Preview: New beginnings in Charlotte

The biggest news in the International League this past off-season came out of North Carolina. The Knights are playing a brand new ballpark - BB&T Ballpark- that is located in the heart of Charlotte. The club also released a brand new logo and looks to start a new era in the club's history.

Leading the way will be a former Buffalo Bisons manager in Joel Skinner, who will be skippering the Knights for the third consecutive season. 'Skins has a veteran team in Charlotte with the likes of catcher Josh Phegley and Jordan Danks, each of whom won Rawlings minor league Gold Gloves in 2013.

But Charlotte will need to count on Phegley, Danks and prospects such as third baseman Matt Davidson (rated 4th in White Sox system) to break the seemingly unbreakable hold that Durham has had on the IL South division. Tampa Bay's top affiliate has won the division title in six of the last seven years, and the Bisons know just how hard it is to go into Durham and win with just one victory in the past four years (1-15). A strong Bulls rotation will sport southpaws Enny Romero and Mike Montgomery, as well as Alex Colome once he returns from a 50-game suspension.

2013 IL leader in RBI, Ernesto Mejia is back to lead the Gwinnett Braves while a young rotation could help Norfolk challenge for the division, as well.

Charlotte Knights

Probable Lineup: C - Josh Phegley; 1B - Alex Liddi; 2B - Carlos Sanchez;
SS - Marcus Semien; 3B - Matt Davidson; LF - Blake Tekotte; CF - Jordan Danks;
RF - Denis Phipps; DH - Andy Wilkins.

Key Pitchers: Starters - LH Charles Leesman, RH Andre Rienzo, RH Matt Zaleski,
RH Dylan Axelrod, LH Eric Surkamp. Relievers - RH Jake Petricka, RH Brian Omogrosso,
RH Taylor Thompson, LH Frank De Los Santos, LH Donnie Veal, RH Tony Pena, Jr.

Strengths of the Club: The Knights boast two Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove award-winners (Phegley and Danks) along with solid defensive players like Tekotte and Sanchez. Danks can play all three outfield positions and his veteran leadership is second to none after spending four-straight seasons with the Knights and getting a taste of the big leagues each of the last two. The 2014 season will mark Phegley's fourth with the Knights, while other veterans such as Matt Zaleski (sixth), Danks (fifth), Omogrosso (fifth), Leesman (third) and Axelrod (third) are all expected back with the Knights to lead the club into a new era of Charlotte baseball history.

Weaknesses of the Club: Last season, 21 members of the Knights were promoted to Chicago, often resulting in a lack of depth at Triple-A. While this could happen again, optimism exists thanks to the signing of Jose Abreu and acquisition of Adam Eaton, which could provide stability that allows the White Sox to develop their prospects at Triple-A.

Top Prospects: Matt Davidson was picked up in a December trade with Arizona. At just 23 years old, Davidson is ranked by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the White Sox system and is a power-hitting third baseman who won the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby last season. In all, he hit .280 with 17 home runs and 74 RBI for Reno last season...... Marcus Semien, the fifth-best prospect, had a breakout 2013 campaign. The Southern League's Most Valuable Player hit .290 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI in 105 games for Birmingham. After appearing in 32 games for the Knights, Semien was promoted in September and hit .261 with three home runs and seven RBI for the White Sox in 21 games. Baseball America recently tabbed Semien as possessing the Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the White Sox system.

Other Organizational Prospects: Top prospects who could be in Triple-A before the end of the season include Micah Johnson (84 SB last season), Trayce Thompson (son and brother of NBA stars), and Jared Mitchell (21 triples last two seasons).

Veterans to Watch: Knights mainstay Jordan Danks is the franchise all-time leader in walks (168) and triples (12). He's also second all-time in hits (355), games (370), runs (199), and at-bats (1,334)...... Josh Phegley enjoyed a career year at the plate for the Knights in 2013. After also playing in 65 games for the White Sox, Phegley returns to Triple-A while Tyler Flowers is given the opportunity to play in Chicago.

Items of Interest: The Knights return to the city of Charlotte. On April 11 they open the state-of-the-art new BB&T Ballpark featuring many great amenities, including the widest videoboard in all of Minor League Baseball (82') and a year-round frozen yogurt shop. Dugout suites will put fans closer to home plate than the pitcher. The ballpark overlooks the beautiful Uptown Charlotte skyline. The team also has a new logo, unveiled last October.

