Kansas City Monarchs Roster

Monarchs Welcome Former Big Leaguer Fargas, Young Pitcher Bonvillain

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Two key players are joining the Kansas City Monarchs’ roster just in time for the start of the season: a veteran and a young gun.

The Monarchs have signed former Cubs and Mets outfielder Johneshwy Fargas along with 24-year-old left-hander Beaux Bonvillain, the club announced Saturday.

WELCOME TO KC, JOHNESHWY

An 11th round draft pick by the Giants in 2013, Fargas broke into the major leagues with the New York Mets in 2021. He hit .286 with an .810 OPS over seven games with New York.

The 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico was picked up by the Cubs off waivers later in the 2021 season, appearing in 15 games with the big club that year. He owns a .250/.264/.385 slash line over 22 MLB games, all in 2021.

Fargas, whose first name is pronounced juh-NESH-wee, is known for his speed. He’s stolen 281 bases in nine seasons between the major leagues and affiliated baseball. That included 28 steals last season, where he was back with the Mets in Double-A and Triple-A.

Born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Fargas has played winter ball on his native island throughout his career. He earned league MVP honors in the 2020-21 season, hitting .349 with a 1.069 OPS, four homers and seven steals in 16 games.

BEAUX KNOWS

Bonvillain comes to Kansas City after an outstanding 2022 season closing games for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League.

In one of the most hitter-friendly leagues in the world (average ERA: 6.53) Bonvillain posted a superb 1.66 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over 41 appearances, earning 10 saves.

2022 was Bonvillain’s pro debut after three years of college ball at Central Oklahoma. Primarily a reliever in college as well, he posted a 3.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 24 games (four starts) as a senior in 2022. Bonvillain also played collegiately at Central Arkansas and Crowder College.

The Monarchs start their 2023 season Saturday evening in Sioux City after Friday’s Opening Night game was rained out. First pitch of game one is set for 5:05 p.m. Central time. Fans can catch the radio broadcast at MonarchsBaseball.com/LIVE.

About the Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. This year, they are celebrating their 20th year of baseball in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. The Monarchs won ten Negro American League championships and two Negro League World Series championships in their history. The team featured numerous notable players over the years, including Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Buck O’Neil.

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball played its first season in 2006. It is a professional partner league that is affiliated with Major League Baseball but not specifically with any one team. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the South of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major league team.

 

Monarchs Opener At Sioux City Rained Out

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Kansas City Monarchs will have to wait a little longer for their season to start. 

The Monarchs’ season opener at Sioux City scheduled for Friday has been rained out. 

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Central time. The doubleheader will consist of two seven-inning games. 

Monarchs fans can catch both games on the radio at MonarchsBaseball.com/LIVE. 

Monarchs Carry Championship Mentality Into 2023

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By Nolan Brooks

KANSAS CITY, KS — The 2022 season ended in heartbreak for the Kansas City Monarchs. This year, they’re looking to reclaim the crown.

Coming off a season where they fell one game short of playing for their third American Association championship in four seasons, the Monarchs bring a remarkably talented roster into the 2023 campaign.

The Monarchs’ roster features seven players that have been called up to the major leagues. That includes big names like former Royals pitcher Brandon Finnegan and  veteran catcher Chris Herrmann, who spent parts of eight seasons in MLB. 

With all of the new player signings for 2023, manager Joe Calfapietra had plenty of praise for the new roster additions.

“A lot of these guys were in the big leagues or in Triple-A just last year. The fans are going to be watching a high level of talent on an everyday basis and it is exciting,” Calfapietra said.

This roster has plenty of talent across the board and that creates plenty of buzz over whether this team can be the best. As the 2023 season begins, Calfapietra recognizes there’s a long season ahead.

“The more we see this team, we are going to have to make tweaks in certain areas to be able to ‘catch the Joneses’, Calfapietra said. “Everybody thinks they have the best team coming out of spring training until they match up with the other teams and then you figure out what it takes to be a division winner and a competitor for the championship.”

The Monarchs are also returning two familiar names in outfielders Jacob Robson and Jan Hernandez. 

Robson, who joined the Monarchs for the final month of the 2022 season, is a former Detroit Tiger who represented Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

Hernandez returns for his third year with Kansas City. He was a contender for the AAPB’s Player of the Year award before an injury in the last month of the 2022 season. He finished the season with 71 RBIs in just 73 games. 

