Mighty Mussels close out season with win; team establishes several marks
Fort Myers secures multiple all-time franchise records in 2026 season finale
CLEARWATER – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the Clearwater Threshers 6-4 in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark, concluding the 2026 season.
The Mighty Mussels secured all-time franchise records (since 1992) in OBP (.345 to .365) and OPS (.749 to .769). Both marks bested the 2013 Miracle team. The Mussels also tied the 2013 squad in season-long SLG at .404.
Fort Myers finished the campaign with 129 home runs (passing 103 HR in 2023) and 288 stolen bases (passing 236 in 2025), both of which are also all-time franchise records that were set in August. The 288 stolen bases led the Florida State League by 15 while the 129 homers ranked third.
Of players who were on the active roster on opening day, only four were still with Fort Myers at the end of the campaign; Bryan Acuna, Quentin Young, Adam Falinski and Eric Hammond. Falinski did spend May and June in High-A with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before returning to Single-A. Jason Reitz, Matt Barr and Callan Fang all opened the season on the injured list but finished the year healthy with Fort Myers.
In total, there were 186 roster transactions this season, with 96 players on the roster, 18 rehabbers, and 31 players promoted to higher levels in the Minnesota Twins organization.
The final game of the season was close from start to finish as the Mussels (68-60, 31-32) fought their way to a victory, ending a five-game losing streak.
In a 2-2 game in the top of the 10th, Jimmy Keenan delivered a two-out single to put Fort Myers (68-60, 31-32) ahead 3-2. After a walk to Merphy Hernandez, Carson Tinney put a 105-mph laser over the wall in right to make it 6-2. With his eighth homer in 24 games, the Minnesota Twins second rounder moved into a tie for the second most homers in the FSL since his debut on July 30.
Clearwater (74-55, 34,29) got two unearned runs back in the bottom of the 10th and Brad Rudis induced a fly-out with the winning run at the plate to conclude the season. The team went 8-4 in extra-inning games.
Mussels’ starter Eric Hammond went six-up and six-down to begin his outing. The Mussels had the bases loaded on a trio of walks in the second but couldn’t convert. A leadoff single in the third from Thresher first baseman Jack Hopko marked the first hit of the game.
In the fourth, Colby Turner reached on a leadoff error. After a stolen base, Young singled to center to open the scoring.
Hammond finished his campaign with four shoutout innings, striking out five Threshers while not issuing a walk. He faced just two above the minimum.
Clearwater got on the board in the fifth against Melvin Rodriguez. After a ground out, four straight Threshers reached and Clearwater took a 2-1 lead. Rodriguez was then replaced by Jake Covey with runners at first and second and one out. Covey retired the next two batters to hold the deficit.
Turner led off the eighth with a walk. Bryce Fowler extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single to right, moving Turner to third. A wild pitch tied the game 2-2, and Fowler went first to third on the play. A lineout from Tinney ended the frame as Fort Myers left the bases loaded for the third time in the game.
Hendry Chivilli, Nick McAuliffe, Rainer Marin (2-0), and Rudis held the Threshers to just two hits over the final four innings, while not allowing an earned run.
The Mighty Mussels return to action in April of 2027.
Fort Myers falls in fifth straight game
CLEARWATER – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels suffered their fifth consecutive loss against the Clearwater Threshers Saturday night by an 8-2 score at BayCare Ballpark.
The five-game losing streak matches the longest of the season for Mussels (67-60, 30-32), now done four times.
Philadelphia Phillies No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller (AAA rehab) led off the bottom of the first with a 109 mph double off of Mussels’ starter Jason Reitz (0-3). Miller (MLB’s No. 61 prospect) was playing in his first game since September 18, 2025. He would later score on a single from Reece Moroney to make it 1-0. A groundout with the bases loaded plated the second Thresher (74-54, 34-28) run of the frame.
Reitz, who hadn’t pitched in an official game since July 24 due to a forearm strain, exited after 1.1 innings and left with men at first and second. The 6-foot-11 righty did initially return to the mound on Aug. 30, but that game was canceled after two innings and the stats were wiped off. Jackson Sleeper was the first arm out of the Fort Myers’ bullpen. Sleeper got two infield pop ups to retire the side and close the line on Reitz.
In the third, Charlie Scholvin led off with a single. Later in the inning, with two outs, Bryce Fowler singled to center to make it 2-1. The knock extended Fowler’s hitting streak to six games, the longest streak on the active roster.
Clearwater plated three runs off of Sleeper in their half of the third, extending their lead 5-1.
Jimmy Keenan and Hideki Prather opened the fourth with a pair of singles. Keenan later scored on a sacrifice fly from Scholvin.
Clearwater got the run back in the bottom of the inning against Callan Fang, moving the score to 6-2.
Fang allowed another run in the sixth, making it 7-2. He exited after 3.1 innings of work, striking out six Threshers. That total was his second highest mark of the season. Brian Strange took over with one out and runners at first and second in the bottom of the seventh. A base hit from Cade Climie allowed one inherited runner to score and made it 8-2.
Clearwater pitching faced the minimum from the fifth through the end of the game.
Keenan delivers pinch-hit homer, Mussels drop fourth straight to Threshers
CLEARWATER – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels fell 13-9 against the Clearwater Threshers Friday night at BayCare Ballpark.
Jimmy Keenan’s pinch-hit game-tying homer in the eighth inning was not enough, as Fort Myers fell for the fourth straight game in Clearwater.
In the top of the third, Fort Myers opened the scoring with a two-out rally. Colby Turner began the rally with an opposite field single. Double-A rehabber Poncho Ruiz followed with a single to left. Isaiah Lane then shot a two-run triple down the right field line. It was Lane’s fourth triple in 22 career games. He leads the Florida State League in three-baggers since his debut on July 30.
After a pair of nine pitch innings to begin his outing, Clearwater plated a run off of Matt Barr in the third, making it 2-1.
Fort Myers answered in the fourth. Charlie Scholvin, Turner, and Ruiz each delivered two-out singles to extend the lead 5-1. The Mussels sent nine men to the plate in the frame.
All five runs across the third and fourth innings scored with two outs, and the Mussels connected on six two-out hits in those frames.
Barr allowed three consecutive extra-base hits to begin the bottom of the fourth. A pair of homers from Macon Winslow and Will Vierling made it 5-4. Brad Rudis entered with one out and a runner at first. Rudis issued a walk but retired the next two batters to hold the lead. He went 1.2 innings in total, keeping Clearwater off the board.
Minnesota Twins 8th rounder Thomas Burns made his professional debut in the sixth. Burns topped out at 97.3 mph.
In the seventh, Fowler delivered an RBI single through the right side of the infield to make it 6-4.
Burns walked the bases loaded to begin the bottom of the seventh. Nolan Beltran cleared the bases with a double down the right field line, giving Clearwater its first lead 7-6. Adam Falinksi (2-3) entered and allowed the inherited runner to score two batters later, making it 8-6. A triple from Jack Hopko extended the margin to 9-6.
Scholvin and Turner were both hit by pitches to begin the eighth. Jimmy Keenan then blasted a pinch-hit game tying home run into left center. It was the first pinch-hit homer for Fort Myers since Khadim Diaw on September 8, 2024. For Keenan, the home run was his second in as many games.
Falinski allowed a homer to Tyler Spangler, the No. 36 pick in this year’s draft, to put the Threshers back in front 10-9. Later in the frame, Vierling connected on a three-run shot, giving him a five RBI game and making it 13-9.