Crushers Re-Sign Franco, Spinozzi, and Quinn for 2026
FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Re-Sign Franco, Spinozzi, and Quinn for 2026

Published on December 22, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - The Lake Erie Crushers have re-signed three players to the 2026 roster: RHP Michael Spinozzi, OF Sam Franco, and 1B/3B Jaidan Quinn. Crushers roster updates are presented by BCT Alarm Services, Inc.

Michael Spinozzi has played the entirety of his advanced baseball career in the state of Ohio, and in 2026 he will continue that trend. An alumnus of Miami-OH and a signee out of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the MLB Draft League, Spinozzi opened up his professional career with the Crushers in 2025 with a 4.18 ERA in 32 1/3 innings. His season came to an abrupt end when he suffered an injury in early August, but he is poised to make his return after a full offseason of recovery.

Spinozzi features a unicorn pitch - a cut-changeup - which spins like a changeup but moves like a slider away from right-handed hitters. His 29 strikeouts last season logged him an 8.1 K/9, and Jared Lemieux found solace in using him as a long reliever in key spots. Spinozzi spun the longest outing of his career on June 29th against Gateway where he tossed 4 1/3 innings in relief, surrendering just three hits and an unearned run. His unique repertoire gives him a built in advantage against hitters when he mixes things up, and he is looking forward to a solid sophomore campaign with Lake Erie.

Sam Franco really came into his own in 2025, and he is returning to Lake Erie for his third professional season in 2026. Signed in late 2024 out of Purdue University, Franco's physical attributes spoke for themselves very early on. He hit four homers in limited at-bats during his rookie season, but that proved to be just a taste of what was to come. Last season Franco slashed .291/.365/.465 with 10 home runs and 19 doubles as the everyday right fielder for the Crushers.

Down the stretch in August, he hit eight balls over 100mph and three over 110mph out of the cleanup spot. When the team needed a spark offensively, Franco was right in the middle of lighting the flame. Franco also plays very solid defense in the outfield, part of a unit that functioned as a black hole for fly balls in 2025. Skipper Jared Lemieux anticipates Franco to step into a leadership role in 2026 with his new Experienced-1 designation.

Jaidan Quinn is rejoining the Crushers for his second professional go-around in 2026. Quinn was signed midway through 2025 out of Concordia University, Nebraska where he hit a staggering 98 home runs in 227 college games. Right away, that raw power displayed itself professionally. He went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in his professional debut and had hits in eight of his first 12 games for the Crushers. Quinn also had one of the best single-game performances of 2025. On July 23 he smashed two home runs, drove in four runs, and went 3-for-3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly against the Florence Y'alls.

Quinn finished with six home runs in 41 games, but the biggest story of his rookie season came when pitchers decided to stop pitching to him. He drew 36 walks in 41 games, including a stretch where he took 10 free passes in just five games played. Quinn provides a corner infield option for Jared Lemieux with a keen, patient eye and lots of raw power to all fields. He played both first base and third base at times in 2025 and is looking to elevate his game to the next level in his sophomore campaign.

The Lake Erie Crushers will open their 17th season at newly named ForeFront Field in Avon on Friday, May 8th, 2026 in a playoff rematch against the Schaumburg Boomers. For information on season ticket memberships visit lakeeriecrushers.com, and be sure to follow our socials @LECrushers on Instagram/Facebook/X.

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Frontier League Stories from December 22, 2025


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