Knapp & Ramos slated to rep Phils in AFL Fall Stars Game
One of the biggest events of the off-season league schedule takes place this Saturday when the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Game happens at Scottsdale’s Salt River Fields.
The “Fall Stars” exhibition marks the 10th annual event and will be nationally televised at 8PM Eastern on MLB Network and will stream live online at MLB.com.
Representing the Phillies will be righty hurler Edubray Ramos and catcher Andrew Knapp, who were part of the Double-A Reading team that went to the Eastern League Championship Series this year.
Ramos, a 22-year-old Venezuelan, was a stand out performer this year, when he tallied a 4-6 record with eight saves, a 2.07 ERA and a .196 batting average against in 47 games in relief for Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading. As a member of the Glendale Desert Dogs in the AFL, Ramos has allowed seven earned runs in 6 2/3 innings (9.45 ERA) while striking out eight and walking none.
The switch-hitting Knapp, who turns 24-year-old next week, entered AFL action on Friday with a .214/.361/.321 slash line in nine games with Glendale. He was honored as the Phillies’ top minor league player this season with the Paul Owens Award. Also having split time with Clearwater and Reading, the man known as “The California Kid” sported a .308 average with 13 homers and 84 RBI in 118 combined games.
Knapp was named to the club as a first baseman, where he’s been getting playing time in the field to enhance his versatility, when Houston’s A.J. Reed was shut down with soreness by the Astros.
Salt River Fields serve as the spring training home to the Rockies and the Diamondbacks.
