By: RiverDogs Media
Minor League Baseball announced the Carolina League All-Star Team and award winners on Thursday afternoon. As anticipated, the defending champion Charleston RiverDogs were well-represented. Blake Butera was named the league's Manager of the Year for the second consecutive season. In addition, shortstop Carson Williams, outfielder Shane Sasaki and relief pitcher Austin Vernon were selected as the circuit's best at their respective positions.
Butera, in his second year at the helm of the ballclub, guided the team to a franchise record 88 wins and their second straight title. The organization had not won a title prior to Butera's arrival in the Holy City. Only the Nashville Sounds, who played 17 more games than the RiverDogs finished with more wins among Minor League Baseball's 120 teams. Despite the promotion of 15 players throughout the season, the RiverDogs led the Carolina League with a team batting average of .254 and also paced the circuit in home runs and runs scored. The pitching staff also posted a league-best 3.67 earned runs average. In his two years managing the RiverDogs, he has put together a 170-82 record.
Williams, the Tampa Bay Rays first round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, was among the Carolina League leaders in several offensive categories and one of the most surehanded with his glove. The native of San Diego paced the RiverDogs with 19 home runs, a number that placed him second in the league. He also finished tied for the league lead in triples, second in home runs, total bases and extra-base hits, third in slugging percentage, fourth in RBI and runs scored and sixth in OPS. Williams committed just 13 errors in 108 games. RiverDogs fans voted the 19-year-old as the 2022 Top Dog.
Sasaki was electric at the top of the lineup for much of the campaign. The native of Hawaii, brought home the Carolina League batting title with a .324 batting average and was named the circuit's player of the month in August. Sasaki also led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. He finished third in doubles, tied for third in stolen bases, tied for seventh in hits, eighth in total bases and tied for eighth in extra-base hits. The former third round pick stole 48 bases, while being caught only four times.
Vernon was dominant on the mound during his time with the RiverDogs, working as a reliever early in the year before transitioning to the starting rotation. The 6'8 righthander was named the Carolina League and Tampa Rays Pitcher of the Month in May. When he departed for High-A Bowling Green in July he was leading the league in each of the three major pitching categories (wins, ERA and strikeouts). His nine wins were also tied for the second-most in Minor League Baseball. Vernon compiled a 9-1 record and 1.69 earned run average with 91 strikeouts in 58.2 innings during his time in Charleston.
