Fireflies Announce 2025 Opening Day Roster 

Columbia, SC — The Columbia Fireflies, in conjunction with the Kansas City Royals, announced their 2025 Opening Day roster today. The roster includes five of the Royals top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline and has nine members of the 2023 and 2024 draft classes.

The Fireflies 2025 roster, led by first-year manager David Noworyta is highlighted by a rotation featuring two hurlers ranked among the Royals top 30 prospects. Blake Wolters and Hiro Wyatt return to the Columbia roster after strong 2024 campaigns. MLB Pipeline ranks Wolters ninth and Wyatt at the No. 16 spot.

Wolters was the Royals second round pick in 2023. The 20-year-old worked 14 starts in the Carolina League last year, spinning a 4.20 ERA over 55.2 innings and striking out 46 batters. The star glowed brightest in the second half, with a 2.81 ERA in his four starts after the All-Star break before he hit his innings limit.

The Royals took Wyatt with the third pick in 2023 and after 12 outings in the Arizona Complex League, the righty came to Columbia and excelled as he only allowed opposing batters to average .189 against him. He finished the campaign with a 2.67 ERA in 27 innings pitched over six starts in the Carolina League.

The catchers room also boasts a pair of the Royals top 30 prospects according to Pipeline. Ramon Ramirez is making his full-season debut for the Royals and Hyungchan Um returns to the Soda City after playing 50 games for Columbia down the stretch.

MLB Pipeline lists Ramirez as the second-ranked prospect on Columbia’s roster, set at 10th in the Royals’ top 30. The 19-year-old raked in 49 games in the ACL in 2024, slashing .265/.379/.459. The 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star closed out the season on a high note, with four of his seven homers over his final 15 games and running a .958 OPS over the month of July.

Um returns to Columbia after a busy winter in the Australian Baseball League. MLB Pipeline’s 29th-best prospect on Kansas City’s farm paced the ABL in total bases (78) in just 38 games. He also finished second in the League in home runs (10) to 2024 and 2025 Fireflies teammate Brennon McNair who returns to Columbia for a third season this year.

The final top prospect is outfielder Asbel Gonzalez, who hit .285 in 41 games in the ACL before getting a cup of coffee in Double-A Northwest Arkansas to close out 2024.

Columbia returns 15 players from the 2024 roster, including a strong part of the bullpen. Ismael Michel, Julio Rosario, Elvis Novas and Josh Hansell are all returning in 2025. All four pitchers posted a sub-3.00 ERA over more than 15 innings of work in the Carolina League in 2024.

Hansell will likely work as a starter this season after starting just six of 21 appearances in Columbia last season. The 6’6” righty worked 64.1 innings in 2024 and closed out the season with five shutout innings against the Charleston RiverDogs September 4 at Segra Park. the Arizona State product had a 2.52 ERA and a 9.93 K/9 with the Fireflies.

Novas ended the campaign as Columbia’s closer, where he earned nine saves in 10 opportunities while holding opponents to a .202 opposing average and a 0.96 WHIP in 19 appearances. His shining moment came August 24, when he inherited a bases-loaded, no-out jam against the Fredericksburg Nationals. He retired the side without allowing a run to score, preserving a 4-0 win for the Fireflies.

Michel didn’t allow a run over nine-consecutive appearances spanning 15.1 innings from July 21-August 22 for Columbia last season. He finished the season with a 1.42 ERA while holding opponents to a .167 opposing average over 31.2 innings in the neon and navy.

Rosario joined the club late in 2024, and went 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 15 innings of work. He also registered a 4:1 K:BB ratio.

The club welcomes four members of the 2024 draft, five members of the 2023 draft and 17 international free agents of the 30 members of the roster.

The Fireflies full 2025 Opening Day roster is available here.

The Fireflies Home Opener is six days away! Cheer on Columbia as they take on the Charleston RiverDogs at Segra Park Tuesday, April 8. Fans can purchase Opening Day tickets at FirefliesTickets.com.