Heading into 2026, VMI’s professional footprint includes one active minor leaguer and three players with Major League service time.
Latest Update (March 24, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Started on the mound as the opener and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 1 hit, 1 run (unearned), 0 walks, and a throwing error in the Twins’ 15-6 win over the Boston Red Sox at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 17 pitches, 11 for strikes.
Latest Update (March 22, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in left field and batted ninth in the lineup. Eaton went 0-3 with a run scored, a walk, and two strikeouts in the Red Sox’s 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park.
Latest Update (March 21, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Entered in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter and remained in the game as the DH. Went 0-2 with a strikeout in the Red Sox’s 6-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park.
Latest Update (March 20, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the ninth inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and a strikeout in the Twins’ 2–1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 13 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Latest Update (March 20, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Entered in the fifth inning as a pinch runner for Roman Anthony and remained in the game as the DH. Went 0-1 with a strikeout in the Red Sox’s 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Eaton is now batting .333 with a .838 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 19, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 9th in the order in the Red Sox’s 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 0-3 on the day with a strikeout. Eaton is now batting .346 with a .870 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 17, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the seventh inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, and 0 walks in the Twins’ 2–0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Baycare Ballpark. Kent threw 19 pitches, 11 for strikes.
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Latest Update (March 17, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 9th in the order in the Red Sox’s 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 1-3 on the day, with a single and 2 RBIs. Eaton is now batting .391 with a .982 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 15, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 8th in the order in the Red Sox’s 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 0-3 on the day, with a strikeout. Eaton is now batting .400 with a 1.029 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 13, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the fourth inning and threw 1-2/3 IP, allowing 1 hit, 3 runs (all earned), 1 walk, and 1 strikeout in the Twins’ 6–1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Kent threw 36 pitches, 21 for strikes. Kent gave up a home run to Daulton Varsho in the fifth inning with 2 on and 1 out.
Latest Update (March 13, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 6th in the order in the Red Sox’s 7-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 3-3 on the day, with a triple, 2 singles, a run scored, and 2 stolen bases. Eaton is now batting .471 with a 1.206 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 10, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the fifth inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and striking out 2 in the Twins’ 6–5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Kent threw 12 pitches, 9 for strikes. Kent has now pitched 3.0 IP this spring, with 6 strikeouts, with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of .33
Latest Update (March 9, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 8-1 Classic Pool Play Game 7 win over Team Brazil at Daikin Park. Eaton went 1-5 on the day with one single, one run scored, one stolen base, and three strikeouts. Eaton completed WBC play batting .316 with an OPS of .895. With the win, Team Great Britain clinched an invitation to the next World Baseball Classic.
Latest Update (March 8, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 7-4 Classic Pool Play Game 5 loss to Team Italy at Daikin Park. Eaton went 2-5 on the day with two doubles, two runs scored, and a strikeout. Eaton is now batting .357 with an OPS of 1.071 in WBC play.
Latest Update (March 7, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 9-1 Classic Pool Play Game 4 loss to Team USA at Daikin Park. Eaton went 3-4 on the day with a leadoff home run on the first pitch from Tarik Skubal, two singles, one run scored, an RBI, 1 fielding error, and one caught stealing by Will Smith.
Latest Update (March 6, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the ninth inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and striking out 2 in the Twins’ 4–1 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 12 pitches, 8 for strikes. Kent has now pitched 2.0 IP this spring, with 4 strikeouts and a WHIP of .50
Latest Update (March 6, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted second in the lineup in Great Britain’s 8-2 Classic Pool Play Game 1 loss to Team Mexico at Daikin Park. Eaton went 0-5 on the day.
Latest Update (March 3, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 7-3 exhibition win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Eaton went 0-4 on the day, with two strikeouts.
Latest Update (March 1, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the seventh inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, and striking out 2 in the Twins’ 2–2 tie with the Atlanta Braves at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 19 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Latest Update (Feb. 28, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 8th in the order in the Red Sox’s 13-8 win over the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 0-3 on the day, with a strikeout, and is now batting .357 with a .900 OPS this spring.
Latest Update (Feb. 26, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins — was claimed off waivers by the Twins.”
Latest Update (Feb. 26, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in the Red Sox’s 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 1-for-2, with a single and a walk. He is now batting .455 with a 1.136 OPS this spring.
Latest Update (Feb. 24, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Entered as a replacement in centerfield and went 0-for-3. He is now batting .444 with a 1.111 OPS this spring. The Red Sox lost 16-7 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at JetBlue Park.
Latest Update (Feb. 23, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted leadoff, going 1‑for‑3 with a single. He is now batting .667 with a 1.667 OPS this spring. The Red Sox lost 2–1 to the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park.
Latest Update (Feb. 22, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Subbed in at right field and went 3‑for‑3 with two doubles and a single, scored a run, and drove in two in the Red Sox’ 11–10 spring training win over the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park.
Latest Update (Feb. 21, 2026): Zak Kent, St. Louis Cardinals — was designated for assignment (DFA) by the Cardinals.
