Salem Red Sox announce 2016 roster

The Salem Red Sox will feature one of the most prospect-laden lineups in Minor League Baseball as they return for their eighth season as the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in 2016. The Salem Sox roster will feature three of the top-20 prospects in all of baseball when the season gets underwayon Thursday.

The Salem Sox roster is highlighted by six prospects ranked in the top 30 of Baseball America’s annual organizational prospect rankings. The Sox begin the season with the top three prospects in the organization in second baseman Yoan Moncada (1^st), third baseman Rafael Devers (2^nd) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi(3^rd). They are joined by fellow prospects middle infielder Mauricio Dubon (13^th), first baseman/outfielderNick Longhi (14^th) and pitcher Travis Lakins (16^th). Moncada, Benintendi and Devers all rank highly inBaseball America’s overall rankings, placing 3^rd, 15^th and 18^th in MiLB, respectively.

Benintendi, who won the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur baseball player before being drafted seventh overall in 2015, should anchor a powerful Sox lineup. He will be joined in the outfield this year by returner Franklin Guzman, who led the team with eight home runs in 2015, along with Bryan Hudson, Danny Mars, Carlos Mesa, and Mike Meyers. Meyers appeared in 17 games with the Salem Sox last year, collecting 11 hits.

Moncada, Devers, Dubon and Longhi will comprise the starting infield, but returners Jordan Betts and Deiner Lopez will provide steady complimentary work as well. Betts raked 21 doubles in 2015 while Lopez provided steady hands defensively and punch at the plate. At just 19 years old, Devers is the youngest player on the roster to start the season.

The Salem Sox will carry three catchers to start the season, including newcomers Ben Moore and DavidSopilka, who spent the 2015 season with Low-A Greenville. Jordan Procyshen, who split 2015 between Greenville and Salem, returns after collecting 11 RBIs in 38 games with Salem.

Not to be outdone by the bats, the pitching staff promises to be among the best in the Carolina League in 2016 as well. Highlighted by the hard-throwing Lakins, the staff features returners Tyler Grover, Austin Maddox,Daniel McGrath and German Taveras. New to the Salem Sox staff will be Mario Alcantara, Jalen Beeks,Jamie Callahan, Jake Drehoff, Dedgar Jimenez, Yankory Pimentel, and Ben Taylor.

The Salem Sox have a decidedly international flavor in 2016, with 10 players hailing from outside the United States, including countries such as Australia (McGrath), Cuba (Moncada), the Dominican Republic (Alcantara, Devers, Guzman, Pimentel and Taveras), and Venezuela (Jimenez, Lopez, and Sopilka).

Overall, the Sox have 10 players who spent time in Salem last year. The Salem Sox also feature 16 players who were selected in the first 15 rounds of the MLB draft.

A roster move will be made prior to Opening Day to set the Red Sox roster at the Carolina League maximum of 25 players.

Guiding the Sox will be Joe Oliver, spending his first season as the manager in Salem. The 13-year MLB veteran spent last season as the skipper of the Lowell Spinners, the Short Season-A affiliate of the Red Sox. Rounding out the coaching staff will be 11-year MLB vet Paul Abbott, returning for his second season as pitching coach; coaching veteran Nelson Paulino, who begins his second stint as hitting coach of the Salem Sox; and 2003 American League Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa, serving in his first season as an assistant coach.

The Salem Red Sox begin their 2016 season on Thursday, April 7^th at LewisGale Field when they take on the Carolina Mudcats at 7:05 pm. The first 1,000 fans in attendance receive a magnet schedule, plus all fans can take advantage of dollar beverage specials presented by Bud Light, and enjoy a post-game fireworks extravaganza as part of the iHeart Fireworks Series. For tickets and more information, call 540-389-3333 or visitwww.salemsox.com.