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MLB Opening Day Rosters Feature 41 Alumni

This year, a record 41 players with West Coast League experience have earned spots on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters. This marks the third consecutive season with the WCL setting a new record for alumni on Opening Day rosters.

Former WCL players gearing up to start the season in the big leagues include 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, 2022 American League Rookie of the Year runner-up Adley Rutschman, and 2022 National League All-Star Tyler Anderson.

Rising young standouts like Andrew Vaughn (Chicago White Sox) and Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians), along with pitchers Nick Pivetta (Boston Red Sox) and Drew Rasmussen (Tampa Bay Rays) are also slated to start the 2023 campaign in the major leagues.

Here is the list of West Coast League alumni on MLB Opening Day rosters in 2023:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Shane Bieber (Cowlitz), Cleveland Guardians
Matt Boyd (Corvallis), Detroit Tigers
Seth Brown (Bend), Oakland A’s
*Griffin Canning (Wenatchee), Los Angeles Angels
Adam Cimber (Kitsap), Toronto Blue Jays
Matt Duffy (Corvallis), Kansas City Royals
Marco Gonzales (Wenatchee), Seattle Mariners
*Spencer Howard (Bellingham), Texas Rangers
Cooper Hummel (Bend/Cowlitz/Walla Walla), Seattle Mariners
Cole Irvin (Cowlitz), Baltimore Orioles
James Kaprielian (Wenatchee), Oakland A’s
Ryan Kreidler (Wenatchee), Detroit Tigers
Steven Kwan (Corvallis), Cleveland Guardians
Ramon Laureano (Medford), Oakland A’s
Nicky Lopez (Bend), Kansas City Royals
Nathan Lukes (Victoria), Toronto Blue Jays
Seth Martinez (Bellingham), Houston Astros
Phil Maton (Kelowna), Houston Astros
*Wyatt Mills (Kelowna Falcons/Yakima Valley), Boston Red Sox
Eli Morgan (Yakima Valley), Cleveland Guardians
*James Paxton (Kelowna), Boston Red Sox
Nick Pivetta (Victoria), Boston Red Sox
Drew Rasmussen (Wenatchee), Tampa Bay Rays
Adley Rutschman (Corvallis), Baltimore Orioles
Paul Sewald (Spokane), Seattle Mariners
*Tarik Skubal (Kitsap), Detroit Tigers
Kyle Stowers (Bellingham), Baltimore Orioles
Ryan Tepera (Kelowna), Los Angeles Angels
Andrew Vaughn (Victoria), Chicago White Sox

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Tyler Anderson (Corvallis), Los Angeles Dodgers
* Sean Bouchard (Walla Walla), Colorado Rockies
*Mitch Haniger (Corvallis), San Francisco Giants
*Rhys Hoskins (Kitsap), Philadelphia Phillies
Andre Jackson (Kelowna), Los Angeles Dodgers
Connor Joe (Kelowna), Pittsburgh Pirates
Nick Madrigal (Corvallis), Chicago Cubs
Garrett Mitchell (Walla Walla), Milwaukee Brewers
*Tommy Nance (Cowlitz), Miami Marlins
Stephen Nogosek (Corvallis), New York Mets
David Peterson (Medford), New York Mets
Michael Rucker (Bellingham), Chicago Cubs

* Opening season on injured list.

That list of WCL/MLB players this year is sure to grow. During the 2022 MLB campaign season, a record 62 alumni of West Coast League teams ultimately played in the major leagues for some or all of the season.

About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is the West’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and now Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences around the nation. Every summer, the league features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with North America’s best baseball weather and a mix of classic and modern ballparks, all backdropped by the sport’s most stunning scenery. The 2019 MLB amateur draft began with former Corvallis Knight Adley Rutschman selected with the overall No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Orioles, and the 2022 draft featured two West Coast League alumni, Brooks Lee and Gabriel Hughes, among the first 10 picks.