Former Diamond Dawg players set for 2026 Minor League Baseball season
Opening Day in Major League Baseball is underway and the Minor League baseball teams are on the verge of all getting into the swing of things as well.
33 former Mississippi State players are taking center stage in the 2026 season as they look to make a move up the ranks and get to a main roster. Seven of those are very close and competing in Triple A with J.P. France, Konnor Pilkington and Justin Foscue having already experienced life in the Big Leagues.
Here’s a look at the group of former Dawgs competing this season.
Triple A:
RHP JP France – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros)
Last Season: 2-2, 6.59 ERA, 9 App., 6 S, 27.1 IP, 25 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 22 BB, 28 K
Career Stats: 22-19, 3.96 ERA, 109 app., 63 S, 5 SV, 393.1 IP, 330 H, 196 R, 173 ER, 198 BB, 478 K
LHP Konnor Pilkington – Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers)
Last Season: 4-3, 2.59 ERA, 36 App., 3 S, 2 SV, 41.2 IP, 23 H, 19 R, 12 ER, 27 BB, 50 K
Career Stats: 24-35, 4.99 ERA, 163 App., 107 S, 2 SV, 494.1 IP, 456 H, 293 R, 274 ER, 259 BB, 533 K
RHP Eric Cerantola – Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals)
Last Season: 2-2, 4.04 ERA, 38 App., 1 S, 1 SV, 49.0 IP, 40 H, 24 R, 22 ER, 24 BB, 63 K
Career: 9-13, 3.71 ERA, 121 app., 24 S, 4 SV, 233.0 IP, 179 H, 112 R, 96 ER, 141 BB, 308 K
LHP Christian MacLeod –St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins)
Last Season: 4-5, 4.34 ERA, 27 App., 17 S, 87.0 IP, 84 H, 48 R, 42 ER, 47 BB, 94 K
Career Stats : 13-11, 3.90 ERA, 66 App, 53 S, 1 SV, 251.2 IP, 227 H, 124 R, 109 ER, 127 BB, 275 K
LHP Andrew Walling – Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies)
Last Season: 4-6, 3.97 ERA, 43 App., 6 SV, 47.2 IP, 37 H, 27 R, 21 ER, 22 BB, 54 K
Career Stats: 20-9, 3.32 ERA, 134 App., 22 SV, 168.0 IP, 124 H, 76 R, 62 ER, 87 BB, 206 K
RHP Will Bednar – Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants)
Last Season: 2-3, 5.68 ERA, 38 App., 1 SV, 52.1 IP, 51 H, 34 R, 33 ER, 39 BB, 84 K
Career: 6-12, 5.12 ERA, 90 App., 32 S, 1 SV, 167.0 IP, 130 H, 105 R, 95 ER, 116 BB, 232 K
2B Justin Foscue – Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers)
Last Season: 106 G, .256, 104 H, 66 R, 28 2B, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 46 BB, 64 K, 7-7 SB
Career: 445 G, .272, 460 H, 309 R, 120 2B, 6 3B, 79 HR, 320 RBI, 244 BB, 311 K, 29-44 SB
Double A:
RHP K.C. Hunt – Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Last Season: 7-9, 4.45 ERA, 26 S, 121.1 IP, 111 H, 63 R, 60 ER, 43 BB, 122 K
Career: 15-12, 3.36 ERA, 55 App., 40 S, 1 SV, 227.2 IP, 185 H, 89 R, 85 ER, 70 BB, 266 K
RHP Landon Sims – Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Last Season: 4-2, 3.63 ERA, 49 App., 12 SV, 52.0 IP, 51 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 31 BB, 57 K
Career: 8-6, 3.72 ERA, 105 App., 14 S, 14 SV, 135.1 IP, 127 H, 68 R, 56 ER, 71 BB, 170 K
RHP Tyson Hardin – Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers)
Last Season: 6-5, 2.72 ERA, 21 S, 96.0 IP, 96 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 17 BB, 96 K
Career: 7-5, 2.80 ERA, 23 App., 22 S, 99.2 IP, 100 H, 35 R, 31 ER, 19 BB, 98 K
RHP Khal Stephen – Akron Rubber Ducks (Cleveland Guardians)
Last Season: 9-2, 2.53 ERA, 22 App., 21 S, 1 SV, 103.0 IP, 82 H, 32 R, 29 ER, 20 BB, 110 K
Career: Same
BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje – Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
Last Season: 5-7, 3.99 ERA, 26 App., 23 S, 108.1 IP, 81 H, 50 R, 48 ER, 51 BB, 120 K
Career: Same
LHP Houston Harding – Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels)
Last Season: 0-0, 5.03 ERA, 8 App., 19.2 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 10 BB, 19 K
Career: 10-4, 4.47 ERA, 83 App., 16 S, 1 SV, 207.1 IP, 199 H, 120 R, 103 ER, 101 BB, 202 K
