South Atlantic League Announces 2018 All-Star Rosters

If you’re looking for exciting young outfielders, the 2018 South Atlantic League all-star game is a good place to start. This year’s version, held on June 19 in Greensboro, N.C., features a Southern Division roster with two of the league’s most dynamic players.

Lexington’s Seuly Matias, ranked as the Royals’ No. 3 prospect entering the season, leads the minor leagues with 17 homers and a .647 slugging percentage. He’s got above-average speed and a strong throwing arm as well, which should make for a fun watch in a couple of weeks.

Matias is joined in the Southern outfield by Rome’s Drew Waters, the Braves’ second-round pick in 2017 who has been outstanding in his full-season debut. Waters has shown the coveted combination of power and speed with six home runs, four triples and eight stolen bases. He’s also shown solid on-base skills (.350 OBP) while holding down center field on an everyday basis.

On the Northern side, Pirates prospect Calvin Mitchell has made enough of an impact this year to debut at No. 99 on BA’s most recent iteration of the Top 100 Prospects list. Mitchell is a polished hitter with a smooth lefthanded stroke. He’s already smacked seven home runs, driven in 32 and posted a stellar .377 on-base percentage.

The most impressive numbers on the mound belong to Lakewood lefty Will Stewart, who leads the league with a 1.23 ERA and an 0.85 WHIP. He pitched a nine-inning shutout on just 98 pitches (71 strikes) on May 30 and has allowed more than two earned runs in just one of his nine starts. He’s joined by fellow BlueClaws Ramon Rosso (1.44 ERA) and Kyle Dohy (1.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 27 innings).

The Southern Division also boasts Rome lefthander Bruce Zimmerman, who leads the league with 84 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.

NORTHERN DIVISION

PITCHERS
Will Stewart — LHP, Lakewood
Blake Battenfield — RHP, Kannapolis
Kyle Dohy — LHP, Lakewood
Jake Elliott — RHP, Kannapolis
Tyler Johnson — RHP, Kannpolis
Ryan Lillie — RHP, Greensboro
Tyler Phillips — RHP, Hickory
Nick Raquet — LHP, Hagerstown
Ramon Rosso — RHP, Lakewood
Addison Russ — RHP, Lakewood

CATCHERS
Deon Stafford — West Virginia
Sam Huff — Hickory
Yohel Pozo — Hickory

INFIELDERS
Seamus Curran — 1B, Delmarva
Tate Blackman — 2B, Kannapolis
Trevor Craport — 3B, Delmarva
Laz Rivera — SS, Kannapolis
Nick Maton — INF, Lakewood
Jake Scheiner — INF, Lakewood

OUTFIELDERS
Calvin Mitchell — West Virginia
Luis Gonzalez — Kannapolis
Zach Jarrett — Delmarva
Nick Banks — Hagerstown
Craig Dedelow — Kannapolis

DESIGNATED HITTER
Lazaro Alonso — Greensboro

SOUTHERN DIVISION

PITCHERS
Joey Marciano — LHP, Augusta
Walter Borkovich — RHP, Rome
Joe Cavallaro — RHP, Columbia
Kutter Crawford — RHP, Greenville
John Gavin — LHP, Augusta
David Peterson — LHP, Columbia
Denyi Reyes — RHP, Greenville
Kelvin Rodriguez — LHP, Rome
Freddy Tarnok — RHP, Rome
Bruce Zimmermann — LHP, Rome

CATCHERS
M.J. Melendez — Lexington
Scott Manea — Columbia
Sebastian Rivero — Lexington

INFIELDERS
Chad Spanberger — 1B, Asheville
Bret Boswell — 2B, Asheville
Chris Hess — 3B, Charleston
Manuel Geraldo — SS, Augusta
Riley Delgado — INF, Rome
Jeremy Vasquez — INF, Columbia

OUTFIELDERS
Seuly Matias — Lexington
Drew Waters — Rome
Casey Golden — Asheville
Victor Acosta — Greenville
Steven Sensley — Charleston

DESIGNATED HITTER
Nick Pratto — Lexington