PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (April 2, 2019) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, have announced the 2019 Stone Crabs Opening Night roster.Eight of the organization's top 30 prospects highlight the roster. A large percentage of the 2019 Stone Crabs were part of a team that won
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (April 2, 2019) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, have announced the 2019 Stone Crabs Opening Night roster.
Eight of the organization's top 30 prospects highlight the roster. A large percentage of the 2019 Stone Crabs were part of a team that won 90 games and captured the 2018 Midwest League Championship for the Bowling Green Hot Rods.
Five of the organization's top 14 position player prospects will occupy the Stone Crabs batting order, including the sixth-best catching prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
Catcher Ronaldo Hernandez (No. 6 Rays prospect according to MLB Pipeline) and second baseman Vidal Brujan (No. 7) both debuted on MLB Pipeline's list of the top 100 prospects prior to the 2019 season after breakout campaigns with Low-A Bowling Green. Hernandez placed third in the Tampa Bay organization in home runs (21) and RBI (79), batting .284 over 109 games. He ranked second in the Midwest League in homers and third in RBI and slugging percentage (.494).
Brujan scored more runs (112) than any player in Minor League Baseball in 2018, finishing second in stolen bases (55) behind only the Astros' Myles Straw. The Dominican Republic native placed second in the Midwest League and the Rays' organization in batting average (.320) amongst full season hitters. He was also the toughest hitter in the circuit to strike out (8.19 PA/SO). Brujan earned a call-up to the Stone Crabs on August 6 and hit .347 with 13 extra-base hits in 27 games (1.015 OPS).
Outfielder Moises Gomez (No. 13) led the Midwest League in RBI (82), doubles (34), extra-base hits (6) and total bases (237), recording 10 more extra-base hits than anyone else in the league. The Guatire, Venezuela native finished second in the league in slugging (.503) and fourth in home runs (19) while being named to the midseason and postseason All-Star teams.
Outfielder and right-handed pitcher Tanner Dodson (No. 18) will become the second two-way player to don a Stone Crabs uniform in as many years. A finalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award at Cal in 2018, Dodson hit .273 while pitching to a 1.44 ERA for Low-A Hudson Valley last summer. Pitching out of the bullpen, Dodson held New York-Penn League hitters to a .143 average over 25 innings of relief.
Left-hander Resly Linares (No. 20) will head up the Stone Crabs' pitching rotation after going 7-3 with a 3.20 ERA over 84.1 innings for Bowling Green last season. The Dominican Republic native struck out 97 while surrendering only 69 hits, limiting the opposition to a .222 average. Linares allowed only two runs over 11.2 innings in the Midwest League playoffs, leading the Hot Rods to the title.
Infielder Tyler Frank (No. 22), right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers (No. 26) and outfielder Garrett Whitley (No. 27) round out the top-30 prospects to earn an Opening Night assignment to the Stone Crabs.
FULL ROSTER
Catchers (2): Ronaldo Hernandez, Zac Law
Infielders (6): Vidal Brujan, Tyler Frank, Jim Haley, Russ Olive, Jake Palomaki, Zach Rutherford
Outfielders (3): Carl Chester, Moises Gomez, Garrett Whitley
Two-Way Players (1): Tanner Dodson
Pitchers (13): Paul Campbell, Resly Linares, Tobias Myers, Riley O'Brien, Chandler Raiden, Orlando Romero, Tommy Romero, Simon Rosenblum-Larson, Jhonleider Salinas, Matt Seelinger, Brian Shaffer, Alex Valverde, Mikey York
The Stone Crabs begin the season in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. Coverage of the game starts at 6:15 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network and can be heard on the TuneIn App, MiLB First Pitch App and stonecrabsbaseball.com.
The homer opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Gates will open at 3 p.m. for a fan fest and helicopter candy drop. Visit stonecrabsbaseball.com to purchase tickets to the game.
Use the following link full copy of the official roster.
