The Lancaster Stormers dropped their season finale to the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars 3-0 on Sept. 13. The season finale saw an unusual starting pitching matchup, as infielders Scott Kelly (Lancaster) and former Phillies first baseman Darick Hall (Hagerstown) opposed each other on the mound. Hall won the position player showdown, as the Boxcars struck for three runs against Kelly in the third inning from a Leobaldo Cabrera RBI double and Danny Ortiz two-run home run.
Lancaster will miss the Atlantic League playoffs for the first time since 2021. Despite an overall strong season record of 69-57, the Stormers just missed out on postseason spots in the division during both the first and second halves, as well as the overall season Wild Card race.
“We would’ve loved to make the playoffs for the team, for the city; unfortunately that didn’t work out this year,” said third-year Stormers’ pitcher Scott Engler, who closed the team’s home finale Sept. 10.
Their season was not without memorable moments, however. During the final homestand of the year, Ross Peeples won his 600th game as the team’s manager, cementing his legacy in Lancaster. Another legacy was honored in the Stormers’ longtime broadcaster Dave Collins, who began broadcasting with the team during its inaugural season.
“I can’t even begin to think about not being with Dave for a baseball season,” said Peeples, reflecting on Collins’ legacy. “He has meant so much to me in my time in this organization… Dave is a 1st-class human being.”
While many returning players, such as pitchers Engler and Matt Swarmer, as well as midseason reunions with Melvin Mercedes and Mason Martin, played defining roles on the team, several new players also made their presence known. Outfielder David Smith was named the team’s MVP after hitting .291 with an .836 OPS in his first year in Lancaster. Former Padres and Marlins prospect Nathan Martorella, meanwhile, made a strong first impression as well, hitting 21 home runs and putting up a .545 slugging percentage.
The 2026 season also served as a first taste of Independent League baseball for a number of Stormers players, including outfielder Tristin English, who was playing in the Braves organization this year before signing with the Stormers in July.
“It’s kinda hard to put it into words,” English said of the midseason transition from affiliated baseball to indy ball. “It’s kind of the same deal, just a different place… there’s good players all over the place.”
“Coming into it, I kind of had an idea of what indy ball would be like, and it is significantly better than what I had in my mind,” reflected English on his introduction to the Atlantic League.
Despite the disappointment of missing the playoffs, players still left with plenty of optimism for next year. “We’re going to come back with a little bit of a vengeance… we’re going to come back next year ready to rock,” Engler said.
The Stormers will open the 2027 season at home on April 20 against the Long Island Ducks, marking their 23rd season in the league.
