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Baseball time returns to Jacksonville.
A reshaped roster and a renovated ballpark await the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and their fans entering Tuesday night's home opener in the Triple-A International League against the Worcester Red Sox.
The first pitch flies at 7:05 p.m., preceded by the three-hour Opening Day street carnival along Georgia Street in the Jumbo Shrimp's fifth season after making the jump to Triple-A.
Tuesday marks the official debut of the Jumbo Shrimp's new right field building and several other updates to the grounds and the first of 75 home dates to be packed with ballpark flavors and offbeat promotions.
It's also a fresh start for a new-look roster in Jacksonville and first-year manager David Carpenter, who takes charge of a collection of Miami Marlins prospects in a farm system that jumped from No. 29 to No. 16 in the 2025 MLB.com prospect rankings.
"We're not going to cookie-cutter things," said Carpenter during the club's preseason Media Day. "We're going to really try to develop these guys personally to allow them to have the most success possible."
The 39-year-old Carpenter, who takes over at the helm after Daren Brown directed the Jumbo Shrimp for two seasons, brings not-so-distant big league experience to the First Coast.
A former relief pitcher, Carpenter appeared in 222 games in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers.
Most recently, he had spent two seasons in charge of the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League.
Carpenter pointed to the influence of managers like Fredi Gonzalez, formerly of the Marlins and the Braves, with shaping his approach to the game.
"They understood that the process is not easy and this game is not easy," Carpenter said. "So having the patience to be able to deal with guys going through some struggles and trying to show them some grace along the way, it's really important to me to try to impart that on this group and make them as successful as we can."
The first thing most fans will notice when they enter the gates is the radically reshaped Right Field Hall and its surroundings, part of a $31.5 million renovation project to the 22-year-old ballpark.
Not surprisingly, it's also on the minds of players like Jumbo Shrimp pitcher Patrick Monteverde, who needed only a split second to recall the specifications required to clear the pre-renovation fences.
"My first year here, it took about 87 [mph] exit velo at a 30-degree launch to get it out to right," said Monteverde, who spent parts of 2023 and 2024 with the Jumbo Shrimp. "You're going to need a lot more than that now."
Still, until the Jumbo Shrimp and their opponents get enough of a sample size, evaluating the precise effects of the outfield wall will remain a guessing game.
Count pitcher Austin Roberts as a Jumbo Shrimp hurler who welcomes the changing dimensions.
"I feel like that's going to help," he said. "It's going to make it a little bit more of a pitcher's park, because a couple of years ago, it was a super low wall out there."
While most of the Marlins' top-rated prospects are still in the lower minors for now — pitchers Thomas White and Noble Meyer, shortstops Starlyn Caba and Andrew Salas, outfielder PJ Morlando and Dillon Head — there's an exception in catcher Agustin Ramirez.
The 23-year-old, noted for his slugging power and his throwing arm, had a 20-20 season split between three minor-league clubs, batting .267 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI.
Ramirez, who could in time earn a call-up to a Miami roster that counts Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks as its current catchers, is focusing on improvements on the defensive side.
"I feel that's going to really carry him up to the big leagues and allow him to stay," Carpenter said. "His bat is incredible. He's got a really good presence at the plate. We're trying to have that same confidence for him behind the plate, calling games, being able to stick pitches, move the glove the correct way."
Brian Navarreto is savoring his latest stop on the First Coast.
Born in Puerto Rico, Navarreto played high school baseball at Arlington Country Day before his sixth-round selection in the 2013 draft, and he's the lone member of the Jumbo Shrimp roster who has direct connections to the city.
A part of the Milwaukee Brewers' organization last year, Navarreto isn't a newcomer to the Jumbo Shrimp, playing 33 games with the club in 2021.
"I feel like I'm at home," he said. "It's awesome to be back."
Watch him while you can.
Last year, corner infielder Deyvison De Los Santos finished atop the minor leagues in home runs with 40, batting .294 with 120 RBI across Double-A and Triple-A.
If the 21-year-old begins his 2025 season anything like his 2024 campaign, there's a good chance that he'll be on his way up to the Marlins for his Major League Baseball debut before long.
MLB.com currently ranks De Los Santos No. 12 among Marlins prospects. His priority will be improving plate discipline, chasing fewer balls outside the zone.
The roster is accurate as of Monday morning, although as always in Triple-A baseball, players will regularly move up and down in the system.
Pitchers: Valente Bellozo, Cade Gibson, Janson Junk, Justin King, Seth Martinez, Adam Mazur, Anderson Pilar, Robinson Pina, Matt Pushard, Christian Roa, Austin Roberts, John Rooney, Josh Simpson, Freddy Tarnok
Catchers: Bennett Hostetler, Brian Navarreto, Agustin Ramirez
Infielders: Maximo Acosta, Jacob Berry, Deyvison De Los Santos, Ronny Simon, Jack Winkler
Outfielders: Albert Almora Jr., Heriberto Hernandez, Troy Johnston, Jakob Marsee, Victor Mesa Jr. (on IL), Andrew Pintar
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp-Worcester: April 1 series preview
Continue reading...
A reshaped roster and a renovated ballpark await the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and their fans entering Tuesday night's home opener in the Triple-A International League against the Worcester Red Sox.
