2026 Florida Complex League Semifinals
The FCL Rays and FCL Astros advanced to the 2026 Florida Complex League (FCL) Championship Series. Both teams won their semifinal matchups on July 25. In Dunedin, the Rays defeated the FCL Blue Jays 4–2 at the Player Development Complex, finishing the season 37–20. In West Palm Beach, the Astros defeated the FCL Orioles 7–0 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The victory capped the Astros’ 42–11 season.
The FCL Rays compete in the FCL South Division as a rookie-level affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The FCL Astros compete in the FCL East Division as a rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros.
2026 Florida Complex League Championship Series
The FCL Astros claimed the 2026 Florida Complex League championship with a 2–0 series victory over the FCL Rays. The Astros opened the series with a 7–1 victory in Game 1 on July 26. The game was played at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. They clinched the title with a 4–3 walk-off victory in 10 innings in Game 2 on July 27. The game was played at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Game 2 featured dominant pitching from both sides. Right-hander Jhoster Baez threw 3⅔ hitless innings for the Astros before allowing a run. Rays relievers Miguel Toscano, Riley Stanford, and Starlin Savinon combined for nine innings of one-run relief. Astros reliever Jose Serrano pitched 5⅓ scoreless innings. Juan Rojas tied the game with a home run in the fourth inning.
Both offenses finally broke through in the 10th inning. Slater de Brun reached on an RBI error that scored Jack Lines. De Brun then scored on a Taitn Gray double, giving the Rays a 3–1 lead. The Astros answered in the bottom of the 10th as Pablo Martinez hit an RBI single. Rojas followed with a game-tying RBI triple. Roiner Quintana ended the game with a walk-off RBI single to center, scoring Rojas and delivering the championship.
Rojas led all FCL postseason hitters with seven RBI and four runs. He also hit two home runs and posted a 1.500 OPS across three games. During the regular season, Luis De Leon led the Astros with 47 hits. He also tied for the team lead with four doubles and four home runs. Adrian Ardines led the pitching staff, finishing 5–1 with a 3.42 ERA. He also led the team in innings pitched (52⅔) and strikeouts (56). Ardines also threw six shutout innings in the semifinal win over the Orioles.
FCL History
The league began as the Sarasota Rookie League in 1964 and became the Florida Rookie League in 1965. It operated as the Gulf Coast League from 1966 through 2020 before becoming the Florida Complex League.
FCL Social Media Coverage
Visit the Florida Pro Baseball FCL Astros and Florida Complex League pages for more information. Check the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) resources below for more details.
Official FCL Site