2018 Eastern League All-Star Team Announced

The Eastern League of Professional Baseball is pleased to announce the selections for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Team as voted on by respective Eastern League managers and coaches and media personnel.

The Eastern League of Professional Baseball is pleased to announce the selections for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Team as voted on by respective Eastern League managers and coaches and media personnel.
(Statistics for games played through August 22, 2018)
Catcher
Deivi Grullon
Reading Fightin Phils
(.287, 21 HR, 58 RBI, 35 R)
After appearing in 23 games in Reading at the end of the 2017 season, Deivi Grullon returned to the Fightin Phils for the start of the 2018 campaign and is putting up career best numbers in a number of offensive categories. Grullon is hitting .287 (86-for-300) with 13 doubles, 21 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 35 runs scored in 82 games this season. His 21 home runs currently rank third in the Eastern League. In addition to his offensive contributions, Deivi has also thrown out 30-percent of would be base stealers, which ranks seventh in the league. Grullon was the starting catcher for the Eastern Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and went 1-for-2 with a solo home run. He also won the Eastern League Home Run Derby the night before the all-star game.
First Base
Will Craig
Altoona Curve
(.249, 20 HR, 97 RBI, 70 R)
Will Craig is hitting .249 (109-for-437) with 27 doubles, 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 70 runs scored in 120 while making his Double-A debut for the Altoona Curve this season. Will currently leads the league in RBIs (97) and is also ranked among the league leaders in extra-base hits (50-tied 2^nd), home runs (20-tied 4^th), runs scored (70-5^th), total bases (202-5^th), and doubles (27-tied 7^th). Craig has also been outstanding defensively this season, as he leads all Eastern League first baseman with a .993 fielding percentage, making just seven errors in 110 games. Will started at designated hitter for the Western Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game and went 1-for-4. He was also named Eastern League Player of the Week for the period of June 11^th-June 17^th and was voted as the "Best Defensive First Baseman" in the Eastern League this season in Baseball America's Best Tools rankings.
Second Base
Cavan Biggio
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
(.263, 26 HR, 93 RBI, 76 R)
In 120 games for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season Cavan Biggio is hitting .263 (105-for-400) with 19 doubles, five triples, 26 home runs, 93 RBIs, 76 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases while making his Double-A debut. Biggio, who has played a majority of his games at second base this season but has also spent time at third base and first base, currently leads the league in home runs (26), on-base percentage (.402), slugging percentage (.530), and OPS (.932). He is also ranked among the league leaders in RBIs (93-2^nd), runs scored (76-2^nd), total bases (212-2^nd), extra-base hits (50-tied 2^nd), and triples (5-tied 7^th). Cavan, who is the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, was the starting second baseman for the Eastern Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Shortstop
Bo Bichette
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
(.277, 10 HR, 68 RBI, 85 R)
After having a breakout season between Class-A Lansing and Dunedin last year, shortstop Bo Bichette has continued to impress in his Double-A debut with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season. Bichette is batting .277 (137-for-495) with 38 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs, 85 runs scored, 68 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases in 120 games for the Fisher Cats this season. He currently leads the league in runs scored (85), hits (137), extra-base hits (54), total bases (217), doubles (38), and stolen bases (31) and is also ranked among the leaders in triples (6-tied 2^nd), and RBIs (68-tied 5^th). Bo, who is the son of four-time MLB All-Star Dante Bichette, was named to the Eastern Division roster for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and was also the starting shortstop for the US Team at the MLB Futures Game in Washington, D.C., going 1-for-3 with a single.
Third Base
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
(.402, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 48 R)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk in his Double-A debut for New Hampshire on April 5^th against Hartford and he hasn't stopped hitting since. Guerrero Jr. batted .402 (94-for-234) with 19 doubles, 14 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 48 runs scored in 61 games with New Hampshire before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo on July 31^st. At the time of his promotion he was ranked among the league leaders in RBIs (60-tied 5^th), home runs (14-tied 9^th), and total bases (157-10^th). Vladimir Jr., who is the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, was a two-time winner of the Eastern League Player of the Week Award for the periods of April 5^th-April 15^th and April 30^th-May 6^th and was named the Eastern League Player of the Month for the month of May after hitting .438 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 29 games during the month. He was also named to the Eastern Division roster for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton. He was voted as the "Best Batting Prospect", "Best Strike-Zone Judgement", and "Most Exciting Player" in the Eastern League this season in Baseball America's Best Tools rankings.
Third Base
Ke'Bryan Hayes
Altoona Curve
(.281, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 58 R)
Altoona Curve third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is hitting .281 (112-for-399) with 30 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 58 runs scored, and 38 RBIs in 107 games this season while making his Double-A debut. Hayes is currently ranked among the league leaders in triples (6-tied 2^nd), doubles (30-tied 4^th), extra-base hits (43-6^th), walks (51-7^th), batting average (.281-9^th), and on-base percentage (.362-10^th). In addition to his offensive output, Ke'Bryan has also played outstanding defense this season. He leads all Eastern League third baseman with a .976 fielding percentage, making just six errors in 106 games at third base, and was voted as the "Best Defensive Third Baseman" in the Eastern League this season in Baseball America's Best Tools rankings. Hayes started at third base for the Western Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and went 1-for-2 with one RBI. He was also the starting third baseman for the U.S. Team at the MLB Futures Game in Washington, D.C. and went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and one walk.
Outfielder
Trey Amburgey
Trenton Thunder
(.251, 15 HR, 68 RBI, 60 R)
Trenton outfielder Trey Amburgey is hitting .251 (110-for-439) with 22 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, 60 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 115 games this season while making his Double-A debut for the Thunder. Amburgey is currently ranked among the league leaders in RBIs (68-tied 4^th) and total bases (181-9^th). Trey was selected as a member of the Eastern Division roster for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and went 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
Outfielder
Jonathan Davis
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
(.302, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 68 R)
After making his Double-A debut with the Fisher Cats in 2017, Jonathan Davis returned to New Hampshire in 2018 and showed improvement across the board, hitting .302 (92-for-305) with 22 doubles, five home runs, 68 runs scored, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 78 games. He was rewarded for his performance with a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo on July 12^th. At the time of his promotion Davis was leading the league in runs scored (68) and was ranked among the league leaders in hits (92-tied 2^nd), doubles (22-tied 4^th), stolen bases (19-tied 4^th), on-base percentage (.388-6^th), batting average (.302-9^th), and total bases (135-9^th). Davis was the starting center fielder for the Eastern Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and went 0-for-1 with one walk. He was also voted as the "Best Defensive Outfielder" in the Eastern League this season in Baseball America's Best Tools rankings
Outfielder
Harold Ramirez
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
(.310, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 55 R)
In 109 games with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season outfielder Harold Ramirez is hitting .310 (129-for-416) with 32 doubles, 10 home runs, 60 RBIs, 55 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. Ramirez has set new career highs in a number of categories this season with the Fisher Cats and he is currently ranked among the league leaders in doubles (32- 2^nd), batting average (.310-2^nd), hits (129-3^rd), total bases (191-6^th), extra- base hits (42-tied 7^th), and OPS (.817-10^th).
Utility Player
Levi Michael
Binghamton Rumble Ponies
(.305, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 72 R)
Levi Michael is batting .305 (118-for-387) with 30 doubles, 10 home runs, 72 runs scored, 36 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 103 games for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies this season while playing at shortstop, third base, second base, right field, center field, and left field. Michael is currently ranked among the league leaders in on-base percentage (.391-2^nd), runs scored (72-tied 3^rd), batting average (.305-4^th), OPS (.861-4^th), doubles (30-tied 4^th), hits (118-tied 7^th), extra-base hits (42-tied 7^th), total bases (182-tied 7^th), and slugging percentage (.470-9^th). Levi was the starting third baseman for the Eastern Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star game in Trenton and went 1-for-2 with one triple and one run scored.
Designated Hitter
Corban Joseph
Bowie Baysox
(.311, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 68 R)
In 112 games for the Bowie Baysox this season Corban Joseph is hitting .311 (130-for-418) with 28 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 runs scored, and 63 RBIs. Joseph's .311 batting average currently leads the league and he also ranks among the league leaders in hits (130-2^nd), OPS (.869-2^nd), total bases (205-3^rd), slugging percentage (.490-4^th), on-base percentage (.378-5^th), extra-base hits (44-5^th), doubles (28-6^th), runs scored (68-tied 7^th), and RBIs (63-10^th). Corban has been with Bowie the entire season outside of a brief promotion to Baltimore where he made his MLB debut and collected his first career hit on June 15^th against the Miami Marlins. Joseph was also named to the Western Division roster for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton.
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Jordan Romano
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
(11-7, 3.57 ERA)
New Hampshire right-hander Jordan Romano has put together a record of 11-7 with 121 strikeouts and a 3.57 ERA over 131.0 innings in 23 starts for the Fisher Cats this season. Romano is currently ranked among the league leaders in wins (11-2^nd), strikeouts (121-2^nd), WHIP (1.09-2^nd), batting average against (.219-3^rd), innings pitched (131.0-tied 3^rd), and ERA (3.57-7^th). Jordan won the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Award for the period of July 16^th-July 22^nd. Romano was also the starting pitcher for the Eastern Division at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and struck out a pair of batters while throwing one perfect inning.

Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
Keegan Akin
Bowie Baysox
(14-6, 2.77 ERA)

 

Keegan Akin has started 23 games for the Bowie Baysox this season and has a record of 14-6 with 135 strikeouts and a 2.77 ERA over 130.0 inning of work. Akin is currently in line to become just the sixth pitcher in the history of the league to win the pitching equivalent of the Triple Crown, as he currently leads the league in wins (14), ERA (2.77) and strikeouts (135). He is also ranked among the league leaders in batting average against (.209-2^nd), WHIP (1.18-4^th), and innings pitched (130.0-5^th). Keegan was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 13^th-August 19^th and was a member of the Western Division roster for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton, strikeout out a pair of batters over one scoreless inning of work.
Relief Pitcher
Matt Pierpont
Hartford Yard Goats
(1-5, 2.14 ERA, 28 Saves)
Hartford relief pitcher Matt Pierpont has been dominant at the back of the Yard Goats bullpen this season, converting 28 saves while posting a record of 1-5 with 68 strikeouts and a 2.14 ERA over 54.2 innings of work in 50 games for the Yard Goats this season. Pierpont currently leads the league in saves (28), appearances (50), and games finished (44). He is also ranked third among all qualifying relievers in strikeouts per nine innings (11.20) and fifth in fewest baserunners per nine innings (10.54). Matt was named to the Eastern Division roster for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton and did not allow a run while striking out a pair of batters over two-thirds of an inning of work.