Andrew Graham is excited to be back in Erie for the third time.
The former catcher played for the SeaWolves in 2006 and returned to manage the team in 2018.
He's also excited for the challenge of winning another Eastern League championship.
“It's good to be back. It has been seven years since I've managed the team here and a lot has changed,” said Graham, the SeaWolves' new manager. “We have a lot of work to do for the three-peat and Gabe Alvarez set the standards really high here. We have a great group of guys back this season and we'll keep working on developing them for Detroit.”
The SeaWolves have won the past two Eastern League championships and begin their chase for a third title on Friday at 6:05 p.m. with the season-opening game at UPMC Park against Harrisburg.
The last organization to win three straight Eastern League championships was Harrisburg as the Senators won four in a row from 1996-99.
In addition to the excitement around the SeaWolves winning two straight championships during spring training, Major League Baseball announced that Detroit had the top minor league system in baseball.
“We always believed we had the top organization but now we have that number,” Graham said. “I've been lucky enough to be around the Tigers for a long time and the culture has changed. We have to keep moving forward and can't be content with where we are at. We want to keep developing these guys and win some games while we do it.”
Prospect hitters to watch
The SeaWolves feature one of the top prospects in the Detroit organization with catcher Thayron Liranzo. The 21-year-old is the No. 5 prospect and came to Detroit last July in a trade for pitcher Jack Flaherty. Liranzo originally signed with the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He's had varied success in the minor leagues and became the MVP of the fall all-star game in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.
Erie has three other prospects in the lineup with outfielder Roberto Campos (No. 22), second baseman Max Anderson (23) and outfielder Justice Bigbie (27). Campos, who is from Cuba, will make his Double-A debut at 21 years old and joins an experienced outfield with Ben Malgeri and Brady Allen. Bigbie is another familiar face and spent all of 2024 with Triple-A Toledo.
Anderson, 23, was a second-round pick by the Tigers in 2023 and played five games with the SeaWolves last season. He is part of a familiar infield with Chris Meyers, Jake Holton and Danny Serretti. Jim Jarvis will make his Double-A debut as ...
