Crushers Re-Sign Watkins, Morgan, and Vegas to Bring Back Pipeline Core
FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Re-Sign Watkins, Morgan, and Vegas to Bring Back Pipeline Core

Published on October 30, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - The offseason signings have begun, and the Lake Erie Crushers are excited to announce the re-signing of three key returners to the upcoming 2026 roster: SS Jarrod Watkins, 2B Davie Morgan, and C Derek Vegas. Crushers roster updates are presented by BCT Alarm Services, Inc.

Jarrod Watkins is the longest tenured Crusher, who will be entering his fifth season with the team in 2026. Signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks organization during his first stint with the Crushers in 2022, Watkins has returned to Avon each summer to provide a veteran presence with his captaincy as a gold-glove, all-star caliber shortstop. Watkins got off to a torrid start in 2025, but injuries unfortunately derailed his production. Just a year removed from representing Lake Erie in the 2024 All-Star Game, he dealt with a foot injury in the back half of 2025. He was sidelined for several weeks down the stretch, but offensively he finished with a .268 batting average while playing some of the slickest shortstop you'll see at any level of baseball. Watkins is looking forward to a healthy rebound year in 2026.

Davie Morgan is returning to the Crushers after an impressive rookie campaign in 2025. The young buck out of North Carolina Wesleyan College seized an opportunity to take hold of the starting second base role early in the season and never let it go. Morgan homered in his first professional start against the New York Boulders and went on to slug two grand slams as part of his seven total homers in 2025. He finished his rookie season batting .284 with 17 doubles and was the embodiment of consistency in the back half of the Crushers lineup. Morgan was a bellcow, and his strong work ethic landed him a start in every game from June 7 to July 31. Appearing in 90 games as a rookie - mostly at second base - he built a strong chemistry with shortstop Jarrod Watkins, making the middle infield tandem an identifiable strength heading into 2026.

Derek Vegas was a welcome surprise to the Crushers roster in 2025. Brought in for his defensive abilities behind the plate, Vegas morphed into a real producer at the plate, hitting .291 with 41 RBIs. While he was primarily a backup catcher to begin the season, injuries thrust him into the fray where he caught six straight games with just one off day, including several day games after night games. Despite the necessary grueling, Vegas thrived. He had the knack for driving in runs, which was evidenced by his whopping .344 batting average with runners in scoring position. Vegas will be just 24 years old at the start of 2026 despite having three seasons with the Dominican Summer League Marlins under his belt. Offense is a premium at the catcher position, but Derek Vegas merges above average blocking and framing ability with timely hitting. Vegas completes the infield pipeline up the middle with Watkins and Morgan also returning, giving Jared Lemieux's Crushers a great start to the offseason.

Check out the Lake Erie Crushers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Frontier League Stories from October 30, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central