New Players, Promotions, and Field Await Grizzlies Fans

The Fresno Grizzlies begin their 25th anniversary baseball season with high expectations and are guaranteed to deliver a bang in their home opener.

That’s because there will be a fireworks show following the team’s California League game on Tuesday, April 11, against the Stockton Ports.

There’s an accent on the new for the Grizzlies, whose roster includes some of the Colorado Rockies’ top prospects.

The old grass at Chukchansi Park and been ripped out and replaced with a new field.

And, the Grizzlies will have new promotions, including Pajama Night, on Saturday, June 10.

You can view all of the club’s promotions at this link.

Game tickets, ticket packages, and more are available at FresnoGrizzlies.com or by calling the Chukchansi Park Ticket Office, (559) 320-8497.

(Fresno Grizzlies)

A Look at the 2023 Roster

On Monday, the Rockies announced the tentative Opening Day roster for the Grizzlies. The list includes 17 pitchers and 12 position players, with eight players returning from previous seasons. Also, two of the Rockies’ Top 30 Prospects as determined by MLB.com are on the team. The Rockies set the roster and are responsible for all player transactions throughout the season.

Here is an evaluation of the team’s top players provided by the Grizzlies:

No.  13 Ranked Prospect RHP Jordy Vargas; He returns to Fresno after joining the team in the back half of the 2022 season. Vargas was named California League Pitcher of the Week after his second start in a Grizzlies uniform. The Dominican native looks to build on that momentum this season and show why he has the best curveball in the Rockies system, according to Baseball America.

No. 29 Ranked Prospect RHP Connor Staine: Considered one of the top college arms in the 2022 draft, he compiled a 4-1 record with a 1.87 ERA over 43.1 innings last season at the University of Central Florida. The Clinton, New Jersey native headlines the Grizzlies rotation and looks to build confidence in his first professional season.

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: The 21-year-old is back in Fresno after joining the Grizzlies for their playoff push last season. He has the best control in the Rockies system according to Baseball America (122.2 IP, 18 BB) and is a rising star in the organization. Barbosa is the second player in Fresno Grizzlies history born in Brazil (Murilo Gouvea, 2015).

SS Ryan Ritter: He was selected by the Rockies in the fourth round of last yearʼs draft out of the University of Kentucky. Ritter was named the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at the D-1 level (59 games at short). He recorded a .973 fielding percentage with 137 assists and 83 putouts, making just six errors.

C/1B Bryant Betancourt: He signed with Colorado in January of 2022 as one of the top international prospects and could be the next offensive gem in the Rockies system. Last year, Betancourt batted .355 with a 1.136 OPS, which made him a Dominican Summer League All Star. His 11 bombs to 175 plate appearances put him on pace for 38 homers in 600 plate appearances. Even with the power numbers, Betancourt showed tons of plate discipline, walking more times than striking out (27/21).