{"id":115964,"date":"2025-03-28T10:30:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T14:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?p=115964"},"modified":"2025-04-05T08:22:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T12:22:43","slug":"tincaps-news-32-former-players-on-mlb-rosters-to-begin-2025-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2025\/03\/28\/tincaps-news-32-former-players-on-mlb-rosters-to-begin-2025-season\/","title":{"rendered":"TinCaps News: 32 former players on MLB rosters to begin 2025 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As the 2025 Major League Baseball season commences, a total of 32 former TinCaps players appeared on MLB Opening Day rosters.<\/p>\n

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Fort Wayne TinCaps Baseball:<\/p>\n

260 To The Show: TinCaps Alumni in Major League Baseball<\/strong>
\n32 Former Players on MLB Opening Day Rosters in 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

Fort Wayne, Indiana (March 28, 2025) \u2013 As the 2025 Major League Baseball season commences, a total of 32 former TinCaps players appeared on MLB Opening Day rosters.<\/p>\n

Since Fort Wayne\u2019s Minor League Baseball franchise was established in 1993, there have been 228 players who\u2019ve ascended from playing in the Summit City to the big leagues. (The club was known as the Wizards through 2008 before rebranding as the TinCaps in \u201909.)<\/p>\n

Former TinCaps stand on 17 of MLB\u2019s 30 teams heading into 2025, five of which are a part of the San Diego Padres, Fort Wayne\u2019s parent club.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re amazed to see the incredible talents that have had time here at Parkview Field,\u201d said TinCaps President Mike Nutter. \u201cThe local fanbase not only has been able to enjoy our overall atmosphere but see some of the best players that the game of baseball has to offer. There are players on the field each and every night who are future big leaguers and it\u2019s amazing to see the achieve their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following an All-Star selection and second-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, 2023 TinCap Jackson Merrill started Opening Day in center field for the Padres, driving in their first two runs of the season on an RBI single and making a leaping catch in front of the outfield wall.<\/p>\n

After three consecutive seasons with 20-plus homers, Fernando Tatis Jr. (2017) opened up the season with San Diego\u2019s first run and added a trio of singles. Other alumni with the Padres include Omar Cruz (2019), Alek Jacob (2022), and Adrian Morejon (2017).<\/p>\n

San Diego\u2019s coaching staff also included five former Fort Wayne staff members: catching coach and game strategy assistant Brian Esposito (2022), hitting instructor Morgan Burkhart (2013-14), athletic trainer Ricky Huerta (2013-15), strength coach Jay Young (2017), and equipment manager T.J. Laidlaw. There are even more former players and coaches on the staffs of other teams.<\/p>\n

Nationals Opening Day starter MacKenzie Gore (2018, 2021) simply shined. Across six shutout innings, Gore struck out a career-high and Nationals Opening Day record 13 batters while giving up just one baserunner. Gore is the first pitcher since Bob Gibson in 1967 to strikeout 13 or more without issuing a walk on Opening Day. <\/p>\n

Across the 2024 season, 53 former TinCaps found time in the big leagues, including a dozen of who made appearances on postseason rosters. In total, former TinCaps appeared on 26 MLB teams with 13 coming from the Padres.<\/p>\n

Though he never played for the TinCaps, North Side High School alum Zach McKinstry has returned to the Detroit Tigers for his third season after helping propel the group to its first postseason appearance in a decade.<\/p>\n

The TinCaps will open their 2025 season at Parkview Field on Friday, April 4 (7:05 p.m.) against the A\u2019s-affiliated Lansing Lugnuts. Single game tickets \u2014 starting at just $7 \u2014 are available now through TinCaps.com\/tickets<\/a>, by calling 260-482-6400, and at the Parkview Field Ticket Office.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Former TinCaps Players on 2025 MLB Opening Day Rosters<\/strong>
\nFrom the TinCaps<\/em><\/p>\n