RICHMOND, Va. – With Minor League Baseball clubs officially beginning their 2025 schedules in April, seven former Rams joined the Miami Marlins' Connor Gillispie back in action on the diamond this month with MLB affiliated clubs.
 
Gillispie appeared on the Marlins' 2025 Opening Day roster, while other VCU baseball alums saw upward movement in the minor leagues in the off-season.
 
Vimael Machín was assigned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides after signing a professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles in November and Sam Ryan joined the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils following his inking of a minor league contract with the Los Angles Angels in January. Paul Witt (Rochester Red Wings) and Brandon Eike (Everett Aquasox) were elevated to Triple-A and High-A clubs, respectively, and Christian Gordon (Myrtle Beach Pelicans) made his professional debut in Single-A.

Tyler Locklear began his season with the Tacoma Raniers, Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, and Danny Watson is in Somerset with the New York Yankees' Double-A Patriots. More in the Rams in the Pros roundup:
 
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Connor Gillispie – Miami Marlins
Gillispie made his first MLB start in his first start with the Marlins on March 28, following three bullpen appearances with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. He made his fifth start of the season on Sunday, ticking up his season totals to 21 strikeouts over 24.0 innings of work.
 

Welcome to the 305, Connor! ?? pic.twitter.com/cZm2hTm7zy

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) January 28, 2025

 
TRIPLE-A
Tyler Locklear – Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners)
Locklear is hitting .304 in Tacoma over 18 games this season, picking up his 21^st hit of the season with a home run on Sunday. Including a 4-5 performance earlier this month, Locklear has tallied seven multi-hit games and belted seven extra-base hits.
 
Vimael Machín – Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles)
Machín worked up a five-game hitting streak last week, with back-to-back three-hit games. So far in his return to MiLB, Machín has racked up 22 hits, including three doubles and a home run, for a .314 average through 18 games.
 
Paul Witt – Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals)
Witt smashed his first Triple-A home run this weekend, going 4-6 with three runs and two RBI over a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. Over his six games in Rochester, Witt is hitting .308.
 

456 feet later… first hit = first home run for Witt!! pic.twitter.com/qeIrqMwDfl

— Rochester Red Wings (@RocRedWings) April 18, 2025

 
DOUBLE-A
Danny Watson – Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees)
Watson has made five appearances out of the Somerset bullpen this season, three of them scoreless. To open his season, Watson recorded four of his five outs by strikeout, giving up just a hit in an otherwise spotless outing. He also made a perfect appearance over one inning of work in the closing role against Reading.
 
HIGH-A
Brandon Eike – Everett Aquasox (Seattle Mariners)
Eike was called up to Everett on April 1 from the Single-A Modesto Nuts, who he won a Californa League title with in 2024, and made his High-A debut earlier this month. Over the last four game, Eike has tallied six hits, with a double and two RBI, and enters the week on a four-game hitting streak.
 
Sam Ryan – Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels)
Ryan has made three scoreless appearances in his five outings from the Tri-City bullpen and has totaled nine strikeouts over 7.0 innings of work. In his most recent game, Ryan had his second perfect outing, going an inning and striking out one on Sunday.
 
SINGLE-A
Christian Gordon – Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs)
Gordon made his professional debut with the Chicago Cubs' Single-A affiliate this month. On Friday, he tallied his first professional strikeout in a scoreless appearance out of the Pelicans,' bullpen fanning four and giving up just one hit over 2.0 innings. He struck out the side in the eighth frame, helping the Pelicans to a combined shutout.
 

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) April 11, 2025