A look at the Iowa Cubs' opening-day roster, by the numbers
Baseball fans will get their first glimpse of the Iowa Cubs when the team has its home opener Principal Park on Tuesday.
But we now have an idea of what they might see.
Iowa, which was set to begin the season on Friday at Omaha, released its opening-day roster hours before first pitch.
Here's a look at some of the highlights:
7 - in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 rankings
Iowa’s roster features some of the biggest prospects, including THE biggest, in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline. Seven are listed in the top 30, including outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is listed at No. 1. Outfielder Owen Caissie checks in at No. 3. The rest: right-handed pitcher Ben Brown (11), outfielder Alexander Canario (12), first baseman Matt Mervis (15), infielder BJ Murray Jr. (18) and shortstop Luis Vazquez (20).
7 – on the 40-man roster
The Triple-A roster includes seven players on Chicago’s 40-man roster, putting them in position for potential call-ups. Brown, a hard-throwing pitcher, is the only one without big-league experience. Pitchers Keegan Thompson and Daniel Palencia have helped in Chicago’s bullpen already. Right-hander Hayden Wesneski has pitched in the rotation and out of the bullpen. Mervis was briefly called up last season but struggled. So did Crow-Armstrong. Canario, who has shown flashes of his potential, was among Chicago’s final cuts in spring training.
14 - with big-league service time
Iowa's roster has some experience to it, with 14 players having been in the big leagues. The most veteran of the group is 35-year-old Curt Casali, who recently signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs. Casali has played 10 seasons in the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners.
18 – with experience in Iowa
There are tons of familiar faces on the roster, with 18 players who have suited up for Iowa in past seasons. Among the most experienced is utility man David Bote. The 30-year-old made his debut with Iowa in 2014 and later became a fan favorite in Chicago after hitting a walk-off grand slam in 2018 against the Washington Nationals. Bote spent all of last season with Iowa.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Who's on Iowa Cubs' 2024 opening-day roster? A breakdown by the numbers