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Robert leads loaded Southern All-Star rosters

Seven Top-100 prospects selected for June 18 showcase in Biloxi
Top White Sox prospect Luis Robert has hit .375/.425/.687 with 11 homers and 18 steals across two levels in 2019. (Danny Parker/MiLB.com)
June 7, 2019

Luis Robert was the Carolina League's best hitter during his short time with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. Since his late-April promotion to Double-A Birmingham, he's proven himself as the best hitter in the Southern League -- and now he has an All-Star nod to prove it.MLB.com's No. 17 prospect headlines a

Luis Robert was the Carolina League's best hitter during his short time with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. Since his late-April promotion to Double-A Birmingham, he's proven himself as the best hitter in the Southern League -- and now he has an All-Star nod to prove it.
MLB.com's No. 17 prospect headlines a loaded North Division outfield that also features Chattanooga's Taylor Trammell (Reds) and Montgomery's Jesús Sánchez (Rays), the 18th- and 35th-ranked prospects in baseball, respectively. The South will try to hold down the North's offense with several top pitchers, including Mississippi's Ian Anderson (Braves, 30th overall).

Biloxi will play host to this year's showcase, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 18, at MGM Park.
Robert is hitting .331/.373/.541 with three home runs, 18 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 16 attempts over 32 games for the Barons after he posted a ridiculous .453/.512/.920 slash line in 19 games for the Dash. His .914 OPS would rank atop the Southern League leaderboard if he had enough at-bats to qualify.
2019 Southern League All-Star rosters:North Division | South Division
The circuit's current OPS leader with an .882 mark, third baseman Travis Blankenhorn leads a six-player contingent on the South team from Pensacola, which also includes Brusdar Graterol (59th overall). Currently on the injured list, Minnesota's third-ranked prospect is one of two undefeated Southern League pitchers, sporting a 5-0 record and a 1.89 ERA that ranks third in the league. Outfielder Jaylin Davis and his .280/.388/.457 batting line also earned a nod, as did right-hander Griffin Jax, who is also on the injured list after going 2-1 with a 1.79 ERA in eight starts.

Montgomery tops all teams with seven representatives on the North squad, led by Sanchez's league-leading 40 RBIs and .298/.355/.450 batting line, seven homers and five steals. Biscuits first baseman Dalton Kelly leads the circuit with a .429 on-base percentage and ranks second with 36 walks, behind Trammell's 38, while Sam McWilliams (4-2, 2.26 ERA) and Kenny Rosenberg (5-1, 2.56) fortify the North staff.
The South may not have the overall star power of the North in the outfield, but Mississippi has a pair of Top 100 prospects roaming the grass in Cristian Pache (No. 16 overall) and Drew Waters (No. 63 overall). Pache is batting a solid .293/.342/.481 in addition to his exceptional defense in center field, but Waters has been the more productive of the two at the plate -- he leads the Southern League with 73 hits, 18 doubles, seven triples, 28 extra-base hits, 38 runs and 114 total bases.
Tucker Davidson and Kyle Muller, also from Mississippi, bring their respective 1.82 and 1.97 ERAs to the South pitching staff, along with teammates Anderson (3-4, 3.12) and Jeremy Walker, whose three walks are the fewest on the circuit among qualifying pitchers.
Brewers No. 11 prospectTrey Supak will represent the host Shuckers for the South and is tied for the league lead with seven wins along with an impressive 2.10 ERA. Biloxi right fielder Trent Grisham ranks second in the league with 101 total bases, third with a .495 slugging percentage and .859 OPS and tied for third with teammate and fellow All-Star Weston Wilson with 10 home runs.

Chris Tripodi is a producer for MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @christripodi.