First Coast, first pitch: See which Jacksonville-area stars are on MLB Opening Day rosters
Baseball time is officially here.
And for more than a dozen Major League Baseball players with Jacksonville-area ties, they'll be taking the field during the weekend's first series as members of their teams' Opening Day roster.
In all, 11 players are on active rosters for the first game, plus two more on the 10- or 15-day injured list.
Here's a look at players from Jacksonville-area high school or college baseball entering the 2023 MLB season.
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Javier Baez
Team: Detroit Tigers
Position: Infielder
Local tie: Arlington Country Day.
Age: 30
Last year: .238, 555 AB, 27 2B, 17 HR, 67 RBI, .671 OPS.
Notable: After $140 million deal and a rocky opening season, Detroit is counting on the free-swinging Baez to recapture the form from his All-Star years in Chicago.
Bryan Baker
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Position: Pitcher
Local tie: University of North Florida
Age: 28
Last year: 4-3, 1 save, 3.49 ERA, 66 games, 69.2 IP, 26 BB, 76 K
Notable: Baker showed last year that he's ready to fill a valuable role in relief for the O's.
Mike Baumann
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Position: Pitcher
Local tie: Jacksonville University
Age: 27
Last year: 1-3, 4.72 ERA, 13 games, 34.1 IP, 9 BB, 23 K
Notable: Former Dolphin secured bullpen role for Baltimore in spring training with five straight scoreless appearances.
Mike Clevinger
Team: Chicago White Sox
Position: Pitcher
Local tie: Wolfson
Age: 32
Last year: 7-7, 4.33 ERA, 23 games, 114.1 IP, 35 BB, 91 K
Notable: After tumultuous off-season, Clevinger returns to AL Central with White Sox; likely to occupy No. 3 or No. 4 spot in rotation.
Dane Dunning
Team: Texas Rangers
Position: Pitcher
Local tie: Clay
Age: 28
Last year: 4-8, 4.46 ERA, 29 games, 153.1 IP, 62 BB, 137 K
Notable: Dunning shifts to the bullpen for the first time since his Gators days amid a rotation makeover for Texas, with Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney all coming on board.
Austin Hays
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Position: Outfielder
Local tie: Jacksonville University
Age: 27
Last year: .250, 535 AB, 35 2B, 16 HR, 60 RBI, .719 OPS.
Notable: Hays is on course for his third consecutive season as the everyday left fielder for the O's.
Justin Lawrence
Team: Colorado Rockies
Position: Pitcher
Local tie: First Coast/Jacksonville University
Age: 28
Last year: 3-1, 5.70 ERA, 38 games, 42.2 IP, 22 BB, 48 K.
Notable: Lawrence has had the movement on his pitches working of late, including the World Baseball Classic with Panama. He could be one of two locals on the roster if the Rockies promote Nease's Blair Calvo.
Nathaniel Lowe
Team: Texas Rangers
Position: First baseman
Local tie: St. Johns River State College
Age: 27
Last year: .302, 593 AB, 26 2B, 27 HR, 76 RBI, .850 OPS.
Notable: Lowe has quietly climbed the list of the hardest-hitting first basemen, topping the .300 mark and picking up an AL Silver Slugger Award last season.
Roberto Perez
Team: San Francisco Giants
Position: Catcher
Local tie: Florida Gateway College
Age: 34
Last year: .233, 60 AB, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .700 OPS (with Pirates).
Notable: Glove-first catcher made Giants' roster through minor league deal.
Austin Slater
Team: San Francisco Giants
Position: Outfielder
Local tie: Bolles
Age: 30
Last year: .264, 277 AB, 15 2B, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 12 SB, .774 OPS.
Notable: Slater opens on the 10-day injured list after straining his left hamstring during Cactus League action.
Myles Straw
Team: Cleveland Guardians
Position: Outfielder
Local tie: St. Johns River State College
Age: 28
Last year: .221, 535 AB, 22 2B, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 21 SB, .564 OPS
Notable: Speed and fielding are the name of the game for Straw, coming off his first Gold Glove in center for Cleveland.
Adam Wainwright
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Position: Pitcher
Local tie: Glynn Academy
Age: 41
Last year: 11-12, 3.71 ERA, 32 games, 191.2 IP, 54 BB, 143 K.
Notable: The three-time All-Star, now up to 195 career wins since 2005 for the Cardinals, starts on the 15-day injured list after suffering a groin strain during the World Baseball Classic.
Brett Wisely
Team: San Francisco Giants
Position: Infielder
Local tie: Sandalwood
Age: 23
Last year: MLB debut.
Notable: After slugging three homers in spring training and displaying versatility on the infield, the former 15th-rounder out of Sandalwood receives a hard-earned big league debut.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: MLB Opening Day 2023: Jacksonville-area players, Major League rosters