2019 SFCBL MVP – Derek Cartaya (West Boca Snappers/Florida International University)

The 2-time SFCBL Champion returns for his 2nd summer in the SFCBL once again having an outstanding season despite a back-injury side lining him for 2 weeks. Cartaya led the league in average this season hitting .395 with 19 runs and 14 stolen bases. Defensively he has a secure glove with smooth hands and quick feet. He has excellent baseball instincts and his ability to read situations shows through his leadership on the field. The past two seasons at FIU, Cartaya has been the starting shortstop and has consistently been a leader in several offensive categories. A true leader, Cartaya is the glue that has held the West Boca Snappers together the last 2 seasons and has led to consecutive SFCBL Championships.

Offensive Player of the Year – Chris Basilio (Palm Beach Xtreme/Reindhart University)

Basilio first grabbed our attention during a very loud BP session early in the season at Little Fenway in Delray Beach. During that session Basilio displayed his bat speed and power putting balls out of the park with ease. The Miami native attended national powerhouse high school Monsignor Pace and played at Division I Jackson State University as a freshman as a pitcher. Basilio started making the transition from pitcher to outfield his sophomore year. With a strong 6’3/200-pound frame, Basilio may have been one of the best overall athletes in the SFCBL. He led the league in home runs with 6, was third in RBI’s with 24 while hitting .327.

Pitcher of the Year – Corey Martinez (West Boca Snappers/William Patterson University)

When the Snappers started Martinez this year it was a guaranteed win as our 2019 Pitcher of the Year had a perfect 6-0 record which led the league in wins. With a tall, slender, athletic frame, Martinez features a fastball in the 87-90 MPH range with two different breaking balls which he used to keep hitters off balance. The slider is sharp and produced a lot of swing and miss. His curveball has depth, bite and was used more often early in the count. A true pitcher, Martinez has an excellent ability to mix speeds and control all his pitches walking only 14 batters in 42.2 innings while striking out 57 batters.

Defensive Player of the Year – Caleb Durbin (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/University of  Washington)

One of the most secure gloves in the league, Durbin was the starting short stop for the Knights and didn’t skip a beat the whole summer only making 4 errors in 250.2 innings played. Durbin has a strong, compact, athletic frame with plenty of arm strength and range to play short stop at the next level. Durbin took away multiple hits this summer from opposing batters showing off his range up the middle and to his back-hand side. Being only a freshman, we see Durbin continuing to develop into a prospect for the 2021 MLB Draft.

Top Relief Pitcher – Nick Vigilante (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/Bethune-Cookman University)

One of the most dreaded pitchers to face out of the pen in the SFCBL, Vigilante put up outstanding numbers striking out 35 batters and walking only 2 in 19.1 inning with a miniscule 0.46 ERA. Vigilante’s success can be found in his ability to challenge hitters by pounding the zone and his off-speed which induced a lot of swing and miss. The catalyst with him is undoubtedly his slider which produced the most swing and miss out of his off-speed pitches. Nick throws his slider from the same arm slot with the same arm speed producing sharp bite which fooled SFCBL hitters all summer.

Bill Hanscak 10th Player Award – Keith Stevens (Pompano Beach Clippers/Florida Gulf Coast University)

Taking home the 10th Player Award from the second year in a row, Stevens was utilized in multiple positions including catcher, third base and right field, the Miami native was one of the toughest outs in the SFCBL this summer as he was sixth league-wide in average hitting .370 with 8 doubles, 1 HR and 21 RBI’s. This past spring at FGCU, Stevens led the team in average hitting .335 with 11 doubles, 3 HR’s and 29 RBI’s. Stevens has a thick, strong frame and runs well for his size. Defensively, Stevens is a secure defender behind the dish and blocks the ball well. With plenty of arm strength, right-field isn’t out of the question if he cannot be utilized behind the plate. His athleticism landed him with many starts at third base as well.

Rookie of the Year – Nelson Smith (West Boca Snappers/Palm Beach State)

One of the youngest players to play in the 2019 SFCBL season, Smith put up outstanding numbers. Although he is young, he is mature on the mound holding his own against well-seasoned and experienced players. Smith is the definition of projectable standing at 6’5/190 with plenty of room to fill out. An outstanding athlete, Smith played basketball in high school but has now made the decision to solely focus on baseball going forward in his career. Smith has a high ¾ arm slot with a loose smooth arm action. His fastball started out early in the summer in the 86-89 MPH range but by the end of summer he was sitting 90-92 MPH with sinking action. He throws a hard slider in the 82-84 MPH range which induces swing and miss considering he maintains the same arm speed and slot as his fastball. We see Smith with a plus fastball in the near future and really like his arm. Numbers wise he struck out 36 batters in 30.1 innings only walking 7. Given his size, athleticism, ability and projectability, we see Nelson as a solid prospect in the 2020 MLB Draft.

