Preparations for the draft are well underway, with teams already hosting private workouts with eligible prospects. The first scouting event is set to tip off on Wednesday, with the top seniors in the country embarking on the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia.
Scott Hennesy will take the helm for the his second season with the Comets in 2026. On his staff are bench coach Joe Thon, hitting coach Dylan Nasiatka, outfield coach David Dahl, pitching coaches David Anderson and Ryan Dennick, bullpen coach KJ Hallgren, development associate Tyler Hollow, performance coaches Paul Fournier and Ethan Quarles, head athletic trainer Griffin Boyte and athletic trainer Josh DiLoreto.
Ryan Ward has been a very productive hitter over the past few years in Triple A and he's now the all-time home run leader for Oklahoma City. Ward led the minor leagues with 36 home runs last year and was a deserved addition to the team's 40 man roster this offseason. He should be a fixture in the middle of the Comets' order in 2026 and will hopefully make his long-awaited major league debut.
The older brother of fellow Dodgers righty River Ryan, Ryder is a 30-year-old reliever who's pitched in parts of two major league seasons. He saw time with the '23 Mariners and the '24 Pirates, combining for 21 2/3 innings during that brief pair of looks. He yielded 13 runs (5.40 ERA) on 21 hits and 10 walks with 19 strikeouts.
