As we draw closer to Spring Training, so too we draw closer to the start of the 2024 minor league season. For the Low-A Columbia Fireflies, the season kicks off on April 5 in North Augusta, South Carolina. The Fireflies’ home opener takes place just a few days later on April 9 and a full season schedule can be found here. Last season, the Fireflies had several notable prospects pass through at some point. Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna both started their seasons there last April, as did David Sandlin, John McMillon, and Steven Zobac. Later in the year, Austin Charles and Emmanuel Reyes took the trip east to Columbia. Then, post-draft the 2023 crop of hitters arrived.

In 2024, the roster should again feature several top prospects for the Royals. Here’s a look at our early projection for the Fireflies’ opening day roster. Low-A rosters can include up to 30 players.

Catchers:

Blake Mitchell, Dionmy Salon

The headliner here and perhaps for the entire Fireflies roster is the 2023 first-round pick, Blake Mitchell. Mitchell didn’t make much contact in Arizona last season, although in a very limited sample. He should get the chance to debut at Low-A to start next season and likely spend the full year with Columbia. Salon is a familiar name for Fireflies fans, having played 74 games in Low-A last season. He’s entering his age-22 season and could make the trip north to Davenport mid-season once Ramon Ramirez is ready to test the Low-A waters. Speaking of Ramirez, who no doubt many are curious to see. It’s unlikely the organization will have him skip the Complex League altogether. He dominated the DSL in 2023 but should start his 2024 season in Arizona.

Infielders:

Derlin Figueroa, Austin Charles, Lizandro Rodriguez, Daniel Vazquez, Josi Novas, Aldrin Lucas, Jhonny Perdomo, Brennon McNair

This is a fun bunch of infielders with a handful of returning cast members. Lizandro Rodriguez and Daniel Vazquez both spent last season with the Fireflies. They were met with a lot of hype but never quite reached those expectations. Both finished 2023 with an OPS under .700. McNair and Charles also figure to be back in the mix for Columbia. Both are still very young and should benefit from more time at Low-A. The newcomers include Figueroa, Perdomo, Novas, and Lucas. Figueroa, of course, was acquired from the Dodgers in the Ryan Yarbrough trade last summer. Novas slashed .324/.437/.451 in the Complex last summer and could be a name to watch. Perdomo had his own strong showing last year in Arizona as well. He slashed .336/.381/.455 while playing primarily second base.

Outfielders:

Milo Rushford, Spencer Nivens, Erick Torres, Levi Usher, Erick Peña

There’s a lot of intrigue in this group of outfielders. Can the former headline signing, Erick Peña, get back on track? He finished last season on the development list after struggling to a strikeout rate north of 50% last season. Usher provides good depth, but the other three names here are truly the ones to watch. Nivens is still a young prospect and struggled in a small sample last season. Giving him another chance at Columbia should help the development and keep him in center field (Roccaforte will have CF locked down in Davenport). Rushford and Torres would be newcomers from the Complex League. Rushford posted a .982 OPS over 32 games for the Surprise Royals last season. Torres is a rising prospect name, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022.

Starting Rotation:

Blake Wolters, Hiro Wyatt, Emmanuel Reyes, Logan Martin, Felix Arronde

If the Royals follow recent trends, they’ll have Wolters and Wyatt make their professional debuts at Low-A, much like Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna before them. Both feature upper-90s fastballs with good breaking balls as secondary offerings. Martin is a fellow 2023 draftee who put together just a handful of innings after being drafted last season. He made two starts for Columbia last season. Reyes and Arronde round out the rotation. Both are promising young international prospects. Reyes, who features some of the best command in the entire farm system, had a strong start in 2023 but fatigue slowed him down late into the year. Arronde had an impressive 1.85 ERA in the Complex League last season.

Bullpen:

Nicholas Regalado, Jacob Widener, Wesley Scott, Yimi Presinal, Coleman Picard, Ben Hernandez, Hunter Patteson, Jesus Rios, Mack Anglin, Andres Diaz

We’re projecting a Low-A bullpen here, which is perhaps the most obscure of the obscure when it comes to full-season minor league affiliates. There are some notable names here, however. Ben Hernandez was the Royals’ second-round pick back in 2020. Despite his draft pedigree, he simply hasn’t been able to put it together thus far. Hunter Patteson and Mack Anglin are both former draftees with hype as well. Each suffered injuries last season that sidelined them. Patteson, already once removed from Tommy John Surgery, made just one start for Columbia last season before hitting the shelf with an undisclosed injury.