The Florida State League held its annual preseason news conference Wednesday at Miller’s Ale House — a five-minute drive from Jupiter’s Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
This time, a ring was in the restaurant. Yes, the championship ring was on display after the Single A Jupiter Hammerheads captured their first Florida State League crown last September.
The new season is here, and in a change of plans, the Palm Beach Cardinals and Hammerheads will play all their games at Roger Dean. In 2023, the two squads were displaced in July to the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches because of a stadium renovation that has now been postponed until after next year’s spring training . Originally, their 2024 seasons were to take place in West Palm Beach.
The Hammerheads will face the Cardinals on Friday in the season opener with fireworks to follow. Jupiter's Serenity Arce, who is a competitor on NBC's “The Voice,” is throwing out the first pitch.
Saturday’s promotion is pickleball rackets distributed to the first 500 fans.
In what should be a fan draw, the two 2023 first-round picks of the Cardinals and Miami Marlins, respectively, will start out in Jupiter.
“This is a fun time of year," PB Cardinals general manager Andrew Seymour said.
Here are the takeaways from the FSL get-together.
The ring is the thing as far as Hammerheads are concerned
As Hammerheads GM Nick Bernabe took the podium, he showed off his right hand, “Here’s my ring," he said. “I haven’t taken it off since I got it."
Jupiter went 72-60 and swept through the FSL playoffs, beating the Cardinals in the semifinals and Clearwater in the championship round.
Hammerheads staffers and players got their rings in March before a spring training game.
“It was crazy," said 21-year-old shortstop Jordan McCants, who played in 111 games last season. “Opening the box for the first time, it was like a sigh of relief and feeling 'we actually did it.' Everyone was waiting for it."
McCants, a 2021 third-round pick out of Pensacola, had an on-base percentage last season of .305 and is known for his defense.
“We made adjustments," McCants said of last season’s title run. “We had a great manager (Nelson Prada). When we were falling apart as a team or in the clubhouse, he always brought us together and we were brothers. It was more a family than a baseball team. When you have that as a team goal, you have a good chance of becoming a champion."
The Chase (Davis) is on
Outfielder Chase Davis, the record-setting University of Arizona slugger drafted first by the Cardinals (21 st overall ) last July, will start the season in Jupiter. He had 114 at-bats last season after being drafted, didn’t hit a home run but had an on-base percentage of .366.
“The speed of the game is a little faster," Davis said. “But a lot of things are similar talentwise and atmosphere (from Division I). It’s still baseball."
Davis hails from Sacramento, a fertile ground for major leaguers that currently includes Aaron Judge, Rhys Hoskins, J.D. Davis, Rowdy Tellez and current Cardinal Dylan Carlson, among others.
Davis’ goal? “Just leaving it all out there and not coming home after a game that I could’ve done more," Davis said. “That’s not a good feeling to have."
Marlins' No. 1 prospect playing with Hammerheads
The 19-year-old right-hander Noble Meyer is rated as the Marlins’ No. 1 prospect. Out of Oregon, Meyer was selected 10 th overall in last July’s draft, considered the top high school arm on the board.
Meyer topped out at 101 mph in high school. After the draft, Meyer came to Jupiter and made five appearances in 11 innings with a high velocity of 97.
“I just got to get the dust knocked off get up to the high 90s," Meyer said.
Meyer says he’s “adapted pretty well" to the South Florida summer heat. “In Oregon, it’s a lot colder but I got that aspect under my belt," he said.
More: Team without a home, Jupiter Hammerheads, are champions of Florida State League for first time
Meyer's goal is to finish the year at Double-A so catch him early in the season before he’s gone.
“He’s a really talented kid, got a great arm," Prada said. “He needs to pitch and repeat in order to get better. He’s going to be fun and throw strikes and maybe moving up at some point this year."
The Hammerheads will wear teal shirts on special occasions. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Florida State League
Season opener: Jupiter Hammerheads vs. Palm Beach Cardinals
6:30 p.m., Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida State League preview: Hammerheads, Cardinals have 2023 top picks on roster
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