Ontario Tower Buzzers 2026 Season Report
There was good news and bad news with the Dodgers MiB Affiliates. All four affiliates made the post season, but their combined record for Ontario, Great Lakes, and Tulsa was 1-6. OKC does not start their playoff run until Tuesday, September 22 in Las Vegas vs the Aviators (A’s). I try to do a season summary for each of the affiliates after the season. I call it my autopsy report. Identify the potential future stars, and perhaps identify others we may want to follow in 2027 and beyond.
ONTARIO TOWER BUZZERS
This was Ontario’s inaugural season in the California League. Ontario is owned and operated by Diamond Baseball Holdings. The California League Dodgers’ affiliate for the previous 15 years (2011-2025) was the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
Ontario won the 2nd half of the South Division of the California League. They reached the playoffs facing Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) in the South Division Championship Series. Lake Elsinore beat Ontario 2 games to none. Lake Elsinore went on to win the California League Championship after beating the North Division Champions, San Jose Giants. Ontario had the 2nd best overall record in the California League with a 71-61 record, behind only San Jose (80-52).
The California League is a celebrated hitter friendly league, and like most teams in the Cal League the offense carried them.
Ontario led the League in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, Hits, HR, Triples, and Strikeouts. They were number 2 in the League in runs scored and doubles. They were number 3 in BB and number 6 in SB.
There were 7 Ontario hitters with double digit HR.
· 20-year-old 1B Easton Shelton was far and away the best offensive player in the California League. He led the League in HR, RBI, XBH, SLG, OPS. He was top 10 in several other metrics – OBP (#2), BA (#4), Hits (#4), Runs (#4), BB (#4), Doubles (#6), and yes K (#2).
Three other Ontario hitters represented top 10 California League offensive leaders in at least 7 stats.
· Before getting moved to Great Lakes (August 4), 21-year-old Super Utility Mairo Martinus was top 10 in 8 offensive categories. BA (#2), SLG (#2), Triples (#2), Hits (#3), XBH (#4), Runs (#5), HR (#9), and Doubles (#10). I wonder where he would have landed if he played the full season in Ontario. Yes, I preferred that he got promoted.
· 20-year-old SS, 3B, 2B Joendry Vargas was top 10 in 7 offensive categories. Hits (#1), Doubles (#2), XBH (#3), Triples (#4), RBI (#4), Runs (#7), and BA (#7).
· 19-year-old OF Ching-Hsien Ko was top 10 in 7 offensive categories. Runs (#1), BB (#1), HR (#2), Hits (#6), OBP (#6), XBH (#8), and SLG (#9).
Before being promoted to Great Lakes on July 28, OF Jaron Elkins ranked #6 in triples.
Martinus (#6) and Vargas (#10) also landed in top 10 California League leaders in SB.
Pitching was not a strength for Ontario, especially relief pitching:
23 saves and 33 blown saves.
The best pitchers starting with Ontario moved on to Great Lakes: RHP Isaac Ayon (May 9), RHP Tyler Gough (June 23), RHP Brady Smith (July 21 - later traded to Detroit), RHP Will Gagnon (August 12), and RHP Cam Leiter (August 20). No Ontario pitcher was considered qualified…not enough IP.
Other Ontario players getting promoted to Great Lakes during the season:
· SS Emil Morales – May 19
· 3B Chase Harlan – June 23
· C Anson Aroz – June 2
· RHP Hyun-Seok Jang – July 30
· RHRP Seamas Barrett – June 16
· RHRP Robby Porco – May 25
· LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer – May 5
Four Ontario players made the California League All Star Team:
· 1B Easton Shelton
· Utility Mairo Martinus – promoted to Great Lakes August 4
· 2B Kellon Lindsey
· OF Jaron Elkins - promoted to Great Lakes July 28
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Shelton was named MVP of the California League.
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Ontario has four players on the MLB Pipeline Top 30:
· #12 - OF Ching-Hsien Ko
· #13 – 2B Kellon Lindsey
· #27 – RHP Marlon Nieves
· #28 – Aidan West
Players not on the top 30 list who might bear following in 2027:
· SS Caleb Johnson
· RHP Luis Gamez
· RHP Luis Carias
· OF Kyeler Thompson
· OF Brandon Tunink – Still have not given up on him
· RHP Jesus Tillero – Still have not given up on him
Note- These are my choices. Others probably have different choices. Let me know who you might find worthy to follow in 2027.
El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 14 - OKC Comets 8
Both teams went scoreless for the first 2.0 innings. In the 3rd, LF Chris Newell singled. SS Noah Miller followed with a 2-run HR (12). C Chadwick Tromp singled, and CF Zach Ehrhard doubled (29) him to 3rd. DH James Tibbs III hit a 3-run HR, his 30th of the year.
