at Mississippi State and Michigan State, respectively, both excelled in their pro debuts in High-A. Kohn struck out eight for Hudson Valley (Yankees), while Dzierwa punched out nine for Frederick.

Top pitching performances

It was a very good week for several notable pitching prospects across Minor League Baseball.

Braves pitcher Owen Murphy (36.6% Whiff%) struck out 10 batters on April 3, his Double-A debut. That put him in the early strikeout leader in the Southern League.

Karson Milbrandt (40.6% Whiff%), the Marlins prospect, struck out six over four innings, continuing where he left off last year.

Khristian Curtis (52.8% Whiff%) struck out nine for the Double-A Altoona Curve this past weekend, which put him tied for first in the Eastern League.

Cardinals pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (31.4% Whiff%) struck out seven over 5.2 scoreless innings in his regular-season debut with the organization. The former first-rounder, picked up in a trade with the Mariners, started the year with Double-A Springfield.

And circling down to High-A, former Tennessee Volunteer Tanner Franklin (46.9% Whiff%) struck out nine over 3.2 IP with Peoria.

Notable performers

Here’s a look at other notables who should also be mentioned:

• INF/OF James Triantos (AAA – CHC) – 11 hits, two home runs over six games
• P Andrew Alvarez (AAA – WSH) – 10 strikeouts, no earned runs over five innings
• INF Zack Gelof (AAA – ATH) – 11 hits, three home runs over six games
• P Miguel Ullola (AAA – HOU) – 15 strikeouts, .094 opp. AVG over 9.2 IP
• SS George Lombard Jr. (AAA – NYY) – six hits, one home run over two games
• P Jake Brooks (AA – COL) – nine strikeouts, no earned runs over five innings
• INF Leo Balcazar (AA – CIN) – five hits, one home run over three games
• P David Davalillo (AA – TEX) – seven strikeouts, no earned runs over 5.1 IP
• OF Rodney Green Jr. (A+ – ATH) – five hits, two home runs over two games
• INF Gavin Kilen – (A+ – SFG) – six hits, two home runs over three games
• P Brian Curley (A+ – ARI) – eight strikeouts, no earned runs over four innings