THREE RUSTLER RELIEVERS COMING TO WENATCHEE IN 2026
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Smith Slye - smith.slye@wsu.edu
Three Rustler relievers coming to Wenatchee in 2026
One Washington southpaw and two California righties. Out of Golden State College, the AppleSox are adding three more pitchers to the roster. Marcel Mercado, Elias Reyes, and Cristian Brewster are each swapping California for the Wenatchee Valley this season.
While one has already gotten plenty of college experience, the other two are diamonds in the rough, getting their shot at the college stage. All three have been used regularly by Golden State this year, and are on pace to be solid arms in the valley.
So, who are these new Rustler relievers joining the ‘Sox…
Marcel Mercado - LHP - Junior
With three years under his belt, Mercado brings the most college experience out of the trio. He is currently with the Golden State Rustlers in California, but before that, the Tacoma native got his start in JUCO with his hometown Titans at Tacoma Community College. In his first two years with the Titans, he made just 12 total appearances. But, in that time, he managed to lock down JUCO bats from the left side.
His freshman year only featured him in six outings, all of which were in relief. He posted his best ERA in that inaugural season, finishing at 1.46 with nine strikeouts and only two earned runs.
In his sophomore campaign, he made his first four starts in college ball. After that second year, Mercado’s ERA inflated to 6.64 with 17 strikeouts, 15 earned runs, and 19 hits.
After his two years with the Titans, Mercado headed south to join the Golden State Rustlers in California.
While there, he has made 13 appearances so far. A majority of those, eight to be exact, have been starts. He’s posting a 3.69 ERA off 13 earned runs, 30 strikeouts, and only 11 walks.
Every year, Mercado has been handed more responsibility, and he has not buckled once. That makes sense when you realize how dominant he was back in his high school days.
Out of Stadium High School, the 6-foot-2 left-hander worked three seasons of varsity ball. In those three seasons, he never once posted an ERA above 2.00.
Back in his home state this summer, Mercado makes his first stop in summer league baseball with the ‘Sox. As a starting arm with relief potential, he is one of just seven lefties joining Wenatchee this year.
But, as someone who develops consistently each year, the valley will be a perfect place for him to stay hot.
Elias Reyes - RHP - Freshman
Coming out of high school, the West Covina, California, native did not stand out that much. In 2025, he was the No. 492 overall prospect in California and the No. 174 right-handed prospect in the state.
Sitting at triple digits in the prospect rankings is not the most impressive. However, upon closer inspection, you see exactly why the Rustlers snatched him out of high school.
In his three years at South Hills High School, Reyes locked down the right side in relief. His freshman year was rocky, with Reyes posting just seven appearances and a 4.42 ERA.
After that, his sophomore year was not much better. He made three fewer appearances, but did manage to shave the ERA down to 3.00.
It was not until his senior year that he showed exactly what he is capable of. With a career high 14 appearances, Reyes posted a 1.89 ERA with 12 earned runs, 18 walks, and a preposterous 51 strikeouts.
Those 51 punchouts jump out immediately to anyone paying attention, and apparently, the Rustlers were paying attention.
So far with Golden State, Reyes is leading the team for appearances at 17. In that time, he has a 3.31 ERA with 13 earned runs, 16 walks, and 29 strikeouts. On top of that, he leads the squad for saves at two, which is not a lot, but still leads the team.
With 35 ⅓ innings of work, Reyes averages about two innings per appearance with the Rustlers. As a mid-length reliever, he has already closed out seven Golden State wins this season, making him a door slammer with the Rustlers.
As a diamond in the rough, the ‘Sox will benefit from Reyes’ swing and miss stuff in the valley. Reyes is playing his first year of summer league baseball with Wenatchee, and he could shape up to be their go-to closer in 2026.
Cristian Brewster - RHP - Freshman
Although he is just a freshman, Brewster brings some built-in college experience with him to Wenatchee. That experience comes from the season he spent with the Yakima Valley Pippins, a conference opponent of the AppleSox.
While he only played four games with the Pippins, his production was undeniable. In eight total innings, Brewster coughed up only four runs, five walks, and whiffed nine batters. He made all of those appearances in relief, making him a useful arm out of the pen to shut down opposing offenses.
Now with the Rustlers, he is back to his old tricks. In nine cameos so far this year, he has racked up a 1.16 ERA with just three runs, only 15 hits, 12 walks, and a lopsided 29 strikeouts.
While he may have committed to Cal State Fullerton out of high school, he has found a home with the Rustlers. Much like Reyes, Brewster was not the highest-rated right-hander out of high school.
In 2023, Brewster was the No. 125 overall player and No. 47 right-handed pitcher in California. The Rustlers must have an affinity for underrated righties from California, and in both cases, it has paid off.
So, Brewster swaps divisions in the West Coast League, making the hour-and-a-half drive from Yakima to Wenatchee in 2026. As a relief arm that has closed out game after game with the Rustlers, the ‘Sox will no doubt lean on the Porter Ranch native all summer in the valley.
The 2026 season begins on May 29 as the AppleSox jet off to Edmonton to play the Edmonton RiverHawks at RE/MAX Field at 6:05 p.m. The AppleSox open their home season on June 5th at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium as they host the Kamloops NorthPaws. The AppleSox have 29 home games and play until mid-August. The franchise’s five West Coast League championships are the second-most in league history. Season ticket packages are available for purchase now at applesox.com/season-tickets.
