Press Release: Brooklyn Cyclones Announce Preliminary Roster for 2024 Season

April 1, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ryan Clifford, Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean highlight unit that features 16 returnees

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (April 1, 2024) - The Brooklyn Cyclones have announced their preliminary roster for the 2024 South Atlantic League campaign, in collaboration with the New York Mets. The initial roster includes 30 players, consisting of 16 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders, and four outfielders. Among the players, four are considered as top 30 Mets' prospects by MLB.com, including OF Ryan Clifford (No. 4), RHP Brandon Sproat (No. 13), Nolan McLean (No. 19), who is a two-way player, and RHP Calvin Ziegler (No. 22).

16 of 30 players on Brooklyn's opening roster have played in Coney Island before. Clifford, who joined the team after being acquired by the Mets in the Justin Verlander trade last summer, is back playing alongside the Cyclones' single-season (23) and all-time home run leader (28), OF Stanley Consuegra, as well as OF Omar De Los Santos, who broke the franchise's single-season stolen base record (37) in 2023.

INF William Lugo, who won the Mets' Minor League Infield Gold Glove award in 2023, is back with the club in the infield along with Arizona Fall League participant INF D'Andre Smith, INF Junior Tilien, and INF Mateo Gil, who hit 10 home runs for the team last summer. C Drake Osborn and 2023 draftee C Christian Pregent will again be behind the plate.

Seven out of the 16 players who are returning to the team are pitchers. Among them, LHP Felipe De La Cruz, who performed impressively with a 2.65 ERA (5 ER in 17.0 IP) over three starts with the 'Clones at the end of the last season, is back in the rotation. Meanwhile, RHP Josh Hejka, who missed the entire 2023 season due to injury, is returning to the bullpen. The other familiar faces in the pitching staff include RHP Jeffrey Colón, RHP Joshua Cornielly, RHP Jordan Geber, RHP Joey Lancellotti, and RHP Jordany Ventura.

Top newcomers in 2024 include farmhands Sproat, McLean, and Ziegler, who is set to join the Cyclones' pitching staff after being limited to one start and one inning of work last year.

RHP Noah Hall, RHP Justin Lawson, INF Nick Lorusso, and RHP Ben Simon are set to make their High-A debuts after being selected by the Mets in 2023. They will be joined by Dakota Hawkins, an undrafted free agent signee, and two off-season acquisitions, RHPs Victor Castañeda and Diosmerky Taveras.

C José Hernández, RHP Douglas Orellana, OF Karell Paz, and INF Kevin Villavicencio round out the initial list of 30.

Gilbert Gómez, who managed Single-A St. Lucie last summer and Tigres del Licey in the Caribbean World Series this winter, takes over as manager. The bench coach John Vaughn returns to Coney Island while hitting coach Eduardo Núñez, pitching coach Dan McKinney and development coach Regan Saulnier will follow Gómez from the Florida State League.

The support staff includes athletic trainer Joe Parrillo, athletic training associate Skylar Nicholson, strength and conditioning coach Trent McMaster, baseball development associate Chloe Walker, and baseball analytics associate Max Blane.

The Cyclones open the 2024 season with a three-game set on the road against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, starting on Friday, April 5, at Frawley Stadium.

Following a league-wide off day, Brooklyn will return to Maimonides Park for the home opener on Tuesday, April 9, against the Asheville Tourists, the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m., with gates scheduled to open at 6. To purchase tickets, visit BrooklynCyclones.com/tickets.

PITCHERS (16): Victor Castañeda, Jeffrey Colón, Joshua Cornielly, Felipe De La Cruz, Jordan Geber, Noah Hall, Dakota Hawkins, Josh Hejka, Joey Lancellotti, Justin Lawson, Douglas Orellana, Ben Simon, Brandon Sproat, Diosmerky Taveras, Jordany Ventura, Calvin Ziegler

CATCHERS (3): José Hernández, Drake Osborn, Christian Pregent

INFIELDERS (6): Mateo Gil, Nick Lorusso, William Lugo, D'Andre Smith, Junior Tilien, Kevin Villavicencio

OUTFIELDERS (4): Ryan Clifford, Stanley Consuegra, Omar De Los Santos, Karell Paz