There will be Familiar Faces in the Outfield this season for the Greensboro Grasshoppers

The four Greensboro Grasshoppers for the start of the 2018 season, Aaron Knapp, Jhonny Santos, Isael Soto and Zach Sullivan have all played here in Greensboro in previous seasons and have worn the Greensboro Grasshoppers uniform before and now, starting tomorrow night/Thursday night, those four familiar faces will be roaming the outfield, at First National Bank Field again….

Some back for review, like Zach Sullivan, some back for a re-start like Isael Soto and some back for more work to be done before they can move up to the next level on regular basis, and that would be Knapp and Santos….

Zach Sullivan spent the entire season of 2017 with the Miami Marlins High Class A/Advanced A Jupiter Hammerheads, Soto was injured, Knapp was right here in Greensboro last season with the Hoppers and Santos working in Greensboro and in short season Batavia, during 2017….

Sullivan batted .178 at Jupiter last Summer, Knapp hit .218, with 34 stolen bases for the Grasshoppers, Soto was rehabbing in 2017, but he hit for a .247 clip for Greensboro in 2016….Santos was at .238 while splitting time between Greensboro and Batavia one year ago….

All four outfielders need more work and sometimes the one extra season at the Class A level, in Greensboro, can make a big difference in a player’s development…

Aaron Knapp told Jeff Mills of the News and Record on Monday:
“It’s bittersweet,” Knapp said. “It’s a little bummer to not move up, to not advance where you’re wanting to. But that’s baseball. What am I going to do? Cry about it? No. It’s my job to prove to the organization I can move up.”

“If I’ve got to repeat somewhere,” he said, “obviously this is where I’d want to be. Greensboro is an awesome town. It’s the best stadium, best crowd, best people, best food in the (Marlins’ minor-league) system.

“I’m happy to be done with spring training. Out here, you get fans and the whole atmosphere of a baseball game. That’s much different than a 1 o’clock start on Field Eight. You know? We’re all ready to go.”