Southern League reveals 2014 All-Stars
North Division: This might be as close as we'll ever get to a literal All-Star lineup.
Double-A Huntsville, which clinched a first-half division title Monday, will send eight players to the Southern League All-Star Game on June 17 at AT&T Field in Chattanooga as part of the North Division team announced Tuesday.
Right-hander Tyler Cravy leads the Double-A circuit in wins (eight), ERA (1.76) and WHIP (0.86) and is part of a six-pitcher crew that the Stars will send to the exhibition showcase. Drew Gagnon (4-2, 2.50 ERA), David Goforth (12 saves, 2.86 ERA), Taylor Jungmann (4-4, 2.77 ERA), Arcenio Leon (2.18 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 24 appearances) and Brent Suter (6-4, 3.25 ERA) are the other five Huntsville hurlers on the North Division roster.
First baseman Nick Ramirez, who sits in the top five in home runs (10) and RBIs (40), and designated hitter Jason Rogers, who owns a .276/.358/.416 line in 57 games and was a Southern League midseason and postseason All-Star last season, take up the other two spots.
The biggest Southern League bopper of them all will, of course, also be there July 17. Cubs No. 2 prospect Kris Bryant leads the league in average (.351), on-base percentage (.455), slugging percentage (.688), homers (18) and RBIs (49). He's an easy choice to start at third base for the North Division.
South Division: The South Division side is not without some big names of its own, especially on the pitching side.
Robert Stephenson, the Reds' top and MLB.com's No. 16 overall prospect, makes the squad after posting a 3.39 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 12 appearances (12 games). The Marlins placed top-four prospects and Jacksonville left-handers Andrew Heaney (4-2, 2.35 ERA) and Justin Nicolino (5-2, 3.23 ERA) on the staff, although the former won't appear in the All-Star Game itself after being promoted to Triple-A New Orleans in late May.
The South Division's starting corner infielders will both come from Mobile and will bring plenty of teeth to the order. First baseman Jon Griffin, who homered four times in one game May 21, trails only Bryant for the league lead with 13 dingers this season, while third baseman Jake Lamb sits behind the Smokies slugger with a second-best .963 OPS.
Here are the rest of the Southern League All-Stars:
North Division All-Stars
CATCHERS | |||
---|---|---|---|
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Kevan Smith* | C | Birmingham | CWS |
Shawn Zarraga | C | Huntsville | MIL |
INFIELDERS | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Nick Ramirez* | 1B | Huntsville | MIL |
Darnell Sweeney* | 2B | Chattanooga | LAD |
Kris Bryant* | 3B | Tennessee | CHC |
Ketel Marte* | SS | Jackson | SEA |
O'Koyea Dickson | UT INF | Chattanooga | LAD |
OUTFIELDERS | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Michael Earley* | OF | Birmingham | CWS |
Josh Prince | OF | Huntsville | MIL |
Josh Richmond | OF | Birmingham | CWS |
Scott Schebler* | OF | Chattanooga | LAD |
Trayce Thompson | UT OF | Birmingham | CWS |
DESIGNATED HITTER | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Jason Rogers* | DH | Huntsville | MIL |
PITCHERS | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Tyson Brummett | RHP | Chattanooga | LAD |
Hunter Cervenka | LHP | Tennessee | CHC |
Tyler Cravy* | RHP | Huntsville | MIL |
P.J. Francescon | RHP | Tennessee | CHC |
Drew Gagnon | RHP | Huntsville | MIL |
David Goforth | RHP | Huntsville | MIL |
Mayckol Guaipe | RHP | Jackson | SEA |
Juan Ramon Noriega | RHP | Chattanooga | LAD |
Chris Reed | LHP | Chattanooga | LAD |
Armando Rivero | RHP | Tennessee | CHC |
Brent Suter | LHP | Huntsville | MIL |
Cody Winiarski | RHP | Birmingham | CWS |
South Division All-Stars
CATCHERS | |||
---|---|---|---|
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Matt Kennelly | C | Mississippi | ATL |
Luke Maile* | C | Montgomery | TB |
INFIELDERS | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Jon Griffin* | 1B | Mobile | ARI |
Ryan Brett* | 2B | Montgomery | TB |
Jake Lamb* | 3B | Mobile | ARI |
Elmer Reyes* | SS | Mississippi | ATL |
Sean Jamieson | UTL IF | Mobile | ARI |
OUTFIELDERS | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Mycal Jones* | OF | Mississippi | ATL |
Taylor Motter* | OF | Montgomery | TB |
Yorman Rodriguez | OF | Mobile | ARI |
Brady Shoemaker* | OF | Jacksonville | MIA |
Steve Selsky | UTL OF | Pensacola | CIN |
DESIGNATED HITTER | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Rey Navarro* | DH | Pensacola | CIN |
PITCHERS | |||
NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
Jake Barrett | RHP | Mobile | ARI |
Blake Cooper | RHP | Mobile | ARI |
Santiago Garrido | RHP | Montgomery | TB |
James Hoyt | RHP | Mississippi | ATL |
Michael Lorenzen | RHP | Pensacola | CIN |
Victor Mateo | RHP | Montgomery | TB |
Justin Nicolino | LHP | Jacksonville | MIA |
Aaron Northcraft | RHP | Mississippi | ATL |
Williams Perez* | RHP | Mississippi | ATL |
A.J. Schugel | RHP | Mobile | ARI |
Robert Stephenson | RHP | Pensacola | CIN |
Jose Urena | RHP | Jacksonville | MIA |
Sam Dykstra is a contributor to MiLB.com.