CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Appalachian League announced the 2024 All-Appalachian League Team. This year’s group is led by Danville’s Michael Callan Moss, the Appy League’s Player of the Year, and Greeneville’s Brock Toney, who earned Pitcher of the Year honors.
The All-Appalachian League Team features five infielders, four outfielders, three pitchers, one catcher, one designated hitter and a two-way player. Eight of the 10 Appy League teams are represented this year, with Danville, Greeneville and Johnson City’s three selections leading the way. Tri-State had two selections, while Bluefield, Burlington, Kingsport and Pulaski had one each. Twelve of the 15 All-Appy Team selections are either from or committed to Division I schools, and UNC-Wilmington is the only program with multiple selections (3).
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2024 All-Appalachian League Team
Position; Name; Team (2024 School/2024-25 Commitment)
C: Logan Poteet, Tri-State (Vanderbilt / Charlotte)
Poteet hit .367 (29-for-85) with four home runs, seven doubles and 20 RBI in 22 games. He posted a 1.088 OPS, slugging .608, and finished the regular season riding a 19-game on-base streak en route to a .480 OBP.
Poteet hit a three-run homer in his first Coal Cats plate appearance against Bristol on June 24 and homered twice in his final six regular-season games. He hit safely in 17 games, recording seven multi-hit performances, including five three-hit games, and had a season-high four RBI against Danville on July 27. Poteet started behind the plate for the East in the 2024 Appy League All-Star Game in Johnson City, Tenn., on July 23.
1B: Michael Callan Moss, Danville (Saint Leo)
The 2024 Appy League Player of the Year hit .371 (39-for-105) with eight home runs and 39 RBI in 33 regular season games before helping lead Danville to its first-ever Appy League title. The Otterbots’ first baseman had 11 doubles, 28 runs scored, 37 walks and five stolen bases, finishing the season with a .531 on-base percentage and a .724 slugging percentage. Moss led the Appalachian League in batting, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS (1.255), extra-base hits (20) and walks (37). He finished third in both RBI and total bases (76). He started at first base for the East in the 2024 Appy League All-Star Game after winning the Home Run Derby the previous night, launching 14 homers in the final round en route to the title.
Moss closed the regular season on a 10-game hitting streak (July 17-31), during which he batted .429 and had nine extra-base hits, including four home runs and 16 RBI. He was named Appy League Hitter of the Week for the final week of the regular season and garnered July Hitter of the Month honors after batting .451 (23-for-51) with five home runs, 23 RBI and 14 runs scored in 16 July games for the Otterbots. He led all Appy League hitters during July in average, OBP (.597), slugging (.902), OPS (1.494), home runs, extra-base hits (tied-12) and total bases (tied-46). Appearing on MLB Network’s MLB Central last week along with Otterbots manager Mickey Tettleton, Moss announced that he was signing with the Kansas City Royals.
MIF: Chase Bloomer, Johnson City (Southern Illinois - Edwardsville)
Bloomer hit .347 (58-for-167) with three home runs, 13 doubles and one triple, posting a .491 SLG and .921 OPS in 41 games. He had 30 RBI, scored 39 runs and was 11-for-11 in stolen-base attempts. He led the Appy League in hits, doubles (tied), total bases (82) and plate appearances (tied-193), finished second in average, runs, extra-base hits (tied-17) and games played and was sixth and seventh in OPS and RBI, respectively.
Bloomer took home Hitter of the Week honors during the second week of the 2024 season. The Doughboys shortstop recorded a hit in 29 games and had 21 multi-hit performances. He had multiple hits in 10 of his final 13 games and concluded the regular season with four straight multi-hit efforts, going 11-for-19 in that span. He collected a season-high four hits against Briston on July 29, finishing 4-for-5 with a home run, double, two RBI and two runs scored. After winning the Appy League Skills Competition the previous night, he was 1-for-3 as the West’s starting shortstop and leadoff hitter in the All-Star Game.
