Mets Minors: Backman Leading Las Vegas 51s Trio in AAA All-Star Game

From the desk of:  MR. MET MEETS THE GREAT GAZOO

CASHMAN FIELD

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mets Minors: Travis Taijeron and J.T. Rivera Set to Wield PCL Leading Bats Against International League's Best.

The Las Vegas 51s regular season will resume on July 14 against the Iowa Cubs.

In the meantime, Vegas skipper Wally Backman will manage the Pacific Coast League's top talent when they take on the International League's best in the 29th annual AAA All-Star Game this Wednesday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Pitcher Gabriel Ynoa is tied for second most wins in the league with a 9-3 record, and tied for second with 18 starts this season.  He has also logged the third most innings in the Pacific Coast League to date and boasts a representative 4.19 ERA.

At the plate, right fielder Travis Taijeron and infielder J.T. Rivera have been pummeling Pacific Coast league pitching since the season's first call to play ball.

After 84 games and 312 at-bats, Taijeron leads the PCL with 35 doubles, is second with 176 total bases, ranks third with 69 RBI, and is fifth with both a .564 slugging average and .953 OPS.  He's otherwise batting .306 with 13 home runs.

Shortstop and third baseman J.T. Rivera leads the Pacific Coast League with a .348 batting average.   He is additionally fourth behind Taijeron with 63 RBI, tenth right behind Taijeron with a .389 OBP, and is tied with Taijeron for sixth with 96 total hits.  With eight home runs to date, he's one away from matching his single season (2014) high.