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In the bottom of the 3rd, LHSP Cole Irvin gave up a leadoff single. The runner stole 2B, moved to 3rd on a PB, and scored on a SF.
In the 4th, Irvin gave up 5 singles, 1 BB, add in a SF, SB, and WP, and 5 runs scored before being lifted for RHRP Griff McGarry. McGarry walked the first batter he faced before getting the final out.
In the OKC 5th, RF Mike Sirota and 1B Matt Gorski had 2-out BBs. Sirota scored on 3B Ryan Fitzgerald’s RBI single.
With McGarry on the mound, a single, BB, bunt single and throwing error by McGarry scored 2 runs. RHRP Antonio Knowles entered to relieve McGarry with a runner on 2nd. The inherited runner scored, plus 4 others after Knowles gave up 2 singles, 3 BB, and a double.
RHRP Chris Campos continued the merry-go-round relief pitching in the 7th. A one-out single, double, and SF scored another El Paso run.
OKC picked up a pair in the 8th inning. 3B Ryan Fitzgerald and Gauthier drew inning opening BBs. Newell singled to score Fitzgerald and move Gauthier to 3rd. Gauthier scored on Miller’s SF.
Campos threw a clean 8th inning.
In the 9th inning, Sirota walked for the 3rd time and Fitzgerald doubled (35) him to 3rd. They were both left stranded.
· Ryan Fitzgerald – 3-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (35)
· Chris Newell – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI
· Mike Sirota – 1-2, 3 BB, 1 run, double (1)
· Noah Miller – 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (12)
· James Tibbs III – 1-5, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (30)
· Zach Ehrhard – 1-5, 1 run, double (29)
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Discussion (75)
Disagree, not disagreeable
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On August 4th, Mookie was over 200 OPS points behind Freeman. .670 to .871 By the end of the season he might catch him at around .800. Amazing!
I like Mairo. He's got a live bat.
Thanks for the "autopsy," Jeff, even though the Buzzers seem very young and restless. A lot of interesting talent. Does anybody in the system have the raw power of Easton Shelton? Maybe Shohei. But Shelton reportedly hit one bomb 500 feet. (I thought he was a little older than 20, but I prefer 20! Still learning and growing!) Of course the question is whether he can produce against stronger competition. Several Buzzers seem poised for a promotion, despite their youth.
Mookie was magical today, but he has been pretty great since the all-star break... and stupendous lately. Talk about "flipping a switch." Another strong performance from Will Smith too, and de Paula with an RBI single and two more walks--now totaling 10 walks in 9 games. The on-base skills + contact + power.... We should see Pages back soon, and then Shohei. We don't know if they'll be 100% healthy, and Pages is streaky. Did time off help Shohei get his bat speed back up? Anyway, Mookie's hot streak has me thinking that a retro lineup may be in order, with that old right/left rhythm that Roberts loves:
Mookie SS (going with the hot hand...he's the catalyst) Shohei DH (maybe at 85%? But he's still Shohei) Smith C. (has his mojo back, with great AB quality) Freddie 1B (scuffling lately, but he's still Freddie--and he shines in the post-season) Teo LF (or maybe Pages here) Max 3B. (consistently productive since the AS break) Pages CF (or maybe Teo...) Tucker RF (the $60 million-per-season man has improved... but is his lefty bat really better than Shohei, Freddie and Max? Why not bat him 8th?) Edman 2B (maybe a job-share with Miggy)
Bench: Kike, Miggy, DePaula, Feduccia.
The way dePaula is playing he should be a lock for the postseason roster. At least as the LH bat off the bench. But if he continues like that he makes it tougher and tougher to leave him out of the lineup. What a job he is doing coming straight from AA to the Show at 21 years of age. Skubal had a rough outing yesterday , hopefully he will be the ace he is expected to be when the postseason begins. However I have more faith in Yamamoto and Snell.
When Pages and Shohei return next week who will be moved off of the roster ? Alfonzo is a lock and Freeland probably is the other guy.
Great information Jeff.
Looking at the boxscore it might seem Diaz pitched a solid 8th inning with two Ks. Deeper dive you see he had a leadoff BB to start the inning, got the next unknown MiLB Giant player to swing poorly on a 3-2 pitch to strike out. I don't believe an experienced MLB hitter gets tied up like that and the inning should have started off with two consecutive BBs. Can't happen in any game let alone a post season. game. Diaz will not be on the post season roster.
Jeff, excellent report on the minor leaguers at Ontario and future names to follow as they hopefully move up to higher levels of competition. It is going to be interesting to see how AF/BG move some of these highly regarded prospects to the major league level and when it will happen. I hope they don't suppress players by leaving them too long at AAA Oklahoma City as they did with Ryan Ward. I would rather that they start trading away players, that will NEVER be Dodgers, get something for them in a trade, rather than let them rot in our system or lose them in the Rule 5 Draft. There is way too much talent in the system right NOW for all these players to make it to the Dodger's MLB roster.
