Oklahoma City Comets 2, Chihuahuas 1
Key Stats: RHP Ian Koenig, 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K; RHP Sean Boyle (L, 10-9), 4 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 5 K; RF Gage Workman, 1-for-4; SS Rosman Verdugo, 0-for-1, 2 BB; CF Braedon Karpathios, 0-for-4, K; 2B Marcos Castañon, 1-for-4, 1B, BB, R
Marcos Castañon’s trademark high leg kick helps him to some solid power production. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: El Paso’s offense went out with a whimper, managing just one run on four hits against Comets pitching in their final game of 2026. Batting out of the two-hole, Gage Workman went 1-for-4 with a base knock. Acquired as the secondary piece of the Casey Mize deal, the left-handed hitting utility man has struggled since joining the Padres organization, hitting just .215 with a 19 wRC+ and 31.6% strikeout rate. If you’re searching for a silver lining for Workman, it’s that when he did make contact, it was often quality. He generated a respectable 39.8% hard-hit rate with a max exit velocity of 109.5 mph. … Marcos Castañon reached base twice, going 1-for-4 with a single, walk, and run scored. In his first full season with El Paso, the 27-year-old showed flashes, slashing .282/.336/.445 in 118 games. Below the box score numbers, Castañon had respectable underlying data, including a 111.6 mph max exit velocity, an 85.3% in-zone contact rate, and just a 22.1% whiff rate. Nevertheless, the UC Santa Barbara alum, who will be Rule 5 eligible this offseason, finished with a wRC+ of just 89 in the Pacific Coast League. … Braedon Karpathios went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the loss against Oklahoma City. It was a rough two weeks for the former undrafted free agent, following his promotion to El Paso as he hit just .103 with an .315 OPS in 10 games at the Triple-A level. Still, 2026 was another solid season for the 23-year-old outfielder as he mashed a career-high 17 homers and posted a 115 wRC+ in 120 games with the Missions. Like Castañon, Karpathios will be Rule-5 Eligible this offseason. … While the offense provided him with almost no run support, Ian Koenig delivered a strong performance in his final start of the season, going five innings and allowing one run, four hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. Throwing his mid-90s sinker at a 32% clip, the right-hander generated a lot of soft contact, holding Comets hitters to an average exit velocity of 80.7 mph and allowing just four batted balls with an exit velocity north of 95 mph. In 148.3 innings pitched, he posted a 4.19 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Only three pitchers in the game threw more minor league innings than Koenig this year, his fifth since signing as a minor league free agent.