Opening Day Roster Preview By John Kocsis Jr.
Pitchers There’s a lot to be excited about in this group. Not only do you have returning starts who have had some great success in the Carolina League in Mauricio Veliz and Emmanuel Reyes, but the Fireflies are also welcoming Blake Wolters, the Royals top picked pitcher in the 2023 draft, into the rotation. Veliz spun 98.1 innings for the Fireflies in 2023, the most of any Fireflies pitcher. He struck out 69 to pair with a 4.76 ERA, but he got better as the season
progressed, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts in August. Reyes came into the fold late for the Fireflies, after Mozzicato and Kudrna were called up to Quad Cities. The righty fireballer impressed immediately though, working three quality starts in seven outings during his 18-year-old season. Wolters will get his first taste of professional baseball in Columbia Wednesday. He jumped onto the scene after throwing 97.7 MPH in the PBR Super 60 showcase, a record velocity for the venue. He fanned 106 hitters in just 48.2 innings while managing a 0.43 ERA on his way to a Gatorade Player of the Year campaign in Illinois. Wolters allowed just 13 hits his senior year. In addition to the familiar faces in the rotation, the bullpen is bolstered by an experienced group. Nicholas Regalado finished the season as the Fireflies close in 2023, going 3-3 in save opportunities and a 2.78 ERA in 20 games. Jacob Widener, a 6’7” lefty the Royals selected in the 9th round from Oral Roberts last year is also poised to eat more innings from the pen this year. The club will see the return of Eduardo Herrera, who has now spent part of three seasons in Columbia. Herrera is a small, power arm fit for single innings in the back of the bullpen. Herrera is a converted switch hitting catcher who found upper 90s velocity and a plus breaking ball before the Royals traded outfielder Nick Heath for his upside after the onset of the pandemic in 2020. The club will welcome in Felix Arronde, Chase Isbell, Logan Martin and Hunter Patteson, all who got a short look at the Carolina League during the 2023 season, but will largely be experiencing full season baseball for the first time in their career. Arronde, Patteson and Martin look to rund out the rotation while Isbell will primarily work as a bullpen arm. Catchers 2024’s catching room is absolutely loaded with talent. First, it’s hard to miss Blake Mitchell, the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft in the room. Not only was Mitchell drafted for his bat as a rare two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in his home state of Texas, but he could also throw 97 from the bump as a pitcher. Even if he never pitches for the Royals, think of how that canon comes in handy for throwing out would be base stealers. Needless to say, Mitchell has a lot of tools to hone while here in the Carolina League. Mitchell isn’t the only guy in the room though. This year the Fireflies are carrying three catchers, returner Dionmy Salon spent all of last season on the Fireflies roster, and he had the top on-base percentage of Fireflies backstops in 2023, a .330 mark across 74 contests. Last year was even a down offensive year for Salon, who hit .348 in 20 games in the ACL in 2022. The club will also see international signee Gabriel Silva for the first time. Silva has quite a bit of thump in his bat. He carried a .784 OPS with a 170 ISO as
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