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.