2017 Carolina League season
| 2017 Carolina League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Carolina League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 6 – September 4 |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Ademar Rifaela, Frederick Keys |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Down East Wood Ducks Lynchburg Hillcats |
The 2017 Carolina League was a Class A-Advanced baseball season played between April 6 and September 4. Ten teams played a 140-game schedule, with two teams from each division competing in the playoffs.
The Down East Wood Ducks and Lynchburg Hillcats were named co-champions of the Carolina League championship.
Team changes
- The Buies Creek Astros joined the league as an expansion team and would join the South Division. The club began an affiliation with the Houston Astros.
- The Down East Wood Ducks joined the league as an expansion team and would join the South Division. The club began an affiliation with the Texas Rangers.
- The Salem Red Sox moved from the South Division to the North Division.
- The Carolina Mudcats ended their affiliation with the Atlanta Braves and began a new affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Teams
Map of teams
North division South division
Regular season
Summary
- The Lynchburg Hillcats finished with the best record in the league for the first time since 1992.
- Despite finishing with the best record in the South Division, the Buies Creek Astros failed to qualify for the post-season, as they did not finish in first place in either half of the season.
Standings
| North division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | 87 | 52 | .626 | – |
| Salem Red Sox | 73 | 66 | .525 | 14 |
| Frederick Keys | 68 | 71 | .489 | 19 |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | 67 | 72 | .482 | 20 |
| Potomac Nationals | 63 | 77 | .450 | 24.5 |
| South division | ||||
| Buies Creek Astros | 74 | 65 | .532 | – |
| Carolina Mudcats | 73 | 65 | .529 | 0.5 |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 73 | 67 | .521 | 1.5 |
| Down East Wood Ducks | 62 | 77 | .446 | 12 |
| Winston-Salem Dash | 56 | 84 | .400 | 18.5 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ryan Mountcastle, Frederick Keys | .314 |
| H | Luis Yander, Down East Wood Ducks | 139 |
| R | Myles Straw, Buies Creek Astros | 81 |
| 2B | Jake Gatewood, Carolina Mudcats | 36 |
| 3B | Sam Haggerty, Lynchburg Hillcats | 13 |
| HR | Ademar Rifaela, Frederick Keys | 24 |
| RBI | Lucas Erceg, Carolina Mudcats | 81 |
| SB | Sam Haggerty, Lynchburg Hillcats | 49 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Triston McKenzie, Lynchburg Hillcats | 12 |
| ERA | Michael Rucker, Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 2.51 |
| SV | Nate Griep, Carolina Mudcats | 30 |
| SO | Triston McKenzie, Lynchburg Hillcats | 186 |
| IP | Matt Kent, Salem Red Sox | 164.0 |
Playoffs
- Due to Hurricane Irma, the final round of the playoffs was cancelled.[4]
- The Down East Wood Ducks and Lynchburg Hillcats were named co-champions of the league.
- This was the first championship for the Down East Wood Ducks and the eighth championship for the Lynchburg Hillcats.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||
| N1 | Lynchburg | 2 | |||||||
| N2 | Frederick | 1 | |||||||
| N1 | Lynchburg | ||||||||
| S2 | Down East | ||||||||
| S1 | Myrtle Beach | 0 | |||||||
| S2 | Down East | 2 | |||||||
Awards
| Carolina League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Ademar Rifaela, Frederick Keys |
| Pitcher of the Year | Triston McKenzie, Lynchburg Hillcats |
| Manager of the Year | Tony Mansolino, Frederick Keys |
See also
References
- ^ 2017 CL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed January 2, 2025
- ^ 2017 CL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed January 2, 2025
- ^ 2017 CL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed January 2, 2025
- ^ Norris, Josh (8 September 2017). "Carolina League Cancels Its Championship Series". Baseball America. Retrieved 2 January 2025.