The University of Mississippi Athletics

#MLBRebs presented by Farm Bureau: August 2026 Update
8/13/2026 | Baseball
The 2026 Major and Minor League Baseball seasons are just over halfway finished with about a month or so left to go. There are 33 former Rebels competing across all ranks of professional baseball, working to live out their dreams of being MLB players. Keep reading to find out where your favorite Rebels are playing and how they are performing.
Ryan Rolison | Pitcher | Chicago Cubs
Record: 7-1 ERA: 2.28 G: 42 GS: 2 SV: 1 IP: 47.1 K: 47 BB: 20 WHIP: 1.20
Rolison has cemented himself as an essential piece of the Cubs' bullpen as they make a run at a NL Central Championship. The former first-round draft pick has allowed just one earned run over his last 12 appearances and has put together six-consecutive scoreless appearances.
Nick Fortes | Catcher | Tampa Bay Rays
AVG: .270 AB: 248 H: 67 R: 28 2B: 14 3B: 0 HR: 4 RBI: 29 BB: 8 SB: 0 OPS: .688
Fortes is the everyday catcher for the American League East leading Rays, playing in 87 games behind the plate. He hit .354 with 10 RBI and three home runs in the month of July.
Jacob Gonzalez | Infielder | Pittsburgh Pirates
AVG: .233 AB: 146 H: 34 R: 16 2B: 6 3B: 0 HR: 5 RBI: 26 BB: 8 SB: 1 OPS: .662
Gonzalez made his Major League debut on May 31 with the Chicago White Sox against the Detroit Tigers. He went 1-for-3 with his first big league hit in that game. He played in 30 games for the White Sox before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 11. Gonzalez has played in 23 games for the Pirates mostly as the team's shortstop.
Jacob Waguespack | Pitcher | Detroit Tigers
Record: 1-1 ERA: 1.52 G: 18 GS: 0 SV: 0 IP: 23.2 K: 15 BB: 9 WHIP: 0.89
Waguespack began the season in the Milwaukee Brewers' minor-league system but was traded by the Brewers to the Detroit Tigers on June 10. The Tigers added him to the bullpen on June 12, and he has been a welcome addition since. Waguespack has allowed just two earned runs over his last 16 appearances.
Gunnar Hoglund | Pitcher | Athletics
Record: ERA: G: GS: SV: IP: K: BB: WHIP:
Hoglund has been on the injured list since March 23 with a sprained right knee. He was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day on April 7.
James McArthur | Pitcher | Kansas City Royals
Record: ERA: G: GS: SV: IP: K: BB: WHIP:
McArthur has been on the injured list since March 25 with right elbow inflammation. He spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list while recovering from right elbow olecranon surgery.
Derek Diamond | Pitcher | Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh)
Record: 7-0 ERA: 3.07 G: 27 GS: 2 SV: 1 IP: 41.0 K: 38 BB: 4 WHIP: 1.10
Diamond has been having a breakout season since being activated off the injured list on May 23. He made five appearances with Double-A Altoona before being promoted to Triple-A on June 9. He went 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA over nine games in July and is currently 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in the month of August.
Xavier Rivas | Pitcher | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York AL)
Record: 6-5 ERA: 4.28 G: 20 GS: 16 SV: 0 IP: 82.0 K: 115 BB: 45 WHIP: 1.20
Rivas was promoted to Triple-A Scranton on August 11 after a month of July in which he posted a 1.08 ERA with 34 strikeouts over five starts. Since June 11, he tallied a 1.18 ERA, 4-1 record, 0.81 WHIP and .120 BAA with 57 K to 19 BB in 45.2 IP across nine outings.
Houston Roth | Pitcher | Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle)
Record: 2-3 ERA: 5.63 G: 32 GS: 3 SV: 4 IP: 48.0 K: 57 BB: 25 WHIP: 1.44
Roth has appeared in 32 games for Triple-A Tacoma after pitching in just 36 games last season. His 57 strikeouts have already surpassed his total from last season.
Cooper Johnson | Catcher | Round Rock Express (Texas)
AVG: .206 AB: 248 H: 51 R: 29 2B: 12 3B: 0 HR: 9 RBI: 42 BB: 32 SB: 3 OPS: .663
Johnson has played in 69 games for Triple-A Round Rock, playing behind the plate in 57 of them. He hit .265 with four home runs in the month of June.
