LHP Blake Weiman Becomes 53rd Trash Panda
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

LHP Blake Weiman Becomes 53rd Trash Panda "Launched to the League"

Published on August 4, 2026 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


MADISON, AL -The Los Angeles Angels have selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Blake Weiman from Double-A Rocket City, marking the first Major League promotion of his nine-year professional career. Weiman is in line to become the 53rd player in Trash Pandas history to make his Major League debut and the seventh former Rocket City player to be "Launched to the League" in 2026, joining Walbert Ureña, George Klassen, Coleman Crow, Samy Natera Jr., Brett Kerry, and Luke Murphy.

Weiman also becomes the 16th player in franchise history to earn a direct promotion from Double-A to the Major Leagues without appearing in Triple-A during that season and the third to do so in 2026, following Wade Meckler and Murphy.

The 30-year-old joined Rocket City on June 23 after completing a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League and quickly became a key piece of the Trash Pandas' bullpen. In 14 appearances, Weiman went 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA, one save, 19 strikeouts, a 0.96 WHIP, and held opponents to a .200 batting average over 15.2 innings. He finished his Double-A stint allowing just four earned runs while striking out 19 against only three walks, including a stretch of five consecutive scoreless appearances from July 1-11 in which he struck out seven over 5.2 innings without issuing a walk.

A veteran of the Pirates, Guardians, Mariners, Cubs, Astros, and Angels organizations, Weiman was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the eighth round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Kansas. He entered 2026 ranked ninth among all Minor League pitchers since 2017 (minimum 325 innings) with a 4.87 career strikeout-to-walk ratio. The five-time Major League Spring Training invitee also earned Arizona Fall League Rising Star honors in 2018 and posted a 2.68 ERA with seven saves between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa during the 2024 season.

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Southern League Stories from August 4, 2026


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