Mighty Mussels Announce 2022 Opening Night Roster
FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 6, 2022) - The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, have announced their 2022 Opening Night roster. Six Top-30 Prospects highlight the 29-man group. The initial roster contains 16 pitchers and 13 position players. 14 of the 29 active players appeared with
FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 6, 2022) - The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, have announced their 2022 Opening Night roster.
Six Top-30 Prospects highlight the 29-man group. The initial roster contains 16 pitchers and 13 position players. 14 of the 29 active players appeared with Fort Myers at some point last season. 16 of the 29 Mussels players were either drafted or signed into the Twins organization in 2021.
Shortstop Noah Miller and outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez headline the 2022 Mussels. Miller is ranked as the Twins’ No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline, while Rodriguez is No. 10 in the system according to Baseball America.
Rodriguez hit more home runs than anyone on the GCL Twins in 2021, slugging 10 dingers in just 37 games. He also led the team in walks (23), finishing the season with a .870 OPS. MLB Pipeline ranked Rodriguez as the No. 8 prospect in the entire 2019 international class before he signed with Minnesota for $2.5 million.
Miller was drafted 36th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft after graduating from Ozaukee High School in Fredonia, Wisconsin. The younger brother of Guardians infielder Owen Miller, Noah hit .290 through his first 16 professional games last summer.
Left-hander Steve Hajjar is Fort Myers’ top-ranked pitching prospect, checking in at No. 12 on Baseball America’s list. Set to make his pro debut this weekend, Hajjar struck out 110 batters in 81.2 innings for the University of Michigan in 2021, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors. He led the conference in punchouts while finishing with a 3.09 ERA. Hajjar was the 2018 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year at Central Catholic High School.
Infielder Keoni Cavaco (No. 21 Baseball America) returns to the Mussels after battling through injuries to appear in 60 games with Fort Myers in 2021, playing exclusively shortstop. The Twins’ first-round pick in 2019, Cavaco will anchor the Mussels’ lineup while playing multiple infield positions in 2022.
Marco Raya (No. 26 MLB Pipeline) will make his pro debut for the Mighty Mussels after missing the 2021 season due to injury. The organization’s fourth-round pick in 2020, Raya impressed at the Twins’ complex throughout his first year in Fort Myers.
Kala’i Rosario (No. 26 Baseball America) led the GCL Twins in hits (52), runs (32), doubles (10), triples (4), total bases (85), and RBI (49) in 2021. The Twins’ fifth-round pick in 2020, Rosario hit .277 in his first taste of pro ball at just 18 years old last season.
The Mighty Mussels will begin their 2022 campaign at BayCare Ballpark on Friday against the Clearwater Threshers. The opening series in Clearwater can be heard on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network. The Mussels will debut at Hammond Stadium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12 against the Jupiter Hammerheads. Tickets for Tuesday’s game can be purchased now at mightymussels.com.
FULL ROSTER
Catchers (3): Noah Cardenas, Kyle Schmidt, Dillon Tatum
Infielder (6): Keoni Cavaco, Noah Miller, Daniel Ozoria, Mikey Perez, Jake Rucker, Ernie Yake
Outfielders (4): Kyler Fedko, Dylan Neuse, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Kala’i Rosario
Pitchers (16): Travis Adams, David Festa, Regi Grace Jr., Steve Hajjar, Jackson Hicks, Hunter McMahon, Juan Mendez, Jaylen Nowlin, Pierson Ohl, Mike Paredes, Samuel Perez, Marco Raya, Niklas Rimmel, John Stankiewicz, Matthew Swain, John Wilson