Kemp Alderman | Outfielder | Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami)
AVG: .274 AB: 292 H: 80 R: 51 2B: 10 3B: 1 HR: 16 RBI: 50 BB: 27 SB: 8 OPS: .830
Alderman hit .361 with five home runs and 11 RBI in the month of May and had another big month in July, hitting .297 with 12 RBI and 10 runs scored. He has hit two home runs and driven in five runs over his last five games.
Grae Kessinger | Infielder | Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh)
AVG: .143 AB: 119 H: 17 R: 18 2B: 8 3B: 0 HR: 2 RBI: 24 BB: 23 SB: 2 OPS: .563
Kessinger signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8 after spending about two months in the New York Mets' organization. He was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis where he has played in 13 games so far.
Tim Elko | Infielder | Charlotte Knights (Chicago AL)
AVG: .169 AB: 65 H: 11 R: 8 2B: 2 3B: 0 HR: 3 RBI: 6 BB: 11 SB: 0 OPS: .627
Elko was activated off the injured list on July 9 and after a rehab assignment at High-A, he rejoined Triple-A Charlotte on July 21. He has already hit three home runs in 14 games with the Knights, two of them coming over his last four games.
Brandon Johnson | Pitcher | Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City)
Record: 2-3 ERA: 5.37 G: 46 GS: 1 SV: 4 IP: 57.0 K: 56 BB: 38 WHIP: 1.40
Johnson has allowed just six earned runs over 13 appearances since June 3. He posted a 1.74 ERA in the month of June, a 2.35 ERA in the month of July, and has yet to allow a run in August. Johnson has 10 strikeouts over his last three outings.
Dylan DeLucia | Pitcher | Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland)
Record: 1-5 ERA: 6.52 G: 21 GS: 17 SV: 0 IP: 77.1 K: 79 BB: 34 WHIP: 1.66
DeLucia posted a 2.16 ERA with 23 strikeouts in the month of May and currently has a 3.86 ERA with seven strikeouts over two outings in August.
Calvin Harris | Catcher | Birmingham Barons (Chicago AL)
AVG: .259 AB: 166 H: 43 R: 27 2B: 11 3B: 0 HR: 6 RBI: 33 BB: 27 SB: 3 OPS: .795
Harris spent most of the month of June on the injured list, but returned and hit .375 with seven RBI and seven doubles in the month of July. He has one home run and four RBI in just three games so far in August.
Josh Mallitz | Pitcher | San Antonio Missions (San Diego)
Record: 4-0 ERA: 4.10 G: 30 GS: 0 SV: 5 IP: 48.1 K: 49 BB: 19 WHIP: 1.10
Since returning from the injured list at the end of April, Mallitz has been exceptional for Double-A San Antonio. He posted an ERA of 1.64 in May, 1.35 in June, and 3.07 in July. So far in August he is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA and one save.
Luke Hill | Infielder | Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland)
AVG: .257 AB: 191 H: 49 R: 43 2B: 16 3B: 1 HR: 11 RBI: 45 BB: 40 SB: 9 OPS: .914
Hill began the season with High-A Lake County where he played in 38 games and hit .274 with 10 home runs before being promoted to Double-A on June 2. He hit .342 with 26 RBI and 23 runs scored in the month of May.
Drew McDaniel | Pitcher | Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago AL)
Record: 2-6 ERA: 4.35 G: 22 GS: 20 SV: 0 IP: 78.2 K: 80 BB: 34 WHIP: 1.28
McDaniel has started 20 games for High-A Winston-Salem after returning from an injury suffered in 2024. He posted a 2.29 ERA with 18 strikeouts in May and currently has a 2.70 ERA with 11 strikeouts over three starts in August.
Riley Maddox | Pitcher | Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington)
Record: 7-6 ERA: 4.00 G: 21 GS: 19 SV: 0 IP: 105.2 K: 99 BB: 40 WHIP: 1.22
Maddox has started 19 games and is approaching the 100-strikeout mark in his first full professional season. He posted a 3.25 ERA with 24 strikeouts in June and went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in the month of July.
