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Baseball Factory Alumni Set To Make All-Star Game Impact

ASG_LogoThe 86th annual Midsummer Classic is next Tuesday evening from the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and Baseball Factory alumni find themselves among both American League and National League rosters.

Overall, 13 former Factory players were selected to this year’s All-Star Game, a collection of baseball’s top talent. Five players were named to the American League roster, managed by Kansas City Royals manager, Ned Yost. Meanwhile, in the National League, eight Baseball Factory alumni make up the National League roster, led by San Francisco Giants manager, Bruce Bochy. A possible tenth player could be named on the National League side if Colorado Rockies short stop Troy Tulowitzki – a 2001 Team One West participant – wins the Final Vote for NL players.

In the American League, they will have four reserves and one starter who participated in Baseball Factory events in the past.

Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt has come into his own during a breakout season at 30 years of age. Vogt leads the A’s in batting average at .287 as well as home runs (14) and RBI (56) which is tied for sixth-best in the American League. Vogt participated in an Under Armour Baseball Factory Premium Video Program in San Francisco in August 2002 and was later an All-American in 2003.

Mark Teixeira - Team One National Participant

Mark Teixeira – Team One National Participant

Mark Teixeira, a 1997 Team One National participant is making his third All-Star Game appearance, this year as a reserve for the American League. The New York Yankees first baseman leads the team in home runs with 22, fourth-best in the AL and his 62 RBI is tops for all American League players.

Outfield slugger Jose Bautista will make his sixth consecutive All-Star game appearance for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 84 games this season, Bautista is hitting just .239, but is third on the team in home runs with 17 and his 60 RBI’s are tied for team-best. The 34-year-old Bautista broke into the bigs back in 2004 with the Baltimore Orioles and was a 1999 Team One National participant.

Returning from a serious neck injury that kept him out nearly all of 2014, Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder has made this year’s All-Star squad as a reserve.

Fielder leads the American League with 114 hits and his .339 average is second-best to Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera. His .924 OPS is third-best in the American League, just behind Cabrera and Los Angeles Angels star, Mike Trout. This is the sixth All-Star appearance for Fielder and his fourth in the American League. Fielder was a participant in the 2001 Team One National before being selected seventh overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2002 Draft.

The lone Factory alum to be named an American League starter is Toronto third baseman, Josh Donaldson. Donaldson is having such a great season that he earned the most All-Star game votes in history, collecting 14,090,188 votes and becoming the fourth Blue Jays’ player in the team’s history to win the fan election vote.

Donaldson is tied for fifth with Seattle Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz for most home runs in the AL (21) and his 189 total bases are second-best in the American League. Donaldson was a Baseball Factory All-American back in 2004.

In the National League, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher, Zack Greinke is the lone Factory alum to make the roster as a pitcher. In 17 starts this season, Greinke is 8-2 with an NL-best 1.39 ERA in 123 1/3 innings pitched. He’s holding opponents to a .191 batting average, second-best in the NL, and second in WHIP at 0.84.

Greinke has won 131 big league games in his 12-year career, having participated in the 2000 Team One East event before being drafted sixth overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 2002 Draft.

Anthony Rizzo -

Anthony Rizzo – Cape Cod Classic 2006 (Currently Under Armour All-America Game)

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo at 25 is the leader of the team and will make his second consecutive appearance at the All-Star Game. Rizzo attended three events in 2006; a National Team Tryout in Miami, an appearance at the Team One South event and receiving a Cape Cod High School All-Star nod.

In 86 games this season for the Cubs – who are seven games over .500 and in the thick of the N.L. Central race – Rizzo is hitting .298, tied for second in the N.L. with 24 doubles to go along with 16 home runs and 48 RBI. He’s stolen 12 bases and sports a .542% slugging percentage, good for sixth in the senior circuit.

Nolan Arenado is in his third full season with the Colorado Rockies and the third baseman has already won two consecutive Gold Gloves for his defense. Now he’ll be awarded with his first All-Star appearance as a reserve. Arenado is tied for the most RBI’s in baseball with 70 and his 24 homers are seventh-best in the NL playing in a home ballpark at Coors Field in Denver that suits power hitters just fine.

Arenado attended the Ryan Lemmon Showcase in 2007 and later in the year was a Team One West participant as well.

KrisBryant

Kris Bryant at Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament in 2008

Kris Bryant took the baseball world by storm during Spring Training this year by hitting home runs at a frightening pace as he looked to make the Opening Day roster. Bryant wasn’t called up to the bigs until April 17th and is already near the top half of all offensive categories in 78 games.

The former Under Armour Pre-Season All-American in 2008 has hit 12 home runs, two of which have been grand slams, while driving in 51 runs as both he and Rizzo have created a dangerous duo in the middle of the Cubs order.

San Francisco Giants short stop Brandon Crawford is getting his just due, putting together a quiet-yet-productive season for the defending World Champs.

The 28-year old is making his first All-Star appearance in his five-year career and has already eclipsed his career numbers for home runs in a season with 12 in 2015. He’s driven in 52 runs and is hitting .262 for the Giants who are looking to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the N.L. West standings. Crawford attended a Team One West event in 2004 and was a Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American in 2005.

A.J. Pollock’s Baseball Factory story is one rooted in determination and hard work as the 27-year old will make his first All-Star appearance this year.

The outfielder began his Factory journey going from Premium Video Programs to being named a Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American in 2005 and 2006 and an appearance in a Team One East event in ’05. This season, A.J. is becoming a dual threat in the power department as well as stealing bases for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s hit 11 home runs which is a new career high as are his 19 stolen bases. Pollock is hitting .299 this season, just behind teammate Paul Goldschmidt and Yasmany Tomas for the team lead.

After being traded by the Atlanta Braves to the San Diego Padres this past offseason, Justin Upton has thrived in his new, potent lineup as he makes his third career All-Star appearance this season.

In 84 games, Upton is hitting .253 with 45 runs scored, 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 48 RBI, to go along with 17 stolen bases. His .422% slugging percentage in second-best on the team behind Wil Myers.

Upton attended many Baseball Factory Team One events as a youngster, first attending a Team One East event in 2000, Team One South in 2002 and finally Team One National event in 2003.

BryceHarper2

Bryce Harper as a high school freshman at an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout

Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is a true N.L. MVP candidate this season, flashing the talent and skill-set that everyone predicted would happen when the 22-year old was taken No. 1 overall by the Nats in the 2010 Draft.

Harper attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in his home town of Las Vegas, Nevada in February of 2008 and scouts loved that the ball jumped off his bat with an easy swing that led to power to all fields. He’s done that in 2015, hitting .339 (second-best in N.L.), tied for second-most in home runs with 26 and his 61 RBI’s are good for fourth best in the NL.

With his ability to draw walks at a high rate, he’s gotten 63 free-passes this season which has helped his 1.168 OPS, good for first in the NL. His slash line also includes leading the senior circuit in on-base percentage (.464) and slugging percentage (.704%).

Harper was the leading vote-getter for the N.L. this season, amassing nearly 14 million votes (13,864,950).

We congratulate all of our Baseball Factory alumni on being named to the 2015 All-Star Game for both the American and National League teams and wish them continued success the rest of the season.

Don’t forget, take advantage of our Premium Video Program July Special, now through July 31st. We’re offering $100 dollars off of our Premium Video Program in the month of July, by entering promo code BF100 during your registration process. The discount can be applied to any Premium Video Program for 2015.

CLICK HERE to get started by learning more about our Premium Video Program and take advantage of our July special. Offer valid through July 31st.

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