Youngest Players On Opening Day Rosters In Every Minor League In 2023 — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

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Brewers phenom Jackson Chourio ended 2022 as the youngest player in Double-A. In 2023, nothing has changed. With a completely new set of rosters, Chourio begins the season not only as the youngest player in the Southern League, but also as the youngest player at Double-A.

The only difference? Now, he ranks as the No. 1 overall prospect in the game.

Chourio’s excellent performances at both Class A levels hinted at the kind of prospect he might become. With that in mind, BA takes its annual look at the youngest players on Opening Day rosters in each minor league. 

The name that immediately jumps out is Nelson Rada. The Angels outfielder signed his first pro contract in January 2022, then posted an excellent season in the Dominican Summer League. This year, the Angels have challenged the 17-year-old Rada, who begins the season as the youngest player in the full-season minor leagues after earning an assignment to Low-A Inland Empire.

The Angels were also aggressive with another one of their top prospects, catcher Edgar Quero, who jumped over High-A and began the season in Double-A Rocket City. He’s coming off a 2022 season in which he was MVP of the Low-A California League after hitting .312/.435/.530 with 35 doubles, 17 home runs and 12 stolen bases.

The youngest pitcher in the minor leagues is Braves righthander Didier Fuentes, who, like Rada, jumped over extended spring training and begins his season with Low-A Augusta. Fuentes signed with the Braves for $75,000 out of Colombia in 2022 and posted a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the DSL. He pairs a mid-90s fastball with a high-70s curveball that got whiffs at a 50% clip in 2022.  

Here are the top 10 youngest players in each full-season minor league on Opening Day. Only active players are counted, though players who would have ranked top 10 but opened on the seven-day injured list are listed as a footnote. BA previously reviewed the youngest players on major league Opening Day rosters.

International League (Triple-A)

Opened on seven-day IL: Elly De La Cruz, SS, Louisville (Reds), age 21.21

Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)

Opened on seven-day IL: Jorge Barrosa, OF, Reno (D-backs), age 22.11

Eastern League (Double-A)

Southern League (Double-A)

Texas League (Double-A)

Midwest League (High-A)

Northwest League (High-A)

South Atlantic League (High-A)

California League (Low-A)

Carolina League (Low-A)

Florida State League (Low-A)