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Realmuto, Nicolino Named 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Stars

Suns catcher and ace southpaw earn postseason All-Star honors
August 29, 2014

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville Suns catcher J.T. Realmuto and left-handed pitcher Justin Nicolino were named 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Stars, announced by the league office on Friday evening.

Realmuto in 93 games this season with the Suns is hitting .298 with eight home runs and 61 RBI. His batting average leads the Suns and is also tied for seventh-best in the Southern League. He also leads Jacksonvilel with 17 stolen bases. Realmuto also had two big league call-ups to the Miami Marlins this season, and in seven games in the major leagues he hit .200 (4-for-20) with five runs batted in.

Realmuto spent the entire 2013 season in Jacksonville, where he earned Southern League Midseason All-Star honors and played in the 2013 Southern League All-Star Game in Jacksonville. In 2012 Realmuto earned Florida State League Midseason All-Star honors with the Jupiter Hammerheads. Realmuto was selected by the Marlins in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Coming into this season Realmuto was listed by Baseball America as the Marlins No. 10 prospect, as well as the "best defensive catcher" in the Miami organization.

In 27 starts this season for the Suns, Nicolino is 13-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 163 and a third innings pitched. Nicolino leads the Southern League in wins with 13, and his ERA of 2.98 is the second lowest in the circuit.

Nicolino also has the league's second most complete games (2), is tied for first in shutouts (2), second in innings pitched (163.1), lowest in WHIP (1.10), highest winning percentage (.765), lowest walks per nine innings (1.05), and fewest baserunners per nine innings (10.14).

The award adds to the list of accolades for Baseball America's No. 4 Marlins prospect Nicolino, who earlier this season was named a Southern League Midseason All-Star, and the league also announced him the "Most Outstanding Pitcher" in the Southern League this season. The postseason Southern League All-Star honor is the fourth time in his four-year career. Nicolino was also twice named a Southern League pitcher of the Week on June 23 and August 4.

In 2013 Nicolino was a Florida State League Midseason and Postseason All-Star, as well as the Florida State League Pitcher of the Year. In 2012 Nicolino was a Midwest League Midseason and Postseason All-Star, as well as the TOPPS Midwest League Pitcher of the Year. In his first full professional season in 2011 Nicolino was a Northwest League Postseason All-Star, as well as a Baseball America Short Season All-Star.

Nicolino was originally selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round of the 2010 draft out of University High School in Orlando, Florida. He was acquired by the Marlins organization following the 2012 season in a 12-player trade with the Blue Jays.