Bisons' Hague leads 2015 IL All-Stars

The International League today announced its postseason All-Star Team and Award Winners as selected by the circuit's managers, coaches, media, and club representatives. The 2015 IL Most Valuable Player is the League's leading hitter, Buffalo's Matt Hague. The League's ERA leader, Charlotte's Erik Johnson, has been elected as the IL's Most Valuable Pitcher. The Rookie of the Year is outfielder Ben Gamel, leadoff hitter for North Division-leading Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rounding out the group of special award winners is Manager of the Year Ron Johnson, who has Norfolk on the verge of its first playoff appearance in a decade.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Matt Hague (Buffalo)
30-year-old Matt Hague is the IL Most Valuable Player for 2015. He's well on his way to claiming the League's batting title while also pacing the circuit in hits and RBIs as well as slugging and on-base percentage. Hague was named the IL Player of the Month for July after having attended his third career Triple-A All-Star Game. The IL Postseason All-Star third baseman also saw extensive time at first base this year for Buffalo. He was the model of consistency offensively, with June's .324 average being his lowest for any month this season. He even owns the League's longest on-base streak this season, reaching in 37 consecutive games between June 9 and July 20. Hague has played in over 600 games in the IL since 2011, when he was the League's postseason All-Star first baseman with Indianapolis. He's already led the IL in hits two times. Hague is the ninth Buffalo Bison to be honored as IL Most Valuable Player and the first since Jhonny Peralta in 2004. The last Bisons third baseman on the IL Postseason All-Star Team was Felix Torres in 1961.

MOST VALUABLE PITCHER: Erik Johnson (Charlotte)
Though he calls the hitter-friendly BB&T Ballpark his home, Charlotte right-hander Erik Johnson has been named the 2015 IL Most Valuable Pitcher on the strength of a League-best 2.37 ERA, 136 strikeouts, and 1.12 WHIP. In early June, Johnson's record slipped to 4-5, but since then he's gone 7-3 with a 1.06 ERA over 12 outings. At the Triple-A All-Star Game in July, Johnson toed the rubber as the starting pitcher for the victorious IL All-Star squad and tossed two shutout innings. Over the previous two seasons, Johnson appeared in 30 games with the Knights while also making ten starts for the parent Chicago White Sox. He has been consistently rated as one of the organization's top pitching prospects since being selected in the second round of the 2011 Draft. The 25-year-old Johnson is the first Knights starting pitcher elected to the Postseason All-Star Team since Carlos Torres in 2009, and the club's first IL Most Valuable Pitcher since Heath Phillips in 2006.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Ben Gamel (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre outfielder Ben Gamel has claimed the 2015 Rookie of the Year Award. The 23-year-old leads the IL with 14 triples and is in the top three in the League in batting average, hits, runs and slugging percentage. Gamel's very first month playing above the Double-A level was his best this season, as he came out of the gate with a .383 average in April. He has primarily served as the leadoff hitter for the RailRiders, posting a .311 average in that role. He's hit at a .329 clip since the All-Star break as SWB closes in on a division title. Gamel, who was also elected as an outfielder on the Postseason All-Star Team, becomes the first Scranton/WB player to be honored as IL Rookie of the Year since Austin Jackson in 2009. Ben's brother Mat played for the Brewers for parts of five seasons.

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Ron Johnson (Norfolk)
In his fourth season at the helm of the Norfolk Tides, Ron Johnson surpassed Gary Allenson to become the franchise's all-time leader in managerial victories. He now sits just nine wins away from his 300th as the club's skipper. His Tides are 75-61 and on the doorstep of their first playoff appearance and South Division title since 2005. Norfolk has surrendered the fewest runs (454) and owns the best fielding percentage (.985) of any team in the International League this season. No IL club has played in or won more one-run games in 2015; Norfolk has a 34-26 record in one-run affairs. Johnson is the fifth IL Manager of the Year in Tides history and the first since Toby Harrah in 1995, the last season the Tides captured the Governors' Cup.

In addition to Gamel (OF), Hague (3B), and Johnson (SP), 10 other players have been named to the International League Postseason All-Star Team. In all, 10 IL clubs are represented on the All-Star Team, with only Norfolk and Rochester able to snag multiple All-Star nods with two apiece.

ALL-STAR CATCHER: Elias Diaz (Indianapolis)
He was elected the starting catcher for the IL at the mid-season Triple-A All-Star Game, and now Elias Diaz has earned Postseason All-Star honors as well. The 24-year-old owns a .271 average through 93 games for the first-place Indians, whose pitching staff he has helped produce a League-low 3.05 ERA. Diaz was also a midseason and Postseason All-Star a year ago in the Double-A Eastern League. The last Indianapolis catcher on the IL Postseason All-Star Team was Tony Sanchez in 2013.

