Marlins capture Winthrop Little League championship

The Marlins won a play-in game and then showed their team-wide excellence in the playoffs, ultimately earning the 2026 Winthrop Little League Majors championship.

Manager Jarrett Herdt’s Marlins completed their amazing march to the title with an 8-7 victory over the No. 1-seeded Rangers in an exciting game that had some clutch performances on both sides.

“That was one of the best Little League games I’ve seen in a while,” said Herdt, whose team rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth.

Andres Paredes, one of several post-season stars for the Marlins, delivered a key two-run double to highlight the comeback. Paredes jumped on a 2-0 pitch and connected for the biggest hit of his Little League career.

Paredes was part of the Marlins’ Amazing Middle Men in the order, combining with Jake Titemore and Quinn Nalen to give the offense a huge boost in the playoffs.

“They really stepped up in the playoffs and helped our team generate a lot of  good scoring opportunities,” said Herdt.

The Marlins’ top of the order, consisting of All-Stars Nick Previte, Fritz Paulson, and Ethan Herdt, and 10-year-old cleanup hitter Johnny Poto kept the heat on opposing teams all season with their many base hits and excellent baserunning.

“Our top three-or-four hitters were phenomenal all year,” lauded Herdt.

Ethan Herdt, ace of the pitching staff who batted a sizzling .576 during the season, delivered a huge effort in the final, keeping his team in the ballgame against the hard-hitting Rangers. 

“Ethan gave us an opportunity to come away with the victory,” said Jarrett about his son’s work on the hill.

Fritz Paulson pitched one of the finest games of the season in the playoff opener, striking out eight batters in an 11-1 win over the Rangers in four innings. Nalen also started in a key game in the playoffs. “Quinn threw strikes and gave our fielders an opportunity to make plays, and we made them,” said Herdt.

Previte, a speedy centerfielder, combined with Max Hanlon and Frank Paulson, to give the Marlins a strong defensive outfield.

“Nick can cover a lot of ground out there,” said Herdt.

Fritz Paulson, Frank Paulson, Max Hanlon, Andres Paredes, and Quinn Nalen all had multiple hits in the championship game.

Manager Joe Murphy’s Rangers, who stormed through the loser’s bracket to get to the final, were the league’s highest-scoring team by far with 160 runs this season. Brendan Murphy, clearly one of the league’s best all-around players, put on his Superman cape one last time in the bottom of the fifth, scorching a two-run double that helped give the Rangers the lead. 

“Brendan is a really good baseball player,” lauded Herdt. “He can swing the bat and play great defense.”

Murphy also showed his prowess behind the plate, making two tough catches of two foul popups look easy late in the game.

 ‘The kids did it’

Asked by the reporter, “How did you do it, how did you rise to the very top of the league?” – Jarrett Herdt replied, “I didn’t do it. The kids did it. They showed up every day willing to work and ready to learn. And they started believing in themselves at the right time.”

For Jarrett Herdt, it’s another memorable season in the Winthrop Little League where he was an absolute force as player. Herdt hit an astonishing 16 home runs in his 12-year-old season, won the home run derby, and led his Braves to the playoff championship. He was so talented that he earned the nickname, “The Big Herdt,” a nod to Chicago White Sox great Frank Thomas. Now a firefighter in the Winthrop Fire Department, Herdt was inducted into the Winthrop High School Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024. 

Herdt said he is happy to be helping his son, Ethan, and his teammates improve their baseball skills while teaching them life’s lessons.

“It’s unreal to see our team win the championship,” said Herdt. It was just an unbelievable way to close out the season.”