Great Lakes Loons 2026 Season Summary

Great Lakes had a fantastic season.  They won the 2nd half of the Midwest League East Division Championship and met Dayton Dragons (Reds) in the Playoffs.  Great Lakes won Game 1 but lost the next two games.  Dayton was then swept in the Midwest League Championship by the Quad Cities River Bandits (KC).  

As a team. GL was mainly middle of the road statistically compared to the other teams.  But they did lead the League in BA, and struck out less than any other team.

 Individually they were rewarded handsomely with four players being named as 2026 Midwest League All-Stars.  Outfielders Chuck Davalan and Eduardo Quintero, SS Emil Morales, LHSP Zach Root were all named.  Great Lakes Manager Jair Fernandez was named Manager of the Year.  

Four players are the most chosen to a single-year Midwest League all-star team in Loons’ franchise history.  They were the most by any Midwest Team League, tied with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee).  However, one of the Wisconsin players (OF Josiah Ragsdale) was traded to St. Louis at the deadline in the Dustin May trade.  May has been quite a trade magnet for excellent prospects in the last two deadlines.

 Davalan, Quintero, and Root have already been promoted to Tulsa (AA).  I think we will see Morales start 2027 in Tulsa as well. 

Chuck Davalan was named the Midwest League’s Most Valuable Player. Davalan is the fourth Loon to win the honor. In 2009, SS Dee Strange-Gordon and OF Kyle Russell were named co-MVPs and OF Andy Pages won the MVP in 2021. 

 Davalan set a Great Lakes franchise record with seven leadoff home runs, and posted 235 total bases, pacing all of High-A. 

Davalan is the fifth Loon to have a positive walk to strikeout ratio (63 BB to 57 K) and play over 100 games. Kendall George (2025), Jorbit Vivas (2022), Tyler Ogle (2013) and Erik Kanaby (2008), are the other four Loons to achieve that feat.  Vivas is a MLB player and George hopes to be.  The others? 

Eduardo Quintero posted a 107 wRC, the best by a Loon in a single season. Quintero stole 44 bases and walked 88 times. The 20-year-old had 123 hits in 111 games with 28 doubles and 12 home runs.  The Loons accomplished a single-season franchise record demolishing 10 grand slams, Quintero hit three. Defensively, the IFA Venezuelan born outfielder had 11 outfield assists. 

Emil Morales led all of MiLB in runs batted in with 119. Morales drove in 35 runs in 36 games with Low-A Ontario. He was called up to Great Lakes on May 19th and added 84 RBI in 81 games. The 19-year-old shortstop totaled 26 home runs, 20 with the Loons. 

This is Morales’ third year earning a post-season all-star award. He earned a Dominican Summer League All-Star nod in 2024 and was selected as an Arizona Complex League All-Star in 2025.

 Jair Fernandez in his third straight season as Loons manager, took home his first Manager of the Year award. Great Lakes went 75-54 in the regular season, which was good enough to be the 2nd best in the Midwest League. Fernandez joined John Shoemaker and Juan Bustabad as 200+ game winners as skipper of the Loons. The 39-year-old has a 216-173 career record with Great Lakes. Shoemaker went 280-272 over four seasons and Bustabad’s three seasons saw a 225-193 record. Shoemaker won the award in 2019, Bustabad got it in 2010, and Austin Chubb earned the distinction in 2022.   

 Davalan was in the top ten leaders in 10 different offensive metrics, not including total bases.  He led the League in hits, doubles, and XBH.  He was third in the League in runs, BA, SLG, OPS, and HR. He was 10th in RBI.  Those rankings earned him the MVP. 

Quintero was also amongst the top 10 offensive leaders in 10 different metrics.  Quintero led the Midwest League in BA, OBP, and runs.  He was #2 in hits, doubles, and OPS.  He was third in BB, fourth in triples, 6th in XBH, and 8th in SLG. 

Emil Morales led all of MiLB in runs batted in with 119. Morales drove in 35 runs in 36 games with Low-A Ontario. He was called up to Great Lakes on May 19th and added 84 RBI in 81 games. The 19-year-old shortstop totaled 26 home runs, 20 with the Loons. 

He was not in the League long enough to be amongst the top ten in many categories.  He was 4th in SLG, 5th in RBI, 7th in HR, and 8th in OPS.

For pitching, the best starting pitching prospects that started out in Great Lakes ended up finishing their season in Tulsa, with varying results. 

Christian Zazueta promoted June 23.  He had 55 IP where his K/BB was better than outstanding.  He had 78 K vs just 8 BB.  That is almost an unheard of 10:1 ratio.  He did not pitch enough in either League to get All-Star status. With Great Lakes the K/BB ratio was not at the Tulsa level, but it was still excellent: In 48.2 IP, 66 K vs 12 BB (5.5 K/BB). 

 Zach Root in his first season of pro ball was an ace with the Loons. He started 15 games permitting 16 runs. The left-hander struck out 79 in his 60 innings and only gave up 29 walks. Root posted a 2.40 ERA and featured three outings with at least nine strikeouts. 

The 40th overall pick in the 2025 Draft notched a career-high 11 strikeouts against the Dayton Dragons at Dow Diamond on July 7th. Root earned a promotion to Double-A Tulsa on July 28th.  Root went on the IL August 20, with an undisclosed injury, so his Tulsa IP was limited to 16.1. 

RHSP Cam Leiter, RHSP Tyler Gough, RHSP Isaac Ayon, RHSP Will Gagnon, and RHSP Hyun-Seok Jang were the replacement starters, with positive and not so positive results.  

