2026 Fort Wayne TinCaps Pitcher of the Year

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.

Pitcher of the Year: Carson Montgomery (John, Kevin, Ben); Clay Edmondson (David, Clark)

After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in early 2024, Carson Montgomery returned to the mound this year for his first full professional season. Over his first 11 starts, the former Florida State Seminole looked good, posting a 2.74 ERA and 23.9% strikeout rate in his first 49 1/3 innings pitched against Midwest League hitters. However, as the season rolled along, Midwest League hitters began figuring the right-hander out, as he allowed 10 homers and posted a 4.9 BB/9 over his final 12 starts with the TinCaps. If there’s a silver lining to his struggle-filled second half, it’s that his velocity ticked up, as Montgomery sat 94-96 for the final month-plus of the season—a notable improvement from when he sat 92-94 mph during the first half of the year. … During his time at Fort Wayne, Clay Edmondson was one of the most dominant relievers on the High-A circuit. In 27 innings pitched with the TinCaps, the right-hander posted a 1.67 ERA, 3.75 FIP and held opposing hitters to just a .133 batting average. Due to his funky side-arm delivery the 2025 14th round selection was able to generate plenty of soft contact, as he sported a strong 50% ground ball rate. But even more impressive was his ability to make hitters swing and miss, as in his 23 appearances at High-A, Edmondson struck out a third of the batters he faced and generated a 28.9% whiff rate. His performance was enough to be named to the 2026 Midwest League All Star team.

Pitching Prospect of the Year: Tucker Musgrove (Unanimous)

24-year-old Tucker Musgrove has some of the – if not the – best pure stuff in the Padres system, and it showed during his time in Fort Wayne. After a delayed start to the season, the right-hander struggled out of the gate, yielding four earned runs and posting a walk rate north of 25 percent in his first four outings. After shaking off the rust, Musgrove settled in over his final 15.2 innings pitched with the TinCaps, posting an elite 45.8% strikeout rate, 2.30 ERA and 2.74 FIP. With a fastball that hits triple digits and a pair of wicked breaking balls to headline his pitch-mix, the former college two-way player generated a 45.7% whiff rate and allowed just a 71% in zone contact rate. When batters did make contact, it often stayed on the ground, as Musgrove owned a 64.7% ground ball rate. Musgrove received a promotion to Double-A in late June, and while his stuff continued to flash while with the Missions, his season was ultimately cut short when he was placed on the IL in late August. He ultimately underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery to address pain he’d been experiencing in his right elbow much of the year. It’s a procedure that often is done in conjunction with Tommy John surgery, but Musgrove only needed the nerve procedure. He and the organization hope he’ll have a recovery time around the median length and be ready when spring training opens in February.

Other Notables: After starting the season on the 60-day IL, Kannon Kemp joined Fort Wayne in early July. In his nine appearances with the TinCaps, the right-hander showed flashes but ultimately struggled, posting a 5.73 ERA and 5.22 FIP while opponents hit .312 against him. Kemp’s fastball sat 97-98 mph and topped out at 99.4 mph, but it is an incredibly straight offering. He showed the ability to fill up the zone, but even with the velocity, the shape translated to a pedestrian 28.5% whiff rate and 19.3% strikeout rate. For a second straight season, Kemp will head to the Arizona Fall League to get extra work and innings. Now three years removed from drawing third-round signing money, the big righty from Texas has a 5.80 career ERA in just 116.1 innings. … Abraham Parra, who will turn 21 in December, worked 89 innings for Fort Wayne and the results weren’t great. In 16 starts and five bullpen appearances, Parra posted a 5.76 ERA and 5.13 FIP. Parra also struggled with command, posting a 13.9% walk rate and landing only 45.2% of his pitches in the zone. … Igor Gil tossed 33 2/3 innings at the Summit City, and ended his time with the TinCaps with a 5.08 ERA, 4.42 FIP, and 4.79 xFIP. While the southpaw was nearly three years older than his average competition, he generated impressive swing-and-miss numbers, posting a 31% strikeout rate and 34.2% whiff rate. Gil, who earned a midseason promotion to Double-A San Antonio, will continue to throw this month at the Arizona Fall League. … Big righty Matthew Watson, the team’s 13th-rounder pick in 2024, tossed 61 innings on the High-A circuit and posted a 5.87 ERA and 5.67 FIP. The 24-year-old allowed an opponent wOBA of .343 and generated just a 20.6% whiff rate… Would-be closer Will Varmette struggled yet again. The former non-drafted free agent, has intriguing arm talent, but has allowed opposing batters to hit .278 with an .820 OPS. If you’re looking for a silver lining, Varmette ended his time with the TinCaps on a high note: over his final 19.1 innings, he posted a 1.86 ERA, 3.57 FIP, and a 25.6% strikeout rate… Former Golden Spikes nominee Jamie Hitt was a workhorse for Fort Wayne, just not a very effective one. In 57 2/3 innings, Hitt posted a 5.31 ERA and allowed opposing hitters an .812 OPS. … After showing so much sign of promise in 2024, Isaiah Lowe turned in another rough season. The organization hoped the right-hander could find his groove in a different role. That wouldn’t be the case. In 55 2/3 innings pitched he posted a 7.56 ERA. Perhaps most concerning, though, is that Lowe couldn’t get anyone to swing and miss, generating a just a 28.1% whiff rate and mere 18.1% K%.