2026 IBC Padres non-prospects news and notes

[Padres]

The 2025 MLB season has finally come to a close, and so has the road for former Cougars Justin Sterner and Daniel Schneemann, who made impressive strides this season with the Athletics and Guardians, respectively.

Justin Sterner, who pitched for BYU from 2018-2020, has made some steady improvements since he made his major league debut in 2024. This season with the Athletics, Sterner appeared in 59 games, recorded exactly 65 innings, and struck out 70 batters en route to a 3.18 ERA with a 1.046 WHIP. Sterner utilized a 94 mph fastball along with a few sliders to become a key threat in the Athletics pitching rotation.

For a sophomore outing these are impressive numbers, especially in the context of his position on the team. The Athletics left much to be desired on the season, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year in a competitive AL West division. This made Sterner’s relief pitching increasingly challenging, having to come in from the bullpen to perform under difficult scoring scenarios.

https://universe.byu.edu/sports/cougars ... mlb-squads

Justin Sterner – I get the sense the closer here is likely not on the roster currently, but if I HAD TO pick someone here to close out games next year, I’d lean Sterner, especially after how he finished the season (2.73 SIERA, 16,3% SwStr in second half).

https://pitcherlist.com/top-100-closers ... ball-2026/