Ballpark Guide to Triple-A All-Star Game: Stars You Should Know
After months of anticipation, the RMHC Triple-A All-Star Game is finally here!
The Pacific Coast League All-Stars will square off against the International League representatives tonight at Southwest University Park, with the first pitch slated for 7 p.m.
600 ESPN El Paso will have all the action starting at 6:30, with the voice of the Chihuahuas Tim Hagerty calling the game, along with Nick Curran, who is currently in his seventh season broadcasting for the Louisville Bats.
The game will also be televised on MLB Network, featuring Scott Braun, Bill Ripken, Jim Callis and Kelly Nash bringing the action to the MLB telecast.
Here are six All-Stars to watch tonight:
(SS, #14) Jorge Mateo - Pacific Coast League - Las Vegas (Oakland)
Las Vegas shortstop Jorge Mateo is currently a co-leader in the PCL for hits on the season (116), and he is on pace to break his career-high of 142 hits in the 2017 season. The 24-year-old Dominican prospect is batting .308 on the season and has already eclipsed his career-high home runs in a single season with 13 homers this year. He battled in the home run derby on Monday and hit 19 homers in the opening round.
(LHP, #41) Keegan Akin - International League - Norfolk (Baltimore)
Coming off a stellar season in Double-A, where he went 14-7 with a 3.27 ERA, Norfolk's Keegan Akin has continued his success up in Triple-A this year, holding a 4.20 ERA and a 4-2 record in 17 games. His 89 strikeouts this year are fourth-best among all International League pitchers this season.
(RHP, ) Colin Rea - Pacific Coast League - Iowa (Chicago Cubs)
If Iowa's Colin Rea sounds familiar, it's because he played for El Paso in 2016 and 2018 on Triple-A stints. Under the Iowa system, Rea is having his best year in Triple-A yet. He's 10-2 on the season with a 3.24 ERA (third in the PCL among pitchers) and a 1.29 WHIP (fifth in PCL).
(SS) Jake Cronenworth - International League - Durham (Tampa Bay)
This season has proved to be a breakout season for Durham shortstop Jake Cornenworth. He currently stands atop the International League in various batting categories, as he is the co-leader for hits (101), first in on-base percentage (.427) and second in batting average (.342).
(RF) Kyle Tucker - Pacific Coast League - Round Rock (Houston)
The Houston Astros have a 22-year-old gem in Kyle Tucker, who is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in baseball by MLB.com. Tucker has launched 24 homers this season, which is tied for third-best in the PCL. He is batting .276 on the season with 182 total bases.
(C) Eric Haase - International League - Columbus (Cleveland)
In a heavily competitive International League hitting leaderboard, Columbus catcher Eric Haase has put up the numbers to hang with the big dogs. He's third in the league for home runs (23) and fifth in slugging (.600). Maybe in a hitter-friendly park like Southwest University Park, Haase could launch one out of the park.