Durham Bulls

Probable Starters: C - Roman Ali Solis; 1B - Vince Belnome; 2B - Jayson Nix;
SS - Wilson Betemit; 3B - Cole Figueroa; LF - Jerry Sands; CF - Kevin Kiermaier;
RF - Jeremy Moore; DH - James Darnell.

Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Merrill Kelly, LH Mike Montgomery, RH Nathan Karns,
RH Matt Andriese, LH Enny Romero. Relievers - RH Steve Geltz, RH Brad Boxberger,
LH Adam Libertore, LH C.J. Riefenhauser, RH Enderson Franco, RH Lionel Santiago,
RH Kirby Yates, LH Jeff Beliveau, RH Santiago Garrido.

Strengths of the Club: The starting rotation is a strength. Even with the 50-game suspension Alex Colome received, Durham still has plenty of quality arms in lefties Enny Romero and Mike Montgomery along with right-handers Merrill Kelly, Nathan Karns and Matt Andriese.

Weaknesses of the Club: This year's roster doesn't appear to have a major power source as the team enjoyed last season before Wil Myers departed on his way to the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

Top Prospects: Kevin Kiermaier, a 31st round draft pick in 2010, has certainly risen well past his draft status. The speedy outfielder played 39 games for Durham last season and wound up on Tampa Bay's postseason roster. He has speed which boosts his solid defensive reputation as well as helping him get on base...... Power from the left side makes Enny Romero a pitcher to watch for the Bulls. Romero will use his time at Durham to hone his secondary pitches - changeup, curve - that will team with his overpowering fastball to make him hard to handle.

Other Organizational Prospects: Mikie Mahtook, a 2011 first round pick, batted .254 with seven home runs in 132 games at Double-A Montgomery last summer...... Speedy outfielder Andrew Toles spent his first full pro season at Class-A Bowling Green last season. He batted .326 and showed gap power with 35 doubles and 16 triples.

Veterans to Watch: Jerry Sands is a North Carolina native from nearby Smithfield-Selma High School. The 26-year-old had a strong spring with the Rays batting .324 with 3 HR, 8 RBI and 5 doubles in just 36 plate appearances...... Vince Belnome was an International League All-Star in 2013 while helping the Bulls win the Governors' Cup. He batted .300 while driving in 67 runs. A Triple-A player in San Diego's organization in 2012, Belnome is a classy presence in the Bulls clubhouse as well.

Items of Interest: Durham Bulls Athletic Park received a $19 million facelift during the offseason. The improvements came in conjunction with the new lease the team signed with the city of Durham to keep the team in the ballpark through 2033. Among the changes fans will see are an expanded club level with monitors, seating and a kitchen; added concessions on concourses; added picnic-style seating areas; improved field lighting and an added ticket gate along the left field line. The field has also been rebuilt with a new drainage system and new scoreboards have been installed...... Durham will be the host for Triple-A baseball's mid-season classic for the first time this July. The Triple-A All-Star Game's arrival comes after Durham successfully hosted the 2012 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game.

Gwinnett Braves

Probable Starters: C -Christian Bethancourt; 1B - Ernesto Mejia/Mark Hamilton;
2B - Tommy La Stella; SS - Tyler Greene; 3B - Joe Leonard/Phil Gosselin;
LF - Jose Constanza; CF - Todd Cunningham; RF - Joey Terdoslavich;
DH - Brandon Boggs/Derrick Mitchell.

Key Pitchers: Starters - LH Daniel Rodriguez; RH J.R. Graham, RH Cody Martin,
RH Yunesky Maya, RH Zach Stewart. Relievers - RH Wirfin Obispo, RH Juan Jaime,
LH Ryan Buchter, LH Atahualpa Severino, RH Luis Vasquez, RH Andrew Russell,
RH Mark Lamm.

Strengths of the Club: Brian Snitker, the third Gwinnett manager in as many years, should bring stability to a franchise that hasn't made the postseason since a Wild Card berth in 2009, the team's first season. Snitker served as Atlanta's third base coach for the past seven seasons and has spent more than 30 years in the organization. He managed Richmond in 2006.

Weaknesses of the Club: With all the injuries in Atlanta, the Braves organization could be left short of pitching in Gwinnett, especially early in the season. Graham's future may be in the bullpen, but he was scheduled to be stretched out as a starter.

Top Prospects: Christian Bethancourt is Atlanta's catcher in waiting, with his offense beginning to reach the level of his defensive skills. He had a 40-game on-base streak with Double-A Mississippi last year and hit 12 homers. Bethancourt is rated as the Braves' top position prospect...... One of Atlanta's top pitching hopefuls is right-hander J.R. Graham, who is healthy again after missing most of last season at Mississippi because of a shoulder strain.

