Atlanta Braves Set Gwinnett Stripers’ 2024 Opening Night Roster

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Atlanta Braves announced today the Gwinnett Stripers’ roster to open the 2024 International League season. Gwinnett’s 150-game schedule begins on Friday, March 29 with the opener of a three-game series at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Gwinnett Stripers Opening Night Roster (*=Braves 40-Man Roster):

RH Pitchers (11): Tommy Doyle, Bryce Elder, Ken Giles, Daysbel Hernandez, Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver, Darius Vines, Jake Walsh, Taylor Widener, Allan Winans, Huascar Ynoa

LH Pitchers (4): Ben Bowden, Dylan Dodd, Ray Kerr, Zach Logue

Catchers (2): Sebastian Rivero, Chadwick Tromp

Infielders (6): Phillip Evans, David Fletcher, Alejo Lopez, Andrew Velazquez, Luke Waddell, Luke Williams

Outfielders (5): Skye Bolt, Leury Garcia, Luis Liberato, J.P. Martinez*, Eli White

Development List (3): C Ryan Casteel, LHP Brian Moran, RHP Brooks Wilson

Injured List (1): RHP Ian Anderson*

Right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver, ranked the Braves’ No. 1 prospect and No. 69 on the Top 100 Prospects List by MLB.com, begins the season with Gwinnett. He is one of four members of Atlanta’s Top 30 Prospects List slated to open with the Stripers, joined by pitchers Darius Vines (14), Dylan Dodd (15), and Allan Winans (25). All four played for Gwinnett last season while also making their Major League debuts with the Braves.

Winans returns following a breakout 2023 campaign with Gwinnett in which he captured the International League ERA title and was named the Stripers’ Most Outstanding Pitcher (9-4, 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .218 BAA in 23 games). Gwinnett’s reigning Most Outstanding Reliever Grant Holmes (7-3, 3.54 ERA, 13 saves in 50 games) is also back to anchor the bullpen.

There are 17 returnees on Gwinnett’s roster overall, including last year’s Opening Night starter Bryce Elder. Elder made just one start with the Stripers in 2023 before finishing the year with Atlanta (12-4, 3.81 ERA in 31 starts) and earning a selection to the National League All-Star Team.

Elder (2021-23) is joined by familiar faces in pitchers Ian Anderson (2019, 2021-23), Dodd (2022-23), Daysbel Hernandez (2021, 2023), Holmes (2023), Brian Moran (2016, 2023), Smith-Shawver (2023), Vines (2022-23), Brooks Wilson (2021, 2023), Winans (2022-23), and Huascar Ynoa (2019, 2021-22), catchers Ryan Casteel (2021-23) and Chadwick Tromp (2021-23), infielders Andrew Velazquez (2023), Luke Waddell (2023), and Luke Williams (2023), and outfielder Eli White (2023).

There are no players on the roster preparing to make Triple-A debuts in 2024, but there are 15 set to make their Gwinnett debuts, including pitchers Ben Bowden, Tommy Doyle, Ken Giles, Ray Kerr, Zach Logue, Jake Walsh, and Taylor Widener, catcher Sebastian Rivero, infielders Phillip Evans, David Fletcher, and Alejo Lopez, and outfielders Skye Bolt, Leury Garcia, Luis Liberato, and J.P. Martinez.

Twenty-eight players have accumulated MLB Service Time, led by the 33-year-old Garcia (8.025) and the 33-year-old Giles (7.113). Anderson, Bolt, Bowden, Dodd, Doyle, Elder, Evans, Fletcher, Hernandez, Kerr, Liberato, Logue, Lopez, Martinez, Moran, Rivero, Smith-Shawver, Tromp, Velazquez, Vines, Walsh, White, Widener, Williams, Winans, and Ynoa have also played in the big-leagues.

Ten players are active members of the Braves’ 40-man roster, including nine pitchers: Anderson, Dodd, Elder, Hernandez, Kerr, Smith-Shawver, Vines, Winans, and Ynoa. Martinez is the lone position player with a 40-man roster spot.

The Stripers are led by manager Kanekoa Texeira (1^st season), pitching coach Mike McCarthy (1^st season), hitting coach Dan DeMent (1^st season), coach Wigberto Nevarez (4^th season), strength and conditioning coach Tyler Enns (2^nd season), and athletic trainers Greg Harrel (1^st season) and Joel Wiggins (1^st season).

Opening Night at Coolray Field is Tuesday, April 2 vs. the Louisville Bats. For tickets and more information, visit GoStripers.com. Listen to all Stripers games on MyCountry993.com.