Major League Baseball’s regular season is in the books, and Florida State had a big footprint across the league in 2026. The Seminoles placed 11 players on MLB rosters this year, their highest total since 2009, and four of them are set to keep playing into October.
Among the most impactful seasons was Parker Messick’s run with the Guardians. The Plant City native emerged as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball, putting himself squarely in the AL Rookie of the Year conversation.
In 32 starts, Messick logged 186.1 innings with a 2.56 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 193 batters, walked 49, and held opponents to a .217 average.
Through 39 career starts, his ERA sits at 2.59. Cleveland enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the American League and will open on October 3 against the Astros or White Sox.
Shane Drohan also carved out a significant role, making his debut on April 8 and going on to appear in 33 games for the Brewers, including 19 starts. The left-hander finished 7-5 with two saves across 124.2 innings, posting a 4.19 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.
He struck out 125, walked 44, and limited hitters to a .255 average. Milwaukee earned the No. 1 seed in the National League and will begin its postseason on October 3 against the Padres or Cubs.
Luke Weaver was another steady arm, splitting the year between the Mets and Pirates after moving just before the trade deadline. The right-handed reliever worked in 60 games and threw 60.1 innings, finishing with a 2.69 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He struck out 65, walked 16, and held opponents to a .194 average.
Jack Anderson’s season included a debut and a move. He first reached the majors with the Red Sox on April 14, then later joined the Twins.
Across the two clubs, the right-hander made seven relief appearances and threw 12.1 innings. He recorded one save in his only chance, finished with a 2.19 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, and struck out 12 while walking three.
Tyler Holton kept doing what he does in Detroit’s bullpen, finishing his fourth full season with the Tigers. The left-handed reliever made 67 appearances, 64 of them in relief, and picked up two wins, 15 holds, and two saves.
Over 72 innings, he posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, struck out 55, walked 19, and held opponents to a .259 average. In his career, he owns a 2.65 ERA over 339.1 innings.
Brandon Leibrandt’s season was brief but notable. He made one major league appearance for the Reds, tossing six innings in relief for his first MLB outing since 2024 and his eighth overall. He allowed 10 hits, five runs, and three walks, struck out three, and needed 99 pitches to get through the outing.
Cole Sands dealt with injuries and appeared in only 13 games for the Twins. He threw 12 innings and finished with an 8.25 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. His career ERA now stands at 4.42 over 207.2 innings.
Cam Smith played a full second season with the Astros, getting into 157 games and taking 510 at-bats. The right fielder hit .210 with a .279 on-base percentage, .390 slugging percentage, and .669 OPS.
He added 17 doubles, six triples, and 21 home runs, an increase of 12 homers from his rookie year, while scoring 67 runs, driving in 56, drawing 44 walks, and stealing 12 bases. Houston is the No. 3 seed in the American League and opens Tuesday against the White Sox.
Cal Raleigh also logged a heavy workload, appearing in 126 games for the Mariners and collecting 451 at-bats. The switch-hitting catcher hit .182 with a .296 OBP, .368 SLG%, and .664 OPS. He finished with 15 doubles, 23 home runs, 49 runs scored, and 69 RBIs.
CJ Van Eyk made his MLB debut on July 17 for the Blue Jays and appeared in five games, including one start. In 11.2 innings, the right-hander allowed 15 hits, seven earned runs, and two walks while striking out three.
Taylor Walls saw a substantial role for the Rays, playing in 124 games and taking 369 at-bats, the second-most of his six-year career. The switch-hitting shortstop hit .222 with a .309 OBP, .298 SLG%, and .607 OPS.
He produced 18 doubles, two triples, and two home runs, scored 60 runs, drove in 36, and stole 21 bases. Tampa Bay is the No. 1 seed in the American League and will open the postseason on October 3 against the Yankees or Red Sox.
In Other News...
Mike Locksley Is Suddenly In A Conversation Maryland Fans Dread
Week 4 turned up the heat across college football, and Mike Norvell found himself part of a wider conversation about coaches under pressure after another rough weekend. Florida States season has already shifted the tone around the program, and when losses pile up this early, every next game starts to carry a little more weight for a coach trying to steady things before the schedule tightens further.
Norvell is hardly the only name in that mix, with Marylands Mike Locksley, South Carolinas Shane Beamer, Colorados Deion Sanders and others all getting pulled into the same uncomfortable chatter about job security and buyout math. For Florida State, the stakes are less about the national noise and more about what comes next, because every result from here on out will be measured not just as a loss or a win, but as part of a larger answer to where this season is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Is Climbing Again As ACC Rivals Already Slip
Florida State kept moving in the right direction in Week 4, handling Central Arkansas and adding another comfortable result to a start that looks a lot sturdier than the one that had fans on edge not long ago. In the latest ACC power ranking, the Seminoles are clearly climbing back toward the top tier while the league around them keeps sorting itself out, with some rivals already taking hits that could matter later in the race.
Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Boston College all have their own issues to clean up, and Wake Forests upset of Louisville only added to the sense that the conference is still wide open in spots. Virginia Tech is also still being watched as a team with the kind of pieces that could make things interesting, but for Florida State the larger takeaway is simple enough: the path ahead looks a little cleaner when the teams around you are stumbling. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Still Has An ACC Path But One Problem Looms
Florida States season has already reached the point where every ACC week feels like a referendum on the bigger picture. After a 2-2 start and an 0-1 mark in league play, the Seminoles are still staring at a workable path through their remaining seven conference games, with the goal of putting themselves in position for the 2026 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
The encouraging part is that the ingredients for a turnaround are at least visible. Ousmane Kromah has to keep giving the offense traction on the ground, Ashton Daniels needs to settle into a steadier rhythm at quarterback, and the pass rush has shown signs of getting better even if the sack numbers have not fully caught up yet. The larger question is whether Florida State can turn those separate pieces into something dependable before the league schedule tightens the pressure even more. [Read more 🡒]