Hartford Yard Goats Announce 2023 Opening Day Roster

Several Colorado Rockies prospects assigned to Hartford along with two players on 40-man Major League Roster

(Hartford, CT) The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, announced its 2023 Opening Day Roster. 16 pitchers and 12 position players have been assigned to Hartford, including the organizations #2 overall prospect outfielder Zac Veen, and #4 overall prospect, catcher Drew Romo. The Yard Goats have two players on the Rockies 40-man Major League Roster with infielders Warming Bernabel (#7 prospect) and Julio Carreras (#27 prospect) starting the season in Hartford. Nine of the Rockies top 30 prospects (MLB.com) are with the Yard Goats including first round picks 1B Grant Lavigne (#19 prospect) and Drew Romo. The roster includes three second round picks, with pitchers Mitch Kilkenny and Joe Rock (#18 prospect) returning to Hartford and joined by first year Yard Goats pitcher Chris McMahon (#30 prospect). The Yard Goats lineup will feature one of the top home run hitters in Minor League Baseball from last season, infielder Hunter Goodman (#15 prospect), who cranked 36 homers and had 106 RBI, between Fresno, Spokane and Hartford. 21-year-old pitcher Case Williams (#25 prospect), who tied a franchise record with 12 strikeouts in his Hartford debut last season, will be part of the starting rotation.

The Yard Goats Opening Day Roster includes 15 returning players to Hartford along with 13 newcomers. Former Padres and Tigers farmhand, and Seymour, Connecticut native Nick Kuzia, who was acquired by the Rockies in the Rule 5 Draft in December, will pitch for the Yard Goats. The Colorado Rockies set the Yard Goats roster and are responsible for all the player transactions during the season. Since the inaugural season of 2016, the Yard Goats have produced 48 Major League players, including four from last year’s team.

2023 Hartford Yard Goats Opening Day Roster

RHP Jared Biddy Iowa Park, TX (Southeastern Louisiana), RHP Dugan Darnell Northville, MI (Adrian College), RHP Fineas Del Bonta-Smith Chico, CA (San Jose State), RHP Nick Garcia Redwood City, CA (Chapman University), RHP Blake Goldsberry Littleton, CO (Kansas), RHP Mitch Kilkenny Houston, TX (Texas A&M), LHP Austin Kitchen Pittsburgh, PA (Coastal Carolina), RHP Nick Kuzia Seymour, CT (UMass Lowell), RHP Shelby Lackey Linden, CA (University of the Pacific), RHP Chris McMahon West Chester, PA (Miami), RHP Michael Peterson Middlesex, United Kingdom (Riverside City College), RHP Andrew Quezada Los Alamitos, CA (Cal State Fullerton), LHP Joe Rock Sewickley, PA (Ohio), RHP Mike Ruff Orlando, FL (Florida Atlantic), RHP Dylan Spain Honolulu, HI (Hawaii), RHP Case Williams Akron, OH (Douglas County H.S., CO), C Ronaiker Palma Petare, VZ, C Drew Romo Fountain Valley, CA(The Woodlands, H.S., TX), INF Warming Bernabel Bani DR, INF Bret Boswell Rockwall, TX (Texas), INF Julio Carreras Sabana Grande, DR, INF Eddy Diaz Matanzas, Cuba, INF Hunter Goodman Arlington, TN (Memphis), Grant Lavigne Bedford, NH (Bedford H.S., NH), OF Niko Decolati Boulder, CO (Loyola Marymount), OF Bladimir Restituyo La Vega, DR, OF Colin Simpson Edmond, OK (Oklahoma State), OF Zac Veen Port Orange, FL (Spruce Creek, H.S., FL)

Development List: RHP Adam McKillican Comox, Canada (Georgia Gwinnett College)

16 pitchers and 12 position players

14 Right-handed pitchers

2 Left-handed pitchers

2 Catchers

4 Infielders

3 Outfielders

3 Utility players

The Yard Goats open the season on Thursday, April 6th (7:10 PM) against the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles affiliate). Individual game tickets, season tickets, group tickets and luxury suites for all Yard Goats games at Dunkin’ Park are now available to purchase at yardgoatsbaseball.com.