Richmond's Opening Day roster features rising SF Giants corner infield prospect

SF Giants corner infield prospect Sabin Ceballos made quite an impression with the club this spring. He headlines the Giants' Double-A roster, as the Richmond Flying Squirrels published their Opening Day roster earlier this week.

Richmond's Opening Day roster features rising SF Giants corner infield prospect

The Giants acquired Ceballos last summer in a move that sent veteran bat Jorge Soler to the Atlanta Braves. He put up respectable numbers with the Braves' High-A affiliate, posting a .707 OPS with three home runs and 30 RBI in 377 plate appearances.

However, Ceballos went on a tear following the deal, slashing .295/.364/.549 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 140 plate appearances with the Eugene Emeralds. Aside from Bryce Eldridge, there were not many hitters who had a better stretch than Ceballos in the final part of the season.

The hot streak continued into this spring. The right-handed bat tallied nine hits, including two doubles and a home run, with seven RBI in 15 at-bats. It is hard to do much better than that. The Giants rewarded him with a promotion to Double-A to start the year. The Eastern League tends to be a litmus test for hitters, especially with college bats like Ceballos.

There will be several other intriguing position players to follow, including Aeverson Arteaga, Victor Bericoto, Jairo Pomares, Diego Velasquez, and Vaun Brown. While I think the new front office will be conservative with prospect promotions this season, they could be aggressive with Velasquez and Arteaga given that both will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next offseason. In particular, Velasquez is coming off a strong 2024 campaign at the plate, including a stint with Richmond.

The pitching side has plenty of intrigue. There will be a lot of strikeouts in the bullpen with relievers like Will Bednar, Trent Harris, Braxton Roxby, and Michael Stryffeler. And, there will be quite a few walks from many of those same arms. Harris was arguably the team's best pitching prospect last season and could be another name to move quickly.

John Michael Bertrand, Jack Choate, and Joe Whitman should see time in the rotation. Whitman showed improved control in the second half of last year, even if the topline numbers do not reflect it. Bertrand is returning to Richmond after finishing last season with the Sacramento River Cats. The Triple-A roster has a lot of depth, squeezing someone like Bertrand out of a roster spot.

Who wants to know a fun pop culture fact about the Flying Squirrels? The team owner, Lou DiBella , is a boxing promoter and played himself as Mason Dixon's promoter in the movie Rocky Balboa.