Seven M-Braves Named Southern League All-Stars
The 2012 Southern League All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19, at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn. The 2012 class is the second-largest group in M-Braves history. The M-Braves had 10 players selected to the 2007 team.
For 2012, four members of the M-Braves pitching staff were selected including starting pitchers Sean Gilmartin, Gary Moran, and Zeke Spruill. Ryan Buchter was the lone M-Braves relief pitcher named to the team. Catcher Christian Bethancourt, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, and outfielder Todd Cunningham were the three M-Braves position players selected to the squad.
Despite a 4-5 record, Gilmartin has posted a 3.16 ERA in 12 starts. In those outings, Gilmartin has turned in nine quality starts for the M-Braves while tossing three complete games. Offensively, he is leading all pitchers with a .286 average at the plate.
Moran started the season in the bullpen before moving into the starting rotation. While combining to post a 1-4 record with a 3.00 ERA, Moran has a 2.89 ERA as a reliever and a 3.05 ERA as a starter. He led all starting M-Braves pitchers during the month of May, posting a 1.61 ERA in six total outings with five starts.
Spruill, who entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, is 5-5 with a 3.41 ERA on the year. In six starts during the month of May, Spruill went 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA.
Buchter, the lone selection from the Braves' bullpen, is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA in 20 outings. He's struck out 31 batters in 25.1 innings of work, thus limiting opponents to a .143 batting average. Buchter gave up just one earned run in nine outings during the month of May, and he has a 0.87 ERA on the road this season.
Behind the plate, Bethancourt has thrown out 39 percent of runners attempting to steal. He's currently hitting .248 with two doubles and 10 RBIs on the year. After hitting .268 in April, Bethancourt was placed on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain but returned to hit .290 in the final 10 games of May.
In 47 games, Cunningham is batting .333 (second best in the Southern League) with 10 doubles, two triples, and 18 runs driven in. He went 3-for-3 on May 9 to raise his average from .289 to .316. Since that time, Cunningham's average has not dipped below the .300 mark. While posting a .478 average thus far in June, Cunningham averaged .337 in 26 games during the month of May.
Simmons was selected to the all-star team but will not participate due to his recent promotion to the big leagues (May 31). As an M-Brave, he hit .292 with nine doubles, two triples, three homers, and 21 RBI in 43 games. He also had 10 stolen bases. Simmons is currently hitting .267 in four games with the Atlanta Braves.
The North Division roster was announced on Wednesday, June 6. Players were selected after a vote by Southern League field managers, radio broadcasters, general managers, and print media. All players on Southern League rosters as of May 17 were eligible for the voting. Starting lineups for the North and South Divisions will be announced on Thursday, June 14 and Friday, June 15, respectively.
Don't miss your chance to see these all-stars and the rest of the 2012 M-Braves. The Braves return to Trustmark Park for a five-game series against the Jacksonville Suns, June 13-17, to wrap up the first half of the season. Mississippi opens the second half of the season with a five-game series at Birmingham before returning to Trustmark Park for a five-game series against the Lookouts on June 26.