Drive Announce 2022 Opening Day Roster

The Greenville Drive, in conjunction with the Boston Red Sox, today announced the 2022 Opening Day roster. Entering their second season as Boston’s High-A affiliate, as a member of the South Atlantic League, the Drive will be led by nine of the Red Sox Top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com.

“I am very excited about the roster to start the year as the Drive continues to be the Red Sox High-A affiliate,” noted Drive Manager, Iggy Suarez. “This is a great group of young men, and I am really looking forward to seeing them play hard and have fun together. We know the fans at Fluor Field provide an atmosphere like no other ballpark in Minor League Baseball, and these guys will thrive off of that!”

The Opening Day roster also features 13 players who spent time in Greenville during the 2021 season as well, helping guide the team to the second-best record in franchise history, and seventh-best among all 30 High-A clubs.

“The 2022 Greenville Drive roster is one that fans are really going to enjoy watching,” added Drive General Manager Eric Jarinko. “The pitching staff boasts a group that will be giving opposing batters fits all season, while the lineup features a lot of power.”

Entering his 8th season as the Drive’s pitching coach, Bob Kipper will guide 15 hurlers that includes 12 right-handers: Jacinto Arredondo, Casey Cobb, Jordan DiValerio, Ryan Fernandez, Michael Gettys, Robert Kwiatkowski, Chih-Jung Liu (30th ranked prospect in the Red Sox system), Yusniel Padron-Artiles, Devon Roedahl, Cody Scroggins, Brian Van Belle, and Ryan Zeferjahn; as well as three southpaws: Brendan Cellucci, Shane Drohan, and Jorge Rodriguez.

In his 2nd season as the Drive’s hitting coach, Nate Spears will lead a talented group of hitters that boasts six players that spent the majority of the 2021 season in Greenville.

Catchers Jaxx Groshans and Stephen Scott return to Greenville, and are joined by Alex Erro. Scott, the 26th ranked prospect in Boston’s system, hit .338 with 8 home runs in 39 games with the Drive last season, following a late-July promotion

The Red Sox 2021 Minor League Player of the Year and MLB.com’s #55th ranked prospect overall, Nick Yorke returns to Greenville after a breakout campaign last season. Splitting time between Low-A Salem and the Drive, Yorke combined to hit .325 with 14 homers, 62 RBI, 76 runs scored, and 20 doubles over 97 games.

Fan favorite Joe Davis returns along with Yorke in the infield. Davis combined to hit .297 with 19 homers – nine of which were with the Drive – and 78 RBI in 2021 between Salem and Greenville.

Newcomers Alex Binelas, Antoni Flores, Matthew Lugo, Nick Northcut, and Ceddane Rafaela round out the Drive’s infield. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Brewers, Binelas ranks as the #22 prospect in the Red Sox system, while Lugo and Rafaela rank #13 and #28, respectively.

Tyler Esplin is the lone returnee to the Drive outfield, being joined by a trio all of which are ranked in the Red Sox Top 30 Prospects in Nick Decker (#29), Gilberto Jimenez (#18), and Tyler McDonough (#19).

“The reveal of our Opening Day roster is always among our favorite days of the year,” said Drive Owner and Team President Craig Brown. “With a mix of top Red Sox prospects and many familiar faces playing in Greenville this summer, we look forward to this talented team on the field and the support of the Upstate community combining for another successful year at Fluor Field.”

Opening Night, and the start of the Drive’s “Sweet 16” season, presented by TD Bank is Friday night at Fluor Field at the West End. First pitch against the Hudson Valley Renegades, affiliate of the New York Yankees, is slated for 7:05 PM.