Emeralds Lead the Way in Northwest League MiLB All-Stars

Minor League Baseball announced the league awards and All-Star teams for the three different leagues that make up High-A classifications. Votes were cast by league managers.

For the 2022 season, six Emeralds players were named to the Northwest League All-Star team in addition to Carlos Valderrama winning Manager of the Year.

Third baseman Carter Aldrete hit .289 with a .369 on-base percentage. He had 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in the 74 games he spent in Eugene. In the midst of his hot hitting streak, the Giants promoted him to Double-A in Richmond. Catcher Patrick Bailey also collected honors this year after posting a .342 on-base percentage with 12 home runs in 325 plate appearances.

Jairo Pomares was recognized as one of the best outfielders in the Northwest League after hitting .254 with a .438 slugging percentage. In 95 games, he belted 14 homers to go with 20 doubles and tied for the team lead with 59 RBIs. Casey Schmitt was awarded Best Designated Hitter in the league after hitting .273 with a .363 on-base percentage and a .474 slugging percentage. In early August, he was promoted to Double-A to play with the Flying Squirrels, and ended his season with Triple-A Sacramento.

Pitching wise, Nick Swiney was named the best left-handed starter. In 20 appearances, he held a record of 4-6 with a 3.84 ERA. He only allowed seven home runs and struck out 105 batters.

Prelander Berroa, who started out his season in Eugene with the Giants’ organization before being traded to the Seattle Mariners, was named Pitcher of the Year. In 17 games, he had a 2.06 ERA with 97 strikeouts.