Dayton Dragons Finish 2026 Season With a Run to the League Championship Series

The Cincinnati Reds' High-A team, the Dayton Dragons, finished their season on Tuesday night in the Midwest League Championship Series. It did not go the way they wanted.

How the Dragons Got Here

The Dayton Dragons earned their playoff berth by winning the first half of the 2026 season with a record of 39-27. The Dragons were playing their best baseball to clinch the playoff spot, going 8-2 in their last ten games. Powered by highly-touted prospects like Alfredo Duno, Carlos Sanchez, and Carter Graham, the Dragons were quite the team to watch. Those three players earned promotions to Double-A Chattanooga, but the Dragons would replenish that talent.

After the 2026 MLB Draft, the Dragons added top picks Justin Lebron and Eric Becker to the roster. They also added top prospect Tyson Lewis after his promotion to the team in June. So, the Dayton Dragons refreshed their lineup, and behind the leadership of Manager of the Year Julio Morillo, they were ready to make some noise in the playoffs.

2026 Playoffs

The Dayton Dragons won the best-of-three Midwest League Semi-Finals Series 2-1 against the Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) last week. The Dragons dropped Game 1 on the road and faced must-win games returning to Day Air Park. Fueled by the big hits of Kyle Henley in Game 2 and Damian Ruiz in Game 3, the Dragons were ready to win their first League Championship in their 26-year history.

For the Midwest League Championship Series, the Dragons faced the Quad City Riverbandits (Royals). Dayton dropped Game 1 on the road again, and they faced elimination going into Tuesday Night at home. I attended this matchup, and the atmosphere was electric; the fans were ready to see the Dragons extend the series.

The Dragons got a gutsy four-inning performance out of left-handed starter Kyle McCoy, along with great defensive plays by Johnny Ascanio and Kien Vu. The game was scoreless through six innings before the Dragons came up in the bottom of the 7th. With one out, outfielder Damian Ruiz tripled on a drive to left-center to pump up the Dayton crowd. With the infield in, Kyle Henley shot a ball down the first-base line into right field to bring home Ruiz, 1-0 Dragons.

The lead would not last long. In the top of the 8th, with two outs and one on, the Royals' 2023 first-round pick Blake Mitchell smashed a home run to give the Riverbandits the lead. Brutal. The Dragons would have two more innings to try to win it, but unfortunately they were not able to find a way to win. The 2026 season ended when pinch-hitter Eric Becker struck out for the final out of the game. Congrats to Quad City.

The 2026 season is over for the Dragons, but the memories created in Dayton will last a lifetime.

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