Isotopes Release 2024 Opening Day Roster
The Albuquerque Isotopes, in junction with the Colorado Rockies, have announced their 2024 Opening Day roster, a club that features a record-setting 21 returning players. Second-year manager Pedro Lopez also welcomes seven new players to Albuquerque. The returnees are headlined by fan favorite outfielder Sam Hilliard, who played in 216
The Albuquerque Isotopes, in junction with the Colorado Rockies, have announced their 2024 Opening Day roster, a club that features a record-setting 21 returning players.
Second-year manager Pedro Lopez also welcomes seven new players to Albuquerque.
The returnees are headlined by fan favorite outfielder Sam Hilliard, who played in 216 games for the club between 2019-22. Hilliard’s 62 home runs in an Isotopes uniform rank second in club history, four away from tying Jordan Patterson’s mark set from 2016-18.
Sean Bouchard, Jimmy Herron and Coco Montes will all open the campaign in Albuquerque after being key contributors in the team’s lineup over the past two seasons. Third baseman Aaron Schunk is also back to start his second year in Triple-A after batting .290 with 14 homers and 77 RBI in 2023.
Outfielder Jordan Beck enters the season as Colorado’s fourth-best prospect, according to MLB.com. He has skyrocketed through the Rockies farm system since being selected with the 38th overall pick of the 2022 Draft. Additionally, Beck was named Colorado’s Spring Training MVP this year after slashing .370/.433/.519 in 18 contests.
After a remarkable two-week stint with the Isotopes last year, Hunter Goodman will open 2024 in Triple-A. Goodman bashed nine long balls to go along with 33 RBI in just 15 contests for Albuquerque, before having his contract purchased and making a positive impact in the Rockies lineup last September.
Grant Lavigne, a 2018 first-round draft pick by the Rockies, is poised to garner a share of the first base duties. Lavigne and Beck are the only members of the Opening Day roster who will be making their Triple-A debuts.
Greg Jones, acquired from Tampa Bay near the end of Spring Training, will split time between shortstop and multiple outfield positions.
Catching duties are expected to be split between Willie MacIver, Drew Romo and Goodman. MacIver was Albuquerque’s primary backstop after joining the team in the second half last season, while Romo was promoted from Double-A Hartford for the final series of 2023 and delivered multiple clutch hits.
Noah Davis and Tanner Gordon are set to anchor the Isotopes rotation, after a strong finish to the 2023 season. Karl Kauffmann and Jeff Criswell each return as well.
Lopez and pitching coach Chris Michalak will have several options to rely on in late innings of contests - including Matt Carasiti, Evan Justice, Gavin Hollowell and Riley Pint - all who saw action with the Rockies last season. Justice entered 2023 with just three professional innings under his belt before bursting onto the scene with 63 strikeouts in 38.2 frames across three levels, then made his Major League debut in September.
Ty Blach and Matt Koch will share the role of elder statesmen at the outset, as both are 33-years-old. Each split last year between the Isotopes and Rockies. Blach is beginning his 11th professional season in his third organization, while Koch is starting his 13th campaign, spanning five MLB organizations and a stint in Japan.
Veteran right-handers John Curtiss and Geoff Hartlieb both join Albuquerque’s pitching staff for the first time after signing with the Rockies this offseason. Curtiss was a key member of the Rays bullpen during their 2020 American League pennant-winning season, and has registered the most MLB service time on the Isotopes initial roster (three years and 137 days).
The Opening Day roster features 16 players who have seen time in the Major Leagues: Blach, Carasiti, Curtiss, Davis, Hartlieb, Hollowell, Justice, Kauffmann, Koch, Pint, Goodman, Montes, Bouchard, and Hilliard, as well as pitcher Chance Adams and infielder Connor Kaiser.
The 2024 campaign is slated to get underway tomorrow night with a 6:35 MST first pitch against El Paso, as the Isotopes begin a season at home for the first time since 2021.
RHP: Chance Adams, Matt Carasiti, Jeff Criswell, John Curtiss, Noah Davis, Tanner Gordon, Geoff Hartlieb, Gavin Hollowell, Karl Kauffmann, Matt Koch, Riley Pint, Thomas Ponticelli, Kyle Wilcox
LHP: Ty Blach, Evan Justice
Catchers: Willie MacIver, Drew Romo, Hunter Goodman
Infielders: Julio Carreras, Greg Jones, Connor Kaiser, Grant Lavigne, Coco Montes, Aaron Schunk
Outfielders: Jordan Beck, Sean Bouchard, Jimmy Herron, Sam Hilliard
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring