Atlantic League Names 2022 Postseason All-Star Team
September 29, 2022 – Atlantic League (AtL) News Release
(New York) – The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball today announced the members of the 2022 Postseason All-Star Team. As voted on by the league’s managers and coaches, these players represent the best players in the Atlantic League during the 2022 season.
The 2022 team features three repeat recipients and nine first time honorees. In addition, six of the players recognized were also members of the 2022 Ballpark Digest-Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star team.
Among the members of the 2022 Atlantic League All-Star are the league leaders in batting average, home runs, RBI, hits, and runs scored. On the pitching side, the Atlantic Leaguers who led the loop in wins, ERA, saves and appearances are represented on the 2022 team.
Southern Maryland pitcher Daryl Thompson is not just a repeat winner as the Atlantic League’s top starting pitcher, but he has become the first pitcher in league history to earn postseason All-Star status in three consecutive years. Thompson was the ALPB’s All-Star starting pitcher in 2019 and 2021. He led the league in both wins and ERA in 2022, going 15-4 with a 3.43 ERA.
Joining Thompson on the pitching staff are reliever Endrys Briceno of Southern Maryland and closer Jesus Balaguer of Gastonia. Briceno was 5-0 with a miniscule 0.76 ERA in 46 appearances including 10 saves. In 47.2 innings, he allowed just 20 hits while striking out 73, Briceno was the reliever on the 2021 ALPB All-Star as well. Balaguer tied for the league lead with 25 saves, going 1-4 with a 3.36. In 56,1 innings, Balaguer struck out 71 and helped the Honey Hunters win both halves of the Southern Division.
Among position players, Courtney Hawkins was named to the All-Star team for the second consecutive season. Hawkins tied the Atlantic League record with 48 homers and his 125 RBI were the second-most ever by an Atlantic League player. Hawkins led the league in slugging percentage (.655), OPS (1.054), extra base guts (72), and runs scored (110). Hawkins’ 310 total bases topped the league and set a record for total bases in a season.
Joining Hawkins in the outfield is Long Island outfielder Alejandro De Aza who was the top hitter in the league with a .343 average. De Aza also was the best in the league with a .452 on-base percentage and second in the league with 35 doubles.
The third outfielder is High Point’s Zander Wiel who finished second to Hawkins with 32 home runs in 2022. Wiel ranked third in the league with 98 RBI.
The first baseman is Andretty Cordero of Lancaster who finished the season second in the league with a .339 batting average. Cordero carried the Barnstormer offense throughout the second half of the season and his 184 hits were the second-most ever recorded in Atlantic League history.
Joseph Rosa of two-time South Division champion Gastonia is the second baseman on the 2022 All-Star team. Rosa started the season hot, earning ALPB Player of the Month in April. He finished the season with a .308 batting average and was second in the league with 35 doubles, 63 extra base hits and 283 total bases.
Rosa’s Gastonia keystone mate, Jack Reinheimer, is the shortstop. Reinheimer scored 89 runs to rank sixth in the league while his 55 stolen bases were the second-most this year in the Atlantic League.
The third baseman is Carlos Franco of York. The ALPB June Player of the Month, Franco finished among the top five in the Atlantic League with 30 homers, 95 RBI, a .618 slugging percentage, a .413 on-base percentage and a 1.031 OPS. His streak of 50 consecutive games reaching base was the longest in the ALPB in 2022.
Charleston’s Yovan Gonzalez is the catcher on the All-Star team. He posted the second-best batting average among qualified catchers, hitting .313 with six homers and 47 RBI.
Southern Maryland’s David Harris rounds out the 2022 Atlantic League All-Star team as the designated hitter. Harris led the Blue Crabs with a .322 batting average, fourth-best in the league, while hitting 16 homers and posting 86 RBI, the eighth-best total this season.
2022 Atlantic League Postseason All-Star team
C Yovan Gonzalez, Charleston
1B Andretty Cordero, Lancaster
2B Joseph Rosa, Gastonia
SS Jack Reinheimer, Gastonia
3B Carlos Franco, York
OF Courtney Hawkins, Lexington
OF Alejandro De Aza, Long Island
OF Zander Wiel, High Point
DH David Harris, Southern Maryland
SP Daryl Thompson, Southern Maryland
RP Endrys Briceno, Southern Maryland
Closer Jesus Balaguer, Gastonia
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