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| Vermont's picked up as of late, and have plenty of deserving All-Stars |
Here are the candidates. That's not to say they all deserve a spot, but these are the ones that have stood out since the beginning of the season.
Mikael Mogues, 1B
Mogues has played in all 21 of the Mountaineers games, and has rapidly become a fan favorite at Recreation Field. The 6-3, 260-pound former offensive linemen boasts a slash line of .351/.404/.481, with his average ranking fifth. Nicknamed "Smokey", Mogues has excelled in the spacious confines of Vermont's home park, hitting .500 (17-for-34) in 10 games there compared to a .233 (10-for-43) mark on the road. Ignoring his splits, Mogues has been a reliable contributor and should start at first for the Northern Division. His competition? SteepleCats first basemen Keaton Wright is hitting .306 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Wright deserves a spot on the team, but most likely as Mogues' backup.
Joe Tietjen, CF
A huge part of the reason the Mountaineers are slowly turning it around has been the addition of Tietjen, who is a talented defensive outfielder who's swung a hot bat and it quick on the basepaths. Tietjen opened his summer in Vermont on an 11-game hitting streak, and is hitting .321/.400/.623 in 15 games. He's quickly accumulated nine extra-base hits, showcasing power and speed with four doubles, three triples and two home runs. Tietjen is also 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts and has scored 13 runs atop the Mountaineers lineup.
Troy Scocca, RF
Scocca hit for the cycle last week, earning him a nod as the NECBL Player of the Week. It was more of the same for the righfielder, who's established himself in the Mountaineers lineup as one of the biggest producers. Scocca leads the team with 10 extra base hits and18 RBIs, and is second in runs scored (12). He's also boasts a capable arm from right -- in 19 games, he's thrown out three runners trying to advance.
Keegan Meyn, LF
This is a trickier selection, because in the first 10 games, Meyn was hitting just .154 with zero extra-base hits and just two runs scored. Over the past two weeks, however, he's been one of the hottest hitters in the entire league. In his last 10 games, Meyn boasts a .393 average with seven runs scored and pair of RBIs while getting on base at an unprecedented rate. He's boosted his on-base percentage to .466, third in the league, as he's drawn 18 walks (second).
Mike Osinski, SS
Excellent defense? Check. Capable bat? Check. Osinski has been a stalwart for the Mountaineers since the beginning of the summer, having played in 20 of 22 games. The slick-fielding shortstop has turned seven double plays and has shown good range. At the plate, he's been even more valuable. Osinski is eighth in the league in average (.329) and has scored 11 runs.
Chandler Sedat, RP
Sedat has been Vermont's most reliable reliever, having made four scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. He's struck out 15 in 13 1/3 innings of relief, posting a microscopic 0.53 WHIP while striking out five times as many batters as he walked. One of the younger members of the staff, Sedat has allowed just four hits and issued three walks, limiting opposing batters a .095 average. Arguably the most deserving pitcher on the Mountaineers staff to make it, so expect to see him in Newport.
Jonathan Stiever, SP/RP
With the way Joe Brown manages his pitching staff, Stiever has thrown both in the rotation and the bullpen, and he's flourished. He made the best start of any Mountaineer pitcher in the season opener, throwing five no-hit innings with four strikeouts against Upper Valley. He currently ranks 11th in the league in ERA (1.52) after allowing just one run over his first two starts, both five innings long. Stiever has made a pair of scoreless appearances out of the pen and has 13 strikeouts to just six walks in 17 1/3 innings.
Joe Jacques, SP/RP
Much like Cape Cod-bound reliever Teddy Rodliff of last year's squad, Jacques has flourished with an uncovential delivery. The southpaw has baffled opposing hitters, striking out 15 and holding opponents to a .221 average over 18 1/3. Jacques ranks 10th in the league in ERA (1.44), right in front of his teammate Stiever and also has a 1.18 WHIP.
A huge part of the reason the Mountaineers are slowly turning it around has been the addition of Tietjen, who is a talented defensive outfielder who's swung a hot bat and it quick on the basepaths. Tietjen opened his summer in Vermont on an 11-game hitting streak, and is hitting .321/.400/.623 in 15 games. He's quickly accumulated nine extra-base hits, showcasing power and speed with four doubles, three triples and two home runs. Tietjen is also 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts and has scored 13 runs atop the Mountaineers lineup.
