Minor League All-Stars: Low A

In an effort to keep tabs on former Cape Leaguers, I present the 2012 Cape League Minor League All-Stars. The lists are divided by level. Players who spent time at two levels are listed where they spent more time. This is the third in the series.

For many, the Low Class A ranks are the first taste of a full season. Many former Cape Leaguers ran with the chance, led by Falmouth alum Matt Skole (pictured), who earned South Atlantic League MVP honors with the Hagerstown Suns. A bunch of former Cape outfielders and starting pitchers also stood out.

Catcher – Curt Casali – West Michigan (Midwest League) – Tigers
Casali, a former Vanderbilt Commodore and Hyannis Harbor Hawk, split the season between the Midwest League and the High A Florida State League. With West Michigan, he hit .288 with 12 homers and a .402 on-base percentage.
In the Running: Josh Ludy, Matthew Koch, Pratt Maynard

First Base – Dean Green – West Michigan (Midwest League) – Tigers
Green spent most of his summer in the Midwest League and hit .306 with nine homers. The former Chatham Angler continued to shine in the Florida State League, where he hit .348.
In the Running: Jordan Ribera, Aaron Westlake, Jerrud Sabourin, Kevin Patterson, Cam Seitzer, Max Muncy

Second Base – Tyler Rahmatulla – Quad Cities (Midwest League) – Cardinals
Rahmatulla struggled mightily for Chatham in 2009 but has been impressive since getting selected in the 34th round last year. Rahmatulla hit .322 with seven homers and 42 RBI in 49 Midwest League games.
In the Running: Ross Wilson, Joey DeMichele, Ross Heffley, Alex Yarbrough

Third Base – Matt Skole – Hagerstown (South Atlantic League) – Nationals
Skole spent two summers in Falmouth and after getting selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, he burst onto the scene in his first full season this year. Skole earned South Atlantic League MVP honors after batting .286 with 27 homers and 92 RBI.
In the Running: Nick DelMonico, B.A. Vollmuth, Stephen Piscotty

Shortstop – Taylor Featherston – Asheville (South Atlantic League) – Rockies
Featherston played briefly for Brewster in 2010. A fifth-round pick in 2011, he had a break-out first full season, batting .299 with 12 homers, 30 doubles and 53 RBI.
In the Running: Josh Adams, Eric Stamets, Darnell Sweeney

Outfield – Brian Goodwin – Hagerstown (South Atlantic League) – Nationals
The former Harwich Mariner left North Carolina after his freshman year and was drafted in the first round in 2011 out of a junior college. He tore up the South Atlantic League in his pro debut, hitting .324 with nine homers, 38 RBI and a .438 on-base percentage before getting promoted all the way up to Double A.

Outfield – Zach Cone – Hickory (South Atlantic League) – Rangers
Another 2011 first-round pick, the former Cotuit Kettleer hit .264 with 17 homers, 27 doubles and 64 RBI in his first full pro season.

Outfield – Ben McMahan – Wisconsin (Midwest League) – Brewers
McMahan was a catcher for Y-D in 2010 but was behind Mike Zunino on the Florida depth chart. Since getting selected in the 23rd round of the 2011 draft, McMahan has blossomed as an outfielder. He hit .287 with 15 homers and 68 RBI this season.
In the Running: Caleb Ramsey, Bobby Crocker, Brian Humphries, Ryan Jones, Travis Jankowski, Tom Belza

Starting Pitcher – Nick Tropeano – Lexington (South Atlantic League) – Astros
Tropeano was a star for Cotuit and Stony Brook and has continued to excel in the Astros system. After shining in the NY-Penn League last year, Tropeano cruised through two levels this year. With Lexington, he went 6-4 with a 2.78 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 87.1 innings.

Starting Pitcher – Drew Gagnon – Wisconsin (Midwest League) – Brewers
A stand-out for Brewster in 2010, Gagnon was a third-round pick last year, and he impressed at two levels this year. In his Midwest League stint, he went 6-1 with a 2.83 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.

Starting Pitcher – Thomas Collier – West Michigan (Midwest League) – Tigers
Collier was a junior college standout who made waves for Falmouth in 2009 and again for Bourne in 2011. He signed with the Tigers after his stint with Bourne and had a strong first full season of pro ball. He went 9-8 with a 2.74 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 124.2 innings.
In the Running: Logan Verrett, Jake Floethe, Anthony Desclafani, Kevin Couture, Kyle Zimmer, Austin Wood, Jordan Pries, Matt Bashore, Charlie Lowell

Relief Pitcher – Russell Brewer – Asheville (South Atlantic League) – Rockies
Brewer was a standout closer in two separate Cape seasons and has continued to be a bullpen force at the next level despite not getting drafted until the 31st round in 2010. He had a 2.09 ERA in 47 games this year, to go with 76 strikeouts in 60.1 innings.

Relief Pitcher – Tommy Toledo – Wisconsin (Midwest League) – Brewers
Toledo never put it all together with Y-D in 2010, but he’s been impressive as a reliever in pro ball. He went 7-1 this year with a 1.95 ERA, six saves and 31 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Relief Pitcher – Mitchell Lambson – Quad Cities (Midwest League) – Astros
A standout reliever for Orleans in 2010, the former Arizona State Sun Devil had a 2.72 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 36.1 innings this season.
In the Running: R.J. Alvarez, Carmine Giardina, Michael Dennhardt, Bryan Morgado, Max Perlman, Mason Melotakis

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