Cooper Flemming Earns 2026 ‘Top Dog’ Honors

Cooper Flemming Earns 2026 ‘Top Dog’ Honors

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Following the final home game of the regular season Sunday, the Charleston RiverDogs named infielder Cooper Flemming the organization’s “Top Dog” for the 2026 season.

Fans selected Flemming from a field of five finalists that also included Aidan Cremarosa, Blake Morgan, Brady Marget and Taitn Gray.

The annual RiverDogs’ annual Top Dog Award, as voted on by the fans, recognizes the community’s choice for most outstanding player.

At just 20 years old, Flemming put together one of the Carolina League’s most productive offensive seasons, ranking among the league leaders in several major categories:

• Second in batting average among qualified hitters: .298
• First in RBI: 79
• Second in hits: 133
• First in doubles: 29
• Second in extra-base hits: 43

Flemming also led the RiverDogs in hits, home runs (11), RBI, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases (201) and runs scored (84).

His 2026 campaign placed him among some of Charleston’s most productive offensive seasons in recent history. He became the 25th RiverDogs player since 2005 to record at least 40 extra-base hits, the 9th to drive in 75 or more runs and the 17th to collect at least 29 doubles. He is the sixth to achieve all three marks over the stretch, and first since 2017.

Flemming was equally valuable defensively, providing dependable play at shortstop, third base and second base throughout the season. He was also one of only a handful of players age 20 or younger across the minors to appear in at least 116 games this season.

He finishes the regular season as one of the organization’s top young prospects. He was ranked No. 83 overall by MLB Pipeline this past summer after being selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Aliso Niguel High School in California.

With the postseason right around the corner, Flemming will look to help lead the RiverDogs to another Carolina League championship. After clinching the Carolina League South first-half title, Charleston has secured a spot in the 2026 postseason, presented by Nucor Steel Berkeley.

The best-of-three Division Series begins Tuesday, September 8 in Hickory, the home of the Crawdads. Thanks to their first-half division title, the RiverDogs are guaranteed to host Game 2 on September 10, and, if necessary, Game 3 at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on September 11.

Single-game postseason tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit RiverDogs.com.

Past Winners:

2025 Jose Urbina

2024 Gary Gill Hill

2023 Cooper Kinney

2022 Carson Williams

2021 Taj Bradley

2019 Canaan Smith

2018 Pablo Olivares

2017 Isiah Gilliam

2016 Chris Gittens

2015 Jorge Mateo

2014 Tyler Wade

2013 Greg Bird

2012 Pedro Guerra

2011 Ramon Flores

2010 Rob Lyerly

2009 Melky Mesa

2008 Jesus Montero

2007 Mitch Hilligoss

2006 Ben Jones

2005 Phillip Hughes

2004 Delmon Young

2003 BJ Upton

2002 Adam Bonner

2001 Rocco Baldelli

2000 Josh Hamilton

1999 Joe Kennedy

1998 Aubrey Huff

1997 Matt White