2019 International League Preview
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2019 INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE PREVIEW April 4 Opening Day in Buffalo, Charlotte, Columbus, Gwinnett, Lehigh Valley, Syracuse, Toledo April 11 Opening Day in Durham, Indianapolis, Louisville, Norfolk, Pawtucket, Rochester, & Scranton/Wilkes-Barre May 24 Online fan voting begins for Triple-A All-Star Game June 27 International League All-Star Team Announcement July 8 Triple-A Home Run Derby & Skills Competition in El Paso, Texas July 10 32nd Annual Triple-A All-Star Game in El Paso, Texas Aug. 27 League Postseason All-Star Team & Award Winners Announcement Sept. 2 End of Regular Season Baseball’s Oldest 136th 87th Annual Governors’ Cup Playoffs - Round One Minor League Consecutive Season Sept. 4-5 West Division Winner at South Division Winner; North Division Winner at Wild Card Club Sept. 6-8 South Division Winner at West Division Winner; (as necessary) Wild Card Club at North Division Winner 87th Annual Governors’ Cup Playoffs - Championship Round Sept. 10-11 North/Wild Card Series Winner at West/South Division Series Winner Sept. 12-14 West/South Division Series Winner at North/Wild Card Series Winner (as necessary) Triple-A National Championship Game The Durham Bulls captured their sixth Governors’ Cup championship in 2018. Sept. 17 IL Champion vs. PCL Champion in Memphis, Tennessee LEAGUE ITEMS OF INTEREST IN 2019 IL HALL OF FAME WELCOMES SEVEN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE TEAMS WILL LEAGUE TITLE FINALLY GO FOUR NEW MEMBERS IN 2019 ENTER 2019 WITH A NEW MANAGER TO A TEAM PLAYING AT HOME? Earlier this offseason the IL announced that four men will enter When the season opens, seven of the circuit’s fourteen teams Beginning in 2008, a remarkable string of eleven (and counting) the circuit’s Hall of Fame in 2019, a class that per League will have a new manager leading the quest to capture the finals series have concluded with the Governors’ Cup being policy was expanded beyond the typical maximum of three coveted Governors’ Cup trophy, completing a wave of new awarded to a club playing away from home. The League’s inductees due to a tie among the top vote-getters. National faces sweeping into IL dugouts that has seen every team replace pre-determined playoff format alternates which semi-final Baseball Hall of Famer Bobby Cox, who won a Governors’ its manager at least once since 2016. Tony DeFrancesco winning entrant hosts the conclusion of each finals, but a Cup as manager of Syracuse, will be honored at Coolray Field retains his role as the Triple-A manager for the Mets as their combination of luck, coincidence, and even bad weather have in Gwinnett during Opening Weekend. Additional ceremonies affiliation shifts to Syracuse. Brady Williams will lead back- resulted in eleven straight “road” clinchings, despite there twice are planned later in the season to enshrine two-time IL All-Star to-back IL champion Durham, while Jay Bell takes over in being a back-to-back champion and only four franchises overall Sam “The Jet” Jethroe, two-time IL batting champion (and SWB hoping to give the team a fifth straight playoff run. The sharing the past eleven titles in total. Durham captured the last new manager of the PawSox) Billy McMillon, and 1992 other incoming skippers are Billy McMillon in Pawtucket, two Governors’ Cups at SWB’s PNC Field. The entire 2018 Sporting News Minor League Executive of the Year Lou Tony Mansolino in Columbus, Jody Davis in Louisville, and finals had to be played there due to an impending hurricane in Schwechheimer, who spent 37 years guiding operations in Gary Kendall in Norfolk. North Carolina. Pawtucket. 2019 INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE PREVIEW - NORTH DIVISION BUFFALO BISONS LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS Triple-A Affiliate of the TORONTO BLUE JAYS Triple-A Affiliate of the PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES Manager: Bobby Meacham (3rd year in Buffalo) Manager: Gary Jones (2nd year in Lehigh Valley) Coaches: Corey Hart, Doug Mathis, Devon White Coaches: Greg Legg, Darryl Robinson, Steve Schrenk Governors’ Cups: 1933, 1936, 1957, 1961, 1998, 2004 Governors’ Cups: None 2018 Finish: 61-77, 6th in North (22.0 GB) 2018 Finish: 84-56, 1st in North / Lost in Gov.’ Cup First Round Ballpark: Sahlen Field (16,600) Ballpark: Coca-Cola Park (10,100) PROBABLE STARTERS: C - Reese McGuire; 1B - Rowdy Tellez; 2B - Cavan Biggio; PROBABLE STARTERS: C - Deivi Grullon; 1B - Austin Listi; 2B - Phil Gosselin; SS - Bo Bichette; 3B - Eric Sogard; LF - Anthony Alford, CF - Jonathan Davis, RF - Forrest Wall; SS - Malquin Canelo; 3B - Mitch Walding; LF - Lane Adams/Adam Hasely; CF - Shane Robinson; DH - Richard Urena. RF - Dylan Cozens; DH - Matt McBride. KEY PITCHERS: Starters - RH Sean Reid-Foley, RH Trent Thornton, LH Thomas Pannone, KEY PITCHERS: Starters - RH Enyel De Los Santos, LH Cole Irvin, RH Jerad Eickhoff, RH Jacob Waguespack, LH Shawn Morimando. Relievers - RH Javy Guerra, RH Conor Fisk, RH Drew Anderson, LH Ranger Suarez. Relievers - RH Pedro Beato, RH Victor Arano, RH Justin Shafer, RH Dusty Isaacs, LH Matt Dermody. RH Tyler Gilbert, LH James Pazos, LH Austin Davis, RH Josh Martin, RH Tyler Viza, RH Edgar Garcia. STRENGTHS: Defense should be above average with Rowdy Tellez at first and backstop Reese McGuire, STRENGTHS: Starting pitching is clearly the team’s most apparent strength at the start of the 2019 who returns to bring stability for the pitching staff. He’s been long praised for his blocking and game-call- campaign. All five projected starters in Lehigh Valley could see action in Philadelphia, and any could have ing ability and he possesses a plus arm to control the run game. Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette bring competed for a MLB rotation spot this spring in many other organizations...... The bullpen should also be familiarity with each other that solidifies the middle infield and Jonathan Davis proved in his month-plus a strength. Pedro Beato led the IL in saves last two seasons and became the franchise’s all-time leader in stint with the Bisons last season that he can cover plenty of ground in the outfield. saves in 2018. Victor Arano, if he starts the season here, has excellent stuff. Edgar Garcia has an electric slider. WEAKNESSES: Many hitters will be facing Triple-A pitching for the first time. The team could have as few as two players in the starting lineup that opened last season above Double-A...... Consistent power WEAKNESSES: There doesn’t appear to be much speed in Lehigh Valley’s projected Opening Day could also be an issue as Tellez (2016) and Biggio (2018) are the only two hitters with a 20+ homer season lineup. to their name and both of those came at Double-A...... Matt Dermody is the only lefty in the bullpen and he’s coming back off missing most of last season to injury. TOP PROSPECTS: Several of Philadelphia’s top prospects are slated to be with the IronPigs. Austi Listi was the organization’s 2018 minor league position player of the year. He will play several positions and is TOP PROSPECTS: One of the biggest questions in all of baseball is where will the reigning Minor known as an aggressive hitter...... Drew Anderson has had a tremendous spring. He has discovered a cutter, League Player of the Year, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., start the season and for how long? An oblique injury in which will serve as his third pitch...... Enyel De Los Santos has a live, short-armed delivery. He has the spring training will likely delay the answer, but any time in the minors is sure to be short lived for the future makings of being a future bullpen piece for the Phillies...... Cole Irvin was the 2018 International League star. ..... The middle of the Bisons infield should boast two other top prospects with equally-strong baseball Most Valuable Pitcher, leading the circuit in wins and ERA. He has a similar style to Tom Glavine. He bloodlines, Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio. Bichette is rated as the 11th best overall prospect by MLB.com uses all his pitches, though he doesn’t throw as hard as Glavine did...... LHP Ranger Suarez got a few MLB and collected 61 extra-base hits in Double-A last season. Biggio is coming off an Eastern League MVP and looks last season, going 1-1 in four appearances for the Phillies...... 2017 first-round pick Adam Haseley Rookie of the Year season where he amassed 26 homers and 99 RBI...... Outfielder Anthony Alford and had a stellar second half last season...... Deivi Grullon needs to polish up his defensive abilities and game RHP Sean Reid-Foley are also both rated as top 15 prospects for Toronto and are expected to help lead the calling. He has a strong arm. Bisons both in the outfield and on the mound, respectively. COMING SOON: LHP Jo Jo Romero has a large collection of pitches. He just needs to refine four COMING SOON: Several pitchers that helped anchor Double-A New Hampshire’s league championship of them. He was 7-6 with a 3.80 ERA last season at Double-A Reading. He has yet to pitch above the last season figure into Buffalo’s plans later this year. 2016 first-rounder LHP T.J. Zeuch is sidelined to start Double-A level. the season due to injury, but projects to be with the Bisons this year...... Right-hander Jon Harris reached Triple-A briefly last year but spent the majority of 2018 with New Hampshire where he was 12-5 in 25 VETERANS TO WATCH: Jerad Eickhoff has struggled with injuries since the end of the 2017 season. starts...... Righty Zach Jackson held a 2.47 ERA in 43 relief appearances at Double-A last season.