End-of-Season All-Star Teams for Every Minor League Level

With the 2012 minor league season now complete, the time has come to reflect on the entire year and issue end-of-the-season awards. Therefore, I’ve assembled an all-star team that’s representative of every minor league level to best highlight some of the top prospect performances of the year. 

Because so many players' respective performances earned them a promotion to a higher level, I’ve included players at the level at which they logged the most games and were the most impressive. For starting pitchers, I made sure to include them at the level where they logged at least 50 innings. So, as you will see, there is no Dylan Bundy on this list.

So, here is a look at the 2012 minor league all-stars.

Triple-A

C: Travis d’Arnaud, Toronto Blue Jays

Batted .333/.380/.595 with 16 home runs before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

1B: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs

Slugger batted .342/.405/.696 with 23 home runs before receiving the call in early July.

2B: Jake Elmore, Arizona Diamondbacks

One of the more consistent hitters in Triple-A this season; batted .344/.442/.465 with 144 hits.

3B: Jed Gyorko, San Diego Padres

Tore the cover off the ball after early-season promotion from Double-A; batted .325/.377/.585 with 24 home runs.

SS: Adeiny Hechavarria, Toronto Blue Jays

Slick-fielding 23-year-old was batting .312/.363/.424 with 32 extra-base hits at the time of his call-up.

OF: Wil Myers, Kansas City Royals

The Minor League Player of the Year, Myers' remarkable season featured a .304/.378/.554 slash line with 24 home runs.

OF: Adam Eaton, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year and MVP, Eaton batted .381/.456/.539 with 186 hits and 119 runs scored.

OF: Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates

In his first experience at Triple-A, Marte batted .286/.347/.500 with 46 extra-base hits and 21 stolen bases.

DH: Chris Parmelee, Minnesota Twins

After a strong big league debut in Sept., 2011, Parmelee batted .338/.457/.645 with 17 home runs and 51 walks as he worked his way back to the majors.

SP: Trevor Bauer, Arizona Diamondbacks

After excelling at Double-A, Bauer was 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 82 innings.

SP: Dan Straily, Oakland Athletics

Following a superb start to the 2012 season at Double-A, the right-hander was 6-3 with a 2.02 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 11.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 for Triple-A Sacramento.

RP: J.J. Hoover, Cincinnati Reds

Amidst trips between Triple-A and the major leagues, Hoover was 4-0 with 13 saves, 1.22 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 55 strikeouts, 12 walks and a .120 opponent batting average. 

Double-A

C: Evan Gattis, Atlanta Braves

Mashing his way through the Braves’ system this year, Gattis batted .258/.343/.522 with 26 extra-base hits.

1B: Jonathan Singleton, Houston Astros

The 20-year-old’s breakout season featured a .284/.396/.497 slash line, 27 doubles, 21 home runs and 88 walks.

2B: Stefen Romero, Seattle Mariners

Playing for an immensely talented Double-A Jackson squad, Romero batted .347/.387/.620 with 15 doubles and 12 home runs in 56 games.

3B: Mike Olt, Texas Rangers

Prior to making his big league debut around the trade deadline, Olt batted .288/.398/.579 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI.

SS: Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers

The top prospect in the minor leagues, Profar excelled as a 19-year-old at an advanced level and batted .281/.368/.452 with 26 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs, 16 stolen bases and 66 walks.

OF: Oscar Taveras, St. Louis Cardinals

Arguably the purest hitter in the minor leagues, the 20-year-old batted .321/.380/.572 with 67 extra-base hits (23 HR), 94 RBI and 42 walks.

OF: Aaron Hicks, Minnesota Twins

Hicks' breakout season was overdue, but nonetheless excellent; .285/.382/.459 with 45 extra-base hits and 32 stolen bases.

OF: Alfredo Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks

The left-handed hitting outfielder made a strong impression this season at Double-A by batting .295/.350/.523 with 25 doubles, 20 home runs and 75 RBI.

DH: Darin Ruf, Philadelphia Phillies

The 2012 minor league home run leader, Ruf clubbed 38 long balls aided by 20 in the month of August.

SP: Chris Heston, San Francisco Giants

Covering 25 starts, the right-hander posted a 2.24 ERA and .223 BAA with 135 strikeouts and 40 walks in 149 innings.

SP: Justin Grimm, Texas Rangers

Between two trips to the major leagues, Grimm was 9-3 with a 1.72 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 73 strikeouts and 14 walks in 84 innings.

RP: Carter Capps, Seattle Mariners

With a fastball that averages nearly 100 mph, the 6’5” right-hander rocketed through the Mariners’ system thanks to a 1.29 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 71 stikeouts and 12 walks in 49 Double-A innings.

