MiLB Names Organization All-Stars for Nats Minors
MiLB, which is now an arm of MLB, finally got around to releasing its 2021 All-Stars for the Washington system:
C – Israel Pineda
1B – K.J. Harrison
2B – Jake Noll
SS – Luis García
3B – Jake Alu
OF – Daniel Palka
OF – Ricardo Méndez
OF – Justin Connell
RHSP – Cade Cavalli
LHSP – Mitchell Parker
RP – Alberto Baldonado
I tried to do what I did the last time—ID the best under 26 and the age-appropriate-to-the level—but quickly determined that if you have to set aside small sample sizes (due to being drafted or being traded for), that pretty much eliminates just about every “yeah, but.”
But not every. I’m not sure how Parker got the nod over Alfonso Hernández or Baldonado over Gabe Klobosits. FWIW, García played more games at 2B than SS or Jake Noll (68/36 and 68/54), but if you pick García for 2B then what do you for SS? The next-best SS with any substantial experience is Yasel Antuna, and house-organ hype aside, how do you make the case that a .692 OPS is worth 36E?
But I digress… A thing like this is not to celebrate what will be but rather what was. We can only hope that the 2022 version of this won’t have so many caveats. Or at least it’ll populated with guys that I will not be tempted to add multiple A’s to their name, like Noll or PalkAAAA.
Ricardo Mendez signed out of Venezuela as a 16 year old, he turns 22 in a couple of weeks.
He actually hit better in Wilmington at .792 OPS than at Fredericksburg. Do the Nats have something here? I don’t know myself.
Luke
You probably don’t be adding AAAAAAA to many more names after several years removed from the major hiccup in career professions which either derailed for many but just stalled others who needed time to resume …
Time plus tragedy always has an ending mixed with humor …
In the Athletic interview with D Watson Lara was mentioned as a producer he wanted to see get going
He must have meant G Lara ..
As Charlie Slowes likes to say, “Remember where you are so you can remember where you were.” Save this list to remind us where we were . . . when the front office decided it had to trade half the team to start restocking the farm.
I don’t want to say too much in that vein, though, as several of these players had good seasons. Let’s celebrate that and not be too critical, other than as Luke has done to question better alternatives.
I’m intrigued by Parker, but right now it’s too early to tell. He looks pretty boom or bust, Nuke LaLoosh, although it should be noted that he only had one full JUCO season before being drafted, and 2021 was his first pro season. So it’s logical that he still needs a good bit of refining. He’ll only be in his age-22 season in 2022 and starting it at A+.
Shall we see a correlation between Mendoza growing fast @ A plus for a move to AA bumping Harrison to ROCH duty to bash with Casey and other AAA or AAAA bats ??
Well Todd looks like you’ll add to the Big board @ ROCH
Joey Meneses 1 b
And Mitch Lugo OF
Mitch Longo
Luke
You think Joe Dillon can flip a switch in the hitting Psychologies of JT Arruda , Jose Sanchez , V Pena and some of the other Mendoza line swimmers ?
Woof… that’s certainly a list. Not sure, “All Star” is the right descriptor though.
There’s plenty of undeserved awards here, but the most perplexing is Baldonado. He was a MiLFA and is 28. Sure, he had a good season, but there’s no shortage of relief pitchers who had similarly good seasons, but are still actually prospects: (in addition to A. Hernandez and Klobosits) Jhon Romero, Carson Teel, Reid Schaller, Alex Troop, Andrew Karp, Matt Cronin, Gilberto Chu, Jose Ferrer.
They give awards to everybody in PC youth soccer programs .. why not minor league baseball ..