Mid-Midseason Report
by Nick Clementi
We are officially past the halfway point in the first half of the 2026 Pioneer Baseball League season, inching closer to crowning two of the four playoff berths for the year. As a reminder to those new to the PBL, the top two teams from each half reach the postseason. If a team finishes in the top two spots in both halves, the team with the best overall record who did not finish in the top two will reach the postseason.
Standings Update:
Starting around the PBL, the Billings Mustangs are in first place with a record of 19-5. Despite playing all 24 games at elevation, Billings’ pitching staff has been the second-best in the PBL by ERA. Just a half-game back of first place are the Long Beach Coast in their inaugural season, leading the league in both home runs and ERA. For Ballers and other curious PBL fans, the LBC has the tougher schedule ahead, with five vs Oakland, six vs Modesto, and twelve vs Yuba-Sutter. Billings’ next few weeks include six vs Great Falls, six vs Idaho Falls, and three vs RedPocket.
The group of Boise, Glacier, Modesto, Ogden, and Missoula are all within three to six games back of Long Beach for the second seed. The Glacier Range Riders stand out as an early contender, having swept Oakland to start the month and coming out nearly .500 in nine games against the red-hot Billings Mustangs. After taking five of six from last place Idaho Falls, the Boise Hawks are also on Billings’ heels. And Ogden has a favorable schedule ahead, with three against 11th-place RedPocket, six in Boise, and three against 10th-place Great Falls.
The next tier in the PBL includes Oakland, Yuba-Sutter, and Great Falls. The Ballers are 7 games back of the 2nd seed, with the Freebirds and Voyagers just behind Oakland. Though on the cusp of falling out of the first half race, the B’s just took four of six in Missoula and could be in the hunt with a winning week at home. The Freebirds of Yuba-Sutter have a challenging road ahead, with two more in Modesto before six against the Coast.
Idaho Falls and the barnstorming RedPocket Mobiles are in the final tier, essentially out of the first half playoff chase. The Chukars were a win away from a PBL title last season, but after an offseason that led to their manager Troy Percival leaving for Long Beach and most of their core group heading elsewhere, Idaho Falls has stumbled to a 3-21 start. Prior to the Mobiles’ road trip to Marysville, they had started the season with a 1-17 record. A lot of credit should go to RedPocket for coming together and taking four of six at Yuba-Sutter last series despite all of the adversity that comes with having no permanent home or fans.
Early Standout Hitters
PBL Rookie OF Sam Canton hasn’t let Idaho Falls’ record affect his performance, as he leads the league with a ridiculous 1.277 OPS among players with 70+ at bats. Canton already has five 3+ hit games this month.
Long Beach OF and former Chukar Eddy Pelc has been an OBP machine (Kevin Youkilis might need to hand over the “greek god of walks” mantra), reaching base at a .609 clip with 42 walks in 25 games.
Oakland 1B Jeter Ybarra hit three home runs last night against Long Beach to take the PBL lead in home runs with twelve. His .725 slugging percentage comes along with a very respectable .375 on-base percentage in just his first year of pro ball.
Ogden SS Chase Valentine has enjoyed his first taste of the PBL after four seasons in the Padres organization. Valentine is first in doubles, first in hits, and a perfect 13 for 13 in stolen bases.
LBC Pitching Coasting
Left-hander Brett Wozniak has been the anchor for the Coast’s staff after following pitching coach Jerome Williams from Yuba-Sutter to SoCal this past offseason. Wozniak’s sparkling 2.64 ERA ranks first in the PBL among pitchers who have made at least three starts. Right-hander Jack Martin has been quite good as well with a 3.54 ERA and three quality starts in his second season in the league.
Long Beach’s bullpen has been just as dependable as their rotation; Julien Hernandez and Zach Voelker have combined for 54 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. Hernandez’ 0.71 WHIP is a rarity in the very hitter-friendly Pioneer League. Their pitching success comes with one caveat: the ballclub will not have to pitch in altitude until late July, when they play six games in Ogden and six at Glacier.
Ballers Finding their Groove?
The Oakland Ballers now sit at 12-13 in the first half following a knockout round win over Long Beach last night. The defending champions have had a rocky start to the year, particularly with their 1-5 start to the two week trip in Montana. The bullpen has been overused and injuries have piled up, though the B’s may have pressed the re-set button after a brutal loss in Great Falls. As Dispatches previously noted, the team had a night out on the town following the game. It’s hard to break down vibes or chemistry as I’m not in the locker room, but the results do speak for themselves. After their loss that night, Oakland has suddenly gone on a 5-2 run, with a series win over Missoula and a comeback victory last night to start a critical series with Long Beach.
As good as the Ballers’ hitting has mostly been, pitching has been the missing piece. Charlie Hurley returning from the IL to throw a 1-hit gem four days ago and CJ Blowers throwing six quality innings last night could be the start of better things to come. Their importance to the B’s rotation only increased after Gabe Tanner signed with the White Sox organization.
Despite being seven games back of a playoff spot, the Ballers are done playing in elevation for the year and have opportunities ahead against their California foes. They have two more games vs Long Beach before Modesto comes to town for three.
Nick Clementi is an Oakland native and lifelong Oakland baseball fan. He enjoys long walks on the beach and summer nights at Raimondi Park. He’s a Scrappy enthusiast who doesn't believe in sacrifice bunts. Sports content moderator by day, Ballers beat writer by night. Find him on Instagram and Twitter.
