By: RiverDogs Media
The Charleston RiverDogs, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, announced their opening night roster on Tuesday morning in advance of the team's April 6th season-opener at Myrtle Beach. The RiverDogs initial group of 30 players includes 15 pitchers and 14 position players.
First year manager Sean Smedley will start with a team that includes ten returning players from the 2022 season, a campaign that ended with a second straight league championship. 23 of the prospects who will open the season in the Holy City, spent at least some time in the Florida Complex League in 2022. The FCL Rays closed the regular season with a 39-16 mark, the best record in the circuit. They eventually fell to the FCL Yankees in the championship series.
2022 first round pick Xavier Isaac, a first baseman from Fayetteville, NC, will make his full-season debut at the The Joe this season. He will be 19 years old for the entire campaign. Isaac bypassed a commitment to the University of Florida when the Rays selected him 29th overall in last year’s MLB Draft.
Experience should be a plus early in the season for the 2023 RiverDogs. 17 of the 30 players on the initial roster played college baseball, 14 of them at the Division 1 level. Of the 21 players that were drafted, 11 of them were selected in the fifth round or earlier.
The RiverDogs opening night roster includes a trio of competitive balance round picks. Infielder Cooper Kinney was the 34th overall pick in the 2021 draft and was likely to arrive in Charleston in 2022 before suffering an injury during the spring. Chandler Simpson was taken 70th overall in 2022 out of Georgia Tech. Known for his elite speed, Simpson stole 55 bases in 51 games for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders of the Northwoods League in 2021. Finally, Ryan Cermak was chosen 71st overall in 2022, one pick after Simpson. The outfielder from Illinois State homered in four consecutive plate appearances last spring for the Redbirds.
The infield will be stocked with young talent, led by Ryan Spikes who blasted 10 home runs last season in the Carolina League. Isaac is the highest rated player in MLB Pipeline's rankings of the Rays farm system, slotting at #10. Shortstop Carlos Colmenarez, another 19-year-old, is also a top 15 Rays prospect and the prized signing out of the Rays 2021 international class. Rounding out the infield group are former Arkansas star Jalen Battles, Mississippi State standout Kamren James and the aforementioned Kinney.
Alex Ayala Jr., Jonny Cuevas, Yoniel Curet, Sean Harney and Junior William all return to Charleston to lead the pitching staff after initially suiting up for the RiverDogs in 2022. Ayala was outstanding down the stretch, earning a start during the postseason after posting a sub-2.00 ERA in August and September.
The staff will be bolstered by 2022 third round pick Trevor Martin, a reliever at Oklahoma State who fanned 79 batters in 49.1 innings, and two intriguing prospects acquired via trade this offseason. Jack Hartman, a fourth round pick by Pittsburgh out of Appalachian State, was obtained in the Ji-Man Choi trade in November. He worked in 22 games for Single-A Bradenton last year. In a separate deal that sent JT Chargois and Xavier Edwards to Miami, the Rays received Marcus Johnson, a 2022 fourth round pick from Duke. Johnson closed last season by striking out 24 hitters in 12.1 innings at Single-A Jupiter.
The pitching staff will be working with a trio of familiar faces to RiverDogs fans. The stable of catchers behind the plate consists of Dominic Keegan, Angel Galarraga and Julio Meza. The three combined to play in 34 games in the Lowcountry last season.
In total, the opening day roster features seven players that are ranked by MLB Pipeline as Top 30 Rays prospects. Infielders Isaac (#10) and Colmenarez (#14) are the two highest rated prospects. Simpson (#18) and Cermak (#23) will both man the outfield at The Joe. The list is rounded out by Kinney (#24), Keegan (#25) and Johnson (#29).
Once again, all Single-A clubs are permitted to carry 30 players on the active roster. The full roster can be viewed here.
The home opener is set for Tuesday, April 11 at 7:05 pm against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Tickets for all home games remain available! Season tickets, Dog-E Coin plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are also available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). The Segra Club is also open for events year-round. Visit segraclub.com for more information.
