Gateway Grizzlies catcher Jose Alvarez will be back for his third season with the team in 2026, after making the Frontier League All-Star team last year. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

SAUGET, IL — The Gateway Grizzlies announced on Thursday that it had re-signed veteran catcher Jose Alvarez for the 2026 season, bringing back one of the club’s mainstays for a third season.

Alvarez is coming off the best season of his career at the plate in 2025, when he posted a .332 batting average, with two home runs, 38 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 96 hits in 76 games.

His performance at the plate and stalwart defensive effort earned Alvarez a spot as a midseason Frontier League All-Star Team.

That built on a season in 2024 where the Maracaibo, Venezuela native batted .276 with seven doubles, two homers and 29 RBIs in 67 games for Gateway.

In both campaigns, Alvarez saw most of his time behind the plate at catcher, providing outstanding defense and game-calling ability as well as a standout throwing arm. In a pinch, he has also showed solid ability on defense in the outfield for the Grizzlies.

Alvarez joined the Grizzlies after a season at Double-A in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in Springfield, Missouri in 2023. He also spent five years in the Houston Astros organization, where he played in games at both Double-A and Triple-A in 2022.

Gateway will open the 2026 season on May 7 against the Mississippi Mud Monsters. The Grizzlies’ 2026 home opener will come a few days later, on May 12, when the club will host the Joliet Slammers.

First pitch at Arsenal BG Ballpark that evening is slated for 6:30 p.m.

