Lake County Captains Announce 2025 Opening Day Roster

EASTLAKE, Ohio – In conjunction with the Cleveland Guardians, the Lake County Captains today announced their Opening Day roster for the 2025 season.

Seven of Cleveland’s MLB Pipeline Top 30 prospects are set to suit up for Lake County to begin the Captains’ 22^nd season.

OF Jaison Chourio (No. 3 CLE, No. 58 MLB) is Lake County’s highest-ranked prospect entering the 2025 campaign. The 19-year-old out of Maracaibo, Venezuela had a remarkable 2024 season with the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats. He was named the 2024 Carolina League MVP and Top MLB Prospect, as well as a Carolina League All-Star and Baseball America’s Cleveland Guardians MiLB Player of the Year. Additionally, Chourio represented the Guardians in the 2024 MLB All-Star Futures Game.

1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez (No. 5 CLE) returns to the Captains after being promoted to Lake County from Single-A Lynchburg last August. The 2023 first-round pick out of Huntington Beach High School (CA) was an integral part of the Captains’ 2024 Midwest League Championship team. The 19-year-old Garden Grove, California native tied the Midwest League Playoffs lead with five RBI and started at first base in all five of Lake County’s 2024 playoff games. In his first full professional season, Velazquez recorded 23 doubles, 11 home runs, and 61 RBI in 101 combined games across High-A and Single-A.

C Jacob Cozart (No. 16 CLE) returns to the Captains as well after making his professional debut with Lake County last August. The 2024 second-round pick out of North Carolina State was another key component of the Captains’ 2024 Midwest League Championship team, starting all five of Lake County’s 2024 playoff games at catcher. Of note, the 22-year-old High Point, North Carolina native hit a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning during Game 1 of the 2024 Midwest League East Division Championship Series at Dayton, which ultimately proved to be the game-winner. Cozart will embark on his first full professional season in 2025.

LHP Jackson Humphries (No. 18 CLE) joins the Captains after a productive 2024 season with Single-A Lynchburg. The 2022 eighth-round pick out of Fuquay-Varina High School (NC) ranked tied for second in the Carolina League with 23 starts last year, while tying the Hillcats lead with 97 strikeouts and ranking fourth on the team with 79.0 innings pitched.

LHP Michael Kennedy (No. 19 CLE) joins the Captains after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in an offseason trade this past December. The 2022 fourth-round pick by the Pirates out of Troy High School (NY) was promoted to the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers last August after a strong campaign with the Single-A Bradenton Marauders. In his two High-A starts, the 20-year-old Bradenton, Florida native recorded a 0.84 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and just three walks, allowing just one earned run in 10.2 combined innings pitched. Kennedy ultimately finished fifth among Single-A Bradenton pitchers in both strikeouts (80) and innings pitched (73.0) last season.

LHP Josh Hartle (No. 23 CLE) also joins Lake County after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in an offseason trade this past December. The 2024 third-round pick by the Pirates out of Wake Forest made one appearance with Single-A Bradenton last year, and is set to embark on his first full professional season in 2025. During his collegiate career, the 22-year-old King, North Carolina native was named a 2023 Baseball America and NCBWA First Team All-American, as well as a 2023 ABCA and Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American. Additionally, Hartle was a 2023 First Team All-ACC selection and a 2023 Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist.

OF Alfonsin Rosario (No. 26 CLE) joins the Captains after being acquired in an offseason trade as well from the Chicago Cubs this past November. The 2023 sixth-round pick by the Cubs out of P27 Academy (SC) had an impressive season with the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans last year. The 20-year-old Lexington, South Carolina native ranked top-five in the Carolina League in: RBI (73, third), extra-base hits (38, third), home runs (16, fourth), and total bases (162, fourth), while ranking seventh in slugging percentage (.423). Rosario was the only Single-A player with at least 15 home runs, 70 RBI, and 20 stolen bases last season.

While not ranked by MLB Pipeline another notable prospect on Lake County’s Opening Day roster is LHP Matt Wilkinson. The 2023 10^th-round pick out of Central Arizona College (JUCO), who is Baseball America’s No. 18 Guardians prospect, had one of the best Minor League pitching seasons in recent memory across the Captains and Single-A Lynchburg last year. In 24 combined starts during the regular season, Wilkinson led MiLB with an average of 13.20 strikeouts per nine innings, while ranking second in: ERA (1.90), strikeouts (174), WHIP (0.91), and opposing batting average (.169).

The 22-year-old Okotoks, Alberta, Canada native became the only MiLB pitcher with a 0.95-or-lower WHIP, 1.90-or-lower ERA, and at least 170 strikeouts in a season since at least 2005. He then made two starts for the Captains during the 2024 Midwest League Playoffs, helping them win the 2024 Midwest League Championship. Wilkinson was eventually named a 2024 Midwest League All-Star, while earning All-MiLB Prospect Second Team honors as well.

In all, 17 members of Lake County’s 28-man Opening Day roster are returners from last season’s Midwest League Championship team.

Along with Wilkinson, pitchers Dylan DeLucia, Jay Driver, Yorman Gómez, Josh Harlow, Steven Pérez, Alonzo Richardson, and Adam Tulloch come back to Lake County to begin the 2025 campaign. Driver was one of the Midwest League’s premier relief pitchers last season, as his 1.53 ERA led High-A relievers (min. 40 appearances).

In addition to Velazquez and Cozart, catchers Kevin Rivas and Johnny Tincher, infielders Maick Collado and Jose Devers, and outfielders Jonah Advincula, Wuilfredo Antunez, and Esteban González all return to the Captains as well. Advincula recorded 54 walks, 42 RBI, and 32 stolen bases last year, and was one of just two Midwest League players to reach these marks in 2024.

In addition to Chourio and Humphries, six more players have been promoted to Lake County from Single-A Lynchburg. These include: INF Christian Knapczyk, who ranked top-five in the Carolina League in triples (seven, tied for third) and on-base percentage (.382, fifth) last season, RHP Kyle Scott, who ranked top-three on the Hillcats in: innings pitched (96.0), wins (six, third), and strikeouts (96, tied for third) last year, and LHP Caden Favors, a 2024 sixth-round pick out of Wichita State who made four appearances (one start) with Single-A Lynchburg to begin his pro career. The other three promotions are: INF Juan Benjamin, RHP Jack Jasiak, and RHP Robert Wegielnik.

Lake County will open its 2025 season with a three-game weekend road series against the Great Lakes Loons (High-A, Los Angeles Dodgers), which is scheduled to begin on Friday, April 4 at 6:05 p.m.

The Captains will then begin their 2025 home schedule with a six-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A, Detroit Tigers), which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 8 at 6:35 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at milb.com/lake-county, or by calling the Captains Box Office at (440) 975-8085.

The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.