The players selected to represent the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes at the 2019 Cal League All-Star Game were announced early in the day on Friday, with seven players from the organization making the cut.
Seven Quakes named 2019 Cal League All-Stars! https://t.co/3AuJQoUQyp
— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) June 7, 2019
The players selected were SS Jeter Downs, INF Devin Mann, OF Donovan Casey, C Connor Wong, RHP Wills Montgomerie, LHP Logan Salow and recently promoted to Double-A, Edwin Uceta. The team’s catcher, two infielders, an outfielder, and three pitchers will represent the Dodgers organization as Cal League All-Stars. As previously mentioned, Uceta has been promoted and is with the Tulsa Drillers. The pitchers making the short trip to Inland Empire are both relievers, although Wills Montgomerie has made two starts.
Donovan Casey
The Quakes’ outfielder has battled back from the injuries that plagued him in the middle of the 2018 campaign. He has been healthy this season and is producing at the plate and on the bases, all while playing spectacular in the outfield. Donovan was a member of the championship team from a year ago and played well down the stretch to help secure a successful title run for Rancho. Casey had been listed on the Dodgers top 30 prospects list in the early parts of 2018 before his wrist injury. It is great to see him get the recognition with this All-Star nod. Casey carries a .257/ .317/ .422 slash line this season, with 6 home runs, 8 doubles, 4 triples, and 13 stolen bases.
Donovan Casey – Deep PreGame Thoughts ~ Photo Credit: Steven Douglas
Connor Wong
Connor Wong is another returning member of the ’18 Quakes Championship team. The right-handed hitting catcher, and sometimes second baseman, has continued to impress with his power game, and his 11 home runs are only a part of his story. The guy makes solid contact. Wong ranks second in the Cal League in the home runs to this point. He is also in the mix for a spot on the top 30 Dodgers prospects list. He is sometimes overlooked with all of the other catching talent in the organization, but shouldn’t be forgotten. This marks the second year in a row that Wong has been selected a Cal League representative in the league’s ASG.
Connor Wong – Cal League All-Star ~ Photo Credit: Steven Douglas
Devin Mann
Devin Mann has been, ‘D-Mann’, all season (exactly how his nickname suggests) in the middle of the Quakes lineup. He has remained among the league leaders in runs batted in and home runs, all season long. He has played lots at second base because of team needs and injuries. More recently, he has settled into a primary role at the hot corner.
.282/ .346/ .495 with 10 home runs and 40 runs knocked in, Devin Mann is having an MVP type campaign in the first half of the Cal League. His hitting has been both timely and clutch, as you would imagine with numbers like his. Mann is second in the league with 40 RBI’s, just two back of reign over that statistic among Cal League ballplayers.
Jeter Downs
Jeter Downs has been on a tear of late, and is developing into a Quakes’ fan favorite. After a slow start, Downs has been making solid contact, putting pitches into the gaps and over fences with regularity. He has been impressive. Remember, the Dodgers acquired Downs from the Reds in the Yasiel Puig deal this offseason. Looking at it now, it seems like the front office really knew what they were doing by getting this talented shortstop. Jeter, named after the great Yankee shortstop, is third in the league in RBI’s with 35 to his credit and fourth in home runs with 9 total.
It is awesome to watch Jeter Downs at the plate. He is aggressive when he gets his pitch and really attacks. Downs’ swing has great lift, or “launch angle,” as is the popular term of the day.
Jeter Downs – Dodger SS Prospect ~ Photo Credit: Steven Douglas
Logan Salow
The Quakes bullpen has been “nails” all year long, particularly in the early stages of the season when the starters were not built up yet. Logan Salow has been a workhorse out of the ‘pen, and has been consistently dominant. He even had an immaculate inning in April. Logan Salow has kept the Rancho squad in many ball games and held a lead in tact several times. Very effective and impressive, Salow would be in a higher level in most other organizations. Salow has 2 wins against 0 losses this season, with an ERA of 1.91 to pair with 54 punchouts. Salow has also recorded 3 saves this year, showing his versatility out of the ‘pen is evident to the Quakes’ success.
Wills Montgomerie
Wills has been another fantastic arm coming out of the Quakes’ ‘pen. He has started 2 games, but otherwise, he has pitched as a long relief guy, or almost a “second starter,” as he comes in and records much-needed outs. He has 5 victories and has yet to record a loss. Despite working from the ‘pen, Montgomerie is still among the league leaders in strikeouts with 61, tied for 6th among all Cal League arms. In another organization, Montgomerie might be working primarily as a starter. He has had a fantastic attitude to go along with his stuff. It’ll be exciting to see Wills recognized in the All-Star Game this season.
Edwin Uceta
Has been selected as the Quakes lone representative from the starting rotation. He will be unavailable in the game due to his Double-A call up, which is a well-deserved promotion for the young right-hander. He finished off as one of the top strikeout pitchers in the Cal League this year.
The Quakes are in first place in the South Division by seven games, over the Padres High-A team, the Lake Elsinore Storm. Mark Kertenian has his club at 34 – 24 going into action on June 7th. All of the seven Quakes selected have earned their spots on this roster with great first-half performances from each and every one of them.
The Cal League All-Star Game will be played at Inland Empire’s San Manual Stadium on June 18th.
Steven Douglas has covered the Quakes since 2017. Follow him on Twitter at @wxdude22, and follow @DodgersLowDown for more.