Andrew Czech Set for Sixth Season in 2026 After His Team Option Was Exercised
WASHINGTON, Pa. (Dec. 29) – Having had his contract exercised prior to the turn of the new league year on December 15, 2022, Frontier League All Star and Wild Things’ home-run king Andrew Czech has committed to a return to the team in 2026. It’ll be the first baseman’s sixth season in pro ball, all of which have been in a Wild Things’ uniform.
Czech finished the 2025 having played in 93 games for Washington, logging 399 plate appearances and slashing .265/.399/.555. The .555 slugging percentage is a new career high after Czech roped 16 doubles, a triple and a career-best 25 homers to go along with 80 RBI, which is also a new career high. Of his 25 homers, four were grand slams, which is a new Frontier League single-season record, a record he set in a 10-8 win over New Jersey on July 30 at EQT Park.
For his career, Czech has now clubbed 87 home runs, with his third of 2025 making him the leader in Wild Things history, passing his former teammate Hector Roa, who became the previous home run king in 2022, finishing his Wild Things career (2017-22, five Frontier League seasons) with 63 long balls. The 87 homers are the fourth most in the history of the Frontier League, which spans more than 30 seasons. Czech’s 87 homers are one behind former Wild Thing Anthony Brocato’s 88. Brocato has split his Frontier League time between Southern Illinois, Florence and Washington and is a free agent at the time of this release. Stephen Holdren had 100 in his career in second and the all-time Frontier League leader, Charlie Lisk, clubbed 127 homers.
One of the best in team history, Czech will become the second in team history to play a sixth season in Washington. Roa played five and Chris Sidick, a Frontier League Hall of Famer, played seven seasons with the team. Czech is second to Sidick in runs scored (286 against Sidick’s 414), fourth in hits (409), second in doubles (92, one behind Wagner Lagrange’s 93), second in RBI with 285 (Roa’s 315 are the team record), second in walks (312; Sidick owns the record with 328) and seventh in OPS (on-base plus slugging) at .914.
He posted a 60-game on-base streak between the end of 2023 and the start of 2024, which is a franchise record and nine off the Frontier League record and will carry a 10-game on-base streak into 2026. He’s a multi-time Frontier League Player of the Week, a 2022 Midseason All-Star, and a sure-fire future Frontier League Hall of Famer.
Over his career, he’s played in 444 games and owns a slash line of .272/.399/.514 with 92 doubles, 87 homers and 285 RBI, while he’s played top-of-the-line defense at first base.
He had a stellar career at Walsh University. In 2018, he appeared in 49 games and slashed .368/.493/.737 (1.230) with 15 home runs, 52 RBI and 18 doubles before playing for Chillicothe in a summer league and hitting nine bombs and knocking home 56. In 2019 he played in the Valley Baseball League after another great year at Walsh. He hit 17 HR and knocked in 63 with 18 2B and a triple and a slash line of .417/.538/.823 (1.361). He'd hit nine HR and drive in 47 for Staunton that summer. Then in 2021, he had nine doubles and 17 home runs with 47 RBI in 188 plate appearances over 41 games. He walked 51 times and only punched out 17 times, while slashing .374/.559/.832 (1.391). Czech was G-Mac 2nd Team in 2018; 1st Team and Player of the Year as well as All-Region 1st Team (D2CCA) in 2019 and G-MAC Player of the Year in 2021. The slugger left Walsh the career program leader in homers, RBI, runs and led all Division II players with 51 walks in 2021. He was also selected as a Division II Gold Glove Award winner by Rawlings in 2021.
As stated in the December 15 release available here, players who have their contract team options exercised may or may not be a lock to return in 2026, for various reasons. As of now, all players who have had their contract options for 2026 exercised are listed on the team’s roster as the team has retained those players’ contractual rights. Any updates on them will be shared as the offseason continues.
Czech though, is set to continue as the centerpiece of the roster, a team that’s won four division titles with Czech on the team, including back-to-back division crowns in the last two years.
The Washington Wild Things will open their 24th season on May 7, 2026, with the homer opener scheduled for Friday, May 15 against the Schaumburg Boomers at EQT Park. For updates, season ticket membership information and more, visit washingtonwildthings.com or follow the team on social media at facebook.com/WashingtonWildThings or @WashWildThings on other platforms.