Troy Scocca, RF
Scocca hit for the cycle last week, earning him a nod as the NECBL Player of the Week. It was more of the same for the righfielder, who's established himself in the Mountaineers lineup as one of the biggest producers. Scocca leads the team with 10 extra base hits and18 RBIs, and is second in runs scored (12). He's also boasts a capable arm from right -- in 19 games, he's thrown out three runners trying to advance.
Keegan Meyn, LF
This is a trickier selection, because in the first 10 games, Meyn was hitting just .154 with zero extra-base hits and just two runs scored. Over the past two weeks, however, he's been one of the hottest hitters in the entire league. In his last 10 games, Meyn boasts a .393 average with seven runs scored and pair of RBIs while getting on base at an unprecedented rate. He's boosted his on-base percentage to .466, third in the league, as he's drawn 18 walks (second).
Mike Osinski, SS
Excellent defense? Check. Capable bat? Check. Osinski has been a stalwart for the Mountaineers since the beginning of the summer, having played in 20 of 22 games. The slick-fielding shortstop has turned seven double plays and has shown good range. At the plate, he's been even more valuable. Osinski is eighth in the league in average (.329) and has scored 11 runs.
Chandler Sedat, RP
Sedat has been Vermont's most reliable reliever, having made four scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. He's struck out 15 in 13 1/3 innings of relief, posting a microscopic 0.53 WHIP while striking out five times as many batters as he walked. One of the younger members of the staff, Sedat has allowed just four hits and issued three walks, limiting opposing batters a .095 average. Arguably the most deserving pitcher on the Mountaineers staff to make it, so expect to see him in Newport.
Jonathan Stiever, SP/RP
With the way Joe Brown manages his pitching staff, Stiever has thrown both in the rotation and the bullpen, and he's flourished. He made the best start of any Mountaineer pitcher in the season opener, throwing five no-hit innings with four strikeouts against Upper Valley. He currently ranks 11th in the league in ERA (1.52) after allowing just one run over his first two starts, both five innings long. Stiever has made a pair of scoreless appearances out of the pen and has 13 strikeouts to just six walks in 17 1/3 innings.
Joe Jacques, SP/RP
Much like Cape Cod-bound reliever Teddy Rodliff of last year's squad, Jacques has flourished with an uncovential delivery. The southpaw has baffled opposing hitters, striking out 15 and holding opponents to a .221 average over 18 1/3. Jacques ranks 10th in the league in ERA (1.44), right in front of his teammate Stiever and also has a 1.18 WHIP.
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I just listed off eight players who have had strong seasons, but there are only so many roster spots. Out of the hitters, I'm expecting Mogues and Osinski to start, at the very least. Mogues should beat out Wright, while the Northern Division lacks star power at short. Osinski leads in most offensive metrics, his main challenger either Valley's Kyle Mottice (.246) or Winnipesaukee's Anthony Maselli (.227), both who've struggled offensively.
After that, Tietjen should earn a spot, despite playing only 15 games. He's second among all outfielders in OPS+ (199), but the one in front of him is Winnipesaukee's Anthony Godino, who also plays center field. Scocca and Meyn have both been reliable as well, but it'll be interesting to see if they can find a spot.
Pitching is always hard to determine, because the NECBL has plenty of strong arms. The Northern Division has plenty of capable starters -- Andrew Politi (Winnipesaukee), Braxton Wilks (North Adams), William Tribucher (Sanford), and Mark Washington (Valley) all rank in the top seven in ERA and have each made over three starts. Jacques and Stiever are among the league best in the categories, but Sedat has the best shot in my opinion as an excellent reliever.
All in all, my bold prediction is that the Mountaineers get five All-Stars this year: Mogues, Osinski, Tietjen, Stiever, and Sedat. Scocca, Meyn, and Jacques are on the edge.
Starters are announced at 1 p.m. on the NECBL's twitter account.
I don't know if this will make a difference at this stage but Chandler Sedat is shown erroneously as a freshman on the roster and he is a Sophomore. Maybe he's being overlooked because they think he's too young and will have more opportunity later on. Go Mountaineers!
ReplyDeleteI don't the league cares about the age, but I do think it's unfortunate he's been overlooked. Easily among the league's elite relievers.
DeleteHe is not a sophomore. He IS a freshman and is awesome! He totally deserves the nod.
ReplyDeleteHe actually just finished his freshman year and has not yet started his sophomore year.
ReplyDelete