Seven of Top-15 Cardinals Prospects Featured on Redbirds Roster
VIEW ROSTERMEMPHIS, Tennessee - The initial 2019 Memphis Redbirds roster features 12 of the Top-30 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals organization according to Baseball America, in LHP Génesis Cabrera (#6), OF Lane Thomas (#7), C Andrew Knizner (#8), RHP Ryan Helsley (#11), INF Tommy Edman (#12), RHP Daniel Ponce
VIEW ROSTER
MEMPHIS, Tennessee - The initial 2019 Memphis Redbirds roster features 12 of the Top-30 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals organization according to Baseball America, in LHP Génesis Cabrera (#6), OF Lane Thomas (#7), C Andrew Knizner (#8), RHP Ryan Helsley (#11), INF Tommy Edman (#12), RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (#13), OF Adolis Garcia (#15), RHP Jake Woodford (#16), INF Edmundo Sosa (#22), INF Max Schrock (#25) and RHP Giovanny Gallegos (#29).
All of those players played at the Triple-A level last season and the roster features 21 total players that have Triple-A experience.
The 2019 Redbirds will be led by Ben Johnson, who enters his first season as a manager and within the St. Louis organization. The 37-year-old Germantown, Tenn., native spent last season as a coach with the International League Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay) and was part of a staff that led the Bulls to a 79-60 record and a second straight IL championship. Joining Johnson will be hitting coach Jobel Jimenez in his first season with Redbirds, pitching coach Dernier Orozco in his second season and coach Mike McDonald in his first year within the Cardinals organization.
On the field, the squad will employ 13 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and three outfielders. All 13 pitchers have Triple-A experience and eight spent time with various Major League clubs during 2018. Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos, Austin Gomber, Ryan Helsley, Tommy Layne, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Tyler Webb and Jake Woodford are making their return to AutoZone Park. Gallegos, Gomber, Ponce de Leon, Shreve and Webb all spent time with the Cardinals in 2018, while Chris Beck, Mike Hauschild and Ryan Meisinger appeared with the White Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles respectively. Cabrera, Gallegos, Layne and Woodford all made appearances for the Redbirds during the 2018 playoffs.
Joe Hudson enters his first season in the St. Louis organization after appearing at various levels within the Cincinnati and Los Angeles-AL organizations in 2018. Andrew Knizner enters as the top catching prospect within the organization, making his Triple-A debut last season after beginning the year at Double-A Springfield.
The infield unit returns five players who played for the Redbirds during the regular season and playoffs last season in Tommy Edman, Rangel Ravelo, Max Schrock, Edmundo Sosa and Ramón Urías. Evan Mendoza and John Nogowski will both be making their Triple-A debuts after ending last season at Double-A Springfield. Sosa and Urias are members of the Cardinals' 40-man roster, while Sosa is the lone infielder with MLB experience, appearing in three games with the Cardinals at the end of the 2018 season.
The outfield unit also features two members of the Cardinals' 40-man roster in Adolis Garcia and Lane Thomas. Garcia and Thomas were two of the top minor league sluggers in the organization, with Garcia ranking third with 22 home runs and 71 RBI and Thomas ranking first with 27 home runs and 77 RBI. Johan Mieses makes his Triple-A debut.
The roster features a total of 13 players that have played at the Major League level, making a combined total of 756 appearances. Garcia, Gomber, Hudson, Meisinger, Ponce de Leon and Sosa all made their big-league debuts in 2018.
The 2019 season for the two-time defending Pacific Coast League Champion and 2018 Triple-A National Champion Redbirds begins with a five-game set against the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) with Opening Night slated for a 7:05 first pitch tonight. For more information on the 2019 season, visit www.memphisredbirds.com.
[Empty Body]
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