Sod Poodles Players Named To Postseason All-Star Team

The Sod Poodles continue to make headlines not only here in Amarillo, but all around the Texas League! The 2019 Postseason All-Star team has been announced and 4 Soddies have made the roster. This is the league's second highest player count from a single team. The postseason selections highlight the league’s best throughout the 2019 season at each position.

Amarillo Sod Poodles players selected to the postseason All-Star team are: Luis Torrens (C), Ivan Castillo (2B), Edward Olivares (OF), and right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar.

"We are proud to see four of our many great Sod Poodles players represent Amarillo and the very talented San Diego Padres organization as Postseason All-Stars in our inaugural season," said Sod Poodles President and General Manager Tony Ensor. "We look forward to seeing them and the rest of our 2019 Sod Poodles roster continue their incredible seasons into the Texas League Playoffs!”

Torrens, 23, is currently batting .292 over 93 games with Amarillo and has collected 21 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 59 RBI, and 40 walks. Behind the plate, the Venezuela native has caught in 81 games (705.0 innings) and currently leads the league in runners caught stealing (42). This marks the first Postseason All-Star bid of his career.

Castillo, 24, who was signed as a free agent by the Padres on November 9, 2018, has been red-hot all season for Amarillo since joining on May 3 and is currently batting a league-leading .312 over 100 games. The Dominican Republic native has totaled 59 runs, 27 doubles (third in league), five triples (T-9th in league), eight home runs, 53 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 2019. He has recorded two of the longest hit streaks for Amarillo this season (19 - 7/2 – 7/24; 14 - 5/16 - 5/30). The All-Star bid marks his first selection as a Postseason All-Star.

Olivares, 23, Padres number 18-rated prospect (MLB.com), is also among the league leaders offensively as he is currently second in RBI (74), tied for sixth in doubles (25), first in runs scored (83), and third in stolen bases (33). Over 122 games in 2019, the Venezuela native is batting a league eighth-best .285 with a league fourth-best 17 home runs. This marks the first Postseason All-Star bid of his career.

Bachar, 24, also earns his first postseason All-Star bid in his career. The right-hander has been with Double-A Amarillo since the start of the 2019 season and is currently tied for the league lead in wins (8), first in win percentage (.670), fifth in ERA (3.70), and is fourth in strikeouts (121). The Wisconsin resident was drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Padres in 2016.

In 2018, a league-high four players from the Padres Double-A affiliate in San Antonio highlighted the Texas League Postseason All-Star team, marking the second consecutive season the affiliate has reached the feat. Players included catcher Austin Allen, shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., outfielder Josh Naylor, and pitcher Logan Allen.