Futures League Alumni in MLB Report: March/April 2026

Headlined by a record 12 players making Opening Day rosters and the first debutant of 2026, it was a busy start to the Major League Baseball (MLB) season for Futures League alumni.

ALUMNI IN THE PROS

A pair of alumni helped lead the New York Yankees to an American League-best 21 wins before the calendar turned to May, including former Futures League Most Valuable Player Ben Rice (Worcester '19-'20) who ranked second in the majors with a 1.157 OPS and hit six of his 11 total home runs over the last 13 games alone. Rice's early surge included a streak of four straight games with a homer from April 16-19.

Meanwhile, Cam Schlittler (Nashua '19) has emerged as a top-flight pitcher in his first full MLB season, going 4-1 in seven starts while leading the Yankees with a 1.51 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. His 0.74 WHIP was tops in all of baseball. The former Northeastern University star threw eight innings and allowed just one earned run in an April 23 win against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers have had three Futures League alumni on their roster this season, with former Bryant University star Ryan Ward (Worcester '16) becoming the first MLB debutant of 2026. Ward went 2-for-5 with an RBI in his April 19 debut against the Colorado Rockies and has appeared in two major league games so far. 

Also in Hollywood, Emmet Sheehan (Bristol '18 & New Britain '20) finished April with his best start yet, striking out 10 across 6.1 innings of one-run ball on April 24 against the Chicago Cubs. Sheehan also began the month with back-to-back wins. Former Futures League Top Pro Prospect Ben Casparius (New Britain '20) logged two scoreless outings to begin the season. 

The Houston Astros and Athletics also have a pair of former Futures Leaguers on their respective rosters. In Houston, Dustin Harris (Worcester '18) is holding down a spot while former Gold Glove-winning shortstop Jeremy Peña (Torrington '15) remains on the injured list. Harris, who was claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on April 18, recorded four of his five RBI in his final three April games and has already stolen a career-high four bases this season. Peña hit safely in eight of his first 10 contests and is trending back towards a return from a hamstring strain this month.

The league's longest-tenured MLB alum is fellow Northeastern product in Aaron Civale (Worcester '14), who has found a new home in the starting rotation for the Athletics after making appearances for three different teams in 2025. Civale, who has appeared on seven consecutive Opening Day rosters, was 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA through his first six starts. He allowed two runs or fewer in four of those. Zack Gelof (Brockton '18) was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 10 and has also suited up in 16 games for the A's, hitting his first homer of the season on April 24 against the Texas Rangers. It was his first of two multi-RBI performances in a five-game span.

The Washington Nationals' Opening Day starter, Cade Cavalli (Pittsfield '17) has enjoyed a strong first full year back in the majors, working his way back up after being injured in 2023 and pitching in the minors for most of the last two seasons. The University of Oklahoma product boasts 3.82 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 30.2 innings after fanning 10 batters in back-to-back outings to end April. He was the first Nats pitcher to accomplish that feat since 2020.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (North Shore '18 & '20) not only had his own Opening Day to remember with a home run against the Chicago White Sox on March 26, but he also went deep twice during the final April series against the Arizona Diamondbacks to give him three long balls on the season. The two-time Futures League Top Pro Prospect has been Milwaukee's everyday right fielder, where was a 2024 Gold Glove Award winner.

After making his MLB debut on 2025 Opening Day, Matt Shaw (Worcester '20-'21) has worked his way into regular status with the Chicago Cubs and also has three homers with 10 RBI. He recorded multiple hits in five of his first 28 games, including his first career game with three extra-base knocks on April 15 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The former University of Maryland star hit back-to-back jacks on April 5-6.

Left-hander Matt Gage (Pittsfield '12) has been a go-to reliever for first-year manager Tony Vitello and the San Francisco Giants, posting a 2-1 record and 1.42 ERA through his team-leading 14 appearances through the first month. Gage has had two streaks of seven outings in which he did not give up an earned run. 

Staying in the bullpen, former Futures League Relief Pitcher of the Year and University of Maine product Cody Laweryson (Worcester '17) had eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings and converted his lone save opportunity with the Minnesota Twins, while Matt Svanson (Brockton '19) has also made double-digit appearances and has at least one strikeout in 11 of his last 14 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

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