LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville Bats today announced their Opening Day roster for the 2021 Triple-A season. The Bats boast a veteran-laden squad entering the campaign with 21 of 30 players who have seen action at the Major League level, and feature three of the top 25 prospects in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization, according to Baseball America.
Click here to view the roster.
Eleven of the 21 players with MLB experience have recorded more than a full year of Major League service time. This talented core of big leaguers is headlined by utility fielder Nicky Delmonico, who battled his way into 158 MLB games with a red-hot Chicago White Sox lineup over the last few seasons, and outfielder Scott Heineman, a career .303 hitter in the minors who has already collected 12 extra-base hits in his first 49 career MLB contests with Texas.
Louisville will also boast steady leadership out of its bullpen with double-barreled lefties in Brandon Finnegan and Josh Osich. Finnegan has worked more than 250 innings between Cincinnati and Kansas City, including pitching in two World Series games for the Royals during the 2014 MLB postseason. Finnegan’s fellow lefty reliever, 32-year-old Osich, enters the 2021 season with 190 career strikeouts over 206.1 frames between the San Francisco Giants (2015-18), White Sox (2019), Boston Red Sox (2020) and Chicago Cubs (2020).
The Bats’ group of veterans are joined by three of the Reds’ top prospects in right-handers Tony Santillan (No. 9 prospect) and Vladimir Gutierrez (No. 14), and outfielder TJ Friedl (No. 24). Louisville fans will recognize Gutierrez from his strong finish with the club in 2019, while Friedl is seeking to make his Triple-A debut after being named Cincinnati’s Minor League Hitter of the Year just two seasons ago. Santillan arrives in Louisville touting two plus pitches with his fastball-slider combo.
Overall, the Opening Day roster features 15 pitchers, three catchers, seven infielders and five outfielders. Ten Bats players are also included on the Reds’ 40-Man Roster.
**The Triple-A roster limit for 2021 is 28 players, so two players will be designated to the Major League Taxi Squad**
The Louisville Bats will open the 2021 season tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4, against the Columbus Clippers at Louisville Slugger Field. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and fans in attendance can enjoy $1 concessions, $2 beer specials, and the first postgame fireworks show of the season.
