Baseball America announced its 2013 Minor League All-Star team on Thursday, a squad highlighted by top-tier prospects including Cubs shortstop Javier Baez and Twins third baseman Miguel Sano.
C Josmil Pinto • Twins
Triple-A Rochester (International)
Pinto ranked among the Double-A Eastern League leaders in average (.308) and OBP (.411) this season.
1B Chris Colabello • Twins
Triple-A Rochester (International)
He didn’t capture the industry’s full attention, however, until this season when the 29-year-old won the minor league batting (.352), slugging (.639) and OPS (1.066) titles while also earning Triple-A International League MVP honors.
2B Marcus Semien • White Sox
Triple-A Charlotte (International)
Semien led the minors in runs scored (110), the Double-A Southern League in on-base percentage (.420), walked more than he struck out and fell one home run shy of going 20-20.
3B Miguel Sano • Twins
Double-A New Britain (Eastern)
Only Chris Colabello and the Angels’ Zach Borenstein had a higher slugging percentage than Sano (.610) this season, and only Javier Baez had more extra-base hits than Sano’s 70.
SS Xander Bogaerts • Red Sox
Triple-A Pawtucket (International)
Bogaerts mastered two levels of the high minors and didn’t blink when thrust into the heat of the American League pennant race as a 20-year-old shortstop/third baseman for Boston.
CF Byron Buxton • Twins
High Class A Fort Myers (Florida State)
A 19-year-old Buxton ranked sixth in the minor league batting race at .334, seventh with a .424 on-base percentage, second with 109 runs and first with 18 triples, evoking lofty comparisons with Andrew McCutchen and Mike Trout.
OF Joc Pederson • Dodgers
Double-A Chattanooga (Southern)
Batting mostly first or second in the order at Chattanooga, Pederson hit 22 homers and stole 31 bases in 39 tries, contributing one of the great overlooked power-speed seasons and earning Most Exciting Player honors from Southern League managers.
OF George Springer • Astros
Triple-A Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast)
Springer came tantalizingly close to becoming the first 40-40 player in the history of the modern minor leagues—which we trace back half a century—but he finished at 37 home runs after an eight-game power drought at the end of the Triple-A season. No cause for alarm. Springer swiped 45 bases in 53 tries.
DH Javier Baez • Cubs
Double-A Tennessee (Southern)
Baez slammed 20 homers in 54 Double-A games to catch and tie George Springer for second place in the minors with 37 bombs. Baez stands all by himself, however, with minor league-leading totals for extra-base hits (75) and RBIs (111).
SP Archie Bradley • Diamondbacks
Double-A Mobile (Southern)
The 21-year-old ranked third in the minors with a 1.84 ERA and fifth with 162 strikeouts all while allowing six homers in 26 starts.
SP Eddie Butler • Rockies
Double-A Tulsa (Texas)
Though Butler lasted until the 46th pick in the 2012 draft, the Radford product would go much higher in a re-draft after rocketing from low Class A in April to Double-A in August. Along the way, he ranked second in the minors in ERA (1.80), third in WHIP (0.99) and second in opponent average (.180).
SP C.J. Edwards • Cubs
High Class A Daytona (Florida State)
Edwards is the scouting and player development success story in the minors. He quickly refined his mechanics and added velocity during his 2012 debut before utterly dominating low Class A competition for the first half of 2013.
SP Erik Johnson • White Sox
Triple-A Charlotte (International)
He locates, he throws four pitches and he’s ready now after finishing fifth in the minors in ERA (1.96) and third in WHIP (0.99).
SP Rafael Montero • Mets
Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast)
Miniscule rates for walks (35 in 155 innings) and home runs (six in 27 starts) allowed Montero to survive a second half spent pitching in the hostile environs of Las Vegas, where he managed to go 3-2, 2.87 in nine home starts.
RP C.J. Riefenhauser • Rays
Triple-A Durham (International)
Just four qualified minor league relievers allowed fewer baserunners per inning than Riefenhauser (0.83 WHIP), a southpaw who gives same-sided batters fits ...Lefthanders hit just .122/.182/.171 in 88 matchups this season, with strikeouts 42 percent of the time.
