Las Vegas Aviators Unveil Exciting 2025 Opening Day Roster

Jun 1, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of an Oakland Athletics hat and glove on the field against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While the Athletics are primed to sneak up on some people in 2025, their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, the Aviators, are going to be key to watch in the early part of the season as the roster takes on different forms.

A key for any successful team in today's game is the depth that the club has, and the A's depth resides in Las Vegas.

This week, the Aviators unveiled their Opening Day roster for the 2025 campaign, which includes Nick Kurtz, as we wrote about yesterday. Kurtz is the A's No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and was the fourth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft.

Kurtz has played all of 12 games in the minor leagues, not including his handful of games in the Arizona Fall League or spring training, and his first full-season assignment is straight to the highest level of the minors. He could end up in West Sacramento before long.

The other big name on the roster to keep an eye on is right-hander Mason Barnett, whom the Athletics acquired from the Kansas City Royals last deadline as a key piece in the Lucas Erceg deal. He comes into the 2025 campaign as the A's No. 4 ranked prospect.

After cleaning up some of his mechanics last season, Barnett posted a 2.61 ERA in seven starts with the Double-A Midland RockHounds. His FIP was a 3.68 with the Royals at the same level, but he'd posted a 4.91 ERA in 91.2 innings. His FIP with Midland crept a little lower, to 3.24.

ROSTER LOCKED. GO TIME.
The 2025 Aviators are cleared for takeoff.
Strap in, Las Vegas—this team’s built to fly.#AviatorsUp #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/2q3cO1AJXS

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) March 28, 2025

Elvis Alvarado is another guy to keep an eye on. He was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates this winter, and is one of the types of pitchers the A's love to target: High strikeout/high walk pitchers. Oh yeah, and he throws gas.

The hope being that they can curb the walks a bit, at least to a manageable rate, and keep getting the K numbers.

This spring he struck out nine batters in 4.2 innings of work, and walked four. Last season in Triple-A he walked 17.8% of the batters he faced, while striking out 33.2%. If that walk rate dips to say 12%, then he could be in line for a promotion.

This Aviators team is stacked with former first rounders like Daniel Susac, and top prospects like Denzel Clarke and Colby Thomas. There is a decent chance that the A's will have to utilize a number of these players over the course of the year, too, so keep an eye on the Aviators.

Opening Night for Vegas is tonight, March 28, at home against the Reno Aces. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (PT), and J.T. Ginn will get the ball for the Aviators.