The 2019 Southern League baseball season is less than 100 days away. With the exception of coaching staffs and roster announcements, news could be a little slow during the final 100 days before the season kicks off. The biggest news entering the season is with the affiliation changes of the Chattanooga Lookouts and Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Both teams swapped their affiliations with Pensacola picking up the Minnesota Twins and Chattanooga picking up the Cincinnati Reds.
The two teams seasons couldn't have been any different as the Blue Wahoos competed in the playoffs for the second straight season while the Lookouts failed to defend their 2017 co-championship finishing last in the North Division for the first time since 2013.
Koelle: Chattanooga Lookouts Looking to Avoid First Last Place Finish Since 2013
The change of affiliations could make for an interesting 2019 season for both teams and could see the two battle for the Southern League Championship at the end of the season. The Minnesota Twins farm system tallied championships in the Florida State League with the Fort Myers Miracle and the Appalachian League with the Elizabethton Twins. Should some of the players from those teams get called up, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos could battle for their fifth straight playoff appearance and could possibly land their first South Division Championship since 2017.
In 2018, The Chattanooga Lookouts led the North Division with seven players selected to the All-Star team. LaMonte Wade and Zander Wiel represented the position players while Omar Bencomo, Randy LeBlanc, Ryne Harper, Williams Ramirez, and Todd Van Steensel represented on the mound.
Wade, Wiel, Bencomo, and Harper were all four called up during the 2018 campaign while LeBlanc, Van Steensel, and Ramirez remained with the Lookouts and will possibly remain with the Blue Wahoos.
Four Fort Myers Miracle players landed on the Flordia State League South Division All-Star team during 2018 with Jimmy Kerrigan, Jaylin Davis, and Travis Blankenhorn representing the position players and Andrew Vasquez being the sole pitcher selected.
Kerrigan and Davis both competed with the Chattanooga Lookouts late in the season and unless get the call to Triple-A Rochester will remain with the Blue Wahoos in 2019. Blankenhorn remained with Fort Myers through the entire 2018 season with 442 at-bats resulting in 52 runs. 24 doubles, six triples, and 11 home runs. Unless the Twins elect to keep the Minor League veteran in Fort Myers, he should get the call to Pensacola to kick off 2019.
As noted above, Vasquez was the sole pitcher selected to the All-Star team. Vasquez made his Minnesota Twins debut on September 1st against the Texas Rangers.
Three of the Twins MLB.com top prospects have yet to make their Double-A debut with Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Brusdar Graterol. Brent Rooker, the no. 7 prospect for the Twins, spent 2018 with the Lookouts and unless he gets the call, will contribute to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in 2019.
The Cincinnati Reds farm system tallied a runner-up finish in the Florida State League (Class A-Adv) with the Daytona Tortugas in 2018. Eight Tortugas players contributed to the Florida State League North Division tally the All-Star Game victory in Tampa. TJ Friedl, Mitch Nay, Taylor Trammell, Tyler Stephenson, and Brantley Bell all represented the Tortugas on the position player side while Tony Santillan, Ryan Hendrix, and Joel Kuhnel represented on the mound.
Friedl (No. 14), Nay, and Santillan (No. 5) all made their moves to Double-A Pensacola during the 2018 campaign and unless called up to Triple-A Louisville, should compete for the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2019. Two of the three players are listed under MLB.com Top Prospects for the Cincinnati Reds.
No. 2 Cincinnati Reds prospect Taylor Trammell has yet to make his move up to the next level spending 2018 with the Class A-Adv Daytona Tortugas competing in 110 games with a total of 397 at-bats. He contributed 71 runs with 110 hits, 19 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, and 41 RBI's. Should Trammell get the call, he could contribute largely to the Lookouts in 2019.
Despite the two teams new possible success stories kicking off in 2019, eight other teams will look to earn their spot in the spotlight including the defending Southern League Champion Jackson Generals. What can we expect out of the 2019 Southern League season? Be sure to read our previews coming in March. (Koelle,2018)
The two teams seasons couldn't have been any different as the Blue Wahoos competed in the playoffs for the second straight season while the Lookouts failed to defend their 2017 co-championship finishing last in the North Division for the first time since 2013.
Koelle: Chattanooga Lookouts Looking to Avoid First Last Place Finish Since 2013
The change of affiliations could make for an interesting 2019 season for both teams and could see the two battle for the Southern League Championship at the end of the season. The Minnesota Twins farm system tallied championships in the Florida State League with the Fort Myers Miracle and the Appalachian League with the Elizabethton Twins. Should some of the players from those teams get called up, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos could battle for their fifth straight playoff appearance and could possibly land their first South Division Championship since 2017.
In 2018, The Chattanooga Lookouts led the North Division with seven players selected to the All-Star team. LaMonte Wade and Zander Wiel represented the position players while Omar Bencomo, Randy LeBlanc, Ryne Harper, Williams Ramirez, and Todd Van Steensel represented on the mound.
Wade, Wiel, Bencomo, and Harper were all four called up during the 2018 campaign while LeBlanc, Van Steensel, and Ramirez remained with the Lookouts and will possibly remain with the Blue Wahoos.
Four Fort Myers Miracle players landed on the Flordia State League South Division All-Star team during 2018 with Jimmy Kerrigan, Jaylin Davis, and Travis Blankenhorn representing the position players and Andrew Vasquez being the sole pitcher selected.
Kerrigan and Davis both competed with the Chattanooga Lookouts late in the season and unless get the call to Triple-A Rochester will remain with the Blue Wahoos in 2019. Blankenhorn remained with Fort Myers through the entire 2018 season with 442 at-bats resulting in 52 runs. 24 doubles, six triples, and 11 home runs. Unless the Twins elect to keep the Minor League veteran in Fort Myers, he should get the call to Pensacola to kick off 2019.
As noted above, Vasquez was the sole pitcher selected to the All-Star team. Vasquez made his Minnesota Twins debut on September 1st against the Texas Rangers.
Three of the Twins MLB.com top prospects have yet to make their Double-A debut with Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Brusdar Graterol. Brent Rooker, the no. 7 prospect for the Twins, spent 2018 with the Lookouts and unless he gets the call, will contribute to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in 2019.
The Cincinnati Reds farm system tallied a runner-up finish in the Florida State League (Class A-Adv) with the Daytona Tortugas in 2018. Eight Tortugas players contributed to the Florida State League North Division tally the All-Star Game victory in Tampa. TJ Friedl, Mitch Nay, Taylor Trammell, Tyler Stephenson, and Brantley Bell all represented the Tortugas on the position player side while Tony Santillan, Ryan Hendrix, and Joel Kuhnel represented on the mound.
Friedl (No. 14), Nay, and Santillan (No. 5) all made their moves to Double-A Pensacola during the 2018 campaign and unless called up to Triple-A Louisville, should compete for the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2019. Two of the three players are listed under MLB.com Top Prospects for the Cincinnati Reds.
No. 2 Cincinnati Reds prospect Taylor Trammell has yet to make his move up to the next level spending 2018 with the Class A-Adv Daytona Tortugas competing in 110 games with a total of 397 at-bats. He contributed 71 runs with 110 hits, 19 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, and 41 RBI's. Should Trammell get the call, he could contribute largely to the Lookouts in 2019.
Despite the two teams new possible success stories kicking off in 2019, eight other teams will look to earn their spot in the spotlight including the defending Southern League Champion Jackson Generals. What can we expect out of the 2019 Southern League season? Be sure to read our previews coming in March. (Koelle,2018)
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