Via a team press release on Wednesday afternoon, the Syracuse Chiefs, the Washington Nationals’ triple-A affiliate, announced that catcher Jhonatan Solano, outfielder Steven Souza Jr., and pitchers Taylor Hill and Aaron Laffey have been selected to the 2014 International League All-Star team.
For all four players, this is the first time that they have received such an honor. Solano, Souza and Hill were all selected through a combination of fan voting, managers and general managers and members of the media. Laffey was named to the team via the International League office.
The following is an excerpt from the press release detailing each individual player.
Solano, a 28-year-old native of Barranquilla, Colombia, will be the I.L.’s starter at catcher. In his fifth year with the Chiefs, Solano has already set a career high with nine home runs, with his 40 RBIs just two shy of a career-best mark. In 61 games, he’s hit .268 with a .430 slugging percentage.
Souza, Jr., a 25-year-old native of Everett, Washington, currently leads the International League in batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.443) and slugging percentage (.595). He also ranks third on the circuit in best HR/AB ratio (1/17.85), tied for third in RBIs (49) and tied for fourth in total bases (138). Souza has made both his Triple-A and Major-League debuts this season.
Hill, a 25-year-old native of Nashville, Tennessee, currently paces the I.L. with a league-best 1.92 ERA and three complete games. He ranks second in WHIP (0.99), lowest unintentional BB/9 IP ratio (0.80) and tied for second in wins (nine). Hill recently made his Major-League debut on Wednesday, June 25th with the Nationals.
Laffey, a 29-year-old native of Cumberland, Maryland, ranks as the only International League pitcher with 10 wins this season. He sports a 2.93 ERA, the league’s ninth-best mark, and threw his first career professional nine-inning shutout on May 23rd vs. Pawtucket.
The Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 16th at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina. For those of you that would like to watch, the game can be viewed on MLB Network beginning at 7:00 PM EST.
——————-
Brian Skinnell is a sports writer born and raised in the Washington, D.C.-metro area and covers the Washington Nationals, Wizards and MiLB for District Sports Page. He’s had work published on Yahoo Sports and Rant Sports, and has made several radio show appearances across the country to discuss his works. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+!
About Brian Skinnell