The Texas League has announced the rosters for the 2018 Texas League All-Star Game, with seven Springfield Cardinals being selected to the North Division Team – INF Tommy Edman, OF Victor Roache, OF Lane Thomas, P Chris Ellis, P Conner Greene, P Connor Jones and P Jake Woodford.
Edman, 23, has batted leadoff for the Cardinals for the majority of the season. The former Stanford University Cardinal is batting .267 with 38 runs and 24 RBIs in 60 games. His 17 extra-base hits include 11 doubles, two triples and four home runs. Edman is ranked as the No. 21 Cardinals prospect by MLB.com
Roache, 26, has shown off his power stroke since being signed by St. Louis to a minor league free agent contract in January 2018. His 15 home runs lead the Texas League and put him well on his way to his fourth season of 18 or more home runs since being drafted in the 1st Round by the Brewers in the 2013 draft out of Georgia Southern University. Roache is batting .270 with 38 runs and 44 RBIs in 63 games.
Another player in his first full season with the Cardinals organization, Thomas, 22, has already hit career highs in home runs (13) and RBIs (43) through 59 games. A former 5th Round pick by the Blue Jays in 2014, Thomas has posted a .261/.342/.491 slash line and leads the Cardinals with 12 steals. Thomas hit his first-career two-homer game on June 2 against San Antonio and repeated that feat two days later against Northwest Arkansas. He’s also been a big factor in center field with five outfield assists.
This is the first All-Star selection for Ellis, 25, since the 6-foot-5 right-hander was acquired from Atlanta on Dec. 1, 2016. Ellis was previously a Southern League Mid-Season All-Star for the Double-A Mississippi Braves in 2016. Ellis has appeared in 15 games this season for Springfield, starting seven. He has a 4.19 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 53.2 IP, striking out 56. He’s 2-for-2 in save opportunities and 4-0 overall.
Greene, 22, is in his first season with the Cardinals organization after being acquired from the Blue Jays on January 19, 2018. He’s 4-3 with a 4.44 ERA in 10 starts for Springfield, striking out 43 in 48.2 innings. He struck out eight batters over six one-hit innings against Midland on April 14. Greene has three bullpen appearances for Triple-A Memphis since his June 4 assignment to the Redbirds, tossing 3.2 scoreless frames. Greene is ranked as the Cardinals No. 16 prospect by MLB.com
Springfield’s ERA leader among pitchers with at least five starts, Jones, 23, is 4-2 with a 3.80 ERA over nine starts this season. He’s struck out 30 over 45.0 IP. Jones is coming off Springfield’s best single-game pitching performance of 2018 when he no-hit Tulsa for 6.1 innings on June 12, finishing the outing with seven one-hit, shutout innings. Jones is ranked as the Cardinals No. 18 prospect by MLB.com.
Woodford, 21, is in his first season of Double-A baseball. The youngest starting pitcher on Springfield’s roster and the Opening Day starter for the Cardinals, Woodford is 3-7 with a 5.18 ERA in 13 starts. He’s struck out 48 in 66.0 IP. Woodford allowed just nine earned runs over a six-start stretch (36.0 IP) from April 28 to May 24, capped by eight shutout innings at Corpus Christi on May 24. Woodford is ranked as the Cardinals No. 17 prospect by MLB.com.
The 2018 Texas League All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, June 26 at Security Bank Ballpark, the home of the Midland RockHounds.
