Durham Bulls Announce 2025 Opening Day Roster
March 28, 2025 - International League (IL)
Durham Bulls News Release
DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, have announced their Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. Headlining the initial 2025 roster are infielder Carson Williams, rated the Top Shortstop Prospect, in addition to the ninth-best overall prospect in baseball and top Rays prospect by MLB.com, as well as 2024 International League batting champion Jake Mangum and one of the fastest players in professional baseball Chandler Simpson, who stole more than 100 bases last year.
The 21-year-old Williams is set to begin the 2025 campaign in Durham after spending the entire 2024 season with Double-A Montgomery, where he paced the Southern League in runs scored and RBI, in addition to ranking tied for first in triples, and second in slugging percentage (.469), total bases (203), and extra-base hits (46). He follows previous top Rays prospect Junior Caminero, who dazzled Bulls fans across his 53 contests with Durham last season.
Joining Williams in the infield are Wake Forest alum Bob Seymour, who paced all Tampa Bay Rays minor league players with 28 longballs last year, including 19 big flies across 57 games with the Bulls last season. Tanner Murray, who saw time with Durham in 2023 also returns to the Bull City, along with newcomers Coco Montes and Jamie Westbrook, who both boast Major League experience.
Mangum, who led the International League with a .317 batting average across 104 games with the Bulls last year, and Simpson, who led all minor leaguers with a .355 batting average and 104 stolen bases last year, headlines the group of outfielders. Tristan Peters is also set to return to the Bulls, joined by newcomers in 2020 American League Silver Slugger recipient Eloy Jimenez, who has appeared in 534 Major League contests across parts of six seasons, and Dru Baker begins the season in the Bull City after playing the entire 2024 campaign with Double-A Montgomery.
Durham's pitching staff features a mix of familiar names and fresh faces, with 2024 southpaw starters Joe Rock and Ian Seymour returning to the Bulls along with fellow 2024 hurlers Michael Flynn, Cole Sulser, Jacob Waguespack, and Logan Workman, while 2021 Bulls righty Joey Krehbiel also returns to Durham. Paul Gervase, who was born in Cary, North Carolina and attended Harnett Central High School in Angier, and Wake Forest alum Antonio Menendez are among the list of pitchers set to join the Bulls for the first time, along with Garrett Acton, Joe Boyle, Joey Gerber, Jonathan Hernandez, Eric Orze, Ben Peoples, and Connor Seabold.
Catcher Kenny Piper is also set to return to the Bull City after finishing the 2024 season with Durham. Joining Piper is fellow backstop Tres Barrera, who brings four years of Major League experience to Durham after playing with the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals.
Starting the year on Durham's injured list are catchers Logan Driscoll and Dominic Keegan, as well as infielder Tre' Morgan. Catcher Luis Ariza and right-hander Sean Hunley are set to start 2025 on the Bulls' Development List.
Bulls manager Morgan Ensberg is set to begin his second year at the helm for Durham, with pitching coach Brian Reith and hitting coach Kenny Hooks also back for the 2025 campaign, while German Melendez comes to Durham for his first season after previously serving in the same role with Double-A Montgomery.
After beginning the 2025 campaign with a three-game road series in Norfolk, the Bulls open their home slate at the DBAP on Tuesday, April 1 with a six-game homestand against the defending Triple-A National Champion Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.
Tickets for that game and all 75 home games are now available and can be purchased or calling 919.956.BULL.
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