Familiar names, seven prospects. Here's who is on the Erie SeaWolves' Opening Day roster
The SeaWolves were one win away from their first Eastern League championship last September and return a majority of their roster for Opening Day.
Out of 28 players on the roster, 19 are former SeaWolves and seven are top-30 prospects for the Detroit Tigers according to MLB.com.
Playoffs, records, walk-offs: Erie SeaWolves leave fans with a 2022 season to remember
The SeaWolves also return manager Gabe Alvarez, but have almost a brand-new staff with first-year hitting coach Francisco Contreras, first-year pitching coach Juan Pimentel and first-year bench coach Matt Malott.
The SeaWolves open the season on Thursday in Akron with the home opener at UPMC Park set for April 11.
Returning with Erie
The returning SeaWolves include pitchers Austin Bergner, Yaya Chentouf, Angel De Jesus, Wilmer Flores, Dario Gardea, Sawyer Gibson-Long, Brant Hurter, Chance Kirby, Billy Lescher, Ty Madden and Adam Wolf, infielders Trei Cruz, Jake Holton, Corey Joyce, John Valente and Gage Workman, outfielders Daniel Cabrera and Bryant Packard and catcher Josh Crouch.
Crouch is the No. 26 prospect for the Detroit Tigers and is just 24 years old. He was the 11th-round pick by the Tigers in 2021 out of Central Florida.
New to Erie
Out of the nine newcomers, two are catchers, including Mario Feliciano, 24, who was a second-round pick in 2016 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He played one game for the Brewers in 2021 and two games in 2022. Julio Rodriguez, 25, reached Double-A in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and is a free-agent signing.
Colt Keith is the new infielder on the roster and one of the top prospects in the organization. Keith, 21, is the No. 4 prospect for Detroit as a corner infielder. He was taken by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2020 draft which led to him forgoing a scholarship to Arizona State to start his professional career.
The SeaWolves have two new outfielders on the roster as well. Fans might recognize one of the outfielders as Diego Rincones is a free-agent signing. Rincones, 23, was the No. 3 hitter in the lineup for Richmond against Erie during the playoffs last fall. Grant Witherspoon, 26, is the other new outfielder and came to the Tigers in a trade for cash considerations with Tampa Bay. Witherspoon was a fourth-round pick by the Rays in 2018 out of Tulane.
The remaining four newcomers are all pitchers, including Layne Henderson, Jake Higginbotham, Dylan Smith and Aneurys Zabala. Henderson, 26, was claimed by the Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft from Houston, while Higginbotham, 27, came to the Tigers in the Joe Jimenez trade to Atlanta.
Smith, 22, is the Tigers' No. 17 prospect as a third-round pick in the 2021 draft out of Alabama, and Zabala, 26, is a free-agent signing. Zabala was originally signed by Seattle in 2014 out of the Dominican Republic and spent most of 2022 in Triple-A Jacksonville with the Marlins. He also pitched in two games for the Marlins as he made his major-league debut.
More SeaWolves prospects
In addition to Crouch, Keith and Smith, the SeaWolves have prospects Flores (No. 3), Ty Madden (5), Hurter (23) and Bergner (29). All four pitchers took the mound for the SeaWolves in 2022.
The SeaWolves could add the No. 2 Detroit prospect at some point this season as second baseman Jace Jung will start the year in West Michigan. The No. 1 prospect, pitcher Jackson Jobe, however, is likely out for the season with a lumbar spine inflammation, which was announced by the Tigers a few weeks ago.
Two other names fans should watch for this season are Izaac Pacheco and Danny Serretti. Serretti played six games for Erie last year and is an up-and-coming infielder along with Pacheco, the No. 14 prospect for the Tigers.
Opening Days
2023 season
Thursday: Erie SeaWolves at Akron RubberDucks (Canal Park), 6:35 p.m.
Home opener
April 11: Altoona Curve at Erie SeaWolves (UPMC Park), 6:05 p.m.
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com and on Twitter @ETNReisenweber.
Front office honors: Meet the 2022 Erie Times-News Sportsman of the Year: Greg Coleman, SeaWolves president
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie SeaWolves return most of their roster from the 2022 season
