ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Red Wings are excited to welcome back seven former players to ESL Ballpark on Friday, July 17, as A.J. ACHTER, LOGAN DARNELL, PAT DEAN, COLE JOHNSON, ALEX MEYER, RYAN O’ROURKE, and MICHAEL TONKIN return to Rochester for a special pregame autograph session with fans.
The former Red Wings will be available to meet fans and sign autographs when gates open at 5:30 p.m., leading up to Rochester’s 6:45 p.m. matchup against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to take advantage of the autograph session before first pitch. Autographs will be available for fans with a valid game ticket while time permits outside of the Red Wings Hall of Fame.
Player Bios
A.J. Achter
Pitched for the Rochester Red Wings during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, emerging as one of the club’s most dependable late-inning relievers and helping secure a 2013 postseason berth. As the lone Red Wings representative selected to the International League All-Star team in 2014, Achter earned his first Major League call-up that September, making his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins. He later appeared in the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Angels and spent time in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system and the independent Atlantic League before transitioning into a collegiate coaching career.
Logan Darnell
A left-handed anchor for the Rochester Red Wings, this former Kentucky Wildcat spent parts of four seasons (2013–16) as a durable mainstay in the club's starting rotation. Throughout Rochester's era as a Minnesota Twins affiliate, he cemented his place in the team record books, finishing ranked first in wins (24) and innings pitched (359.1), tied for first in shutouts (3), and second in both strikeouts (252) and games started (55). His reliability earned him multiple call-ups to Minnesota, where he made his Major League debut in 2014. Following his tenure with the Twins, Darnell embarked on an extensive journeyman career, pitching in the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals organizations, serving three separate stints with the independent Somerset Patriots, and taking the mound internationally in both the Mexican League and Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
Pat Dean
A left-handed workhorse who pitched for the Rochester Red Wings from 2013 to 2016, serving as a highly durable anchor of the club’s starting rotation and leading the team in wins in 2015. His steady production earned him his first Major League opportunity, culminating in his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2016. Dean later took his talents international, signing with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League, where he pitched them to a 2017 Korean Series Championship. He concluded his extensive professional career with stops in the independent Atlantic League and the Colorado Rockies organization.
Cole Johnson
A right-handed reliever who pitched for the Rochester Red Wings during the 2015 season after climbing through the Minnesota Twins minor league system. The Notre Dame product made 17 appearances out of the Red Wings bullpen, posting a 3.42 ERA over 23.2 innings of work. Johnson later continued his professional career with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and spent time in independent baseball, notably suiting up for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League.
Alex Meyer
One of baseball’s top pitching prospects during his time in the Twins organization, Alex Meyer showcased an electric repertoire over three seasons in Rochester (2014–16). After leading the International League with 153 strikeouts in 2014, Meyer transitioned to a high-leverage bullpen role in 2015, dominating with a 0.53 ERA in relief to earn his first Major League promotion to Minnesota. In total, he made 68 appearances (38 starts) for the Red Wings before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.
Ryan O’Rourke
A reliable left-handed arm out of Rochester’s bullpen, Ryan O’Rourke pitched for the Red Wings from 2014 to 2016 before returning for a brief 2019 stint. His consistency earned him a Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2015, and he went on to make 54 appearances for the club over two seasons. After spending time in the Baltimore Orioles system, O’Rourke returned to the Big Leagues with the New York Mets in 2019, eventually finishing his playing career back in Rochester before transitioning to a collegiate pitching coach role.
Michael Tonkin
A fixture at the back end of the Rochester bullpen, this California native spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings between 2013 and 2017. He cemented his place in club history by racking up 43 saves, ranking him second all-time during Rochester's era as a Minnesota Twins affiliate. After making his Major League debut with the Twins in 2013, Tonkin frequently shuttled between Triple-A and the big leagues before embarking on a resilient global journey that included stops in Japan, Mexico, and independent baseball. His perseverance paid off with a remarkable return to the Majors with Atlanta in 2023. He followed that up by authoring one of the most unique seasons in modern baseball history in 2024, becoming a rare immaculate journeyman by suiting up for the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and a return to the Minnesota Twins all in a single calendar year.
Tickets for the July 17 game and all remaining 2026 Red Wings home games are available at RedWingsBaseball.com, by calling (585) 454-1001, or by visiting the Red Wings Ticket Office at ESL Ballpark.
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The Rochester Red Wings are operated by Rochester Community Baseball, Inc., and have been a community-owned professional franchise since 1957. Professional baseball has been played in Rochester since 1899, making the Red Wings one of the longest continuously operating franchises in North American sports. Since the opening of the ESL Ballpark in 1997, the venue has welcomed nearly 12.5 million fans.