Royals name former NFC pitcher Cole Ragans Opening Day starter. Here's other locals on MLB staffs

For a moment after being told the news, Bowden Francis stepped back in time.

The pitcher was on the mound at Winthrop Park, playing with friends and dreaming one day of wearing a Major League Baseball uniform on Opening Day.

"I know the 12-year-old me is freaking out," Francis, 27, told the Tallahassee Democrat. "When they told me I got the rotation spot, I had immediate chills."

Francis of the Toronto Blue Jays is among five local pitchers expected to be on MLB rosters to open the 2024 season, with three potentially in starting rotations.

Former North Florida Christian star and 2016 first-round selection Cole Ragans earned the ultimate honor last week, when the Kansas City Royals named him the team's Opening Day starter against the visiting Minnesota Twins Thursday.

It will be the left-hander's first Opening Day start and testament to his hard work after going through two Tommy John surgeries on his left elbow in his career.

"My reaction was just excited, thankful; to be picked to start Opening Day is super exciting," Ragans told the Democrat.

"I don't think they could have gone wrong with any of the guys on our staff. Like I said, very thankful, very excited. It's what you dream of. And I am looking forward to a fun season with these guys."

Local pitchers fulfill childhood dreams to reach Major League Baseball

In addition to Francis (Chiles/Chipola College) and Ragans, left-hander Tyler Holton (Lincoln High/Florida State) of the Detroit Tigers, Cole Sands (NFC/FSU) of the Minnesota Twins and Luke Weaver (FSU) of the New York Yankees are expected to open the season on MLB pitching staffs.

Each has traveled an unique path to the pinnacle of professional baseball.

In April 2022 over a five-day span, Francis, Sands and Holton, then with the Arizona Diamondbacks, earned promotions for the first time to the major leagues. The three were first-team All-Big Bend selections following their high school senior seasons in 2015.

Weaver, 30, who resides in Tallahassee in the offseason, is the veteran of the group with nearly seven years of major league service. The former first-round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals out of FSU in 2014 signed a one-year contract with the Yankees last January.

The right hander's contending for the team's fifth starting role and is also expected to add proven depth in the bullpen. He struck out five and did not allow a hit in two scoreless relief innings in the Yankees' 3-0 victory the New York Mets in spring training Monday.

Weaver said it's "a cool thing" to see fellow pitchers from Tallahassee on MLB rosters, "especially when you get to hang out with each other in the offseason. It's neat for all of us."

Weaver, with a career record of 27-42, pitched for three teams last season - Cincinnati, Seattle and the Yankees, who claimed him off waivers last September. Weaver made three starts for New York, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.

Weaver, who has dealt with injuries and inconsistency during his career, said he's healthy, confident and relaxed.

"I am at a place now, more than anything, having fun and excited being around," Weaver told the Democrat. "There is pressure and intensity. ... I've learned you almost have to simplify it, to be in a place where there is a calmness and you trust in your ability. You have to be good at what your are doing.

"And you have to be consistent."

Ragans, 26, who was raised in Crawfordville, is considering a budding star in MLB and one of the hardest-throwing starters in the game. He finished the 2023 season with a 2.64 ERA in 12 starts with Kansas City, striking out 89 batters in 71 2/3 innings. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.5 mph in 2023, according to reports.

When Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro summoned Ragans into his office last week, he asked Ragans what he was doing on Thursday, March 28 - and if he’d like to pitch for Kansas City.

"We felt like we had a lot of good choices,” Quatraro told MLB.com of his decision to name Ragans the team's Opening Day starter. “But based on what he did here last year and how we feel about him and his future, and the pure stuff, we feel like this is the right decision for us to match up the best we can over the whole series with the Twins.”

Tallahassee area pitchers making impact on MLB rosters

Holton went from an unknown waiver claim to an established MLB reliever last season for the Tigers.

Holton, 27, claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks during last year's spring training, was the last player cut as Detroit broke camp. He pitched four games in Triple-A before being promoted.

A star was born.

Holton pitched in 85⅓ innings across 59 games with the Tigers in 2023, posting a 2.11 ERA with 18 walks and 74 strikeouts.

Holton is determined to build on last season's success.

"I mean, it's definitely a different situation than it was last year," Holton recently told the Detroit Free Press.

"From the game standpoint, not a lot changes. I have to start with a clean slate this year. I have to earn everything I get. It's not like anything is going to be handed to me. … I'm still just trying to keep my head down, work hard to make this team and contribute in any way I can."

Sands, 26, who broke spring training camp with the Twins last year, has focused on consistency and attacking the strike zone early in counts. The former fifth-round selection by the Twins in 2018 is contending for a long reliever's role this season. He was optioned to Triple-A three different times last season.

“Cole Sands has good ability,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com. “He has the package that should get Major League hitters out. It’s all there, it’s just putting it all together and executing more often. When he executes, he generally gets pretty solid results.”

Francis, meanwhile, will be making his first start at the Major League level. He’s tentatively scheduled to start in the Blue Jays' fourth game of the year at Tampa Bay, which features Tallahassee resident and former FSU second baseball Taylor Walls.

Francis, a seventh-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, made the most of his opportunity last season when promoted by the Blue Jays. In 20 relief outings he recorded a 1.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.

When Blue Jays manager John Schneider informed Francis last week he had earned a starter's role heading into this season, Francis admitted he was emotional.

"This is what I've dreamed of since I was pitching at Winthrop Park," said Francis, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound right hander.

"A lot of people are involved in this. Every coach, travel ball families, my family, my wife and kids all made this possible. Just feeling a lot of gratitude. Our manager John Schneider continued to talk about the vision of this year. I kind of cut him off and said, 'I heard what I needed to hear.'

"And I gave him a bear hug."

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Cole Ragans leads Tallahassee, FSU pitchers on MLB Opening Day rosters