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CalL1 Modesto Nuts

Nuts 2016 Roster Unveiled

April 4, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Modesto Nuts News Release


The 2016 Modesto Nuts roster will feature five of the Rockies top 30 prospects according to MLB.com. 16 players spent the 2015 season with the Asheville Tourists who finished the year with a 72-67 record in the South Atlantic League. Five players spent all or part of the 2015 season with the Nuts including pitchers Troy Neiman and Craig Schlitter, catcher Troy Stein, infielder Emerson Jimenez and outfielder Drew Weeks.

The Nuts roster is headlined by 20-year-old infielder Forrest Wall who was selected in the first round (35th overall) in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. Wall was ranked the sixth-best prospect in the Rockies system according to MLB.com. Wall hit .280 in 99 games for Asheville last season with 7 home runs, 46 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Joining Wall in the infield is Collin Ferguson, a Santa Cruz native. Ferguson hit .346 with 9 home runs and 38 RBI for the Grand Junction Rockies last year. He will be skipping Asheville and making the leap to Modesto to start the season. Shane Hoelscher, who played four games in Modesto last year before spending the rest of the season in Asheville, won the South Atlantic League batting title with a .328 average. He added 11 home runs and 61 RBI. Luis Jean split time between second base, shortstop and third base for the Tourists last season. Jean was third on the team with 27 stolen bases. Roberto Ramos hit .341 in 46 games for Asheville last season. Ramos belted 10 home runs and had 40 RBI following his promotion from Grand Junction.

Catcher Dom Nunez, from Elk Grove, CA, will join returnee Troy Stein behind the plate for the Nuts. Nunez was named the Rockies 9th best prospect by MLB.com this off-season. Nunez hit .282 with a team-high 13 home runs and 53 RBI for Asheville last season and was a 6th round selection of the Rockies in 2013.

The Nuts outfield will have a lot of speed to cover the spacious outfield at John Thurman Field. Drew Weeks is the lone returner in the outfield. Weeks split time between Asheville and Modesto last season. He hit a combined .283 with 41 extra base hits, 70 RBI and 29 stolen bases. Omar Carrizales was a South Atlantic League All-Star last season after he hit .286 with 7 home runs, 46 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Wes Rogers played 77 games for the Tourists and finished 4th in the league with 46 stolen bases. Max White, a 2nd round selection in 2012, hit .306 with 9 home runs, 36 RBI and 34 stolen bases.

The starting rotation looks to be a strength for the Nuts this season. Jesus Tinoco, the 18th ranked Rockies prospect according to MLB.com, will get the start on Opening Night against the Stockton Ports. Tinoco was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the Troy Tulowitzi trade last July. Following the trade, Tinoco went 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 7 starts for the Tourists. Left-hander Sam Howard will slot in as the number two man in the rotation. MLB.com named Howard the 27th best prospect in the Rockies organization. A third-round pick in 2014, Howard was 11-9 with a 3.43 ERA for Asheville last season. Right-hander Carlos Polanco was third in the South Atlantic League last season with 115 strikeouts for the Tourists. He finished 9-10 with a 3.90 ERA. 20-year old Ryan Castellani, a 2nd round pick in 2014 and the 19th prospect in the system according to MLB.com, will slot in as the fourth starter. The right-hander made 27 starts for Asheville last season. Recently acquired Yency Almonte will round out the starting rotation. Almonte was acquired via trade with the White Sox in the off-season. He was 11-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 24 games across multiple stops in the Chicago system.

The bullpen will consist of three left-handed pitchers and five righties. Yoely Bello (5-5, 3.33), Helmis Rodriguez (9-8, 3.36 ERA) and Jerry Vasto (2-4, 2.93 ERA) all spent 2015 with the Tourists and will provide left-handed options for manager Fred Ocasio. Returnees Nieman and Schlitter will be joined by fellow right-handers Logan Cozart (3-0, 3.96 ERA in Boise), Josh Michalec (30 saves in Asheville last year) and Colin Welmon (2-5, 4.20 ERA in Boise).

The Modesto Nuts 2016 season begins on Thursday, April 7 in Stockton against the Ports. The home opener is scheduled for Thursday, April 14. Tickets for the home opener and any of the 70 home games this season are available for purchase online at www.modestonuts.com or by calling the Nuts ticket office at (209) 572-HITS.

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