Lowell Spinners: Off-Field Success Highlights 2026 Comeback Season

The summer of 2026 brought a beloved name, logo, and ballpark back to life. While the inaugural season of the revived Lowell Spinners in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) didn’t go quite as planned on the field, off the field was a completely different story.

A total of 61,559 fans packed LeLacheur Park to watch summer baseball return to the banks of the Merrimack River for the first time since 2019. Thanks to the Futures League, baseball is back in Lowell—and the fan base couldn’t be happier.

Roster Instability and On-Field Hurdles

On the diamond, the Spinners faced immediate challenges that made for a bumpy ride. The team rarely had its full roster together for any extended stretch, creating an early-season revolving door in the clubhouse.

Lowell’s roster depth was tested right out of the gate when key players from Endicott College and Bentley University couldn’t join the club until mid-June. Both schools enjoyed deep postseason runs to the Division III and Division II College World Series, respectively, leaving team management scrambling to fill roster spots during the opening weeks.

Manager Kevin Graber navigated the constantly changing lineup as best he could. While a 21–39 final record reflects the team’s struggles, it doesn’t tell the full story. Inconsistency plagued the squad all summer:

• Home vs. Away: The Spinners played nearly .500 ball at home (14–15) but struggled heavily on the road, finishing 7–23 away from LeLacheur Park.
• Offensive Cold Spells: Lowell ranked at the bottom of the league in team batting average (.236) and slugging percentage (.315), while placing next-to-last in total runs scored (264).
• Speed on the Basepaths: The lone offensive bright spot was the run game. The Spinners led the Futures League with 190 stolen bases while being caught just 30 times (also a league best). Getting on base was the hard part; once there, they executed flawlessly.
• Standalone Star: Outfielder Bradley McCafferty was the team’s sole .300 hitter on the season.

Pitching and Defensive Breakdown

The pitching staff had its moments of brilliance mixed with tough outings, finishing with a 6.17 ERA, a 1.90 WHIP, and a .299 opponent batting average while throwing two shutouts. The staff struck out 395 batters against 276 walks, but yielded 591 total runs (331 earned), hit 70 batters, and uncorked 80 wild pitches.

Staff Highlight: Right-hander Dylan Izenman was a steadying force in the rotation. Izenman posted a 2.48 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 32.2 innings across eight appearances (seven starts), striking out 31 batters while allowing just nine earned runs.

Defensively, the Spinners posted a .954 fielding percentage, committing 95 errors in 60 games while turning 46 double plays. Clean fielding often dictated the outcome:

Behind the plate, the catching corps surrendered 33 passed balls while throwing out 18.1% of base-stealers.

Looking Ahead to 2027

Despite the tough win-loss record, Manager Kevin Graber expressed a strong desire to return to the Spinners’ dugout next summer. He plans to meet with the ownership group in the coming days to discuss extending his tenure.

With a full offseason to build roster stability and an eager, proven fan base behind them, the Spinners have a solid foundation to build upon heading into 2027.