The Clearwater Threshers put together one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2026, finishing 74-55 and earning a fourth consecutive trip to the Florida State League playoffs. Clearwater went 40-26 to claim the FSL West first-half title, the club’s third first-half crown in four seasons. The Threshers were the only FSL team to reach 40 wins in the first half and one of just two teams in all of Single-A to hit that mark through 66 games. Brad Pacheco earned the win on June 13 that clinched the title. The overall winning percentage ranked seventh all-time in Clearwater minor league history.
The second half was a different story. Promotions, trades and injuries thinned the roster, and a weak Florida Complex League club offered limited reinforcements. Clearwater went 34-29 after the break.
Postseason Ends Early Against Tampa
The Threshers met the Tampa Tarpons (78-51) in the FSL West Division Series. Tampa had won the regular season series 13-11. Game 1 on September 8 at George M. Steinbrenner Field was a pitchers’ duel, and the Threshers lost 2-0. Nestor Cortes, on a rehab assignment, opened the game and took the loss. Pacheco followed with five innings of one-run relief, the longest relief outing of his career. Two nights later at BayCare Ballpark, Will Gasparino‘s first career triple gave Clearwater a brief lead in the sixth inning. Tampa rallied late for a 7-5 win to end the Threshers’ season.
Aaron Barrett Named Manager of the Year
Aaron Barrett was named Florida State League Manager of the Year in his first season managing a professional club. Less than a month earlier, Baseball America named him its Single-A Manager of the Year. Barrett is a former world champion reliever with the Washington Nationals. He retired as a player with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2022 and served as the Phillies’ minor league rehab pitching coordinator before taking over in Clearwater.
Four Threshers Named FSL All-Stars
Four Threshers were named FSL postseason All-Stars, more than any other team and the most for Clearwater since the move to Single-A in 2021. The honorees were catcher Alirio Ferrebus, outfielder Nathan Humphreys, starting pitcher Brad Pacheco and designated hitter Juan Villavicencio.
Ferrebus may have been the best hitter in the league before his late-July promotion to Jersey Shore. He hit .324 with a .520 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, 89 hits, 21 doubles and 58 RBI. His doubles and RBI totals still led the club into late August. He rose to No. 9 on MLB.com’s Phillies prospect list and is ranked as the system’s top catching prospect.
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Humphreys, an undrafted free agent out of Dallas Baptist, hit 12 home runs with 17 doubles in the first half alone. In 70 games he stole 21 bases in 26 attempts, drove in 41 runs, and struck out 49 times against 48 walks. He has not made an error in more than 700 minor league innings in the outfield.
Villavicencio broke out after missing much of the previous two seasons to injury. He hit .298 with 13 home runs, 20 stolen bases, five triples and an OPS of .923 in 70 games. His homer and steal totals both led the team when he was promoted in late July.
Pacheco anchored the rotation. He threw a team-high 101.1 innings with 111 strikeouts and just 22 walks. He was one of four FSL pitchers to top 100 innings and 100 strikeouts, and he earned weekly FSL honors before the All-Star break.
Offensive Leaders
Outfielder Jonathan Hogart led the club with 17 home runs. Shortstop Matthew Ferrara led in hits (100) and stolen bases (36). Nolan Beltran was second with 91 hits, and Robert Phelps added 80 hits and 19 steals. Among Clearwater’s leaders, Villavicencio posted the top slugging percentage (.540) and OPS (.923), followed by Ferrebus (.895) and Humphreys (.861).
Pitching Leaders
Behind Pacheco, Sean Youngerman threw 80.2 innings with 71 strikeouts, and Zuher Yousuf added 78.2 innings and 72 strikeouts. Ramon Marquez went 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA in six games before his promotion. Cade Obermueller (2.78) and Tanner Gresham (2.95) also had strong ERAs among starters. Top pitching prospect Gage Wood posted a 3.42 ERA before jumping straight to Double-A. In the bullpen, Richie Cortese (2.08), Luis Avila (2.45) and Tegan Cain (3.04) led in ERA, and Marty Gair struck out 42.6 percent of the batters he faced.
New Faces From the 2026 Draft
Several 2026 draftees debuted in Clearwater, including first-round pick Tyler Spangler. Second-round pick Caden Bogenpohl played only 20 games before an injury ended his season, but he produced a 117.1 mph batted ball, the hardest in Phillies organizational history. Fifth-rounder Will Gasparino played a solid center field and handled both velocity and off-speed pitches well.
Looking Ahead
The Threshers open 2027 in April at home against Tampa, the team that ended their 2026 season.
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