2026 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Roster Preview: Familiar Faces and Intriguing Upside

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

In conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels have unveiled their 2026 Opening Day roster, and it comes with a little bit of everything. There is returning production, recent draft intrigue, and enough raw athleticism to make last year’s track meet look repeatable.

Jordan Smith, a Wilmar, MN native, begins his first year managing the Mighty Mussels. Also new to the staff are pitching coach Dylan Hawley and hitting coach Carlos Lara. The one holdover in the coaching department is Richard Salazar, who enters his fourth season with the club and his ninth in the organization.

The initial player group featured 44 players, though that number shrank quickly. Once the injured list was finalized on Thursday, April 2, the roster was trimmed to the Florida State League maximum of 30 active players. Overall, it serves as a snapshot of organizational depth and a preview of who could take meaningful steps forward this summer.

Familiarity is a defining theme. Exactly half of the current group, 22 players, appeared in a game for Fort Myers last season. That continuity matters at this level, where development often accelerates when players are not adjusting to a new environment at the same time.

The returning position player group is headlined by Damuery Pena and Quentin Young. Pena was a steady presence in 2025, leading the team with 96 games played while hitting .241/.317/.316 (.633) and swiping 28 bases, tied for ninth most in the FSL last season. He is a contact-oriented player with speed who can impact games in multiple ways.

Young is a different kind of storyline. Selected in the second round of the 2025 draft, he arrived late in the season and appeared in just five games. The pedigree stands out immediately as the nephew of former big leaguers Delmon and Dmitri Young. He also has one of the top power tools in the entire organization. Now with a full season ahead, Fort Myers becomes the first real stage to see how his tools translate over an extended run.

JP Smith II showed flashes after being selected in the 17th round, including a Florida State League Player of the Week award in August. He hit .237 across 24 games, and while the sample size was small, the early signs suggested a player capable of putting together competitive at-bats.

Yasser Mercedes might be the most electric returner on the roster (even though he starts the year on the IL). He led the 2025 team in both home runs with 10 and stolen bases, going an incredible 34-for-35 on the basepaths. That efficiency was not just impressive, it was foundational to a record-breaking season. Fort Myers stole 236 bases as a team, setting a new franchise mark, and Mercedes was right at the center of it.

On the pitching side, Dylan Questad returns as the most experienced arm. His 6.87 ERA across 25 games, including 11 starts, does not jump off the page in a positive way, but the underlying workload tells a different story. He led all returners with 74 2/3 innings and 83 strikeouts, giving him a chance to take a step forward simply by refining what is already there.

The most notable addition to the staff is right-hander Riley Quick. Taken with the 36th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Quick enters as one of the more intriguing arms at this level. He posted a 3.72 ERA across three seasons at the University of Alabama and struck out 70 batters in 62 innings during his final collegiate season. There is enough swing and miss in the profile to believe he could move quickly if everything clicks.

James Ellwanger will make his pro debut with the Mighty Mussels after being drafted by the Twins in the third round. During his final collegiate season, he posted a 3.98 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP and 13.5 K/9. Like Quick, his college experience could mean that he moves quickly through the lower levels of the minors. However, there is no reason to rush him as he adjusts to life as a professional.

Prospect watchers will have plenty to follow. According to Twins Daily’s top-20 prospect rankings, Quick, 11th overall, is the highest-rated prospect in Fort Myers. On the position player side, Young falls at 14th overall in the latest rankings. Ellwanger, the team’s third-round pick last year, is currently ranked as the 20th-best prospect in the organization. That level of prospect density is not always a given at the Low A level, and it raises the ceiling for what this group could become.

The Mighty Mussels were rained out for their opener on Thursday. Now, they begin their season on April 3, with a double header against the Clearwater Threshers. First pitch scheduled for 3:35 p.m. CT.

2026 Fort Myers Opening Day Roster
Pitchers (15)

• RHP James Ellwanger
• RHP Adam Falinski
• RHP Joel Garcia
• RHP Eric Hammond
• RHP Michael Hilker Jr.
• RHP Merit Jones
• RHP Xavier Kolhosser
• RHP Mike McKenna
• RHP Reed Moring
• RHP Mitch Mueller
• RHP Jake Murray
• RHP Riley Quick
• RHP Kolten Smith
• RHP Jonathan Stevens
• RHP Brian Zeldin

Catchers (4)

• Ian Daugherty
• Irvin Nuñez
• Ricardo Peña
• Ryan Sprock

Infielders (6)

• Bryan Acuña
• Harry Genth
• Yilber Herrera
• Dameury Peña
• JP Smith II
• Quentin Young

Outfielders (3)

• Jayson Bass
• Eduardo Beltre
• Byron Chourio

7-Day IL: INF Bruin Agbayani (R thumb sprain), C Enrique Jimenez (R finger fracture), OF Yasser Mercedes (R oblique strain), RHP Justin Mitrovich (R lat strain), RHP Billy Oldham (R UCL sprain), RHP Dylan Questad (L oblique strain), RHP Jason Reitz (L ankle sprain)

60-Day IL: RHP Matt Barr (R elbow fracture), RHP Callan Fang (R elbow sprain), RHP Jake Hunter (R shoulder impingement), RHP Jace Kaminska (R elbow surgery), LHP Cesar Lares (L elbow surgery), LHP Cleiber Maldonado (L elbow surgery), C Carlos Silva (R forearm strain) 

Full Season IL: RHP Jack Dougherty (R shoulder surgery), INF Shai Robinson (L shoulder surgery)

What stands out about the Fort Myers roster? Who will you be watching? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[DocBauer]

Thanks for the update. Hopefully the 7 day IL guys are ready sooner rather than later. Really interested in seeing if Questad's arm talent can begin to mature with better control. And Mitrovich and Reitz were just drafted last year and I'm anxious to see them debut. Of course INF Agbayani was also selected in 2025. And I think we're all interested to see what Jimenez can do behind the plate and at the plate after acquiring him at the deadline.

I'm a little concerned that 2025 draftees Barr and Fang open on the 60 day IL. I'm especially intrigued by Barr and want to see his stuff on display. I think he might have been a sneaky excellent pick.

If I'm not mistaken, Jack Dougherty came to camp in 2025 throwing real gas and then got hurt. Or was it 2024? I don't believe he's thrown a professional, in season inning since being drafted. Have to worry about his career at this point.

I like the athletic talent and potential of the OF. Is this the season where Mercedes finally puts it all together? 

JP Smith is a true 1B drafted late last season, from a smaller school, but seems to have some bat and power potential. Fellow 2025 draftee, 3B/1B moved to catcher is interesting.

Of course, BIG 3 to watch are Quick, Ellwanger, and Young. If, for some reason, Quick had gone back to school for another year, I wonder how high he might be drafted, despite being a senior. The pure STUFF appears to be there as a potential top of the rotation starter. And I think Ellwanger might not be too far behind him. As big as Young is, he's probably a 3B sooner rather than later. But he's got a cannon for an arm, BIG power potential, but is well put together and reportedly a pretty good athlete as well. He's a bit like Winokur, sort of a work in progress to be sure, but massive upside. 

I don't like to see anyone's dream come to an end, but when some of the IL guys come back, there are going to be some cuts, as well as a few demotions to the later starting FCL team.

Ft Myers could be a lot of fun to watch this season.

[DarrenPS]

I love keeping up with the low minors teams, Mighty Mussels should (hopefully) be a fun watch this year, but what really stands out to me was the number of injuries to start the year this year. What happened???