Myopic- Lacking in foresight or discernment. Narrow in perspective and without concern for broader implications. Concerning the upcoming Madre series . Yes I would love to beat them like the ugly stepsister that they are. But that is not the endgame and they will not show their cards. It is just a stepping stone. And they will not cross the river (no pun intended) , until they win the final series in October. They are not afraid of any team and if the players just do their thing, all 3 opponents will fall like dominoes. Bet it and.... Book em
Sunday Dodger Affiliates' Schedule 11:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Ryder Ryan) at El Paso (Ian Koenig)
Looks like a bullpen game today which I'm NOT in favor of. Why wasn't Sheehan left on the roster, rather than optioned to AAA Oklahoma City to pitch today's game or activate Sasaki who is eligible to come off the IL. Doesn't make sense. I hope we DON'T give today's game away with the 2nd NL Playoff Bye still NOT clinched with a Magic Number at 4.
Arizona released Lourdes Gurriel. TJ Freidl was DFAd by the Reds. The Rays DFAd Jake Fraley. Interesting game last night. Skubal did not look like an ace at all. The report of the demise of Mookie Betts is very premature. Most entertaining pitch of the night thrown by Halvorsen. He tripped releasing the ball and it bounced and hit the Giants batter. Only player in their lineup I recognized was Lee. SC had a scare thrown into them by Rutgers.
A really good team rounding into form.
Let's hope they end it with a win!
I'm with Badger in that I have never heard of any of the Giant players. NONE. However, they have Chapman, Adames, Devers, and Bader on the IL. Of those vets, only Devers is having a good season. Looking at their prospect list most are 2-4 years away from MLB. They could be in the Rockies class for the next couple of years. It's hard to believe the Giants have fallen this far.
Congrats to Mookie, Teo, and Kyle for becoming productive offensive threats. Mookie is almost other worldly with his recent offensive output. Will Smith seems to being Will Smith at the right time. Tucker. along with hitting, has really had some outstanding defensive plays recently. I'm anxious to see how Ohtani and Pages look on their return to the lineup.
It looks like it's all coming together for the Dodgers playoff journey. Being a doubter for the past couple of months and didn't have much optimism for the playoffs I'm curious to see if the Dodgers can continue this recent success against playoff caliber pitching. Of course, the same could be said of any opponent that has to get through the Dodger starting staff. It could be the team who hits over .200 and can average 2-3 runs a game that wins the WS.
Carry on.
Jeff, What young guys do you see in the Dodger lineup in 28? Will it be a full scale takeover? Could Morales and Quintero make the jump?
4:10 PM ET
Giants (64-91) Dodgers (95-60)
SP Matt Wilkinson L 1-3 4.58 ERA SP Jack Dryer L (opener bullpen game) 5-2 3.19 ERA
Confirmed Lineup SS Mookie Betts R CF Tommy Edman S RF T. Hernandez R 1B F. Freeman L 2B Miguel Rojas R 3B Max Muncy L DH J. De Paula L LF E. Hernandez R C H. Feduccia L
77° Wind 8 mph Out LINE LAD -287
Tarik Skubal to the bereavement list and Emmet Sheehan recalled!
That's all we know...
Update: The Dodgers recalled RHPs Emmet Sheehan and Kyle Hurt, optioned RHP Seth Halvorsen and placed LHP Tarik Skubal on the bereavement list.
Watching Roberts interview in the pregame today. He said Kim may get a call up for the playoffs for defense and pinch running. He said Kim had great defense but his hitting needed improvement. Either bunting or replacing a runner in the late innings would be worth the lack of hitting power.
Nice day here in southwest Virginia! Turned on my tv on the patio, first voice I heard? Jolly Jess. Oh well, maybe I’ll get used to it someday. Probably not. Regular season is almost over so I will shut up and watch. Might turn giants feed on. Honestly don’t understand Dryer pitching the first and then Sheehan coming in the second. Makes sense to somebody I guess. Prayers with Skubal and his family.
After saying what I did a few weeks ago about Tucker and Betts, I am sure that if they gave me an enema, they could bury me in a shoebox.
... and I am happy that I was sooooooooooooo wrong!
Edman was POG*
*game
I to wish that Ward would have gotten more of a look but if the Dodgers take care of business he will get a World Series ring. I believe he and his family will cherish the ring forever.
Just my opinion, but if Doc sticks to his plan of putting Ohtani back in the leadoff spot when he is activated, he is nuts. Betts has better career stats in that role and Ohtani's power is better used if in an RBI spot.