Opening Day 2025 has arrived in the American Association, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats, entering their 22nd season as an organization, will kick off the season at Franklin Field in Milwaukee against the Milkmen.
Manager Lamarr Rogers enters his fourth season at the helm of the club. Rogers previously coached for the St. Paul Saints and the Astros organization. In 2015, he led the Greenville Astros to an Appalachian League Championship. Pitching coach Kent Willis for
his third season in serving in the role. Willis was the pitching coach in the Atlanta Braves system from 1996 to 2010 and pitched in the Minor Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds and the Montreal Expos. The newest addition to the staff is Chris Jacobs, who will
be filling in as the hitting coach. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Jacobs out of High School in the 2007 draft; he also played in the White Sox and Cardinals organizations. Jacobs played in the American Association in 2018 and 2019 with the Sioux Falls Canaries
and Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks. Jacobs has worked for the New York Mets organization for the past few seasons and the last few years. Jason Carbonneau will be back on the staff for his second season in professional baseball after a long stint in college baseball
at Long Beach Poly.
Six-year Major Leaguer Cody Reed highlights the pitching staff; Reed pitched in the bigs with the Reds and the Tampa Bay Rays. Returning to the ‘Cats are Chris Erwin, Deyni Olivero, former first-round draft pick Ethan Hankins, Denson Hull, Peyton Long, Julio
Pinto, Jaykob Acosta, and 2024 AAPB All-Star Nate Alexander. The RailCats have added hard-throwing Jacob Coats, former White Sox top prospect Spencer Adams, Dawson Lane, Jonathan Martinez, and Brayan Villar.
The two backstops are Cooper Edwards and Julio Cajigas. Edwards joined the team in June last year and threw out 20% of baserunners when the league average was just 11% in 2024. A rookie, Cajigas from Romeoville, Illinois, will be with the team for his first professional opening
day.
In the infield, Olivier Basabe is back at the hot corner; Jose Contreras enters his third campaign with the team after launching 12 home runs in 2024. Howard Rodriguez rejoins the club for his second season in professional baseball, surprising fans when he
hit a first pitch of the game home run off a former Major Leaguer in Winnipeg. The fresh faces in the infield are Jake Allgeyer, a switch-hitter from Joliet who briefly played for the Slammers in the Frontier League last year. After playing with the Gastonia
Ghost Peppers in 2024, Atlantic League Champion Jake Hoover comes over.
Going to the outfield, LG Castillo, a 2023 all-star, will play in his fourth season in Gary. Castillo is the only returning outfielder from last year’s team. Former Phillies prospect and slugger Baron Radcliff spent briefly with the Washington Wild Things in
the Frontier League and will be in the middle of the order. Fellow slugger Yosy Galan was an international free agent who signed with the Texas Rangers organization, and this will be his first experience in partner league baseball. Joe Suozzi and Elvis Peralta
spent time in affiliated baseball for a few seasons and were in partner leagues a year ago. Nick Ultsch is both an outfielder and a first baseman and was named an all-star in the Pioneer League and won the League Championship in 2023 with the Ogden Raptors.
The RailCats play their first game of the 2025 season at 6:35 today; the game can be watched on AABaseball.TV and listened to on Mixlr and WE.FM 95.9. Deyni Olivero will be on the mound for the ‘Cats.