Sam Tookoian | Pitcher | Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles AL)
Record: 1-3 ERA: 4.33 G: 35 GS: 0 SV: 13 IP: 35.1 K: 40 BB: 31 WHIP: 1.67
Tookoian has converted 13 of 16 save opportunities for High-A Tri-City. He did not allow an earned run in the entire month of June, stringing together 10-consecutive scoreless outings.
Tristan Bissetta | Outfielder | Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis)
AVG: .154 AB: 13 H: 2 R: 3 2B: 0 3B: 0 HR: 1 RBI: 2 BB: 0 SB: 0 OPS: .539
Bissetta signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 17 and arrived in Peoria on August 7. He hit a home run in his first game with the Chiefs on August 7 and has played in three games so far.
Patrick Galle | Pitcher | Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis)
Record: 3-3 ERA: 6.17 G: 36 GS: 0 SV: 6 IP: 42.1 K: 51 BB: 37 WHIP: 1.75
Galle was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5 and has since spent most of his season with Peoria. He posted a 3.86 ERA with 10 strikeouts over eight games in the month of July.
Mason Nichols | Pitcher | Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay)
Record: 3-3 ERA: 4.44 G: 36 GS: 0 SV: 6 IP: 50.2 K: 62 BB: 28 WHIP: 1.36
Nichols was promoted to High-A Bowling Green on July 7 after opening the season with Single-A Charleston. He went 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 20 strikeouts in the month of June.
Landon Waters | Pitcher | Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
Record: 0-0 ERA: 7.36 G: 4 GS: 0 SV: 0 IP: 3.2 K: 5 BB: 3 WHIP: 1.36
Waters was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 17th round of the 2026 MLB Draft and arrived in Dunedin on July 28. He made his professional debut that day and picked up his first career strikeout.
Will McCausland | Pitcher | Lake County Captains (Cleveland)
Record: 2-5 ERA: 5.50 G: 20 GS: 11 SV: 0 IP: 86.2 K: 85 BB: 30 WHIP: 1.40
McCausland was promoted to High-A Lake County on June 22 after beginning the season with Single-A Hill City. He is approaching both the 100-inning and 100-strikeout mark in his first professional season.
Mason Morris | Pitcher | Daytona Tortugas (Cincinnati)
Record: 3-6 ERA: 5.63 G: 20 GS: 13 SV: 0 IP: 86.1 K: 85 BB: 56 WHIP: 1.71
Morris has spent his entire season with Single-A Daytona, making 13 starts for the Tortugas. He is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA so far in the month of August.
Cole Tolbert | Pitcher | Salem RidgeYaks (Boston)
Record: 2-1 ERA: 3.23 G: 13 GS: 10 SV: 0 IP: 39.0 K: 43 BB: 16 WHIP: 1.10
Tolbert was reinstated from the injured list on May 5 and made his first appearance since 2024 on May 9. He posted a 2.25 ERA with 14 strikeouts in the month of July.
Brayden Jones | Pitcher | Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay)
Record: 0-0 ERA: 3.60 G: 12 GS: 6 SV: 1 IP: 15.0 K: 16 BB: 14 WHIP: 1.80
Jones was reinstated from the injured list on June 19 and made his first professional pitching appearance on the same day. In six games with Single-A Charleston, Jones has posted a 2.35 ERA with two holds and one save.
Doug Nikhazy | Pitcher | ACL Cubs (Chicago NL)
Record: 0-5 ERA: 10.31 G: 15 GS: 9 SV: 0 IP: 43.2 K: 49 BB: 37 WHIP: 2.22
Nikhazy was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs on April 28 after spending about three weeks as a member of the Chicago White Sox organization. He did make one appearance at the Major League level while with the White Sox, closing out a 9-2 win over the Athletics. He last pitched on July 4 for Triple-A Iowa.
Connor Spencer | Pitcher | South Bend Cubs (Chicago NL)
Record: ERA: G: GS: SV: IP: K: BB: WHIP:
Spencer was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round last summer. He has been placed on the full season injured list for the 2026 season.
Kyler Carmack | Pitcher | Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia)
Record: ERA: G: GS: SV: IP: K: BB: WHIP:
Carmack was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 22.
Jack Dougherty | Pitcher | Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota)
Record: ERA: G: GS: SV: IP: K: BB: WHIP:
Dougherty was placed on the full season injured list on March 17.
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