By DZ. Filed April 22, 202.
Welcome back (or, if you are new, just… welcome)! The first couple of updates of the year are generally pretty thin, as we await the start of the rookie ball seasons; however, there has been a large amount of action since we wrapped up last fall. This includes several new signings (see rookie ball lists below), some starting in the Dominican, and a couple who will jump directly to the U.S. complex leagues. Additionally, there are two Italian returnees, as Ettore Giulianelli and Nicolo Pinazzi were both out of MiLB in 2025 but are back in 2026. In total, 26 Europeans will start the 2026 season with MLB organizations, four of which are ranked on at least one team top prospect list. You can see where things stood at the end of last year in our final 2025 update https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/.
We have already had one European play in the big leagues this year, as Italian lefty Sam Aldegheri pitched last week for the Angels. He missed a significant chunk of spring training while with Team Italy in their World Baseball Classic semifinal run, but he still earned a major league opportunity within the first few weeks of the season and it is likely he will see plenty of time in the bigs.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room — the European who has not played in the major leagues in 2026 — is ten-MLB season veteran Max Kepler, who tested positive for Epitrenbolone, and is thus suspended for the first 80 games. He is currently a major league free agent and, after a down season in 2025, what happens after those 80 games remains unknown.
Finally, there are a few European pros whose career opportunities are currently on hold. As our previously mentioned Italian pitchers are proving, this does not have to be forever, but we will open the new season by first honoring the careers of those who were released since we last checked in.
Key
Name (age*), organization, country, team.
*Age is as of Sept 1, 2026 (playing age this season).
Team Prospect Rankings: BA (Baseball America): #; FG (Fangraphs): #; MLB (MLB.com): #.
“NR” denotes not ranked (only included for players listed in other rankings).
Released over the Winter (4)
Tim Fischer (21), Los Angeles Dodgers. Germany.
Fischer pitched three seasons in the Dodgers’ organization, two in the Dominican and one in Arizona while working around some injuries. He finishes his time in Dodger blue with 30 games, a 6.80 ERA, 49 innings, and 52 strikeouts.
Arij Fransen (25), Cincinnati Reds. Netherlands.
The right-hander made it as high as Triple-A for a single game, and he pitched the entire 2025 season in Double-A. He has a career record of 16 wins, 24 losses, and 5.62 ERA in 116 games and 302.2 innings. Fransen signed in 2019 and debuted in 2021. His entire pro career thus far was in the Cincinnati organization. He is currently a minor league free agent.
Matteo Marelli (20), New York Mets. Italy.
Marelli’s 2025 season was his only one as a Met. He pitched 13.2 innings in the Dominican, with 16 hits, 19 walks, and 12 strikeouts.
Williams Wong (20), Texas Rangers. Italy.
The infielder from Turin logged three seasons in the Rangers organization — two in the Dominican, then spending 2025 in the Arizona Complex League. In 117 professional games, Wong hit .214 with a strong .314 on-base percentage, knocking 18 doubles and stealing 10 bases.
Now, on with the updates and the new names. As a reminder (or primer, if you are just joining us), we aim to provide regular updates no more than monthly on all players in affiliated baseball whose youth development took place (at least partially) in Europe. This excludes players who competed only in tournaments or solely to travel with a national team. If you see someone missing, please comment or send us a message.
MLB (1)
Sam Aldegheri (24), Los Angeles Angels. Italy. BA: 15; FG: 17; MLB: 16.
Aldegheri’s most recent outing was his 2026 debut for the big club, pitching 1.2 innings in relief on April 16, with a pair of strikeouts, giving up two hits, one walk, and one run. Prior to that, he had made three starts for Triple-A Salt Lake, and was optioned back there after his Angels appearance. This marks the third consecutive season the young lefty from Verona has pitched in the major leagues. After originally signing with the Phillies in 2019, Aldegheri was traded to the Angels midseason in 2024 and ascended to the major league roster a month later.
Max Kepler (33), Free Agent. Germany.
It has been a rough offseason for Kepler, born and raised in Berlin. Reaching free agency again after signing a one-year, $10.5 million contract for 2025 with the Phillies, Kepler was likely looking at a paycut, but still all-but-certain to be paid seven figures in 2026 with his new team. However, in January — while still a free agent — Kepler was officially suspended for 80 games for performance enhancing drug use [link]. He is currently serving the suspension, and we await news on his next steps. He will be eligible to join an MLB organization around the All-Star break, but he is ineligible for the 2026 playoffs.
Triple-A (3)
Adam Macko (25), Toronto Blue Jays. Slovakia/Ireland. Buffalo Bisons. BA: 25; FG: 17; MLB: 21.
