June 26, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Ranaudo, Britton, Almanzar, Vazquez named Eastern League all-stars
Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo, left-hander Drake Britton, corner infielder Michael Almanzar and catcher Christian Vazquez will represent Portland and the Eastern Division at the July 10 All-Star Game in New Britain, Conn., according to a team release.
Ranaduo and Almanzar got in on the fan fate. Britton and Vazquez were selected by a combination of media, team personnel and Eastern League staff.
In his second season at Double-A, Ranaudo (7-2, 2.28 ERA) has re-solidified himself as a major pitching prospect after struggling in 2012. He owns a 0.97 WHIP and 9.80 K/9 rate, both of which rank near the top in the league, and he recently threw his best game of the reason, a 7 2/3-inning effort with 13 strikeouts against Erie (DET). Ranaudo has moved up to the No. 5 spot on SoxProspects.com from No. 17 since April.
Britton (6-6, 3.74 ERA), ranked 14th on SoxProspects.com, has similarly had a successful season, even if it is a little overshadowed by a deep Portland rotation. The Sea Dogs' Opening Day starter just finished a hot four-start stretch that spanned 27 innings, during which he yielded only two earned runs. On the season, Britton is limiting opposing batters to a .249 average.
Almanzar has shot up SoxProspects.com's rankings, moving up from 47 to 17, behind a slash line of .280/.341/.483. While he strikes out nearly twice as often as he walks, his 11 home runs and 49 RBI are poised to be the best totals of his six-year minor league career.
Commended for his defensive capabilities during spring training, Vazquez (No. 18) has focused on his bat for much of the season. His .224/.335/.360 isn't wildly impressive, but he walks more than he strikes out and has gunned down 45 percent (28 of 62) of would-be basestealers from behind the plate.
Photo credit: Anthony Ranaudo and Christian Vazquez by Kelly O'Connor.
Tim Healey is a staff writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @timbhealey.