Four Rockers named ALPB All-Stars

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers placed four players on the Atlantic League Postseason All-Star team on Wednesday. The quartet includes second baseman Shed Long, Jr., outfielder Ben Aklinski, reliever Jameson McGrane and closer Ryan Dull.

The four selections mark the most in High Point’s four seasons in the Atlantic League. The Rockers landed just two players on the All-Star team previously with Stephen Cardullo honored in 2019 as an outfielder and Zander Wiel in 2022, also as an outfielder.

Long, Jr. hit .307 with 13 homers and 59 RBI in 94 games for the Rockers in 2023. He was a member of the Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star team and was twice named the Rockers’ Player of the Week. Long, Jr. had an on-base streak of 34 games which was the fourth-longest in the Atlantic League in 2023.

Aklinski had a remarkable year, leading the Atlantic League in runs scored with 114 and finishing second with 102 RBI, both High Point club records. He hit .286 for the season and was a member of the 20-20 club with 24 homers and 31 stolen bases. Defensively, he did not commit an error in 121 games in the outfield and had nine outfield assists.

McGrane was High Point’s bullpen set-up man, pitching primarily in the seventh and eighth innings. He was 2-0 on the season with a 1.99 ERA. In 45.1 innings of work, he allowed just 30 hits and 11 runs while walking 20 and striking out 67. In addition, he earned the win in each of High Point’s playoff games this season.

Dull tied for the league lead with 18 saves, the same as Lexington’s Garrett Schilling. Dull converted 18 of 19 save opportunities on the year and struck out 60 hitters in his 45 innings of work. An ALPB Mid-Season All-Star, Dull yielded just 24 hits and 10 runs with 11 walks. Dull’s 18 saves mark the club record for saves in a season and his 31 career saves as a Rocker is also a team record.

The Rockers in 2023 won the Atlantic League’s first half South Division pennant and tied for the division title in the second half. High Point fell in the South Division Championship series to Gastonia in five games.

2023 Atlantic League Postseason All-Star Team

C                 Kole Cottam, Spire City
1B               Drew Mendoza, York & Thomas Dillard, Lexington
2B               Shed Long, Jr. High Point & Melvin Mercedes, Lancaster
SS               Angel Aguilar, Staten Island
3B               Andretty Cordero, Lancaster
OF               Leobaldo Cabrera, Spire City
OF               Dwight Smith, Jr., Charleston
OF               Ben Aklinski, High Point
DH              Jose Marmolejos, Spire City
Starter         Zach Mort, Gastonia
Reliever      Jameson McGrane, High Point
Closer         Ryan Dull, High Point