Nolan Jones, Mario Feliciano Lead 2019 Carolina League All-Stars

Image credit: Mario Feliciano (Photo by Zachary Lucy/Four Seam Images)

The Carolina League’s all-star field is led by one Top 100 prospect and a catcher who is putting himself on the precipice of the list with a scorching first half. The game will be hosted by Frederick on June 18.

The game’s overall field has been hit hard by promotions and injuries—Nick Madrigal, Daniel Lynch, Brady Singer, DeMarcus Evans, Joe Barlow and Jarren Duran all were elected to the game but are unable to participate—leaving the torch to be carried by Indians infield prospect Nolan Jones. The 21-year-old has showed excellent on-base skills in his return to the Carolina League, where he’s struck out just seven more times than he’s walked (55 to 48). His .438 on-base percentage is second only to Duran among CL players.

Jones checked in as Baseball America’s No. 75 prospect in the most recent iteration of the Top 100. 

He’s followed by Brewers standout backstop prospect Mario Feliciano, who led the most recent Hot Sheet and has eclipsed Jake Adams (also a CL all-star) for the league’s home run lead. Feliciano also shows an intriguing split in his statistics. He’s incredible at the plate on days he gets to strap on the catcher’s gear (.357/.402/.687) and pedestrian when he starts at DH (.206/.275/.374) while teammate and fellow CL all-star Payton Henry gets to take his turn behind the plate.

All three of Wilmington’s standout arms at Wilmington—Singer, Lynch and Jackson Kowar—were elected to the game, but only Kowar is able to participate. Singer was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Lynch is on the injured list. Kowar, who was part of a massive haul of college pitching talent drafted by the Royals in 2018, has used a mid-90s fastball and dynamite changeup to produce a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (60 whiffs, 20 walks), and an overall mark of 5-3, 3.76.

The league’s ERA leader, Down East righthander Jason Bahr, got an all-star nod as well. Bahr was acquired from the Giants as part of a three-player package with reliever Cory Gearrin and outfielder Austin Jackson in the summer of 2018. He’s produced well since moving organizations, and nears the end of the first half with a 6-1, 1.71 mark and 58 strikeouts in as many innings.

Bahr’s teammate Leody Taveras, who continues to be one of the best defenders in the CL, will help anchor the Southern Division. In a return to high Class A, Taveras, who is still just 20 years old, is hitting .303/.377/.393 with Down East. 

NORTHERN DIVISION

Name	Position	Team	MLB Org
PITCHERS
Michael Baumann	RHP	Frederick	Orioles
Kutter Crawford	RHP	Salem	Red Sox
Juan Hillman	LHP	Lynchburg	Indians
Steven Klimek	RHP	Frederick	Orioles
Jackson Kowar	RHP	Wilmington	Royals
David Lebron	RHP	Frederick	Orioles
Tad Ratliff	RHP	Wilmington	Royals
Adam Scott	LHP	Lynchburg	Indians
Cody Sedlock	LHP	Frederick	Orioles
Tyler Zuber	RHP	Wilmington	Royals
Robert Broom	RHP	Lynchburg	Indians
Andrew Lee	RHP	Potomac	Nationals
Daniel Lynch	LHP	Wilmington	Royals
Brady Singer	RHP	Wilmington	Royals
CATCHERS
Jakson Reetz	C	Potomac	Nationals
MJ Melendez	C	Wilmington	Royals
INFIELDERS
Pedro Castellanos	1B	Salem	Red Sox
Ryan Fitzgerald	SS	Salem	Red Sox
Cole Freeman	2B	Potomac	Nationals
Nolan Jones	3B	Lynchburg	Indians
Willy Yahn	3B	Frederick	Orioles
OUTFIELDERS
Nick Banks	OF	Potomac	Nationals
Oscar Gonzalez	OF	Lynchburg	Indians
Zach Jarrett	OF	Frederick	Orioles
Cole Billingsley	OF	Frederick	Orioles
Jarren Duran	OF	Salem	Red Sox
DESIGNATED HITTER
Aldrem Corredor	DH	Potomac	Nationals

SOUTHERN DIVISION

Name	Position	Team	MLB Org
PITCHERS
Javier Assad	RHP	Myrtle Beach	Cubs
Jason Bahr	RHP	Down East	Rangers
Rodrigo Benoit	RHP	Carolina	Brewers
Jesus Camargo	RHP	Myrtle Beach	Cubs
Matt Hardy	RHP	Carolina	Brewers
Will Kincanon	RHP	Winston-Salem	White Sox
Luis Ledo	RHP	Winston-Salem	White Sox
John Parke	LHP	Winston-Salem	White Sox
Paul Richan	RHP	Myrtle Beach	Cubs
Noah Zavolas	RHP	Carolina	Brewers
Joe Barlow	RHP	Down East	Rangers
DeMarcus Evans	RHP	Down East	Rangers
Dylan File	RHP	Carolina	Brewers
Enoli Paredes	RHP	Fayetteville	Astros
Yohan Ramirez	RHP	Fayetteville	Astros
CATCHERS
Mario Feliciano	C	Carolina	Brewers
Payton Henry	C	Carolina	Brewers
INFIELDERS
Jake Adams	1B	Fayetteville	Astros
Ryan Dorow	3B	Down East	Rangers
Yonny Hernandez	2B	Down East	Rangers
Zach Remillard	3B	Winston-Salem	White Sox
Diosbel Arias	3B	Down East	Rangers
Nick Madrigal	2B	Winston-Salem	White Sox
OUTFIELDERS
Corey Julks	OF	Fayetteville	Astros
Jacob Meyers	OF	Fayetteville	Astros
Leody Taveras	OF	Down East	Rangers
Jameson Fisher	OF	Winston-Salem	White Sox
Seth Beer	OF	Fayetteville	Astros
Joantgel Segovia	OF	Carolina	Brewers
DESIGNATED HITTER
Colton Shaver	DH	Fayetteville	Astros