The last time Jacob Berry’s bat met ball in a Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp uniform, the resulting thud rang in Northeast Florida’s loudest baseball championship moment for more than 60 years.
He’s not done yet.
“The goal is to be right back in that game again this year,” said Berry, whose walk-off home run against the Las Vegas Aviators made history for the Jumbo Shrimp last Sept. 28.
When Berry and his Jumbo Shrimp teammates step into the batter’s box for the first pitch at VyStar Ballpark, they’ll be carrying a new title into the International League baseball season: champions of Triple-A.
Fresh off their Triple-A title earned in Las Vegas last September, as well as the franchise’s sale to a new ownership group, the Jumbo Shrimp open 2026 with a three-game series against the Rochester Red Wings starting March 27.
First pitches fly at 7:05 p.m. March 27, 6:35 p.m. March 28 and 2:05 p.m. March 29.
Friday’s first pitch marks the start of a new era. Prospector Baseball Group purchased the Jumbo Shrimp from former owner Ken Babby in December following Babby’s installation as chief executive officer of the American League’s Tampa Bay Rays.
However, new president and general manager Matt Goudreau, promoted in the winter after Harold Craw also moved to the Rays as senior vice president of community engagement and social responsibility, said the organization doesn’t plan on a significant shake-up with the Jumbo Shrimp “really on an upward trajectory.”
“It’s really seeing if there are small tweaks we can make to make things better,” Goudreau said. “We’re so proud of the improvements that we’ve been able to make to the ballpark.”
The improvements on the diamond, under second-year manager David Carpenter, included 92 wins counting regular season and playoffs, the most in Jumbo Shrimp history.
CONTINUITY IN THE DUGOUT
Continuing their affiliation with the Miami Marlins, the Jumbo Shrimp welcome a few new faces but field many of the same names that made Jacksonville baseball history a year ago.
More than half of the 30-man opening day roster has prior experience with Jacksonville in some form, including the one player on the roster actually from the area. Catcher Brian Navarreto, born in Puerto Rico, attended the now-closed Arlington Country Day School in the early 2010s. He’s also reached the level that all Jumbo Shrimp aspire to, making the majors briefly with the Marlins during the 2020 and 2025 seasons.
“Just finding yourself as a champion in front of all the crowd that’s supported you all year long, it feels amazing,” Navarreto said. “I can’t wait to start.”
Also back in the dugout is Carpenter, who presided over the Jumbo Shrimp’s improvement from consecutive sub-.500 seasons to the top of the International League. For the Marlins organization, which has lifted its farm system ranking from No. 29 in 2024 to No. 11 this spring, turning today’s Jumbo Shrimp into tomorrow’s MLB-ready prospects is the priority.
“That’s our main focus,” Carpenter said, “to continue to polish, to continue to refine and make guys the best versions of themselves so that when they get to the big leagues, they’re fighting for a World Series championship.”
YOUNG ARMS READY TO SHINE
Opening Day is here, and Robby Snelling is ready.
“I don’t think there’s something that feels better to me than getting to break in a home mound to start a home game, especially on Opening Day,” he said. “Being able to get your cleats on that mound first and kind of own it, it’s awesome.”
Pitchers helped carry the Jumbo Shrimp to victory in 2025, and this year, they return two of the top 40 prospects across the minors in left-handers Thomas White and Snelling.
White (4-3, 2.31 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) begins the season on the 7-day injured list, but Snelling is ready to go for Opening Day. The 22-year-old, formerly a four-star football recruit at Reno (Nev.) McQueen where 247Sports ranked him as a top-40 linebacker prospect nationwide, dominated down the stretch for Jacksonville in 2025.
Snelling, who went 6-2 with a 1.27 ERA and an 0.990 WHIP with the Jumbo Shrimp, said he improved last year through video breakdowns of his mechanics and study of opposing batters. In the big picture, though, Snelling said his key to success is simple.
“Just go out and trust your stuff and know that you’re good enough,” he said.
Also back for the Jumbo Shrimp is Braxton Garrett, who started for the Marlins in 2023 and 2024 and is now working his way back from an elbow issue that cost him his 2025 season.
MACK LEADS BATTING PROSPECTS
A Triple-A champion and a top-65 minor league prospect across all of baseball for MLB.com, Joe Mack isn’t resting on last year’s achievements.
“I’m going to have a more refined approach at the plate and stick with that across each and every at-bat,” he said. “I’m going to strike out a little bit less, which is my goal. It’s easier said than done, but I think there’s a couple of things I can do to help me with that.”
The catcher is ranked fifth across the Marlins’ minor league system coming off a .257/.338/.475 season split between Jacksonville and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, including 22 doubles and 21 home runs.
Mack and outfielder Kemp Alderman, ranked ninth among Marlins prospects, are among several familiar hitters for Jumbo Shrimp fans to watch this year, from postseason hero Berry to hard-swinging Deyvison De Los Santos to outfield speedster Andrew Pintar.
In the not-too-distant future, Jacksonville could get a look at other top-10 Marlins talents like shortstop Aiva Arquette and outfielder Cam Cannarella, who both open the season at High-A Beloit.
JACKSONVILLE JUMBO SHRIMP 2026 OPENING DAY ROSTER
Pitchers (15 active, 3 on IL): Garrett Acton, Bradley Blalock, Josh Ekness, Dax Fulton, Braxton Garrett, Cade Gibson, Ryan Gusto, William Kempner, Zach McCambley, Evan McKendry (IL), Patrick Monteverde, Jack Ralston, Robby Snelling, Jesús Tinoco (IL), Jake Walkinshaw, Josh White, Thomas White (IL), Tyler Zuber
Catchers (3): Bennett Hostetler, Joe Mack, Brian Navarreto
Infielders (7): Jesús Bastidas, Jacob Berry, Deyvison De Los Santos, Nathan Martorella, Cody Morissette, Johnny Olmstead, Jared Serna
Outfielders (5): Kemp Alderman, Matthew Etzel, Daniel Johnson, Ethan O’Donnell, Andrew Pintar
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Champion Jumbo Shrimp open 2026 season. Here’s what fans need to know
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
