Recapping Week 9 of the 2026 MiLB Season

We’re officially two-fifths of the way through the 2026 Minor League Baseball season, believe it or not. The last week of May saw some mammoth weeks from power-hitting sluggers in Triple-A. Plus, a dominant week for two budding pitchers in the Mariners’ farm system.

Baez does it again

A fine week for two Cardinals prospects in Triple-A Memphis, one of whom was Joshua Baez.

Baez, one of the best pound-for-pound power hitters presently in Triple-A, had five home runs this week for the Redbirds. The outfield prospect also notched 10 total hits and 10 total runs scored.

His five home runs led the International League, while the ten hits were third-most on the week behind Reds prospect Hector Rodriguez and Blaze Jordan. Jordan, Baez’s teammate with Memphis, had 12 hits, five of which were extra-base hits.

So does Tibbs

Dodgers outfield prospect James Tibbs III cracked six home runs over the past week for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

It can boom or bust on some occasions for Tibbs, who slashed .322/.426/.659 over the first two months of 2026 with the Comets. Tibbs is the current PCL leader for home runs, although he’s also third in the circuit with strikeouts (63).

Mariners prospects excel

Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson, arguably the Mariners’ two best prospects in the system, both diced up hitters in Double-A Arkansas this week.

Sloan struck out 11 over six no-hit, shutout innings this past week for the Travelers. Anderson, meanwhile, punched out nine more batters over 5.1 scoreless frames.

Anderson now has 67 strikeouts on the season, six more than Dodgers prospect Patrick Copen for the Texas League lead.

Notable performers

Here are other notable performers from the past week:

• 1B Ryan Clifford (AAA/NYM): six hits, three home runs over five games
• 2B Nate Furman (AAA/SFG): 12 hits, two home runs over six games
• P Brody Hopkins (AAA/TB): nine strikeouts, no hits over five innings
• OF Jace Avina (AA/NYY): 10 hits, two home runs over six games
• OF Fenwick Trimble (AA/MIA): 10 hits, two home runs over six games
• OF Josue De Paula (AA/LAD): 10 hits, two home runs over five games
• P Jonathan Santucci (AA/NYM): 12 strikeouts over 9.2 innings
• P Jose Acuna (AA/ATL): 18 strikeouts, 1.98 ERA over 13.2 IP
• INF Wyatt Sanford (A+/PIT): five hits, four home runs over four games
• OF Cam Cannarella (A+/MIA): 11 hits, eight RBI over six games
• C Josh Caron (A+/SEA): eight hits, three home runs over five games
• P Sam Highfill (A+/PHI): 10 strikeouts, no earned runs over five innings
• P Darlin Pinales (A+/ATH): 10 strikeouts, no earned runs over 4.1 innings
• P Jackson Cox (A+/COL): nine strikeouts, no earned runs over six innings
• OF Kevin Alvarez (A/HOU): 12 hits over five games
• INF Robert Phelps (A/PHI): 11 hits, two home runs over five games
• OF Pedro Blanco (A/SD): eight hits, three home runs over five games
• P Ryan Prager (A/CLE): 14 strikeouts, no earned runs over five innings
• P Dylan Jordan (A/LAA): 10 strikeouts, no earned runs over 5.2 innings

Stats as of the last seven days.