Booker chosen for Carolina League All-Star squad
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, June 13, 2018
- Former Polk County standout Joel Booker. (Photo courtesy of Tom Priddy)
Former Polk County standout Joel Booker has been chosen for the Carolina League All-Star team, the league office announced Monday.
Booker and four Winston-Salem Dash teammates will be part of the Southern Division team in the 2018 All-Star Classic, presented by U.S. Foods, against the Northern Division All-Stars on June 19 at 7 p.m. from Five County Stadium, the home of the Carolina Mudcats.
It is the third All-Star designation in three seasons for Booker, who was a South Atlantic League All-Star last season and an Arizona League All-Star in his first professional season.
Booker, a former 22nd-round pick by the White Sox in the 2016 MLB Draft, currently leads the Dash with a .375 on-base percentage, 36 runs scored and 13 steals. Booker also ranks second on the team with a .286 average. The Columbus native has been a catalyst for the Dash offense, contributing to two of Winston-Salem’s walk-off victories this season.
Entering Monday’s play, Booker also had five home runs and 20 RBIs. He ranked fifth in the Carolina League in steals, eighth in runs and is in the top 15 in the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and on base plus slugging.
Also named to the team were Dash outfielder Luis Basabe, right-hander Dylan Cease, left-hander Bernardo Flores and right-hander Matt Foster. Winston-Salem’s five All-Star nods are the second-most in the Dash era (2009-present), trailing only the 2010 squad, which had seven Midseason All-Stars. The players were selected via a voting process that involved the league’s managers, general managers and media.
– Submitted by PolkSports.com