Latest Update (Feb. 20, 2026): Nate Eaton, batting leadoff and playing right field, went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored as the Red Sox defeated Northeastern University, 18–3, in spring training action Friday at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida.
Latest Update (Feb. 16, 2026): Zak Kent, St. Louis Cardinals — was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals.
Latest Update (Feb. 13, 2026): Zak Kent, Texas Rangers — was designated for assignment (DFA) by the Rangers.
Reed Garrett, RHP — New York Mets
Reed Garrett’s career has unfolded in chapters rather than a straight line.
Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 16th round in 2014, Garrett debuted with the Tigers in 2019 and struggled out of the gate, posting an 8.80 ERA in 13 appearances. Rather than fading out, he pivoted—spending two seasons pitching in Japan. That decision kept his career alive.
Garrett returned stateside with Washington in 2022 before landing with Baltimore, where he dominated at AAA Norfolk to the tune of a 1.59 ERA. A waiver claim by the Mets in June 2023 changed everything. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Garrett reinvented himself as a legitimate high-leverage late‑inning option.
In 2024, he appeared in 53 MLB games, going 8–5 with a 4.40 ERA and four saves. In 2025, he logged 57.1 innings with a 3.77 ERA, striking out 33.6% of batters faced while earning 14 holds. Walks remained an issue, but hitters rarely squared him up.
Elbow injuries ultimately derailed his momentum. After multiple injured list stints in 2025, Garrett underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season. Still, his 3.83 ERA across the last two years cemented his place as VMI’s most impactful modern big leaguer.
At VMI, Garrett’s breakout came late. As a junior, he posted a 2.23 ERA in 13 starts, threw a no‑hitter with 13 strikeouts, and earned second‑team conference honors. That late bloom mirrors his professional arc almost perfectly.
Nathan Eaton, UTIL — Boston Red Sox
Latest Update (March 22, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in left field and batted ninth in the lineup. Eaton went 0-3 with a run scored, a walk, and two strikeouts in the Red Sox’s 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park.
Latest Update (March 21, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Entered in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter and remained in the game as the DH. Went 0-2 with a strikeout in the Red Sox’s 6-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park.
Latest Update (March 20, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Entered in the fifth inning as a pinch runner for Roman Anthony and remained in the game as the DH. Went 0-1 with a strikeout in the Red Sox’s 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Eaton is now batting .333 with a .838 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 19, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 9th in the order in the Red Sox’s 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 0-3 on the day with a strikeout. Eaton is now batting .346 with a .870 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 17, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 9th in the order in the Red Sox’s 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 1-3 on the day, with a single and 2 RBIs. Eaton is now batting .391 with a .982 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 15, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 8th in the order in the Red Sox’s 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 0-3 on the day, with a strikeout. Eaton is now batting .400 with a 1.029 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 13, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 6th in the order in the Red Sox’s 7-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 3-3 on the day, with a triple, 2 singles, a run scored, and 2 stolen bases. Eaton is now batting .471 with a 1.206 OPS this spring training.
Latest Update (March 9, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 8-1 Classic Pool Play Game 7 win over Team Brazil at Daikin Park. Eaton went 1-5 on the day with one single, one run scored, one stolen base, and three strikeouts. Eaton completed WBC play batting .316 with an OPS of .895. With the win, Team Great Britain clinched an invitation to the next World Baseball Classic.
Latest Update (March 8, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 7-4 Classic Pool Play Game 5 loss to Team Italy at Daikin Park. Eaton went 2-5 on the day with two doubles, two runs scored, and a strikeout. Eaton is now batting .357 with an OPS of 1.071 in WBC play.
Latest Update (March 7, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 9-1 Classic Pool Play Game 4 loss to Team USA at Daikin Park. Eaton went 3-4 on the day with a leadoff home run on the first pitch from Tarik Skubal, two singles, one run scored, an RBI, 1 fielding error, and one caught stealing by Will Smith.
Latest Update (March 6, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted second in the lineup in Great Britain’s 8-2 Classic Pool Play Game 1 loss to Team Mexico at Daikin Park. Eaton went 0-5 on the day.
Latest Update (March 3, 2026): Nate Eaton, WBC Team Great Britain. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in Great Britain’s 7-3 exhibition win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Eaton went 0-4 on the day, with two strikeouts.
Latest Update (Feb. 28, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted 8th in the order in the Red Sox’s 13-8 win over the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 0-3 on the day, with a strikeout, and is now batting .357 with a .900 OPS this spring.
Latest Update (Feb. 26, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in centerfield and batted leadoff in the Red Sox’s 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park. Eaton went 1-for-2, with a single and a walk. He is now batting .455 with a 1.136 OPS this spring.
Latest Update (Feb. 24, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Entered as a replacement in centerfield and went 0-for-3. He is now batting .444 with a 1.111 OPS this spring. The Red Sox lost 16-7 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at JetBlue Park.
Latest Update (Feb. 23, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Started in right field and batted leadoff, going 1‑for‑3 with a single. He is now batting .667 with a 1.667 OPS this spring. The Red Sox lost 2–1 to the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park.
