Memphis Opens with a Statement on the Mound

The Cardinal Chronicle
Morning Farm Report
Memphis Opens with a Statement on the Mound
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The Memphis Redbirds opened their 2026 season the way you want your Triple-A club to open it — clean, controlled, and led by pitching.

A 3-0 win over Gwinnett wasn’t just a box score result. It was a tone-setter.

Right-hander Richard Fitts got the ball in the opener and gave Memphis exactly what you’re looking for from a starter working into form. The 26-year-old, acquired in the Sonny Gray deal, worked 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out three. The command wasn’t perfect — four walks, including two in the first inning — but he settled in and showed composure. That matters more than the stat line this time of year.

From there, the bullpen took over — and that’s where things got interesting.

Packy Naughton picked up the win, tossing 1.1 perfect innings, striking out two and retiring all four hitters he faced. After multiple elbow surgeries and lost time over the last two seasons, seeing Naughton healthy and effective isn’t just a good story — it may turn into a needed one. The Cardinals are going to need a dependable left-handed arm at some point this season, and if he stays on the field, he’s going to force that conversation.

Gordon Graceffo closed it out with 1.1 innings for the save. Efficient, controlled, and exactly what you want from a pitcher who has already ridden the Memphis-to-St. Louis shuttle. He’s been up, down, and stretched thin at times — five separate stints in the majors last year — and it’s fair to question what that does to a young arm’s development. Stability might be the best thing for him right now.

Offensively, Memphis didn’t need much — just timely swings.

Ramon Mendoza provided the early spark with a solo home run in the second, then added an RBI double later in the game. Jimmy Crooks followed with a 415-foot shot to left-center in the fifth — a reminder of the raw power that earned him Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2024. The glove is big-league ready. The bat is still catching up. But the opportunity is coming.

At the top of the lineup, Bryan Torres did his job the old-fashioned way — he got on base. Three times. All walks. Doesn’t matter how it looks, that’s winning baseball. A leadoff hitter’s job is simple: be on base when the lineup turns over. He checked that box.

As for Nelson Velazquez, the spring standout finished 0-for-4 with a walk — one of those “a little bit outside” four-pitch passes that tells you pitchers weren’t interested in giving him much to hit.

On the health front, Memphis opens the season short-handed, with several arms on the injured list, including Ixan Henderson, Tekoah Roby, and Sem Robberse among others — a reminder that pitching depth isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

My Old School Take: Opening night in Triple-A wasn't about fireworks it was about,  indicators. Who’s healthy. Who’s throwing strikes. Who looks like they belong. Memphis checked a lot of those boxes last night, especially on the mound. And if that pitching holds, this club is going to matter all summer, not just in the standings, but in St. Louis.

 
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