Baldwin and Fenster Named SAL Annual All-Stars
Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive have clinched a South Atlantic League playoff berth for their outstanding play on the field in 2017, and two of the crucial figures in making that happen have been rewarded for their efforts with selections to the 2017 South Atlantic League Annual All-Star team.Roldani
Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive have clinched a South Atlantic League playoff berth for their outstanding play on the field in 2017, and two of the crucial figures in making that happen have been rewarded for their efforts with selections to the 2017 South Atlantic League Annual All-Star team.
Roldani Baldwin has been selected as the top catcher in the South Atlantic League, while Darren Fenster was chosen as the circuit's top manager in 2017, as announced by league president Eric Krupa on Tuesday. The annual awards are voted on by the managers, general managers, broadcasters and sportswriters of the 14 teams in the league.
Baldwin is the eighth player in Drive franchise history to receive South Atlantic League Annual All-Star recognition, and he is the first to do so as a catcher. Baldwin joins outfielders Luis Alexander Basabe and Tate Matheny (2016), second baseman Yoán Moncada (2015), utility infielder Carlos Asuaje (2014), outfielder Keury De la Cruz (2012), outfielder Brandon Jacobs (2011), and outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (2010) as Drive players to be recognized as annual all-stars.
In his return to Greenville for the 2017 season, Baldwin has taken off in his full-time transition to catching. In 91 games entering Tuesday, the Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic native is hitting .276 with a team-high 14 homers and 65 RBI. He also leads the team with 33 doubles and a .496 slugging percentage while throwing out 33 percent of opposing baserunners.
In addition to his terrific numbers, Baldwin has come up with big hits all season long, delivering four walkoff hits on the year, including a game-winning homer against the Delmarva Shorebirds on Opening Night. Baldwin was selected as a South Atlantic League Midseason All-Star as well, and he participated in the league's All-Star Game in Columbia.
"Roldani is very much deserving of this all-star honor," noted Fenster. "He has had an outstanding season, both offensively as a consistent anchor in the middle of our lineup, and defensively as the energetic leader of our club from behind the plate. His impact on our collective success as a team this year goes far beyond his numbers, and his performance is a true testament to the work he has put in to become a great player."
Fenster has piloted the Drive to a league-best 75-57 record entering Tuesday's action, and the club will make its first South Atlantic League postseason appearance since 2010 next week. In four seasons in Greenville, he has won 277 games and posted three winning seasons, and he becomes the first Drive manager in franchise history receive South Atlantic League Annual All-Star honors.
Fenster's roster this season included four South Atlantic League All-Stars at midseason, including Baldwin, outfielder Lorenzo Cedrola, and pitchers Logan Boyd and Stephen Nogosek, and 11 players off this year's roster have received promotions from Greenville, making his league-best record even more impressive.
"As honored as I am to be named Manager of the Year, this award is, in every sense, a team award for an incredibly successful season than many have had a significant hand in. I cannot speak high enough about the job that Walter Miranda, Wilton Veras, and Corey Wimberly have done to help our players develop on the field, and the work that Phil Millan, Jordan Wheat, and Tony Rivero have put in to keep our players strong and healthy on the field."
Fenster continued, "We as a staff are only as good as the players we have to coach, and this group that we've had here in Greenville has come to the ballpark every single day with the approach of getting better, and competing to winning games, both of which they've done as well as any group I've had here in my four years running the club. It's been an awesome team to be around day in and day out, and I'm glad those around the league have recognized what a special group of players this truly is."
The Drive will begin their final homestand of the season on Tuesday night against the Rome Braves at Fluor Field. Postseason baseball returns to Fluor Field on Friday, September 8th for game two of the Southern Division championship round. For more information and tickets, stop by the Main Street Box Office, call (864) 240-4528, or visit greenvilledrive.com.
~Greenville Drive~
[Empty Body]
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
Rainiers broadcaster Pay talks historic role on MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- In the inaugural Spring Breakout game a year ago, as he was coming out to pitch the ninth inning, Bubba Chandler slammed a Red Bull and declared “let’s do this” before pumping upper-90s heat.