Full season SP:

·      RHSP Brooks Auger – 59.2 IP with a 3.62 ERA, 32 BB vs 85 K (2.66 K:BB ratio).  He spent two stints on the IL.

·      LHSP Sterling Patick – 102.2 IP, 5.35 ERA, 51 BB vs 114 K (2.24 K:BB ratio).  He stayed injury free all year. 

Three SP added during year:

·      RHSP Tyler Gough added June 23 – 9 starts, 42.0 IP, 1.71 ERA, 25 BB vs 55 K.  Tyler started the season on IL with Ontario, activated May 28.

·      RHSP Hyun-Seok Jang added July 30 – 4 starts, 14.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 3 BB vs 23 K.  Moved to IL on August 12 and activated September 6. 

·      RHSP Will Gagnon added August 14 – 4 starts, 17.2 IP, 1.53 ERA, 9 BB vs 26 K.

·      RHSP Cam Leiter added August 20 – 3 starts, 11.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 4 BB vs 14 K.  I am anxious to see how much Leiter may blossom once the training wheels come off next year.  I think he could be a gem, but we need to see what he can do as a built-up SP. 

A couple of relievers: 

·      LHRP Jacob Frost converted to a reliever early in the season.  He had 19 relief appearances, mostly in a multi-inning role.  He had 54.2 IP, 2.80 ERA, 40 BB vs 77 K. Not a good K:BB ratio.  

·      RHRP Davis Chastain had 41 relief appearances, 53.2 IP, 2.52 ERA, 30 BB vs 76 K.  Needs to cut down on BB to be more of a high leverage late inning option at the higher levels.

Even with the graduation of Eduardo Quintero and Chuck Davalan to AA, Great Lakes still has 7 players in the MLB Pipeline top 30 prospects:

 ·      #4   SS Emil Morales

·      #9   3B Chase Harlan – To AFL

·      #16 RHSP Cam Leiter

·      #18 OF Jaron Elkins

·      #23 2B Nico Perez

·      #24 LHSP Sterling Patick

·      #29 RHSP Brooks Auger

 I was a year early on Jaron Elkins.  He was my breakout target player for 2025.  He had a ho-hum year in 2025. 

 Players not on the top 30 list who might bear following in 2027:

·      Utility INF Eduardo Guerrero

·      OF/1B Jose Meza

·      LHRP Jacob Frost

·      LHRP Cody Morse – Added to AFL roster

·      LHSP Jakob Wright – He has too good stuff not to show some promise

·      C Jesus Galiz – Some catcher has to break out, right?

 All-Stars? No.  But could be worthy for a look.

 I still like to follow Zyhir Hope.  I remain a big fan.

 Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 13 – OKC Comets 11 

After 6 elite starts from LHSP Jackson Ferris, he threw up a stinker.  Was he due, or was the moment too big for him?  Regardless, he gave up 2 in the first and three in the third, giving LV a 5-0 lead.  

In the 1st inning, Ferris allowed the first 4 batters to reach on a BB, RBI double, single, and walk to load the bases.  The next batter hit a SF for a 2-0 lead.  

In the 3rd inning, Ferris gave up a 1-out single.  That was followed by a BB and RBI single, while pushing runners to 2nd and 3rd.  Ferris got the groundout but then allowed a 2-run single and a 5-0 lead. 

1B James Tibbs III put OKC on the board with a solo HR in the 4th. 

In the bottom of the 4th, Ferris walked the first batter and was relieved RHRP Jerming Rosario.  Rosario struck out the first batter he faced, but the runner stole 2nd and continued to 3rd on the throwing error.  The run (unearned) scored on a ground out.  

OKC got back in the game in the 5th.  2B Hyeseong Kim led off with a single and scored on C Ben Rortvedt’s double.  Rortvedt scored on RF Zach Ehrhardt’s RBI single.  CF Alek Thomas and JTIII each walked to load the bases.  3B Ryan Fitzgerald singled to score 2 to cut the lead to 6-5. 

But OKC let it get away in the 6th.  After LHRP Charlie Barnes pitched a clean 5th, in the 6th he walked the first batter he faced and allowed a single to the 2nd.  RHRP Jonathan Hernández relieved Barnes and did not look good at all.  2 BB, 2 hits, and a batter reaching 1B on an error.  That allowed 4 runs and left the bases loaded for LHRP Ronan Kopp to come in to relieve.  He walked in two more runs, and a 6-5 lead turned into a 12-5 lead. 

RHRP Griff McGarry relieved Kopp in the 7th.  A BB and RBI double scored another run. 

OKC got 5 in the 8th.  With one out, SS Noah Miller and Kim singled.  Rortvedt and Ehrhard walked to force in one run.  A WP scored the 2nd run, and Thomas walked to load the bases again.  JTIII reached on a fielding error with Rortvedt scoring.  Fitzgerald grounded out to score Ehrhard.  DH Mike Sirota walked to load the bases.  PH Matt Gorski reached 1B on an error with Thomas scoring the 5th run in the inning. 

RHRP Bobby Miller pitched a clean 8th. 

In the 9th, Ehrhard hit a solo HR to cut the lead to two, but that is as close as they would get.  

OKC needs to win on Wednesday to be able to play on Thursday. 

·      Zach Ehrhard – 2-3, 2 BB, 3 runs, 2 RBI, HR

·      Hyeseong Kim – 2-4, 2 runs

·      Ben Rortvedt – 2-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double

·      James Tibbs III – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR 

Box Score