Storm Chasers Announce Preliminary Roster
PAPILLION, Neb. — The Omaha Storm Chasers announced their preliminary roster, set by the Kansas City Royals, Thursday ahead of their Triple-A East opener against St. Paul on Tuesday, May 4, at 6:35 p.m. at Werner Park. Top pitching prospects and a number of position players with Major League Baseball
PAPILLION, Neb. — The Omaha Storm Chasers announced their preliminary roster, set by the Kansas City Royals, Thursday ahead of their Triple-A East opener against St. Paul on Tuesday, May 4, at 6:35 p.m. at Werner Park. Top pitching prospects and a number of position players with Major League Baseball experience highlight the initial list for manager Brian Poldberg’s 2021 squad.
You can view the Storm Chasers preliminary 2021 roster here.
Kansas City’s top three pitching prospects, according to Baseball America, are all scheduled to be in Omaha to open the season. Daniel Lynch is ranked as the No. 2 Royals prospect entering 2021 while Jackson Kowar is rated fourth and Kris Bubic, who spent much of the 2020 season in the Royals starting rotation and has made 10 MLB starts, is fifth. Kowar, Lynch and Bubic were selected by the Kansas City with the 33rd, 34th and 40th picks, respectively, in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Bubic is one of a handful of players who played for the Royals without making an appearance in Omaha previously. Kyle Isbel, Kansas City’s No. 6 prospect and starting right fielder on Opening Day this season, and fellow outfielder Edward Olivares are also on that list along with right-handed pitchers Ronald Bolaños and Carlos Hernández.
Outfielders Bubba Starling and Erick Mejia, third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, catchers Nick Dini and Meibrys Viloria, and pitchers Scott Blewett, Jake Newberry and Gabe Speier have also spent time with the parent club. Mejia, who also plays in the infield, was Omaha’s Player of the Year in 2019.
2021 Omaha Storm Chasers Roster
Pitchers (13): Scott Blewett, Ronald Bolaños, Kris Bubic, Grant Gavin, Carlos Hernández, Jake Kalish, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch, Jake Newberry, Michael Shawaryn, Andres Sotillet, Gabe Speier, Jace Vines.
Catchers (3): Nick Dini, Sebastian Rivero, Meibrys Viloria.
Infielders (5): Gabriel Cancel, Lucius Fox, Kelvin Gutierrez, Kevin Merrell, Emmanuel Rivera.
Outfielders (5): Kyle Isbel, Erick Mejia, Anderson Miller, Edward Oliveras, Bubba Starling.