Today is Opening Day for the 2014 minor league season. All four full-season Pittsburgh Pirates affiliates were scheduled to open their season on Thursday night, but Indianapolis was rained out. We will have a season preview of each team on Thursday morning. The rosters for each club are listed below. Nick Kingham is the top prospect going today. He was ranked #6 in our top 50 prospects list.
AAA: Indianapolis (0-0) @ Columbus (0-0) 7:05pm PPD
Probable starter: Casey Sadler (NR)
Yesterday’s Result: N/A
Casey Sadler gets the Opening Day assignment for Indianapolis. He made 23 starts for Altoona and one late season start for Indianapolis. Sadler threw a total of 136.1 innings, allowing 123 hits, 12 homers and 43 walks. He had 72 strikeouts, a 1.69 GO/AO ratio and a .244 BAA. In his lone Indianapolis start, he allowed three earned runs over six innings. Check out the Indianapolis roster here.
AA: Altoona (0-0) vs Erie (0-0) 6:30pm
Probable starter: Nick Kingham (NR)
Yesterday’s Result: N/A
Nick Kingham gets the Opening Day start for Altoona. He split last season between Altoona and Bradenton, making a total of 25 starts and two relief appearances. He pitched a total of 143.1 innings, giving up 125 hits, seven homers and 44 walks. Kingham had 144 strikeouts, a 2.89 ERA and a .233 BAA. He finished second to Tyler Glasnow in strikeouts among all pitchers in the Pirates farm system. Check out the Altoona roster here.
High-A: Bradenton (0-0) @ Charlotte (0-0) 6:30pm
Probable starter: Jason Creasy (NR)
Yesterday’s Result: Bradenton N/A
Jason Creasy gets the Opening Day start for Bradenton. He spent the 2013 season with West Virginia, where he made 13 starts and 19 relief appearances. In 108.1 innings, he gave up 106 hits, seven homers and 24 walks. Creasy had a 2.74 ERA, 96 strikeouts, a 1.20 GO/AO ratio and a .250 BAA. Check out the Bradenton roster here.
Low-A: West Virginia (0-0) @ Lexington (0-0) 7:05pm
Probable starter: Shane Carle (NR)
Yesterday’s Result: N/A
Shane Carle gets the Opening Day start for West Virginia. He was drafted in the 10th round in 2013 and made four starts and ten relief appearances for Jamestown. Carle threw a total of 50.1 innings, giving up 47 hits, three homers and six walks. He had 43 strikeouts, a 1.97 GO/AO ratio, a 2.15 ERA and a .247 BAA. As a starter, he had a 1.83 ERA in 19.2 innings. Check out the West Virginia roster here.
Recent Transactions
3/29: Quincy Latimore and Erick Fernandez released.
3/27: Traded a player to be named later in exchange for Keon Broxton.
3/25: Acquired Vance Worley in exchange for cash.
3/22: Six minor league players released. Carlos Mesa, Cesar Lopez, Axel Diaz, Elvin Ramirez, Kirk Singer and Eliecer Navarro.
3/20 Zac Fuesser, Ethan Hollingsworth, Kevin Kleis and Dalton Friend released.