(April 2, 2025 – York, Pa.): The four-time and defending Atlantic League champion York Revolution bolstered their preseason roster with four more signings announced by manager Rick Forney on Tuesday’s episode of Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy. Outfielder Justin Connell and pitchers Dylan Hall, Foster Pace, and Jordan Morales are all set to join the Revs for the 2025 season with the team set to report to York for Atlantic League Spring Training in less than two weeks.
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Connell comes to York for his eighth pro season. The 26-year-old was an 11th round draft pick of the Washington Nationals out of high school in 2017 and ascended through the Nationals farm system to reach Double-A Harrisburg in 2022 and 2023. The righty hitter was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star in 2021 after batting .293 with 21 steals for Wilmington and combined between Wilmington and Harrisburg to slug a career-high 14 homers the following year which was tied for eighth in the Washington farm system. Known as a hard-nosed player, Connell makes the jump to the Atlantic League this season after combining to hit .308 with 29 steals between Lake Country and Sioux City in the American Association last year.
“He can play all three outfield positions,” detailed Forney. “He’s fast, athletic, and plays the game really hard. He’s willing to take some walks and is a good baserunner, so he fits what we like. He’s hungry, he’s thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to getting started. He could be an impactful guy for us.”
Born in Barcelona, Spain, Connell and his family moved to Florida during his youth. He had committed to Florida International University before signing with the Nats out of American Heritage High School and has also played for the Spanish national team. As a pro, he is a career .267 hitter in 481 games with 30 homers, 169 RBI, and 86 stolen bases.
Hall, 27, heads to York for his fifth pro season. The 6’5 righty signed with the New York Mets in 2020 and put up terrific numbers, owning a combined 3.13 ERA in 2022 and a composite 3.10 ERA at three levels in 2023, reaching Triple-A Syracuse. Hall spent last season at High-A Lansing after signing with the Oakland Athletics and holds a career 4.51 ERA with 11 saves in 115 appearances (three starts). He has struck out 185 batters over 177.2 innings in his pro career. A native of Fredericksburg, VA, Hall played two years at Virginia Tech and another two years at University of Central Oklahoma where he set his school’s single season and single game strikeout records.
“I was trying to sign him last year when he was a free agent for the first time but fortunately for him, he got a contract with Oakland late in the signing period,” Forney revealed. “I got good reports on him as a pitcher and as a person and teammate. I expect big things from Dylan. He’s got some versatility, he can pitch out of the bullpen in short relief or long relief, and he can probably spot start if needed. We’re glad to have him.”
Pace makes the jump to the Atlantic League after a great year as a starter in the American Association. The 27-year-old righty went 5-3 with a 3.11 ERA, good for sixth in the league in 15 starts with Lincoln where he allowed just 71 hits in 84.0 innings. Following his college days at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, the Flower Mound, TX native began his pro career with Colorado Springs in the Pecos League in 2021, tying for the league lead in wins with a 7-0 record. That caught the attention of MLB Partner League clubs as he spent the next two years in the Pioneer League, pitching mostly as a reliever. Pace went 8-3 with a 3.13 ERA for Billings on the hitter-friendly circuit in 2022 and helped Ogden to a league title the following year. The 5’11 right hander is 21-8 with a 4.32 ERA for his pro career and has walked just 2.3 batters per nine innings over 233.1 innings professionally.
“He’s a little bulldog right hander that likes to go out there, compete, and log some innings,” commented Forney. “He throws a lot of strikes with all of his pitches so we’re going to give him a chance to come in and see if he can hold down one of those rotation spots and give us 18 outs every time he toes the rubber.”
Morales looks to begin his pro career with York after a great college career and a spectacular summer in the MLB Draft League last season. The 24-year-old lefty was one of the league’s top starters with State College, going 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA. That followed his grad year at Purdue where he was Third-Team All-Big Ten, going 7-6 with a 4.54 ERA for the Boilermakers. A native of Souderton, PA, the 5’9 southpaw was one of the state’s top prospects when he led Souderton Area High School to a PIAA 6A state championship as a senior in 2019. After two years at LaSalle University including his freshman year spent as the Explorers’ closer, Morales transferred to Penn State where he worked both as a starter and a reliever, striking out 113 in 97.2 innings over two years with the Nittany Lions.
“I’m excited to see this young kid,” said Forney. “He had a really good college career and pitched well as a starter. I’m going to give him a good look and see if he can potentially throw some innings for us. He’s a really consistent strike thrower with three pitches so we’ll get a good look at him this spring.”
The Revs have announced 19 player signings for the upcoming season and are expected to unveil several more additions on the next episode of Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy which is scheduled to air live on Monday, April 7 at 6 p.m. on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, and on The New WOYK app.