The Gwinnett Stripers season has come to a close, ending the minor league season in the Atlanta Braves organization. The Braves Triple-A affiliate has completed its season by going 76-73, one of just two out of the team’s six affiliates with a winning record in 2026. This article will highlight some of the successes and failures of the team’s season, as well as picking the team’s hitter and pitcher of the year.
Gwinnett Hitter of the Year: Brewer Hicklen
A minor league free agent signed last winter
to add depth to the upper levels of the system, it’s safe to say that Brewer Hicklen has surpassed all expectations as he was the Stripers top hitter this season. Hicklen hit .302/.373/.520 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI plus 30 stolen bases in 96 games, which earned him a couple of promotions to the big leagues. Jim Jarvis also had a very strong season for the Stripers, but Hicklen was a pretty easy choice for the team’s top hitter.
Gwinnett Pitcher of the Year: Owen Murphy
It was a tough choice for the Stripers top pitcher between Owen Murphy and JR Ritchie. Murphy pitched to a 3.07 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 94 strikeouts over 96.2 innings versus Ritchie’s 3.17 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts in 82.1 innings. The two were fairly close in ERA, WHIP, hits per nine, and homers per nine, with Ritchie striking out more guys per nine and Murphy walking less per nine, but Murphy had two more starts and 14 more innings – enough to give him the slight edge for me, even though I wouldn’t argue with anyone who picked Ritchie here.
Hitting
Beyond Hicklen there were Jim Jarvis, Brett Wisely, and Rowdy Tellez competing for the top hitter, as each one had a very strong season. Jarvis hit .296/.392/.431 with six homers among his 35 extra base hits and also 40 steals in exactly 100 games, a year good enough to earn him a call up for his big league debut. Wisely hit .281/.399/.436 with 11 homers and 42 extra base hits, plus 29 steals after coming over as a veteran minor league free agent. Big league veteran Tellez was brought in to add some power, and he did with 16 homers, as he hit .267/.355/.466.
Among the hitting prospects who played here, Patrick Clohisy and David McCabe were the most productive. Clohisy was on a tear here and would have been in the conversation for the team’s top hitter if he had more at bats. He would hit .340/.420/.483 with three homers among his 14 extra base hits and 25 steals in just 170 plate appearances. McCabe hit .319/.362/.505 with four homers in his 105 plate appearances. Lizandro Espinoza would also hit .206/.322/.306 with 11 steals in 116 plate appearances.
Other players who played a significant amount of time for the Stripers were Luke Williams (.678 OPS), Aaron Schunk (.672), Cal Conley (.671), Nacho Alvarez (.664), Ben Gamel (.661), DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (.649), Jose Azocar (.646), Jair Camargo (.639), and Sandy Leon (.529).
A pair of former big league stars were also part of the lineup for a bit in both Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Santana. Former NL MVP McCutchen had a .908 OPS in 32 plate appearances before his release, while Santana posted a .767 mark. Several rehabbing big leaguers were also here this year, though they were only here for a short time. That list includes Ronald Acuna Jr., Drake Baldwin, Ha-Seong Kim, and Sean Murphy.
Pitching
Murphy and Ritchie were joined in the rotation by Elieser Hernández, Anthony Molina, Drue Hackenberg, Austin Gomber, Lucas Braun, Cedric De Grandpre, and Garrett Baumann who all made at least eight starts. Hernandez was second on the team in innings and pitched to a 4.64 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP. Molina had a 3.64 ERA and 1.23 WHIP before being traded away, while Braun was at 3.92 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Hackenberg and Baumann struggled a bit in Triple-A, with Hackenberg posting a 6.79 ERA and 1.79 WHIP and Baumann at 7.48 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Gomber was at 4.81 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, while Cedric had a 4.33 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 9.3 K/9 in 43.2 innings after his promotion.
Other guys who made a smaller number of starts include Carlos Carrasco, Herick Hernandez, Brett Sears, and AJ Smith-Shawver. Hernandez was at a 6.92 ERA and 1.69 WHIP with 31 strikeouts over 26 innings after his promotion. AJSS was at 1.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 10.4 K/9 in 21.2 innings. Sears had a 1.73 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 11.8 K/9. Carrasco had a 2.55 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.
The bullpen was led by Ian Hamilton, James Karinchak, Rolddy Munoz, Anderson Pilar, and Blake Burkhalter. Hamilton led the team in saves with nine as he had a 2.79 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Karinchak was finally healthy in 2026, leading to a 3.19 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Munoz had a 3.31 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, with Pilar at 3.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Burkhalter got a late start due to injury, but he pitched well enough to make his big league debut with a 2.43 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 10.0 K/9.
Other relievers who hit 20 innings include Hayden Harris, Victor Mederos (4.24 ERA), Joel Payamps (3.89), Connor Thomas, Javier Guerra (5.68), Hunter Stratton (4.38), and Daysbel Hernández (5.06). Harris got off to a slow start before finally starting to pitch better, posting a 5.28 ERA and 1.72 WHIP with a 11.9 K/9. The rest of that group was mostly solid, with Thomas being the best of the bunch with a 1.98 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
Others who were here for a short time include Didier Fuentes, Tyler Uberstine, Dylan Dodd, Luis Vargas, and Davis Polo. Among the big leaguers rehabbing Stripers fans got to watch were Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, Robert Suarez, and Joe Jimenez. Jimenez made three appearances late in the year for his first action anywhere since getting hurt during the 2024 season.