ALL-STAR FIRST BASEMAN: Reynaldo Rodriguez (Rochester)
In his first full season at the Triple-A level, Reynaldo Rodriguez leads the International League with 55 extra-base hits and 77 runs scored, and he's also among the top four in the IL in total bases, doubles and slugging percentage. The 29-year-old was an All-Star last season in the Double-A Eastern League. He signed with the Twins as a free agent prior to the 2013 campaign. Rochester's last first baseman on the IL Postseason All-Star Team prior to Rodriguez was Chris Colabello in 2013.

ALL-STAR SECOND BASEMAN: James Beresford (Rochester)
Australia native James Beresford, 26, is the IL All-Star second baseman in his ninth professional season. His .314 batting average and 148 hits are both second in the IL this season only to MVP Matt Hague. Beresford was also elected the starting second baseman for the IL at the Triple-A All-Star Game in July, where his first-inning triple and run scored sparked the International League to a 4-3 victory. Prior to Beresford, the most recent second baseman from Rochester elected to the IL Postseason All-Star Team was Tommy Hinzo in 1993.

ALL-STAR SHORTSTOP: Dixon Machado (Toledo)
Toledo shortstop Dixon Machado was also a mid-season All-Star, and now he becomes the first Mud Hens shortstop on the Postseason All-Star Team since Brent Dlugach in 2009. Machado's first season playing above the Double-A level included his MLB debut in May for the Tigers. He's spent most of the season batting in the first two spots in the Mud Hens order, where he has produced a team-best 129 hits and 60 runs scored. Machado is 23 years old.

ALL-STAR OUTFIELDER: Dariel Alvarez (Norfolk)
Dariel Alvarez was a midseason and Postseason All-Star last year in the Double-A Eastern League, a feat he's repeated this season in the IL. A former professional player in Cuba who signed with Baltimore in 2013, Alvarez was leading the IL with 130 games played when he was promoted to Baltimore to make his Major League debut on Friday. He still ranks in the top five in hits, RBIs and total bases. In Omaha this July the 26-year-old captured the Triple-A Home Run Derby championship belt. Alvarez is Norfolk's first outfielder on the IL Postseason All-Star Team since Alex Ochoa in 1995.

ALL-STAR OUTFIELDER: Brian Bogusevic (Lehigh Valley)
31-year-old former big leaguer Brian Bogusevic is near the top of the IL this season in average, hits and on-base percentage for the IronPigs. The 2005 first-round Draft pick played for the Astros and Cubs before signing with the Phillies this past offseason. In his first-ever season in the International League, Bogusevic leads all outfielders with a .996 fielding percentage. His 12 homers are the most on the IronPigs. Bogusevic is the first outfielder from Lehigh Valley ever elected to the IL Postseason All-Star Team.

ALL-STAR DESIGNATED HITTER: Jesus Aguilar (Columbus)
Columbus slugger Jesus Aguilar has been elected to the IL Postseason All-Star Team as the designated hitter. The 25-year-old is batting .261 this season with 83 RBIs, second-most in the League. He has over 100 at-bats as the Clippers' DH but is also the League's top-fielding first baseman with just one error in 94 games. Aguilar has been an IL midseason All-Star each of the last two years, and now he's the first Clipper elected the designated hitter on the Postseason All-Star Team since Fernando Seguignol in 2003.

ALL-STAR RELIEF PITCHER: Oliver Drake (Norfolk)
After seven seasons in the minors, former 43rd-round Draft pick Oliver Drake dominated IL hitters in his first full year at the Triple-A level. Opponents have mustered just 23 hits and four runs against Drake in 42 appearances out of the Norfolk bullpen, and the 28-year-old closer's 0.82 ERA and 23 saves in as many opportunities are a large part of the Tides' success this season. The last Norfolk reliever on the IL Postseason All-Star team prior to Drake was Jairo Asencio in 2013.

ALL-STAR UTILITY PLAYER: Taylor Motter (Durham)
Triple-A rookie Taylor Motter has matched his achievement from Double-A in 2014 when he was named to both the midseason and Postseason All-Star Team in the Southern League. The 25-year-old leads the IL with 40 doubles and is also near the top of the circuit in extra-base hits and slugging percentage. He's seen action this season at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions as well as designated hitter, and at one time or another he's batted in all nine places in the batting order. Motter is the fifth Durham Bull to be selected as the Utility Player on the IL Postseason All-Star Team and the first since Vince Belnome in 2013.