Miracle lead FSL with eight All-Stars
FORT MYERS, Fla. - On Friday, the Florida State League announced that eight Fort Myers Miracle players have been selected to represent the club and the South Division at the 2019 FSL All-Star Game on June 15 in Jupiter. Miracle Manager Toby Gardenhire will lead the South Division team, along with
FORT MYERS, Fla. - On Friday, the Florida State League announced that eight Fort Myers Miracle players have been selected to represent the club and the South Division at the 2019 FSL All-Star Game on June 15 in Jupiter.
Miracle Manager Toby Gardenhire will lead the South Division team, along with the rest of his coaching staff. That includes Hitting Coach Matt Borgschulte, Pitching Coach Luis Ramirez, Athletic Trainer Ben Myers, and Strength & Conditioning Coach Chuck Bradway. The Miracle defeated the Daytona Tortugas, 3-1, in the 2018 FSL Championship Series. Daytona's coaching staff, led by Manager Ricky Gutierrez, will lead the North Division team.
The eight Miracle selections are the most of any team in the FSL. Bradenton had seven players voted in. Shortstop
Lewis, 19, is honored with his third All-Star selection in just his third professional season. He was a Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star for Class-A Cedar Rapids in 2018. He has 13 multi-hit games this season, tied with Larnach and Diaz for the most on the club. He leads the team with nine stolen bases. Lewis ranks fifth in the FSL in doubles (11) and sixth in runs scored (26). He is ranked as the #1 prospect in the Twins organization by Baseball America.
Larnach, 22, is making his first All-Star appearance. After leading Oregon State to the College World Series title in 2018, he has hit the ground running in his first full professional season. Larnach is hitting .283 with two home runs and 22 RBI. He leads the FSL with 15 doubles and is fourth with 18 extra base hits. He hit both of his home runs and drove in four on May 7 at Charlotte. Baseball America ranks Larnach as the #5 prospect in the Twins system.
Jeffers, 21, was taken in the second round (59th overall) by the Twins last season out of UNC Wilmington. He is hitting .300 with four home runs and 17 RBI. This is his first All-Star selection. On May 5 at Palm Beach, Jeffers went 4-for-4 with a home run and also caught seven perfect innings from
Diaz, 22, was selected as an All-Star for the fourth consecutive season. He received Post-Season All-Star honors with Elizabethton in 2016 and was named a Mid-Season All-Star with Cedar Rapids in 2017 and the Miracle last year. He is hitting .310 with eight home runs and 26 RBI. All eight of his home runs have come in May. Diaz ranks second in the FSL in batting average, third in home runs, fourth in RBI, and leads the league in slugging percentage (.556) and OPS (.898). He was signed by the Twins out of the Dominican Republic on July 2, 2013.
Sammons, 24, is 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA and was the Opening Day starter for the Miracle. This is his first All-Star selection. He has seen his ERA rise over 1.00 just once all season. He is holding opponents to a .227 batting average and has 46 strikeouts in 38.1 innings. He tossed six scoreless innings on April 16 at St. Lucie and did so again on May 22 at Bradenton, striking out eight. He recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in five innings on May 7 at Charlotte. Sammons was selected by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2017 draft out of Western Carolina.
Phillips, 24, did not allow a run in his first 13.2 innings with the Miracle this season out of the bullpen. This is his first All-Star selection. He has a 0.57 ERA, has held opponents to a .146 batting average, and has 21 strikeouts and five walks in 15.2 innings. He has also converted four out of five save opportunities. Phillips was promoted to Double-A Pensacola on May 2 and returned to the Miracle on May 22. He was signed by the Twins out of the Independent Frontier League last August 27 and helped the Miracle win the 2018 FSL Championship Series. He went undrafted out of the University of Baylor.
Quezada, 24, is honored with an All-Star selection for the first time. He has reached 100 mph this season and is 2-0 with a 3.54 ERA in 14 relief appearances. He has 21 strikeouts in 20.1 innings and has held opponents to a .216 batting average. Quezada has converted two out of three save opportunities. He was signed by the Twins out of the Dominican Republic on September 10, 2012.
Hackimer, 24, was promoted to Double-A Pensacola on May 6 and will be replaced on the South Division roster. This is his first All-Star selection. He was 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA in nine appearances and allowed just one run and three hits in 15.1 innings. He struck out 27 and held opponents to a .064 batting average. Since being promoted, he has not allowed a run in 8.1 innings. Hackimer was selected by the Twins in the fourth round of the 2016 draft out of St. John's University in New York.
The 2019 FSL All-Star Game will take place on June 15 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter and is hosted by the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. The home run derby will take place beforehand at 5:10 p.m. Participants will be announced at a later date.