Here is our regular roundup of Schuylkill County and other coal region players currently with Major League Baseball organizations or playing in an MLB Partner League in the 2026 season.
John Holobetz (Pottsville Area) – Pitcher, Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox – Double-A)
Holobetz struck out 10 over five innings and allowed just three hits Thursday in Portland’s 3-2 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets), picking up the win to move to 5-3 on the season and helping the Sea Dogs claim sole possession of first place in the Eastern League Northeast Division. This was the second outing this season in which the Pottsville Area alum recorded double-digit strikeouts.
For the season, Holobetz is now 5-3 with a 4.33 ERA over 79 innings, with 93 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP.
Thomas Schultz (Mount Carmel Area) – Pitcher, Harrisburg Senators (Washington Nationals – Double-A)
Schultz most recently appeared for the Senators in a game against Reading (Phillies) on Tuesday. He took the loss, working 2 innings, allowing 1 earned run while striking out 1 in Harrisburg’s 4-1 loss.
Schultz has been used in a hybrid starter/reliever role for the Senators this year and now sits at 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA across 33 appearances, with 42.2 innings pitched, 48 strikeouts and a 1.13 WHIP.
Nate Nabholz (Blue Mountain) – Pitcher, San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants – Single-A)
Nabholz’s pro debut has gone well since he signed with the Giants organization on June 18, following two seasons with the independent Frontier League’s Tri-City ValleyCats.
Through seven appearances with the Single-A Giants, Nabholz is 1-0 with a sharp 2.51 ERA over 14⅓ innings, with 10 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP. In his most recent outing on July 18 against the Stockton Ports (Athletics), Nabholz worked 1⅔ innings, allowing 1 hit and walking 2 batters in the Giants 6-2 win.
Reggie Crawford (North Schuylkill) — Pitcher/First Baseman, SF Giants organization
It’s been a while since we reported on Crawford in game action but he recently made a surprise return to the field for the Arizona Complex League Giants. But Crawford appeared for the team as a first baseman, not a pitcher.
Once considered a potential two-way prospect, the Giants have primarily featured Crawford as a pitcher as he rose through the ranks of their farm system. But he’s be plagued by injuries the last few seasons.
According to McCovey Chronicles, Crawford showed he still has it at the plate. In a weekend of action for the ACL Giants, Crawford went 1-for-5 with a home run and drew two walks. There’s also still a chance the Giants get Crawford back on the mound before the end of the 2026 season.
Kaleb Sophy (Blue Mountain) – Pitcher, Lancaster Stormers (Atlantic League, independent)
Sophy tossed a clean inning of relief against York Revolution on Tuesday. He faced the minimum, retiring the side in order with a strikeout, and didn’t allow a hit or a walk.
The appearance extended his scoreless streak to five outings in a row, a stretch covering 4 2/3 innings in which he’s allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out two, without letting a single run cross the plate. That run includes a win on July 14 against Long Island, when he threw two-thirds of an inning without giving up a hit, a walk, or a run.
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