NILES — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers began the first half of their 2026 season with a bang, winning three straight games out of the gate.

On Sunday, the first half of the season ended with a flash and a boom.

A strong line of thunderstorms rolled through Niles just prior to the scheduled 2 p.m. start of the Scrappers’ home game against West Virginia, forcing the cancellation of the contest.

The cancellation brought an end to the first half of the MLB Draft League season for both teams.

The Scrappers began their season with three straight wins. They won back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday leading up to Sunday’s cancellation.

And while the Scrappers started and finished strong, the rest of the month of June wasn’t so favorable. Aside from the five wins to start and end the season, the Scrappers won just eight of 24 games, giving them an overall record of 13-16.

The Scrappers entered Sunday with the same record as West Virginia. Both teams were in last place in the Draft League standings. Williamsport entered the day with a 20-7 record, guaranteed of finishing in first place in the first half of the standings.

By finishing atop the standings, the Crosscutters will host the second-half winner of the Draft League in a one-game league championship game on Sept. 2.

Despite the sub .500 record, the Scrappers’ roster included several bright spots, including infielder Carlos Sanchez, who led the team in hits (28), RBI (23), doubles (9), home runs (4), runs scored (23) and stolen bases (18). Sanchez batted .308, second on the team behind Jarren Purify (.316).

Sanchez referred to his time with the Scrappers as “a golden opportunity” and says he believes the experience will lead to future success.

“I feel like I was given a great chance here. I was coached by men who have a great deal of experience at the pro level and they treated me great,” Sanchez said. “They helped me prepare for my baseball future.

“I was happy with my play because I went up against a lot of good pitchers. So even when I didn’t have a good night, I felt like I learned something and it got me ready for the next level.”

The 22-year-old Sanchez is a native of Venezuela. He moved to the United States when he was 16 years old and attended high school for two years before beginning his college career.

Sanchez said he previously made a pair of visits to the United States while in his early teens to take part in the Little League World Series. He says his move to the United States was made “to seek better opportunities for baseball and beyond.”

“Over here, there is just so much more of everything, there are so many more opportunities beginning with my going to high school.” Sanchez said. “We just don’t have the same opportunities back home. I do hope that this leads to a career in baseball, but regardless it goes beyond baseball.”

Sanchez noted that he didn’t speak English when he first arrived in the United States. He self-taught himself the language during a 10-month period while in high school.

“That was my biggest barrier,” Sanchez said. “When I was able to learn the language, it opened things up. It made things easier for me in school and in baseball. Being able to communicate with my teammates and coaches changed everything.”

Sanchez recently completed his junior year at Louisiana State University-Shreveport where he batted .388 while playing in 57 games. Sanchez hit 12 home runs and knocked in 82 RBIs. He scored 63 runs and swiped 37 bases.

The Draft League season now transitions to a format featuring paid players who have exhausted their amateur eligibility. As a result, league rosters will experience a major overhaul.

No games are scheduled throughout the league today and Tuesday.

The Scrappers begin a five-game road trip on Wednesday in Trenton. They will also travel to West Virginia before returning home July 14 for the start of a six-game homestand.