Minor League Baseball named Pensacola Blue Wahoos manager Nelson Prada the 2026 Southern League Manager of the Year and selected right-handed pitcher Eliazar Dishmey as the league’s Pitcher of the Year and an All-Star. The awards recognized two key figures from a Pensacola team that finished with the Southern League’s best record. Dishmey joined Prada among the club’s league honorees after making 16 regular-season starts.
In his second year as manager, Prada led the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to a 79-58 record. The club also set a Southern League record with 312 stolen bases, while its 184 home runs were tied for the third-most in league history. Prada became the second Pensacola Blue Wahoos manager to win the award, joining Kevin Randel, who received the honor in 2023.
Prada Leads Record-Setting Season
The 79-58 record gave Pensacola the league’s best mark in 2026 and represented the third-best winning percentage in franchise history. The Blue Wahoos combined that overall success with record-setting production on the bases and a strong home run total. Those results helped Prada earn the first Southern League Manager of the Year award of his career.
“Thank you to the Blue Wahoos and Marlins organizations for an individual award built by a team,” said Prada. “This recognition belongs to all my staff and players—their hard work, commitment, and trust made it possible. I’m proud of what we built together.”
Dishmey Earns Pitcher of the Year and All-Star Honors
Dishmey joined the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on May 26 and went 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 16 regular-season starts. He struck out 92 batters over 71.0 innings and held opponents to a .183 batting average. Dishmey also won Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors twice.
His strongest month came in July, when he went 2-0 with a 0.42 ERA in five starts. He allowed one run on 10 hits over 21.1 innings during that stretch. Dishmey also made no-hit bids on July 5 and Aug. 6.
MLB Pipeline rated Dishmey as the No. 30 prospect in the Miami Marlins organization, according to the source. He joined Max Meyer as the only Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitchers to earn Southern League Pitcher of the Year honors. Dishmey was 21 when the awards were announced.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Set for 2027
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. Founded in 2012, the club has won Southern League championships in 2017 and 2022. The 2026 awards added individual recognition to a season that included the league’s best record and a stolen-base record.
Pensacola is scheduled to begin the 2027 season Friday, April 2, on the road against the Biloxi Shuckers. The club’s 2027 home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6, at Blue Wahoos Stadium against the Birmingham Barons. Those dates follow a season in which Prada and Dishmey received the Southern League’s top managerial and pitching honors.
FSB Take
The 2026 Southern League awards provide a clear snapshot of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ season. Prada guided the club to the league’s best record while the team set a stolen-base record, and Dishmey delivered award-winning production after joining the club on May 26. Pensacola now enters the offseason with two major individual honors connected to a record-setting season.
Source: Original report