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

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

SOUTHERN DIVISION

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