High-A

C: Josmil Pinto, Minnesota Twins

Although old for the league, the 23-year-old finally broke out at the plate by batting .295/.361/.473 with 36 extra-base hits.

1B: Travis Shaw, Boston Red Sox

The left-handed hitter amassed 50 extra-base hits and 73 RBI.

2B: C.J. Retherford, Los Angeles Dodgers

After bouncing between organizations, Retherford was clearly comfortable this season at High-A, as he batted .343/.388/.633 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI.

3B: Kaleb Cowart, Los Angeles Angels

Cowart went from a fringe prospect to a top-50 candidate this season at High-A, as the 20-year-old batted .259/.366/.426 with 26 extra-base hits, 49 RBI and 45 RBI in 69 games.

SS: Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds

The new professional stolen base record holder, Hamilton batted .323/.413/.439 with 28 extra-base hits, 50 walks and 104 stolen bases.

OF: Christian Yelich, Miami Marlins

One of the top hitters in the minors, the 20-year-old left-handed hitter batted .330/.404/.519 with 46 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases.

OF: Jackie Bradley, Boston Red Sox

Bradley demonstrated both a hit tool and plate discipline beyond his years by batting .357/.470/.523 with 26 doubles, 15 stolen bases, 52 walks and 40 strikeouts.

OF: Kyle Parker, Colorado Rockies

The former Clemson quarterback came into his own for High-A Modesto, batting .308/.415/.562 with 23 home runs and 66 walks.

DH: C.J. Cron, Los Angeles Angels

Cron was one of the more productive hitters in the minors this season, highlighted by an .843 OPS, 27 home runs and 123 RBI.

DH: Miles Head, Oakland Atheltics

Not included in nearly every preseason prospect rankings, Head was impressive at the plate, as he batted .382/.433/.715 with 23 doubles, 18 home runs and 56 RBI.

SP: Cody Buckel, Texas Rangers

As a 20-year-old at High-A Myrtle Beach, the undersized right-hander was 5-3 with a 1.31 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, .183 BAA, 98 strikeouts and 28 walks in 76 innings.

SP: Adam Morgan, Philadelphia Phillies

The left-hander put himself on everyone’s radar this season with a 3.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .224 BAA, 140 strikeouts and 28 walks in 123 innings.

RP: Mark Montgomery, New York Yankees

With a plus fastball-slider combo good enough to even get big leaguers out, Montgomery recorded 14 saves and posted a 1.34 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 1.63 BAA with 61 strikeouts and 16 walks.

Low-A

C: Will Swanner, Colorado Rockies

He may not stick behind the plate, but the dude sure can hit; he batted .302/.385/.529 with 24 doubles and 16 home runs.

1B: O’Koyea Dickson, Los Angeles Dodgers

The right-handed slugger batted .272/.366/.479 this season, which included 27 doubles, 17 home runs and 46 walks.

2B: Delino DeShields, Jr., Houston Astros

Living under the shadow of fellow speedster Billy Hamilton, DeShields quietly enjoyed a breakout campaign by batting .298/.401/.436 with 10 home runs, 70 walks and 84 stolen bases.

3B: Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins

The top power prospect in the minor leagues, Sano batted .258/.373/.521 with 28 doubles, 28 home runs, 100 RBI and 80 walks.

SS: Alen Hanson, Pittsburgh Pirates

Going from a toolsy up-the-middle prospect, Hanson tore up the South Atlantic League this season by batting .307/.379/.526 with 33 doubles, 13 triples, 16 home runs and 35 stolen bases.

OF: Tyler Austin, New York Yankees

Austin played at three levels this season and hit at each one; he batted .320/.405/.598 with 22 doubles, 14 home runs and 17 stolen bases.

OF: Gregory Polanco, Pittsburgh Pirates

Like teammate Alen Hanson, Polanco enjoyed a huge breakout campaign; .323/.386/.519 with 26 doubles, 16 home runs, 85 RBI and 40 stolen bases.

OF: Brian Goodwin, Washington Nationals

The 2011 draft pick batted .324/.438/.542 with 18 doubles, nine home runs, 15 stolen bases and 43 walks to begin his professional career.

DH: Matthew Skole, Washington Nationals

A major run producer, the beastly left-handed hitter batted .286/.438/.574 with 27 home runs, 94 walks and 92 RBI.

SP: Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins

Arguably the minor league pitcher of the year, Fernandez was 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .182 BAA with 99 strikeouts and 18 walks in 14 starts.

SP: Clayton Blackburn, San Francisco Giants

Possessing superb control of all his offerings, the right-hander was 8-4 with a 2.54 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and .230 BAA and a highly impressive 143/18 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

RP: Ajay Meyer, Toronto Blue Jays

Meyer clearly enjoyed closing games for the “big three” (Sanchez, Syndergaard and Nicolino), as he amassed 33 saves and 57 strikeouts in 54 games.

