Colorado Rockies: What’s the Fresno Grizzlies’ 2022 Opening Day roster?

The Fresno Grizzlies (the Low-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) will face the Stockton Ports (the Low-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s) on Friday for Opening Day 2022.

Their Opening Day roster has some players that are of note for Rockies fans, including Benny Montgomery.

2021 first-round draft pick Benny Montgomery is on the 2022 Opening Day roster for the Fresno Grizzlies

The Fresno Grizzlies will have an Opening Day roster that will be comprised of 30 players, including 16 pitchers and 14 position players, including Colorado Rockies 2021 first-round draft pick Benny Montgomery.

Here is the breakdown of the team. Players in bold are ranked among MLB.com’s Top 30 prospects in the farm system.

• Right-handed pitchers (12): Tyler Ahearn, Luis Amaroso, Brayan Castillo, Joel Condreay, Noah Gotsis, Victor Juarez, Cullen Kafka, Bryce McGowan, Juan Mejia, Tyler Ras, Sergio Sanchez, Case Williams
• Left-handed pitchers (4): Zak Baayoun, Mason Green, Ever Moya, Evan Shawver
• Catchers (3): Braxton Fulford, Hunter Goodman, Bryant Quijada
• Infielders (5): Adael Amador, Warming Bernabel, Trevor Boone, Juan Brito, Aiverson Rodríguez
• Outfielders (6): EJ Andrews, Yanquiel Fernandez, Juan Guerrero, Zach Kokoska, Benny Montgomery, Braiden Ward

Montgomery is the top-ranked prospect among the group as he is Colorado’s #3 prospect and just outside of the Top 100 list in the sport overall.

He will primarily play center field for the Grizzlies after he played for the Rockies in the Arizona Complex League in 2021. He hit .340 with an OPS of .787 there. The key to success in Fresno for him will be for his bat to develop. His strongest tools are running, throwing, and fielding, which are ranked as a 70, 60, and 60 on a 20-80 scouting scale.

Amador, Bernabel, Fernandez, Goodman, and Guerrero are ranked 10th, 14th, 16th, 20th, and 24th in Colorado’s top 30 prospects.

The Grizzlies went 74-41 in 2021, which was the best record in the Low-A West overall. They will be managed by former MLB catcher Robinson Cancel, who managed the team in 2021. He also managed the Rockies at the Single-A level in Asheville, N.C. for two years prior to the pandemic (when the minor league season was canceled).