Four Oklahoma City Dodgers Named To Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15 at Werner Park, in Omaha, Nebraska. In some exciting news, the Triple-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Oklahoma City Dodgers, found out that four players were selected to the squad.
Second baseman Darnell Sweeney and catcher Austin Barnes were each elected as starters. Relief pitcher Ryan Buchter and shortstop Corey Seager were announced as reserves. The OKC Dodgers’ hitting coach Franklin Stubbs was also elected at the PCL’s hitting coach for the All-Star game. The Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers tied for the most representation at the game with four players.
Barnes has solidified his status as one of the top catchers in the Pacific Coast League ever since he was acquired by the Dodgers via the Dee Gordon trade with the Miami Marlins. The 25-year-old is leading his team in batting with a .297 batting average and a .376 on-base percentage. The catcher has five home runs and 29 RBIs on the season. The right-handed hitter made his Major League debut for the Dodgers in May and appeared in five games before returning to Triple-A.
Sweeney has established his presence as the leadoff hitter for the OKC Dodgers and has been a dangerous threat on the offensive side of the plate. The 24-year-old leads the PCL in stolen bases with 26. The switch-hitter leads the OKC Dodgers with 84 hits, 26 multi-hit games, 40 runs, 20 doubles, and 25 walks. The Florida-native has shown his versatility as he has started 33 games at second base, 23 games in center field, and 11 games in left field.
The shortstop Seager is considered by many as one of the top prospects in baseball and has made a smooth transition from his promotion to Triple-A. The 21-year old is batting .284, with six home runs, 25 RBIs, and 31 runs scored. The left-handed hitter became the second player in OKC history to have six hits in a game, which occurred on May 28. The North Carolina native was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft and is considered by many as the future shortstop of the Dodgers.
The last All-Star is left-handed relief pitcher, Buchter. The 28-year-old has been the backbone of the OKC bullpen this season and his numbers have proven so. In 23 appearances, the southpaw pitcher has only been scored upon once. The New Jersey native boasts an impressive 0.63 ERA to go along with a .175 opponent batting average, which rank best amongst the PCL. Buchter is in his first season with the OKC Dodgers after signing a free-agent deal last offseason.
With these young stars getting the recognition they deserve, the Dodgers’ farm system has definitely escaped the preconceived notion of being dry and depleted as it was during the previous ownership era.
Buchter has been lights out as the closer for Okie City. Another lefty with great stuff. We could really use Sweeney’s speed and lead off ability. The lack of speed on the base paths and not having a real lead off guy may hurt us in the play offs. And the play offs are all that matter. Glad to see Barnes hit so well. We have some really dynamic young catchers in the minors.