Seven Smokies Named Southern League All-Stars

The Tennessee Smokies announced Thursday that seven Cubs prospects were named to participate in the Southern League All-Star Game on Tuesday, June 23 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama.

Daniel Vogelbach and Kyle Schwarber were named starters and will play 1B and catcher respectively. Vogelbach is hitting .320 with 21 runs scored, 12 doubles, one triple, four homers and 24 RBI. Despite missing two weeks, he is second in the Southern League in on-base percentage (.436), tied for fourth in walks (32) and fifth in slugging percentage (.497). Vogelbach already earned two Southern League Player of the Week honors and Cubs organizational Player of the Month for April,

Schwarber, meanwhile, was being named Cubs Organizational Player of the Month for May. For the season he is hitting .324 with 12 HRs and 37 RBIs; He also leads the Southern League in on-base percentage (.445), walks (39) and slugging percentage (.580). Schwarber is currently the top hitting prospect in the organization and is likely nearing a promotion to Iowa. There were even some discussions of using him as a DH in Interleague play.

Joining them at the game as reserve players will be teammates Catcher Wilson Contreras, and Pitchers Frank Batista, Corey Black, P.J. Francescon and Felix Pena.