WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - With their 5-3 win over Aberdeen, the Williamsport Crosscutters captured the 2026 MLB Draft League Championship, the clubs’ second title in three years.
Bobby Helt took the ball for the Crosscutters and the 6-9 right hander worked through some early command issues, leaving a leadoff walk at 3rd base in the 1st inning.
Aberdeen took advantage of a leadoff walk in the 2nd, as Brylan West doubled home Max Galvin to give the IronBirds a 1-0 lead. Helt was able to minimize the damage, holding the IronBirds to just the one run.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Williamsport’s bats came to life, as Chris Stanfield ripped an RBI single, scoring Sam DeCarlo, to tie the game at 1-1.
Jack Kail followed with a two-run double down the right field line, scoring Joey DeMucci and Stanfield, to give the Cutters a 3-1 lead.
Helt settled in, working back-to-back scoreless innings in the 3rd and the 4th. In the 4th, he capped his performance by striking out the side. Helt allowed one run, striking out six in his four innings.
Josh Willits took over in the 5th inning, retiring the side before allowing an unearned run in the 6th. Taj Bates singled home Isaiah Parido to cut the Cutters deficit to 3-2.
Willits was able to escape the 5th with an inning-ending double play, that included an athletic turn by Jack Kail, leaving the tying run stranded at 3rd base.
Williamsport’s bats answered in the 6th inning, as Nicholas Romano plated James McCoy with an RBI ground out upping the lead to 4-2.
Nick Barone followed with a RBI single to center, scoring Matthew Williams to give the Cutters a 5-2 lead.
Aberdeen took one last gasp in the 8th inning as Bates drove in his second run of the night, scoring Patrick McCollough with a two-out single, making it 5-3.
Bates would be the final batter Willits would face, as Matthew Maariano entered to get the final out of the 8th inning.
Mariano, took to the hill in the 9th, retiring the first batter on a pop up before allowing a walk to Brylan West. After a fly out to right from Jacoby Radcliffe, Mariano induced a ground ball from Jevin Relaford. Nicholas Romano fielded the ball to his left, throwing on to Jack Kail covering at 2nd to record the final out, and clinch the title for Williamsport.
The Championship was the Cutters second in the MLB Draft League era and their fourth overall league Championship (NY-Penn League Champions 2001 & 2003).
Cutters Carvings: Nick Barone was the lone Crosscutters batter with multiple hits, finishing the night 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base… Josh Willits worked through back pain, earning the win for the Crosscutters… The Crosscutters became the first team in the history to win the 1st half, 2nd half and the League Championship in the same season.
