Fifteen MiLB Prospects Answer This Question: What Jersey Number Do You Hope to Wear When You Reach the Majors?

By MiLB.com

46

The Royals’ Yordano Ventura: “Because Pedro [Martinez] was 45, and I want to be the first one after Pedro.”

44

The Tigers’ Bruce Rondon: “My dad’s favorite number — his dream was to watch me pitch with Detroit wearing number 44. Unfortunately I didn’t get that number, but I have the one right before, number 43. Honestly, he has never told me why [he liked that number]. I always ask him why and he never wants to tell me, but that’s his favorite number. I told him that one day he has to tell me what the number means to him.”

23

The Rays’ Jake Odorizzi: “My jersey here is that. If I don’t make it out of Spring [Training] or do, I’ll be wearing that. I’ve always had that number growing up. My friends and I just wanted to be in the 20s, and that was the one I settled on. This is the first time I’ve been able to wear it at the Major League level, which I’m excited about.

21

The Yankees’ Tyler Austin: “I would love to wear it. That is my favorite number. My brother wore 21. I wore 21 growing up, so it was like an always-21 deal. I wore it all throughout high school and travel ball, so I would love to wear 21 if the opportunity presented itself for me to wear that number. Guys usually pick it before I do [on Minor League clubs]. They usually get in there and pick their numbers before I have a chance to get in there.”

The Rockies’ David Dahl (to MiLB.com colleague Ashley Marshall): “I haven’t really thought about it. I’m just trying to get there. When I was a freshman in high school, I got the last pick out of all the numbers; 21 was available, so I used that all the way through high school and then I used it my first year in [Class A Short-Season] Grand Junction, so now I like it a lot.”

11 (or 12?)

The Marlins’ Jake Marisnick (to MiLB.com colleague Danny Wild): “That’s kind something I’m trying to nail down. I’m not sure. I might look at 11 or 12, that’s what I wore in high school. But I’m not 100 percent sure.”

11

The Blue Jays’ Roberto Osuna: “I feel like that’s my lucky number. I’ve worn it all the time since I was a little kid.”

8

The Brewers’ Rays’ Richie Shaffer (to MiLB.com colleague Ashley Marshall): “I’ve worn number eight pretty much my whole life because of Cal [Ripken Jr.]. That’s just something I grew up doing. I started at a young age with that and I’ve tried to keep it going as much as I can. It’s a little more difficult when you get into professional baseball. You kinda get given a number. But whenever I can, I try to keep eight in there somewhere — when I can’t get it straight up, either 18 or 28. Having an eight in there is something I’ve always connected with.”

7

The Mariners’ Stefen Romero: “I don’t know if anyone in the big leagues [ on the Mariners] has seven right now — I don’t think so — but that was my [Arizona] Fall League number actually and I thought it looked pretty good on the [Mariners’] big league uniform.”

5

The Padres’ Jedd Gyorko (to MiLB.com colleague John Parker): “I’ve been wearing that since I was in school, but Alexi [Amarista] has it with the Padres, so I’d probably have to go with nine as an alternate.”

The Marlins’ Andrew Heaney: “I wore that in high school, and when I got to Oklahoma State we had a senior that was leaving, and they were like, ‘Yeah, you’ll get number five when he leaves. And then one of the guys that was older than me was like, ‘Uh-huh, no, I’m getting number five. I’ve been waiting for it.’ So I changed to eight, and since then I haven’t had a specific number. Honestly, should I get [to the Majors], whatever number got me there, I will be sentimental to that number or try to get five or eight, but it really doesn’t matter. I don’t have any tattoos with my number or a chain with my number, so it’s not dear to my heart.”

4

The Astros’ George Springer (to MiLB.com colleague Sam Dykstra): “It was the number I was assigned in college. I’ve always worn four, eight, 12 or 24, but four is a little bit special because it’s what I had in college and the experience I had there was better than anything I could have asked for.”

The Reds’ Ryan LaMarre: “I wore that in college, but I’m not really too picky when it comes to numbers. I don’t have a superstition or a jersey number that I have to wear. I wore four at Michigan — it was just in my locker when I got there when they assigned us numbers, and I wasn’t sure that I even wanted it, but I ended up sticking with it — so if I had to pick a number I’d wear 4, but I’ll wear whatever number they give me when I get to the big leagues.”

2

The White Sox’s Marcus Semien: “I would say that because that’s the number my dad wore. He was a wide receiver at Cal and, also I’ve grown up liking Derek Jeter.”

1(?)

The D-backs’ Adam Eaton (to MiLB.com colleague John Parker): “I have no idea! My numbers were always two and 10, but when I was called up Aaron Hill and Justin Upton had them, so that was out. I think they were originally going to give me number one, but we were on the road in San Francisco when I was called up and I guess they didn’t have a 1 with them. Stephen Drew had been traded, and I think they just tore his name off the back of a six jersey and gave it to me. It’s all cool with me.”