MIF: Brodie Johnston, Greeneville (Boyd Buchanan HS (Tenn.) / Vanderbilt)
Johnston hit .284 (48-for-169) with five home runs, six doubles and three triples, posting a .479 SLG and .830 OPS in 43 games. He tallied 47 RBI, scored 34 runs and was 14-for-14 on the base paths. The Vanderbilt-bound infielder’s 47 RBI led the Appy League and marked the league’s second-highest single-season total since 2021. He also paced the circuit in triples, was second in extra-base hits (tied-17), total bases (81) and games played (43), and finished third and fourth in hits and runs scored (tied), respectively. Johnston represented the Flyboys in an exhibition game against USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team on July 2 and was named All-Star Game MVP after going 2-for-4 with a first-inning solo home run to help the West defeat the East, 4-1.
Johnston registered an RBI in 26 games for the Flyboys and had 14 games with multiple RBI. He drove in 17 runs during an eight-game RBI streak from June 28 to July 9 and another 11 during a six-game streak from July 20-27. Johnston launched a three-run homer in his first at-bat of the season on Opening Day against Elizabethton and later added an RBI double to finish 2-for-4 with a season-high four RBI. He homered in back-to-back games to open July, notching two hits and three RBI in both contests en route to Hitter of the Week honors, and recorded a season-best four hits at Bristol on July 9 in a 4-for-5, three-RBI performance.
3B: Noah Smith, Bluefield (Illinois State)
Smith hit .321 (45-for-140) with two home runs, six doubles and one triple, slugging .421 with a .426 OBP in 39 games. He had 29 RBI, scored 24 runs and was 8-for-12 in stolen-base attempts. Smith was seventh in the Appy League in hits, 10th in average and 14th in OPS (.828). He slashed .377/.476/.478 with 26 hits and had 11 of his 16 multi-hit games in June, recording a season-high three hits (3-for-4) against Johnson City on June 20.
Smith had two hits in four consecutive games from June 13-16 and five multi-hit efforts during his six-game hit streak from June 20-27. Starting at third base and batting seventh for the East in the All-Star Game, Smith scored his team’s lone run while going 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. He also represented the Ridge Runners in an exhibition game against USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team on July 1 in Pulaski.
UTL IF: Nick Arias, Greeneville (Pima CC (AZ) / Abilene Christian)
Arias hit .335 (54-for-161) with one home run, one triple and six doubles, slugging .404 with a .446 OBP. He had 38 runs and 29 RBI in 43 games, going 7-for-10 on the base paths. Arias ranked among the Appy League’s qualified leaders in hits (2nd), average (3rd), runs (3rd), total bases (65, 9th), OBP (10th) and OPS (.850, 13th). His 193 plate appearances and 43 games played were tied for first and second in the circuit.
Arias had a 13-game hit streak from June 11-25, during which he hit .404 (21-for-52) and scored a run in eight straight games (13 total) for the Flyboys from July 19 to July 29. Arias reached base 48 times during his 25-game on-base streak from June 11 to July 11. He suited up for the Appy League West Select against USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team on July 2 and took over at shortstop for the West in the sixth inning of the Appy League All-Star Game, going 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored. He previously played in the 2023 Appy League with the Bristol State Liners.
OF: Alec DeMartino, Pulaski (UNC-Wilmington)
DeMartino hit .333 (33-for-101) with five home runs, five doubles and one triple this season, slugging .552 with a 1.104 OPS and 27 RBI in 28 games. He finished with 21 runs scored, 18 walks and four stolen bases. Among qualified Appy League hitters this season, DeMartino ranked near the top of the leaderboard in slugging (2nd), OPS (2nd), average (4th), OBP (.462, 5th) and home runs (tied-5th).
He homered in three consecutive games from July 18-20 en route to being named the Appy League’s Hitter of the Week. In four games that week, DeMartino hit .538 (7-for-13) with seven RBI and six runs scored for the River Turtles. He was 0-for-2 as the East’s starting right fielder and cleanup hitter in the Appy League All-Star Game.
