Garver, Granite Named International League Postseason All-Stars
August 30, 2017 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
ROCHESTER, NY - Rochester Red Wings catcher Mitch Garver and outfielder Zack Granite have been named to the International League Postseason All-Star Team, the league office announced Wednesday.
Garver had one of the best offensive seasons by a Red Wings catcher in recent memory. He appeared in 66 games at catcher but also played defensively in left field and first base. Garver hit .291/.387/.541 with 29 doubles, 17 home runs, 45 RBI, 50 walks and 56 runs scored in 88 total games. The Rochester backstop earned his first MLB promotion on August 18. At that time, the former ninth round selection out of the University of New Mexico ranked among the league leaders in slugging percentage (2nd), OPS (2nd, .928), extra-base hits (T-3rd, 46), doubles (T-3rd), on-base percentage (4th) and batting average (9th). The 14 home runs hit as a catcher are the most by a Wings backstop since at least 1990. Garver became the first Red Wing and only the second player in Frontier Field history to hit three home runs in one game on July 9 vs. Syracuse. He is just the third Rochester catcher since WWII to be named to the IL Postseason All-Star Team, following John Bucha (1951) and Jose Morales (2007).
Granite started slow after dealing with an oblique issue that delayed the beginning of his season by roughly a month. He appeared in 71 games, all starts in center field, while batting .338/.392/.475 with 16 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 29 RBI, 46 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. After batting .237 in 22 May games, the former 14th round pick out of Seton Hall exploded in June to earn the league's Player of the Month honor. He led the league with a .470 batting average, 55 hits, 16 extra-base hits, 23 runs scored, 78 total bases, a .527 on-base percentage and a 1.193 OPS in June while appearing in 29 games. Granite also ranked among the minor league leaders in batting average (1st), hits (1st), on-base percentage (1st), plate appearances (T-1st, 132), total bases (2nd), at-bats (T-3rd, 117), OPS (4th), doubles (T-5th, 11), runs scored (T-6th) and extra-base hits (T-9th) for the month while reaching base safely in all 29 games. He earned his first big league promotion on July 8 and has since been recalled by Minnesota a second time. Granite is the first Rochester outfielder named to the IL Postseason All-Star Team since Jason Kubel in 2004.
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