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Cedar Rapids Kernels’ opening-night roster: A stacked infield
Six infielders who rank among the top-25 prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization begin the minor league baseball season in town
Mar. 31, 2025 1:46 pm, Updated: Mar. 31, 2025 3:24 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS - The infield should be pretty good. Potentially really good.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels released their 2025 opening-night roster Monday. The team flew into town Monday afternoon to prepare for their Midwest League season-opening series this weekend at Wisconsin.
The 30-man active roster includes six infielders who are ranked among the top-30 prospects in the parent Minnesota Twins organization, according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Six!
Three of the six played games here last season.
Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper was Minnesota’s first-round draft pick in 2024 out of Kansas State University. The No. 4 Twins prospect hit .210 in 17 games at the end of last season for the Kernels, after beginning his professional career at low-Class A Fort Myers.
Shortstop-third baseman Rayne Doncon hit .235 with seven home runs in 56 games for the Kernels after a midseason promotion from Fort Myers. Acquired in a trade originally from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Doncon is ranked 15th among Twins prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
Middle infielder Danny DeAndrade had his 2024 season sabotaged by an ankle injury that led to offseason surgery. Minnesota’s No. 26 prospect hit .243 in 29 games for C.R. before going on the injured list in May and not playing again.
Touted newcomers on the infield are Kyle DeBarge, Billy Amick and Brandon Winokur.
DeBarge was a first-round compensation draft pick (33rd overall) last summer out of Louisiana (Lafayette). He is considered an advanced hitter and played shortstop in college.
Amick, a third baseman, was a second-rounder out of Tennessee last year and is known for his power. Tennessee won the College World Series.
Third baseman Brandon Winokur was a third-round draft pick in 2023 out of a California high school. Despite being 6-foot-6, he has played a lot of shortstop in his pro career, as well as outfield, hitting ..249 with 14 home runs and 23 stolen bases last season at Fort Myers.
Winokur is ranked seventh amongst Twins prospects by MLB Pipeline, DeBarge 12th and Amick 14th.
Outfielders on the Kernels roster are Jaime Ferrer, Gabriel Gonzalez, Kyle Hess, Caden Kendle and Misael Urbina. Gonzalez (listed No. 27 on BA’s Twins prospect list), Hess and Urbina spent time last season in C.R., Gonzalez and Urbina the entire season.
Returnee Nate Baez and Khadim Diaw (ranked 30th by MLB Pipeline) are the team’s catchers.
Of the 16 active pitchers, Spencer Bengard, Tanner Hall, Alejandro Hidalgo, Ty Langenberg, Jeremy Lee, Juan Mendez, Juan Mercedes, Gabriel Yanez, Jacob Wosinski, Jack Noble and Samuel Perez all played for the Kernels. Langenberg was a regular rotation member and is a former Iowa Hawkeye from Urbandale.
The most highly regarded newbie on the staff is 19-year-old right-hander Charlee Soto. Minnesota’s No. 8 prospect was a compensation-round first-rounder in 2023 from Kissimmee, Fla., who made 20 starts last season for Fort Myers, striking out 87 in 74 innings.
Brian Meyer is C.R.’s first-year manager. Argenis Angulo and C.J. Baker return as co-pitching coach and hitting coach, respectively.
Newcomers on the staff are co-pitching coach Hunter Townsend and hitting and development coach Julian Gonzalez.
The Cedar Rapids-Wisconsin series if Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Kernels then return home for their home opener Tuesday, April 8, against the Beloit Sky Carp.
Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com
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