The 2024 Storm Chasers’ roster has officially been set! We finally get to see what the start of the season will look like in Omaha just one day before game one. Let’s get to it!
Pitchers (15)
Dan Altavilla (RHP), Jonathan Bowlan (RHP), Luis Cessa (RHP), Steven Cruz (RHP), Jonah Dipoto (RHP), Tyler Duffey (RHP), Andrew Hoffmann (RHP), Will Klein (RHP), Sam Long (LHP), Daniel Lynch IV (LHP), John McMillon (RHP), Walter Pennington (LHP), Evan Sisk (LHP), Anthony Veneziano (LHP), Jacob Wallace (RHP)
Catchers (2)
Austin Nola, Logan Porter
Infielders (7)
CJ Alexander, Michael Brosseau, Cam Devanney, Ryan Fitzgerald, Devin Mann, Nick Pratto, Tyler Tolbert
Outfielders (4)
Nate Eaton, Tyler Gentry, John Rave, Drew Waters
Pitching Experience
This group of pitchers has plenty of major league experience, which will only serve to help the younger guys’ growth and development. Five pitchers (Altavilla, Cessa, Duffey, Long, and Lynch IV) have accumulated over 100 IP in the majors, adding up to nearly 1,400 IP between the five. Most of this experience lies in the bullpen, and I expect the experienced pitchers to mesh well with young talent like McMillon, Pennington, and Cruz. An interesting note is that there are only four starters listed on the roster: Lynch IV, Veneziano, Hoffmann, and Bowlan. It seems like it may be a “spot start” situation until another starter is called up from another affiliate.
Other things to note
It was good to see Tyler Tolbert get rewarded for his 2023 campaign in which he was named the George Brett Hitter of the Year for the organization. I had him listed as an underrated prospect entering 2024, but it looks like he may be getting the attention he deserves to start the year.
On the flip side of that, I also listed Tucker Bradley as an underrated prospect but was surprised to see him not included on the Triple-A roster. He spent the majority of last season in Omaha where he slashed .276/.366.433. I expect to see him back in Omaha quickly, as the outfield currently holds only four players, albeit a very solid four. The lack of depth may result in a quicker-than-expected call-up.
A surprising name to be included in the Omaha roster is Nick Pratto. There was a solid argument to make that he should have been named to the Royals’ roster after a scorching hot spring training, but the Royals opted to have him prove himself in Omaha before getting the call-up. Pratto will surely find his way up to Kansas City at some point in the first half of the season, but he will be a huge help to the Storm Chasers’ lineup for the time being. He and CJ Alexander will provide some nice pop in the middle of the lineup.
Image Credit: Mark Rebilas, USA Today