For the balance of the season, the Columbus Clippers have been among the most consistent teams in the International League. Entering the final homestand of the year, they sit fourth in the 2026 standings, nine games above .500 through 141 games.
But in this era of minor league baseball, that’s not good enough to qualify for the postseason. Despite an overall record of 75-66, the Clippers will miss out on the league’s abbreviated postseason, which pits the first-half champion against its second-half counterpart in a three-game series to crown a champion. Columbus went 41-33 in the first half, 5½ games out of first, and will begin this final six-game series against St. Paul at 34-33, six games out of first.
Getting to the postseason and trying to win
a trophy is certainly a goal for any competitor, but it’s not the primary way the Clippers evaluate the success of a season. As St. Paul comes to Huntington Park, the Clippers are taking satisfaction in the fact that parent club Cleveland remains in the thick of Major League Baseball’s postseason race thanks to multiple players who cut their teeth at Triple-A.
“The biggest thing (manager Andy Tracy) and I work on together is we need them to get better developmentally,” Clippers bench coach Daniel Robertson said. “They have to go to Cleveland and they have to help that team win. They can’t do that without trying to help the Clippers win.”
So while the likes of Travis Bazzana, Angel Genao and others spent time in Columbus before climbing to Cleveland, their absences against St. Paul this week are viewed internally as indicators of a successful season.
That’s not to mean Robertson and the rest of the coaching staff haven’t found successes to celebrate with the players still on the roster. As an example, Robertson pointed to Kahlil Watson, an infielder when he joined the organization via a trade with Miami who is now patrolling the outfield and spent time with both Columbus and Cleveland this season.
“I think of how big of a task that is to have that on his shoulders to go to the big leagues and play center field,” he said. “The way that he’s matured in attacking that position, struggling early, overcoming struggle, helping the major league club win games, that was a success.”
There are others. Ralphy Velazquez is the organization’s top-rated prospect according to MiLB.com and has spent the majority of the season with the Clippers, celebrating his 21st birthday with the club during a series in Toledo this summer. Milan Tolentino, a 24-year-old infielder, needs two more stolen bases to post his second consecutive season of at least 20 homers and 20 steals. No other player in club history has achieved those numbers in one season, much less consecutive ones.
Kyle Manzardo hit 27 homers for the Guardians in 2025 but was sent down to Triple-A in early August, where Robertson said he’s been a consummate teammate. Daniel Schneeman, David Fry and Petey Halpin are all in Cleveland after spending part of the season with the Clippers.
“There’s a lot of big leaguers on this team, so it’s good to be around and learn from them,” Velazquez said. “We’re all pretty close, so it’s a good group to be a part of.”
Then there’s a player like Yorman Gomez, a right-handed starting pitcher who missed two months with a shoulder injury but has caught Robertson’s eye while going 1-5 with a 6.99 ERA in 13 starts.
The 23-year-old Gomez is on Cleveland’s 40-man roster.
“Yorman Gomez being here and taking the things he’s learning in stride, that’s a success for a young guy,” he said. “If guys come out here and give everything we have and the fans are enjoying how they’re playing and we can be proud of how our guys are playing, that’s a success. The wins will take care of itself.”
Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social, on Instagram at @cdadamjardyor on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why the Columbus Clippers call this winning season a success without playoffs
