Lake Elsinore Storm sending seven players to California League All-Star Game
Credit: LE Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm have multiple talented players playing for them at The Diamond. After playing .500 ball for the first half of the season, the Storm will be sending seven players to the California League All-Star Game set to take place in San Bernadino, California on June 18.
In total, Lake Elsinore sends four pitchers in top prospect MacKenzie Gore, Evan Miller, Elliot Ashbeck, and Ronald Bolanos, as well as three position players with Esteury Ruiz, Robbie Podorsky, and Luis Campusano making the trip to the All-Star game. Gore, Ruiz, and Campusano are currently the No. 2, 15, and 25 prospects in the Padres farm system, respectively, according to MLBPipeline.
After enduring a season of blister issues at Low-A Fort Wayne, Gore has done nothing but impress as he has feasted on Cal League batters. In 11 starts, the left-hander has gone 5-1 in 55.2 innings pitched and fashioned a pristine 1.13 ERA. Gore has struck out 77 batters while walking just 11 and hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his starts. A promotion to Amarillo is expected as Gore follows a similar path that fellow budding ace Chris Paddack took to the big leagues.
While he was named to the festivities, Bolanos will not be playing in the All-Star game as he was promoted to Double-A. The 22-year-old struggled at the High-A level last season as he made 23 starts for the Storm in 2018, going 6-9 with a 5.11 ERA, but he has enjoyed a breakout season in 2019. In 10 starts, Bolanos has a 5-2 record with a 2.85 ERA. Bolanos has struck out 54 while walking 23 and his performance at Double-A will be interesting to see.
But what team is complete without a competent bullpen? The Storm have this in the reliable Ashbeck and quietly effective Miller. An All-Star last year, Ashbeck returned to Lake Elsinore after a pitstop in Amarillo and has continued to be an anchor in the bullpen, going 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings while striking out 32 and walking 15. In a close situation, the Storm can turn to Miller to slam the door on the opposing batters. After a successful season in Fort Wayne, Miller has continued that success as the closer for Lake Elsinore, pitching to a minuscule 1.35 ERA in 26.2 innings. He has eight saves in nine opportunities. Against Ashbeck and Miller, opposing batters have hit a feeble .169 and .111, respectively.
While Gore might be getting a promotion to Amarillo, Campusano may not be far behind him. The catcher will be going to the All-Star game with a .315/.402/.503 batting line, six home runs, and 24 RBIs. He has shown great discipline at the plate, taking 24 walks in comparison to his 25 strikeouts. Behind the plate, he has thrown out 18% of would-be baserunners.
Joining Campusano in the games is Ruiz, who continues to show off his skills with the bat in 2019. In 53 games, he has slashed a .254/.315/.398 batting line, five home runs, and 29 RBIs. He also continues to be a menace on the basepaths, pilfering 21 bases and only getting caught four times. His fielding, on the other hand, needs work as he has committed 11 errors at second base and compiling a .925 fielding percentage.
Rounding off the list is Posorsky who, like Bolanos, will not be participating in the game. He won’t be playing due to being placed on the 7-Day injured list on June 4. Before the injury, Podorsky was hitting .289/.356/.366 with a home run and 12 RBIs while swiping 12 bags. An outfielder who is capable of doing a little bit of everything, Podorsky is a pest at the plate and brings a worker’s mindset to every game he plays. Podorsky has certainly come a long way since getting selected in the 25th round in the 2017 MLB Draft.
Campusano and Ruiz have already been named as starters for the game. Each one of these young men has earned their spot in the All-Star Game and the future is bright for each of them.
I am currently attending San Diego State University while working on achieving a major in journalism. At SDSU, I write for The Daily Aztec while also hosting the sports radio show “Picked Off”, for KCR Radio. A loyal fan of San Diego sports, I hope to bring content that you will enjoy reading.