The winner of the last matchup is Jimmy Yezzo- he’ll face Aidan Nagle in the next round.

Today’s match is between Brandon Quaranta (Strasburg 2016-17) and Leo Rojas (Winchester 2012)!

  • Brandon Quaranta was a monster in Strasburg’s lineup… and on the hill. Let’s see: in 2016, he hit .375/.425/.713 in 80 at-bats, with seven doubles and six home runs. He went on to hit .448/.500/1.034 in the playoffs to help the Express to a title. On the mound, he didn’t allow an earned run in 7 1/3 regular season innings and four postseason innings. Then, 2017. In 151 regular season at-bats, he hit .331/.448/.623, with 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, and a 25/32 BB/K ratio. He hit another home run and walked 11 times in nine playoff games, too. On the mound, he went 0-0, 1.58, with four saves in 11 1/3 regular season innings, and 1-2, 1.42 in 6 1/3 playoff innings. He was ATVL’s 2nd best hitter that year (behind only Michael Wielansky). He played all four years at Philadelphia U (changed to “Jefferson” in 2017, I believe), and hit .318/.449/.630 in 462 at-bats, with 24 doubles, 38 home runs, 123 RBIs, a 92/97 BB/K ratio, and 25 stolen bases in the four years. He was not drafted after his college eligibility ended.
  • Leo Rojas scored 59 runs for Winchester in 2012- more than any other Valley Leaguer since the 2004 season. Overall, the second baseman from Alabama State hit .357/.416/.540 in 213 at-bats, with those 59 runs, 14 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, an 18/27 BB/K ratio, and 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts. He was ATVL’s 9th best hitter in the league that summer (and received serious consideration for second team All-Decade last December). Rojas spent his first two college years at St. Pete Community College, and his junior and senior year at Alabama State, where he hit a combined .274/.348/.384 in 365 at-bats, with 21 doubles, eight triples, a home run, 62 RBIs, 30/55 BB/K ratio, and 26 stolen base in 31 attempts. Rojas was not drafted after his college eligibility, but he returned to Alabama State as a volunteer coach (for at least the 2014 season), and I believe he may just be a fire fighter now. ***EDIT*** (I added the strike through “just”- I meant that as “He MAY be a fire fighter,” because I wasn’t sure. No disrespect to firefighters.)

Vote by going to twitter.com/JohnATVL.

And by the way, if you want to read a ton about either the 2015 or 2019 VBL season, be sure to check out this post on the 2019 Valley League Annual!

Also, please check out and subscribe to the Valley Baseball League youtube channel– some awesome stuff is released almost every day!

Quaranta (From FB)
Rojas (Getty Images)