Hey, it’s the end of 2019! That means that everyone and everyone’s brother is coming out with “Best of the Decade” lists. So why shouldn’t ATVL do the same?

So I have named a first and second team of Valley League players. The only parameter is that the player must have played in the league somewhere between 2010 and 2019. This list is based on players’ Valley League performances only- it has nothing to do with how the guy might have done in professional ball. (The only other thing to keep in mind is that the “utility” spot is for players who both pitched and hit in the same summer.)

So today, we have the second team, with the first team coming out in a couple days.

Catcher: Wes Clarke, Waynesboro 2019. Clarke hit .364/.500/.645 in 121 at-bats, with 14 doubles, a triple, and six home runs. He also had a fantastic 27/15 BB/K ratio. The Generals set a franchise record for winning percentage in 2019 (by going 31-11).

First Base: Gunnar McNeill, Staunton 2014. McNeill won the league MVP by hitting .402/.469/.604 in 169 at-bats, with 16 doubles and six home runs, along with a 22/19 BB/K ratio. The Braves went 25-18 in the regular season.

Second Base: Austin Embler, Harrisonburg 2018. Embler hit a robust .388/.479/.621 in 116 at-bats, with seven doubles, four triples, and four home runs. He walked 21 times against 26 strikeouts as well. (The Turks went 20-22 in his season.)

Shortstop: Bradley Jones, Charles Town 2015. Jones was a beast at the plate, hitting .333/.380/.590, with 12 doubles and six home runs in 117 at-bats. He put on a show in the home run derby as well. (Cannons went 16-26 that summer.)

Third Base: Carter Pharis, Strasburg 2016. Pharis hit /342/.440/.535 in 155 at-bats, with 13 doubles, a triple, five home runs, and a 21/19 BB/K ratio. The Express went 30-12 and won the title in 2016.

Outfield: Shane Billings, Harrisonburg 2015. The MVP in 2015, Billings hit .418/.483/.549 in 153 at-bats, along with 45 runs scored, six doubles, four triples, two home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a solid 19/13 BB/K ratio. The Turks went 29-13 that summer.

Outfield: Julian Ridings, Waynesboro 2012. Ridings won the batting title and MVP award in 2012, hitting .419/.454/.657 in 172 at-bats, with 14 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, and 15 stolen bases.The Generals went 31-13 that summer.

Outfield: Mac Williamson, Harrisonburg 2011. Big Mac hit .381/.469/.706 in 126 at-bats, with 11 doubles and 10 home runs. The Turks went 32-12 that summer.

Utility: Rick Spiers, Charlottesville 2017. Spiers hit .333/.391/.487 in 117 at-bats, with five doubles, two triples, three home runs, and eight stolen bases. On the mound, he went 4-0, 0.78, with a 2.0 BB/9 and 10.6 K/9 in 23 innings pitched. He was on the mound for the final out of the final game of the 2017 championship series, after the Tom Sox went 32-10 in the regular season.

Starting Pitcher: Greg Nappo, Haymarket 2010. In 49 1/3 innings, Nappo went 5-1, 1.64, with a 1.034 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, and 12.4 K/9. The Senators went 30-14 and won the regular season title that summer.

Starting Pitcher: Jared Wetherbee, Charlottesville 2018. Wetherbee won pitcher of the year in 2018 after going 3-1, 1.06, with a 0.830 WHIP, 5.0 BB/9, and 15.7 K/9 in 25 1/3 innings pitched. The Tom Sox went 25-18 and advanced to the championship round of the playoffs that summer.

Starting Pitcher: Erne Valdes, Front Royal 2016. Valdes went 2-1, 1.04 in 34 2/3 innings in 2016, along with a 0.836 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9, and 11.7 K/9. The Cards went 21-21 that summer.

Starting Pitcher: Tristen Bayless, Woodstock 2019. Bayless won pitcher of the year last summer after going 3-2, 1.92, with a 1.162 WHIP, 5.8 BB/9, and 13.8 K/9 in 32 2/3 innings pitched. The Bandits went from 5-37 in 2018 to 25-17 in 2019.

Starting Pitcher: Benjamin Dum, Strasburg 2016-2017.  Dum went 4-0, 1.42 in 2016, with a 0.868 WHIP, 1.4 BB/9, and 7.6 K/9 in 38 innings pitched. He also went 5-2, 2.77 in 2017, with a 1.8 BB/9 and 7.7 K/9 in 45 1/3 innings.

Relief Pitcher: Patrick Christensen, Harrisonburg 2011. Christensen went 2-1, 1.20, with 10 saves, a 0.833 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, and 13.8 K/9 in 30 innings pitched.

Relief Pitcher: Thomas Sutera, Purcellville 2017. The pitcher of the year in 2017, Sutera went 6-0, 1.57, with a 1.050 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, and 10.2 K/9 in 34 1/3 innings pitched. The Cannons went 26-16 that summer.

Relief Pitcher: Conor Miller, Woodstock 2019. Miller went 1-1, 0.47, with two saves, a 0.737 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, and 8.5 K/9 in 19 innings pitched.

Relief Pitcher: Trevin Eubanks, New Market 2018. Eubanks helped the Rebels to a title by going 2-0, 1.50, with a 0.833 WHIP, 4.5 BB/9, and huge 18.0 K/9 in 18 innings pitched.

Relief Pitcher: Zach Neff, Waynesboro 2016. Neff went 4-1, 1.08, with a 0.778 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9, and 9.7 K/9 in 16 2/3 innings pitched. The Generals won the division that year by going 30-12, but fell in the finals.

Here they are in list form:

C Wes Clarke Waynesboro 2019
1B Gunnar McNeill Staunton 2014
2B Austin Embler Harrisonburg 2018
SS Bradley Jones Charles Town 2015
3B Carter Pharis Strasburg 2016
OF Shane Billings Harrisonburg 2015
OF Julian Ridings Waynesboro 2012
OF Mac Williamson Harrisonburg 2011
Util Rick Spiers Charlottesville 2017
SP Greg Nappo Haymarket 2010
SP Jared Wetherbee Charlottesville 2018
SP Erne Valdes Front Royal 2016
SP Tristen Bayless Woodstock 2019
SP Benjamin Dum Strasburg 2016-17
RP Patrick Christensen Harrisonburg 2011
RP Thomas Sutera Purcellville 2017
RP Conor Miller Woodstock 2019
RP Trevin Eubanks New Market 2018
RP Zach Neff Waynesboro 2016

Congratulations to all- first team coming soon!

Miller
Bayless
Clarke
Eubanks
McNeill
Billings
Jones
Williamson