On Tuesday afternoon, the Florida State League Office has announced that three Palm Beach Cardinals players to be members of the South Division All Star Team. Rowan Wick was voted in as one of the relief pitchers, Austin Gomber was voted as one of the starting pitchers, and Steve Bean was named as a catcher for the team.
Wick has performed exceptionally well as one of the best relief pitchers in the Florida State League and has been the Cardinals go to closer since Kevin Herget got called up to AA Springfield recently. Currently, he has a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 innings, allowed 16 hits, while just a mere three runs. Wick has also recorded 35 strike outs to only six walks in the 21.2 innings. Wick has notched four saves for Palm Beach since Herget’s call-up to AA.
Gomber has compiled a 4-4 record with a 3.12 ERA on the season for the Cardinals, playing a crucial role as part of the strong rotation. He has thrown 60.2 innings on the season, giving up 55 hits, 24 runs (21 earned), while striking out 49 batters and walking 16. Opponents are only hitting .244 off of him this season.
Bean rounds out the all-stars as one of the division catchers on the roster. However, while he has performed well behind the plate, it is at the plate that the young catcher has struggled this year. In 2016, Bean is batting .173 on the season, with two doubles, one home run and nine RBI’s. 12 of the 29 baserunners attempted to steal have been thrown out by Bean.
Perhaps the biggest shocker regarding the All-Star roster is the snubbing of Cardinals ace pitcher Matt Pearce. Pearce, 22, is 6-1 this season with a team-leading 1.87 ERA. Statistically one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the league, he has thrown a complete-game shutout (the only one this year for Palm Beach), struck out 36 batters while only walking 11.
The All Star game will be held in Fort Myers on June 18th at 7:05 PM.
