Third Team American Association All-Stars Named
In American Association Daily, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association name the third team all-stars for the American Association from the 20o18 season.
American Association Third Team All-Stars Named
On September 3, the American Association named their 2018 Post-Season All-Star team as chosen by the league’s managers and media. Last week, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association named the second team all-stars in the league as chosen by the publications. Today the Third-Team All-Stars were named.
(The First and Second Team All-Stars are listed at the end of the article)
Third Team American Association All-Stars Named
Catcher: Dylan Kelly (Sioux City Explorers)
Kelly was in his second season with the Explorers in 2018, and he made this year his best. In 95 games, the catcher hit .297 with 35 runs scored, 2 homers, and 65 runs driven in. Kelly appeared in the most games of any catcher in the American Association (87), posting an extremely impressive .997 fielding percentage. He made just 2 errors and had 3 passed balls in nearly 800 total chances.
First Baseman: Noah Perio, Jr. (Kansas City T-Bones)
Perio began the season with the St. Paul Saints and was having a solid season, batting .311 with 26 runs and 17 RBI in 44 Games. He had 12 total extra base hits, but all were doubles. However, after coming to Kansas City, he was a true MVP candidate.
Perio hit .397 in 52 games, recording 21 extra base hits, including 8 homers. He drove in 57 runs giving him 74, tied for fourth in the league. The T-Bones star had a month to remember in August, driving in 40 runs.
Second Baseman: Jay Baum (Sioux City Explorers)
Jay Baum was one of the key acquisitions of Manager Steve Montgomery before the 2018 season. Baum played in all 100 games, posting a .285 average with 72 runs scored and 77 runs driven in, second in the American Association. He had 39 total extra base hits, including 24 doubles and 8 homers, and he walked 55 times, giving Baum an impressive .381 on-base percentage.
Third Baseman: Leobaldo Pina (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks)
Pina starred for the RedHawks in 2018, hitting .319 in 96 games with 46 runs scored and 56 RBI. He had 38 total extra base hits, including 28 doubles. His batting average was tied for ninth best in the American Association.
Shortstop: Dylan Tice (Kansas City T-Bones)
Tice only appeared in 68 games before his contract was purchased by the New York Mets, but he made the most of it, hitting .331 with 55 runs scored, 16 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He was having a phenomenal year, leaving most wondering what took the Mets so long to pull the trigger on offering him a contract. Tice walked 44 times, giving him a .428 on-base percentage (second in the league), and he was brilliant in the field, making only four errors.
Outfielders: Reggie Abercrombie (Winnipeg Goldeyes), Max Murphy (St. Paul Saints), Angel Reyes (Wichita Wingnuts)
Reggie Abercrombie continues to defy Father Time, hitting a team high .316 in 99 games with 63 runs scored, 15 home runs, and 62 RBI. He also stole 12 bases. Abercrombie appeared in the most games in the outfield this past season (99) and he had the most put outs (250). He had four 4-hit games during the season and was one of nine players to have a 5-hit contest. He was fourth in the league with 128 hits.
Murphy was the best all-around player for the St. Paul Saints in 2018, hitting .319 with 70 runs scored and 68 RBI in 98 games. Murphy hit in the leadoff spot for much of the year, yet still drove in 68 runs. He stole 10 bases and had 136 hits, setting a Saints franchise record for hits in a season. His hit total was third most in the league, and he added 31 doubles, second most in the American Association. The outfielder was fourth in total bases (198).
Angel Reyes appeared in 88 total games for the Lincoln Saltdogs and Wichita Wingnuts. He hit a combined .300 with 17 homers and 56 runs driven in. Reyes scored 68 runs and stole 18 bases. During his 32 games in Wichita, the outfielder really stepped up his game, batting .320 with 27 runs scored, 7 homers, and 26 RBI.
Starting Pitcher Eddie Medina (St. Paul Saints)
Medina had already established himself as one of the best pitchers in the American Association during his time with the Wichita Wingnuts, but he took his game to a new level in 2018 for St. Paul, posting a 9-5 record with a 2.80 ERA, third best in the league. Medina set career highs in innings pitched (115.2), strikeouts (104) and starts (19), and he recorded the first complete game shutout of his career. His nine wins tied his single season mark set in 2017.
Reliever: Eric Karch (Sioux City Explorers)
Karch had an impressive campaign for Sioux City after taking over the closer’s role. He appeared in 41 games, posting a 2-3 record with 21 saves and a 2.26 ERA. His save total was third in the league and he finished 32 games, ranked fourth. The right-hander struck out 61 in 43.2 innings pitched.
First Team All-Stars
Catcher: Justin O’Conner (St. Paul Saints)
First Baseman: Brady Shoemaker (St. Paul Saints)
Second Baseman: Logan Watkins (Wichita Wingnuts) six
Third Baseman: Jose Sermo (Sioux City Explorers)
Shortstop: Nate Samson (Sioux City Explorers
Outfielders: Todd Cunningham (Kansas City T-Bones), Michael Lang (Sioux City Explorers), Dillon Thomas (Texas AirHogs)
Designated Hitter: Curt Smith (Lincoln Saltdogs)
Starting Pitcher: Travis Banward (Wichita Wingnuts)
Reliever: Daniel Tillman (Wichita Wingnuts)
Second Team All-Stars
Catcher: Adrian Nieto (Kansas City T-Bones)
First Baseman: Chris Jacobs (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks)
Second Baseman: Edwin Arroyo (Chicago Dogs)
Third Baseman: Mason Davis (Kansas City T-Bones)
Shortstop: Christian Ibarra (Lincoln Saltdogs)
Outfielders: Randolph Oduber (Lincoln Saltdogs), Zach Nehrir (Wichita Wingnuts), Tim Colwell (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks)
Starting Pitcher: Tommy Collier (Kansas City T-Bones)
Reliever: Cody Winiarski (Kansas City T-Bones)
By Robert Pannier