Opening Day Roster Revealed

(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) – A mix of prospects and talented veterans highlight the 2022 Charlotte Knights Opening Day roster, as announced today ahead of the team’s season opener from Norfolk, VA. The Knights are set to open the 2022 campaign tonight against the Norfolk Tides from Harbor Park. First pitch from Norfolk is on tap for 6:35 p.m.

Charlotte’s roster features four of Chicago’s Top 30 Prospects (as ranked by Baseball America) -- including the return of infielder Jake Burger (7th) to Charlotte. Last season, Burger hit .274 (85-for-310) with 46 runs scored, 16 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 82 games with the Knights. The St. Louis, MO native also made his major league debut last season with the White Sox and hit .263 (10-for-38) with a home run and three RBIs in 15 games.

Along with the return of Burger, Charlotte’s offense will also feature the return of two more of the organization’s Top 30 position players - infielder Romy Gonzalez (15th) and outfielder Blake Rutherford (21st). Gonzalez, 25, appeared over three levels last season in the organization (Birmingham, Charlotte and Chicago) and excelled at the plate. The Miami, Fl native combined to hit .283 (101-for-357) with 24 home runs and 61 RBIs between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte (93 games). He also appeared in 10 games with the White Sox last season and hit .250 (8-for-32). Rutherford, 24, led the Knights last season in doubles and finished third overall in the league in that category with 30. He was originally selected by the New York Yankees in the first round (18th overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and acquired by the White Sox in a trade with the Yankees on July 18, 2017.

On the mound, the Knights will hand the ball to RHP Kade McClure tonight against the Norfolk Tides. McClure, 26, posted a 2-3 record with a 6.81 ERA in nine starts with the Knights last season. Joining McClure in Charlotte’s rotation (in order) are: LHP John Parke, RHP Jimmy Lambert, RHP Emilio Vargas and LHP Wes Benjamin. Lambert, one of six players on Chicago’s 40-man roster to start the season with the Knights, enters the season ranked as the 12th prospect in Chicago’s system by Baseball America.

In Charlotte’s bullpen this season will be RHP Will Carter, RHP Tyler Johnson, LHP Kyle Kubat, LHP Zach Muckenhirn, RHP Yacksel Ríos and LHP Hunter Schryver.

Behind the plate, catchers Nate Nolan and Carlos Pérez return to Charlotte for the 2022 season. The pair of backstops will be joined by Nick Cuiffo (SHOO-fo), who was signed by the Chicago White Sox as a free agent in March.

Veteran position players Dwight Smith Jr., Patrick Kivlehan, Mark Payton, Ryder Jones, as well as veteran pitchers Jhan Marinez and Brandon Finnegan are also on Charlotte’s Opening Day roster. Smith Jr., a former first round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft, has appeared in 169 games at the major league level over parts of four seasons with Toronto (2017-18) and Baltimore (2019-20). His dad, Dwight Smith, spent eight seasons in the majors. Marinez, 34, appeared in 60 games over parts of two seasons with the Knights from 2012-2013.

Offensively, the Knights will welcome back infielder Zach Remillard, who hit 12 home runs with the team last season. Remillard, 28, is a product of Coastal Carolina University and was a member of the school’s College World Series Championship in 2016. Infielder Laz Rivera and outfielders Luis Basabe, Adam Haseley and James Fisher round out Charlotte’s position players on the 2022 Opening Day roster. Haseley is a member of Chicago's 40-man roster.

The 2022 Charlotte Knights are once again led by manager Wes Helms, who returns for his second season as manager of the Knights. The Gastonia, NC native made his managerial debut last season after he was originally first tabbed to manage the Knights in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His coaching staff features all returnees from the 2021 season, including Chris Johnson (hitting coach), Matt Zaleski (pitching coach), Cory Barton (athletic trainer), and Shawn Powell (performance coach). Additionally, Katie Stone joins the team as an assistant athletic trainer.

Single-game tickets for the 2022 season, as well as season memberships, are on sale now. For more information on tickets for all games, please visit the Charlotte Knights official website at www.charlotteknights.com or contact the Charlotte Knights by phone at 704-274-8282.