Both of those returning stars emphasized clubhouse chemistry as a key for the upcoming season.

“Chemistry comes first. Once you have that, it will show on the field,” Hernandez said.

“Everyone’s story and route is different in indy ball which makes it interesting but with that you do get some ‘salty dogs’ so you have to stay positive and rely on each other as a team,” Robson said. “I am excited to show people this year whether it is through my performance or my actions that we have team chemistry and it will help out throughout the season.”

As the 2023 season fast approaches, the message that everyone rooting for the Monarchs should receive here is that this is going to be a team with plenty of talent but also chemistry. Getting a team that is comfortable this early is a great sign especially when they tell you that at media day.

“We are family and are excited because we get to play a game we love and are excited to play this year,” Hernandez said.

The Monarchs open the season on the road against the Sioux City Explorers Friday at 7:05 p.m. With a talented roster, a confident manager and a fan base ready for another title, the 2023 Monarchs will be special to watch.

Monarchs’ McClelland Transferred To Royals

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Every Kansas City Monarchs player has the same goal: to make it to the highest level of baseball. For pitcher Jackson McClelland, that goal just got a whole lot closer.

McClelland’s contract has been transferred to the Kansas City Royals organization, the Monarchs announced Thursday.

“I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come to Kansas City,” McClelland said. “I have so much gratitude to everyone in the Monarchs organization, from Joe, to the rest of the coaching staff, the trainers, the front office. Without everyone at the Monarchs, this never would have happened.”

“We’re incredibly excited for Jackson,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “His stuff is great, his makeup is plus-plus. We can’t wait to see him make the most of this opportunity.”

Since January 1, 2017 (the year Calfapietra arrived) 40 Kansas City players have been signed by MLB organizations, the most in the American Association. 18 different MLB teams have signed Monarchs/T-Bones players over that span.

A former Blue Jays and Cubs prospect, McClelland did not pitch in 2022, opting to wait for an opportunity to catch on with an affiliated club. He signed with the Monarchs on February 21, 2023.

On Tuesday, McClelland and several of his teammates threw in a simulated game at Kansas City’s Urban Youth Academy. Royals scout Terry Wetzel was on hand, and liked what he saw.

“The life on his fastball, the bite on his slider, it’s all good,” Wetzel said. “He’s an impressive young guy.”

Wetzel says he stopped by the workout because he knew the talent the Monarchs had to offer.

“Joe [Calfapietra] and I have a great relationship,” Wetzel said. “He does an outstanding job, and he really cares about his players. And he gets good players.”

“Jackson was the guy that got signed on that particular day, but there were a lot of guys that had an opportunity to be seen, and a lot of guys showed really well,” Calfapietra said. “That’s going to go a long way for a lot of our guys.”

For McClelland, Tuesday was the start of the next chapter of his baseball career.

“Hopefully he does well with this chance, another chance to get back to an affiliated organization,” Wetzel said. “And if he does well, he definitely has a shot to get to the big leagues.”

“You get to keep chasing the dream,” McClelland said. “That’s what everybody’s after.”

The Monarchs open their season Friday in Sioux City at 7:05 p.m. Their home opener is set for Friday. May 19 at 7 p.m. against Sioux Falls.

McClelland Bringing ‘Mamba Mentality’ To Monarchs

20-20 Star Broxton Signs With Monarchs

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City Monarchs’ already-loaded roster just got another major-league boost.

Keon Broxton, who spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues, has signed with the American Association club for the 2023 season, the Monarchs announced Tuesday.

Broxton has suited up for the Pirates, Brewers, Mets, Orioles and Mariners over parts of five major league seasons. Fans in Milwaukee remember his exciting 2017 season, where he joined the 20-20 club and made plenty of electrifying defensive plays.

“Keon is obviously an impact player, and someone we’ve been interested in for a while,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “He can play all three outfield positions, which is big. On top of that, he supplies both power and speed. We’re excited to welcome him to Kansas City.”

The signing is a major addition to a loaded Monarchs outfield. All five outfielders currently under contract with Kansas City have played at the MLB or Triple-A level in the last two seasons.

The Monarchs’ season starts Friday night on the road in Sioux City. Their home opener is set for Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m.

