The Appalachian League continues to shine as one of the premier summer ball leagues in the country. It’s no surprise the league has become one of the best places to watch future stars of the game with the massive amount of talent rolling into these small towns every summer. The Appy League really has something to offer for fans of all walks of life and I highly recommend checking out a game for yourself.

This summer fans saw a ton of breakout performances across the league. Here are 8 players who stood out and caught my attention this summer:

Kam Durnin

We’ve got to start off with the 2025 Player of the Year Kam Durnin, who spent the summer playing for Kingsport. Kam dominated at the plate all summer, finishing the season as the league leader in batting average, RBI, hits, on-base percentage, OPS, and total bases. He finished his season hitting 15 doubles, two triples, 56 RBI and went a phenomenal 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts.

After spending two seasons at Wichita State he is now transferring to Missouri for the 2026 season. During his time with the Shockers he hit .258 with 30 doubles, along with 9 home runs and 60 RBI. He has the bat to ball skills to spray the ball all over the yard, making him pretty tough to defend against. Naturally with him slapping the ball all over the place he was able to be a key piece of the Shocker’s offense.   Now, as he transitions into the SEC, he’ll be looking to make an immediate impact for the Tigers both offensively and defensively.

Freddy Beruvides

The 2025 Appy League Pitcher of the Year put together a dominant summer on the mound for the Greeneville Flyboys. In seven appearances the lefty posted a minuscule 0.83 ERA. He allowed just two earned runs on 13 hits while striking out 29 batters over 21 2/3 innings. Not only is he tough to hit, but he’s tough to just put the ball in play against racking up an impressive 12.05 k/9 while holding hitters to a .173 average and holding a 1.11 WHIP. Now, after a season at Chipola College, he’ll be taking his talents to Pitt for the 2026 season.

Charlie Atkinson

Atkinson emerged as one of the most dominant bullpen arms in the league this summer, playing a huge part for the Bristol State Liners pitching staff. The right-hander was a perfect 7-for-7 in save opportunities and posted a stellar 0.50 ERA over 13 appearances, allowing just one earned run across 18 innings of work. He struck out 22 batters while giving up only five hits and 10 walks. Charlie is transferring to Baylor after two seasons at DBU where he logged 36 innings pitched with a 4.25 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 2024.

Ty Bradle

Bradle turned in an impressive performance this summer for the Burlington Sock Puppets, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.95 ERA across eight appearances, including six starts. He logged 32.1 innings and struck out 29 batters while allowing just eight runs on 27 hits and 13 walks. Last season in limited action with Florida Southern, Bradle recorded 10 strikeouts over 8.2 innings pitched. However after a breakout summer in the Appy League, he’s positioned himself as a name to watch heading into the 2026 season.

Brayden Ricketts

Ricketts put together a standout offensive campaign for Pulaski, hitting .333 over 38 games. The Canadian catcher hit four home runs, 10 doubles and 35 RBI. I’m not sure if Brayden has spent time studying Buddha, but his patience is something that would make even the wise old sage jealous, as he was able to pick up 33 walks over the summer helping produce for Pulaski all summer long. He redshirted this past season at Indiana, however after the summer he had he’s become a player I’m excited to watch during the 2026 season.

Jordan Crosland

Crosland delivered a productive summer at the plate for Elizabethton, hitting .341 over 35 games. He went 46-for-135, with six home runs, 11 doubles, and 38 RBI, while also scoring 29 runs. His 75 total bases tied for fourth in the league, while his 46 hits ranked him fifth overall among all hitters. Crosland was limited to just four games at Maryland this past spring due to injury. However after this summer I would say he’s trending in the right direction, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a breakout 2026 season for him.

Ariel Antigua

Antigua posted an excellent .442 batting average, collecting one home run, six doubles, one triple, 19 RBI, and 20 runs scored in just 18 games for the Sock Puppets this summer. On June 26th he made Appy League history by setting a single-game record with six hits. Antigua went a perfect 6-for-6 in that game, including three doubles, while driving in a run and scoring twice. Over his two seasons with the Vols he has tallied three doubles and 15 RBI, but his breakout summer suggests he could be poised for a big leap in 2026.

Patrick Gillen

Patrick Gillen caught my attention with a standout performance for the Bristol State Liners, batting .403 over 35 games. He hit two home runs, 13 doubles, two triples, 36 RBI and 23 runs scored. He ranked second in both batting average and total hits across the league. He had a productive season at UNC Asheville this past spring, where he recorded eight doubles, six home runs, 25 runs scored, and 38 RBI. With a great summer in the Appy League he looks like he is trending in the right direction and could be in line for an even bigger season in 2026.