A look at how Lakeshore Chinooks alumni have performed throughout the minor leagues in 2016!
Mequon, WI – Four former Chinooks were tabbed to participate in this year’s Arizona Fall League, an exclusive extension of the minor league baseball season. Six prospects from each MLB franchise, mostly at the Double A and Triple A level, are selected to participate. For this season, outfielders Harrison Bader of the Cardinals (LAK 2013) and Andrew Stevenson of the Nationals (LAK 2013) play for the Glendale Desert Dogs, Josh Uhen of the Brewers (LAK 2012) pitches for the Salt River Rafters, and Brian Anderson of the Marlins (LAK 2012) is playing in the infield for the Mesa Solar Sox in his second appearance in the league.
With the extra competition, instruction, and the focused attention from major league front office personnel, the Fall League provides players, coaches, and umpires the unique opportunity to potentially accelerate their careers. As stated by MLB.com, “How good are the players in the Arizona Fall League? The 2014 All-Star Game in Minneapolis featured 36 AFL alums. Nearly 60 percent of all AFL players make a Major League roster, with an incredible 212 All-Stars, 12 MVPs, four Cy Young Award Winners, three World Series MVPs, 66 Silver Sluggers, 58 Golden Gloves, and 25 Rookies of the Year.”
As the Fall League approaches the end of its season, both Brian Anderson and Harrison Bader have been selected to play in the Fall Stars Game on November 5 (Broadcast on MLB Network and MLB.com). Bader is hitting .354, while Anderson leads the league hitting at a .386 clip. With strong finishes in the league, both expect to have a leg up in 2017 as they could compete with each other to be the first Chinook alum to reach the majors.
Stevenson is turning in a good fall season as well, hitting .313 for the Desert Dogs with ten RBI and a team-high five stolen bases in 11 games. Uhen has struggled to regain the form he showed early in 2016 as he pitched for the Brewers’ Class affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and was promptly promoted to Brevard County. After struggling to maintain consistency, Uhen fared better at AA Biloxi where he made four scoreless appearances at the end of the season. Thus far, Uhen has notched a 5.63 ERA in six appearances.
For more information on the progress of our four alums in the Fall League, check out these updates and interviews from MLB.com:
Anderson:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/207394318/marlins-afl-report-on-prospect-brian-anderson/
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/207237094/marlins-brian-anderson-homers-in-afl-win/
Bader:
Stevenson:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/207099580/nationals-in-afl-drew-ward-andrew-stevenson/
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/207532834/nationals-andrew-stevenson-notches-three-hits/
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/205907082/nats-andrew-stevenson-drives-in-five-for-dogs/
Uhen:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/207210298/brewers-in-afl-isan-diaz-gaining-experience/
To follow the progress of any of the Lakeshore alums who are playing professional baseball, click on the Alumni tab under the Team section at the top of this page. Click on a specific player’s name to open a link to view their MiLB bio page.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 23-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
