The Oklahoma City Dodgers will be represented in the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 12, by Willie Calhoun, Wilmer Font, Alex Verdugo and Madison Younginer. Calhoun, Font and Verdugo were elected as starters by Triple-A field managers, general managers and broadcasters/media.
Younginer was named a reserve by the PCL. Oklahoma City is tied with the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate) for the most representatives in the 2017 CHI Franciscan Health Triple-A All-Star Game that will be played at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Wash.
While Calhoun and Verdugo are household names in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, Font and Younginer have shined in PCL play.
Font leads the circuit and all Minor Leaguers with 112 strikeouts this season. His 12.55 strikeouts per nine innings are best in the Pacific Coast League, and Font ranks second with a 1.08 WHIP, .212 opponents’ batting average, and sixth with a 3.70 ERA.
Font set an Oklahoma city franchise record with 15 strikeouts on May 15. He signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers in December 2016.
Younginer, 26, owns a 2.19 ERA with six saves. His .168 opponents’ average ranks first among PCL relievers, while Younginer’s 11.69 strikeouts per nine innings ranks fourth. Younginer signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in November 2016.
Calhoun is hitting .295/.339/.568 with 15 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs and 49 RBI. He’s tied for fourth in the PCL in home runs.
Verdugo is batting .344/.411/.462 with 14 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 36 RBI through 70 games. He leads Oklahoma City in batting average and with 88 total hits. Verdugo enters play Thursday in the midst of a career-best 18-game hitting streak.
The 30th annual Triple-A All-Star Game will be broadcast live on MLB Network, the American Forces Network, MiLB.TV, the MiLB First Pitch App and the Triple-A All-Star Game Radio Network at 6 p.m. PT.