Most Improved Player – Miguel Peralta (Boynton Beach Buccaneers/Indian River State)

In the 2018 SFCBL season, Miguel Peralta struggled to get through outings throwing only 5.2 innings, giving up 7 earned runs and striking out 4 batters with an 11.11 ERA. Flash forward a year later, and Miguel has transformed himself into a very effective pitcher throwing 25 innings, striking out 24 batters, posting a 3-1 record with a miniscule 1.44 ERA. Bucs Coach Larry Greenstein had the following to say. “Miguel went from being our last guy in 2018 to a guy we could depend on to get us a win and get batters out. His improvement in velocity and command were tremendous and it showed with his results”.

Evan Hirschbaum Sportsman of the Year – Cam Krzeminski (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/Florida Gulf Coast University)

Cam Krzeminski is simply a player that any GM or Manager would want to have on their team. A fan favorite and outstanding teammate, Cam was a major part of the of the Knights lineup as he shattered league records for stolen bases with 46 and runs scored with 39. Cam also had 9 doubles, 3 triples, 17 RBI’s with 26 BB’s and was named to the 2019 South Division All-Star Team. Knights Head Coach Jesse Katz had the following to say about Cam. “In my time coaching, I haven’t had a player as polite and respectful to coaches, umpires, teammates, and opposing players as Cam. Cam was well liked by everyone on our team, and from what I could tell, players on other teams as well as umpires. Cam displayed a quiet, calm demeanor throughout the entire summer, and in opportunities where most players in the league would let the heat of the moment get to them regarding situations with umpires or opposing players, Cam would not allow it for himself. Cam was most noticeably appreciative of umpires, always shaking their hands and saying thank you. Even in at-bats that did not go his way, he would ask the umpire a question, politely, and then respond always by saying thank you. He also spent off-days and sometimes had to miss a game to volunteer”.

1st Team All-SFCBL

C Logan Stoldt (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/Ashland University)

1B Alex McCormack (Florida Pokers/Grand Valley State)

2B Jordan Mercado (Palm Beach Diamond Ducks/Palm Beach State)

3B Caleb Durbin (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/University of Washington)

SS Derek Cartaya (West Boca Snappers/Florida International University)

OF Ricky Clark (Palm Beach Diamond Ducks/Wingate University)

OF Cam Krzeminski (Ft Lauderdale Knights/Florida Gulf Coast University)

OF Chris Basilio (Palm Beach Xtreme/Reindhart University)

DH Dalton Cobb (Boynton Beach Buccaneers/Auburn University)

UTL Keith Stevens (Pompano Beach Clippers/Florida Gulf Coast University)

RHP Nik Constantakos (Florida Pokers/University of Tampa)

RHP Corey Martinez (West Boca Snappers/William Patterson University)

RHP Israel Cordero (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/UNC Greensboro)

LHP Gus Carter (West Boca Snappers/Florida Gulf Coast University)

RHP Miguel Alba (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/College of Central Florida)

2nd Team All-SFCBL

C Anthony Orta (Palm Beach Xtreme/Queens University of Charlotte)

1B Kyle Olson (West Boca Snappers/Adelphi University)

2B Isaiah Perry (Florida Pokers/Santa Fe College)

3B Tim Jean (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/College of Lake County)

SS Sam Faith (Boca Raton Blazers/Missouri State University)

OF Jalen Townsend (Pompano Beach Clippers/Florida Gulf Coast University)

OF Andrew Martinez (Palm Beach Diamond Ducks/Embry-Riddle University)

OF Justin Lara (Florida Pokers/Faulkner University)

DH Luis Chavez (West Boca Snappers/Florida International University)

UTL Gabe Lozada (Florida Pokers/Hillsborough C.C.)

RHP Jean Sapini (Pompano Beach Clippers/Rowan University)

RHP Ruari Murphy (Palm Beach Diamond Ducks/Jacksonville University)

RHP Chris Seymour (Boynton Beach Buccaneers/Florida Gulf Coast University)

RHP Mac Callari (Boca Raton Blazers/Wingate University)

RHP Michael McBriar (Ft. Lauderdale Knights/College of Lake County)

Editor’s note: For All-SFCBL selections a minimum of 75 plate appearances were needed to qualify as a position player and a minimum of 25 innings pitched were needed to qualify as a pitcher. Plate appearances include AB’s, BB’s, HBP’s, SH’s and SF’s. For hitters, average, extra base hits, RBI’s & stolen bases were the stats used for selections. For pitchers, ERA, strikeouts, wins/losses and walks were the stats used for selections.