Sam Carlisle brings strikeout juice, innings-eating value, and draftable upside to WMU
In the 2026 season, Western Michigan right-hander Sam Carlisle emerged as a true rotation anchor: 15 appearances, 14 starts, a team-best 67 strikeouts, and a 10.05 K/9 that ranked third in the MAC, plus a 4.95 ERA overall that improved to 4.41 in conference play. He also turned in a monster 7.0-inning, 13-strikeout shutout against UMass, which shows the swing-and-miss ceiling that makes scouts lean in. The big differentiator? He battled back from prior injuries, was praised for a fastball that reached the upper-90s, and still earned a pro deal with the Mets.
