Robles, Rodgers Highlight South Atlantic League All-Stars

This year’s South Atlantic League all-star game, to be held on June 21 at Lexington’s Whitaker Bank Ballpark, features two of the brightest stars in the low minor leagues. Those two players—Nationals outfielder Victor Robles and Rockies shortstop Brendan Rodgers—each placed in our Top 100 Prospects, with Robles checking in at No. 33 and Rodgers ranking No. 4o.

Robles has dealt with injuries this year—that will happen when you get hit by 17 pitches—but has shown above-average potential with all five tools when healthy. Rodgers, the No. 3 overall pick a year ago, has dealt with injuries himself but has put up an .841 OPS and popped eight homers as an 18-year-old in low Class A.

Beyond those two, there’s still plenty of star power. Rome righthander Mike Soroka, the No. 28 overall pick last year, is embedded in part of a supremely talented low Class A rotation that also includes Touki Toussaint, Patrick Weigel, Max Fried, Ricardo Sanchez and Kolby Allard. Soroka so far this year is 1-5, 2.66 and has whiffed 56 in 61 innings. Joining Soroka on the South Division’s all-star game is Greenville righthander Roniel Raudes, who at just 18 years old is the second-youngest player in the league, behind teammate Anderson Espinoza.

Without typical knockout stuff, Raudes has gone 5-1, 3.21 with 40 strikeouts against eight walks in 42 innings against much more experienced competition. Raudes will be joined by teammates Jake Cosart, Luis Alejandro Basabe (the identical twin brother of teammate Luis Alexander Basabe), slugging first baseman Josh Ockimey and outfielder Tate Matheny (son of Cardinals manager Mike Matheny).

Mets righthander P.J. Conlon, born in Northern Ireland, leads the SAL with a 1.21 ERA and recently threw 10 innings of shutout ball on just 98 pitches. He’s whiffed 52 against just 10 walks in 67 innings. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in all but one of his starts this season. The anomaly? Three earned runs in six innings against West Virginia on May 29.

Rodgers and Robles are the headliners, but there’s plenty more talent to spare in this year’s SAL midseason showcase.

SAL North All-Stars
Name	Pos	Team	B	T	Ht.	Wt.
Tanner Banks	P	Kannapolis	L	L	6-1	195
Garrett Cleavinger	P	Delmarva	R	L	6-1	210
Ben Holmes	P	Greensboro	L	L	6-1	195
Mitch Keller	P	West Virginia	R	R	6-3	195
Ryan Meisinger	P	Delmarva	R	R	6-4	235
Pedro Payano	P	Hickory	R	R	6-2	170
Mariano Rivera	P	Hagerstown	R	R	5-11	155
C.J. Robinson	P	Greensboro	R	R	6-0	215
Jefry Rodriguez	P	Hagerstown	R	R	6-5	185
Erik Swanson	P	Hickory	R	R	6-3	220
Zach Thompson	P	Kannapolis	R	R	6-7	230
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Yermin Mercedes	C	Delmarva	R	R	5-11	175
Alex Murphy	C	Delmarva	R	R	5-11	210
Tyler Sanchez	C	Hickory	R	R	6-2	190
Seby Zavala	C	Kannapolis	R	R	5-11	205
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Kelvin Gutierrez	3B	Hagerstown	R	R	6-3	185
Ke’Bryan Hayes	3B	West Virginia	R	R	6-1	210
Josh Naylor	1B	Greensboro	L	L	6-0	225
Max Schrock	SS	Hagerstown	L	R	5-8	180
Josh Tobias	2B	Lakewood	S	R	5-9	195
Yeyson Yrizarri	SS	Hickory	R	R	6-0	175
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Landon Lassiter	OF	Kannapolis	R	R	6-1	195
Tito Polo	OF	West Virginia	R	R	5-9	185
Jose Pujols	OF	Lakewood	R	R	6-3	175
Victor Robles	OF	Hagerstown	R	R	6-0	185
Isael Soto	OF	Greensboro	L	L	6-0	190

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SAL South All-Stars
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Phil Bickford	P	Augusta	R	R	6-4	200
Cody Carroll	P	Charleston	R	R	6-5	200
P.J. Conlon	P	Columbia	L	L	6-0	175
Jake Cosart	P	Greenville	R	R	6-2	175
Emilio Ogando	P	Lexington	L	L	6-2	180
Roniel Raudes	P	Greenville	R	R	6-1	160
Michael Santos	P	Augusta	R	R	6-4	170
Andrew Schwaab	P	Charleston	R	R	6-1	185
Mike Soroka	P	Rome	R	R	6-4	195
Daris Vargas	P	Charleston	R	R	6-3	195
Patrick Weigel	P	Rome	R	R	6-6	220
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Jonathan Morales	C	Rome	R	R	5-11	180
Chase Vallot	C	Lexington	R	R	6-0	215
Matt Winn	C	Augusta	R	R	6-1	210
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Luis Alejandro Basabe	2B	Greenville	S	R	5-10	160
Ray-Patrick Didder	SS	Rome	R	R	6-0	170
Luke Dykstra	2B	Rome	R	R	6-1	195
Brian Mundell	1B	Asheville	R	R	6-3	230
Josh Ockimey	1B	Greenville	L	R	6-1	215
Brendan Rodgers	SS	Asheville	R	R	6-0	180
Vinny Siena	2B	Columbia	R	R	5-10	190
David Thompson	3B	Columbia	R	R	6-2	220
Name	Pos	Team	Bat	T	Ht	Wt
Dylan Davis	OF	Augusta	R	R	6-0	205
Yonathan Daza	OF	Asheville	R	R	6-2	190
Sam Hilliard	OF	Asheville	L	L	6-5	225
Tate Matheny	OF	Greenville	R	R	6-0	190