OF: Michael Rodriguez, Tri-State (Bethune-Cookman)
Rodriguez hit .312 (44-for-141) with two home runs, 11 doubles and one triple for the Coal Cats, finishing with a .447 SLG and .836 OPS. He accrued 63 total bases, 11 RBI and 24 runs scored in 37 games. The outfielder ranked inside the top 15 in the Appy League in multiple categories, including doubles (6th), hits (8th), extra-base hits (9th), total bases (10th) and average (13th).
The starting left fielder for the East in this year’s All-Star Game, Rodriguez was the team’s only player to reach base three times, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and a walk from the second spot in the batting order.
OF: Christian Toledo, Johnson City (Allegany College of Maryland)
Returning to Johnson City after batting .254 with a .747 OPS in 33 games and posting a 1.59 ERA with three saves on the mound as a Doughboys two-way player in 2023, Toledo hit .330 (38-for-115), the Appy League’s fifth-best mark, with one home run, two triples and three doubles in his second tour, producing a .406 OBP and .417 SLG (.823 OPS) over 37 games. He totaled 21 runs and 23 RBI, stealing 13 bases in 18 attempts.
Toledo hit his only home run of the season while going 3-for-3 with a season-high three RBI against Bluefield on June 12 and added two more three-hit efforts over his next six contests. He was 0-for-2 from the eighth spot in the lineup as the West’s starting right fielder in this year’s All-Star Game.
UTL OF: Cal Sefcik, Kingsport (Indiana / Cincinnati)
Sefcik hit .295 (43-for-146) with five home runs, eight doubles and three triples en route to 72 total bases, slugging .493 with a .846 OPS in 39 games for the Axmen. He scored 29 runs and finished with 40 RBI, second-most in the Appy League. Sefcik also ranked among the circuit leaders in home runs (tied-5th), total bases (tied-5th), extra-base hits (tied-6th), slugging (8th) and hits (9th).
His 13-game RBI streak from July 14 to July 30 was the longest in the Appy League this season. The Kingsport slugger racked up 23 RBI in that span, hitting .404 (21-for-52) with a 1.131 OPS and seven extra-base hits. He had a season-best three RBI on five occasions this season, including four times amidst his RBI streak, during which he hit .404 with a 1.131 OPS. Sefcik represented the Axmen and the West Select against the Collegiate National Team on July 2 and reached base three times for the West in the Appy League All-Star Game, walking twice and scoring a run in a 1-for-2 showing.
DH: Gunner Boree, Johnson City (Brown)
Boree hit .329 (46-for-140) with five home runs, five doubles and three triples for the Doughboys, finishing with a .481 OBP and .514 SLG (.995 OPS). In 38 games, he tallied 32 RBI and 34 walks, scored 34 runs and was 15-for-17 in stolen-base opportunities. Boree ranked second in the Appy League in OBP, third in slugging, OPS and walks and scored the fourth-most runs. He was fifth in hits, home runs, total bases and RBI and produced the league’s sixth-best average.
Boree reached base 84 times during his 34-game on-base streak (June 4 to July 26). He took home June Player of the Month honors, hitting .412/.565/.691 with 18 RBI and 21 runs scored over 19 games. He had a season-high four hits against Bluefield on June 11, going 4-for-4 with a triple, walk and two runs scored, and homered in back-to-back games on June 28-29 to close the month on a nine-game hit streak. Along the way, Boree represented the Doughboys against the Collegiate National Team on July 2 and again in the Appy League Home Run Derby (runner-up) and All-Star Game (0-for-0, 2 BB).
Two-Way: Bromley Thornton, Burlington (UNC-Wilmington)
Thornton hit .306 (26-for-85) with one home run, one triple and five doubles for Burlington, posting a .424 SLG in 34 games. He totaled 20 runs and 16 RBI and finished with a .421 OBP after tallying more walks (16) than strikeouts (14). He doubled and hit his only home run during a season-best four-RBI game at Pulaski on July 7. Facing Johnson City on July 26-27, Thornton produced back-to-back three-hit performances, tallying a double and an RBI with two runs scored in both contests.
