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MLB

ROYALS ANNOUNCE NATURALS 2016 OPENING DAY ROSTER

Roster features five 40-man roster players and 13 returners from 2015 North Division Championship team.
By Naturals PR Department
April 4, 2016

SPRINGDALE, Ark - The World Series Champion, Kansas City Royals, announced the release of the rosters for all of the franchise's affiliates today with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals' roster with 13 returners from the 2015 team headlining the roster. The 25-man roster also features five players currently on Kansas City's 40-man roster.

Highlighting the 2016 Opening Day roster is Royals' top prospect, infielder, Raul Mondesi. The 21-year old Dominican spent the entire 2015 season with the Naturals appearing in 81 games, batting .243 with six home runs, 33 RBI and five triples. Outfielder Bubba Starling returns to Arvest Ballpark after joining the club in late-April a season ago. Starling is currently rated as the No. 3 overall prospect by Baseball America entering the 2016 season.

Infielders Ramon Torres and Hunter Dozier open the 2016 campaign with the Naturals. Torres, 23, joined the Naturals the mid-way point in 2015 and cemented himself as an everyday infielder under manager Vance Wilson. Dozier will embark upon his second full tour of the Texas League in 2016.

Newcomers to Northwest Arkansas include plenty on the pitching front. Left-hander Matt Strahm along with right-hander Alec Mills will make their Double-A debuts during the 2016 season after pitching entirely in Wilmington (Advanced-A) in 2015. Strahm ranks as the No. 8 prospect by Baseball America with Mills checking in at No. 12 by the same publication.

The 25-man roster features 13 pitchers (four left-handed and nine right-handed), two catchers, six infielders and four outfielders. Of the 13 position players, two are switch-hitters and the remaining 11 bat strictly right-handed.

Mondesi, Starling, Torres, Strahm and Mills make up the five players on the 40-man roster. Right-hander Glenn Sparkman and right-hander Reid Redman both will begin the season on the 7-day disabled list.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals will return to action on Thursday, April 7 of 2016 when they host the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A Affiliate of the Texas Rangers, to begin Season Nine of Naturals Baseball.

Follow the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Twitter @NWANaturals all throughout the year by using the hashtag #NaturalPastime and #CrowntoCrown for all of our up-to-date information on the Season Nine of Naturals Baseball, tickets, groups, promotions, roster, season standings, player statistics, and updates on Naturals alumni.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Ark. For more information, including statistics, ticket options, and more, please visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.

-Naturals-