Summary: The 2026 campaign was struggle-filled for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, ending the season with an overall record of 56-74 and a -232 run differential that was worst in all of minor league baseball. While the promotions of several key players to Double-A San Antonio midseason certainly impacted these numbers, it was yet another underwhelming season for the boys in Summit City, who finished at the bottom of their division for the fourth time in the last six years.
Overview: Our approach to eligibility remains straightforward. Players are considered at whichever affiliate they logged the most service time. So while players such as Jake Cunningham and Clay Edmondson received mid-season promotions, they still show up below because they logged more innings and at-bats in Fort Wayne than anywhere else. We recognize the top contributor to this year’s team as the top player. In contrast, the top prospect is based on our expectations based on his production, age, projectability, and potential impact in the major leagues.
Level: With the overall decline in quality at the Single-A level, the jump from Single-A to High-A is now widely considered the biggest jump in all of minor league baseball. It’s not rare to see players who dominated the Single-A level arrive in High-A and then struggle mightily. The 12-team Midwest League includes some of the best stops in minor league baseball, with the environment in Fort Wayne consistently recognized as the best in the game.
Jake Cunningham quickly emerged as a threat in the TinCaps lineup. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Player of the Year: Jake Cunningham (Ben, Clark, David, John)
Others receiving votes: Alex McCoy (Kevin)
The Padres took a flyer on Jake Cunningham last offseason, signing the Baltimore Orioles’ 2023 fifth-round pick to a minor-league free-agent deal a week after he was released. Coming out of college, Cunningham was thought to have some of the better raw power and speed in his draft class. Although those tools didn’t show up while he was in the Orioles system, they certainly came through with the TinCaps. In 57 Midwest League games, Cunningham blasted 15 homers and posted a 133 wRC+, .928 OPS, and 12.9% walk rate. Cunningham also proved lethal against left-handers, posting a .317/.369/.817 slash line against them with Fort Wayne. Playing for this much power did come with its issues, though, as swing-and-miss remained a concern. The 23-year-old sported a 33.3% strikeout rate and 37.1% whiff rate with the TinCaps.
After a huge first pro season with Single-A Lake Elsinore, Alex McCoy proved that 2025 wasn’t a flash in the pan. During his tenure in the Summit City, McCoy posted a 110 wRC+, and a .369 wOBA across 427 plate appearances. The big man showed an impressive combination of power and willingness to take a walk and anchored the middle of the TinCaps lineup through the end of the year.
Alex McCoy squares up another one for the TinCaps early in the year. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Top Hitting Prospect: Alex McCoy (Unanimous)
Despite already being 24-years old, the 6-foot-7 Alex McCoy was our unanimous choice as Fort Wayne’s top hitting prospect for good reason. Sporting one of the system’s very few 80-grade tools — his power — McCoy showed he was far more than a one-trick pony in 2026. Yes, his .200 isolated power, 119.5 max exit velocity, 15 homers and 27 doubles, are likely the first things that will draw your attention when you look at McCoy’s numbers. However, he also made real the improvements on the margins. While he did swing and miss a fair amount, McCoy’s swing decisions weren’t bad. In fact, they were above average. He generated a 72.5% in-zone swing rate (77th percentile) and 80.8% in-zone contact rate (55th percentile). When faced with two-strike counts, McCoy showed a real approach, often clearly shortening his swing to play for more contact. Furthermore, McCoy’s power isn’t forced; given his size and ability to generate elite bat speed, his swing can be short, controlled, and still play for power. He’s also not simply a one-dimensional hulk. Though his defense will never be exceptional, he covers enough ground in the outfield not to be a liability, and he has enough speed and instincts to steel 21 bases in 27 attempts for the TinCaps. He’ll get a chance to showcase in the Arizona Fall League this year.
Rosman Verdugo got to more contact and more power in 2026. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Others of Note: When a shoulder injury ended his season in late July, Kavares Tears was on track to end the 2026 season leading the Padres system in homers. Despite the 13 round-trippers in 69 games, it was another somewhat disappointing season for the 2024 fourth-round pick. His .246 isolated power and 21.2% pull air rate were impressive, however, the left-handed batter whiffed at an abysmal 37.2% clip and struck out in north of 30% of his plate appearances. He finished the year with a .225/.326/.471 line and will likely need to return to Fort Wayne as a 24-year-old next year to try to establish himself. … Kasen Wells led the TinCaps with 118 games played. A contact first hitter, Wells hit .257 with just a .655 OPS. When he reached base, he once again proved to be a base-stealing threat, logging 26 swipes this season. Much like 2025, Wells showed nearly zero power, hitting only two homers– only one of which went over the fence– and logging 17 extra base hits. … In his second full season at Fort Wayne, Rosman Verdugo did show signs of improvement, most notably dropping his strikeout rate from 32.2% in 2025 to 26.0% in 2026. Along with cutting down the punch outs, Verdugo also mashed a career-best 15 homers. However, that somehow didn’t lead to a dramatic statistical improvement for the 21-year-old as he posted just a 91 wRC+, .725 OPS and .339 wOBA in 109 Midwest League games. … In his first full season on the High-A circuit, Lamar King Jr. struggled, slashing .234/.327/.325 in 93 games. Despite his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, King Jr. again failed to generate much in-game power, cranking only four long balls and posting just a .091 isolated power and .325 slugging percentage. When the Padres opted to go significantly over-slot to sign King out of high school in 2023, he was seen as a bat-first catcher whose receiving would need time. Now 1,180 plate appearances into his professional career, he owns just a .371 slugging percentage. … University of San Diego alum Jack Costello posted a .783 OPS and .355 wOBA in 340 plate appearances in his second year back with the TinCaps. Starting at four different positions in 2026, the 25-year-old had no true defensive home. An older college bat, Costello’s bat-to-ball skills were nonetheless notable, as he posted a strong 84.5% in-zone contact rate and 17.5% strikeout rate with Fort Wayne. … Last year’s tenth-rounder Justin DeCriscio did some nice things during his time with the TinCaps. In 73 games, the former NC State and USD shortstop launched nine homers and sported a .759 OPS. While he doesn’t have impressive raw power, DeCriscio made up for it by frequently lifting the ball on the pull side, posting a 22.1% pull-air rate with the TinCaps. Like Costello, the 23-year-old showed strong swing decisions and bat-to-ball skills, as shown by his 15.4% strikeout rate and 88.5% in-zone contact rate. … Backstop Robbie Lavey was the first member of the 2026 draft class to reach Fort Wayne, and he could be back there to open the 2027 season as well. College hitters’ performances during late-season showings in their draft year are notoriously high-variance, so there’s not much to read into his .241/.302/.431 line yet, but the 21-year-old has an intriguing mix of skills to watch for next year.
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