Mighty Mussels Announce 2023 Opening Night Roster
April 3, 2023 - Florida State League (FSL)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release
FORT MYERS, Fla. - In conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels have unveiled their 2023 Opening Night roster.
The 30-man active roster features 10 players selected by the Twins in the 2022 MLB Draft and 20 players who already have experience at the Low-A level.
"There are a lot of familiar faces from the end of last season, as well as a handful of exciting players getting their first experience of affiliate level pro ball," Mussels manager Brian Meyer said. "We are excited to see how each of them continue to develop with us."
Shortstop Danny De Andrade is the Mussels' highest ranked prospect, currently slotting in at No. 17 in the Minnesota system according to Baseball America.
"He's athletic with good body control," the scouting service's report said. "He has a good head on his shoulders and feel for the game. He has a plus arm and can throw from multiple arm angles. He's developing into an above-average hitter with excellent contact skills."
Catcher/outfielder Ricardo Olivar is the Mussels' second ranked prospect, checking in at No. 27 in the organization according to MLB Pipeline. Olivar led the Florida Complex League with a 1.047 OPS over 40 games last season, batting .349 with 20 extra-base hits before earning a promotion to the Mussels on
"He impacted the ball on a more regular basis while limiting strikeouts and drawing a good amount of walks," MLB Pipeline's report says. "The Twins like his swing and think he has the chance to hit with excellent bat-to-ball skills."
Three key bats return to the Mussels from their 2022 First Half Championship team. Infielder Mikey Perez connected on 35 extra-base hits and stole 48 bases across 110 games at two levels (.728 OPS) last season. Infielder Rubel Cespedes hit .290 with 19 extra-base hits in 74 games for Fort Myers (.737 OPS), leading the team's offense down the stretch of the season. Outfielder Carlos Aguiar delivered 10 home runs in just 46 games, posting a slugging percentage of .541 (.829 OPS).
The Twins' fourth-round pick Andrew Morris will lead the Mighty Mussels' pitching rotation. Morris made his Mussels debut in the FSL Playoffs last season, tossing three scoreless innings of relief in Game 3 of the FSL WDC. The Texas Tech product logged 88.1 innings at the college level in 2022, delivering a quality start in the NCAA Regionals.
Other top 2022 draft picks on the Mussels include infielders Jorel Ortega (6th Round) and Dalton Shuffield (10th Round), and right-handers Zebby Matthews (8th Round) and Cory Lewis (9th Round).
The Mighty Mussels begin the 2023 season on Thursday, April 6 at 7 p.m. All first responders and their families will be able to attend the game for free in honor of their incredible work in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. A full promotional schedule for Opening Weekend can be found here.
FULL ROSTER
Catchers (3): Andrew Cossetti, Ricardo Olivar, Dillon Tatum
Infielders (6): Rubel Cespedes, Danny De Andrade, Yohander Martinez, Jorel Ortega, Mikey Perez, Dalton Shuffield
Outfielders (5): Carlos Aguiar, Luis Baez, Maddux Houghton, Dylan Neuse, Alec Sayre
Right-Handed Pitchers (11): Tomas Cleto, C.J. Culpepper, Ben Ethridge, Jackson Hicks, A.J. Labas, Johnathan Lavallee, Cory Lewis, Zebby Matthews, Juan Mendez, Andrew Morris, Jose Olivares
Left-Handed Pitchers (5): Develson Aria, Samuel Perez, Wilker Reyes, Zach Veen, Gabriel Yanez
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