On the mound, Thornton kept the opposition from scoring in eight of his 10 relief appearances, going 2-0 with one save and a 1.40 ERA. He posted a 0.78 WHIP across 19 1/3 innings, compiling 20 strikeouts against seven walks while limiting hitters to a .125 average. The right-hander racked up five strikeouts over 3 1/3 perfect innings – both season-high totals – at Elizabethton on June 11 in his second outing. He suited up for the East against the Collegiate National Team on July 1 and notched two strikeouts during a perfect inning out of the East bullpen in this year’s All-Star Game.
RHP: Brock Toney, Greeneville (Grand Canyon)
Toney, the Appy’s League Pitcher of the Year, was 1-0 with three saves and four holds in 14 relief appearances for the West Division champion Flyboys. He finished the season with a 1.01 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings (15.86 K/9). Toney allowed 13 hits, three runs (all earned) and nine walks, posting a 0.83 WHIP and .149 BAA. The right-hander ranked among the Appy League leaders in K/9 (1st), holds (1st), ERA (2nd), WHIP (2nd), BAA (4th) and strikeouts (5th). Among qualified relievers, Toney led the league in strikeouts and was second in innings pitched.
A late-inning bullpen staple for the Flyboys this season, Toney made seven consecutive scoreless appearances with 18 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings from June 21 to July 10. He tallied multiple strikeouts in 12 of 14 regular season appearances and had a season-high seven strikeouts on June 18 against Bristol and again in Burlington on July 19. Toney recorded the save in the 2024 Appalachian League All-Star Game, working a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to help the West defeat the East, 4-1. He was the Appy League’s Pitcher of the Week for the final week of the regular season (July 24-31) and its July Pitcher of the Month after going 1-0 with three saves, three holds and a 1.10 ERA in eight appearances for the Flyboys.
LHP: Cyle Phelan, Danville (UNC-Wilmington)
A returning pitcher for the Otterbots, Phelan garnered honors as the Appy League’s top left-handed pitcher after going 3-0 with two saves, a 1.71 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 12 games (three starts). He finished with 35 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings, with opposing batters hitting just .126 with a .451 OPS against him. Phelan led the Appy League in opponent batting average and finished third in OPS. His ERA and WHIP ranked fourth and sixth in the circuit, respectively.
Phelan did not allow a run across his first four outings and finished June with a 0.75 ERA and 21/4 K/BB in 12 innings, earning Pitcher of the Week (June 17-23) along the way. He had a season-high six strikeouts against Bluefield on June 28. He completed three innings on four occasions, including on June 19 at Elizabethton, when Phelan fanned five batters in three hitless frames. The southpaw pitched for the East Select against the Collegiate National Team on July 1 and was first out of the bullpen for the East in the All-Star Game, notching a strikeout during a perfect second inning.
Reliever: Kobie Cushing, Danville (Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.))
Cushing was 2-0 with eight saves in as many opportunities, a 0.51 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 16 relief appearances. The Otterbots’ closer had 29 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings, during which he limited the opposition to a .018 BAA (1-for-56). Along with leading the Appy League in saves and ranking third in appearances, Cushing paced all Appy League pitchers (6 2/3 IP min.) in both ERA and BAA.
Cushing opened the season by not allowing an earned run over his first eight appearances (June 4 to June 26) for Danville. He did not surrender his first hit until July 6, a stretch spanning 10 appearances and 10 2/3 innings. It was the lone hit this season off Cushing, who did not give up a hit over his final five regular-season outings. He earned a save in consecutive appearances for Danville on June 22 and June 26 and again on July 25-26 in the heat of the Otterbots’ playoff push. He notched a strikeout while recording the final two outs for the East in the All-Star Game.
For more information about the Appalachian League, visit appyleague.com or follow @appyleague & @appyleaguedata on Twitter, and @appyleague on Instagram.