Other Organizational Prospects: Third baseman Edward Salcedo may return to Double-A to start the season, but Atlanta hopes that he will soon live up to what was forecast when he received $1.6 million to sign out of the Dominican Republic in 2010...... Right-hander Jason Hursh, in contrast, could make a quick rise through the system after being taken in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Oklahoma State.

Veterans to Watch: Ernesto Mejia set a Gwinnett record with 28 homers last season and led the International League with 92 RBI in 2012, but he isn't really a fit for the Atlanta organization with Freddie Freeman at first base and no DH in the National League...... Jose Constanza, meanwhile, has had trouble sticking in Atlanta despite hitting over .300 in two of his three seasons with Gwinnett and winning an IL batting title.

Items of Interest: The G-Braves will have new starting times this season, after moving the standard first pitch time on weeknights from 7:05 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. a year ago. This season the G-Braves are splitting the difference by going with 6:35 p.m. starting times most weeknights, while Friday and Saturday games will remain at 7:05 p.m. All Sunday games will begin at 2:05 p.m. while in past years Sunday games in July and August were held at 5:05 p.m.

Norfolk Tides

Probable Starters: C - Caleb Joseph; 1B - Brett Wallace; 2B - Jonathan Schoop;
SS - Ivan De Jesus, Jr.; 3B - David Adams/Cord Phelps; LF - Xavier Paul;
CF - Julio Borbon/Quintin Berry; RF - Henry Urrutia; DH - Delmon Young/Chris Marrero.

Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Kevin Gausman, RH Steve Johnson, LH T.J. McFarland,
RH Suk-Min Yoon, RH Mike Wright. Relievers - RH Brock Huntzinger, LH Chris Jones,
RH Brad Brach, LH Mike Belfiore, LH Nick Additon, RH Luis Ayala, RH Tim Alderson.

Strengths of the Club: The starting rotation could be extremely strong as Gausman, Johnson and McFarland have all experienced success at the major league level. 27-year-old Korean right-hander Suk-min Yoon will probably also begin the year in the Tides rotation. Yoon was named the Korean Baseball Organization's MVP in 2011 after leading the League in ERA (2.45), wins (17) and strikeouts (178)...... The Tides could also feature several threats on the bases, as Quintin Berry, Julio Borbon and Jemile Weeks all possess above-average speed.

Weaknesses of the Club: The Tides have several players that can play second base and third base, but may not have a true shortstop on the roster. De Jesus, Schoop and Weeks have all played shortstop, but have primarily played second base in the past. If veteran Alexi Casilla does not make the Orioles to open the year, he could jump in as Norfolk's shortstop.

Top Prospects: Kevin Gausman, the #2 prospect in the system according to Baseball America, is likely slated to open the season in Norfolk's rotation. The #4 pick in the 2012 draft out of LSU held American League batters to a .205 average in 15 relief outings with Baltimore in 2013, but all signs point to him being used as a starter in the future...... Jonathan Schoop, the #5 prospect, had a very impressive spring and could make the Orioles as a second baseman or third baseman. As a 21-year-old last season, Schoop batted .256 with nine home runs in 70 games with Norfolk...... The Tides will most likely see outfielder Henry Urrutia (#7) and starter Mike Wright (#8) open the season in Norfolk after each had a successful 2013 campaign in the minor leagues.

Other Organizational Prospects: Dylan Bundy, the O's top prospect according to multiple publications, missed the entire 2013 season after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery. In his first pro season out of high school in 2012 he advanced all the way to Baltimore.

Veterans to Watch: The Orioles were again very active in acquiring a stockpile of players in the offseason. Cord Phelps, David Adams, Ivan De Jesus, Xavier Paul, Jemile Weeks, Julio Borbon, Delmon Young and Quintin Berry are all new to the organization and could serve as valuable pieces to an Orioles playoff push. Baltimore also inked two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana, and the veteran southpaw could join the Tides in late April in an attempt to reclaim some of the magic that saw him post at least 11 wins every season from 2003-2010.

Items of Interest: The Harbor Park playing surface was completely renovated during the offseason, as a new infield surface, new sod and a new warning track material were installed. The outfield fences from left-center field to right-center field were also moved in, as center field now measures 400 feet (previously had been 410 feet)...... Tides manager Ron Johnson returns to skipper the club for the third straight season. Johnson ranks seventh among active minor league managers with 1,412 career wins.

-the herd-