Macko reached Triple-A for one game in 2024 and, minus a brief rehab appearance, he spent his entire 2025 season at the level. The lefty returned to the top level of the minors for 2026 and is pitching in relief. He already has eight appearances, during which he has surrendered only seven hits, three walks, and four runs in 11 innings while striking out 12. Macko is on the 40-man roster already and, given the injuries suffered by multiple Blue Jays early this season, there is a decent chance Slovakia gets its first big leaguer since Jack Quinn retired from the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931.
Ernesto Martinez, Jr. (27), New York Yankees. France. Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders.
The large lefty first baseman made his pro debut in 2017 and had been a Brewer every step of the way until 2026. He was a minor league free agent for the second time and, this time, he swapped to pinstripes. After all of 2025 in Triple-A, Martinez, Jr. returns to the level in his new organization. In his first 18 games as a Railrider, he has nine extra base hits and two stolen bases. Overall, he is hitting .270/.324/.556 with 21 strikeouts.
Sem Robberse (24), St Louis Cardinals. Netherlands. Memphis Redbirds. BA: NR; FG: 22; MLB: NR.
Robberse had elbow surgery during the 2025 season and began the 2026 season on the 60-day injured list. He has appeared in Triple-A in each of the last three seasons. He will resume his attempt to crack a big league roster once recovered. Double-A (3)
Alessandro Ercolani (22), Pittsburgh Pirates. San Marino/Italy. Altoona Curve.
Ercolani had to be removed from Italy’s World Baseball Classic roster after suffering a shoulder injury shortly before the tournament. He has yet to appear in 2026, going on the Altoona 7-day IL at the start of the regular season. Despite spending all of last season in Double-A, he remains the youngest player on the Altoona roster and the youngest pitcher by 22 months.
Omar Hernandez (24), Kansas City Royals. Spain. NW Arkansas Naturals.
Barcelona’s Hernández is off to a scorching start. The catcher has played eight games, and he has 10 hits, three walks, and four stolen bases in five attempts. All hits have been singles, leaving him with a .370 batting average, .472 on base percentage, and .370 slugging percentage. Hernandez debuted in 2019 and has made a steady climb up the ladder, splitting the 2025 season between High-A and Double-A.
Kay-Lan Nicasia (26), Milwaukee Brewers. Netherlands. Biloxi Shuckers.
The outfielder Nicasia started 2026 with a promotion to Double-A. He has three hits and six walks through his first 12 games, stealing five bases without being caught. He has also struck out 19 times and accumulated only 3 hits. On April 22nd, Nicasia was placed on the roster Development List, removing him from the active roster while he remains with the team.
High-A (1)
Tyriq Kemp (23), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. Quad Cities River Bandits.
Kemp is a Rotterdam native who was drafted last summer out of Baylor University in Texas. He played 16 games late last summer in Single-A, and he has opened 2026 at the next step up the ladder. The middle infielder has 11 games so far this season, knocking two home runs and stealing four bases in six attempts. He is hitting .281 with a .452 OBP, having walked eight times, while going down on strikes on only five occasions.
Single-A (6)
Ettore Giulianelli (23), Cleveland Guardians. Italy. Hill City Howlers.
Giulianelli, a right-handed pitcher from Rimini who spent four seasons in the Cardinals’ system through the 2024 season, was picked up by the Guardians after a year out of organized ball. In 5.2 innings across four appearances with his new team, Giulianelli has allowed nine hits and three walks while striking out seven. He’s recorded one hold and has a 6.35 ERA and 2.12 WHIP.
Brandon Herbold (23), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. Columbia Fireflies.
Herbold is five games and 5.1 innings into his first season at A-ball, and he is making a strong first impression. He has a 1-1 record and one save in one opportunity, compiling seven strikeouts and permitting only one unearned run for a 0.00 ERA. With three walks (and a hit batter), along with five hits, his WHIP stands at 1.50.
Mathias LaCombe (24), Chicago White Sox. France. Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. BA: 11; FG: 29; MLB: 17.
LaCombe has battled injuries since he was drafted in 2023 out of Cochise College, not pitching in 2023-24 professionally and logging 53 innings in 2025. LaCombe has yet to appear in the 2026 season, but all three prospect-ranking sites are optimistic on his potential.
Nicolo Pinazzi (26), Los Angeles Angels. Italy. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
Milan’s Pinazzi was released from his minor league contract with Cincinnati after the 2023 season. He has been playing all manner of independent ball since then, and he resurfaced to sign with the LA Angels this winter. He is currently seven games into the second act of his career and looks lights out as a veteran in Single-A, pitching seven innings and recording 13 strikeouts while walking 2. The left-handed pitcher has two saves, with a 1.43 WHIP and an ERA of 0.00.
