The 2023 Clearwater Threshers opening day roster is primarily made up of 2022 draft selections. It bodes to be a strong roster with very good offensive skills and powerful pitching capabilities. Thirty players are made eligible each game day however more than that are generally listed on the team list. Here’s the initial Clearwater roster.
Pitchers : 17
LH : Samuel Aldegheri, Braeden Fausnaught, Wesley Moore, Mason Ronan, Andrew Walling, Danny Wilkinson
RH : Josh Bortka, Jean Cabrera, Starlyn Castillo, Jack Dallas, Jaydenn Estanista, Jonh Henriquez, Orion Kerkering, Alex McFarlane, Yoniel Ramirez, Alex Rao, Eduar Segovia.
The starting staff will be Aldegheri, Cabrera, Castillo, Estanista, McFarlane and Rao with Fausnaught and Segovia being bulk relievers. The back end of the bullpen will feature Bortka, Dallas, Ronan, Kerkering, Walling, Ramirez and Henriquez.
Big time velocity in the rotation - Starlyn Castillo, Jaydenn Estanista, Alex McFarlane and Alex Rao are all high octane pitchers, McFarlane has added a darting two seamer to his repertoire, had a really strong spring camp. Samuel Aldegheri and Jean Cabrera are formidable pitchers in their own stead, the rotation is really strong.
Orion Kerkering and Andrew Walling had excellent spring camps, they have dominant stuff. Jonh Henriquez earns a full season roster spot after pitching in the Dominican Summer League last year, he’s another with upper nineties capabilities. I really liked what I saw in Yoniel Ramirez during spring camp, he’s an under the radar fella who could surprise. Mason Ronan has a put away split finger pitch and multi inning capability.
Catchers : 3
Caleb Ricketts, Jordan Dissin, Adony Mejia
Caleb Ricketts will be the primary receiver, he’s a strong left handed bat who also commands respect behind the plate, was the club’s 7th round draft selection in the 2022 draft from San Diego University. Jordan Dissin has a really strong throwing arm and is a very good hitter, the 20 year old was selected in the 12th round of the 2022 draft from Saddleback Junior College. Adony Mejia has an electric personality and a good overall game, very good defender.
Infielders : 5
Erick Brito, Chad Castillo, Otto Kemp, Freylin Minyety, Bryan Rincon
Bryan Rincon had an outstanding spring camp and earned the starting shortstop job, he’s just 19 years old and was the club’s 2022 14th round draft choice from Shaler Area High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Chad Castillo also had a great spring camp, he had a breakout game where he hit two home runs and drove in eight runs against the Yankees. Chad (2022 9th round draft selection - California Baptist) will be the regular first baseman. Erick Brito (signed as an international free agent in 2018 from Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela) will return to the Threshers however the now 20 year old will move to second base from shortstop. Otto Kemp (signed as an un-drafted free agent last summer from Point Loma Nazarene College) will be a lineup regular at third base with Freylin Minyety (signed in 2021 as an un-drafted free agent from Wabash Valley JC) seeing action there as well.
Outfielders : 5
Emaarion Boyd, Justin Crawford, Cade Fergus, Gabriel Rincones Jr, Jordan Viars
All five outfielders will see plenty of action and each of them had strong spring camps. Jordan Viars (19 years old - 2021 3rd round draft choice - Reedy HS, Frisco, TX) in particular, was on fire during the minor league spring training games, along with Gabriel Rincones Jr (2022 3rd round draft choice - Florida Atlantic University), both have big time power, they will primarily play left field defensively.
Emaarion Boyd (19 year old 2022 11th round draft selection - South Panola HS, Batesville, MS), Justin Crawford (19 year old 2022 1st round draft choice - Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas, NV) and Cade Fergus (2022 13th round draft choice - George Washington University) are all outstanding defenders who have elite speed. They will mostly see action in center and right field as well as time in left field.