Latest Update (Feb. 22, 2026): Nate Eaton, Boston Red Sox. Subbed in at right field and went 3‑for‑3 with two doubles and a single, scored a run, and drove in two in the Red Sox’ 11–10 spring training win over the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park.
Latest Update (Feb. 20, 2026): Nate Eaton, batting leadoff and playing right field, went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored as the Red Sox defeated Northeastern University, 18–3, in spring training action Friday at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida.
Nathan Eaton occupies the gray space every roster needs. Drafted by Kansas City in the 21st round in 2018, Eaton spent six seasons bouncing between AAA and the majors, producing underwhelming MLB numbers but consistently solid minor league performance.
After being outrighted following the 2023 season, Eaton resurfaced with Boston and quietly authored the best stretch of his career in 2025. In 81 at-bats, he slashed .296/.348/.383, stole nine bases, and provided defensive coverage at multiple positions. He even logged postseason hits against the Yankees in the Wild Card Series.
Eaton’s tools are straightforward. He has plus speed, a plus-plus arm, and the versatility to play nearly anywhere on the field. The bat remains average, and advanced pitching can expose his chase tendencies, but his skill set fits modern bench construction.
The 2026 question is simple: can he repeat it? Eaton profiles as a classic emergency call-up with upside. Whether that earns him a roster spot or another minor league deal, his speed and flexibility keep him relevant.
At VMI, Eaton was everywhere. He hit .286 with 14 homers, 49 RBIs, and 46 stolen bases—and also pitched, touching 99 mph. Control issues ended the pitching, but the athleticism carried through.
Zak Kent, RHP — Texas Rangers
Latest Update (March 24, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Started on the mound as the opener and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 1 hit, 1 run (unearned), 0 walks, and a throwing error in the Twins’ 15-6 win over the Boston Red Sox at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 17 pitches, 11 for strikes.
Latest Update (March 20, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the ninth inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and a strikeout in the Twins’ 2–1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 13 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Latest Update (March 17, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the seventh inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, and 0 walks in the Twins’ 2–0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Baycare Ballpark. Kent threw 19 pitches, 11 for strikes.
Latest Update (March 13, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the fourth inning and threw 1-2/3 IP, allowing 1 hit, 3 runs (all earned), 1 walk, and 1 strikeout in the Twins’ 6–1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Kent threw 36 pitches, 21 for strikes. Kent gave up a home run to Daulton Varsho in the fifth inning with 2 on and 1 out.
Latest Update (March 10, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the fifth inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and striking out 2 in the Twins’ 6–5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Kent threw 12 pitches, 9 for strikes. Kent has now pitched 3.0 IP this spring, with 6 strikeouts, with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of .33
Latest Update (March 6, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the ninth inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and striking out 2 in the Twins’ 4–1 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 12 pitches, 8 for strikes. Kent has now pitched 2.0 IP this spring, with 4 strikeouts and a WHIP of .50
Latest Update (March 1, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins. Came on in relief in the seventh inning and threw 1.0 IP, allowing 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, and striking out 2 in the Twins’ 2–2 tie with the Atlanta Braves at Lee Health Sports Complex. Kent threw 19 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Latest Update (Feb. 26, 2026): Zak Kent, Minnesota Twins — was claimed off waivers by the Twins.
Latest Update (Feb. 21, 2026): Zak Kent, St. Louis Cardinals — was designated for assignment (DFA) by the Cardinals.
Latest Update (Feb. 16, 2026): Zak Kent, St. Louis Cardinals — was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals.
Latest Update (Feb. 13, 2026): Zak Kent, Texas Rangers — was designated for assignment (DFA) by the Rangers.
Zak Kent’s path has been quieter but no less effective. Originally drafted by Texas in the ninth round in 2019, Kent spent several seasons building a reputation as a strike‑throwing starter with swing‑and‑miss stuff.
Across four seasons in the Rangers’ system, he logged 258.2 innings with a 4.07 ERA, ranking highly in strikeout‑to‑walk ratio and ground ball rate. Injuries slowed him in 2024, but he rebounded late and broke through to the majors with Cleveland in 2025.
Kent made 12 MLB relief appearances, posting a 4.58 ERA, while dominating AAA Columbus with a 2.84 ERA. Claimed by Texas in January 2026, he projects as a multi‑inning reliever capable of stabilizing a bullpen.
At VMI, Kent was dominant. He earned second‑team All‑SoCon honors in 2019, set a single‑season school record with 132 strikeouts, and finished his career fourth all‑time with 258 punchouts.
Holden Wilkerson, RHP — Toronto Blue Jays
Holden Wilkerson represents the next wave of VMI baseball players in the MLB and MiLB. Drafted by Toronto in the 18th round in 2024, Wilkerson works with a four‑pitch mix anchored by fastball‑curveball tunneling.
His early pro results have been uneven. In 2025, he split time between rookie ball and Single‑A, finishing with a 6.35 ERA. Injuries limited his college finale, but the raw ingredients remain intriguing.
At VMI, Wilkerson struck out 87 batters across three seasons and showed flashes of dominance late, including a 10‑strikeout outing in his final year. The 2026 outlook likely places him back in Single‑A, focused on health and command.
