UCF Professional Athletes

UCF Alumni Report | MLB | Sept. 13–19, 2026

Alex Freeland had his moment in the spotlight this week, and he made it count. The UCF product went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday as the Dodgers blanked the Reds 4-0, capping a productive stretch in what's shaping up to be a meaningful September run for Los Angeles. Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominated on the mound with seven strikeouts over seven innings, and Teoscar Hernández added a two-run shot — but Freeland's contribution was no afterthought. The second baseman's long ball gave the Dodgers a cushion early and underscored his value in a lineup loaded with proven veterans.

The bigger picture on Freeland: he's been a consistent presence in Los Angeles down the stretch. Over the week, he appeared in five games, collected hits in two of them, and kept his average steady around .235. In the series against Cincinnati, Freeland logged a walk in Monday's 4-1 win, a hit and a run scored in Thursday's 8-2 blowout, and had a pair of walks in Wednesday's loss — the one blemish in an otherwise dominant Dodgers homestand. He also went 2-for-2 with a run scored in Sunday's contest against Miami. Not a flashy week top to bottom, but quietly productive and a reminder that Freeland has carved out a legitimate role on a roster with World Series ambitions.

Pearson Walks a Tightrope in Kansas City

Nate Pearson's week was a study in volatility. The Royals right-hander appeared in three games, striking out four batters total, but surrendered earned runs in each outing. He allowed three earned runs in Friday's loss to Pittsburgh — a rough line that pushed his ERA to 3.07 — after giving up two runs against Boston and one run against Houston earlier in the week. Kansas City is fighting to stay relevant in the AL playoff race, and Pearson, while still capable of missing bats, hasn't quite locked down the high-leverage trust that comes with consistency.

Sinclair Settles In for Washington

Jack Sinclair had a quietly encouraging finish to the week for the Nationals. The UCF righty tossed 1.1 innings of work Saturday against St. Louis, keeping his ERA at 2.35 in that first appearance before a second outing the same day — yes, a doubleheader — saw him allow one earned run in a full inning, nudging the number to 2.84. For a Washington team playing out the string, Sinclair continues to show enough to warrant a long look heading into the offseason. His sub-3.00 ERA across a full bullpen campaign is no small feat, and the UCF pedigree is holding up on a big-league stage.

Three Knights active in MLB down the stretch, all contributing in different ways — that's a strong showing for a program that continues to punch above its weight when it comes to producing professional talent.

Nate Pearson Is Making Kansas City Believers

The story of UCF's week in MLB begins and ends in Kansas City. Nate Pearson has been as locked in as any reliever in the American League, posting a 1.98 ERA through the September 11 outing against Boston — the product of a three-appearance stretch that has national outlets paying attention.

Over the week, Pearson worked a two-inning, three-strikeout gem against Arizona on Monday, then followed with a pair of clean one-inning efforts against the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. His ERA dipped from 2.08 to 1.98 across that span, a quiet but unmistakable case being made to Kansas City's front office. Sports Illustrated reported that Pearson is actively pitching his way into the Royals' 2027 bullpen plans — no small thing for a pitcher who has spent much of his career fighting durability questions. Right now, he looks like someone who's answered them.

Alex Freeland Keeps His Spot in LA's Lineup

Out in Los Angeles, second baseman Alex Freeland has been a quiet constant for a Dodgers team keeping one eye on the postseason. He appeared in six games between September 6 and 12, collecting hits in four of them and bumping his average from .220 to .225 over the stretch.

His most productive outing came Thursday against Cincinnati, when he went 1-for-the-day with an RBI, two runs scored, and a pair of walks in an 11-1 blowout. He's not making highlight reels, but a .225 average with consistent on-base contributions on a contending Dodgers club is a meaningful role — and Freeland has held it through a stretch-run moment when roster spots tighten.

Jack Sinclair Logs Innings for Washington

Over in the nation's capital, Jack Sinclair has been providing the Nationals with reliable, if unspectacular, bullpen length. He made three appearances during the week — logging 0.2 innings with two strikeouts against the Dodgers on September 6, then 1.1 innings against San Diego on Monday, and another 1.1-inning, one-strikeout effort in a 6-5 win over the Angels on Saturday.

Sinclair hasn't been handed high-leverage situations, but a 26-man roster spot in late September tells its own story. For a rebuilding Washington club, he's doing what a young arm needs to do: stay available, eat innings, and show enough to earn another look next spring.

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Three UCF alumni, three organizations, three different stages of a season. Pearson is the headliner — and if his ERA holds, he'll enter the offseason as one of the more intriguing bullpen pieces in the AL Central. Freeland and Sinclair are writing quieter chapters, but all three Knights are still in the game when the calendar turns to September, which is more than most can say.

Jack Sinclair Arrives in Washington

UCF's latest MLB arrival didn't waste time making an impression. Right-hander Jack Sinclair made his big-league debut with the Washington Nationals this week after the club selected his contract — a move that required designating Max Kranick for assignment to clear a roster spot. The callup wasn't just routine roster housekeeping: Sinclair stepped into a Nationals bullpen that has quietly become one of the more intriguing development stories in baseball.

He's not alone in that group. Washington's homegrown relief corps — featuring Sinclair alongside Erik Tolman and Jared Simpson — has drawn early praise for a bullpen that needed reinforcements. Sports Illustrated flagged Sinclair specifically as the latest "under-the-radar" arm to turn heads in D.C., and a Yahoo Sports report noted that all three recent homegrown additions have made good first impressions. Sinclair tossed a clean inning with a strikeout against the Dodgers on Saturday, a tidy debut line that fit the pattern.

For UCF fans, it's a legitimate milestone. Sinclair is the program's newest face at the highest level, joining a Nationals system that appears to trust what it's developing from within.

Freeland Back with the Dodgers

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of that Nationals-Dodgers series, UCF second baseman Alex Freeland was back in Los Angeles blue. The Dodgers recalled Freeland from Triple-A as part of their September roster expansion, activating him alongside catchers Will Smith and Dalton Rushing and left-hander Justin Wrobleski. Freeland started at second base Tuesday against St. Louis and appeared in multiple games through the week, carrying a .223–.227 batting average across the stretch.

The Dodgers' outfield situation dominated the headlines around those roster moves — Los Angeles notably declined to add outfield depth despite struggles at the position — but Freeland's return gave the defending champions a familiar infield option as they manage the final month of the season.

Pearson Quietly Rolling in Kansas City

UCF's third active arm of the week was Nate Pearson, who continued his steady work out of the Kansas City bullpen. Pearson threw 1.1 innings with a strikeout against Miami on Thursday and added another clean inning Wednesday, keeping his ERA at a sharp 2.19. Royals broadcaster Jake Eisenberg noted this week that Kansas City had long coveted Pearson, and that he's been "exactly what the Royals expected him to be" since joining the club.

That's a quiet, professional endorsement — and for a pitcher who's spent years battling injuries and roster uncertainty, a 2.19 ERA in late August is a meaningful data point.

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Three UCF alumni. Three different roles. One made his MLB debut, one earned a September callup with a World Series contender, and one is posting the kind of numbers that make front offices feel good about a trade. It was a full week for the Knights on the biggest stage in baseball.