FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Kalamazoo Growlers had two players drafted on the second day of the 2026 Major League Baseball draft, with Bryan Carney (2026) and Tyler Kapa (2024) selected by the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins respectively.

Carney was taken in the 7th round and 211th overall by the Houston Astros. He appeared in seven games for Kalamazoo as a reliever, posting a 2.61 ERA across 10.1 innings pitched in 2026 while earning a save.

Carney played at Olivet College, where he pitched for 3 seasons, holding a career ERA of 4.12 across 170.1 innings. The right-hander set Olivet records for single-game (18), single-season (122), and career strikeouts (288).

Kapa was selected in the 14th round and 415th overall by the Miami Marlins. Kapa played in nine games for Kalamazoo in 2024, throwing 10.0 innings and held an astonishing 0.90 ERA while striking out 16.

Kapa played for four different colleges in his career, coming to Kalamazoo in 2024 from Davenport before playing at Eastern Michigan in 2025 and Virginia in 2026. The right-hander shined at Virginia this past spring, holding a 2.70 ERA in 25 appearances out of the bullpen, earning 11 saves.

The two selections makes three Growlers picked in the 2026 MLB Draft with Eric Becker being selected in second round on Saturday afternoon. Kalamazoo has now had 75 total players selected in the MLB draft in franchise history, with 15 players making their MLB debut.