Waterbury Silverbacks 2026 Season Preview
Paul Jaccoi
6/8/20262 min read
The Silverbacks are gearing up for their fourth summer as a franchise as a part of the CCBL. They’ve yet to make a playoff appearance as a team in the league; will 2026 bring better fortunes?
Waterbury had three CCBL All League members on their team last year; unfortunately, none of them will be returning in 2026. An impressive four All Stars were on last year’s team as well, but Waterbury will not have any of the representatives back for this season.
With 10 incoming first-year players and eight returning sophomores, the Silverbacks project to lean on underclassmen for the summer. Kevin Cestari is a freshman to keep an eye on for Waterbury. The product out of Naugatuck will slot into the pitching staff while also having experience at the corners of the infield.
An interesting development to follow is who will patrol the outfield for Waterbury. Seven out of the 10 incoming freshmen have outfield availability, Manager and former Silverback Andrew Hartman and associate head coach Colin Blake will have a flurry of options to choose from for the three positions.
The pitching staff holds mainly returning arms with several being sophomores. Joe Fasano, Danny Leyva and Greg Marble are all second year pitchers that are looking to make an impact as underclassmen.
Three of the four rostered juniors will be a part of the rotation as well. Bryce Isquith and Hayden Klyver are two right handers while Casey Sexton out of Nichols college serves as the Silverbacks only southpaw in the staff.
Two seniors on the squad will look to make an impact in their final season with Waterbury. Elijah Villanueva will look to serve as a mentor for the young team as Alberto Cantallini out of Post University serves as an option as a backstop. A battery of a senior catcher and a generally young pitching staff could make for a summer full of development.
The Silverbacks also have plenty of players that can be utilized in various positions on the diamond. Sophomores Carlos Reyes and Tulley Szost and freshman Christian Milligan are a few ballplayers to keep an eye on in this aspect.
Waterbury hasn’t been in the CCBL for a long time. In only three seasons, the Silverbacks are yet to get over the .500 mark with their best season coming in 2024. With a youthful roster and plenty of depth around the diamond, 2026 could be the year the Silverbacks make some noise.
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