CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- One hundred and thirty-nine Appalachian League alumni started off the 2021 Major League Baseball season on Opening Day rosters. Twenty-nine of the 30 Major League Clubs featured Appy League alumni on their rosters to start the year.

The Minnesota Twins led the way with 16 former Appy League players on their Opening Day roster, followed by the Houston Astros, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, who each featured 10 to start the 2021 season.

The 139 alumni are highlighted by several MLB award winners from last season, including National League Silver Sluggers Ronald Acuña Jr. (Danville) and Donovan Solano (Johnson City), who played 37 and 45 games in the Appy League, respectively. Additionally, Adam Wainwright, who spent time with Danville in the Appy League and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2020, started his 16th season with the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day.

In the American League, the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year and Silver Slugger Award winner, Salvador Perez (Burlington), was one of seven past Appy League players featured on the Kansas City Royals Opening Day roster. Elizabethton alum Liam Hendriks won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award last season and started off the 2021 campaign with the Chicago White Sox.

Detroit Tigers third baseman Niko Goodrum spent the most time of any current big leaguer in the Appy League, playing 117 games for Elizabethton in 2011 and 2012. Twins outfielder Max Kepler also crossed the century mark in the Appy League, playing in 109 games alongside Goodrum in 2011 and 2012 for Elizabethton.

The complete list of Appy League alumni, by Major League club, who appeared on 2021 Opening Day rosters is as follows:

Arizona Diamondbacks (3)
Nick Ahmed (Danville)
Carson Kelly (Johnson City)
Tim Locastro (Bluefield)

Atlanta Braves (8)
Ronald Acuña, Jr. (Danville)
Ozzie Albies (Danville)
Ian Anderson (Danville)
Nate Jones (Bristol)
Charlie Morton (Danville)
Cristian Pache (Danville)
Austin Riley (Danville)
Huascar Ynoa (Elizabethon, Danville)

Baltimore Orioles (3)
Rio Ruiz (Greeneville)
Tyler Wells (Elizabethton)
Bruce Zimmerman (Danville)

Boston Red Sox (2)
J.D. Martinez (Greeneville)
Garrett Whitlock (Pulaski)

Chicago Cubs (2)
Jason Heyward (Danville)
Craig Kimbrel (Danville)

Chicago White Sox (1)
Liam Hendricks (Elizabethton)

Cincinnati Reds (2)
Jonathan India (Greeneville)
Lucas Sims (Danville)

Cleveland Indians (2)
Amed Rosario (Kingsport)
Eddie Rosario (Elizabethton)

Colorado Rockies (1)
Germán Márquez (Princeton)

Detroit Tigers (7)
Akil Baddoo (Elizabethton)
José Cisnero (Greeneville)
Niko Goodrum (Elizabethton)
Daniel Norris (Bluefield)
Victor Reyes (Danville)
Jonathan Schoop (Bluefield)
Julio Teheran (Danville)

Houston Astros (10)
Bryan Abreu (Greeneville)
José Altuve (Greeneville)
Carlos Correa (Greeneville)
Cristian Javier (Greeneville)
Chas McCormick (Greeneville)
Lance McCullers, Jr. (Greeneville)
Myles Straw (Greeneville)
Blake Taylor (Kingsport)
Kyle Tucker (Greeneville)
José Urquidy (Greeneville)

Kansas City Royals (7)
Jake Brentz (Bluefield)
Wade Davis (Princeton)
Cam Gallagher (Burlington)
Carlos Hernández (Burlington)
Jakob Junis (Burlington)
Nicky Lopez (Burlington)
Salvador Perez (Burlington)

Los Angeles Angels (3)
Alex Cobb (Princeton)
Junior Guerra (Danville)
Aaron Slegers (Elizabethton)

Miami Marlins (3)
John Curtiss (Elizabethton)
Elieser Hernandez (Greeneville)
Magneuris Sierra (Johnson City)

Milwaukee Brewers (1)
Adrian Houser (Greeneville)

Minnesota Twins (16)
Jorge Alcala (Greeneville)
José Berrios (Elizabethton)
Byron Buxton (Elizabethton)
Alex Colomé (Princeton)
Randy Dobnak (Elizabethton)
Tyler Duffey (Elizabethton)
Mitch Garver (Elizabethton)
Ryan Jeffers (Elizabethton)
Max Kepler (Elizabethton)
Jorge Polanco (Elizabethton)
Hansel Robles (Kingsport)
Taylor Rogers (Elizabethton)
Brent Rooker (Elizabethton)
Miguel Sanó (Elizabethton)
Andrelton Simmons (Danville)
Cody Stashak (Elizabethton)

New York Mets (10)
Miguel Castro (Bluefield)
Jacob deGrom (Kingsport)
Edwin Días (Pulaski)
Luis Guillorme (Kingsport)
Robert Gsellman (Kingsport)
Jeff McNeil (Kingsport)
Tomás Nido (Kingsport)
Brandon Nimmo (Kingsport)
Kevin Pillar (Bluefield)
Dominic Smith (Kingsport)

New York Yankees (1)
Nick Nelson (Pulaski)

Oakland Athletics (5)
Elvis Andrus (Danville)
Chris Bassitt (Bristol)
Adam Kolarek (Kingsport)
Ramón Laureano (Greeneville)
Yusmeiro Petit (Kingsport)

Philadelphia Phillies (4)
José Alvarado (Princeton)
David Hale (Danville)
Matt Moore (Princeton)
Vince Velasquez (Greeneville)

Pittsburgh Pirates (5)
Anthony Alford (Bluefield)
Phillip Evans (Kingsport)
Michael Feliz (Greeneville)
Mitch Keller (Bristol)
Richard Rodríguez (Greeneville)

San Diego Padres (7)
Victor Caratini (Danville)
Nabil Crismatt (Kingsport)
Joe Musgrove (Bluefield, Greeneville)
Wil Myers (Burlington)
Emilio Pagán (Pulaski)
Tommy Pham (Johnson City)
Blake Snell (Princeton)

San Francisco Giants (4)
Wilmer Flores (Kingsport)
Jake McGee (Princeton)
Aaron Sanchez (Bluefield)
Donovan Solano (Johnson City)

Seattle Mariners (2)
Chris Flexen (Kingsport)
Rafael Montero (Kingsport)

St. Louis Cardinals (10)
Génesis Cabrera (Princeton)
Paul DeJong (Johnson City)
John Gant (Kingsport)
Ryan Helsley (Johnson City)
Jordan Hicks (Johnson City)
Andrew Knizner (Johnson City)
Yadier Molina (Johnson City)
Alex Reyes (Johnson City)
Edmundo Sosa (Johnson City)
Adam Wainwright (Danville)

Tampa Bay Rays (6)
Chris Archer (Burlington)
Kevin Kiermaier (Princeton)
Collin McHugh (Kingsport)
Austin Meadows (Bristol)
Ryan Sherriff (Johnson City)
Ryan Yarbrough (Pulaski)

Texas Rangers (3)
Kolby Allard (Danville)
Mike Foltynewicz (Greeneville)
Jordan Lyles (Greeneville)

Toronto Blue Jays (9)
Ryan Borucki (Bluefield)
Jonathan Davis (Bluefield)
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (Bluefield)
Danny Jansen (Bluefield)
Alejandro Kirk (Bluefield)
Steven Matz (Kingsport)
Tim Mayza (Bluefield)
Jordan Romano (Bluefield)
Rowdy Tellez (Bluefield)

Washington Nationals (1)
Luis Avilán (Danville)