It's opening night for the Fisher Cats, in Altoona, Pa.
Apr. 5—The New Hampshire Fisher Cats' season has arrived.
The Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays will open today at 6 p.m. at Altoona, Pennsylvania, against the Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tonight's contest is the first of three in Altoona. The team takes Sunday and Monday off before returning for its home opener on Tuesday night against the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox).
All Fisher Cats games will be broadcast on Manchester's WGIR 610 AM and Rochester's WPKX 930 AM.
Among the players on the Fisher Cats' initial roster announced Wednesday is tonight's scheduled starter, Sem Robberse, a native of Zeist, Netherlands, and the organization's No. 7 overall prospect (No. 4 pitching prospect). Robberse, a 21-year-old righty, was 0-3 in five starts last season with New Hampshire.
The other top prospect on the initial roster is Orelvis Martinez (No. 4), who returns after setting a Fisher Cats record with 30 home runs in 2022.
Martinez split time between third base and shortstop last summer.
Two Fisher Cats players ranked by MLB Pipeline will be making their Double-A debuts: infielder Leo Jimenez, the Blue Jays' No. 19 prospect and member of the 40-man roster, and infielder Damiano Palmegiani, who recently played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
The roster includes 22 returning Fisher Cats and six newcomers.
One prospect who will not start the year with the team is lefty Ricky Tiedemann, 20, who is recovering from shoulder issues and will join New Hampshire in mid-April, according to TSN's Scott Mitchell.
Tiedemann was a third-round draft pick of the Jays in 2021.
The Fisher Cats will once again be led by manager Cesar Martin, who was hired by the team in November of 2019.
