Three of Houston’s Top Prospects Headline River Bandits Opening Day Roster
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A year after pacing all of Minor League Baseball in winning percentage, the Quad Cities River Bandits bring another exciting lineup to the Midwest League in 2016. The roster, announced by the Houston Astros on Tuesday, is headlined by three top prospects in the Astros organization, including two MLB.com and Baseball America top-5 organizational prospects. The Astros have Baseball America’s second-ranked minor league system in all of baseball, coming on the heels of a 2015 season where seven of the Astros domestic affiliates reached their respective post-season. The roster currently consists of 26 players and is subject to change prior to Opening Day on Thursday, April 7. At least one move will be required to get the River Bandits to the Midwest League’s 25-player active roster limit.
The outfield will be a highlight this season in the Quad Cities, with two Astros top-5 prospects patrolling Midwest League fields. Both have Major League pedigrees to go along with their top-prospect prowess. The fifth overall pick in 2015, Kyle Tucker, begins his first full professional season with the River Bandits. He is the fourth-rated prospect in the Astros system by both Baseball America and MLB.com. MLB.com also lists Tucker as the No. 74 prospect in all of Minor League baseball while Ben Badler and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America list him as the No. 46 and No. 47 overall prospect, respectively. The Tampa, Florida native was drafted one month afer his brother, Preston Tucker, made his Major League debut with the Astros. Kyle Tucker was drafted out of Plant High School, where broke his brother’s home run mark en route to the 2015 Baseball America ‘High School Player of the Year’ award.
Tucker is joined in the Quad Cities by fellow 2015 draft choice Daz Cameron, who was selected in supplemental first round. Cameron, son of former Major League outfielder Mike Cameron, is Baseball America and MLB.com’s fifth-rated prospect in the Astros organization. Baseball America also touts Cameron as the best defensive outfielder in the Astros’ system. Another top prospect joins the River Bandits pitching staff in 2016. 2013 non-drafted free agent Albert Abreu is the No. 12 prospect according to Baseball America and MLB.com ranks him the the No. 11 prospect in the system. Three pitchers who spent part of the 2015 season in the Quad Cities will return to the River Bandits as well. Rogelio Armentaros, Jacob Dorris, and Andrew Thome all return from the 2015 River Bandits pitching staff that had the lowest earned run average of any Quad Cities team since joining the Midwest League in 1960.
“This is going to be a very exciting year both on and off the field for the River Bandits,” says owner Dave Heller. “The Astros continue to provide the Quad Cities with their very best prospects, many of whom, like last year's Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa, go on to do great things in the majors. Those great players, along with great amusement rides, delicious food, fun giveaways and terrific entertainment, continue to make River Bandits games at Modern Woodmen Park the best family entertainment value in all of Minor League Baseball.”
Here is the 2016 Opening Day roster announced by the Astros Director of Minor League Operations Allen Rowin on Tuesday, which did not denote players expected on the disabled list:
Pitchers: Albert Abreu, Rogelio Armentaros, Matt Bower, Ryan Deemes, Jacob Dorris, Ralph Garza, Jose Hernandez, Sebastian Kessay, Kevin McCanna, Chris Murphy, Andrew Thome, Adam Whitt, and Alex Winkelman. Armentaros, Dorris and Thome all spent part of the 2015 season with the River Bandits.
Position Players: Marlon Avea, Daz Cameron, Christian Correa, Osvaldo Duarte, Anthony Hermelyn, Brooks Marlow, Dexture McCall, Aaron Mizell, Antonio Nunez, Pat Porter, Johnny Sewald, Kyle Tucker, and Bobby Wernes.
“We can always count on the Astros to send us both great players on the field and people away from it,” says River Bandits General Manager Andrew Chesser. “River Bandits fans can expect both great baseball and great family fun when they come to the friendliest ballpark in America this summer.”
Manager Omar Lopez returns to the Quad Cities in 2016 after serving as manager for the River Bandits in 2013 and 2014. He led the team to their sixth Midwest League championship in 2013; a team that featured reigning American League Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa. Lopez was the manager of Advanced-A Lancaster in 2015, leading the JetHawks to a playoff spot in the California League and a Minor League best 888 runs, 174 home runs, .291 batting average and .850 OPS. He enters his eighth season as a manager in the Astros organization with a career 325-340 record.
Joining Lopez on the coaching staff this season are pitching coach Chris Holt and hitting coach Joel Chimelis. Holt joins the River Bandits after two seasons in the same role for short-season Tri-City and brings over four seasons of MLB pitching experience to the River Bandits. He was a third-round draft choice by the Astros in 1992 and appeared in 131 career games for the Astros and Tigers. Chimelis is the lone returning coach from 2015, beginning his fourth season as hitting coach in the Quad Cities. Chimelis, who reached the Majors as a player in 1995, begins his eleventh season in the Astros organization. Accompanying the field staff in 2016 are athletic trainer Corey O’Brien, who serves a second consecutive stint with the River Bandits and strength coach Joe Bossard, who joins the River Bandits after working for rookie-affiliate Greeneville in his first season with the Astros in 2015.
UP NEXT: The River Bandits begin their season on Thursday, April 7, on the road against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Fans can listen to the game live on K-BOB 1170 AM in the Quad Cities, online on riverbandits.com and everywhere on the TuneIn app. The broadcast begins at 6:20 p.m. with the Lloyd Agencies Pregame Show. The 2016 home opener is Saturday, April 9 at 1:15 p.m. with gates opening at 12:15. Fans will receive free magnet schedules and penants, courtesy of Mediacom. For ticket information, visit riverbandits.com, call 563-324-3000 or stop by the box office at Modern Woodmen Park.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The 2016 season marks the River Bandits’ fourth year as the Astros’ Class-A affiliate and the ninth season since regaining the River Bandits moniker, which was voted a top-8 nickname in all of Minor League Baseball in 2015. Also in 2015, Sports Business Journal named Quad Cities the number one minor league sports market in the country. In recognition for giving back to the Quad Cities community, the River Bandits were the 2015 recipient of the Ballpark Digest Best Charity Event or Campaign in Baseball award. For more information on the Quad Cities River Bandits, visit www.riverbandits.com or contact Jake Levy at (563) 333-2727.
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