Broxton, 33, has played for seven MLB organizations and in three countries over his 13-year pro career. A third-round draft pick by the Diamondbacks in 2009, he was traded to the Pirates ahead of the 2014 season.

The Lakeland, Florida native made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh the following year, scoring as a pinch-runner in his first game on September 21, 2015.

Broxton was traded to the Brewers in December of 2015. He spent 75 games with the big club in 2016, stealing 23 bases and getting caught just four times while posting a .242 batting average and .784 OPS.

In 2017, Broxton was the Brewers’ regular center fielder, stealing 21 bases and hitting 20 home runs, including a 489-foot blast.

Broxton remained with the Brewers organization in 2018, helping the club to an NLCS appearance. The Brewers traded him to the Mets the following offseason.

All of Broxton’s 2019 action was at the MLB level, with the Mets, Orioles and Mariners. He owns 39 home runs, 60 steals, and a .209/.297/.388 slash line over his MLB career.

Broxton was in Triple-A in 2021, in both the Twins and Brewers organizations. In 2022, he headed to the Mexican League, and quickly became one of that circuit’s top hitters.

Broxton ranked fourth in the league with a 1.150 OPS last summer, racking up 20 home runs and 12 steals over 73 games. He also continued to impress defensively in center field.

Fans can view the Monarchs’ full roster at MonarchsBaseball.com/Roster.

About the Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. This year, they are celebrating their 20th year of baseball in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. The Monarchs won ten Negro American League championships and two Negro League World Series championships in their history. The team featured numerous notable players over the years, including Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Buck O’Neil.

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball played its first season in 2006. It is a professional partner league that is affiliated with Major League Baseball but not specifically with any one team. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the South of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major league team.

Jan Is Back: All-Star Hernandez Returns For 3rd Season With Monarchs

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – For months, Kansas City Monarchs fans have been asking the question: Is Jan Hernandez coming back? Now they have their answer.

The power-hitting outfielder is returning for a third season with the Monarchs in 2023, the American Association club announced Tuesday.

The signing returns one of the league’s most feared hitters to a club already among the favorites for the AAPB championship. The Monarchs open their season Friday night on the road in Sioux City at 7:05 p.m. Their home opener is May 19 at 7 p.m.

“I feel like it’s going to be a great year for us, and the goal is to win the championship,” Hernandez said. “We are family. We’re just excited to be here again.”

“Every time Jan has been with us he’s been extremely good,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “He knows the winning culture here, and he’s a run producer. Every lineup could use a guy like him.”

Hernandez, 28, is one of the American Association’s elite players. He had an MVP-caliber campaign in 2022, hitting 24 homers and driving in 71 despite an injury that limited him to 73 games.

The native of Puerto Rico led the league with a .657 slugging percentage last year and ranked second with a .438 on-base percentage. He also stole 10 bases and made plenty of sparkling plays in the field.

“The whole year was special,” Hernandez said, “I feel like we enjoyed the moment for the whole season, from the first game until the last.”

Perhaps the most memorable night of Hernandez’s 2022 season came in the AAPB All-Star Game in Chicago. With the league’s brightest stars gathering for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Hernandez blasted the first pitch he saw for a no-doubt home run.

Hernandez’s debut season with the Monarchs in 2021 was just as impressive. The charismatic outfielder hit .318 with a 1.053 OPS, collecting 19 homers and 66 RBIs over 55 games. He was one of the frontrunners for the league’s player of the year award when he signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization midseason.

Born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, Hernandez was drafted in the third round by the Phillies in 2013 out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. He was the first player ever drafted out of the school, which was founded two years earlier. He made it as high as Triple-A in his affiliated career, most recently with the Reds organization in 2021.

Hernandez has returned to Puerto Rico to play winter ball for the past nine seasons. That includes two appearances in the Caribbean Series, both with Santurce, in 2019 and 2020.

Division champions in each of their last three seasons, the Monarchs boast a talented and deep roster for 2023 that includes six players that have spent time with a major-league club. Fans can find the Monarchs’ full 2023 roster at MonarchsBaseball.com/Roster.

About the Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. This year, they are celebrating their 20th year of baseball in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. The Monarchs won ten Negro American League championships and two Negro League World Series championships in their history. The team featured numerous notable players over the years, including Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Buck O’Neil.

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball played its first season in 2006. It is a professional partner league that is affiliated with Major League Baseball but not specifically with any one team. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the South of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major league team.