Gino Chiappelli of the Godfathers Named 2026 American League Comeback Player of the Year

Aug 27
2 min read

Updated: Aug 27

Awards week continues as we will be announcing 2026 Regular Season Awards leading up to the 2026 ORWBL World Series. All 6 Awards were voted on by the 14 Managers as 3 points were awarded for a 1st place vote, 2 points for a 2nd place vote, and 1 point for a 3rd place vote.

Congratulations to the 2026 American League Comeback Player of the Year Award Winner, Gino Chiappelli of the Green Stem Great Lakes Godfathers! Known around the league as Gino XL, Chiappelli made a huge impact on the field this year for Green Stem Great Lakes.

It was a breakout season for the Godfathers Catcher as he was named to the American League All Star team for the 1st time in his career. The ORWBL veteran had become a mainstay in the Godfathers lineup over the past few years as we saw a surge in his power numbers in 2026. After serving as a full time starter in 2025, Chiappelli turned it up a notch in 2026 as he finished with career highs in Hits (53) HR (22) RBI (37) and Runs (30).

Gino XL represented the Godfathers in the ORWBL Home Run Derby before he played a huge role in the American League winning the All Star Series 2 games to 1. He was up to bat with the game on the line where he then hit a popup to the Catcher. Gino XL hustled to first and beat it out after a bobble from the defense. Wes Ellis then hit what would end up being the game winning Home Run as Gino XL's hustle and baserunning kept the American League alive.

After playing a huge part in the American League's win in the final All Star Game at Migley Field, Chiappelli would end up rounding out the best season of his ORWBL career. He helped lead the Godfathers as they nearly pulled off an upset in the playoffs against Valparaiso as they gave the Vols a great fight from start to finish. All in all, it was a memorable season for Gino XL who hopes to do it again with the Godfathers in 2027.

2026 American League Comeback Player of the Year Award Top 3 Finishers: