2023 Opening Knight Roster Revealed
March 31, 2023 - International League (IL)
Charlotte Knights News Release
(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - A bevy of Major League Baseball veterans and a handful of the organization's top prospects highlight the 2023 Charlotte Knights Opening Knight roster, as announced today ahead of the team's season opener from Truist Field in Uptown Charlotte. The Knights will open the 2023 campaign tonight against the Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals). First pitch from the Queen City is on tap for 7:04 p.m.
LHP Nate Fisher, who was signed by the Chicago White Sox as a free agent during the offseason, will get the Opening Knight start tonight at 7:04 p.m. from Truist Field. Fisher, 26, spent the entire 2022 season in the New York Mets organization and made his MLB debut on August 21 (2022) at Philadelphia. Joining Fisher in the Opening Weekend rotation will be RHP Jesse Scholtens, who will start Saturday's 7:04 p.m. game and RHP Davis Martin, who will start the 1:05 PM finale of the three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Charlotte's Opening Knight active roster features three of Chicago's Top 30 Prospects (as ranked by Baseball America) -- infielder Lenyn Sosa (10th), RHP Jonathan Stiever (21st) and infielder Yolbert Sánchez (24th). Additionally, RHP Sean Burke, who is ranked fifth on Chicago's Top 30 Prospects list, will begin the season on Charlotte's Injured List. Burke, 23, finished the 2022 campaign with the Knights after he started the season at High-A Winston-Salem. A third-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in the July 2021 First-Year Player Draft, Burke combined to go 4-0 with a 4.75 ERA over three levels last season. He led all White Sox minor leaguers last season in strikeouts with 137.
Sosa, 23, had a breakout campaign last year - earning his first-ever callup to the Chicago White Sox. In all, he combined to hit .313 with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham. With the Knights, the Venezuelan native hit .296 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 57 games. Stiever, who missed the majority of the 2022 season recovering from right lat surgery, made three scoreless appearances with the Knights last year. A member of Chicago's 40-man roster, Stiever, 25, was originally selected by the White Sox in the fifth round of the June 2018 First-Year Player Draft. Sanchez, 26, hit .280 with 124 hits, 16 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 40 RBIs and 11 stolen bases last season with the Knights.
More recognizable faces are set to make their return to the Charlotte lineup this season, including infielders Jake Burger and Zach Remillard. Last season, Burger split time between the Knights and Chicago White Sox. The St. Louis, MO native hit eight home runs in 51 games with the White Sox and added five long balls in 39 games with the Knights. Remillard, 29, was one of the team leaders on last year's squad with the Knights. He hit .280 with nine home runs, 52 RBIs and 19 stolen bases with the Knights last season. Remillard is a product of Coastal Carolina University and was a member of the school's College World Series Championship in 2016. Returnee Laz Rivera and newcomer Erik González round out the Opening Knight infield for the Knights.
In the outfield, the Knights will be led by a quartet of major league veterans - including prolific base-stealer Billy Hamilton, who currently ranks third on the active stolen base list with 324 steals. Joining Hamilton will be Adam Haseley, Jake Marisnick and Víctor Reyes. Haseley appeared in 110 games with the Knights last season and hit .239 with 15 home runs, 63 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Marisnick, 32, has appeared in 831 career games at the major league level. Reyes, 28, joined the White Sox organization this offseason after parts of five seasons with the Detroit Tigers (2018-22).
Behind the plate, catcher Carlos Pérez will return to Charlotte for the 2023 season. The 26-year-old had a remarkable 2022 season, setting new season highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (76) with the Knights. Pérez will be joined by catchers Sebastián Rivero and Evan Skoug. Rivero has appeared in 34 games with the Kansas City Royals over the past two seasons. Skoug spent the entire 2022 campaign with the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
In Charlotte's bullpen this season will be LHP Tanner Banks, RHP Declan Cronin, RHP Frank German, RHP Keynan Middleton, LHP J.B. Olson, RHP Nick Padilla, LHP Sammy Peralta, RHP Lane Ramsey. German (HER-mahn) and Padilla are both members of Chicago's 40-man roster. Additionally, RHP A.J. Alexy, a member of the White Sox 40-man roster and LHP John Parke will also be on the mound for the Knights this season.
The 2023 Charlotte Knights are led by manager Justin Jirschele, who will make his Triple-A managerial debut on Opening Knight. His coaching staff features Cameron Seitzer (hitting coach), Matt Zaleski (pitching coach), Donnie Veal (pitching coach), Hyeon Kim (athletic trainer), George Timke (performance coach) and Cody White (assistant performance coach).
ROSTER BY POSITION:
RHP (10): AJ Alexy, Declan Cronin, Frank German, Davis Martin, Keynan Middleton, JB Olson, Nicholas Padilla, Lane Ramsey, Jesse Scholtens and Jonathan Stiever
LHP (5): Tanner Banks, Nate Fisher, John Parke, Sammy Peralta and Andrew Perez
C (3): Carlos Perez, Evan Skoug and Sebastian Rivero
INF (6): Jake Burger, Erik Gonzalez, Zach Remillard, Laz Rivera, Yolbert Sanchez and Lenyn Sosa
OF (4): Billy Hamilton, Adam Haseley, Jake Marisnick and Victor Reyes.
IL (2): Sean Burke and Johan Dominguez
Single-game tickets for the 2023 season, as well as season memberships, are on sale now. For more information on tickets for all games, please visit the Charlotte Knights official website at www.charlotteknights.com or contact the Charlotte Knights by phone at 704-274-8282.
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