2026 GATEWAY GRIZZLIES BASEBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeOpponentLocation
May 7 (Thursday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersTrustmark Park / Pearl, MS
May 8 (Friday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersTrustmark Park / Pearl, MS
May 9 (Saturday)6:01 pmMississippi Mud MonstersTrustmark Park / Pearl, MS
May 12 (Tuesday)6:30 pmJoliet SlammersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 13 (Wednesday)10:45 amJoliet SlammersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 14 (Thursday)6:30 pmJoliet SlammersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 15 (Friday)6:30 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 16 (Saturday)6:30 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 17 (Sunday)1:05 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 19 (Tuesday)6:35 pmEvansville OttersBosse Field / Evansville, IN
May 20 (Wednesday)6:35 pmEvansville OttersBosse Field / Evansville, IN
May 21 (Thursday)6:35 pmEvansville OttersBosse Field / Evansville, IN
May 22 (Friday)6:30 pmLake Erie CrushersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 23 (Saturday)6:30 pmLake Erie CrushersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 24 (Sunday)1:05 pmLake Erie CrushersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 26 (Tuesday)6:30 pmEvansville OttersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 27 (Wednesday)6:30 pmEvansville OttersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 28 (Thursday)6:30 pmEvansville OttersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
May 29 (Friday)6:35 pmJoliet SlammersSlammers Stadium / Joliet, IL
May 30 (Saturday)6:05 pmJoliet SlammersSlammers Stadium / Joliet, IL
May 31 (Sunday)1:05 pmJoliet SlammersSlammers Stadium / Joliet, IL
June 2 (Tuesday)9:35 amWashington Wild ThingsEQT Park / Washington, PA
June 3 (Wednesday)5:05 pmWashington Wild ThingsEQT Park / Washington, PA
June 4 (Thursday)6:05 pmWashington Wild ThingsEQT Park / Washington, PA
June 5 (Friday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 6 (Saturday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 7 (Sunday)6:05 pmMississippi Mud MonstersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 9 (Tuesday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 10 (Wednesday)10:45 amSchaumburg BoomersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 11 (Thursday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 12 (Friday)6:30 pmFlorence Y’allsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 13 (Saturday)6:30 pmFlorence Y’allsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 14 (Sunday)6:05 pmFlorence Y’allsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 16 (Tuesday)6 pmBrockton RoxCampanelli Stadium / Broxton, MA
June 17 (Wednesday)6 pmBrockton RoxCampanelli Stadium / Broxton, MA
June 18 (Thursday)6 pmBrockton RoxCampanelli Stadium / Broxton, MA
June 19 (Friday)6:05 pmNew Jersey JackalsHinchliffe Stadium / Paterson, NJ
June 20 (Saturday)5:35 pmNew Jersey JackalsHinchliffe Stadium / Paterson, NJ
June 21 (Sunday)1:05 pmNew Jersey JackalsHinchliffe Stadium / Paterson, NJ
June 23 (Tuesday)6:30 pmFlorence Y’allsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 24 (Wednesday)6:30 pmFlorence Y’allsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 25 (Thursday)6:30 pmFlorence Y’allsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
June 26 (Friday)6:35 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsOzinga Field / Crestwood, IL
June 27 (Saturday)6:05 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsOzinga Field / Crestwood, IL
June 28 (Sunday)1:05 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsOzinga Field / Crestwood, IL
June 30 (Tuesday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersTrustmark Park / Pearl, MS
July 1 (Wednesday)11 amMississippi Mud MonstersTrustmark Park / Pearl, MS
July 2 (Thursday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersTrustmark Park / Pearl, MS
July 3 (Friday)7:05 pmQuébec CapitalesArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 4 (Saturday)7:05 pmQuébec CapitalesArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 5 (Sunday)6:30 pmQuébec CapitalesArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 7 (Tuesday)6:30 pmEvansville OttersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 8 (Wednesday)10:45 amEvansville OttersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 9 (Thursday)6:30 pmEvansville OttersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 10 (Friday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersWintrust Field / Schaumburg, IL
July 11 (Saturday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersWintrust Field / Schaumburg, IL
July 12 (Sunday)1 pmSchaumburg BoomersWintrust Field / Schaumburg, IL
July 14 (Tuesday)7 pmFrontier League All-Star GameThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
July 17 (Friday)7 pmLake Erie CrushersForeFront Stadium / Avon, OH
July 18 (Saturday)7 pmLake Erie CrushersForeFront Stadium / Avon, OH
July 19 (Sunday)1 pmLake Erie CrushersForeFront Stadium / Avon, OH
July 21 (Tuesday)6:52 pmFlorence Y’allsThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
July 22 (Wednesday)10:35 amFlorence Y’allsThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
July 23 (Thursday)6:54 pmFlorence Y’allsThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
July 24 (Friday)6:30 pmLake Erie CrushersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 25 (Saturday)6:30 pmLake Erie CrushersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 26 (Sunday)1:05 pmLake Erie CrushersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 28 (Tuesday)6:30 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 29 (Wednesday)6:30 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 30 (Thursday)6:30 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
July 31 (Friday)7:03 pmFlorence Y’allsThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
August 1 (Saturday)6:36 pmFlorence Y’allsThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
August 2 (Sunday)1:07 pmFlorence Y’allsThomas More Stadium / Florence, KY
August 4 (Tuesday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 5 (Wednesday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 6 (Thursday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 7 (Friday)6:30 pmJoliet SlammersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 8 (Saturday)6:30 pmJoliet SlammersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 9 (Sunday)6:05 pmJoliet SlammersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 11 (Tuesday)6:35 pmEvansville OttersBosse Field / Evansville, IN
August 12 (Wednesday)6:35 pmEvansville OttersBosse Field / Evansville, IN
August 13 (Thursday)6:35 pmEvansville OttersBosse Field / Evansville, IN
August 14 (Friday)6:30 pmOttawa TitansArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 15 (Saturday)6:30 pmOttawa TitansArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 16 (Sunday)1:05 pmOttawa TitansArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 18 (Tuesday)6:35 pmJoliet SlammersSlammers Stadium / Joliet, IL
August 19 (Wednesday)6:35 pmJoliet SlammersSlammers Stadium / Joliet, IL
August 20 (Thursday)6:35 pmJoliet SlammersSlammers Stadium / Joliet, IL
August 21 (Friday)6:35 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsOzinga Field / Crestwood, IL
August 22 (Saturday)6:05 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsOzinga Field / Crestwood, IL
August 23 (Sunday)1:05 pmWindy City ThunderBoltsOzinga Field / Crestwood, IL
August 25 (Tuesday)6:30 pmWashington Wild ThingsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 26 (Wednesday)6:30 pmWashington Wild ThingsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 27 (Thursday)7:15 pmWashington Wild ThingsArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
August 28 (Friday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersWintrust Field / Schaumburg, IL
August 29 (Saturday)6:30 pmSchaumburg BoomersWintrust Field / Schaumburg, IL
August 30 (Sunday)1 pmSchaumburg BoomersWintrust Field / Schaumburg, IL
September 1 (Tuesday)6:05 pmWashington Wild ThingsEQT Park / Washington, PA
September 2 (Wednesday)5:05 pmWashington Wild ThingsEQT Park / Washington, PA
September 3 (Thursday)6:05 pmWashington Wild ThingsEQT Park / Washington, PA
September 4 (Friday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
September 5 (Saturday)6:30 pmMississippi Mud MonstersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL
September 6 (Sunday)6:05 pmMississippi Mud MonstersArsenal BG Ballpark / Sauget, IL