As long as Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas has taken the top step of Bowman Field’s first base dugout, that saying has been said more often than any other.

And Williamsport fans will be hoping that saying is true because, in 2026, Crosscutter arms have been the best the team has had in a long while. As a team going into Thursday, Williamsport ranks first in the MLB Draft League in team earned run average (3.00,) while giving up a batting average well under the Mendoza Line with a .188 mark.

That bullpen sturdiness was tested Wednesday night. Facing off against a Mahoning Valley Scrapper team that stands within a half game of second place in the standings, the Cutters stood in prime position to solidify their standing in the league while chasing a third straight series victory.

With a nip-and-tuck game at the halfway point, Williamsport manager Kenny Thomas would turn to his sidearm-throwing right hander that has quickly left an impression amongst scouts and fans alike.

Will Bartkoski and catcher Nate McHugh of the Crosscutters celebrate their 2-1 win over Mahoning Valley at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

From the sixth inning to the final out that tall, lanky, unorthodox throw would record out, after out, after out against a Mahoning lineup most say is the most potent in the league.

When it was all said and done the pitcher — Seneca, Kansas native Will Bartkoski — walked off the mound with his first MLB Draft League win and the souls of 12 at-bats without a hit or walk allowed.

“The ability to throw a first pitch strike helped me out there,” discussed Bartkoski following Wednesday night’s dramatic win. “The slider was (also) pretty on tonight, and the defense was behind me, of course.”
Bartkoski’s trek to Williamspoort was a long, winding one. A 24-year-old recent graduate of Georgia State University, Bartkoski stands two years older than any of his teammates on the roster.

When he began his freshman year as a pitcher back in 2021 for Kansas City Community College, some of his teammates were still middle schoolers. A Kansas native, Bartkoski would spend three years as a member of the school, posting a 2.01 earned run average across 55 innings with a 7-1 record and a pair of saves.

A struggling transfer year in 2025 with Alabama State sent the Kansan to Georgia State. Bartkoski would shine with the SBC school, posting a 3.92 earned run average with 53 strikeouts that earned Bartkoski a slot with the Crosscutters.

From his first outing, it was clear the Kansas native had the stuff. A sidearm release, Bartkoski typically starts hitters off with a down turning sinker in the mid to high 80s that is efficient at either side of the plate. When a hitter is off balance, the 24-year-old comes back with a wicked 74 mile-per-hour slider that Mahoning bats had no answer to.

“(I’m looking to develop) just a little more velocity and a little more swing and miss stuff,” Bartkoski discussed his goals with the Crosscutters. “I think more longevity in my game will help in the long run.”

That emphasis on longevity has been a poignant aspect to the right-hander’s game. After his first two outings with Williamsport spanned a combined two and thirds of an inning, Bartkoski’s last two outings, both ironically against Mahoning Valley, were four inning shutouts in which the reliever did not concede a hit.

“It’s so funny because a week ago he had asked me about going a little more distance,” said Williamsport manager Kenny Thomas. “He said ‘It seems like I build as I go.’ So we’ve done that for the second time; and there was no question in the ninth we were going to send him back out there.”

That pragmatism is something scouts are keen to notice. With the first-half season approaching the halfway mark, chances become more selective as teams chase an opportunity to clinch the first-Half title and a spot in the 2026 MLB Draft League Championships.

But, if a run is to come for Williamsport to stay in contention, expect the efforts of Bartkoski to play a major part late in games.