Crawdads set for 2026 season under first-year manager Janssen

It’s time for the Hickory Crawdads to run it back.

In 2025, the Crawdads failed to qualify for the playoffs during their inaugural season as members of Minor League Baseball’s Carolina League after previously playing in the South Atlantic League from 1993-2024. However, the Texas Rangers’ Single-A affiliate still finished with a 68-62 record that was tied for the second-best overall mark among the six teams in the South Division.

In the end, the North Division champion Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats — who have since rebranded as the Hill City Howlers — won the league title. And while Hickory missed out on postseason play for the fourth time in five years, the club is hoping to change its fortunes this year under first-year manager Nick Janssen.

“It’s a blessing,” said Janssen of returning to Hickory after formerly serving as the Crawdads’ data apprentice in 2019. The Wisconsin native has filled other roles in the Rangers’ organization in the years since.

Janssen stated that he “really loved my time here” and is “excited to be back in a different capacity and be with a lot of these players that I’ve gotten to spend time with these last few years.”

“I hope to see them continue to grow,” he added. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity and couldn’t be more excited.”

Twenty-four of the 31 players on the Crawdads’ 2026 Break Camp Roster spent time in Hickory last season, including 13 of 14 position players and 11 of 17 pitchers. Notably, all five of the Crawdads’ outfielders (Braylin Morel, Hector Osorio, Paulino Santana, Marcos Torres, Deward Tovar) and all three of their catchers (Josh Springer, Juan Sulbaran, Jhocsuanth Vargas) are returners.

Osorio and Torres received the most playing time of the aforementioned players, with Osorio batting .251 with 71 hits including four home runs, five doubles, and four triples in 90 games, and Torres posting a .248 batting average with 64 hits including six homers, nine doubles, and three triples in 80 games.

The 20-year-old Osorio also knocked in 43 runs, scored 39 times, and stole 11 bases, while the 21-year-old Torres finished with 38 RBIs, 39 runs scored, and 22 steals.

Hickory’s catching trio combined to appear in just 35 contests, with the 20-year-old Sulburan (.262 BA, 16 H, HR, 6 2B, 6 RBIs, 4 runs) boasting the best individual statistics.

First baseman Pablo Guerrero (.208 BA, 72 H, 7 HR, 17 2B, 34 RBIs, 43 runs), a 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is also back after playing in 95 games, while other returning infielders are Angel Arredondo, Yolfran Castillo, Luis Marquez, and Esteban Mejia, the latter of whom is a 21-year-old who hit .268 with 59 hits including four homers, seven doubles, and two triples in 66 appearances. Mejia also drove in 37 runs, scored 27 times, and swiped 11 bases.

“I think it’s a good mix of guys that are different kinds of hitters,” said Janssen. “They have different strengths in terms of guys that get on base, guys that steal bases, and there’s some power in the middle of the lineup to drive them in. … We just want them to do what they do best, stay within their strengths, and I think we’ll be just fine on the offensive side of the baseball if we can do that.”

Among Hickory’s returning pitchers, three made at least 20 appearances a year ago: 23-year-old right-hander Jake Jekielek (34 games, all in relief), 22-year-old lefty Michael Trausch (29 games, all in relief), and 22-year-old righty Aneudis Mejia (22 games, nine starts).

Jekielek was tied for the team lead in wins (7-2 record), and he also had a 5.15 ERA as well as 45 strikeouts against 31 walks in 43 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Trausch had a 3-1 record, one save, a 3.05 ERA, and 50 strikeouts against 29 walks in 41 1/3 innings, and Mejia posted a 4-5 record, a 6.16 ERA, and 67 strikeouts against 43 walks in 61 1/3 innings.

Other returning hurlers for the Crawdads include righties Jesus Lafalaise, Frank Martinez, Jormy Nivar, Evan Siary, and Wily Villar, and southpaws Angel Anazco, Aidan Deakins, and Geury Rodriguez.

Also of note, right-hander AJ Russell is among the newcomers on Hickory’s roster — others are infielder Carter Garate and pitchers Alejandro Chiquillo, Louis Marinaro, JD McReynolds, Moises Morales, and Luimy Munoz — and he is one of three top-30 prospects in the Rangers’ system (according to MLB Pipeline) that will begin the season with the Crawdads. Russell is the organization’s third-ranked prospect, while Castillo is ranked eighth and Santana is 22nd.

A 6-foot-6, 223-pounder, Russell spent three years at the University of Tennessee before being drafted by the Rangers in the second round last July. The 21-year-old ultimately finished his college career with a 4-2 record, a 2.70 ERA, and 104 strikeouts against 26 walks while limiting opposing hitters to a .179 batting average in 70 innings across 42 appearances (11 starts).

“It’s a lot of younger guys … so there’s definitely some unknowns,” said Janssen of his club’s pitching staff. “And like with any younger pitcher, obviously getting the ball in the strike zone as consistently as possible is what’s most important. But I think we definitely have a good coaching staff to help these guys as they take their first step here and guide them along throughout the way, so I’m fully confident that they’re gonna be able to help these guys with what they need to have success on the field.”

Speaking of Hickory’s coaching staff, it also includes hitting coach Dan Padilla, pitching coach Carlisle Koestler, and development coaches Elevys Gonzalez and Herbert Iser.

“It’s the best time of the year,” said Janssen of the beginning of baseball season, which for the Crawdads saw them host the Columbia (S.C.) Fireflies late Thursday and Friday before completing the three-game series with a 7 p.m. game tonight (Saturday, April 4) at L.P. Frans Stadium. Hickory will then have two days off before traveling to Kannapolis to face the Cannon Ballers in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

“I think there’s definitely a lot of talent on the roster,” noted Janssen. “There’s a lot of potential, and hopefully we can have the performance to go with that as they get accustomed to being away from the (Arizona) Complex (League) for the first time and playing in front of fans and doing all those things. But it’s definitely an exciting roster for sure.”

For more information about the Crawdads, including their complete 132-game schedule with start times, visit milb.com/hickory.