Turner, Soto to Represent 'Caps at All-Star Game
June 8, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The Midwest League All-Star rosters were announced on Tuesday, and the West Michigan Whitecaps will be represented by a pair of talented teenagers in starting pitchers Jacob Turner and Giovanni Soto.
Both Turner and Soto opened the 2010 season as 18-year-olds before turning 19 within three days of each other in mid-May. While Turner is a highly touted prospect with a power pitching arsenal, the less-known Soto is fast becoming a prospect thanks to an effective cut fastball and a wide array of off-speed pitches.
Turner, the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft, is rated by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the Detroit Tigers' farm system and is considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. He made his professional debut by retiring 15 of the 17 batters he faced and fanning seven over five shutout innings on April 10 in Lake County. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder from suburban St. Louis has 44 strikeouts and just seven walks through 42.2 innings of work. He is 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts).
Soto also burst onto the scene in style when he took the mound for the Whitecaps' home-opener on April 11. Despite never having pitched beyond the Gulf Coast League, the native of Puerto Rico racked up 10 strikeouts over five two-hit innings against Fort Wayne in front of a crowd of 9,132. The lanky left-hander is 4-3 with a 1.99 ERA, good for fifth in the Midwest League. Soto has 52 strikeouts and 17 walks in 54.1 innings over 10 starts.
The 2010 Midwest League Summer All-Star Classic will be hosted by the Fort Wayne TinCaps on June 22 at Parkview Field. The All-Stars were nominated and selected by the Field Managers of the Midwest League's 16 teams. The coaching staff's will be represented by the two divisional champions from 2009, Fort Wayne in the Eastern Division and Burlington in the Western Division.
The Whitecaps begin a six-game road trip to the Western Division with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Tuesday, June 8. West Michigan sends LHP Jade Todd (0-6, 4.84) to the mound for the series opener against RHP Ariel Pena (0-1, 3.65) of the Kernels. Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.
Midwest League Stories from June 8, 2010
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- Rain Delays Rattlers Return To Action At Home - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Hot Rods Rained out in Wisconsin - Bowling Green Hot Rods
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- Turner, Soto to Represent 'Caps at All-Star Game - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Silver Hawks to Host Military Appreciation Day - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Pair of Cougars Voted Midwest League All-Stars - Kane County Cougars
- Five Chiefs Named MWL All-Stars - Peoria Chiefs
- Scott Gracey Placed on DL - Lansing Lugnuts
- Seven Loons Named to 2010 All-Star Team - Great Lakes Loons
- Captains to Send Five Players to the Midwest League All Star Game - Lake County Captains
- Two Bees to Join Staff at All-Star Game - Burlington Bees
- Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest Returns June 11th - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Kernels Put Seven on MWL West All-Star Team - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Four LumberKings Named to MWL All-Star Game - Clinton LumberKings
- Four Hawks Named to All-Star Roster - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Bucci, Davis, Gennett, and Odorizzi Named Midwest League All-Stars - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Pimentel Named Pitcher of the Week - Great Lakes Loons
- MWL Releases 2010 All-Star Rosters - MWL1
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