John Allen gives Akron a durable lefty look with swing-and-miss upside
In the 2026 season, Akron LHP John Allen has shown the profile of a useful rotation piece: he’s logged both quality relief work and starts, including five shutout innings with five strikeouts against Toledo and four scoreless innings versus Youngstown State, while also taking on tougher outings in MAC play. The differentiator is competitiveness—he attacks hitters, has enough strikeout ability to miss bats, and has already shown he can handle multi-inning work. If you want a left-hander who competes and can give innings, he’s worth a look; if you need instant polish, his command consistency still has room to grow.
