57.19 Montreal All-Stars Named

[Bob Breum]

It’s that wonderful time of year when the All-Star Teams are announced. Thirteen players in the Montreal organization were honored by their respective leagues:

BBA Johnson League

Third baseman Eduardo González and shortstop Qutuz Mahdi each finished first in the All-Star voting at their positions. Closer Max Birstall was one vote shy of finishing first among relief pitchers.

Gonzalez, age 36, has slashed .320/.388/.587 with 18 home runs so far this season. Among third basemen, he leads the league in wins above replacement (WAR), OPS/OPS+, slugging percentage, win probability added (WPA), and weighted OBA (wOBA). He also leads in fielding range at third base. This was his third consecutive All Star appearance, and his sixth overall. He was recently extended by the Blazers for three more seasons. Gonzalez was selected by Montreal in the first round of the 2038 amateur draft.

Mahdi, age 30, has hit .306/.371/.393 this season. He leads all shortstops in WAR, OPS/OPS+, and wOBA. He is a close second in zone rating at +10.9. This is his first All Star appearance.

Birstall, age 31, leads the league with 24 games saved this season, while posting a 2.36 ERA. He is currently scheduled to become a free agent when the season ends. This is his third All Star appearance. Birstall was Montreal’s first round pick in the 2047 amateur draft.

Many pundits were surprised when second baseman Miguel 'Thrillseeker' Martínez, age 26, failed to make the All-Star team. Martinez leads all second basemen in home runs (tied with Charm City's Dave Ackerman), OPS+, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, and isolated power, and was second only to Ackerman in WAR and WPA. He also leads in fielding range and assists. Martinez was the Blazers’ first round pick in the 2052 amateur draft.

AAA Granville League

Four New Jersey Devils were named to the league's All-Star team.

Starting pitcher Gerald Martin, age 28, is 8-2 with a 2.33 ERA. He leads the league in shutouts with four. Originally a first round draft pick by Valencia in 2049, he joined the Devils as a minor league free agent. This is his first All Star appearance.

First baseman Carlos Arroyo, age 31, is hitting .328/.425/.623 with 21 HR. He leads the league in on-base percentage (OBP) and OPS/OPS+. He leads the league’s first basemen in batting average, slugging percentage, isolated power, WPA, and wOBA. He joined the Blazers organization on a minor league deal with a major league option. This is his first All Star appearance.

Left fielder Abbud Yushua, age 28, is hitting .305/.365/.465 with 17 stolen bases. He joined the Devils as a minor league free agent in 2055. This is his fourth All Star appearance, including one in rookie ball in 2048, one in A ball in 2050, and two in AAA (2052 and 2057).

Second baseman Carlos 'Big Stick' Benítez, age 32, is hitting .230/.347/.408. Originally a first round draft pick by Twin Cities in 2047, he joined the Devils as a minor league free agent. This is his first All Star appearance.

AA Drake League

Three Mississauga Spartans were chosen for the league's All-Star team.

Starting pitcher Ken Griffen is 10-4 with a 2.96 ERA. He has five complete games and two shutouts, including no-hitter in his last start. Only 20 years old, he is the eleventh youngest starting pitcher in AA. He was selected in the third round of the 2053 amateur draft by Montreal. This is his first All Star appearance.

First baseman Dan 'Tangles' Wilkinson is hitting .291/.355/.518 with 15 HR. Only 19, he is the seventh youngest position player in AA. He leads AA first basemen with 42 extra-base hits. He was chosen by Montreal in the first round of the 2054 amateur draft, and is currently ranked as their #3 prospect. This is his first All Star appearance.

Catcher Hiba Majaliwa, age 27, is hitting .290/.378/.505. He caught Griffen's no-hitter. Originally chosen by Jerusalem in the twelfth round of the GBC amateur draft, he joined the Spartans on a minor league deal in 2056. This is his fourth All Star appearance, including one each at Short Season A, A, AA and AAA. This year, he was named MVP of the AA All-Star game.

A Baxter League

Right fielder Faqih 'Hard Times' Abdul-Nasser, age 23, is hitting .292/.377/.417. He was an international signing by Montreal out of Egypt in 2050. This is his first All Star appearance.

Short A Sub League 2

Center fielder Gabriel Lorenzo, age 21, is hitting.317/.391/.525 with 9 stolen bases. He leads the league’s center fielders in fielding range by a large margin. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2056 amateur draft by Montreal. This is his first All Star appearance.

Rookie Frontier League

Relief pitcher Tan Hanîminönü, age 21, has thrown 23 innings to a 1.14 ERA. He is tied for the league lead in rWAR. He was an international signing by Montreal out of Turkey in 2053. This is his first All Star appearance.