Encarnacion & Mayer Head Hooks in 2026

CORPUS CHRISTI – Infielder Yamal Encarnacion is the 2026 Corpus Christi Hooks Player of the Year, with right-hander Bryce Mayer taking home club pitcher of the year honors from this past season.

Encarnacion, a 23-year-old from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, turned in the third-highest stolen base total in 21 campaigns of Hooks Baseball, swiping 48 bases in 58 attempts. Finishing tied for first in the Texas League in steals, he was on pace to break the club record of 54 stolen bags, established by Delino DeShields Jr. in 2014, but Encarnacion missed the final 26 games due to injury.

In his fourth season stateside, Encarnacion established new career marks with a .266 batting average, 61 runs, 93 hits, 18 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 95 games. While manning second base (58 GM), center field (17 GM), right field (17 GM), and left field (5 GM), the switch-hitting speedster coaxed 37 walks for a .336 on-base percentage. Encarnacion ranked second on the Hooks with 134 total bases and 27 extra-base hits despite playing in his final game on August 8.

Finishing his season by riding a 12-game hitting streak, Encarnacion batted .326 with an .895 OPS in 22 July contests. He accounted for the game-winning RBI in three of Corpus Christi’s six walk-off wins on the year. With four singles and a triple July 19 at San Antonio, Encarnacion became the first Hook with a five-hit game since Jeremy Arocho in 2024.

Encarnacion topped out a three stolen bases in four games, including July 12 vs. Frisco when he swiped second, third, and home for a first-inning run vs. Frisco. The Astros 2026 Standard Award recipient executed a straight steal of home June 2 vs. Arkansas. Encarnacion reached safely in 13 consecutive games April 24-May 8, batting .304 with eight runs scored and 10 RBIs.

Mayer, tabbed Astros MiLB Pitcher of the Year for a second consecutive season, went 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 17 games (14 GS) for the Hooks in 2026, striking out 100 batters against 34 walks and 44 hits in 69.0 innings pitched. The 24-year-old from Marthasville, Missouri did not allow a run over his final three Texas League starts, spanning 17.0 innings, prompting an early August promotion to the Pacific Coast League.

Mayer, named to the 2026 Texas League All-Star team, claimed TL Pitcher of the Week honors after winning back-to-back starts July 25 vs. Amarillo and August 1 at Frisco, tossing 6.0 shutout innings with nine strikeouts each time out.

A 16th-round pick in 2024, the Mizzou Tiger permitted only one run over his final six Corpus Christi appearances, covering 30.2 frames. During this stretch, Mayer went 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA, striking out 41 vs. nine hits & 14 walks.

The Astros named Mayer as their MiLB Pitcher of the Month after he went 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in 4 games (3 GS) in July.

Including his seven starts at Triple-A Sugar Land, Mayer racked up 140 strikeouts in 102.0 innings while pitching to a 3.53 ERA. He finished the year as the Astros organizational leader (min 90 IP) in ERA, strikeouts, K-per-9 IP (12.4), and opponent batting average (.202).