Breaking Down Reno's Opening Day Roster

Play ball! The Reno Aces announced their Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. Let’s analyze the group before Reno takes the field for Friday night’s opener at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Italics - on 40-man roster

Catchers: Aramis Garcia, Drake Osborn

Reno will carry just two catchers on Opening Day with Garcia assuming the starting role and Osborn tracking for his Triple-A debut. Garcia, 32, is a defensive-minded backstop who signed a minor league deal with the DBacks in November. He’s caught over 600 innings in the majors. Osborn, 26, is new to the organization after spending four seasons in the Mets system. Both catchers have excelled at throwing out runners in their respective careers.

Aramis Garcia gets in on the home run fun 😮 pic.twitter.com/PUbe555NIp

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) May 23, 2021

Infielders: Jordan Lawlar, Grae Kessinger, Tim Tawa, Connor Kaiser, Trey Mancini, Tristin English, Jesús Valdez

Talk about defensive versatility for first year manager Jeff Gardner. Lawlar, Arizona’s No. 1 prospect, is an exceptional athlete who can play multiple positions on the infield at a high level. His bat has been equally lethal in his short time in the PCL. Both Kessinger and Kaiser are primary shortstops, while Tawa continued to take reps at first, second, third and in right field this spring.

Light Tawa Powa 💣

Tim Tawa leads the Texas League in homers and just mashed his first Triple-A home run 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HvOZBGVjFP

— Reno Aces (@Aces) August 22, 2024

Offensively, Mancini brings 129 career MLB homers to the hitter-friendly confines of Greater Nevada Field. Tawa smashed 31 home runs between two levels in 2024, tied for fourth most among all minor leaguers. Valdez hit some monster blasts for Reno last year, and to the delight of fans, English is back with his big bat and versatility to play first, third, right field, or even pitcher.

Outfielders: Jorge Barrosa, A.J. Vukovich, Kevin Graham

Since 2021, Barrosa leads the DBacks’ minor league system in doubles (97) and walks (316), an encapsulation of his impact at the plate as a dynamic, switch-hitting slasher who has a terrific eye. The 24-year-old Venezuelan is a plus defender in center who covers every piece of grass. Barrosa is an all-time beloved player in Reno for his passion on the diamond and friendly nature off of it.

"NOTHING FALLS BUT RAINDROPS AROUND JORGE BARROSA"#SCTop10 | #Aceball pic.twitter.com/t1S5bHo9yQ

— Reno Aces (@Aces) September 22, 2024

Vukovich played 247 games and hit 43 home runs at Double-A before his call to Reno last September. It’s an important season for the former fourth round pick as he eyes a call-up to the majors. Graham, 25, played 94 games for Amarillo last year with most of innings in left field. Graham and Kessinger played together at Ole Miss.

Starters: Yilber Díaz, Cristian Mena, Tommy Henry, Brandon Bielak, Billy Corcoran

Díaz was dominant for Reno in 2024 before a quick call to the majors. He’s a true No. 1 at the Triple A level with a fastball at 95-97 mph and a filthy slider. Mena, 22, put together some special starts in the first half of 2024 and made his MLB debut against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers in July. He’s a big, strong righty with five pitches and good velocity.

Henry is returning for his fourth season in the BLC. The tenacious left-hander has thrown 242 ⅓ innings for Reno, the seventh most in team history. He was his usual steady and stingy self last season. Bielak and Corcoran are new to the rotation, with Bielak a veteran joining on a minor league deal and the 6-foot-8 Corcoran readying for his Triple A debut.

Tommy Henry is dealing 🔥
 
Henry has struck out 7️⃣ through 4️⃣ innings pic.twitter.com/5kf6srjGEt

— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 28, 2024

Bullpen: Drey Jameson, John Curtiss, Jeff Brigham, Kyle Amendt, Juan Morillo, Kyle Backhus, J.P. Feyereisen, Taylor Rashi, Scott McGough, Jake Rice, Conor Grammes

Jameson showed in spring training that his stuff is well intact after elbow surgery. The diminutive right-hander regularly reaches triple digits with his fastball and figures to pitch in high leverage for Gardner. Curtiss, Brigham, Feyereisen, and McGough are all veterans who are capable of dominant stretches. McGough in particular was great for Reno last season, posting a 3.22 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 36 ⅓ innings.

SCOTT. MCGOUGH. 😱

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 17, 2023

Amendt, soon to be 25, struck out a staggering 40% of hitters he saw across three levels in 2024. Morillo is a new face and is making his Triple A debut, coming over from the Dodgers as a righty with a 99-102 mph fastball. Rashi and Rice both pitched for the Aces in short stints in 2024, while Backhus has posted a strong 3.74 ERA in two seasons with Reno.

The Reno Aces will open the 2025 season on the road in Las Vegas tonight, Friday, March 28. They will make their home debut at Greater Nevada Field on Tuesday, April 1, hosting the Tacoma Rainiers, the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, at 2:05 p.m. PDT.

Season memberships for the 2025 season are available via RenoAces.com by texting "MEMBER" to 21003 or calling (775) 334-7000.