The first pitch flies at 7:05 p.m., preceded by the three-hour Opening Day street carnival along Georgia Street in the Jumbo Shrimp's fifth season after making the jump to Triple-A.
Tuesday marks the official debut of the Jumbo Shrimp's new right field building and several other updates to the grounds and the first of 75 home dates to be packed with ballpark flavors and offbeat promotions.
It's also a fresh start for a new-look roster in Jacksonville and first-year manager David Carpenter, who takes charge of a collection of Miami Marlins prospects in a farm system that jumped from No. 29 to No. 16 in the 2025 MLB.com prospect rankings.
"We're not going to cookie-cutter things," said Carpenter during the club's preseason Media Day. "We're going to really try to develop these guys personally to allow them to have the most success possible."
New man in charge
The 39-year-old Carpenter, who takes over at the helm after Daren Brown directed the Jumbo Shrimp for two seasons, brings not-so-distant big league experience to the First Coast.
A former relief pitcher, Carpenter appeared in 222 games in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers.
Most recently, he had spent two seasons in charge of the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League.
Carpenter pointed to the influence of managers like Fredi Gonzalez, formerly of the Marlins and the Braves, with shaping his approach to the game.
"They understood that the process is not easy and this game is not easy," Carpenter said. "So having the patience to be able to deal with guys going through some struggles and trying to show them some grace along the way, it's really important to me to try to impart that on this group and make them as successful as we can."
How will ballpark changes affect play?
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The first thing most fans will notice when they enter the gates is the radically reshaped Right Field Hall and its surroundings, part of a $31.5 million renovation project to the 22-year-old ballpark.
Not surprisingly, it's also on the minds of players like Jumbo Shrimp pitcher Patrick Monteverde, who needed only a split second to recall the specifications required to clear the pre-renovation fences.
"My first year here, it took about 87 [mph] exit velo at a 30-degree launch to get it out to right," said Monteverde, who spent parts of 2023 and 2024 with the Jumbo Shrimp. "You're going to need a lot more than that now."
Still, until the Jumbo Shrimp and their opponents get enough of a sample size, evaluating the precise effects of the outfield wall will remain a guessing game.
Count pitcher Austin Roberts as a Jumbo Shrimp hurler who welcomes the changing dimensions.
"I feel like that's going to help," he said. "It's going to make it a little bit more of a pitcher's park, because a couple of years ago, it was a super low wall out there."
Agustin Ramirez heads prospect list
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While most of the Marlins' top-rated prospects are still in the lower minors for now — pitchers Thomas White and Noble Meyer, shortstops Starlyn Caba and Andrew Salas, outfielder PJ Morlando and Dillon Head — there's an exception in catcher Agustin Ramirez.
The 23-year-old, noted for his slugging power and his throwing arm, had a 20-20 season split between three minor-league clubs, batting .267 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI.
Ramirez, who could in time earn a call-up to a Miami roster that counts Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks as its current catchers, is focusing on improvements on the defensive side.
"I feel that's going to really carry him up to the big leagues and allow him to stay," Carpenter said. "His bat is incredible. He's got a really good presence at the plate. We're trying to have that same confidence for him behind the plate, calling games, being able to stick pitches, move the glove the correct way."
Hometown connection
Brian Navarreto is savoring his latest stop on the First Coast.
Born in Puerto Rico, Navarreto played high school baseball at Arlington Country Day before his sixth-round selection in the 2013 draft, and he's the lone member of the Jumbo Shrimp roster who has direct connections to the city.
A part of the Milwaukee Brewers' organization last year, Navarreto isn't a newcomer to the Jumbo Shrimp, playing 33 games with the club in 2021.
"I feel like I'm at home," he said. "It's awesome to be back."
De Los Santos: Home run watch
Watch him while you can.
Last year, corner infielder Deyvison De Los Santos finished atop the minor leagues in home runs with 40, batting .294 with 120 RBI across Double-A and Triple-A.
If the 21-year-old begins his 2025 season anything like his 2024 campaign, there's a good chance that he'll be on his way up to the Marlins for his Major League Baseball debut before long.
MLB.com currently ranks De Los Santos No. 12 among Marlins prospects. His priority will be improving plate discipline, chasing fewer balls outside the zone.
JACKSONVILLE JUMBO SHRIMP ROSTER
The roster is accurate as of Monday morning, although as always in Triple-A baseball, players will regularly move up and down in the system.
Pitchers: Valente Bellozo, Cade Gibson, Janson Junk, Justin King, Seth Martinez, Adam Mazur, Anderson Pilar, Robinson Pina, Matt Pushard, Christian Roa, Austin Roberts, John Rooney, Josh Simpson, Freddy Tarnok
Catchers: Bennett Hostetler, Brian Navarreto, Agustin Ramirez
Infielders: Maximo Acosta, Jacob Berry, Deyvison De Los Santos, Ronny Simon, Jack Winkler
Outfielders: Albert Almora Jr., Heriberto Hernandez, Troy Johnston, Jakob Marsee, Victor Mesa Jr. (on IL), Andrew Pintar
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp-Worcester: April 1 series preview
Continue reading...
