Athletes Beyond Bartow: Updates on local baseball professionals

July 6, 2026

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Several local products continue to make their mark across professional baseball, from the major leagues to the minor leagues and the independent ranks. Cartersville High School alumni once again headline the group, with three former Hurricanes currently on MLB or MiLB rosters and two more competing in the Frontier League. Here's a look at how each performed during the past week and where their teams stand as the first half of July winds down ahead of the All-Star break.

Left to right: Mason Barnett, Logan Martin, Anthony Seigler, Micah Earwood, and Cohen Wilbanks

MLB / MiLB

MASON BARNETT — MLB Athletics (5th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a pair of two-inning appearances, and received no decisions last Friday and Sunday as the Athletics hosted the Miami Marlins. On Friday, in a 12-5 loss, he allowed four earned runs on three hits (two home runs) and two walks with two strikeouts. In Sunday’s 9-8 loss, the right-hander yielded two more home runs and one other hit with no walks and no strikeouts. Barnett is 1-0 with two saves in 11 MLB appearances this season. He has 21 strikeouts in 19-1/3 innings and has a 3.72 ERA. The Athletics, who dropped five of six games last week, began this week in fourth place in the American League West with a 41-49 record. They trail first-place Seattle by 5-1/2 games. The A’s are on the road in the final week before the All-Star break. They have three games at the Detroit Tigers and a weekend series at the Chicago White Sox.

LOGAN MARTIN — Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … made his second and third rehab appearances last week with the Arizona Complex Rookie-level Giants. He had five strikeouts and one walk in four shutout frames. The 24-year-old right-hander has dealt with an undisclosed injury this season with the Double-A Flying Squirrels and was sent to Arizona on June 27 for rehabilitation. He is 3-0 in 2026 with Richmond in six starts and 12 total appearances covering just over 34 innings. He has 36 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA. Meanwhile, the Squirrels won the first half of the Eastern League’s Southwest Division to secure a postseason berth. Richmond began the week 50-29 overall, including 7-4 in the second-half standings.

ANTHONY SEIGLER — Boston Red Sox (MLB; 9th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … made four starts last week — two at home against the Washington Nationals and two at the Los Angeles Angels.  The 27-year-old second baseman was 3-for-16 at the plate, including two doubles, two walks, four runs scored, and one stolen base. Seigler has a .308 batting average in 52 official at-bats this season with Boston, including one home run and three RBI. The Red Sox went 4-2 last week and began this week with a 40-48 record, 12-1/2 games behind the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Boston plays three games at the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday through Thursday, and plays three at the New York Mets this weekend prior to the All-Star break.

INDEPENDENT PRO BASEBALL

MICAH EARWOOD — Sussex County Miners (Frontier League; 1st year pro; Southeastern University; Cartersville HS) … made three relief appearances last week with no decisions as the Miners finished a 4-2 week. The right-hand pitcher yielded five earned runs on one hit and three walks on June 30 in a 12-4 home loss to the New York Boulders, but bounced back with two scoreless appearances against the Ottawa Titans last Friday and Sunday. He recorded two strikeouts on Friday during a one-inning stint and a 5-2 loss. Earwood then allowed one hit, but retired two outs in the eighth inning of a 4-2 victory on Sunday. He has 12 strikeouts in 9-2/3 innings with a 7.45 ERA. Sussex County began the week with a 23-25 record and in third place in the Atlantic East Division. The Miners are on the road for games at the Lake Erie Crushers on Tuesday through Thursday and the Evansville Otters this weekend.

COHEN WILBANKS — Evansville Otters (Frontier League; 2nd year pro; Georgia Gwinnett College; Cartersville HS) …  the Otters’ catcher saw action in two losses last week — an 8-5 loss at the Joliet Slammers and a 23-10 home loss to the Washington Wild Things. Wilbanks was 4-for-8 at the plate, including one double, one walk, three runs scored, and one RBI. For the season, he has a .231 batting average with one home run and six RBI in 66 plate appearances. Evansville went 4-2 last week and began this week with a 31-18 record. The Otters are in second place in the Midwest Central Division, trailing Washington by two games. They play three games at the Gateway Grizzlies on Tuesday through Thursday and host the Sussex County Miners for three games this weekend.