Media release from the Rome Emperors:
The Atlanta Braves, in conjunction with High-A affiliate Rome, today announced the roster for the Emperors ahead of the 2025 season.
Once again there is no shortage of pitching talent on Rome’s break camp roster with five of MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Braves prospects beginning the year in High-A: JR Ritchie (no.8), Garrett Baumann (9), Didier Fuentes (12), Herick Hernandez (23), and Adam Maier (28). Third-year Manager Angel Flores will see a number of familiar faces on his Opening Day lineup card, having already skippered 9 of the 28 rostered players in either Rome in 2023 or Mississippi in 2024.
Catchers (2): Harry Owen, Tyler Tolve
California native Harry Owen has made it as high as Single-A Augusta twice since being signed to a MiLB contract in 2022. In 2024, Owen started 53 games behind the plate and threw out 24 runners. Veteran backstop Tyler Tolve returns to Rome where he started 68 games in 2022. He slashed .261/.338/.470 with a dozen homeruns and 47 driven in that year before spending all of 2023 and 2024 with Double-A Mississippi. Tolve, 24, attended Kennesaw State University and was a 17th round pick in 2021.
Infielders (6): Lizandro Espinoza, E.J. Exposito, Bryson Horne, Joe Olsavsky, Ambioris Tavarez, Will Verdung
Atlanta picked up the Venezuelan-born middle infielder Lizandro Espinoza this past offseason via the Rule 5 Draft. Espinoza spent the last two seasons with the Cardinals’ Florida State League team in Palm Beach where he compiled over 650 at-bats. Will Verdung will also be making his Emperors debut in April after completing a full season with Augusta in 2024. Taken out of Itawamba CC in the 13th round of the 2023 draft, Verdung forwent his commitment to Southern Miss to play in the Braves organization. E.J. Exposito, Bryson Horne, Joe Olsavsky, and Ambioris Tavarez have all spent significant time with Rome over the past two seasons.
Outfielders (3): Patrick Clohisy, Titus Dumitru, Stephen Paolini
Patrick Clohisy was the first of Atlanta’s 2024 draftees to report to Rome last season. The 11th round pick out of Saint Louis already has 22 hits across 94 minor league at-bats. Titus Dumitru, another 2024 pick out of New Mexico State, makes the jump from Augusta to Rome. Stephen Paolini is the only returning outfielder from the 2024 first-half championship team. His grand slam to walk off Greensboro last August is something the former fifth round pick is looking to build upon in 2025.
RH Pitchers (13): Garrett Baumann, Ryan Bourassa, Giomar Diaz, Didier Fuentes, Rob Griswold, Tyler LaPorte, Adam Maier, LJ McDonough, JR Ritchie, Austin Smith, William Silva, Luis Vargas, Cory Wall
LH Pitchers (4): Riley Frey, Herick Hernandez, Adam Shoemaker, Samuel Strickland
Newcomers Didier Fuentes, Herick Hernandez, Tyler LaPorte, and Adam Shoemaker certainly have big shoes to fill in 2025. A pitching staff that posted the second-best team ERA (3.47) and hurled 15 shutouts in 2024 returns starters JR Ritchie (1-1, 3.60), Adam Maier (1-1, 3.38), and Luis Vargas (3-3, 4.08). Fuentes, who shined in Atlanta’s Spring Breakout Game, slots in nicely with several already established High-A arms. Herick Hernandez, who was plucked from the University of Miami in the fourth round of last year’s draft, aims to be the fifth starter in Pitching Coach Horacio Ramirez’s rotation.
Tyler LaPorte, 27, signed a minor league contract with the Braves in February. His most recent action came with the Windy City Thunderbolts, a Frontier League team. Adam Shoemaker, once a starter with Augusta in 2023, transitioned to a bullpen asset in 2024, logging 69.2 innings with the GreenJackets and posting a 6.20 ERA. Bourassa, Griswold, Frey, McDonough, Wall, and Strickland comprise the rest of the Emperors bullpen.
Manager Angel Flores and his staff prep for an April 4th Opening Day contest with the Winston-Salem Dash, High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. First pitch is set for 7:00PM ET on Friday.