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 | |
| 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 | |
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