Atlanta Braves Announce GreenJackets Opening Day Roster
April 4, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
North Augusta, SC: The Augusta GreenJackets, Single-A Carolina League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, have announced their 2022 Championship Season roster. Guests will get to see 16 newcomers and 3 of the Braves' top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Your 2022 GreenJackets are set to debut on the road at Segra Park, Friday, April 8th against the Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals). The 2022 team will make their home debut at SRP Park on April 19th against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros).
Today, we are excited to announce the 2022 GreenJackets roster", said GreenJackets, General Manager, Brandon Greene. The roster is a great blend of new faces and 2021 returnees that will put on a great show each night at SRP Park. This is one of the final steps to the reality of Opening Day at SRP Park being only 15 days away!
Amongst the Top-30 prospects are a pair of pitchers who will be making their first appearance in Augusta, Adam Shoemakerand AJ Smith-Shawver. Shoemaker is a left-handed pitcher that was selected by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of St. Benedict High School in Ontario, Canada. The southpaw appeared in 3 games for the FCL Braves in 2021 after being drafted and comes to the GreenJackets as the organization's 26th ranked prospect.
AJ Smith-Shawverbegins the 2022 season ranked 17 in the Braves farm system as another 2021 Draft selection. Atlanta picked Smith-Shawver in the 7th round out of Colleyville-Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas as a right-handed pitcher. Like Shoemaker, Smith-Shawver saw brief action on the mound for the FCL Braves after being selected as he made four starts.
There will be 14 players returning to North Augusta and they are highlighted by Cal Conley*, *the Braves' No. 18 prospect. Conley made his debut with the GreenJackets last season in August, less than a month after being selected in the 4th round of the draft. The shortstop from Texas Tech played in 35 games last season and was the leadoff hitter in every game he appeared in. A highly-decorated player in college, Conley won the Brooks Wallace Award in 2021, which is given to the top college shortstop.
Other position players that return to the GreenJackets are Connor Blair, Victor De Hoyos, Stephen Paolini, Brandon Parker, Braulio Vasquez, and Adam Zebrowski. Victor De Hoyos and Adam Zebrowski finished the 2021 season as Augusta's catching tandem and they will both start the season with the GreenJackets but also be joined by newcomer Antonio Barranca.
Connor Blair, Stephen Paolini, and Brandon Parker will lead the outfield unit and are joined by Brandol Mezquita and Kadon Morton who both will make their GreenJackets debut this season.
The core of the infield, anchored by Cal Conley and Braulio Vasquez will also include first-year members Caleb Durbin, Brian Klein, Geraldo Quintero, and Mahki Backstrom.
The GreenJackets will carry a 16-man pitching staff to start the year with 14 right-handed pitchers and 2 lefties. 7 players from last season's unit will be back in Augusta including James Acuna (RHP), Tyler Owens (RHP), Miguel Peña (RHP), Estarlin Rodriguez (RHP), Royber Salinas (RHP), Ben Thompson (RHP), and Peyton Williams (RHP).
Along with Adam Shoemaker (LHP) and AJ Smith-Shawver (RHP), the newest members of the GreenJackets pitching group are Kris Anglin (LHP), Rob Griswold (RHP), Elison Joseph (RHP), Landon Leach (RHP), Juan Mateo (RHP), JJ Niekro (RHP), and Luis Vargas (RHP).
"We have a good, talented group of players that are going to go out and compete every day. We're going battle every game until the end" said GreenJackets' Manager Nestor Pérez. "We're excited. Most of our players have played at the complex but never under the lights, I can tell they are excited and ready to go" Pérez added.
These will be the 30 players representing the Augusta GreenJackets when they take the field for the first time on Friday, April 8 when they face the Columbia Fireflies at Segra Park.
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Carolina League Stories from April 4, 2022
- F&M Bank Cannon Ballers Invitational Announced - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Atlanta Braves Announce GreenJackets Opening Day Roster - Augusta GreenJackets
- RiverDogs Ready to Open New Campaign with Championship Celebration Weekend - Charleston RiverDogs
- Shorebirds Announce 2022 Break Camp Roster - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Fireflies Release 2022 Opening Day Roster - Columbia Fireflies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
