Yard Goats Announce 2019 Opening Day Roster

Hartford Yard Goats Announce 2019 Opening Day Roster
Colorado Rockies assign several prospects to Hartford to start the season with Yard Goats

(Hartford, CT) The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, announced its 2019 Opening Day Roster. 13 pitchers and 12 position players have been assigned to Hartford, including seven of the Rockies top 30 prospects as listed by MLB.com. The Yard Goats have 14 newcomers along with 11 returning players. Infielder Colton Welker , who won the Class-A California League batting title last year and is listed as the Rockies #2 overall prospect, will start the season with the Yard Goats. He will be joined in the Hartford infield with #7 prospect Tyler Nevin , who is the son of New York Yankees third base coach and former 12-year Major League veteran Phil Nevin. The Rockies set the roster and are responsible for all the player transactions during the season. In just three seasons, the Yard Goats have produced 17 Major League players.      
The Yard Goats have pitching prospects Ben Bowden (#17), Reid Humphreys (#18), and Rico Garcia (#22) on the roster along with position player prospects Vince Fernandez (#25) and Bret Boswell (#26). The Yard Goats have one player from New England, Ben Bowden, who is from Lynn, Massachusetts. The Yard Goats Open the season Thursday in Richmond, Virginia and return to Hartford for the home opener at Dunkin' Donuts Park on Thursday, April 11 vs New Hampshire (Toronto Blue Jays).
2019 Hartford Yard Goats Opening Day Roster
OF Willie Abreu (Hialeah, FL), INF Bret Boswell (Rockwall, TX), LHP Ben Bowden (Lynn, MA), INF Scott Burcham (La Quinta, CA), LHP Ty Culbreth (Bryan, TX), RHP Logan Cozart (New Philadelphia, OH), LHP Philip Diehl (Cincinnati, OH), OF Vince Fernandez (Livermore, CA), RHP Jordan Foley (The Colony, TX), RHP Rico Garcia (Honolulu, HI), RHP Rayan González (Arecibo, PR), RHP Brandon Gold (Atlanta, GA), RHP Alexander Guillen (San Cristobal, DR), RHP Heath Holder (Loganville, GA), RHP David Holman (Wichita, KS), RHP Reid Humphreys (Brandon, MS), 3B Mylz Jones (Palmdale, CA), OF Manny Melendez (Barquisimeto, VZ), INF Ryan Metzler (Glen Burnie, MD), INF Tyler Nevin (Poway, CA), C Chris Rabago (Riverside, CA), C Brian Serven (Palm Desert, CA), INF Alan Trejo (Los Angeles, CA), INF Colton Welker (Coral Springs, FL), LHP Jack Wynkoop (Los Angeles, CA)
Yard Goats Prospect Watch…
INF Colton Welker (#2) First season with Yard Goats… Invited to 2019 MLB Spring Training as non-roster player…  Spent entire 2018 season at Class-A Lancaster and won batting title batting .333, with 32 doubles, 13 home runs and 82 RBI in 114 games with JetHawks… Named California League Mid-Season and Post Season All-Star selection… Led CAL with 151 hits, ranked 4th in RBI and 5th in on-base percentage…  Won first CAL Player of Week honor on April 5-15… Put together hitting streaks of 20, 15 and 13 consecutive games…
INF Tyler Nevin (#7) First season with Yard Goats… Invited to Major League Spring Training… Son of New York Yankees third base coach and former 12-year Major League veteran Phil Nevin…  2018: Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team (Salt River), Arizona Fall League Player of the Week on October 27 (Salt River); Spent entire 2018 season at High-A Lancaster, batting .328 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, and 62 RBI in 100 games with JetHawks… Finished second in the California League in batting behind teammate Colton Welker… Ranked 4th in CAL with a .386 on base percentage, .503 slugging percentage… Tied for 3rd on club in doubles, 4th in hits (124)…
LHP Ben Bowden (#17) First season with Yard Goats… New England native from Lynn, Mass… Ranked as 67th best prospect in 2016 draft by MLB.com while at Vanderbilt... Was 2013 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year while playing at Lynn English High School…Invited to MLB Spring Training as non-roster player…  Named co-MVP of the Cape Cod League playoffs in 2015…  Split last season between Low-A Asheville and High-A Lancaster combining to go 7-2 with a 3.98 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 49 relief outings… 
RHP Reid Humphreys (#18) Returns to Yard Goats for a second season… Split last season at Class-A Lancaster and Hartford, going 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 26 saves in 42 games between the two clubs…Ranked second in Rockies system and led California League with 26 saves…  Ranked 3rd in CAL in games finished (31)…  California League Mid-Season and Post Season All-Star selections…  Spent most of season at Lancaster and posted a 1.83 ERA in 35 games with JetHawks…  Went 22-23 in save opportunities…Was a position player in college at Mississippi State until his senior season when became the teams closer…
RHP Rico Garcia (#22) Returns to Yard Goats for a second season… Invited to 2019 MLB Spring Training as non-roster player... Split last season between Class-A Lancaster and Hartford, going 13-9 with a 2.96 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) and 162 strikeouts between two clubs… Led entire Rockies system with 2.96 ERA, 13 wins, and 162 strikeouts… Named to California League Mid-Season and Post Season All-Star teams…   Became first Yard Goats pitcher ever to win six of first seven decisions… First ever Yard Goats Hawaiian born player…  Tied franchise record (Yency Almonte 2017) with 10 strikeouts on August 20…
OF Vince Fernandez (#25) First season with Yard Goats…  Spent entire 2018 season at Class-A Lancaster in the California League where he was an All-Star…  Batted .265 with 25 doubles, 8 triples, 24 home runs and 75 RBI with the JetHawks…  Led California League and ranked 5th in Rockies system in home runs… Led league in walks (65)… Ranked 3rd in CAL with 57 extra-base hits, 2nd with a .532 slugging percentage and 5th in total bases (225)… Named California League Player of Week on May 20…
INF Bret Boswell (#26) First season with Yard Goats…  Invited to MLB Spring Training as non-roster player…   Split last season between Low-A Asheville and High-A Lancaster combining to hit .296 with 25 doubles, 27 home runs and 78 RBI in 127 games between the two clubs… 27 homers ranked third among Rockies minor leaguers and 78 RBI ranked fifth… Named to South Atlantic League Mid-Season and Post Season All-Star teams (Asheville)… Selected as SAL Player of Week, May 21-27…
How the Yard Goats Opening Day Roster was Built: (19) Draft Picks, (2) Trades, (2) MiLB Free Agents, (2) International Free agents
Yard Goats by the State                               
Arkansas (1)
California (9)
Florida (2)
Georgia (2)
Hawaii (1)
Kansas (1)
Maryland (1)
Massachusetts (1)
Mississippi (1)
Ohio (2)
Puerto Rico (1)
Texas (3)
Dominican Republic (1)
Venezuela (2)