Cornelio is the 418th NWL alum to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former St. Cloud Rox right-handed pitcher Riley Cornelio made his Major League debut on Friday, April 24, 2026. Cornelio is the 418th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Cornelio, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, played for the St. Cloud Rox in 2021 while attending Texas Christian University (TCU). The 6’3″ right-hander went 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in nine games (seven starts), pitching 33.0 innings while allowing 33 hits, 11 earned runs, 15 walks, and striking out 44 batters. He also set a St. Cloud Rox single-game playoff record with 14 strikeouts in one outing and was a key contributor during the team’s strong 2021 season.
Cornelio was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 7th round (201st overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Minor League Statistics by Season:
2022 (Rookie – FCL Nationals): Limited action in his first professional season.
2023 (Single-A Fredericksburg, Carolina League): Appeared in 22 games with a 4.68 ERA in 92.1 innings.
2024 (High-A Wilmington, South Atlantic League): Made 26 starts, went 9-11 with a 5.56 ERA in 126.1 innings, striking out 114 batters.
2025 (High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A): Split time across three levels, posting a combined 6-7 record with a 3.28 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) and 134.1 innings. He struck out 135 batters and earned Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors.
2026 (Triple-A Rochester Red Wings): Began the season strong with a 2-0 record and 2.45 ERA in four starts (18.1 innings, 27 strikeouts) before his call-up.
In his Major League debut against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field, Cornelio entered in relief in the seventh inning. He pitched two innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and four walks while striking out one, and was charged with the loss in a tight game.
###
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 415 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). League games are viewable live on FloSports.tv.