Hartford Yard Goats announce 2026 Opening Day roster featuring top Rockies prospects

The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, announced its 2026 Opening Day roster Monday, headlined by several of the parent club’s top-ranked prospects.

The 29-man roster includes 16 pitchers and 13 position players. Among the group are two of the Rockies’ top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com: left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring (No. 9) and infielder Roc Riggio (No. 10). Both players were acquired from the New York Yankees in trade deadline deals last July.

Herring, a former LSU standout, enters his second professional season after posting an 8-4 record and a 1.89 ERA in 2025. His ERA was the third-lowest in the minor leagues last season. Riggio returns to Hartford for his second season after being obtained in exchange for Major League reliever Jake Bird.

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The roster also features 2021 first-round pick Benny Montgomery and top-30 prospects Cole Messina (No. 21) and Konner Eaton (No. 26).

A veteran core returns to Dunkin’ Park, with 19 players having previously played for Hartford. The returning group is led by first baseman and outfielder Zach Kokoska, who led the Eastern League in home runs in 2024 with 20. Kokoska currently ranks second all-time in career home runs for the Yard Goats franchise.

The 2026 squad is composed of 15 Rockies draft picks, five international free agents, five minor league free agents, and four players acquired via trade. Since its inception in 2016, the Hartford franchise has produced 85 Major League players, including 16 who made their big-league debuts in 2025.

The Yard Goats are scheduled to open the 2026 season at home on Thursday, April 2, at 7:10 p.m. against the Chesapeake Baysox, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Tickets are currently available through the team’s website and the Dunkin’ Park box office.

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4/11 – Lotus
4/11 – North Country Band
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4/17 – Bad Animals
4/17 – Ryan Montableu Band
4/18 – Anders Osborne
4/19 – The Queens Meet The Kings
4/21 – Davy Knowles
4/22 – Afternoon of Jazz
4/23 – Bob Margolis Blues Band
4/24 – Save Ferris
4/25 -Alison Brown
4/26 – Thee Sinsters & The Altons
4/30 – Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

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4/10 – Providence Bruins vs Hartford Wolf Pack, click here to purchase tickets
4/15 – Bridgeport Islanders vs Hartford Wolf Pack, click here to purchase tickets
4/17 – Springfield Thunderbirds vs Hartford Wolf Pack, click here to purchase tickets
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4/23 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents The Greatest Show on Earth, click here to purchase tickets
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Hartford Yard Goats announce 2026 Opening Day roster featuring top Rockies prospects