Six Wood Ducks Named to the 2018 Carolina League All-Star Classic

KINSTON, NC - The 2018 Carolina League All-Star Classic rosters were announced on Monday morning and six Down East Wood Ducks have made the southern division team. RHP Edgar Arredondo, INF Andretty Cordero, INF Charles Leblanc, LHP C.D. Pelham, OF Leody Taveras, and INF Anderson Tejeda were named to the roster for the game on June 19th in Zebulon, NC.
"It's great that we're well-represented in the All-Star game," DEWD manager Spike Owen said. "The six guys that we got are truly deserving. They've had an outstanding first-half contributing to the success of our team in a lot of different areas."
Arredondo, 21, makes his first All-Star roster as a professional in his first full season spent in Advanced-A. The Culiacán, Sinaloa, MEX native is among league leaders in several categories. He's currently sixth in ERA (2.28), fourth in SO (62), and third in WHIP (0.99). Overall with the Woodies he is 5-2 in his ten starts and set a team record on April 25th with 12 strikeouts and zero walks in a start against Buies Creek.
Cordero, 21, makes his first All-Star roster as a professional in only his second season stateside. The first three seasons of his career were spent in the Rangers Dominican Summer League in Boca Chica, D.R. He is on-pace to shatter career-highs in virtually every offensive category this season. He leads the Woodies with 17 multi-hit games this season and has connected on six home runs this season. The Santo Domingo, D.R. native has also played in a team-high 61 of 62 games this season.
Leblanc, 22, is in the midst of a career-year and will enjoy his first ever All-Star selection as a professional since he was drafted in the 4th round of 2016 from the University of Pittsburgh. He entered 2018 with five homers in 132 career games, and currently has nine this season, good for third-most in the league. He is the Woodies only .300 hitter as he leads the team in R, H, 2B, HR, RBI, TB, XBH, AVG, OBP, SLG%, and OPS.
Pelham, 23, entered the year as a highly touted prospect in the Rangers organization. A consensus Top-30 prospect for Texas by both Baseball America and MLB.com, the closer has been dominant in 2018. He leads the league in saves (10), games pitched (20), and games finished (18). The lefty is one of only eight closers in all of Minor League Baseball with a double-digit total in saves and zero blown saves. It is the first All-Star selection for the Lancaster, SC native.
Taveras, 19, is set to be the youngest All-Star in the game as one of only two teenagers named to a roster. The top prospect in the Rangers organization (MLB.com) earns his first All-Star nod in his third professional season. He has spent his season batting in the first three slots of the order and leads the Woodies in stolen bases and triples. He has also collected seven outfield assists, tied for third-most in the league this season. It is his first All-Star selection.
Tejeda, 20, will be the third-youngest position player in the game in his first All-Star selection. He is currently in a tie for second in RBIs and a tie for fourth in homers for the league. He leads the Woodies in multi-RBI games with 14 this season. The Bani, D.R. native is also a consensus Top 30 Rangers prospect to both Baseball America and MLB.com.
All six players will be enjoying their first All-Star selections in professional baseball. Rosters were compiled via votes from league managers, general managers, each team's media coverage. The All-Star break begins on Monday June 18th and runs through Wednesday the 20th. 
The 2018 Carolina League All-Star Classic presented by US Foods will be on Tuesday, June 19th, at 7:00 p.m. and streamed live on MILB.TV. The Carolina Mudcats will host the week's events at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC.
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