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 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