Yarbrough Named TL Player of the Year, Four Travs Named All Stars

August 28, 2014

LITTLE ROCK - The Texas League announced its Post-Season All Star Team and Awards today and four Arkansas Travelers were named All Stars with second baseman Alex Yarbrough winning the franchise's first Player of the Year Award in 16 years. Brian Hernandez, Michael Roth and Cam Bedrosian were also amongst the 19 players voted to the annual list of the Texas League's top talent.

Yarbrough, 22, currently ranks as the Texas League leader with 529 at-bats, 151 base hits, 132 games played, 38 doubles, nine sacrifice flies and is tied for first with 212 total bases. The switch-hitting native of Allen, Texas, ranks second with 72 RBI, third in with 47 extra-base hits and fourth with 66 runs scored while a .285 batting average is also fourth. Drafted out of the University of Mississippi in 2012 with a fourth-round choice, Yarbrough also holds the highest fielding percentage (.983) for qualifying second baseman in the Texas League.

Yarbrough becomes the fourth Arkansas Traveler to be named the Texas League Player of the Year joining Hector Cruz (1973), Ray Lankford (1989) and Tyrone Horne (1998) since the franchise joined the circuit in 1966. He is also the first player during the Travs' 14-season affiliation with the Los Angeles Angels to win the annual player of the year award.

Hernandez, 25, put together a fantastic season in the Texas League after beginning the year for a third season at Class-A. Currently Hernandez ranks second in the league with a .310 batting average and 137 base hits while playing a very strong first base where his .991 fielding percentage is highest in the league. Hernandez, the Angels 27th round choice in 2011 out of UC-Irvine, holds the fifth highest on-base percentage in the league at .362.

Roth, 24, was the starting pitcher for the north division during the Texas League All-Star Game this year and is one of two left-handed pitchers named a Post-Season All-Star. The Greer, South Carolina native is 11-7 in 22 starts with the Travs and currently posts the Texas League's second-lowest ERA at 2.62. The .238 batting average allowed by Roth is the fourth-lowest amongst qualifying pitchers. The Angels' ninth-round draft choice in 2013 out of the University of South Carolina has also appeared in two games for the Angels this year where he is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA.

Bedrosian, 22, is one of two relievers named a Texas League All-Star during a season in which he dominated minor league hitters. The Angels first round choice in the 2010 draft joined the Travs in mid-April after two weeks at Class-A and made 30 appearances for the club where he saved 15 games and struck out 57 batters in 32.1 innings. Only 20 batters reached base against the Senoia, Georia native, who held a 1.11 ERA and .097 batting average allowed.

The Texas League All-Star Team is listed below

1B Trever Adams, Frisco

2B Alex Yarbrough, Arkansas

3B Joey Gallo, Frisco

SS Cristhian Adames, Tulsa

UTL Taylor Featherston, Tulsa

UTL Odubel Herrera, Frisco

OF Lane Adams, Northwest Arkansas

OF Yeison Asencio, San Antonio

OF James Ramsey, Springfield

OF Preston Tucker, Corpus Christi

DH Brian Hernandez, Arkansas

C Cody Stanley, Springfield

P Tyler Anderson, Tulsa

P Cam Bedrosian, Arkansas

P Andy Ferguson, Northwest Arkansas

P Chris Jensen, Midland

P James Needy, San Antonio

P Michael Roth, Arkansas

P Tommy Shirley, Corpus Christi

Texas League Manager of the Year Jason Wood, Frisco

Texas League Pitcher of the Year Tyler Anderson, Tulsa

Texas League Player of the Year Alex Yarbrough, Arkansas

Mike Coolbaugh Texas League Coach of the Year Jeff Andrews, Frisco