3B Kamren James – Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
Last Season: 47 G, .167, 23 H, 14 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 14 BB, 47 K, 2-3 SB
Career: 202 G, .222, 151 H, 92 R, 21 2B, 4 3B, 19 HR, 81 RBI, 60 BB, 219 K, 15-24 SB
OF Colton Ledbetter – Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
Last Season: 123 G, .265, 123 H, 67 R, 24 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 51 BB, 128 K, 38-50 SB
Career: 253 G, .269, 251 H, 142 R, 53 2B, 10 3B, 25 HR, 126 RBI, 99 BB, 271 K, 75-96 SB
SS David Mershon – Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels)
Last Season: 91 G, .182, 55 H, 35 R, 12 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 57 BB, 93 K, 27-31 SB
Career: 120 G, .202, 84 H, 48 R, 17 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 69 BB, 124 K, 32-37 SB
High A:
RHP Brooks Auger – Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Last Season: 3-8, 5.12 ERA, 22 App., 17 S, 2 SV, 91.1 IP, 94 H, 59 R, 52 ER, 41 BB, 61 K
Career: Same
RHP Nate Dohm – Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals)
Last Season: 3-7, 3.24 ERA, 23 App, 22 S, 75.0 IP, 67 H, 35 R, 27 ER, 32 BB, 90 K
Career: Same
RHP Colby Holcombe – Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays)
Last Season: 3-11, 5.40 ERA, 25 App., 15 S, 75.0 IP, 80 H, 50 R, 45 ER, 45 BB, 70 K
Career: 3-11, 4.80 ERA, 31 App., 20 S, 90.0 IP, 90 H, 53 R, 48 ER, 52 BB, 82 K
RHP Cade Smith – Hudson Valley Renegades (New York Yankees)
Last Season: 2-1, 2.50 ERA, 11 S, 39.2 IP, 24 H, 11 R, 18 BB, 42 K
Career: 8-8, 3.31 ERA, 32 App., 30 S, 133.1 IP, 87 H, 55 R, 49 ER, 61 BB, 160 K
Single-A:
RHP Jackson Fristoe – Tampa Tarpons (Yankees)
Last Season: 7-2, 4.30 ERA, 32 App., 2 SV, 58.2 IP, 46 H, 32 R, 28 ER, 32 BB, 46 K
Career: 9-9, 4.32 ERA, 57 App., 23 S, 2 SV, 133.1 IP, 98 H, 70 R, 64 ER, 88 BB, 131 K
RHP Cam Schuelke – Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)
Last Season: 4-1, 3.90 ERA, 19 App., 3 SV, 27.2 IP, 25 H, 12 R, 12 BB, 33 K
Career: 5-1, 2.97 ERA, 27 App., 5 SV, 36.1 IP, 29 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 18 BB, 44 K
RHP Evan SIary – Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers)
Last Season: 0-0, 7.50 ERA, 4 App., 3 S, 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Career: Same
RHP Aaron Nixon – Tampa Tarpons (New York Yankees)
Last Season: N/A
Career: 4-3, 5.40 ERA, 39 App., 5 SV, 61.2 IP, 46 H, 41 R, 37 ER, 48 BB, 63 K
OF Connor Hujsak – Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays)
Last Season: 99 G, .234, 89 H, 57 R, 20 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 53 RBI, 33 BB, 123 K, 28-30 SB
Career: 121 G, .241, 112 H, 71 R, 26 2B, 7 3B, 12 HR, 74 RBI, 39 BB, 144 K, 33-35 SB
OF Dakota Jordan – San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants)
Last Season: 88 G, .311, 115 H, 71 R, 15 2B, 6 3B, 14 HR, 82 RBI, 37 BB, 95 K, 27-31 SB
Career: 90 G, .305, 115 H, 72 R, 15 2B, 6 3B, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 37 BB, 97 K, 28-32 SB
Rookie:
LHP Pico Kohn – FCL Yankees (New York Yankees)
Last Season: N/A
Career: N/A
RHP Karson Ligon – FCL Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
Last Season: N/A
Career: N/A
LHP Luke Dotson – ACL D-backs (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Last Season: N/A
Career: N/A
RHP Nate Williams – ACL Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
Last Season: N/A
Career: N/A
RHP Jacob Pruitt – FCL Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies)
Last Season: N/A
Career: N/A
1B Hunter Hines – FCL Nationals (Washington Nationals)
Last Season: N/A
Career: N/A
Injured:
RHP Logan Tanner – Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds) – On 60-Day Injured List
Last Season: 12 G, .121, 4 H, 5 R, 3 RBI, 9 BB, 14 K
Career: 163 G, .189, 101 H, 73 R, 30 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 63 RBI, 90 BB, 187 K, 1-2 SB
