Mix of Youth, Experience Balances Dust Devils 2025 Opening Day Roster

A top pitching prospect and 18 returners help bolster the 2025 Opening Day 30-man roster of the Tri-City Dust Devils, the proud High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels announced Wednesday in preparation for its season opener Friday night, April 4, against the Vancouver Canadians at Gesa Stadium.

Right-handed pitcher Chris Cortez, the Angels’ second-round 2024 MLB Draft selection, will make his professional debut with Tri-City. The Texas A&M product, who helped get the Aggies to the championship series of the 2024 NCAA Men’s College World Series, went 10-3 with a 2.78 ERA in his last season of college ball and looks to extend that success into his pro career. Two more 2024 draft picks, right-hander Austin Gordon (4^th round, professional debut) and infielder Ryan Nicholson (10^th round) will also make their Dust Devils debut this season.

Cortez (#8 Angels prospect, according to MLB Pipeline) also stands as one of four Tri-City representatives on the Halos’ Top 30 prospect list. Catcher Juan Flores (#11 MLB Pipeline), whose defensive prowess as an 18-year-old wowed the Northwest League in the second half of the 2024 season, returns to start the year. Infielder Capri Ortiz (#21 MLB Pipeline) and outfielder Randy De Jesus (#26 MLB Pipeline) join the club for the first time in 2025.

The Dust Devils roster also boasts a returning pitcher with major league experience: right-hander Victor Mederos, who became the first Tri-City player to get called up from High-A to the Angels’ active roster last August. Mederos, who began his professional career with Tri-City in 2022, maintains a place on the Halos’ 40-man roster.

New manager Dann Bilardello’s team also brings some local flare on the mound: left-hander A.J. Block, who starred in Pullman for the Washington State Cougars. The southpaw, originally in the Kansas City Royals system, comes back to the Pacific Northwest to continue his pro career not far from his home of Bellevue, Washington.

The crew of returners for 2025 includes infielder Caleb Ketchup, who stole a Northwest League-leading 62 bases in 2024 and added three more steals in action with both Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake to finish the minor league year. The speedy infielder also made multiple dazzling plays in the outfield later in the 2024 campaign.

The crew of catchers has all played for the Dust Devils previously, with Peter Burns and Alberto Rios joining Juan Flores in returning for 2025. Infielders Ben Gobbel, Adrian Placencia and Arol Vera all saw time last year for Tri-City, as did outfielder Joe Redfield. Alexander Ramirez, who played 114 games for the team in 2023, also comes back to the Dust Devils for the 2025 campaign.

The pitching staff, led by returning pitching coach Doug Henry, sees nine returners retake the Gesa Stadium mound this year. Righty Keythel Key, who threw six no-hit innings in a start against Spokane last summer, comes back to the Tri-Cities to build on a great 2024, as do hurlers Carlos Espinosa, Leonard Garcia, Max Gieg, Jorge Marcheco, Roman Phansalkar, Dylan Phillips and Jake Smith.

Fans have their first opportunity to meet the 2025 Dust Devils at the team’s Fan Fest, taking place from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2 at Gesa Stadium. Both the players and coaching staff will sign autographs at tables on the concourse, and fans can enjoy a limited concessions menu from the first-base stand as well as take in the new-look outfield fences in a walk on the warning track.

Tri-City will play a 132-game schedule in the Northwest League, divided into two 66-game halves to determine playoff teams. The Dust Devils will celebrate the start of baseball in 2025 with Opening Night fireworks presented by CO-Energy, and the first 500 fans will receive a magnet schedule thanks to Tri-Cities Community Health.

For tickets for both Opening Night and all 2025 Dust Devils home games visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.