Class-A Short Season

C: Mike Zunino, Seattle Mariners

The starting point in what was ultimately a quick ascent to Double-A, Zunino batted .373/.474/.736 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 110 at-bats.

1B: Dan Vogelbach, Chicago Cubs

Please disregard all assumptions based upon his size; Vogelbach can flat-out rake. The left-handed hitter batted .322/.423/.608 with 10 home runs and 23 walks.

2B: Gioskar Amaya, Chicago Cubs

The 19-year-old turned plenty of heads with his .298/.381/.496 with 26 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases.

3B: Patrick Kivlehan, Seattle Mariners

Another talented Mariners prospect, Kivlehan batted .298/.381/.496 with 17 doubles, 12 home runs, 52 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

SS: Roman Quinn, Philadelphia Phillies

One of the fastest players in the minor leagues, the switch-hitting Quinn was more advanced than expected this season, batting .281/.370/.408 with 11 triples and 30 stolen bases.

OF: Andrew Aplin, Houston Astros

One of the top hitters in the New York-Penn League, the left-handed hitting Aplin batted .348/.441/.537 with 18 extra-base hits, 24 walks and 20 stolen bases.

OF: Preston Tucker, Houston Astros

Much like Aplin, Tucker made an impressive professional debut by batting .3221/.390/.509 with 15 extra-base hits, 38 RBI and 18 walks.

OF: Jesus Solorzano, Miami Marlins

Playing in a Class-A Short Season league for the first time as a 22-year-old, the outfielder batted .314/.374/.519 with 24 extra-base hits in 59 games. 

DH: Saxon Butler, New York Yankees

One of the top power hitters to emerge from the New York-Penn League this season, Butler, a left-handed hitter, batted .296/.370/.620 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI.

SP: Taylor Cole, Toronto Blue Jays

Cole was excellent in the Northwest League, going 6-0 with a 0.81 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, .161 BAA and 57 K/17 BB in 66 innings.

SP: Luis Mateo, New York Mets

The 22-year-old demonstrated excellent command, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 85 K/9 BB in 73 innings.

RP: Robert Benicasa, Washington Nationals

The right-hander dominated over 16 games with a 3.09 ERA and 32 K/3 BB in 23 innings.

Rookie

C: Clint Coulter, Milwaukee Brewers

His power didn’t show itself, but his plate discipline and hit tool proved to be highly advanced: .302/.439/.444, 11 extra-base hits, 40 K/37 BB.

1B: Wade Hinke, Los Angeles Angles

A 27th-round selection out of Kansas State, the left-handed hitter batted .338/.443/.586, clubbed 21 doubles and 15 home runs and coaxed 43 walks in 72 games.

2B: Christian Lopes, Toronto Blue Jays

The 19-year-old batted .280/.343/.484 with 25 extra-base hits, 29 RBI and 15 walks in 49 games during his professional debut.

3B: Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers

Gallo batted .293/.435/.733 with 29 extra-base hits, 43 RBI and 37 walks, and his 18 home runs set a new Arizona League record.

SS: Addison Russell, Oakland Athletics

On his way to reaching Low-A in his professional debut, the 2012 first-rounder batted .415/.488/.717 with 14 extra-base hits, 13 walks and nine stolen bases in 106 at-bats.

OF: David Dahl, Colorado Rockies

The top prospect across all rookie-level leagues, Dahl batted .379/.423/.625 with 106 hits, 41 extra-base hits, 57 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

OF: Lewis Brinson, Texas Rangers

The highly athletic outfielder struck out 74 times, but still batted .283/.345/.523 with 22 doubles, seven doubles, seven home runs and 14 stolen bases.

OF: Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins

The German-born Kepler made noticeable improvements in his second professional season, batting .297/.387/.539 with 31 extra-base hits, 49 RBI and 27 walks in 232 at-bats.

DH: Dorssys Paulino, Cleveland Indians

One of the biggest surprises of the 2012 minor league season, the 18-year-old batted .355/.404/.610 with 26 extra-base hits and nine stolen bases in 172 at-bats.

SP: Sam Selman, Kansas City Royals

The top pitcher this season across all rookie levels, the left-hander posted a 2.09 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .202 BAA with 89 K/22 BB in 60 innings.

SP: Eddie Butler, Colorado Rockies

The 2012 first-rounder out of Radford University was 7-1 with a 2.13 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .228 BAA with 55 K/13 BB in 68 innings.

RP: Nick Sawyer, Tampa Bay Rays

Sawyer dominated Gulf Coast League hitters with five saves, a 0.31 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, .095 BAA and 56 K/12 BB in 29 innings.