In 2024, he appeared for three independent league teams across two leagues, punching out a whopping 58 in 37.1 innings, but with 38 hits and 32 walks (1.88 WHIP) and a 6.99 ERA. Although he improved his control in 2025 in a return to the now-independent Pioneer League, the results were still well below average. It remains to be seen whether something has clicked in his return to affiliated ball.
Dominic Scheffler (22), Cincinnati Reds. Switzerland. Daytona Tortugas.
Scheffler opened the 2025 season in Daytona, but after a month of struggles he spent the rest of the season in the Arizona Complex League. The Swiss lefty returns to Daytona to open the current season and has appeared in three games and five innings thus far. He has given up 12 hits, six of those for extra bases, while walking four and striking out six. While last year walks really set him back (47% strikes in Daytona), he’s thrown 66% strikes thus far — but a whopping 57% of contact has been hit hard in this small sample. Scheffler signed in 2023 and immediately had elbow surgery, so he’s still only 12 innings into his full season.
Yannic Walther (22), Milwaukee Brewers. Germany. Wilson Warbirds.
Walther embarks on his fourth professional season catching in the Brewers organization. He played 65 games in Single-A last season and returns to the level, logging 11 games thus far. Included within were a home run, a double, four singles, and six walks for a .267 OBP. He also stole a base in his only attempt. He has struck out 20 times in 38 at bats.
Rookie League, U.S. Complex Leagues (4)
The US rookie season officially begins in early May. All of these players, minus unreported injuries, will currently be playing games at their Florida or Arizona spring training complexes in preparation — but those game results are not publicly available. We will have more to talk about in two weeks.
Peter Bonilla (21), Los Angeles Dodgers. Spain. ACL Dodgers.
The Barcelona native is set to begin his fifth season with the Dodgers. He pitched three seasons in the Dominican Summer League before logging 22 innings in the Arizona Complex League in 2025.
Tijn Fredrikze (19), New York Yankees. Netherlands. FCL Yankees.
A left-handed pitcher from Rotterdam, he signed late autumn 2025 https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/ and will make the jump directly to the States for his coming debut.
Giacomo Taschin (19), Toronto Blue Jays. Italy. FCL Blue Jays.
The left-handed pitcher from Rovigo signed with the Blue Jays last summer and will begin his pro career this spring in Florida.
Gijs van den Brink (21), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. ACL Royals.
The Utrecht lefty pitched only two innings in 2025 while batting a shoulder injury. He will return to Arizona in 2026 for his third season as a Royal.
Rookie League, Dominican Complex Leagues (9)
The Dominican Summer League spring training is underway, and official games will begin June 1.
Tom Apfelbaum (17), Los Angeles Dodgers. Germany.
A left-handed pitcher from Köln, he signed January 2026 and is scheduled to debut this summer.
Paul Hoff (19), Milwaukee Brewers. Germany. DSL Brewers Gold.
Hoff pitched 29.2 innings to the tune of a 3.64 ERA in his first pro season in 2024, but missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. He will return to the DSL to begin 2026.
Juan Diego Holmann (17), Minnesota Twins. Germany.
The Nicaragua native who lived in Regensburg, Germany, from ages 10–15 signed this winter with the Twins.
Celwin Hurkmans (18), Toronto Blue Jays. Netherlands.
Hurkmans came to agreement with Toronto this winter https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/ and is likely to debut in 2026. He pitched last season for DSS.
Giaconino Lasaracina (23), Toronto Blue Jays. Italy. DSL Blue Jays Red.
Italy’s slugging first baseman signed with the Jays after a breakout performance at the 2026 European Championship, and would have appeared at the World Baseball Classic for Cinderella Italian team but for a late injury. Last week, he was assigned to Toronto’s Dominican complex.
Jordan Ouanyou (18), Cincinnati Reds. France. DSL Rojos.
The French first baseman got his feet wet after signing in 2025, appearing in 15 games and hitting .196 with two doubles. He will start 2026 at the same level.
Keegan Pieternella (18), Toronto Blue Jays. Netherlands. DSL Blue Jays Blue.
The Dutch catcher played 35 games in the DSL last season and will return in 2026. He hit .200 with a .363 OBP.
Ricardo Pulles (17), Los Angeles Dodgers. Russia/Spain.
Pulles was recently based in Tenerife and is likely to debut with the Dodgers this summer.
Filippo Sabatini (19), Philadelphia Phillies. Italy. DSL Phillies White.
The righty signed in January 2025 but injured his arm before making his pro debut. His recovery timeline for 2026 remains an open question.
Articles in Last Year’s Series
May https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/.
June https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/.~
July https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/.
August [link].
September https://www.mister-baseball.com/europeans-in-the-majors-minors-april-2026-update/.
Additional information by Gabriel Fidler.